§13.360Πλάτων Διονυσίῳ τυράννῳ Συρακουσῶν εὖ πράττειν.
Plato to Dionysius, tyrant of Syracuse, sends greeting.
ἀρχή σοι τῆς ἐπιστολῆς ἔστω καὶ ἅμα σύμβολον ὅτι παρʼ ἐμοῦ ἐστιν·
Let the beginning of this letter to you be at the same time a token that it is from me.
τοὺς Λοκρούς ποθʼ ἑστιῶν νεανίσκους, πόρρω κατακείμενος ἀπʼ ἐμοῦ, ἀνέστης παρʼ ἐμὲ καὶ φιλοφρονούμενος εἶπες εὖ τι ῥῆμα ἔχον, ὡς ἔμοιγε ἐδόκεις καὶ τῷ παρακατακειμένῳ—ἦν δʼ οὗτος τῶν καλῶν τις—ὃς τότε εἶπεν· ἦ που πολλά, ὦ Διονύσιε, εἰς σοφίαν ὠφελῇ ὑπὸ Πλάτωνος· σὺ δʼ εἶπες· καὶ εἰς ἄλλα πολλά, ἐπεὶ καὶ ἀπʼ αὐτῆς τῆς μεταπέμψεως, ὅτι μετεπεμψάμην αὐτόν, διʼ αὐτὸ τοῦτο εὐθὺς ὠφελήθην. τοῦτʼ οὖν διασωστέον, ὅπως ἂν αὐξάνηται ἀεὶ ἡμῶν ἡ ἀπʼ ἀλλήλων ὠφελία.
Once when you were entertaining the young men of Locri, and were reclining far away from me, you stood up and came over to me, and speaking in a friendly manner, said a well-turned phrase, as it seemed at least to me and to the man reclining next to me—who was one of the handsome youths—who then said: "Surely, Dionysius, you gain much benefit in wisdom from Plato!" And you replied: "And in many other things too, since from the very act of sending for him, because I sent for him, I received benefit immediately from that very fact." We must, therefore, preserve this relationship, so that our mutual benefit from one another may always increase.
καὶ ἐγὼ νῦν τοῦτʼ αὐτὸ παρασκευάζων, τῶν τε Πυθαγορείων πέμπω σοι καὶ τῶν διαιρέσεων, καὶ ἄνδρα, ὥσπερ ἐδόκει ἡμῖν τότε, ᾧ γε σὺ καὶ Ἀρχύτης, εἴπερ ἥκει παρά σε Ἀρχύτης, χρῆσθαι δύναισθʼ ἄν.
And I myself, preparing this very thing now, am sending you some of the Pythagorean writings and some of the "Divisions," and also a man, as we agreed at that time, whom you and Archytas (if indeed Archytas has come to you) would be able to employ.
ἔστι δὲ ὄνομα μὲν Ἑλίκων, τὸ δὲ γένος ἐκ Κυζίκου, μαθητὴς δὲ Εὐδόξου καὶ περὶ πάντα τὰ ἐκείνου πάνυ χαριέντως ἔχων·
His name is Helicon, and by birth he is from Cyzicus, a disciple of Eudoxus and very well versed in all of his doctrines.
ἔτι δὲ καὶ τῶν Ἰσοκράτους μαθητῶν τῳ συγγέγονεν καὶ Πολυξένῳ τῶν Βρύσωνός τινι ἑταίρων.
Furthermore, he has associated with one of the disciples of Isocrates, and with Polyxenus, one of the companions of Bryson.
ὃ δὲ σπάνιον ἐπὶ τούτοις, οὔτε ἄχαρίς ἐστιν ἐντυχεῖν οὔτε κακοήθει ἔοικεν, ἀλλὰ μᾶλλον ἐλαφρὸς καὶ εὐήθης δόξειεν ἂν εἶναι.
And, what is rare in addition to these things, he is neither unpleasant to meet nor does he seem ill-natured, but rather he would seem to be light-hearted and good-natured.
δεδιὼς δὲ λέγω ταῦτα, ὅτι ὑπὲρ ἀνθρώπου δόξαν ἀποφαίνομαι, οὐ φαύλου ζῴου ἀλλʼ εὐμεταβόλου, πλὴν πάνυ ὀλίγων τινῶν καὶ εἰς ὀλίγα·
But I say these things with fear, because I am expressing an opinion about a human being, which is not a simple animal but a highly changeable one, except for a very few men in a very few things.
