Letter 755: To the same. (362 AD)

To the same man. (362) Orion became my friend in former times, when his mother brought us together, and at the same time he seemed an upright man, one who did not so much imitate as reproach those who used their power badly. I heard too from the inhabitants of Bostra that he neither made war upon the temples nor drove out the priests, since he was a priest himself, and that he relieved many of their misfortunes, having administered his office with the utmost gentleness. This man I have now seen downcast and humbled. And shedding tears before his words, I [...] scarcely escaped the hands of those who had suffered, though I had grieved no one in any way, when it was in my power to do so, but came near to being torn apart. And he added the flight of his brother, the wandering of his whole family, land left unsown, and the plundering of his goods. None of which, I know, does the emperor wish, but rather, if anyone holds any of the sacred property, let it be exacted from him, he says; but if not, let him neither be dishonored nor maltreated. But, I suppose, to cast out of the country those who have nothing for which they can be charged is, since those against whom there was ground for proof would rather be summoned as they fled than have measures taken for their removal. But those men are not unknown to be coveting what belongs to others under the pretext of helping the gods; whereas the good ruler, and you above all, should restore the one party by proclamation, and warn the others not to make of those whom they wish a Mysian booty [easy plunder], but to give back what they hold contrary to the laws, and for the rest to abide by the laws. If you, most excellent man, will promise this to the one party and compel the others, you will restore to the one their own, and you will make the others better. And when Euclaides has returned, Orion returns, and what was scattered returns, and I shall be thought not to have neglected a friend in his misfortune, and you to have been persuaded by a friend who gives good counsel.

Τῷ αὐτῷ. (362) Ὠρίων γίγνεταί μοι φίλος ἐπὶ τῶν προτέρων χρόνων τῆς τε μητρὸς ἡμᾶς συναγούσης καὶ ἅμα χρηστὸς δοκῶν καὶ τοὺς τῇ δυνάμει κακῶς χρωμένους οὐ μᾶλλον μιμούμενος ἢ μεμ- φόμενος. ἤκουον δὲ καὶ τῶν τὴν Βόστραν οἰκούντων ὡς οὔτε πολεμοῖ τοῖς ἱεροῖς ὄνθ’’ ἱερεῖς ἐλαύνοι πολλοῖς τε λύσειε συμφορὰς πρᾳότατα καταστησάμενος τὴν ἀρχήν. τοῦτον ν9ν εΙδον κατηφῆ καὶ συνεοταλμἐνον. καὶ δάκρυα πρὸ τῶν λόγωνἀφεὶς ἐγὼ μόλις τὰς τῶν παθόντων ἐμοῦόιαπέφευγαχεῖραςλυπήσαςμὲνοὐδέναοὐδέν, ἡνίκα ἐξῆν, μικρο9 δὲ διασπασθείς. καὶ προσετίθει φυγὴν ἀδελφοῦ καὶ γένους ὅλου πλάνην καὶ γῆν ἄσπορον mxI σκευῶν ἁρπαγήν. ὧν οὐδὲν οἶδα τὸν βασιλέα βουλόμενον, ἀλλ’ εἰ μέν τις ἔχει τῶνἱερῶνχρημάτων, εἰσπρατ- τέσθωφησίν·εἰδὲμή,μήτεἀτιμαζέσθωμήτεκακού- σθω. ἀλλ’, οΙμαι, τῶν οὐδὲν ἐχόντων ἐγκαλεῖν τὸ τῆς χώρας ἐκβαλεῖν ἐστιν, ἐπεὶ οΙς γε ὑπῆρχεν ἐλέγχειν, μᾶλλον ἂν ἐκάλουν φεύγοντας ἢ ὅπως μεταστήσονται ἔπραττον ἀλλ’ ἐκεῖνοι μὲν οὐκ εἰσιν ἄδηλοι τῶν ἀλλοτρίων ἐπιθυ- μοῦντες ἐν τῷ τοῖς θεοῖς προσποιεῖσθαι βοηθεῖν· τὸν δ’ αὖ ἄρχοντα καλόν, ἄλλως τε καὶ σέ, τοὺς μὲν κατάγειν κηρύγματι. τοῖς δὲ προειπεῖν μὴ Μυσῶν λείαν οὓς ἐθέλουσι ποιεῖσθαι, ἀλλ’ ἀποδοῦναι μὲν ἃ παρὰ τοὺς νόμους ἔχουσι, χρήσασθαι δὲ τοῦ λοιποῦ τοῖς νόμοις ἂν ταῦτα, ὦ ἄριστε, τοῖς μὲν ὑπόσχῃ, τοὺς δὲ ἀναγκάσῃς, τοῖς μὲν ἀποδώσεις τὴν αὑτῶν, τοὺς δὲ ποιήσεις βελτίους. Εὐκλαδίου δὲ κατελθόντος ἐπάν εισι μὲν Ὠρίων, ἐπάνεισι δὲ τὸ διεσπαρμένον, δόξω δὲ ἐγὼ μὲν ἀτυχοῦντος οὐκ ἠμεληκίναι φίλου, σὺ δὲ φίλῳ παραι- νοῦντι πεπεῖσθαι.