Letter 106: Don't worry -- you won't be deceived, and Eupeithius won't turn out to be a villain.

To Modestus. (359/60) Neither that you might be alarmed in fear, nor that Eupeithius might appear a scoundrel, did I give him the letter, as one either urging you to give the matter your attention or begging you to release a man once he has been caught. But I will tell you what I feel toward such things. Whenever I perceive a slanderer falling upon a decent man like a winter torrent, I am pained in my soul and sometimes weep, and I am eager to lend whatever help I can. And what I can do is to write a letter, which is what I am doing now too. And I say to a good governor that, in judging Metrodorus a dissembler, perhaps justly, Eupeithius hurled himself at him unjustly, being carried by passion against the accusation, not by hope of refuting him. Here is the proof: of the matters, I think, already examined against that man, and of the anger that afterward arose against this one, he was at some point reminded, and he added a charge so great, and one that would have come first among the accusations had it not been a fabrication, when it now appeared. But for these things the prosecutor will pay the penalty, while the defendant will be safe-for I know it-and as for the man who escorts them both, having always praised his character, I could not even say how greatly I now admire him. For as though he were not going to hand over those being led away, but would himself render account, he came to me and begged me to add some better word about himself, so that, he said, I might take courage. And what then, I asked, is troubling you? Nothing, he said, yet it is a great thing for me that the eye of the noble Modestus be made gentle. This persuaded me to make mention to Eusebius, and it will persuade you too, I think, to look kindly upon a man who is plainly and guilelessly disposed.

**To Modestus** (359/60) It is not because I fear you will be led astray, nor because Eupeithius will prove to be a scoundrel, that I have written this letter — as though I were advising you to pay attention, or begging you to release someone already convicted. But let me describe my feelings in such matters. Whenever I learn that a sycophant has fallen upon a decent man like a winter torrent, my soul aches, I shed tears, and I am eager to do whatever I can to help. What I can do is write letters — which is what I am doing now. And so I say to a good governor: Eupeithius, in judging Metrodorus a dissembler, perhaps justly attacked him, but was carried toward the charge unjustly, by sheer anger rather than by any hope of proof. Here is the evidence: after the matters concerning that man had already been examined, Eupeithius later recalled his grudge against this one too, and tacked on an accusation so enormous that, had it not been a fabrication, it would have appeared first among the charges. But the prosecutor will pay the penalty for these things, and the defendant will come through safely — of that I am certain. As for the man escorting them both, whose character I have always praised, I could not begin to say how much I admired him on this occasion. For as though he were not delivering up the prisoners but were himself about to stand trial, he approached me and begged me to write something favorable about him, "so that," he said, "I might take heart." "And what," I asked, "is troubling you?" "Nothing serious," he said, "but all the same, I would like the gaze of the noble Modestus to be made gentle toward me." This persuaded me to make mention of Eusebius, and I trust it will also persuade you to look kindly upon a man of guileless disposition.

Μοδἐσrῳ. (359/60) Οὔτε μὴ σὺ παραχθῇς φοβούμενος οὔτε μὴ φανῇ πο- νηρὸς Εὐπείθιος, ἔδωκα τὴν ἐπιστολὴν ὡς ἄν τις ἢ παραινῶν σοι προσέχειν τὸν νοῦν ἢ δεόμενος ἁλόντα ἀφεῖναι. ἀλλ’ ὃ πέπονθα πρὸς τὰ τοιαῦτα φράσω. ἐπειδὰν αἴσθωμαι συκο- φάντην ἄνθρωπον ἐπιεικεῖ προσπεσόντα καθάπερ χειμάρρουν, ἀλγῶ τὴν ψυχὴν καί που δακρύω καὶ συμπράττειν ὅ τι ἂν δύνωμαι προθυμοῦμαι. δύναμαι δὲ ἐπιστέλλειν, ᾧ καὶ νῦν χρῶμαι. καὶ λέγω πρὸς ἄρχοντα ἀγαθόν, ὅτι Μητρόδωρον εἴρωνα κρίνων ἴσως δικαίως προσέρριψεν Εὐπείθιος οὐ δι- καίως αὐτῷ θυμῷ πρὸς τὴν αἰτίαν ἐνεχθείς, οὐκ ἐλέγχων ἐλ- πίδι. τεκμήριον δέ· τῶν γάρ, οἶμαι, πρὸς ἐκεῖνον ἐξητασμέ- νων ἤδη καὶ τῆς πρὸς τοῦτον ἐπιγενομένης ὀργῆς ἀνεμνήσθη ποτὲ καὶ προσέθηκε πρᾶγμα οὕτω πολὺ καὶ πρῶτον ἄν, εἰ μὴ πλάσμα ἦν, ἐν ἐγκλήμασι φανέν. ἀλλὰ τούτων μὲν ὁ διώ- κων δώσει δίκην, ὁ δὲ φεύγων ἔσται σῶς, οἶδα γάρ, τοῦ δὲ ἄγοντος ἀμφοτέρους ἀεί ποτε τὸν τρόπον ἐπαινέσας οὐδ’ ἂν εἰπεῖν, ὅπως νῦν ἠγάσθην, ἔχοιμι. ὥσπερ γὰρ οὐ παρα- δώσων τοὺς ἀγομένους, ἀλλ’ αὐτὸς ὑφέξων λόγον προσελθὼν ἐδεῖτό μου προσγράψαι τι περὶ αὑτοῦ βέλτιον, ὅπως, ἔφη, θαρροίην. καὶ τί γάρ, ἠρόμην, τὸ ταράττον; οὐδέν, ἔφη, μέγα δὲ ὅμως ἥμερόν μοι παρασκευασθῆναι τὸ ὄμμα τοῦ γενναίου Μοδέστου. τοῦτο ἔπεισεν Εὐσε- βίου με μνησθῆναι, πείσει δέ, οἶμαι, καὶ σὲ πρᾴως ἰδεῖν ἄν- δρᾶ ἀφελῶς διακείμενον.