ἐπεὶ καὶ περὶ τούτου φοβούμενος καὶ ἀπιστῶν ἐσκόπουν αὐτός τε ἐντυγχάνων καὶ ἐπυνθανόμην τῶν πολιτῶν αὐτοῦ, καὶ οὐδεὶς οὐδὲν φλαῦρον ἔλεγεν τὸν ἄνδρα.
For I too, fearing and doubting about this man, examined him myself by meeting him and made inquiries of his fellow citizens, and no one said anything bad about the man.
σκόπει δὲ καὶ αὐτὸς καὶ εὐλαβοῦ.
Examine him yourself also, and be cautious.
μάλιστα μὲν οὖν, ἂν καὶ ὁπωστιοῦν σχολάζῃς, μάνθανε παρʼ αὐτοῦ καὶ τἆλλα φιλοσόφει·
Above all, indeed, if you have any leisure at all, learn from him and pursue philosophy in other matters.
εἰ δὲ μή, ἐκδίδαξαί τινα, ἵνα κατὰ σχολὴν μανθάνων βελτίων γίγνῃ καὶ εὐδοξῇς, ὅπως τὸ διʼ ἐμὲ ὠφελεῖσθαί σοι μὴ ἀνιῇ.
Otherwise, have someone thoroughly instructed, so that by learning at your leisure you may become better and gain good repute, so that your being benefited through me may not fail.
καὶ ταῦτα μὲν δὴ ταύτῃ.
And so much for these matters.
§13.361περὶ δὲ ὧν ἐπέστελλές μοι ἀποπέμπειν σοι, τὸν μὲν Ἀπόλλω ἐποιησάμην τε καὶ ἄγει σοι Λεπτίνης, νέου καὶ ἀγαθοῦ δημιουργοῦ· ὄνομα δʼ ἔστιν αὐτῷ Λεωχάρης.
Now, concerning the things you wrote to me to send you, I have had the Apollo made, and Leptines is bringing it to you; it is by a young and excellent craftsman, whose name is Leochares.
ἕτερον δὲ παρʼ αὐτῷ ἔργον ἦν πάνυ κομψόν, ὡς ἐδόκει· ἐπριάμην οὖν αὐτὸ βουλόμενός σου τῇ γυναικὶ δοῦναι, ὅτι μου ἐπεμελεῖτο καὶ ὑγιαίνοντος καὶ ἀσθενοῦντος ἀξίως ἐμοῦ τε καὶ σοῦ.
There was also another work at his shop which was very elegant, as it seemed; so I bought it, wishing to give it to your wife, because she took care of me both in health and in sickness in a manner worthy of both me and you.
δὸς οὖν αὐτῇ, ἂν μή τι σοὶ ἄλλο δόξῃ.
Give it to her, then, unless you have some other opinion.
πέμπω δὲ καὶ οἴνου γλυκέος δώδεκα σταμνία τοῖς παισὶ καὶ μέλιτος δύο.
I am also sending twelve jars of sweet wine for the children, and two of honey.
ἰσχάδων δὲ ὕστερον ἤλθομεν τῆς ἀποθέσεως, τὰ δὲ μύρτα ἀποτεθέντα κατεσάπη· ἀλλʼ αὖθις βέλτιον ἐπιμελησόμεθα.
As for dried figs, we came after the time of their storing, and the myrtle berries that were stored have rotted; but another time we shall take better care.
περὶ δὲ φυτῶν Λεπτίνης σοι ἐρεῖ.
Leptines will tell you about the plants.
ἀργύριον δʼ εἰς ταῦτα ἕνεκά τε τούτων καὶ εἰσφορῶν τινων εἰς τὴν πόλιν ἔλαβον παρὰ Λεπτίνου, λέγων ἅ μοι ἐδόκει εὐσχημονέστατα ἡμῖν εἶναι καὶ ἀληθῆ λέγειν, ὅτι ἡμέτερον εἴη ὃ εἰς τὴν ναῦν ἀναλώσαμεν τὴν Λευκαδίαν, σχεδὸν ἑκκαίδεκα μναῖ·
I received money for these things, both for these and for certain taxes to the city, from Leptines, telling him what seemed to me to be most respectable for us and yet true, namely, that the sum we spent on the Leucadian ship, which was nearly sixteen minae, belonged to us.
