Letter 302: You were right to honor the man I recommended -- not because I recommended him, but because he deserved it.
To Gerontius. (361?)
Sebon is of the noblest Cretan stock, most distinguished among the Greeks, and dearest of men to us. Runaway slaves have... and a refuge sufficient...
AI-assisted translation — This translation was produced with AI assistance and has not been peer-reviewed. See the 19th-century translation or original Latin/Greek below for scholarly use.
Latin / Greek Original
Γεροντίῳ. (361?)
Σέβων Κρητῶν μὲν εὐγενέστατος, Ἑλλήνων δὲ γνωρι-
μώτατος, ἡμῖν δὲ ἀνδρῶν φίλτατος. τοῦτον ἀποδράντες οἰκέ-
ται καὶ καταφυγὴν ἀρκοῦσαν νομίσαντες Ὀνήσιμον, ἄνθρω-
πον πονηρόν, Σύρον ἔμπορον, οὐ λανθάνουσιν.
Εὔοδος
γὰρ εἰδὼς τό τε ἀδίκημα καὶ τοῖς οἰκέταις περιτυχὼν ἥσθη
τε καὶ ἀνεβόησε καὶ λαβόμενος εἷλκεν ὡς Ἑκηβόλιον, Ἀσχό-
λιος τούτῳ πατήρ, νομίζων οὕτως ἂν ἡμῖν καλῶς πεμφθῆναι
τοὺς δραπέτας.
ἔοικε δὲ οὐ καλῶς ὅ γε Εὔοδος βεβουλεῦ-
σθαι. χρόνος τε γὰρ ἐκεῖθεν πολὺς καὶ τὸ θήραμα οὐδαμοῦ
πολλαί τε ὑποψίαι κατὰ τοῦ πράγματος.
ἀλλ’ εἴ τι καὶ
δεύτερον κεκακούργηται, σὺ τοῦτο ποιήσεις μάταιον οὐκ ἐῶν
ἀντὶ τοῦ δεσπότου τοὺς βουλομένους εἶναι τῶν ἀνδραπόδων
κυρίους. ἡμῶν τε γὰρ οὐκ ἂν ἀμελήσαις τοῖς τε νόμοις ἐθε-
λήσεις ἀποδοῦναι τὴν ἰσχύν.
Related Letters
I was delighted by your letter.
I will not conceal my relief and joy.
Philastrius, a kinsman of Proaeresius -- the man who benefits the whole world through his eloquence -- is active in...
You call Hyperechius my son in one breath and say you are grateful to me for what you have done for him in the next.
Accept my gratitude for what you did for the man I recommended.