Letter 324

To Unknown. (357) My health has been indifferent lately, which explains the gap in our correspondence. The body weakens, but the spirit remains willing -- a fact attested by this very letter, written despite the protestations of my physician, who would have me lie still and do nothing. But doing nothing is itself a kind of illness for a man accustomed to the active life of the mind. Writing to friends is my medicine, and I find that a good letter sent or received does more for my recovery than any potion.

Ἀρισταινέτῳ. (357) Ἀντίοχος οὑτοσὶ τῶν πολλάκις ἡμᾶς σεσωκότων ἐστὶ τῇ τέχνῃ· κατὰ μὲν γὰρ τὴν γλῶτταν ἴσως ἑτέρου δεύτερος, οὗ δὲ ἀναστῆσαι δεῖ, τοῖς πρώτοις ἐνάμιλλος. τῶν μὲν οὖν χειρῶν αὐτοῦ πᾶσα ἡ πόλις ἀπολαύει δι’ ἴσου, πρὸς δὲ τὸ γένος ἡμῶν πατρόθεν ἐστὶν αὐτῷ φιλία, καὶ γέγονεν οὐκ ὀλί- γοις ἡμῶν ἀντὶ τροφέων, ὃ τούτῳ πολλοὶ τῶν ἡμετέρων προ- γόνων. μάθοις δ’ ἂν καὶ παρὰ τῆς αἰτίας, καθ’ ἣν ἤκει τις ἀνὴρ πρὸς ἡμᾶς. Θεοδώρα μὲν γάρ, οἰχομένου Θαλασσίου θυγάτριον, ὡς δὴ τούτῳ κουφιοῦσα τὴν λύπην δεηθεῖσα λαμβάνει καὶ ἠγάπησεν ὥσπερ αὐτὴ τεκοῦσα· ἐπεὶ δὲ καλῶς ἔχει τὴν κόρην ἡμῖν ἐπανελθεῖν, Ἀντίοχος μετὰ τῆς γυναικὸς ἐπὶ τὴν κομιδὴν ἔρχεται τά τε ἄλλα φύλαξ ἀγαθὸς καὶ τῷ σώματι βοηθὸς τὴν ἀπὸ τῆς τέχνης πρόσοδον ἐλάττω κρίνας τοῦ χαρίσασθαι τοῖς φίλοις. λαβέτω δὴ πεῖραν τῆς σῆς φύσεως, ὅπως καὶ οὗτος ἀγγέλλῃ τοῦτο δὴ τὸ περὶ σοῦ παρὰ πολλῶν ᾀδόμενον, ὡς οὐδείς σοι παραπλήσιος.