Letter 776: This Tyrannus is both a good man and a skilled physician, a friend of ours, and one who has lived no small time in...

To Atarbius. (362) This Tyrannus here is both an honest man and a good physician, and a friend to us, and one of those who, on account of their craft, have lived no short time now at the imperial court. He has never at any time wronged any other man, but he has now wronged himself, having put his trust in a man clever at bewitching with words and at persuading the one who listens to grant a favor advantageous to that man but harmful to himself. Now, therefore, he has come [...] to set right what has not been done well and to undo the error that was committed. But he will not undo it without Athena; and Athena will lend her aid both for the sake of justice and as a favor to me. Consider, my excellent friend, the necessity that surrounds him, looking both to the body of Tyrannus and to the winter. For, being as he now is and in such a condition, he would not have borne the greater hardship were he not fleeing a worse evil. See to it, then, that you send him back to us rejoicing, having laid aside the grief concerning Euphrates, for which he has paid a sufficient penalty for his simplicity; since, if he should be disregarded, he will indeed lay aside his grief, but in a manner befitting neither us nor you. For he will lie dead somewhere, having reckoned his death to be lighter than to be dragged about while still living.

Ἀταρβίῳ. (362) Τύραννος οὑτοσὶ καὶ ἀνὴρ χρηστὸς καὶ ἰατρὸς ἀγαθὸς καὶ ἡμῖν φίλος καὶ τῶν διὰ τὴν τέχνην ἐν βασιλείοις οὐκ ὀλί- γον δὴ χρόνον βεβιωκότων. ἠδίκησε δὲ ἄλλον μὲν οὐδένα οὐδεπώποτε ἀνθρώπων, αὑτὸν δὲ νῦν πιστεύσας ἀνθρώπῳ δεινῷ γοητεῦσαι λόγοις καὶ πεῖσαι τὸν ἀκούοντα δοῦναι χάριν ἐκείνῳ μὲν συμφέρουσαν, αὑτῷ δὲ βλαβεράν. νῦν οὖν ἥκει διορθωσόμενος ἃ μὴ καλῶς πέπρακται κοὶ λύσων τὸ ἡμαρτη- μένον. λύσει δὲ οὐκ ἄνευ τῆς Ἀθηνᾶς ἡ δὲ Ἀθηνᾶ συλλή- ψεται καὶ τοῦ δικαίου καὶ ἐμὴν χάριν ἐνθυμοῦ δέ, ὦ ἄριστε, τὴν περιεστηκυῖαν ἀνάγκην εἴς τε τὸ σῶμα τοῦ Τύραν νοῦ καὶ τὸν χειμῶνα βλέπων. οὐ γὰρ ἂν νῦν τε καὶ οὕτως ἔχων ἔφερε τὸ μεῖζον φεύγων κακόν. ὅπως οὖν αὐτὸν ἡμὶν ἀποπέμψῃς χαίροντα τὴν λύπην ἀποθίμενον περὶ τὸν Εὐφρά- τὴν, ἣν τῆς ἀφελείας ἱκανὴν ἔτισε δίκην· ὡς, εἰ περιοφθείη, τὴν μὲν λύπην ἀποθήσεται, τρόπον δὲ οὔθ’ ἡμῖν οὔτε σοὶ πρέποντα. κείσεται γὰρ αἰτοῦ που κουφοτέραν τοῦ ζῶντα περιέλκεσθαι τὴν τελευτὴν ἡγησάμενος.