Letter 701
Libanius→Demetrius, friend|libanius
From: Libanius, rhetorician in Antioch
To: Demetrius, friend
Date: ~362 AD
Context: Libanius expresses surprise at receiving payment from Demetrius despite a bad wine vintage and promises to persuade the buyer not to side with the farmers if they try to cheat.
I am amazed that even this much was collected. I knew about the other difficulties, and about the disaster with the wine that struck every jar.
The evening wine, at least here, was ruined by dawn. So whatever money comes from you, we will be content, and we will consider it a gift rather than a repayment. We will also persuade the buyer not to take the farmers' side if they try to cheat.
Δημητρίῳ. (362)
Ἀλλ’ ὅτι καὶ ταῦτα εἰσεπράχθη τεθαύμακα τάς τε γὰρ
ἄλλας ἠπιστάμην δυσχερείας καὶ τὴν περὶ τὸν οἶνον τύχην,
ἣ πάντας ἐπῆλθε πίθους.
ὅ γέ τοι τῆς ἐσπέρας οἶνος ἅμα
ἡμέρᾳ διέφθαρται παρ’ ἡμῖν, ὥσθ’ ὅσον ἂν ἀργύριον γένηται
παρ’ ὑμῶν, στέρξομεν καὶ οὐκ ἀποδιδόναι μᾶλλον ἢ δωρεῖσθαί
σε νομιοῦμεν. πείσομεν δὲ καὶ τὸν ἐωνημένον μὴ βοηθεῖν
τοῖς γεωργοῖς, ἢν ἐθέλωσιν ἀποστερεῖν.
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From: Libanius, rhetorician in Antioch
To: Demetrius, friend
Date: ~362 AD
Context: Libanius expresses surprise at receiving payment from Demetrius despite a bad wine vintage and promises to persuade the buyer not to side with the farmers if they try to cheat.
I am amazed that even this much was collected. I knew about the other difficulties, and about the disaster with the wine that struck every jar.
The evening wine, at least here, was ruined by dawn. So whatever money comes from you, we will be content, and we will consider it a gift rather than a repayment. We will also persuade the buyer not to take the farmers' side if they try to cheat.
Modern English rendering for readability. See the 19th-century translation or original Latin/Greek for scholarly use.