Letter 24: What excuse can you offer for your silence?

To Polychronius (359/60) What charge can you bring against your own silence? Slowness of mind? And who is quicker than you? Or poverty of expression? You who teach so clearly about the greatest matters? Whence, then, this voicelessness? You are not speaking; well then, you shall hear. Having cut off part of our provisions to your shame, and having separated the barley from the wheat, you have wronged the horses, and you have nothing to say in your defense. But I release you from your fear by saying the words of Achilles: it is not you who cause this grief, but Agamemnon. So go forward with confidence and write.

**To Polychronius** (359/60) What can you blame for your silence? Slowness of mind? And yet who is sharper? A poverty of expression, then? You, who teach so clearly on matters of great importance? Why then are you mute? You will not say, so you shall hear it from me. You cut back our provisions and feel ashamed; by separating the barley from the wheat you have wronged our horses, and now you have nothing to say. But I will free you from your fear by quoting the words of Achilles: "It is not you who grieves me, but Agamemnon." So take heart, go ahead, and write.

Πολυχρονίῳ (359/60) Τί τῆς σιγῆς ἔχεις αἰτιᾶσθαι; βραδυτῆτα νοῦ; καὶ τίς ὀξύτερος; ἀλλ’ ἔνδειαν λέξεως; ὁ σαφῶς οὕτω περὶ τῶν μεγά- 5 λῶν διδάσκων; πόθεν οὖν ἄφωνος; οὐ λέγεις οὐκοῦν ἀκούσῃ. τῶν τροφῶν ἡμῖν περικόψας αἰσχύνῃ καὶ διαζεύξας τῶν πυ- ρῶν τὰς κριθὰς τοὺς ἵππους ἠδικηκὼς οὐκ ἔχεις ὅ τι εἴπῃς. ἀλλά σοι λύω τὸν φόβον τὸ τοῦ Ἀχιλλέως εἰπών· οὐ σὺ τοῦτο λυπεῖς, ἀλλ’ Ἀγαμέμνων. ὥστε θαρρῶν ἴθι καὶ 10 γράφε