Letter 201: So at last you write -- though it took some prompting.

To Modestus. [360 AD] I rejoiced together with George, who shares the grief of the Alexandrians who have met with misfortune, and I rejoiced together with you as well, since you received pleas on their behalf from that man who formerly was at war with them. What, then, remains? To do a favor to yourself and to him and to us and to the gods of the Egyptians. For the gold will come in at once, but that it should once more belong to those who have paid it, and that the loss should not remain fixed upon you and upon your judgment and upon your hand — for if you are not willing to be hasty, and do not send it off there, from where it could never come out again, there is left some better hope. Come then, see that you contend brilliantly all the way to the end, and you will show that the conclusion is in harmony with the prelude.

Μοδέστῳ. (360) Συνήσθην Γεωργίῳ συναχθομένῳ τοῖς ἠτυχηκόσιν Ἀλε- ξανδρέων, συνήσθην δὲ καὶ σοὶ δεξαμένῳ λόγους ὑπὲρ τῶνδε παρ’ ἐκείνου τοῦ πρότερον πολεμοῦντος ἐκείνοις. τί δὴ λοι- πόν; σαυτῶ τε κἀκείνῳ καὶ ἡμῖν καὶ τοῖς Αἰγυπτίων χαρί- σασθαι δαίμοσιν. ἥξει μὲν γὰρ αὐτίκα τὸ χρυσίον, τὸ δ’ αὖ- θις αὐτὸ γενέσθαι τῶν δεδωκότων, ἀλλὰ μὴ μεῖναι τὴν ζη- μίαν ἐν σοί τε καὶ τῇ σῇ γνώμῃ καὶ τῇ σῇ χειρί. ἢν γὰρ μὴ ρπς΄ βουληθῇς ἐπειχθῆναι μηδ’ ἐκεῖσε πέμψῃς, ὅθεν οὐκ ἂν ἐξίοι, λείπεταί τις ἐλπὶς ἀμείνων. ἄγε οὖν ὅπως ἀγωνιῇ λαμπρῶς διὰ τέλους καὶ δείξεις συνᾷδον τῷ προοιμίῳ τὸ πέρας.