Letter 148: Theodotus and Charisius are brothers, and their profession is the same.

LibaniusPriscianus|c. 328 AD|Libanius|AI-assisted
grief death

To Priscianus. (359/60?)

Theodotus and Charisius are brothers, and their profession is the same. I will add that their principles are the same too: they draft legal documents for people without valuing profit over truth.

You have known and loved Theodotus, who has been with us for a long time. As for Charisius, who lived in the city, someone has surely praised him to you by now. But he has passed away, and his children need help. Their uncle begs through me the man who knows how to save.

The noble Priscianus will grant this favor, heeding my request and out of regard for Theodotus. You will lighten the orphans' burden and show proper concern for his relatives in Cyrrhus.

AI-assisted translation — This translation was produced with AI assistance and has not been peer-reviewed. See the 19th-century translation or original Latin/Greek below for scholarly use.

Latin / Greek Original

Πρισκιανῷ. (359/60?)

Θεόδοτος καὶ Χαρίσιος ἀδελφοί, τέχνη δὲ αὐτοῖν ἡ αὐ-
τή, προσθήσω δέ, ὅτι καὶ γνώμη, τὰ περὶ τῶν συνθηκῶν
γράμματα τοῖς ἀνθρώποις γράφειν ἄνευ τοῦ κέρδος κατὰ τῆς
ἀληθείας τιμᾶν.

τὸν μὲν οὖν Θεόδοτον πάλαι μεθ’ ἡμῶν
καὶ γινώσκεις καὶ φιλεῖς, Χαρίσιον δὲ τὴν πόλιν οἰκοῦντα
πάντως πού τις ἐπῄνεσε πρὸς σὲ νῦν, ἀλλ’ ὁ μὲν οἴχεται, δεῖ
δὲ βοηθῶν τοῖς ἐκείνου παιδίοις. ὁ θεῖος δὲ δι’ ἡμῶν ἱκε-
τεύει τὸν εἰδότα σώζειν.

δώσει δὲ ὁ γενναῖος Πρισκιανὸς
τὴν χάριν ἡμῖν τε πειθόμενος καὶ Θεόδοτον ἐν λόγῳ ποιού-
μενος. ἐκείνοις τε οὖν τὴν ὀρφανίαν κουφιεῖς καὶ φροντίδος
ἀξιώσεις τοὺς ἐν Κύρῳ τούτου συγγενεῖς.

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