Letter 111: My uncle honored me in many ways, and in particular, when he was about to die, he made me one of his heirs --...

My uncle honored me in many ways, and in particular, when he was about to die, he made me one of his heirs -- thinking this too was a mark of respect. But as it turned out, he was bequeathing me the beginning of a war. You too are among those who will receive something, and among those already under attack -- so someone could well have warned him what was coming. It seems to me he would never have made either me the heir to his fields or you the heir to his house, once his wife passed, if he'd known that peace was worth more to us than money. The man who received a great deal through his own father now considers it outrageous that he didn't get everything. So he's piling a mountain of debts onto my uncle -- debts that never appeared before and have now sprung up from nowhere. It's easy enough for a man who cares nothing for his reputation to produce documents that allow him to profit unjustly -- for the forgers of handwriting have surpassed even the painters among us. Using these forgers, this man forces us to recognize that his father supposedly lent money to my uncle, and he fabricates certain agreements which he claims had been hidden in his mother's possession and have only now been dragged out. The effect of all this is to evict me from my land and you from your house. And then, coming to you...

**To Spectatus** (359/60) Among the many ways my uncle honored me, when he was about to die he made me one of his heirs, thinking to honor me by this as well. But in fact what he left me was the beginning of a war. You too are among those who stand to receive something and who are already under attack, so that anyone could have told him what would happen. It seems to me that, had he known that peace is worth more to us than money, he would have made neither me master of the farms nor you of the house after his wife's death. For the man who already received a great deal through his own father, but who considers it outrageous if he does not have everything, now heaps a mass of debts upon my uncle — debts that never appeared before but have now sprung up out of nowhere. It is very easy for a man who cares nothing for his reputation to procure documents by which one can profit unjustly. For the forgers of documents have surpassed our painters. Using these men, he tries by force to show that his father lent money to my uncle, and he fabricates certain agreements which he claims had been hidden away in his mother's ear all along and have only now been dragged out. The consequence of all this is to drive me from my land and you from your house. Then he will come to you in a humble posture, will declare that he is giving up all his claims, will beg for your help, will say he seeks nothing else, and will swear by the gods — gods he swallows whole every day. But it is in your power to be both honorable and not be deceived, and not to betray yourself, me, and the wishes of the deceased. To that end there are many avenues, but you will need to watch carefully that he does not obtain an imperial letter more powerful than the laws.

Σπεκτάτῳ (359/60) Τά τε ἄλλα με ἐτίμησεν ὁ θεῖος καὶ δὴ Λαὶ τελευτᾶν μέλλων ἕνα με τῶν κληρονόμων ποιεῖ τιμᾶν καὶ ταύτῃ νομί- ζων, ὁ δὲ ἄρα πολέμου μοι κατελίμπανεν ἀρχήν. ἀλλὰ καὶ αὐτὸς εἶ τῶν τε ληψομένων τι τῶν τε ἤδη πολεμουμένων, ὥστ τις αὐτῷ τὸ συμβησόμενον ἔσχεν εἰπεῖν. δοκεῖ μοι μήτ’ ἂν ἐμὲ τῶν ἀγρῶν μήτε σὲ τῆς οἰκίας μετὰ τὴν αὐτοῦ γυναῖκα καταστῆσαι κύριον εἰδώς, ὅτι κρείττων ἡμῖν ἡσυχία χρημά- των ὁ γὰρ πολλὰ μὲ. λαβὼν διὰ τὸν αὑτοῦ πατέρα, δεινὸν δὲ ἡγούμενος εἰ μὴ καὶ πάντα, χρεῶν ὄγκον ἐπιφέρει τῷ θείῳ πρότερον μὲν οὐ φανέντων. νῦν δὲ ἀναφύντων. πολλὴ δὲ ῥᾳστώνη δόξης ἠμεληκότι γραμμάτων εὐπορῆσαι, δι’ ὧν ἔστιν ἀδίκως κερδᾶναι· παρῆλθον γὰρ ἡμῖν τοὺς ζωγράφους οἱ μι- μηταὶ τῶν γραμμάτων. οἷς ἐκεῖνος χρώμενος βιάζεται δεικνύειν τὸν αὑτοῦ πατέρα δεδανεικότα τῷ θείῳ καί τινας ἀναπλάττει συνθήκας, ἃς ἔφασκεν εἰς τὸ οὖς τῆς μητρὸς αὑτοῦ καταδεδυ- κυίας λανθάνειν εἶτα νῦν ἀνελκυσθῆναι. ταῦτα δέ ἐστιν ἐμὲ μὲν τῆς γῆς, σὲ δὲ ἐκπεσεῖν τῆς οἰκίας. ἔπειτα ἐλθὼν ὡς σὲ ταπεινὸς ἔσται καὶ πάντων ἀφεστάναι φήσει καὶ βοηθεῖν ἀξιώσει καὶ ζητεῖν οὐδὲν ἄλλο καὶ προσθήσει θεούς, οὓς κα- ταπίνει καθ’ ἡμέραν ἀλλὰ σοὶ χρηστῷ τε ἔξεστιν εἶναι καὶ μὴ φενακίζεσθαι μηδὲ προδοῦναι σαυτόν τε κἀμὲ καὶ τὰ ἀρέ- σκοντα τῷ κειμένῳ. πρὸς δὲ τοῦτο πολλαί τε ὁδοὶ καὶ παρατη- ρεῖν δεήσει μὴ γενέσθαι γράμματα αὐτῷ βασιλέως ἰσχυρότερα νόμων.