Letter 352: Even this counts as a great gift from you: that you remembered those who made a request, sought out the letter,...

To Strategios. (358 AD) Even this counts as a great gift from you: that you remembered those who made a request, sought out the letter, chose to give, and made clear that you were unable. For such are your remedies for your subjects — either you grant what is asked, or when circumstances prevent it, your distress at being blocked cheers the unsuccessful as if they had received what they wanted. And now those who were seeking grain, holding your letter instead, feel they have harvested all of Egypt. To those who know you well, why should you need to swear you would gladly have given? Such an oath about these matters would be ours about you to others, not yours to us — so well do we know you would gladly have given. Take heart about the future. We will not stop asking until, by giving, you put aside the pain of not having given.

Στρατηγίῳ. (358) Ἀλλὰ καὶ τοῦθ’ ἡμῖν ἐν μεγάλῃ δωρεᾷ τὸ μνησθῆναί τι τῶν δεηθέντων καὶ ζητῆσαι τὰ γράμματα καὶ προελέσθαι δοῦναι καὶ τὸ μὴ δεδυνῆσθαι δηλῶσαι. τοιαῦτα γὰρ δὴ τὰ σὰ πρὸς τοὺς ὑπηκόους φάρμακα· ἢ δίδως αἰτηθεὶς ἢ τοῦ πράγ- ματος οὐκ ἐῶντος ἀχθόμενος τῷ κεκωλῦσθαι τοὺς οὐ τυχόντας εὐφραίνεις ὥσπερ λαβόντας. καὶ νῦν οἱ ζητοῦντες τὸν σῖ- τὸν ἀντ’ ἐκείνου τὴν ἐπιστολὴν ἔχοντες Αἴγυπτον ὅλην ἠγοῦν- ται κεκαρπῶσθαι. πρὸς δὲ τοὺς εἰδότας σε καλῶς τί χρῆν ὀμνύειν ὡς ἔδωκας ἂν ἡδέως; ὁ γὰρ δὴ περὶ τῶν τοιούτων ὅρκος ἡμῶν ἂν εἴη περὶ σοῦ πρὸς ἄλλους, ἀλλ’ οὐ σοῦ πρὸς ἡμᾶς· οὕτως ἴσμεν ὡς ἔδωκας ἂν ἡδέως. θάρρει δὴ περὶ τοῦ μέλλοντος· οὐ γὰρ ἀνήσομεν αἰτοῦντες, ἕως ἂν δοὺς ἀπόθῃ τὴν ἀπὸ τοῦ μὴ δοῦναι λύπην.