τοῦτʼ οὖν ἔλαβον, καὶ λαβὼν αὐτός τε ἐχρησάμην καὶ ὑμῖν ταῦτα ἀπέπεμψα.
This sum, therefore, I took, and taking it I used it myself and sent these things to you.
τὸ δὴ μετὰ τοῦτο περὶ χρημάτων ἄκουε ὥς σοι ἔχει, περί τε τὰ σὰ τὰ Ἀθήνησιν καὶ περὶ τὰ ἐμά.
Next, listen to how matters stand concerning money, both your funds in Athens and mine.
ἐγὼ τοῖς σοῖς χρήμασιν, ὥσπερ τότε σοι ἔλεγον, χρήσομαι καθάπερ τοῖς τῶν ἄλλων ἐπιτηδείων, χρῶμαι δὲ ὡς ἂν δύνωμαι ὀλιγίστοις, ὅσα ἀναγκαῖα ἢ δίκαια ἢ εὐσχήμονα ἐμοί τε δοκεῖ καὶ παρʼ οὗ ἂν λαμβάνω.
I shall use your money, just as I told you at that time, as I would that of my other close friends; but I use as little as possible, only what seems necessary or just or respectable both to me and to him from whom I receive it.
ἐμοὶ δὴ τοιοῦτον νῦν συμβέβηκεν.
Indeed, such a situation has now arisen for me.
εἰσί μοι ἀδελφιδῶν θυγατέρες τῶν ἀποθανουσῶν τότε ὅτʼ ἐγὼ οὐκ ἐστεφανούμην, σὺ δʼ ἐκέλευες, τέτταρες, ἡ μὲν νῦν ἐπίγαμος, ἡ δὲ ὀκταέτις, ἡ δὲ σμικρὸν πρὸς τρισὶν ἔτεσιν, ἡ δὲ οὔπω ἐνιαυσία.
I have four nieces, daughters of my deceased sisters who died at the time when I was not wearing the crown, though you ordered me to. One is now of marriageable age, another is eight years old, another is a little over three, and another is not yet a year old.
ταύτας ἐκδοτέον ἐμοί ἐστιν καὶ τοῖς ἐμοῖς ἐπιτηδείοις, αἷς ἂν ἐγὼ ἐπιβιῶ· αἷς δʼ ἂν μή, χαιρόντων.
It is my duty and that of my close friends to marry these girls off, at least those for whom I may survive; for those for whom I do not, farewell to them.
καὶ ὧν ἂν γένωνται οἱ πατέρες αὐτῶν ἐμοῦ πλουσιώτεροι, οὐκ ἐκδοτέον· τὰ δὲ νῦν αὐτῶν ἐγὼ εὐπορώτατος, καὶ τὰς μητέρας δὲ αὐτῶν ἐγὼ ἐξέδωκα καὶ μετʼ ἄλλων καὶ μετὰ Δίωνος.
And those whose fathers become wealthier than I, I do not have to marry off; but at present I am the wealthiest of them, and I myself married off their mothers, with the help of others and of Dion.
ἡ μὲν οὖν Σπευσίππῳ γαμεῖται, ἀδελφῆς οὖσα αὐτῷ θυγάτηρ.
One of them is now marrying Speusippus, being his sister's daughter.
δεῖ δὴ ταύτῃ οὐδὲν πλέον ἢ τριάκοντα μνῶν· μέτριαι γὰρ αὗται ἡμῖν προῖκες.
For this one indeed there is need of nothing more than thirty minae, for these are moderate dowries among us.
ἔτι δὲ ἐὰν ἡ μήτηρ τελευτήσῃ ἡ ἐμή, οὐδὲν αὖ πλείονος ἢ δέκα μνῶν δέοι ἂν εἰς τὴν οἰκοδομίαν τοῦ τάφου.
Furthermore, if my mother should die, there would be need of nothing more than ten minae for the building of the tomb.