Letter 631: What outrages have been committed — not on the Danube near the Scythians, nor at the ends of Libya, but in...

To Anatolius. (361 AD) What outrages have been committed — not on the Danube near the Scythians, nor at the ends of Libya, but in Phoenicia, the most civilized region of all, where laws exist, governors are in charge, and an emperor lives under arms to keep all violence at bay. A certain Lucianus, a man holding some minor office, collecting money from certain farmers as if he were Dionysius the master of Sicily or that famous Gelo with his great power, burst in upon the marriage of this Eustathius here — a poor man married to a poor woman, though her virtue was his consolation. She had lost her city (he is from Nicomedia) and married him; the dowry the woman brought was her character. Eustathius, at Elpidius's orders, had gone to bring certain people to account. Lucianus, having cast unjust eyes upon the woman living nearby, did not dare to send a message or speak to her of desire — he knew he would not persuade her — but ordered his daughter to befriend the wife. They became familiar, and his daughter often visited her, knowing full well the purpose of these visits — for such was the education he gave his daughter. At some point the wife invited the daughter to her home in return, expecting equal treatment. And because she herself had kept away from such deeds, she did not even suspect them. She accepted and was inside the doors — or rather, in a net. For that violent man locked her in a room and told her she should worship Fortune if, living by her hands, she would lie with one who could give her wealth. But when he found her well armed with virtue, and neither promises persuaded nor threats frightened her, he applied his hands and force. She fought back, and her character made her display strength beyond her nature. At this point Lucianus drew a sword — O gods! She welcomed only this: that she might die before any disgrace. When he realized she was ready to give up her very life, he called slaves and ordered them to bring ropes. She was bound on a bed and, though she screamed, her body was violated. Now if, having done this, he had thrown the wronged woman into a well — as the Spartans did at Leuctra with the women they raped — he would have been wicked for the rape, but by trying to conceal the deed he would at least have seemed to fear the laws. But as if demonstrating that even if you, even if Modestus, even if Elpidius, even if all mankind knew of the crime there is nothing to fear, he sent the woman away laughing. She went to her husband — for by chance he had just arrived — told him everything, and begged him to kill her, since after suffering such things she could not go on living well. He entrusted her to people who would watch her lest she slit her own throat, then came here knowing that I loved Nicomedia both when it stood and weep for it now that it has fallen. He asked me to inform and rouse Modestus by letter, since he intended to prosecute the rapist there. But I send him to you, judging that the former course would involve much toil, while the latter offers equal thoroughness without the toil. So, most temperate and most just man, you who live with a wife and raise legitimate children — show that there is someone who will prevent such outrages.

