Letter 530: Right now we are exerting ourselves over a matter of the greatest importance, and if you are willing, you will have...

To Anatolius. Right now we are exerting ourselves over a matter of the greatest importance, and if you are willing, you will have done us the greatest favor. The same act will both help us and bring credit to you, because defending people who are being wronged frees them from trouble and earns the defender a better reputation. Consider everything that calls you to this cause. Apollinarius is being dragged to Italy by men who have already devoured many cities and now want to swallow him too. Let that move you first: the man is decent, he belongs to a distinguished family, and he is accomplished in literature. Those are three reasons for you to take up his case. He has been my friend from long ago and has only deepened his affection over time. Before you as judge, that ought to count for more than all the rest. But hear the strongest argument of all: he is the brother of Cyrinus, who in his own governorship imitated your example -- keeping his hands to himself and never stretching them out [i.e., never taking bribes]. This Cyrinus keeps two constant concerns in his mind: his son and me. He cares about the boy's education in rhetoric, and about me maintaining my reputation as a master of it. Seeing his brother being persecuted, he recognized the only hope -- your courage. He urged me to write to you, though he was too timid to write himself, making just this one mistake: being a rhetorician who lacks boldness. So respect his modesty, weigh everything else I have told you, and match toward his brother the devotion that Cyrinus has shown toward me.

Ἀνατολίῳ. (356) Νῦν ἡμῖν τε ὑπὲρ τῶν μεγίστων ἡ σπουδὴ καὶ σὺ βου- ληθεὶς τὰ μέγιστα ἔση δεδωκώς. τῷ δὲ αὐτῷ καὶ ἡμᾶς ὀνή- σεῖς καὶ σαυτὸν κοσμήσεις· τὸ γὰρ ἀδικουμένοις βοηθεῖν τοὺς μὲν ἀπαλλάττει τῶν κακῶν, τῷ δὲ ἀπαλλάξαντι τὴν ἀμείνω δόξαν φέρει. σκόπει δὲ ὅσα σε παρακαλεῖ πρὸς τὸ συμ- μαχεῖν. ἕλκεται παρ’ ἀνδρῶν Ἀπολινάριος εἰς Ἰταλίαν πολλὰς πόλεις ἐδηδοκότων, ὅπως καὶ τοῦτον καταπίοιεν. τοῦτό σε πρῶτον κινείτω· χρηστὸς ἁνὴρ καὶ τῶν γένει σεμνυνομένων καὶ τῶν ἐν λόγοις ὄντων. τρία ταῦτά σε ἐπ’ ἐκείνῳ προτρε- πέτω. φίλος ἡμῖν πάλαι μὲν ἀρξάμενος, ἀεὶ δὲ τῷ φιλεῖν προστεθεικώς. τοῦτ᾿ ἐκείνων παρὰ σοὶ κριτῇ μεῖζον. ἄκουε δὴ καὶ τὸ μέγιστον· Κυρίνου γὰρ ἀδελφός, ὃς ἐν ταῖς ἀρχαῖς τὰς σὰς ἐμιμήσατο χεῖρας εἴσω ·μὲν αὐτὰς ἔχων, προτείνας δὲ οὐδαμοῦ. οὗτος ὁ Κυρῖνος δύο μὲν ἐν τῇ ψυχῇ φυλάττει συνεχεῖς φροντίδας, ἐμέ τε καὶ τὸν υἱόν, μέλει γὰρ αὐτῷ τοῦ μέν, ὅπως λήψεται λόγους, ἐμοῦ δέ, ὅπως δόξω κρατεῖν ἐν λόγοις. ὁρῶν δὲ τὸν ἀδελφὸν ἐλαυνόμενον τὴν μόνην μὲν οὐκ ἠγνόησεν ἐλπίδα, τὴν σὴν ἀνδρίαν, γράμματα δὲ πέμψαι μὲν ἐκέλευσεν ἐμέ, πέμψαι δὲ ὤκνησεν αὐτὸς ‘ὲν τοῦτο μόνον ἁμαρτάνων, ὅτι ῥήτωρ ἐστὶν ἄτολμος. σὺ δὲ καὶ τοῦτο αἰδεσθεὶς αὐτοῦ καὶ τἄλλα ἐνθυμηθεὶς ζήλωσον πρὸς τὸν ἀδελφὸν τούτου τὴν τούτου πρὸς ἐμὲ σπουδήν.