Letter 736: I knew perfectly well that you would be among the first to share in my joy, since I also knew you were among the...

To Demetrius. (362) That you would be among those who most share my joy, I knew well, since I also knew this, that you happen to be among those who love me most. Do not, however, suppose that the pleasure from those who praise me now is greater than the one that has long come to me from your praises. For the man whom I consider the best of those who speak today, by seeming to him to speak best I am gladdened more than if all men were doing everything in their speaking. But the affliction of the head blunts all this good cheer. At first Eucarpion [a physician] made war upon it with drugs and removed its excess, but fearing that it might return to the same state, he has waged his battle with the iron [the surgeon's knife]. If, then, some good should come of it, reckon this to Eucarpion's credit; but if the dreadful thing should prevail, look for the cause in me, on the ground that I did not endure all that the art required. Whether we shall compose speeches again, I do not know; but the one delivered the other day I have sent you, for those still earlier I was unable to find. For the one of my servants who is appointed over these matters was in pursuit of a goldsmith who had run off holding many things belonging to many people.

Δημητρίῳ. (362) Ὅτι μὲν τῶν μάλιστα συνηδομένων ἴσῃ, καλῶς ἠπιστά- μὴν, ἐπεὶ κἀκεῖνο ἠπιστάμην, ὅτι μετὰ τῶν μάλιστα φιλούν- των τυγχάνεις ὤν. μὴ μέντοι νόμιζε τὴν ἀπὸ τῶν ωῦν ἐπαινούντων ἡδονὴν μείζω τῆς ἀπὸ τῶν σῶν ἐπαίνων πάλαι μοι γιγνομένης. ὃν γὰρ ἡγοῦμαι τῶν νῦν λεγόντων ἄριστον, τούτῳ λέγειν ἄριστα δοκῶν εὐφραίνομαι πλέον ἢ εἰ πάντες ἄνθρωποι πάντα ποιοῖεν λέγοντες. ἀλλὰ πᾶσαν ταύτην ἀμβλύνει τὴν εὐθυμίαν τὸ τῆς κεφαλῆς κακόν. πρὸς τὰ πρῶτα μὲν ἐπολέμησεν Εὐκαρπίων φαρμάκοις καὶ τῆς ὑπερ- βολῆς ἀφεῖλε, δείσας δὲ μὴ πάλιν εἰς ταὐτὸν ἀφίκηται, μετὰ σιδήρου πεποίηται τὴν μάχην. εἰ μὶν οὖν τι γένοιτο χρη- στόν, Εὐκαρπίωνι τοῦτο λογίζου· τὸ δεινὸν δὲ εἰ κρατοίη, παρ’ ἐμοὶ ζητεῖν τὴν αἰτίαν, ὡς οὐκ ἤνεγκα πᾶν ὅσον ἤθελεν ἡ τέχνη. λόγους δὲ εἰ μὲν αὖθις ποιήσομεν, οὐκ οἶδα· τὸν δὲ πρῴην ῥηθέντα πέπομφά σοι, τοὺς γὰρ ἔτι πρότερον εὑρεῖν οὐκ εἶχον. ὁ γάρ τοι τῶν παίδων ἐπὶ ταῦτα τεταγμένος χρυ- σοχόον ἐδίωκεν ἀποδεδρακότα πολλὰ πολλῶν ἔχοντα.