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virtue and the honor of the just. 7 TO AERIUS THE SOPHIST. You, on the one hand, o best of men, in your association with us, always offer the feast made from rhetoric and philosophy, and weaving the honeycombs of speech more gracefully than the Attic bee, and instilling sweeter streams, you are accustomed to feast us lavishly. But we, living with a poverty of words and desiring to repay your fine banquet, have sent to you the best fruit of our homeland, which the branches of vines produce, being nourished by the waterings from the clouds, but time and old age make it most honored and most sweet, both pleasant and mild, and not fighting with the heads of those who drink it; and in addition to its fragrance and the pleasure of its taste, it is also able to heal the stomach like a physician. And so that envy may not mar the beauty of the gift, we have sent along loaves of bread, indicating the desolation of the city. But you will remove this reproach of our homeland, by sending to it a maker of bread. 8 TO EULALIUS, GERMANUS, PROTEUS, MAGISTRATES OF ZEUGMA. A certain rumor that spread and informed us that a thing is being dared among you, both unworthy of you and foreign to piety, has greatly distressed us. For how were we not to feel pain, learning that such an abomination is being undertaken by men sprung from high priests, raised in piety, and who promise to hold to this even now? And may it be that the rumor is false; but if it should appear true, the things being dared are truly worthy of laments and wailing. For it says that some of you have betrothed your daughters to your nephews, while others, being uncles, have chosen marriage with their nieces. But this is forbidden not only by divine but also by human laws; for it is abominable and hated by God and alien to pious hearing. But perhaps by imperial letters those who are marrying will procure for themselves an exemption from this transgression; but they must know clearly that rulers, even if they are resplendent in purple and hold the scepters of the world, can indeed stop the punishments of this life, but they cannot absolve the sins themselves, nor free the sinners from their offenses. Therefore, even if the transgressor is freed from the accusation ten thousand times by imperial letters, he has the stain of sin and will be held accountable to the just judge. Consider, therefore, how great a thing it is to be pricked throughout life by the barbs of conscience; for the transgression will not be dared in a single moment of time, but the abomination will travel through the whole life of those marrying. Examine, therefore, among yourselves also the nature of the relationship, that an uncle is the same as a father, and a niece as a daughter. To dare these things is for Persians, not for Romans who are the nurslings of piety. And I believe that those who legislated these things were not even nurslings of piety, but decreed these things while living for a time in superstition. Consider, therefore, the magnitude of this absurdity: for since the impious have legislated these things and established them in harmony with the divine laws, for Christians to transgress them will leave no excess of impiety behind. I urge your sagacity, therefore, to revere the lawgiver, and to fear the just judge, and not to become a bad example for others, nor to open the door of transgression to the lovers of pleasure, nor to prefer the pleasant to the beneficial. For you too will find sons-in-law worthy of the kinship, and you will find maidens able to adorn, but not to fill your bridal chambers with stains. Neither men nor women have failed, so that the scarcity in place of an apology

