Letter 203: You ask how things stand with us, and I wish I could report only good news.

To Polychronius. (360) You know Hilarius's eloquence and are well aware of his poverty. You know his friendship with us and that, though he has suffered much while doing no wrong, he has been driven from his own home. By what sort of people -- it is not even safe for me to say, for they are powerful. The income from advocacy was his by right, but those whom he would have made prevail over their opponents, had they seen him, refuse to see him. One last resource for his livelihood remains: the stipend granted by the emperor for his support. This has now been harmed by circumstances, but it could be restored if you are willing -- and you will be willing, I am sure. For you love being praised for doing good, and all men will praise you. Everyone shares in this man's misfortune, and if he receives some good, each of those who have received him will consider it his own. I need no one else to tell me how many people besiege you from every side, some on their own behalf, others for their acquaintances -- I seem to see the hands grasping yours and the heap of letters. But consider that no one else has so strong a claim of justice -- though ideally no one should need such a claim -- and bear in mind that you should not respond the same way to those who press their suit for the sake of wealth and to the man who fears starvation. The former would not increase what they have; the latter would perish. For these reasons, let my own claim be set aside, and let this man's be pursued.

Πολυχρονίῳ. (360) Ἱλαρίου καὶ τοὺς λόγους οἶσθα καὶ τὴν πενίαν οὐκ ἀγνο- εῖς καὶ τὴν πρὸς ἡμᾶς ἐπίστασαι φιλίαν καὶ ὅτι πολλὰ πα- θῶν οὐδὲν ἀδικῶν ἐκπέπτωκε τῆς αὑτοῦ. τὸ δ’ ὑφ’ οἴων, οὐδὲ ἐμοὶ λέγειν ἀσφαλές· ἰσχύουσι γάρ. τὸν δ’ ἐκ τοῦ συναγορεύειν πόρον ἦν μὲν δίκαιος φέρειν, ἀλλ’ οὐκ ἐθέλου- σιν αὐτὸν ὁρᾶν οὓς ἐποίησεν ἂν τῶν ἀντιδίκων κρείττους, εἴ- περ ἑώρων. μία δὴ λοιπὴ πρὸς τὸν βίον ἀφορμὴ τὸ παρὰ βασιλέως δεδομένον εἰς τροφήν. ὃ νῦν μὲν τῷ καιρῷ βέβλα- πται, γένοιτο δ’ ἄν, εἰ σὺ βουληθείης, αὐτῷ βουλήσῃ δέ, εὖ οἶδα. τοῦ γὰρ ἐπαινεῖσθαι καλῶς ποιῶν ἐρᾷς, ἐπαινέσον- ται δέ σε πάντες ἄνθρωποι. πάντες γὰρ τῷδε συνάχθονται, κἂν τύχῃ τινὸς ἀγαθοῦ, τῶν εἰληφότων αὑτὸν ἕκαστος ἡγήσε- τᾶι. ὡς μὲν οὖν πολλοὶ πολλαχόθεν οἱ διοχλοῦντες, οἱ μὲ ὑπὲρ αὑτῶν, οἱ δὲ ὑπὲρ τῶν γνωρίμων, οὐδὲν δέομαι παρ’ ἄλλου μαθεῖν, ἀλλ’ ὁρᾶν μοι δοκῶ καὶ τοὺς τῆς δεξιᾶς ἁπτο- μένους καὶ τὸ πλῆθος τῶν ἐπιστολῶν. ἐνθυμοῦ δὲ ὡς οὐ- δενὶ τῶν ἄλλων τοσοῦτόν ἐστι τὸ δίκαιον — ὡς ἔδει γε μηδὲ τούτῳ — καὶ νόμιζε μὴ ὁμοίως δεῖν ὑπακούειν τοῖς τε ὑπὲρ πλούτου τῇ σπουδῇ χρωμένοις καὶ τῷ δεδοικότι λιμόν. οἱ μὲν γὰρ οὐκ ἂν πλείω τὰ ὄντα ποιήσαιεν, ὁ δὲ ἂν οἴχοιτο. διὰ μὲν ταῦτα τὸ μὲν ἐμὸν ἀφείσθω, τὸ δὲ τοῦδε πραττέσθω.