Letter 869: Libanius tells Antiochianus to stop displaying Libanius' speeches to hostile critics and let them rest.

You are acting like a lover, and those whom we do not please are acting like people in that same condition. You display whatever of mine you possess, as though you were going to persuade those who do not praise me to praise me. They, however, fight more fiercely against both you and me: against me by saying that I am the father of poor speeches, and against you by saying that you are a lover of bad ones. Such behavior has often produced hatred, quarrels, and abuse. It is better to live in peace than to be at war. You would gain the better course if you stopped bringing forward what you now bring forward, put the speeches away somewhere, and let them sleep.

1. Καὶ σὺ τὸ τοῦ ἐρῶντος ποιεῖς καὶ οἷς οὐκ ἀρέσκομεν τὸ τῶν οὕτως ἐχόντων. σὺ μὲν ὅσα ἔστι σοι τῶν ἐμῶν, δεικνύεις ὡς δὴ καὶ πείσων τοὺς οὐκ ἐπαινοῦντας ἐπαινεῖν· οἳ δὲ σφοδρότερον σοί τε καὶ ἐμοὶ πολεμοῦσιν ἐμὲ μὲν φαύλων εἶναι λέγοντες πατέρα λόγων, σὲ δ’ οὐ καλῶν ἐραστήν. 2. τὰ τοιαῦτα δὲ καὶ μίση καὶ μάχας καὶ λοιδορίας πολλάκις ἐποίησεν. ἔστι δὲ ἄμενον ἐν εἰρήνῃ ζῆν ἢ πολεμεῖν. τύχοις δ’ ἂν τοῦ βελτίονος, εἰ παύσαιό τε τοῦ φέρειν εἰς μέσον ἃ νῦν φέρεις καὶ καταθείς ποι τοὺς λόγους δοίης αὐτοῖς καθεύδειν.