§4#2διὸ δὴ καὶ πρὸς ὑμᾶς ἀεὶ προσιέναι διανοούμενος ὀκνηρῶς εἶχεν, οὐχ ὡς ἅπαντας ὁμοίους εἶναι νομίζων τοὺς ὑπὲρ αὑτὸν ὄντας, ἀλλὰ διὰ τὰς πρὸς ἐκείνους γεγενημένας δυσχερείας καὶ πρὸς τὰς παρ’ ὑμῶν ἐλπίδας ἀθυμότερος ἦν, παραπλήσιον, ὡς ἐμοὶ δοκεῖ, πεπονθὼς τῶν πεπλευκότων τισίν, οἳ τὸ πρῶτον, ὅταν χρήσωνται χειμῶσιν, οὐκέτι θαρροῦντες εἰσβαίνουσιν εἰς θάλατταν, καίπερ εἰδότες ὅτι καὶ καλοῦ πλοῦ πολλάκις ἐπιτυχεῖν ἔστιν.
For this very reason, although he was always intending to approach you, he was hesitant; not because he thought that all those who are above him are alike, but because of the difficulties that had arisen with those rulers, he was more despondent also regarding his hopes from you, having experienced, as it seems to me, something similar to those who have sailed, who at first, when they meet with storms, no longer enter the sea with confidence, although they know that it is often possible to meet with a fair voyage.
οὐ μὴν ἀλλ’ ἐπειδὴ συνέστηκέ σοι, καλῶς ποιεῖ. λογίζομαι γὰρ αὐτῷ συνοίσειν, μάλιστα μὲν τῇ φιλανθρωπίᾳ τῇ σῇ στοχαζόμενος, ἣν ἔχειν ὑπείληψαι παρὰ τοῖς ἔξωθεν ἀνθρώποις, ἔπειτα νομίζων οὐκ ἀγνοεῖν ὑμᾶς ὅτι πάντων ἥδιστόν ἐστι καὶ λυσιτελέστατον πιστοὺς ἅμα καὶ χρησίμους φίλους κτᾶσθαι ταῖς εὐεργεσίαις καὶ τοὺς τοιούτους εὖ ποιεῖν, ὑπὲρ ὧν πολλοὶ καὶ τῶν ἄλλων ὑμῖν χάριν ἕξουσιν.
Nevertheless, since he has been introduced to you, he does well; for I reckon that it will be of advantage to him, aiming most of all at your humanity, which you are believed to possess among people abroad, and secondly thinking that you are not ignorant of the fact that of all things it is most pleasant and profitable to acquire both faithful and useful friends by benefactions and to treat such men well, for whom many of the others also will feel gratitude to you.
ἅπαντες γὰρ οἱ χαρίεντες τοὺς τοῖς σπουδαίοις τῶν ἀνδρῶν καλῶς ὁμιλοῦντας ὁμοίως ἐπαινοῦσι καὶ τιμῶσιν ὥσπερ αὐτοὶ τῶν ὠφελειῶν ἀπολαύοντες.
For all cultivated men praise and honor those who associate well with excellent men, in the same way as if they themselves were enjoying the benefits.
ἀλλὰ γὰρ Διόδοτον αὐτὸν οἶμαι μάλιστά σε προτρέψεσθαι πρὸς τὸ φροντίζειν αὑτοῦ.
But indeed, I think Diodotus himself will most of all prompt you to take care of him.
συνέπειθον δὲ καὶ τὸν υἱὸν αὐτοῦ τῶν ὑμετέρων ἀντέχεσθαι πραγμάτων καὶ παραδόνθ’ ὑμῖν αὑτὸν ὥσπερ μαθητὴν εἰς τοὔμπροσθε πειραθῆναι προελθεῖν.
And I tried to persuade his son also to hold fast to your affairs and, having committed himself to you like a pupil, to try to advance forward.
