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 --...

To Spectatus (359/60) In other respects too my uncle honored me, and in particular, when he was about to die, he made me one of his heirs, thinking in this also that he was doing me honor; but in fact he was leaving me the opening of a war. But you too are among those who are to receive something and among those who are already being warred upon, so that one might tell him what is going to befall him. It seems to me that he established neither me as master of the fields nor you of the house, after his own wife, knowing that quiet is better for us than money. For the man who received much through his own father, but considers it a terrible thing if he does not receive everything as well, brings a mass of debts to bear upon my uncle, debts that formerly did not appear but now have sprung up. And it is a great ease, for one who has neglected his reputation, to be well supplied with documents through which it is possible to make unjust gain; for among us the imitators of letters have surpassed the painters. Using these men, he forces them to show his own father as having lent money to my uncle, and he fabricates certain agreements, which he claimed had been hidden, sunk into his own mother's ear, and then now to have been drawn up. And the upshot of these things is that I am cast out from the land, and you from the house. Then, coming to you, he will be humble and will say that he stands aloof from everything, and will beg you to help, and that he seeks nothing else, and he will add in the gods, whom he gulps down every day. But it is in your power to be honest and not to be cheated nor to betray yourself and me and the wishes of the man who lies dead. And toward this there are many roads, and it will be necessary to watch carefully that no documents come into being for him that are stronger than the laws of the emperor.

**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.