Letter 426

To Acacius. (355) Every possible pressure and strategy has been brought against Daphnus -- Clematius has done everything, Apodemius no small amount, and perhaps even I have contributed something. And when Strategius heard you had a case against the man, he immediately believed Daphnus was in the wrong and was ready to leave nothing undone. But Daphnus laughs at us, at the laws, and at the officials. He has poverty for an advocate -- so long as he goes to bed without starving, he considers himself rich. Still, he has not been let off. He has posted bail and now waits for you. This seemed to us the only thing left to try.

Ἀκακίῳ. (355) Τῷ Δάφνῳ πᾶσα ἀνάγκη καὶ πείρα προσενήνεκται πάντα μὲν Κληματίου πεποιηκότος, οὐκ ὀλίγα δὲ Ἀποδημίου, τάχα δέ τι καὶ ἡμῶν. καὶ μὴν καὶ Σrρατήγιος ἀκούσας εἶναί σοι δίκην εὐθύς τε ἐπίστευσεν ὡς ἀδικεῖ, καὶ οἷος ἦν μηδὲν ἐλλεί- πειν. ἀλλ’ ὁ Δάφνος καὶ ἡμῶν καὶ νόμων καὶ ἀρχόντων καταγελᾷ· τοιοῦτον ἔχει συνήγορον τὴν πενίαν, ὑφ’ ἧς ἂν μὴ πεινῶν κοιμηθῇ, πλουτεῖν οἴεται, ὅμως δὲ οὐδ’ οὕτω λέλυται. καταστήσας δὲ ἐγγυητὴν σὲ περιμένει. τουτὶ γὰρ ἡμῖν σκο- πουμένοις ἐφάνη λοιπόν.