Letter 634: Who could blame a man for fleeing fire?

To Eusebius. (361) Why would anyone blame a man for fleeing from fire? For the contentiousness of the people here differs in no way from fire. Whether it is nature that drives them on or circumstances that compel them, shame has departed, no one feels disgrace, they bite at one another, and they bring envy upon me. My brother is not free from the evils connected with these matters; rather, he does not yet perform a public liturgy [civic duty], yet he has not escaped mention in the discussion concerning these things. I am vexed with the city, and I look elsewhere, and this even though I have had a taste of old age. Such are the benefits we enjoy from the present season.

Εὐσεβίῳ. (361) Τί ἄν τις αἰτιῷτο φεύγοντα πῦρ; πυρὸς γὰρ οὐδὲν ἡ τῶν ἐνταῦθα διαφέρει φιλονεικία. εἴτε τῆς φύσεως ἐναγούσης εἴτε τῶν πραγμάτων βιαζομένων οἴχεται μὲν αἰδώς, αἰσχύνεται δὲ οὐδείς, δάκνουσι δὲ ἀλλήλους, φθόνον δὲ ἐμοὶ συνάγουσιν. ὁ δὲ ἀδελφός μοι τῶν περὶ ταῦτα κακῶν οὐκ ἔστιν ἐλεύ- θερος, ἀλλ’ οὔπω μὲν λειτουργεῖ, τὴν μνήμην δὲ οὐ διέφυγεν ἐν τῷ περὶ τούτων λόγῳ. δυσχεραίνω δὲ τὴν πόλιν, βλέπω δὲ ἑτέρωσε καὶ ταῦτα γήρως γεγευμένος. τοιαῦτα τοῦ παρόντος ἀπολαύομεν καιροῦ.