Letter 698: I see no need for a preamble when asking a favor from a friend.

I see no need for a preamble when asking a favor from a friend. So I will get straight to the point and tell you what you must do. This man Megistus formerly served in Chryseis's household and now fills the same role for Bassiane. Remove him, and you damage the whole operation. Let him stay at his post, then. This is what I ask, and it is within your power to grant. Besides, there is now an abundance of council members -- long wished for, but finally here. So slip Megistus away for me and release him. If Arcadia [the bureaucratic process] makes even that a major undertaking, do not shrink from a second course: let him be enrolled among those who transport grain from Egypt. We will be grateful to you for that as well. Whichever you decide to grant, confirm it in writing. Let a letter be the guarantee of what is to come.

Ἀπολιναρίῳ. (362) Οὐδὲν οἶμαι δεῖν προοιμιάζεσθαι χάριν αἰτοῦντα παρὰ φίλου. οὐκοῦν εὐθύς, ὃ δεῖ σε ποιεῖν, ἐρῶ. Μέγιστος οὑτοσὶ πρότερον μὲν ἦν τῶν διακονούντων Χρυσηίδι, νῦν δὲ ταὐτὸ Βασσιανῇ πληροῖ, κἂν ἀφέλῃ τις αὐτόν, τὰ πράγματα ἔβλαψεν. ἴστω τοίνυν ἰπὶ τοῖς πράγμασι· τοῦτο γὰρ ἐγὼ μὶν δίομαι, σὺ δὲ δοῦναι κύριος. πάντως δὲ ἀφθονία βουλευμάτων πάλαι μὲν ποθουμένη, νῦν δὲ ἥκουσα. σὺ δή μοι τὸν Μέγιστον ἐκκλέψας ἄφες· εἰ δ’ Ἀρκαδία τοῦτο καὶ μέγα, μήτοι τὸν δεύ- τερον φύγῃς πλοῦν, ἀλλ’ ἐν τοῖς κομίζουσιν ἀπ’ Αἰγύπτου σῖτον τετάχθω, καί σοι χάριν εἰσόμεθα καὶ τοῦδε. ὁπότερον δ’ ἂν δοῦναι γνῷς, ἐν γράμμασιν ὁμολόγει, καὶ πίστις τοῦ μέλλοντος ἐπιστολὴ γενέσθω.