Letter 687: What I would have done for Socrates, had I lived in Socrates' time, when the beasts were upon him — three sycophants...

To Maximus. (362) The things I would have done for Socrates, had I lived in Socrates' day, when the wild beasts were set upon him -- three informers -- these same things I thought I ought to do now as well for the man who has emulated Socrates' ways. And I would have done these things, and I would have done those others too, not out of fear on behalf of the men under accusation that they might suffer some dreadful fate -- for it is no evil, but rather the greatest good, if philosophers are released from the body -- but knowing that a man who pursues philosophy is a very great gain to humankind, and that this is not much less than the gods mingling with men and giving them counsel and working alongside them, such things as we hear the poets tell. For these reasons, then, I hate the followers of Anytus; but on your behalf I have been calling upon the gods -- for this is the alliance that comes from me -- and I was not initiating a favor by those anxious cares, but repaying one. And I think that all men too owe you gratitude; for you are the common benefactor of land and sea, of as much of them as is not barbarian, having reared for us and fashioned a king who is supreme in everything, so that those who formerly counted the dead blessed would now wish to come to the old age of Arganthonius [a legendary long-lived king of the Mariandyni], joining first in praying that this old age may be his. With him you seem to me now to be present, taking your delight, not toiling; for you have nothing among the things being done that you need to set right, but you rejoice over each thing as it comes to pass with all virtue. And by saying that you will come to us and by promising it, you have made our city suspended in expectation, as we consider what a spectacle it would be: Phoenix following Achilles. But it seems I have not likened it rightly. For where is that pairing equal to this conjunction? Yet I shall seek out a fitting image at my leisure, while you -- may you arrive and appear to those who long for you; since even the forerunner has proved himself of great worth to the cities, the noble Pythodorus. For he indeed brought the service of the gods to its peak, sprinkling every altar with blood and showing that one must sacrifice with confidence. And those who until then had hesitated followed, leaping for joy. Let him, then, go everywhere doing the same; but as for me, though I might have written back to you at length, it seemed better to send by the hand of a man resembling the one who carried the messages from over there, so that in this at least I might imitate you. And I think I do no wrong in enrolling Fortunatianus into the chorus of philosophers. For perhaps neither the cloak nor the barber will prevent it.

Μαξίμῳ. (362) Ἃ ἐποίουν ἂν περὶ Σωκράτην, εἰ κατὰ Σωκράτην ἐγι- γόνειν, ὅτε αὐτῷ τὰ θηρία ἐπέκειτο, συκοφάνται τρεῖς, ταῦτ’ ᾤμην δεῖν καὶ νῦν ποιεῖν περὶ τὸν τὰ Σωκράτους ἐζηλωκότα. ἔπραττον δ’ ἂν ταῦτά τε κἀκεῖνα ἂν ἐποίουν οὐχ ὑπὲρ τῶν ἐν ταῖς αἰτίαις δεδοικὼς μὴ δεινόν τι πάθωσιν, — οὐδὲν γὰρ εἴ φιλοσόφοις ἐκλυθῆναι σώματος, μέγιστον μὲν οὖν ἀγαθόν — ἀλλ’ εἰδὼς ὅτι πάμμεγα κέρδος ἀνθρώποις ἀνὴρ φιλοσοφῶν καὶ οὐ πολὺ τοῦτ’ ἔλαττον τοῦ τοὺς θεοὺς ἀναμε- μίχθαι τοῖς ἀνθρώποις καὶ συμβουλεύειν καὶ συμπράττειν, οἷα τῶν ποιητῶν λεγόντων ἀκούομεν. διὰ δὴ ταῦτα μισῶ μὲν τοὺς περὶ Ἄνυτον· ὑπὲρ δὲ σοῦ τοὺς θεοὺς ἐκάλουν, τουτὶ γὰρ ἡ παρ’ ἐμοῦ συμμαχία, καὶ οὐκ ἦρχόν γε χάριτος ἐκείναις ταῖς φροντίσιν, ἀλλ’ ἠμειβόμην. οἶμαι δὲ καὶ πάν- τας ὀφείλειν σοι χάριν κοινὸς γὰρ εὐεργέτης σὺ γῆς τε καὶ θαλάττης, ὁπόση μὴ βάρβαρος, θρέψας ἡμῖν καὶ δημιουργήσας βασιλέα πάντα ἄκρον ὥσθ’ οἱ πρὶν τοὺς τεθνεῶτας μακαρί- ζοντες νῦν βούλοιντ’ ἂν εἰς τὸ Ἀργανθωνίου γῆρας ἐλθεῖν ἐκείνῳ πρότερον τοῦτο συνευχόμενοι τὸ γῆρας. ᾧ δοκεῖς μοι νῦν παρεῖναι σὺ τερπόμενος, οὐ πονῶν· οὐ γὰρ ἔχεις, ὅ τι ἐπανορθώσεις τῶν πραττομένων, ἀλλ’ ἐφ’ ἑκάστῳ χαίρεις μετὰ πάσης ἀρετῆς γιγνομένῳ. λέγων δὲ ἥξειν παρ’ ἡμᾶς καὶ ὑπισχνούμενος μετέωρον ἡμῖν πεποίηκας τὴν πόλιν ἐνθυμου- μένοις, οἷον ἂν εἴη τὸ θέαμα Φοῖνιξ ἑπόμενος Ἀχιλλεῖ ἔοικα δὲ οὐκ ὀρθῶς εἰκάσαι. ποῦ γὰρ ἴσον πρὸς ταύτην τὴν συζυγίαν ἐκείνη; ἀλλ’ ἐγὼ μὲν εἰκόνα πρέπουσαν ζητήσω κατὰ σχολήν, ὑμεῖς δὲ ἀφίκοισθε καὶ φανείητε ποθοῦσιν· ἐπεὶ καὶ ὁ πρόδρομος πολλοῦ γεγένηται ταῖς πόλεσιν ἄξιος, ὁ καλὸς Πυθόδωρος. τὴν γάρ τοι περὶ τοὺς θεοὺς θερα- πείαν εἰς ἀκμὴν ἤγαγε πάντα βωμὸν αἵματι ῥάνας καὶ δείξας ὅτι δεῖ θαρρούντως θύειν. οἱ δὲ εἵποντο πηδῶντες οἱ τέως ὀκνοῦντες. ἐκεῖνος μὲν οὖν χωρείτω πανταχοῦ ποιήσων ταὐτόν· ἐμοὶ δὲ ἦν μὲν διὰ πολλῶν ἀντεπιστεῖλαι, κρεῖττον δὲ ἔδοξε πέμψαι δι’ ἀνδρὸς ἐοικότος τῷ κομίσαντι τἀκεῖθεν, ὅπως σε ταύτῃ γε μιμοίμην. οἶμαι δὲ οὐκ ἀδικεῖν εἰς φι- λοσόφων χορὸν Φουρτουνατιανὸν ἐγγράφων. κωλύσει γὰρ ἴσως οὐ οὔτε ἡ χλαμὺς οὔτε ὁ κείρων.