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 the most noble of the Cretans, the most renowned of the Greeks, and to us the dearest of men. Household slaves who had run away from him, and who thought Onesimus, a wicked man, a Syrian merchant, a sufficient refuge, do not escape notice. For Euodos, knowing the wrongdoing and having come upon the slaves, was both glad and cried out, and laying hold of them dragged them off to Hekebolios, whose father is Ascholios, thinking that in this way the runaways would be well sent on to us. But Euodos seems not to have planned well. For much time has passed since then, and the quarry is nowhere to be found, and there are many suspicions concerning the affair. But if some second piece of mischief has also been done, you will make it come to nothing by not allowing those who so wish to be masters of the slaves in place of their owner. For you would not neglect us, and you will be willing to restore to the laws their force.

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.