# Epistula 3

Mithridatis Epistula, Epistula, Section 3. Ancient Greek.

Canonical: https://interlinea.aeterna-institute.org/library/greek/mithridatis-epistula/epistula/3

(3) ἀλλά πως γλυκὺ πάθος ἐλπίς, οὐ τῇ ἐπιτυχίᾳ δελεάζουσα μόνον, κολακεύουσα δὲ καὶ τὸ ἀπότευγμα, δι’ ἣν οὐδενὸς ἄλλου λείπεσθαι δικαιῶ μάλιστά σοι χαριεῖσθαι. ἐπεὶ κἀκεῖνό με οὐ λέληθεν, ὅτι ὃ μὲν πολλοῖς ἀνδράσι καὶ δήμοις γράφων εἰκότως ἑνὸς ἐξείχετο χαρακτῆρος, ὃ δὲ ὑπὲρ πολλῶν διαλεγόμενος, ἐὰν μὲν ἀλλάσσῃ τὸν τύπον, ἀποπεπλανῆσθαι δόξει τοῦ σκοποῦ, τῇ δὲ αὐτῇ προσέχων ἰδέᾳ καὶ ἀπίθανος φανήσεται καὶ ἕωλος.

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Mithridatis Epistula, Epistula, ed. Rudolf Hercher. Text: The Greek Library, from the Perseus Digital Library and other open sources, CC BY-SA 4.0. Changes: apostrophes normalised and the text divided into reading sections by Interlinea.
License: CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Source: https://thegreeklibrary.pages.lisn.upsaclay.fr/works/tlg0039.tlg001.local001/.