[225] ὅπως ὅτι καλλίστη (225) καὶ ἡδίστη αὐτὴ ἑκάστη φανεῖται. πάντα δὲ μεστὰ γυμνασίων, κρηνῶν, προπυλαίων, νεῶν, δημιουργιῶν, διδασκάλων, ἐπιστημόνως τε ἔξεστιν εἰπεῖν οἷον πεπονηκυῖαν ἐξ ἀρχῆς ἀνακεκομίσθαι τὴν οἰκουμένην. δωρεαὶ δ´ οὔποτε λείπουσιν εἰς ταύτας παρ´ ὑμῶν ἰοῦσαι, οὐδ´ ἔστιν εὑρεῖν τοὺς μειζόνων τετυχηκότας διὰ τὴν ὁμοίαν εἰς ἅπαντας ὑμῶν φιλανθρωπίαν. πόλεις τε οὖν δή που λάμπουσιν αἴγλῃ καὶ χάριτι καὶ ἡ γῆ πᾶσα οἷον παράδεισος ἐγκεκόσμηται. καπνοὶ δ´ ἐκ πεδίων καὶ φρυκτοὶ φίλιοι καὶ πολέμιοι, οἷον πνεύματος ἐκριπίσαντος, φροῦδοι γῆς ἐπέκεινα καὶ θαλάττης· ἀντεισῆκται δὲ θέας πᾶσα χάρις καὶ ἀγώνων ἄπειρος ἀριθμός. ὥστε ὅλον πῦρ ἱερὸν καὶ ἄσβεστον οὐ διαλείπει τὸ πανηγυρίζειν, ἀλλὰ περίεισιν ἄλλοτε εἰς ἄλλους, ἀεὶ δὲ ἔστι που, πάντες γὰρ ἀξίως τούτου πεπράγασιν. ὥστε μόνους ἄξιον εἶναι κατοικτεῖραι τοὺς ἔξω τῆς ὑμετέρας, εἴ τινές που εἰσὶν ἄρα, ἡγεμονίας, οἵων ἀγαθῶν στέρονται. καὶ μὴν τό γε ὑπὸ πάντων λεγόμενον, ὅτι γῆ πάντων μήτηρ καὶ πατρὶς κοινὴ πάντων, ἄριστα ὑμεῖς ἀπεδείξατε. νῦν γοῦν ἔξεστι καὶ Ἕλληνι καὶ βαρβάρῳ καὶ τὰ αὑτοῦ κομίζοντι καὶ χωρὶς τῶν αὑτοῦ βαδίζειν ὅποι βούλεται ῥᾳδίως, ἀτεχνῶς ὡς ἐκ πατρίδος εἰς πατρίδα ἰόντι· καὶ οὔτε Πύλαι Κιλίκιοι φόβον παρέχουσιν οὔτε στεναὶ καὶ ψαμμώδεις δι´ Ἀράβων ἐπ´ Αἴγυπτον πάροδοι, οὐκ ὄρη δύσβατα, οὐ ποταμῶν ἄπειρα μεγέθη, οὐ γένη βαρβάρων ἄμικτα, ἀλλ´ εἰς ἀσφάλειαν ἐξαρκεῖ Ῥωμαῖον εἶναι, μᾶλλον δὲ ἕνα τῶν ὑφ´ ὑμῖν. καὶ τὸ Ὁμήρῳ λεχθὲν „Γαῖα δ´ ἔτι ξυνὴ πάντων“ ὑμεῖς ἔργῳ ἐποιήσατε, καταμετρήσαντες μὲν πᾶσαν τὴν οἰκουμένην, ζεύξαντες δὲ παντοδαπαῖς γεφύραις ποταμοὺς, καὶ ὄρη κόψαντες ἱππήλατον γῆν εἶναι, σταθμοῖς τε τὰ ἔρημα ἀναπλήσαντες, καὶ διαίτῃ καὶ τάξει πάντα ἡμερώσαντες.

[225] to show off a maximum of elegance and luxury. Every place is full of gymnasia, fountains, gateways, temples, shops, schools. A doctor might say the world has recovered like a patient and is back to normal. Gifts never stop flowing from you to the cities; and because of your impartial generosity to all, the leading beneficiaries cannot be determined. Cities shine in radiance and beauty, and the entire countryside is decked out like a pleasure-ground. Smoke over the plains, friendly and enemy beacons have vanished beyond land and sea, as if by a gust of wind. They have been replaced by each and every delightful sight, and an untold number of celebrations. Festivity, like a holy, unquenchable fire, never falls, but goes around from one place to the next, and is always somewhere, for it fits in with the universal prosperity. Only those outside your empire, if there are any, are fit to be pitied, for losing such blessings. You have most effectively proved what all people merely said — that the earth is the mother of all and the common fatherland of all. Greek and barbarian can now go readily wherever they please, with their property or without it. It is just like going from their own to their own country. The Cilician Gates and the narrow, sandy passes through Arabia to Egypt present no danger. Nor do impassable mountains, vast stretches of river, or inhospitable barbarian tribes. For safety, it is enough to be a Roman — or rather, one of your subjects. Homer's phrase, "The earth is shared by all", has been made a reality by you. You have surveyed the whole world, built bridges of all sorts across rivers, cut down mountains to make level ground, filled the deserts with hostels, and civilized it all with regularity and order.