Letter 247: I will not hesitate to speak to you about justice -- for justice is your passion, and you would be annoyed not at...

To Honoratus. I will not shrink from discoursing with you about matters of justice, for these are your favorite pursuits, and you would not be vexed with those who plead on their behalf, but rather with anyone who, though able to say something on their behalf, should keep silent. And it seems to me that even Rhadamanthus rejoiced whenever he was summoned to come to the aid of justice, on which account he had his reputation, namely that justice makes a man strong. If, then, you had happened to hear about the rest of his affairs in the same way that you have heard about the character of Olympius, you yourself would not have given any opening to those who maltreat us, and there would have been no need of such a letter as this; but as it is, you have many sources from which to learn how good a man he is. And first of all, from the Macedonians, who pray to obtain a governor resembling this man, but have not been able to obtain one. But those from whom you might have learned the rest are unwilling to teach it, for perhaps it profits them to make the matter disappear; yet I shall make it plain. This Olympius, whom you have twice benefited, for you have twice governed us, and perhaps a third term will also come, formerly belonged to the senate of the Romans, but yesterday, so to speak, has become one of yours. Thereupon he is being harassed over an ancient assessment, not because he owes it, for how could he, who was not yet at that time connected with you? but because he is of the same name as a certain Olympius. And for this he would not deserve to pay a penalty, for he himself did not persuade his parents to give him the name. First of all, then, my good sir, deem it right to clear up this confusion. Next, in the assessments let the cargo not be greater than the ship, nor [...] let the man who is present and wealthy bear less, while the man who is absent, even if he is not wealthy, bear more. For in such matters one must look to the measure of a man's property, not to those other considerations. But to Olympius all things are fine and great, except money. For indeed his father too was just, and that while being both powerful and the father of many children; yet his character did not become any the worse for his abundance of children. In imitation of him, it seems to me, Olympius became poorer during his governorship of the Macedonians, but made those very men more prosperous. So that if anyone should address him as your pupil, he would not be in error. For these qualities existed in you long ago and are seen in you now too. For this man, then, we ask that the assessment be proportionate, and if anyone now drags him into the performance of a public service, that you hinder it, remembering the law which granted to those of you who have just been enrolled a postponement, not thinking it would be well for the later ones to spend before the earlier ones. Many things in the city have now changed for the better; and what was not bound to happen with you in charge? the dignity of the magistracy, the beauties of buildings, the fact that the public works are not inferior to the private ones, a reservoir of waters, by means of which it is possible for you even to compete with us. Let this too, then, become a new thing: that the councillors not be torn to pieces by certain persons, and that some, having reached old age without having performed public service, not die after long sharing in the good things you enjoy, while