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καλοκἀγαθία καὶ ἡ τοῦ δικαίου τιμή. 7 ΑΕΡΙΩ ΣΟΦΙΣΤΗ. Σὺ μὲν, ὦ ἄριστε, συγγινόμενος, ἀεὶ τὴν ἐκ ῥητορικῆς καὶ φιλοσοφίας πεποιημένην πανδαισίαν προσφέρεις, καὶ τῆς Ἀτθίδος μελίττης χαριέστερα ὑφαίνων τὰ τοῦ λόγου κηρία, καὶ γλυκύτερα νάματα ἐνιείς, ἑστιᾶν ἡμᾶς εἴωθας φιλοτίμως. Ἡμεῖς δὲ λόγων πενίᾳ συζῶντες, καὶ τὴν σὴν εὐωχίαν ἀμεί ψασθαι ποθοῦντες, τὸν ἄριστόν σοι καρπὸν τῆς πατρίδος πεπόμ φαμεν, ὃν κλήματα μὲν ἀμπέλων τίκτει, ταῖς ἀπὸ τῶν νεφῶν ἀρδείαις τρεφόμενα, χρόνος δὲ καὶ γῆρας ποιεῖ τιμιώτατόν τε καὶ ἥδιστον, προσηνῆ τε καὶ πρᾶον, καὶ ταῖς τῶν πινόντων κεφαλαῖς οὐ μαχόμενον· πρὸς δὲ τῇ εὐοσμίᾳ καὶ τῇ τῆς γεύ σεως ἡδονῇ, καὶ τὸν στόμαχον ὡς ἰατρὸς θεραπεῦσαι δυνάμε νον. Ἵνα δὲ μὴ φθόνος τῷ κάλλει τοῦ δώρου λυμήνηται, συμπεπόμφαμεν ἄρτους, τοῦ ἄστεως τὴν ἐρημίαν δηλοῦντας. Λύσεις δὲ σὺ τοῦτο τῆς πατρίδος τὸ ὄνειδος, ἄρτων αὐτῇ δημιουργὸν ἀποστείλας. 8 ΕΥΛΑΛΙΩ, ΓΕΡΜΑΝΩ, ΠΡΩΤΕΙ, ΠΟΛΙΤΕΥΟΜΕΝΟΙΣ ΖΕΥΓΜΑΤΟΣ. Φήμη τις διαδραμοῦσά [τε καὶ διδ]άξασα πρᾶγμα τολμᾶσθαι παρ' ὑμῖν, καὶ ὑμῶν ἀνάξιον, καὶ τῆς εὐσεβείας ἀλλότριον, σφόδρα ἡμᾶς ἠνίασε. Πῶς γὰρ οὐκ ἐμέλλομεν ἀλγήσειν, τηλι κοῦτον μύσος μαθόντες ἐγχειρούμενον παρ' ἀνδρῶν ἐξ ἀρχιε ρέων φύντων, ἐν εὐσεβείᾳ δὲ τεθραμμένων, καὶ ταύτην ἔτι καὶ νῦν ἔχειν ὑπισχνουμένων; Καὶ γένοιτο μὲν εἶναι τὴν φήμην ψευδῆ· εἰ δ' ἄρ' ἀληθὴς φανείη, θρήνων ἄξια τῷ ὄντι καὶ ὀδυρμῶν τὰ τολμώμενα. Φησὶ γὰρ, τοὺς μὲν ἐξ ὑμῶν τὰς θυγατέρας τοῖς ἀδελφιδοῖς κατεγγυῆσαι, τοὺς δὲ θείους ὄντας τῶν ἀδελφιδῶν ἑλέσθαι τὸν γάμον. Τοῦτο δὲ οὐ μόνον τοῖς θείοις ἀλλὰ καὶ τοῖς ἀνθρωπίνοις ἀπηγόρευται νόμοις· βδελυ ρὸν γὰρ καὶ θεομισὲς καὶ ἀκοῆς ἀλλότριον εὐσεβοῦς. Ἀλλ' ἴσως βασιλικοῖς γράμμασιν οἱ γαμοῦντες τῆς παρανομίας ταύτης ἀπαλλαγὴν σφίσιν αὐτοῖς πραγματεύσονται· ἀλλ' εἰδέναι χρὴ σαφῶς, ὡς οἱ βασιλεύοντες, κἂν πορφυρίδι λαμπρύνωνται καὶ τῆς οἰκουμένης τὰ σκῆπτρα κατέχωσι, παύειν μὲν τὰς κατὰ τόνδε τὸν βίον δύνανται τιμωρίας, αὐτὰς δὲ λύειν τὰς ἁμαρ τίας, καὶ τῶν πλημμελημάτων ἐλευθεροῦν τοὺς ἐπταικότας οὐ δύνανται. Ὥστε κἂν μυριάκις γράμμασι βασιλικοῖς ὁ παρα νομήσας τῆς κατηγορίας ἀπαλλαγῇ, ἔχει τὴν τῆς ἁμα[ρτίας] κηλῖδα, καὶ τῷ δικαίῳ κριτῇ τὰς εὐθύνας ὑφέξει. Σκοπήσατε τοίνυν ἡλίκον ἐστὶ ταῖς τοῦ συνειδότος ἀκίσι διὰ βίου κεντεῖσ θαι· οὐδὲ γὰρ ἐν μιᾷ καιροῦ ῥοπῇ τὸ παρανόμημα τολμηθήσε ται, ἀλλὰ διὰ πάσης τῆς τῶν γαμούντων ζωῆς τὸ μύσος ὁδεύ σει. Ἐξετάσατε τοίνυν παρ' ὑμῖν αὐτοῖς καὶ τὴν τοῦ γένους ποιότητα, ὅτι ταὐτόν ἐστι θεῖος πατρὶ καὶ ἀδελφι[δῆ] θυγατρί. Περσῶν τὸ ταῦτα τολμᾶν, οὐ Ῥωμαίων τῶν τῆς εὐσεβείας τροφίμων. Ἡγοῦμαι δὲ τοὺς ταῦτα νομοθετήσαντας μηδὲ τρο φίμους γενέσθαι τῆς εὐσεβείας, ἀλλ' ἐν δεισιδαιμονίᾳ τέως διάγοντας ταῦτα διαγορεῦσαι. Ἐνθυμήθητε τοίνυν τῆς ἀτοπίας τὸ μέγεθος· τῶν γὰρ δυσσεβῶν ταῦτα νομοθετησάντων, καὶ τοῖς θείοις νόμοις συνῳδὰ τεθεικότων, χριστιανοὺς παραβῆναι οὐδεμίαν ἀσεβείας ὑπερβολὴν καταλείψει. Παρακαλῶ τοίνυν τὴν ὑμετέραν ἀγχίνοιαν αἰδεσθῆναι τὸν νομοθέτην, καὶ τὸν δίκαιον φοβηθῆναι κριτήν, καὶ μὴ γενέσθαι κακὸν τοῖς ἄλλοις παράδειγμα, μηδὲ τὴν τῆς παρανομίας θύραν ἀνοῖξαι τοῖς φιληδόνοις, μηδὲ προτιμῆσαι τὸ ἡδὺ τοῦ συμφέροντος. Εὑρή σετε γὰρ καὶ ὑμεῖς γαμβροὺς τῆς συγγενείας ἀξίους, καὶ ὑμεῖς κόρας κοσμῆσαι δυναμένας, ἀλλ' οὐ κηλίδων ἐμπλῆσαι τὰς ὑ[μετέρα]ς παστάδας. Οὐκ ἐπέλιπον οὔτε ἄνδρες οὔτε γυναῖκες, ἵνα τὴν σπάνιν ἀντ' ἀπολογίας