Letter 326

To Unknown. (357) It grieves me to hear that two men I trained are now at odds with each other. Whatever the cause of their quarrel, the damage to both their reputations and to the good name of our school is real and growing. I urge you, as their mutual friend, to intervene before the breach becomes permanent. Remind them that the education they shared creates a bond stronger than any disagreement, and that the world judges a teacher by the conduct of his students. For my sake, if not for their own, let them find a way back to civility.

Ἀρισταινέτῳ. (357) Θαλασσίῳ τούτῳ τὸ μὲν ὄνομα πατρῷον, ὁ τρόπος δὲ τοῦ ’κείνου καλλίων. τίς μὲν γὰρ οὕτως ἐπιεικής, τίς δὲ χρηστός; τίς ἦρξε μᾶλλον φιλίας; τίς ἐτήρησε συστᾶσαν; τίς ἀπέσχετο σκωμμάτων; τίς ἤνεγκε σκώμματα; λόγων δὲ μετ- έσχε μέν, οὐχ ὅσων ἐβούλετο, διὰ τὴν ὀρφανίαν, τούτῳ δὲ ἀλγῶν αὐτῷ, παρ’ οἷς οἶδεν ὄντας λόγους εὐδαιμονίζει τε καὶ φιλεῖ, ζῶν δὲ ἐν πλούτῳ μεγάλῳ σωφρονεῖ μὲν πλέον τῶν πενομένων, εἰς δὲ τὸ τοῖς πένησιν ἀμύνειν χρῆται τοῖς οὖσι κατὰ τοῦτο μόνον ἐπαινῶν τὸ πλουτεῖν, ὅτι συμπράττει πρὸς ἐπίδειξιν φύσει γενναίᾳ. ταῦτ’ οὐδὲ τὸν Στρατήγιον λαν- θάνει, θαυμάζων δέ, ὥσπερ ἡμεῖς, ζητεῖ τε ἀπόντα καὶ παρ- όντι χαίρει. καὶ δὴ καὶ πολλάκις ἤρετο· τί δὴ μόνος οὐδὲν ἐπαγγέλλει; δοῦναι μὲν γὰρ ἕτοιμος ὁ νεανίσκος, αἰτῆσαι δὲ βραδύς. εἰ δὲ ὀφθείη που, πανταχόθεν ἐγκώμια παρά τε τῶν εὖ πεπονθότων καὶ τῶν τοὺς εὖ παθόντας ειδότων. τὴν Τύχην δὲ οὐδεὶς ἐμέμψατο διὰ τὴν πρὸς τοῦτον εὔνοιαν· οὕτως ἐσπούδακεν εἶναι μέτριος ἐν ἀφθόνοις. καὶ ὧν οἶδεν ἀνθρώπων τοὺς μὲν εὐηργέτηκε, τοὺς δὲ οὐκ ἐλύπησεν. ἐμὲ δὲ φιλεῖ μὲν πλέον ἢ ὡς ἄν τις πατέρα, αἰσχύνεται δὲ μᾶλλον ἢ μαθητής, ποιεῖ δὲ τῶν αὑτοῦ κύριον, ὥσπερ αὐτὸν ὁ νόμος. ταῦτ’ οὔτ’ ἐμὲ σιγᾶν εἶχε καλῶς οὔτε σὲ μὴ μαθεῖν. ἐγὼ μὲν γὰρ ἂν ἠδίκουν, ὑμεῖς δ’ ἂν ἐζημιοῦσθε μὴ συναγόμενοι παρ’ ἐμοῦ δικαιότατα ἂν ἀλλήλους εἰδότες.