Letter 305

To Modestus. (361?) Many people write to governors on behalf of friends, and most of those letters say the same thing: "This man is good, help him." I would like to think my letters carry more weight, not because I am more important than other petitioners, but because I am more selective. I do not write for everyone who asks -- only for those I know to be deserving. This man is deserving. He has been enmeshed in a dispute not of his own making, dragged into it by the greed of others who saw an opportunity to profit at his expense. The facts are on his side, but facts require a judge willing to examine them carefully. You are that judge. I will not rehearse the details -- he will lay them before you. What I can vouch for is his character, which is beyond reproach. Any man who has taught as long as I have develops a sense for these things, and I would stake my reputation on this assessment. Help him, and you will have done justice a favor as much as you have done one for me.

Θεμιστίῳ. (361?) Σὺ δὲ ἤσχαλλες παιδευόμενος τότε οἰόμενος περὶ πρᾶγμα ἄχρηστον ἀναλίσκειν τὸν πόνον, ἔμελλες δὲ ἄρα δεηθήσεσθαι τῶν βελῶν ἐκείνων. ἄρχεις γάρ, τῷ δὲ ἄρχοντι δεῖ λόγων, ὥσπερ τοῖς πλέουσιν οἰάκων. ἀλλ’ ὅπως ἡγήσῃ μὴ τὸ τὰς πόλεις ἔχειν, ἀλλὰ τὸ ὡς ἄριστα ἔχειν μέγα· τὸ μὲν γὰρ πολ- λοῖς ὑπῆρξε, τὸ δὲ παρ’ ὀλίγοις ἐσώθη. σὲ δὲ ἄξιον τῶν ὀλίγων τούτων φανῆναι γεγονότα ἐξ ὧν ἔσμεν καὶ τραφέντα παρ’ ἡμῖν φύσει τε ἐγρηγορότα καὶ δυνάμενον διιδεῖν, τί χεῖρον, τί βέλτιον. οἴου δὲ κεφάλαιον εἶναι τῆς περὶ ταῦτα ἀρετῆς, ἢν τοῖς γενναίοις ᾐ τι πλέον παρὰ τοὺς μὴ τοιούτους. Σευήρῳ δὲ τῷ Λυκίῳ δοκεῖ μοι μηδένα ἂν μηδεμία πόλις προσόμοιον δεῖξαι πολίτην, ὃς μεθ’ ἡμῶν μὲν ἐθήρευσε τὰ ῥητορικῆς, μετὰ Μαξίμου δὲ τὰ φιλοσοφίας. καὶ ψῆφον ἔθετο ἐκεῖνος περὶ αὐτοῦ πάντων εἶναι Σευῆρον ὧν ἔγνω πιστότα- τον. πεῖραν δὲ καὶ αὐτὸς λαμβάνων ἀκολουθήσεις τῷ Πυ- θίῳ καὶ συνησθήσῃ τῇ Λυκίᾳ τῆς φορᾶς, ὅταν σε κολακεύῃ μὲν ἥκιστα, θαυμάζῃ δὲ ἐν οἷς ἄξιον, εἰσηγῆται δὲ τὰ χρηστά, διελέγχῃ δὲ ἀπάτην. ταῦτα γὰρ δὴ καὶ τὸν καλὸν Σέλευκον εἰς τὸ φιλεῖν τε αὐτὸν καὶ θαυμάζειν ἤγαγεν. αὐτὸς μὲν πονηροῖς ἀνθρώποις καὶ ἁρπάζειν εἰδόσι περιπεσὼν ἀναμένει δικαστηρίου γνῶσιν, σὲ δὲ ἄξιον ἀντ’ αὐτοῦ τοῖς αὐτοῦ γε- νέσθαι καὶ τὴν ἀπουσίαν ἄδηλον τῇ περὶ πάντα προνοίᾳ καταστῆσαι. καὶ γὰρ ἂν εἴη δεινόν, εἰ μὴ τοῖς ἐμοῖς φίλοις αἱ τῶν ἐμῶν ἑταίρων δυνάμεις ὠφελείας φέροιεν. τά τε οὖν αὐτοῦ σωτηρίας τυγχανέτω καὶ τὰ τῆς ἀδελφῆς Στρατω- νίδος ἀπὸ τῆς αὐτῆς ἀνάγκης δεῦρο ἡκούσης ὥσπερ ἐκεῖνος. ἔστι δὲ ἡμῖν ἀξία τιμῆς, ὅτι τὸν ἀδελφὸν ὄντα τοιοῦτον ἐπαι- νέτην ἔχει.