Letter 390: You will plead your case before the worthy Apellion regarding the wrongs you say you have suffered — the noble...

To Arabios. (355 AD) You will plead your case before the worthy Apellion regarding the wrongs you say you have suffered — the noble Strategios has appointed him your judge. The man is a fellow citizen of mine and a source of pride to us, so eager is he to be a man of true excellence. When he learned from me what you mean to us, he urged me to write, and I gladly obliged, confident that Apellion's judgment will prove a refuge for both you and yours. As for the case, think of it this way: if you are in the wrong, no one commands enough respect with this judge to save you from paying the penalty; but if justice is on your side, no enemy of yours is powerful enough to prevent you from receiving it.

Ἀραβίῳ. (355) Παρὰ Ἀπελλίωνι τῷ χρηστῷ περὶ ὧν ἀδικεῖσθαι φῄς ἀγωνιῇ, τοῦτον γὰρ ἀπέδειξέ σοι δικαστὴν ὁ γενναῖος Στρα- τήγιος. ὁ δὲ ἀνὴρ πολίτης τε ἐμὸς καὶ διδοὺς ἡμῖν σεμνύ- νεσθαι· οὕτω καλός τε κἀγαθὸς εἶναι βούλεται. μαθὼν δὲ παρ’ ἡμῶν, ὅστις εἴης πρὸς ἡμᾶς, ἐκέλευσε γράψαι, καὶ ὑπή- κουσα ἄσμενος νομίζων ἔσεσθαι καὶ σοὶ καὶ τοῖς σοῖς κατα- φυγὴν τὴν Ἀπελλίωνος γνώμην. περὶ δὲ τῆς δίκης ὡδί σε χρὴ φρονεῖν· εἰ μὲν ἀδικεῖς, οὐδεὶς οὕτως αἰδέσιμος τῷ δικαστῇ, δι’. ὃν οὐ δώσεις δίκην· εἰ δὲ παρὰ σοὶ τοῦ δικαίου τὸ μέρος, οὐδεὶς οὕτω σοι δυσμενὴς δυνατός, δι’ ὃν οὐ λήψῃ δίκην.