Letter 36: I do not congratulate you more on governing the city than I congratulate the city on handing you the reins.

To Themistius. (358/59) I do not congratulate you on your governing the city more than I congratulate the city on its having handed the reins over to you. For to you it gives no increase of power, but to the city it gives a good governor. Who was ever before you to her, through whom she has become greater in men than those who possess virtue together with wealth, and greater than those who lack money but have a nature better than money? But as for these poor men, my good sir, wish them to be a full complement to the council; yet if anyone should exact gold from them, you will prevent it, so that their sharing in the honors that are yours among you may not become for them a cause of evils. The rest, then, will treat with you through those by whom they think they will obtain their just claims; but you, for my sake, preserve a friend who is both yours and mine, one who has nothing except reputation. This man is none other than Julian, brother of Hierocles both in stock and in character. Seeing him being enrolled among you, I laughed, reflecting that his poverty would at once and forthwith blot him out. Then I checked my laughter, thinking that it would be enough for you to have a man who, though it was in his power to grow rich by base means, did not think it worthy. But when a letter came saying that this man too must deposit gold, then, instead of laughing, I was troubled, and it seemed necessary to take refuge in the mildness of Hermogenes. And so we are doing. He, having learned the facts, rescues him from those who drag at him, for whom the dragging would have ended in this very thing: the dragging; for there was nothing to seize. That man, then, let him go; but there is another bond, which, unless you loose it, our friend remains for us a riddle, at once loosed and bound. But you will solve the riddle, confirming the former things by the latter, and helping a man who is both well known and in need of a loan. This much I know full well, while he is not ashamed. When you speak about his lack of money, perhaps no one will contradict you; but if then there is anyone so ill-fated as not to say the same things as you, send this man into Phrygia, and he, having been persuaded, will return to you affirming that Julian is poor.

To Themistius (358/59) I congratulate you no more on governing the city than I congratulate the city on handing you the reins. For you had no need of power, but the city had need of a good leader. And who could rank before you in her eyes — you, through whom she has grown greater among men, some of whom possess virtue together with wealth, and others who lack money but have a nature worth more than money? But these poor men, my dear fellow, do wish them to be full members of the council; and if anyone demands gold from them, put a stop to it, so that their sharing in your city's honors does not become the cause of their ruin. Now the others will make their case to whomever they think will secure them justice. But you — preserve for me our mutual friend who possesses nothing but his good name. This is not the famous Julian I mean, but the brother of Hierocles in both birth and character. When I saw him being enrolled among your number, I laughed to myself, thinking that his poverty would very soon get him struck from the list. But then I checked my laughter, reflecting that it should be enough for you to have a man who, when he might have grown rich by dishonorable means, refused to do so. But when a letter arrived saying that he too must put down gold, then instead of laughing I was thrown into alarm, and I thought it necessary to take refuge in the clemency of Hermogenes. And so we did. When Hermogenes learned the facts, he rescued our friend from those who were dragging him off — men for whom the dragging would have ended in nothing but the dragging itself, since there was nothing to take. So Hermogenes released him. But there remains another bond, and unless you loose it, our friend will be a riddle to us — at once released and still bound. But you will solve the riddle by confirming the first decision with a second, and by coming to the aid of a man who is both well known and in debt. This I know for a fact, and he is not ashamed of it. When you speak on the matter of his lack of means, perhaps no one will contradict you. But if there is anyone so wretched as to refuse to say the same as you, send him to Phrygia — and he will come back to you convinced that Julian is a poor man.

Θεμιστίῳ. (358/ 59) Οὐ σοὶ συγχαίρω μᾶλλον τοῦ τὴν πόλιν ἄγειν ἢ τῇ πό- λει τοῦ παραδοῦναί σοι τὰς ἡνίας. σοί μὲν γὰρ οὐδὲν δυ νάμεως, τῇ δὲ ἡγεμόνος ἀγαθοῦ. σοῦ δὲ τίς ἐκείνῃ πρότερος, δι’ ὃν γέγονεν ἀνδράσι μείζων τῶν μὲν ἐχόντων ἀρετὴν μετὰ πλούτου, τῶν δὲ μὴ χρήματα, φύσιν δὲ ἀμείνω χρημάτων; ἀλλὰ τούτους γε τοὺς πένητας, ὦ δαιμόνιε, πλήρωμα μὲν εἶναι τῇ βουλῇ βούλου· χρυσὸν δὲ εἰ τις εἰσπράττοι, κωλύσεις, ὅπως αὐτοῖς μὴ τὸ κοινωνεῖν τῶν παρ’ ὑμὶν καλῶν αἴτιον ᾖ κακῶν. οἱ μὲν οὖν ἄλλοι δι’ ὧν οἴονται τεύξεσθαι τῶν δι- καίων, τούτοις διαλέξονται, σὺ δέ μοι σῶζε σόν τε κnὶ ἐμὸν φίλον ἔχοντα πλὴν δόξης οὐ Ἰουλιανὸς οὗτός ἐστιν, ἀδελ- φὸς Ἱεροκλέους τῷ τε σπέρματι καὶ τοῖς τρόποις. ὃν ὁρῶν εἰς ὑμᾶς ἐγγραφόμενον ἐγέλων ἐννοῶν, ὡς αὐτίκα μάλα αὐτὸν ἐξαλείψει τὸ πένεσθαι. ἔπειτ’ ἐπελαβόμην τοῦ γέλωτος ὡς ἀρκέσον ὑμῖν ἄνδρα ἔχειν ᾧ πλουτεῖν ἐξὸν κακῶς οὐκ ἠξίω- σεν. ὡς δὲ ἧκε γράμματα δεῖν καὶ τόνδε θεῖναι χρυσίον, ἐν- ταῦθα ἀντὶ τοῦ γελᾶν ἐταραττόμην καὶ ἐδόκει χρῆναι κατα- φεύγειν ἐπὶ τὴν Ἑρμογένους πρᾳότητα. καὶ οὕτω ποιοῦμεν. ὁ δὲ τὰ ὄντα μαθὼν ἐξαιρεῖται τῶν ἑλκόντων, οἷς τὸ ἕλ- κειν εἰς αὐτὸ τοῦτ’ ἂν ἐτελεύτα τὸ ἕλκειν· οὐ γὰρ ἦν λαβεῖν. ἐκεῖνος μὲν οὖν ἀφῆκεν· ἀλλ’ ἔστιν ἕτερος δεσμός, ὃν ἂν μὴ σὺ λύσῃς, αἴνιγμα ἡμῖν ὁ φίλος ὁμοῦ λελυμένος τε καὶ δε- δεμένος. ἀλλὰ σὺ λύσεις τὸ αἴνιγμα τοῖς δευτέροις τὰ πρότερα βεβαιῶν καὶ βοηθῶν ἀνδρὶ γνωρίμῳ τε καὶ δανειζομένῳ. τοῦτο δὲ ἐγὼ μὲν σύνοιδα, ἐκεῖνος δὲ οὐκ αἰσχύνεται. λέ- γοντι δέ σοι περὶ τῆς ἀχρηματίας ἴσως μὲν οὐδεὶς ἀντερεῖ· εἰ δ’ οὖν τις οὕτω κακοδαίμων ὡς μὴ ταὐτὰ φθέγγεσθαί σοι, πέμπε τοῦτον εἰς Φρυγίαν, ὁ δέ σοι πεπεισμένος ἐπανήξει πέ- νητα τὸν Ἰουλιανὸν εἶναι.