Letter 716: You know better than most that I want the temples to recover their beauty no less than the priests do.

You know better than most that I want the temples to recover their beauty no less than the priests do. But I would not want this to happen through the demolition of private houses when the same result could be achieved with those houses still standing. Let what exists remain upright and what has fallen be raised again -- let us not beautify some things while destroying the cities. As for the house of Theodolus, it would be easy to bring charges against it, but it deserves to be spared. It is a fine, large building that enhances our city. And Theodolus did not pull apart the sacred precinct through arrogance and drunken outrage -- there were sellers and he bought, paying the prices asked, doing what anyone with the means to buy could have done. Those who claim to know all of Theodolus's affairs say he has made such purchases many times, and they thought the matter should go to court. When I learned they wanted judges, I did not allow them to seek any better ones than you, knowing you would reach a decision that shows care for both the god and the city. So if you arrive at something moderate, write to us about it, so that we may praise you.

Ἡσυχίῳ. (362) Ὅτι μὶν οὐχ ἧττον τῶν ἱερέων ὑμῶν ἐπιθυμῶ τοὺς νεὼς κομίσασθαι τὸ κάλλος, οἶσθά που μᾶλλον ἑτέρων· οὐ μέντοι βουλοίμην ἂν οἰκιῶν καθαιρουμένων γενέσθαι τοῦθ’, ὃ γένοιτ’ ἂν καὶ μενουσῶν ἐκείνων, ὅπως τὰ μὲν ὄντα ἑστήκῃ, τὰ δὲ κείμενα ἀνιστῆται, καὶ μὴ τὰ μὲν κοσμῶμεν, τὰ δὲ λωβώμεθα τὰς πόλεις. τῆς δὲ οἰκίας Θεοδούλου κατηγο- ρῆσαι μὲν πρόχειρον, φείσασθαι δὲ ἄξιον οὔσης καλῆς τε καὶ μεγάλης καὶ ποιούσης ἑτέρων καλλίω τὴν ἡμετέραν, ἄλλως θ’ ὅτε Θεόδουλος οὐχ ὕβρει καὶ παροινίᾳ διέσπα τὸ ἱερόν, ἀλλ’ ὄντων τῶν πωλούντων ἐώνητο τιθεὶς τὰς τιμάς, πρᾶγμα ποιῶν, ὃ πᾶσιν ἐξῆν τοῖς δυναμένοις ὠνεῖσθαι. λέγουσι δὲ οἱ πάντα εἰδότες τὰ Θεοδούλου πολλάκις αὐτὸν ἐωνῆσθαι τοιαῦτα καὶ ᾤοντο δεῖν χρῆσθαι δικαστηρίῳ γνοὺς δὲ ἐγὼ δικαστὰς ὑμῶν αὐτοῖς οὐκ ἐπέτρεψα ζητεῖν ἀμείνους εἰδὼς ὑμᾶς βουλεύσεσθαί τι τοιοῦτον, ᾧ καὶ τοῦ θεοῦ φροντίζοντες φανεῖσθε καὶ τῆς πόλεως οὐ καταμελοῦντες. ἢν οὖν τι γένηται μέτριον, ἐπιστέλλετε πρὸς ἡμᾶς, ἕν’ ὑμᾶς ἐπαινῶμεν.