Letter 263: We are not unaware of the principles with which you approach your office, and knowing them we do what friends...

To Ecdicius. (360) We are not ignorant of the disposition you happen to hold toward your office, and, knowing what is fitting, we act as friends in such matters. Rejoicing with Maximus at the honor he receives from you, I have hopes that his son too will obtain some measure of goodwill. I wished him to be one of those who serve as advocates, and many times I commended to Hyperechius both the labors connected with this work and the title that comes from those labors; but when he looked elsewhere and supposed that he would fare better that way, not even so was I able to abandon him. Rather, in the very matters from which I was trying to draw him away, I was compelled to lend my cooperation, having failed to persuade him otherwise; and both here I lent a hand in person to his affairs, and there I take hold of them through letters, having used friends here for the foundation, and writing to a friend regarding the completion. It is reasonable that I should obtain my requests from those there more easily, not only because you have long been my friend, while the others, so to speak, only yesterday came to know me and were known to me, but also because you will be doing good to a fellow citizen in the things wherein you will gratify me. To the others this was not the case. But do not cry out when you have heard the favor. For it is also possible, while keeping watch, to grant a favor to one who counts it a great matter not to suffer ill outside the bounds of justice. Which perhaps will be so even now. For since the circumstances permit it, unless your part stands in opposition, we shall owe the favor to you no less than to the circumstances. And thus the city will in no way be wronged, while you will be enrolled among our benefactors.

Ἐκδικίῳ. (360) Οὔτ᾿ ἀγνοοῦμέν σου τὴν γνώμην ἣν ἔχων τυγχάνεις περὶ τὴν ἀρχὴν εἰδότες τε ὅπερ εἰκὸς φίλους ἐπὶ τοῖς τοιού- τοις ποιοῦμεν. Μαξίμῳ δὲ συγχαίρων τῆς παρὰ σοῦ τιμῆς ἐλπίδας ἔχω καὶ τὸν υἱὸν τὸν ἐκείνου τεύξεσθαί τινος εὐνοίας. ὃν ἐβουλόμην μὲν ἕνα τῶν παρὰ συνηγόρων εἶναι καὶ πολλάκις γε πρὸς τὸν Ὑπερέχιον ἐπήνεσα τούς τε περὶ ταῦτα πόνους τό τε ἀπὸ τῶν πόνων ὄνομα, βλέψαντα δὲ ἑτέρωσε καὶ νομίσαντα θᾶττον ἐκείνως εὖ πράξειν οὐδ’ οὕτως ἠδυνήθην ἐγκαταλιπεῖν, ἀλλ’ ὧν ἀφεῖλκον, ἐπὶ ταῦτα συμπράττειν ἠναγ- καζόμην οὐ πεπεικὼς ἐκεῖνα καὶ τῶν τε ἐνταυθοῖ συνεφη- ψάμην παρὼν τῶν τε ἐκεῖ διὰ τῶν γραμμάτων ἐφάπτομαι φί- λοις μὲν ἐνταῦθα χρησάμενος εἰς τὴν κρηπῖδα, φίλῳ δὲ ἐπι- στέλλων ὑπὲρ τοῦ τέλους. εἰκὸς δέ με τῶν ἐκεῖθεν ῥᾷον τυγχάνειν, οὐ μόνον ὅτι σὺ μέν μοι πάλαι φίλος, οἱ δὲ χθὲς ὡς εἰπεῖν ἔγνωσάν τε καὶ ἐγνώσθησαν, ἀλλ’ ὅτι καὶ πολίτην εὖ ποιήσεις ἐν οἶς ἐμοὶ χαριῇ. τοῖς δὲ τοῦτο οὐκ ἐγίγνετο. ἀλλ’ ὅπως μὴ βοήσῃς ἀκούσας χάριν. ἔστι γὰρ καὶ τὸ δί- τηροῦντα χαρίσασθαι τῷ μέγα ποιουμένῳ μὴ τῶν δικαίων ἔξω παθεῖν κακῶς. ὃ καὶ νῦν ἴσως ἔσται. τῶν πραγμάτων γὰρ ἀφιέντων, ἂν μὴ τὸ σὸν ἀντιστῇ, σοὶ τὴν χάριν οὐχ ἧτ- τον ἢ τοῖς πράγμασι σχήσομεν. καὶ οὕτως ἡ πόλις οὐδὲν ἀδι- κήσεται, σὺ δ’ ἡμῖν ἐν εὐεργέταις γεγράψῃ.