Letter 523: Many blessings on Bacchius, who is both fine himself and a lover of fine things.

To Demetrius. (356) Many good things befall Bacchius, who is both handsome and a lover of handsome things. I say this not to exalt myself, for he loves me too, though I am not very handsome, whereas he loves you very much and you are very handsome indeed; you who, in bringing us such an echo, set it into your letter, so that I was held fast by it and leapt toward its beauty, marveling at the bloom of the words no less than Pan himself marveled at the goddess. But something vexing befell both me and Bacchius. For at midday I had finished speaking, and as the day was waning he arrived; and looking at one another we grieved, the one because he had come too late for the discourse, the other because, having spoken, he had not gained the support of his friend. Yet I took pleasure in hearing this: that those who have suffered such a thing lay aside their disappointment among you, and return from the very place where they came off badly. Do not ask for discourses rather than send them; and do not think it more fitting for you to receive than to give; nor, being exceedingly just, do this one unjust thing. For how is it not outrageous that Alexander should carry our discourses to you, but to us bring back praises of your discourses instead of the discourses themselves? But, my good fellow, show us the orator before the body; for the art is made plain even through letters, and to be ignorant of nothing that is yours is both better and more delightful.

Δημητρίῳ. (356) Πόλλα ἀγαθὰ γένοιτο Βακχίῳ καλῷ τε ὄντι καὶ καλῶν ἐρῶντι. λέγω δὲ οὐκ ἐμαυτὸν σεμνύνων, ἐρᾷ μὲν γὰρ καὶ ἐμοῦ, καλοῦ δὲ οὐ πάνυ, σοῦ δὲ πάνυ τε ἐρᾷ καὶ πάνυ καλοῦ, ὃς τοιαύτην ἡμῖν φέρων ἐνέθηκας εἰς τὴν ἐπιστολὴν τὴν ἠχώ, ὥστε κατειχόμην μὲν ὑπ’ αὐτῆς καὶ πρὸς τὸ κάλλος ἐπήδων θαυμάζων τῶν ὀνομάτων τὴν ὥραν οὐχ ἧττον ἡ αὐ- τὴν ὁ Πὰν τὴν θεόν. συνέβη δέ τι δυσχερὲς ἐμοί τε καὶ Βακχίῳ. μεσούσης μὲν γὰρ τῆς ἡμέρας λέγων ἐπεπαύμην ἐγώ, ληγούσης δὲ οὗτος ἐπῆλθε καὶ βλέποντες εἰς ἀλλήλους ἠληοῦ- μεν, ὁ μὲν ὡς ὑστερήσας τῶν λόγων, ὁ δ’ εἰπὼν οὐ τυχὼν τῆς τοῦ φίλου ῥοπῆς. ἀλλ’ ἐκεῖνό γε ἐτερπόμην ἀκούων, ὅτι τὴν ἀπάτην οἱ τοῦτο παθόντες παρ’ ὑμῖν ἀποτίθενται καὶ ἐπανίασιν ὅθεν οὐ καλῶς ἐξέβησαν. λόγους δὲ μὴ αἴτει μᾶλλον ἢ πέμπε μηδ’ οἴου λαμβάνειν σοι μᾶλλον ἡ διδόναι προσήκειν μηδὲ σφόδρα δίκαιος ὢν ’ν τοῦτο ἄδικον ποίει. πῶς γὰρ οὐ δεινὸν Ἀλέξανδρον σοὶ μὲν ἡμετέρους κομίζειν λόγους, ἡμῖν δὲ ἐπαίνους τῶν σῶν λόγων ἀντὶ τῶν λόγων αὐτῶν; ἀλλ’, ὦ δαιμόνιε, δεῖξον ἡμῖν πρὸ τοῦ σώματος τὸν ῥήτορα· δηλοῦται μὲν γὰρ ἡ τέχνη καὶ διὰ τῶν γραμμάτων, τὸ δὲ μηδὲν τῶν σῶν ἀγνοεῖν ἄμεινόν τε καὶ χαριέστερον.