ὁ δὲ ταῦτά μου λέγοντος ἐπιθυμεῖν μὲν ἔφασκε τῆς ὑμετέρας φιλίας, οὐ μὴν ἀλλὰ παραπλήσιόν τι πεπονθέναι πρὸς αὐτὴν καὶ πρὸς τοὺς στεφανίτας ἀγῶνας.
But when I said this, he said that he indeed desired your friendship, but nevertheless had experienced something similar toward it as toward the crown contests.
ἐκείνους τε γὰρ νικᾶν μὲν ἂν βούλεσθαι, καταβῆναι δ’ εἰς αὐτοὺς οὐκ ἂν τολμῆσαι διὰ τὸ μὴ μετεσχηκέναι ῥώμης ἀξίας τῶν στεφάνων, τῶν τε παρ’ ὑμῶν τιμῶν εὔξασθαι μὲν ἂν τυχεῖν, ἐφίξεσθαι δ’ αὐτῶν οὐ προσδοκᾶν· τήν τε γὰρ ἀπειρίαν τὴν αὑτοῦ καταπεπλῆχθαι καὶ τὴν λαμπρότητα τὴν ὑμετέραν, ἔτι δὲ καὶ τὸ σωμάτιον οὐκ εὐκρινὲς ὂν ἀλλ’ ἔχον ἄττα σίνη νομίζειν ἐμποδιεῖν αὑτὸν πρὸς πολλὰ τῶν πραγμάτων.
For he would wish to win those, but would not dare to enter them because of not possessing strength worthy of the crowns; and he would pray to obtain the honors from you, but did not expect to reach them; for he was struck with awe both by his own inexperience and by your brilliance, and furthermore, since his body is not robust but has certain defects, he thought this would hinder him in many of his affairs.
οὗτος μὲν οὖν, ὅ τι ἂν αὐτῷ δοκῇ συμφέρειν, τοῦτο πράξει· σὺ δ’ ἄν τε περὶ ὑμᾶς ἄν θ’ ἡσυχίαν ἔχων διατρίβῃ περὶ τούτους τοὺς τόπους, ἐπιμελοῦ καὶ τῶν ἄλλων μὲν ἁπάντων ὧν ἂν τυγχάνῃ δεόμενος, μάλιστα δὲ τῆς ἀσφαλείας καὶ τῆς τούτου καὶ τῆς τοῦ πατρὸς αὐτοῦ, νομίσας ὥσπερ παρακαταθήκην ἔχειν τούτους παρά τε τοῦ γήρως ἡμῶν, ὃ προσηκόντως ἂν πολλῆς τυγχάνοι προνοίας, καὶ τῆς δόξης τῆς ὑπαρχούσης, εἴ τινος ἄρα σπουδῆς ἐστὶν ἀξία, καὶ τῆς εὐνοίας τῆς πρὸς ὑμᾶς ἣν ἔχων ἅπαντα τὸν χρόνον διατετέλεκα.
He, therefore, will do whatever seems to be of advantage to him; but you, whether he remains around you or spends his time quietly in these regions, take care both of all the other things he may happen to need, and most of all of his safety and that of his father, considering that you hold them like a deposit both from our old age, which would fittingly receive much forethought, and from our existing reputation, if indeed it is worthy of any serious regard, and from the goodwill toward you which I have continued to hold through all time.
καὶ μὴ θαυμάσῃς, μήτ’ εἰ μακροτέραν γέγραφα τὴν ἐπιστολὴν μήτ’ εἴ τι περιεργότερον καὶ πρεσβυτικώτερον εἰρήκαμεν ἐν αὐτῇ· πάντων γὰρ τῶν ἄλλων ἀμελήσας ἑνὸς μόνον ἐφρόντισα, τοῦ φανῆναι σπουδάζων ὑπὲρ ἀνδρῶν φίλων καὶ προσφιλεστάτων μοι γεγενημένων.
And do not wonder, neither if I have written a rather long letter, nor if we have said anything rather meddlesome and old-fashioned in it; for having neglected all other things, I took thought of only one, striving to appear earnest on behalf of men who are my friends and have become most dear to me.