Letter 261: To the same person. (361)

To the same person. (361) Here now is a letter from the emperor as well, declaring that Olympius should suffer no injustice at our hands -- not because your own judgment would not suffice, since it has always sought to ensure that nothing is done outside the bounds of justice. But those who care for the man -- and they are many and powerful -- thought it better to leave no aid untried than to overlook anything. They arranged for the letter and told me to send it, so I could not disobey. Still, if anything goes our way as a result, we will not forget who holds ultimate authority, nor that the power of such imperial letters depends on your own decision to enforce them or not.

Τῷ αὐτῷ. (361) Ἴδου σοι καὶ βασιλέως ἐπιστολὴ βουλομένη μηδὲν ἡμῖν ἀδικεῖσθαι τὸν Ὀλύμπιον οὐχ ὡς οὐχὶ καὶ τῆς σῆς γνώμης ἀρκούσης τε καὶ τοῦτο ἀεὶ ζητούσης, ὅπως μηδὲν ἔξω τοῦ δι- καίου πράττοιτο, ἀλλ’ οἱ τὸν ἄνδρα φιλοῦντες, πολλοὶ δὲ οὗ- τοι καὶ δυνατοί, τὸ μηδὲν παρεῖναι τῶν φερόντων εἰς βοή- θείαν τοῦ τι παραλιπεῖν ἡγήσαντο κάλλιον καὶ ὅπως τά τε γράμματα ἔσται προὐνοήθησαν καὶ πέμπειν ἐκέλευον, ὥστε οὐκ ἦν ἀπειθεῖν. ἀλλ’ ὅμως, ἤν τι κατὰ νοῦν ἡμῖν ἐκεῖθεν χω- ρῇ, τὸν τοῦ παντὸς οὐκ ἀγνοήσομεν κύριον οὐδ’ ὅτι τοῖς τοι- ούτοις γράμμασιν ἀπὸ τῆς ὑμετέρας ψήφου τὸ κρατεῖν ἡ μή.