Letter 748

To Bosporius. (362) It is no surprise that a man born in Ancyra set out to pursue one of the nobler arts, for your city is rich in fine natures. This Achillius, too, has done what was natural: rather than living in comfort at home, he chose to become a physician. And the admirable thing about him is this — of all the cities between Alexandria and ours (and they are many), not one failed to want the man for itself and the benefit of his skill, yet not one, for all its efforts, managed to persuade him. He considered them fine people and was pleased by their praise, but everything came second to you. And yet he knew that troubles stirred up by Fortune awaited him at home — his father having died, the disturbances now fall upon him — but still he found the cares in your city sweeter than prosperity elsewhere. It would be worthy of your generosity, courage, and gentleness to act in such a way that he will know he did well in hurrying back to you. He will take refuge with you immediately — he knew this himself, and I urged the same. Show at once to those who have the power to trouble him that you will not permit it. They will not be so bold as to try to drive out Achillius against the will of Heracles. For plainly the arrows will turn upon them. They will therefore choose neither to do wrong nor to be struck. If things go this way, he will practice his art in peace; from us you will have praise, from Asclepius the reward of never needing a physician yourself, and for the young men there will be a desire to learn something serious when they see that those who have done so are saved from dire straits. For you to be the cause of such things in the city is worth more than any expenditure on the city. I have given this letter because Achillius is bringing many letters from Palestine to the governor. Consider, then, with what purpose I added this one to the many. I believe my counsel is sound, but it is better to keep the reason silent than to write it down.

Βοσπορίῳ. (362) Οὐδὲν θαυμαστὸν εἴ τις ἐν Ἀγκύρᾳ τεχθεὶς ὥρμησεν ἐπὶ τέχνην τῶν σεμνοτέρων· ἀγαθῶν γὰρ φύσεων ἡ πόλις ὑμῖν εὔφορος. ἀπέδωκε δὴ καὶ Ἀχίλλιος οὑτοσὶ τὸ εἰκὸς ἀντὶ τοῦ τρυφᾶν οἴκοι γενέσθαι βουληθεὶς ἰατρός. καλὸν δὲ αὐτοῦ τὸ μηδεμίαν τῶν πόλεων — πολλαὶ δὲ αὗται καὶ ὅσαι μεταξὺ τῆς τε Ἀλεξάνδρου καὶ τῆς ἡμετέρας — τούτων τοι νυν οὐκ ἔστι μὲν ἥτις οὐκ ἠβουλήθη τὸν ἄνδρα κτήσασθαι καὶ τῆς τέχνης ἀπολαύειν, οὐκ ἔστι δὲ ἥτις ἠδυνήθη πειρω- μένη πεῖσαι. χρηστοὺς μὲν γὰρ ἐκείνους ἡγεῖτο καὶ ἔχαιρεν ἐπαινούμενος, πάντα δὲ ὑμῶν δεύτερα· καίτοι φόβους μὲν ᾔδει παρὰ τῆς Τύχης ἐγηγερμένους οἴκοι — τοῦ πατρὸς γὰρ αὐτῷ τεθνεῶτος ἐπ’ αὐτὸν οἱ θόρυβοι χωροῦσιν — ἀλλ’ ὅμως τῆς παρ’ ἄλλοις εὐδαιμονίας τὰς παρ’ ὑμῖν φροντίδας ἡδίους ἔθετο. εἴη ἂν οὖν τῆς σῆς φιλοτιμίας τε καὶ ἀν- δρίας καὶ ἡμερότητος πρᾶξαι ταῦτα δι’ ὧν ὅτι καλῶς ἐποίει πρὸς ὑμᾶς ἐπειγόμενος εἴσεται. καταφεύξεται μὲν γὰρ εὐθὺς ἐπὶ σέ, τοῦτο γὰρ αὐτός τε ᾖδε καὶ ἐγὼ παρῄνουν, σὺ δ’ εὐθὺς ἐνδείκνυσο τοῖς δυναμένοις λυπεῖν, ὅτι οὐκ ἐπιτρέψεις. οἱδ’ οὐχ οὕτως ἔσονται θρασεῖς ὥστ’ ἄκοντος Ἡρακλέους ἐπιχειρεῖν ἐλαύνειν Ἀχίλλιον. δῆλον γὰρ ὡς ἐπ’ αὐτοὺς ἥξει τὰ βέλη. αἱρήσονται οὖν μήτ’ ἀδικεῖν μήτε βάλλεσθαι. εἰ δὲ οὕτω ταῦθ’ ἕξει, ὁ μὲν καθ’ ἡσυχίαν χρήσεται τῇ τέχνῃ, σοὶ δὲ ἔσται παρὰ μὲν ἡμῶν ἔπαινος, παρὰ δὲ Ἀσκληπιοῦ τὸ μηδὲν ἰατροῦ δεῖσθαι, τοῖς δὲ νέοις ἔρως τοῦ μανθάνειν τι σπου- δαῖον ὁρῶσι τοὺς μεμαθηκότας ἐκ δεινῶν σωζομένους. εἶναι δέ σε τοιούτων αἴτιον ἐν τῇ πόλει μεῖζον τῶν εἰς τὴν πόλιν ἀναλωμάτων. ταύτην ἐγὼ δέδωκα τὴν ἐπιστολὴν πολλὰς ἐκ Παλαιστίνης Ἀχιλλίου πρὸς τὸν ἄρχοντα κομίζοντος. ἐννόει δή, τίνι γνώμῃ προσέθηκα ταῖς πολλαῖς τὴν μίαν· ὀρθῶς μὲν γὰρ ἡγοῦμαι βεβουλεῦσθαι, σιγᾶν δὲ τὴν αἰτίαν κρεῖττον ἢ γράφειν·