Ἀνατολίῳ. (361) Οἴα τετόλμηται οὐ περὶ τὸν Ἴστρον ἐγγὺς Σκυθῶν οὐδὲ ἐν τοῖς ἐσχάτοις Λιβύης, ἀλλ’ ἐν Φοινίκη, τῷ πάντων ἡμε- ρωτάτῳ χωρίῳ, νόμων ὄντων, ἀρχόντων ἐφεστηκότων, βασι- λέως ζῶντος ἐν ὅπλοις, ὅπως ἅπαν ἀπείη βίαιον. Λου- κιανός τις, ἄνθρωπος ἐπὶ μικροῦ τινος σχήματος, χρήματα εἰσπράττων γεωργούς τινας, ὥσπερ Διονύσιος ὤν, ὁ Σικελίας δεσπότης, ἢ Γέλων ἐκεῖνος ὁ τὴν μεγάλην δύναμιν ἔχων, ἐκώ- μασεν εἰς τὸν γάμον Εὐσταθίου τουτουί, πένητος μὲν καὶ πένητι συνοικοῦντος, παρεμυθεῖτο δὲ αὐτὸν ἡ σωφροσύνη τῆς γυναικός, ἣν ἀπολωλυίας αὐτῷ τῆς πόλεως, ἔστι δὲ Νικομη- δεύς, ἄγεται, προῖκα δὲ εἰσέφερεν ἡ γυνὴ τὸν τρόπον. ἀλλ’ ὁ μὲν Ἐλπιδίου κελεύοντος ᾤχετο ἄξων ἀνθρώπους ὡς ὑφέ- ξοντας λόγον, Λουκιανὸς δὲ τὴν ἄνθρωπον ἰδὼν ἀδίκοις ὄμ- μασι πλησίον οἰκοῦσαν προσπέμψαι μὲν καὶ μνησθῆναι πρὸς αὐτὴν ἔρωτος οὐκ ἐτόλμησεν, ᾔδει γὰρ οὐ πείσων, τὴν θυγα- τέρα δὲ ἐκέλευε χρῆσθαι τῇ γυναικί. καὶ ἦσαν ἐν συνη- θείᾳ καὶ πολλάκις ἦλθε παρ’ ἐκείνην ἡ τούτου θυγάτηρ εἰ- δυῖα, ὅτου χάριν ταῦτα ἐπράττετο τοιαῦτα γὰρ ἐπαίδευε τὴν θυγατέρα. καλεῖ δή ποτε καὶ ταύτην ἐκείνη παρ’ αὑτὴν ἀξιοῦσα τῶν ἴσων τυχεῖν, ἡ δέ, ὧν γὰρ ἀφειστήκει τοῖς ἔρ- γοις, οὐδὲ ὑποπτεύειν ἠξίου, καὶ ὑπήκουσε καὶ ἦν εἴσω θυ- ρῶν, μᾶλλον δὲ ἐν δικτύῳ. κατακλείσας γὰρ αὐτὴν ὁ ὑβρι- στὴς ἐκεῖνος ἐν δωματίῳ καὶ φήσας δεῖν προσκυνεῖν τὴν Τύ- χην, εἰ τὸν βίον ἐκ τῶν χειρῶν ποιουμένη συγκατακλίνοιτο τῷ δοῦναι δυναμένῳ, ἐπειδὴ καλῶς εὕρισκεν ὡπλισμένην τῇ σωφροσύνῃ καὶ οὔτε ὑπισχνούμενος ἔπειθεν οὔτε ἀπειλῶν κατέπληττε, χεῖρας προσῆγε καὶ ἰσχύν. ἡ δὲ ἀπεωθεῖτο καὶ ὁ τρόπος αὐτὴν ἐποίει μείζω τῆς φύσεως δεικνύειν. ξίφος ἐνταῦθα ἐγύμνωσε Λουκιανός, ὦ θεοί. ἡ δὲ τοῦτο ἐπῄνεσε μόνον, εἰ ἀποθανεῖται πρὸ αἰσχροῦ τινος. ὡς δὲ ἔγνω καὶ τῆς ψυχῆς ἀφισταμένην, οἰκέτας καλεῖ καὶ σχοινία κομίζειν ἐκέλευεν, ἡ δὲ ἦν ἐπὶ κλίνης ἐν δεσμοῖς καὶ βοώσης ὑβρίζετο τὸ σῶμα. εἰ μὲν οὖν ταῦτα εἰργασμένος εἰς φρέαρ ἐνέβαλε ἠδικημένην, ὥσπερ ἐν Λεύκτροις Λάκωνες ἃς ἐβιάσαντο, πονηρὸς μὲν ἂν ἦν τῇ μοιχείᾳ, πειρώμενος δὲ ἀφανίζειν τὸ πραχθὲν ἐδόκει ἂν φοβεῖσθαι τοὺς νόμους· νῦν δ’ ὥσπερ ἐν- δεικνύμενος ὅτι, κἂν σύ, κἂν Μόδεστος, κἂν Ἐλπίδιος, κἂν ἅπαντες γνῶσιν ἄνθρωποι τὸ ἀδίκημα, δέος οὐδέν, ἐκπέμπει τὴν ἄνθρωπον καταγελῶν. ἡ δὲ πρὸς τὸν ἄνδρα, καὶ γὰρ εὐθὺς ἀφῖκτο κατὰ τύχην, ἐποῦσα τὸ πᾶν ἐδεῖτο αὑτὴν ἀπο- κτεῖναι, μηδὲ γὰρ ἂν ἀτυχησάσῃ τὰ τοιαῦτα ζῆν ἔχειν καλῶς. ὁ δὲ τὴν μὲν παρέδωκεν, οἳ φυλάξουσιν, ὅπως μὴ αὑτὴν ἀποσφάξῃ δεῦρο δὲ ἥκων εἰδὼς ὅτι Νικομήδειαν καὶ οὖσαν ἐφίλουν καὶ κειμένην δακρύω, ἐδεῖτό μου καὶ διδάξαι καὶ παροξῦναι διὰ γραμμάτων Μόδεστον ὡς ἐκεῖ γραψόμενος τὸν μοιχόν. ἐγὼ δὲ αὐτὸν πέμπω παρὰ σὲ νομίσας τὸ μὲν ἔχειν πολὺν πόνον, τὸ δὲ ἴσην τὴν ἀκρίβειαν ἄνευ πόνων. ἀλλ’, ὦ σωφρονέστατε καὶ δικαιότατε καὶ γυναικὶ συνοικῶν καὶ παῖδας γνησίους τρέφων, δεῖξον ὡς ἔστιν ὁ κωλύσων ταῦτα τολμᾶσθαι.