Aeschines · Letters §8.1

Reproach for Delay and Urging Reconciliation with Philinus

Passage 8 of 14 · Greek

Summary

The speaker reproaches the addressee for not having arrived and for making various excuses, stating that if the addressee returns now with Philinus, there is still room for reconciliation, but otherwise the speaker will give up hope once and for all.

§8.1Σύ μὲν οὐδέπω καὶ νῦν ἀφῖξαι πρὸς ἡμᾶς, ἀλλὰ καὶ νόσους καὶ δίκας καὶ πάντα μᾶλλον τοῦ μὴ βούλεσθαι ἐλθεῖν πρὸς ἡμᾶς σιτία· Νικίας δὲ ἀφῖκται πάλαι καὶ Ἀνδρωνίδας.

You have not even yet arrived among us, but [you allege] illnesses, lawsuits, and everything else rather than your not wishing to come to us; whereas Nicias and Andronidas arrived long ago.

εἶ μὲν οὗν νῦν γε σύν Φιλίνῳ (πυνθάνομαι γὰρ αὐτὸν ἐξιέναι) διέγνωκας ἀφικνεῖσθαι πρὸς ἡμᾶς, τάχʼ ἂν εἴη σοι ἔτι ἀπολογία καὶ λυθείη ὁ πόλεμος· εἰ δὲ οὐδὲ σύν ἐκείνῳ διέγνωκας ἐξιέναι, σύ μὲν ἐπιστελεῖς διὰ παντὸς ἡμῖν ἀφίξεσθαι πρὸς ἡμᾶς, ἐγὼ δὲ ἅπαξ ἀνιάσομαι.

If, therefore, you have now at least decided to come to us with Philinus (for I hear that he is setting out), you might perhaps still have an excuse, and the hostility might be dissolved; but if you have not decided to set out even with him, you on your part will write to us continually that you will come to us, while I on my part shall be grieved once and for all.

Notes

8.1σιτία — The manuscript reading `σιτία` (provisions, food) makes no sense in this context and is widely regarded as a corruption. Many editors emend it to `σκήπτῃ` (you allege as an excuse, 2nd sg. of `σκήπτομαι`) or similar. In the translation, we supply the sense of "making excuses" based on this emendation. The genitive phrase `τοῦ μὴ βούλεσθαι` (not wishing) depends on the comparative `μᾶλλον`, meaning "you allege illnesses, etc., rather than [admitting] your not wishing to come."
8.1εἶ — The word `εἶ` in the text is a scribal error or variant spelling for the conditional conjunction `εἰ` (if). It introduces a factual condition with the main verb `διέγνωκας` (you have decided).
8.1ἅπαξ ἀνιάσομαι — A combination of the adverb `ἅπαξ` (once for all) and the future verb `ἀνιάσομαι` (I shall be grieved, future middle of `ἀνιάω` with passive sense). It contrasts the addressee's endless writing (`ἐπιστελεῖς`) of promising to come with the speaker's being grieved "once and for all"—meaning that if the addressee does not come even now, the speaker will finally give up hope and suffer a single, definitive disappointment rather than being repeatedly let down.

Cite this passage

Aeschines, Letters §8.1. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0026.tlg004.humanitext-grc1:8.1

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