others, who have not yet tasted the good things you enjoy, suffer pain right from the starting line. For if these things do not come into order now, when would they come into order? Someone will say that it is a terrible thing for those who have been enrolled not to proceed thither. And quite so, if there were no impediment. But Olympius, if he should do that, would become the betrayer of his mother. And she is both very old and desires to give up her soul while clasping her son. And the man who does not grant her this favor is more impious than Hippomenes. You would therefore reasonably admire his resolve and would release him from the unjust expenditures.

Ὁνωράτῳ. (358/59?) Οὐκ ὀκνήσω σοι περὶ τῶν δικαίων διαλεχθῆναι, ταῦτα γὰρ τὰ σὰ παιδικά, καὶ οὐκ ἂν ἄχθοιο τοῖς ὑπὲρ αὐτῶν λέ- γουσιν, ἀλλ’ εἴ τις ἔχων εἰπεῖν ὑπὲρ αὐτῶν τι σιγῴη. δοκεῖ δέ μοι καὶ ὁ Ῥαδάμανδθυς χαίρειν, ὁπότε καλοῖτο τῷ δικαίῳ βοηθεῖν, ἐφ’ ᾧ δόξαν εἶχεν, ὅτι ἄρα τὸ δίκαιον ἰσχυρὸν ποιεῖ. εἰμὲν οὖν ὥσπερ περὶ τῶν Ὀλυμπίου τρόπων οὕτως ἐτύγχα- νες ἀκηκοὼς καὶ περὶ τῶν ἄλλων πραγμάτων, οὔτ’ ἂν αὐτὸς ἐπέτρεπες τοῖς ἐπηρεάζουσιν ἡμῖν τ’ οὐδὲν ἂν ἔδει τοιαύτης ἐπιστολῆς· νῦν δ’ ὡς μὲν ἀγαθός, πολλαχόθεν ἔχεις μαθεῖν. καὶ πρῶτόν γε παρὰ τῶν Μακεδόνων, οἳ τούτῳ προσόμοιον ἄρχοντα λαβεῖν εὔχονται μέν, λαβεῖν δὲ οὐ δεδύνηνται. παρ’ ὧν δ’ ἂν ἦν σοι τἄλλα μαθεῖν, οὐκ ἐθέλουσι διδάσκειν, λυσι- τελεῖ γὰρ ἴσως αὐτοῖς τὸ πρᾶγμα ἀφανίζειν, ἀλλ’ ἐγὼ δηλώσω. Ὀλύμπιος οὗτος, ὃν δὶς εὖ πεποίηκας, δὶς γὰρ ἡμῶν ἦρξας, ἥξει δὲ ἴσως καὶ ἡ τρίτη, πρότερον μὲν εἰς τὸ Ῥωμαίων ἐτέλει συνέδριον, χθὲς δὲ ὡς εἰπεῖν γέγονεν ὑμέτερος. ἔπειθ’ ὑπὲρ ἀρχαίας ἐνοχλεῖται φορᾶς, οὐχ ὅτι ὀφείλει, πῶς γὰρ ὅ γε οὔ- πω τότε προσήκων ὑμῖν; ἀλλ’ ὅτι ὁμώνυμός ἐστιν Ὀλυμπίῳ τινί. τούτου δὲ οὐκ ἂν ἄξιος εἴη δοῦναι δίκην οὐ γὰρ αὐτὸς ἔπεισε τοὺς γονεῖς θέσθαι αὑτῷ τοὔνομα. πρῶτον μὲν δὴ ταύτην, ὦ δαιμόνιε, τὴν σύγχυσιν ἀξίου διορίζειν. ἔπειτα ἐν ταῖς φοραῖς μὴ μεῖζον ἔστω τῆς νεὼς τὸ φοτίον μηδ᾿ ὁ μὲν παρὼν πλουτῶν ἧττον, ὁ δὲ ἀπών, εἰ καὶ μὴ πλουτεῖ, φερέτω πλέον. ἐν γὰρ τοῖς τοιούτοις εἰς τὸ μέτρον τῆς οὐσίας βλεπτέον, οὐκ εἰς ἐκεῖνα. τῷ δὲ Ὀλυμπίῳ πάντα καλὰ καὶ μεγάλα πλὴν χρημάτων. ἦν γὰρ δὴ καὶ πατὴρ αὐτῷ δίκαιος καὶ ταῦτα ὢν δυνατός τε καὶ πολλῶν πατήρ, ἀλλ’ ὁ τρόπος οὐδ’ ὑπὸ τῆς πολυπαιδίας ἐγένετο χείρων. ὅν μοι δοκεῖ μούμενος Ὀλύμπιος ἐν τῇ Μακεδόνων ἀρχῇ γενέσθαι πενέστε- ρος αὐτοὺς δὲ ἐκείνους ἐποίησεν εὐπορωτέρους. ὥστε εἴ τις αὐτὸν προσείποι σὸν μαθητήν, οὐκ ἂν ἁμάρτοι. καὶ γὰρ ἐν σοὶ ταῦτα πάλαι τε ἦν καὶ νῦν ὁρᾶται. τούτῳ οὖν δεό- μεθα σύμμετρον εἶναι τὴν φοράν, κἄν τις εἰς τὸ λειτουργεῖν ἄγη νῦν, διακωλύειν τοῦ νόμου μεμνημένον, ὃς τοῖς ἄρτι δε- δομένοις ὑμῖν ἔδωκεν ἀναβολὴν οὐ νομίζων καλῶς ἂν ἔχειν πρὸ τῶν προΤέρων τοὺς δευτέρους δαπανᾶν. πολλὰ τῇ πό- λει νῦν ἐπὶ τὸ βέλτιον μετέστη, τί δὲ οὐκ ἔμελλε σοῦ γε εστηκότος; σχῆμα ἀρχῆς, οἰκοδομημάτων κάλλη, τὸ μὴ τὰ δη- μόσια τῶν ἰδίων εἶναι ἐλάττω, ταμιεῖον ὑδάτων, δι’ οὗ καὶ πρὸς ἡμᾶς ἔστιν ὑμῖν ἁμιλλᾶσθαι. γενέσθω δὴ καὶ τοῦτο καινόν, τὸ μὴ τοὺς συνέδρους ὑπ’ ἐνίων σπαράττεσθαι μηδὲ τοὺς μὲν ἐν γήρᾳ τελευτᾶν οὐ λελειτουργηκότας πάλαι τῶν παρ’ ὑμῖν ἀγαθῶν μετέχοντας, τοὺς δ’ οὔπω γεγευμένους τῶν παρ’ ὑμῖν ἀγαθῶν εὐθὺς ἀπὸ γραμμῆς ἀλγεῖν. εἰ γὰρ μὴ νῦν ταῦτα εἰς τάξιν ἔλθοι, πότ’ ἂν ἔλθοι; δεινὸν φήσει τις εἶναι τὸ μὴ βαδίζειν ἐκεῖσε τοὺς ἐγγεγραμμένους. καὶ πάνυ γε, εἰ μὴ τὸ κωλῦον εἴη. ἀλλ’ ὅ γε Ὀλύμπιος, ἂν ἐκεῖνο ποιή- σῃ, μητρὸς γέγονε προδότης. ἡ δὲ γραῦς τε πάνυ καὶ ἐπιθυ- μεῖ τοῦ παιδὸς ἁπτομένη τὴν ψυχὴν ἀφεῖναι. καὶ ταύτην ὁ μὴ δοὺς τὴν χάριν ἀσεβέστερος Ἱππομένους. τήν τε οὖν γνώ- μὴν θαυμάζοις ἂν εἰκότως καὶ τῶν οὐ δικαίων ἀπολύοις ἀνα- λωμάτων.