Letter 820: I have assisted, as far as I could, the affairs of all who shared in my teaching.

To Gaianus. (363 AD) I have assisted, as far as I could, the affairs of all who shared in my teaching. But Herculianus, son of Hermogenes — I regarded him as so excellent that I even composed a wedding song for him when he married, though I have always avoided singing such things. How then could I push away such a man when he asks for my help, especially in matters that you have the authority to settle well? This son of Hermogenes says he is being wronged by the city of Tyre, which is stripping him of a house his father left him — a house received as a reward for his services from the emperor, belonging to the emperor, not to Tyre. The emperor orders, as we know, that cities recover what is theirs, but that what was given to Hermogenes remain his. Herculianus says the Tyrians know this perfectly well, but have attacked him with false charges, trusting not in justice but in the opportunity of the moment. For my part, I would not think it right for a city to profit dishonestly — it is neither honorable nor safe. And since you deal justly with them, is it not absurd that they should not now, if ever, practice justice themselves and imitate their governor? If they consider this nonsense and think it outrageous not to profit from the young man's troubles, let them stop using force — for his fears have been ended by judgment and verdict.

Γαϊανῷ. (363) Ἅπασι μὲν τοῖς τῶν ἐμῶν μετεσχηκόσι διατριβῶν ὅσα οἷός τε ἦν συνεπηνώρθωσα τῶν πραγμάτων· Ἑρκουλιανὸν δὲ τὸν Ἑρμογένους οὕτω δὴ βέλτιστον ἡγησάμην, ὥστε αὐτῷ καὶ ᾆσμα ἐποίησα γαμοῦντι φυγὼν ἀεὶ δήποτε τὸ τὰ τοιαῦτα ᾄδειν. πῶς οὖν ἔμελλον τὸν τοιοῦτον ἀπώσεσθαι δεόμενον βοηθεῖν αὑτῶ, καὶ ταῦτα ἐν τούτοις, ἃ σὺ κύριος θεῖναι καλῶ, λέγει τοίνυν οὗτος ὁ Ἑρμογένους ὑπὸ τῆς τῶν Τυρίων ἀδικεῖσθαι πόλεως οἰκίαν αὐτὸν ἀφαιρουμένων, ἣν ὁ πατὴρ αὐτῷ κατέλιπεν ἆθλον τῶν κινδύνων λαβὼν βασιλέως οὖ- σαν, οὐ Τυροῦ. κελεύει δέ, ὡς ἴσμεν, ὁ βασιλεὺς τὰς μὲν πόλεις τὰ αὑτῶν κομίζεσθαι, τὰ δ’ ἐκείνῳ δοθέντα μένειν. ταῦτα δέ φησιν οὐκ ἀγνοεῖν μὲν τοὺς Τυρίους, ἐπιθέσθαι δὲ αὑτῷ συκοφαντουμένῳ πιστεύοντας οὐ τοῖς δικαίοις, ἀλλὰ τῷ καιρῷ. ἐγὼ δὲ πόλιν πόλιν οὕτω οὐκ ἂν ἀξιοίην κερδαίνειν κακῶς, οὔτε γὰρ καλὸν οὔτ’ ἀσφα- λές. ἔτι δὲ σοῦ δικαίως πρὸς αὐτοὺς προσφερομένου πῶς οὐκ ἄτοπον μὴ νῦν, εἴπερ ποτέ, καὶ αὐτοὺς δικαιοσύνην ἀσκεῖν καὶ τὸν ἐφεστηκότα μιμεῖσθαι; εἰ δὲ ταῦτα μὲν ὕθλον ἡγοῦνται, δεινὸν δέ, εἰ μὴ τῆς τοῦ νεανίσκου ταραχῆς εἰς πλεονεξίαν ἀπολαύσουσι, παυσάσθων βιαζόμενοι· καὶ γὰρ τού· τῳ πέπαυται τὰ φοβερὰ κρίσει καὶ ψήφῳ.