Εἰς λατομίας

Philoxenos the dithyrambic poet¹ could not stand the poetry of the tyrant Dionysius because it was so bad. On one occasion Dionysius sent him to the quarries, but later decided to have him brought back up. However, upon enquiring the reason [sc. for the tyrant's change of heart] Philoxenus replied, 'How much better it is to stay there than to suffer his poetry'; and he added this: 'truly, home [is] dear, home [is] best'; just as it is for the tortoise.²