Letter 812: Consider this an embassy from the Muses themselves, who want Asteius, one of their dancers, to remain with them a...

To Atarbius. (363) Consider this to be an embassy from the Muses, who wish Asteius, one of their chorus-dancers, to spend still more time among them. Now this Asteius came as one who would not lay hold of eloquence, but seeing others acquiring it he conceived a desire for the possession, and having got a portion of it he makes it a grief that he did not get the rest as well. But if his father Marcianus is freed from his affairs, it will be possible for this young man to remain in the condition he is in even now; yet if someone drags the father away, the father will at once draw this one off too, not being ignorant of the harm, but with old age compelling him. Let it therefore be your task, my noble friend, to keep the one in tranquillity and to join in the struggle on behalf of the other in pursuit of his art; for you do good no less to those whom you now benefit, if through you any one of them becomes an orator. And all will know what you grant, since I for my part will not keep silent and he himself will write about the favor.

Ἀταρβίῳ. (363) Τῶν Μουσῶν νόμισον ταύτην εἶναι τὴν πρεσβείαν βου- λομένων αὑταῖς Ἀστεῖον, ἕνα τῶν χορευτῶν, ἔτι πλείω προσ- διατρίψαι χρόνον. ὁ δὲ Ἀστεῖος οὗτος ἧκε μὲν ὡς οὐχ ἁψό- μενος λόγων, ὁρῶν δὲ ἄλλους κτωμένους ἐπεθύμησε τοῦ κτή- ματος καὶ μέρος λαβὼν πένθος ποιεῖται τὸ μὴ καὶ ἄλλα λαβεῖν. ἀλλ’ ἢν μὲν ὁ πατὴρ αὐτῷ Μαρκιανὸς ἀπηλλαγμέ- νος ᾖ πραγμάτων, ὑπάρξει τούτῳ μένειν ἐφ’ ὧν ἐστι καὶ νῦν· ἢν δὲ ἐκεῖνόν τις ἕλκη, καὶ τοῦτον ἐκεῖνος εὐθέως οὐκ ἀγνοῶν μὲν τὴν βλάβην, τοῦ γήρως δὲ ἀναγκάζοντος. σὸν οὖν, ὦ γενναῖε, γενέσθω τὸν μὲν ἐν ἡσυχίᾳ διατηρῆσαι, τῷ δὲ συν- αγωνίσασθαι πρὸς τὴν τέχνην· ὡς ὧν νῦν εὖ ποιεῖς τοὺς ἀρχομένους οὐχ ἧττον, εἰ διὰ σὲ ῥήτωρ ἔσται τις αὐτῶν. εἴσονται δὲ πάντες, ὃ δώσεις, ἐμοῦ τε οὐ σιγῶντος καὶ τούτου περὶ τῆς χάριτος γράφοντος.