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philosophy; release the priesthood from insolence; grant us this immunity. And this is easy for you, should you wish it; for affairs follow your nods. And I know well that you will wish it, having been zealous to provide both public and private favors. 34 TO MARANAS THE SCHOLASTICUS. I do not know what I should call you, friendless or city-hating? For I am ignorant of the truth; but your not having come to us for any of the feasts prepares me to suspect one of the two, but rather to have preferred, to friendship and fatherland, a field and yokes and mattocks or those who wrangle over debts and boundaries and run to the scales of your vote. But I am greatly vexed when I see the fatherland insulted by its offspring and I will not endure to overlook it. Therefore, in order that you may escape such a charge, come to her who bore you and make her more splendid by your presence; for it is unfitting for the field to be brightened by your dwelling, but the city to be diminished by your absence. 35 TO ROMULUS Both fathers of prudent children appropriate their good repute and masters of well-disposed servants value their service highly. If such a law prevails among men, where envy often holds sway, how much more so with God, who is good and by nature benefits all without passion. Therefore at one time He says to Abraham: "I will bless those who bless you," and at another to the holy apostles: "He who receives you, receives me." Since, therefore, He considers the honor of His nurslings His own, be entreated, most wonderful sir, to honor His Prophets, the holy Apostles, with your presence. 36 TO THEODOTUS THE ARCHON. To little children the bogey-man is fearful, to youths tutors and teachers, but to those now reaching manhood the most fearful of all things is a judge and a tribunal and heralds and lictors and exactions of tribute; and if poverty be added to these, the fear becomes double. Why I have recounted these things, I will teach your virtue. We expect to celebrate the dedication of the apostolic and prophetic shrines on the fourteenth of the month Gorpiaeus, God willing. But those who are citizens here with us fear your presence, as I said. And they fear not the most gentle Theodotus, but the mask of office which you wear; without which, we would pay a great price for you both to be present with us as we celebrate and to share in the festival and to adorn the city and to be the leader of those who gather. Be entreated, therefore, O best of men, to grant Gorpiaeus as a sacred month and to dedicate it to God and to the lovers and beloved of God. For thus even though absent you will share in the festival, honoring the holy Apostles and Prophets with quiet and truce, and you will enjoy the blessing from them, and you will serve <the> God who is delighted by the honor of the saints, and you will also do a favor for us who desire and pray for peace and gladness poured out in that festival. 37 TO NEON THE ARCHON. This is the boundary of leadership; this is a just rule and one advantageous to the community. For care for the governed not only benefits them, but also especially profits those who have been entrusted with the rule. For those who care immoderately for one of two parts harm both; but those who mix their energy with gentleness, and blunt the vehemence of action with philanthropy, and honor the mean, according to the philosopher

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φιλοσοφίαν· ὕβρεως τὴν ἱερωσύνην ἀπαλλάξατε· ταύτην ἡμῖν χαρίσασθε τὴν ἀτέλειαν. Ῥᾴδιον δὲ ὑμῖν βουληθεῖσι τοῦτο· τοῖς γὰρ ὑμετέροις νεύμασιν ἀκολουθεῖ τὰ πράγματα. Βουλήσεσθε δὲ εὖ οἶδ' ὅτι, καὶ κοινὰς καὶ ἰδίας χάριτας παρέχειν ἐσπουδακότες. 34 ΜΑΡΑΝΑ ΣΧΟΛΑΣΤΙΚΩ. Οὐκ οἶδα ὅ τι σε προσείπω, ἄφιλον ἢ μισόπολιν; τὸ μὲν γὰρ ἀληθὲς ἀγνοῶ· δυοῖν δὲ θάτερον ὑπονοεῖν με παρασκευάζει τὸ μηδεμιᾷ τῶν ἑορτῶν πρὸς ἡμᾶς παραγενέσθαι, ἀλλὰ προτιμῆ σαι φιλίας καὶ πατρίδος ἀγρὸν καὶ ζεύγη καὶ σκαπάνας ἢ τοὺς περὶ χρεῶν καὶ ὅρων ζυγομαχοῦντας καὶ παρὰ τὰ ζυγὰ τῆς σῆς θέοντας ψήφου. Ἐγὼ δὲ λίαν ἀσχάλλω ὑπὸ τῶν ἐκγόνων τὴν πατρίδα ὑβριζομένην θεώμενος καὶ περιιδεῖν οὐκ ἀνέξομαι. Ἵνα τοίνυν τοιαύτην φύγῃς γραφήν, κατάλαβε τὴν ἐνεγκοῦσαν καὶ ποίησον λαμπροτέραν τῇ παρουσίᾳ· ἄτοπον γὰρ τὸν μὲν ἀγρὸν τῇ σῇ οἰκήσει φαιδρύνεσθαι, τὴν δὲ πόλιν τῇ σῇ ἀποδημίᾳ σμικρύνεσθαι. 35 ΡΩΜΥΛΩ Καὶ πατέρες τῶν σωφρονούντων παίδων οἰκειοῦνται τὴν εὔκλειαν καὶ δεσπόται τῶν εὔνων οἰκετῶν περὶ πολλοῦ ποιοῦν ται τὴν θεραπείαν. Εἰ δὲ παρ' ἀνθρώποις τοιοῦτος πολιτεύε ται νόμος, ἔνθα φθόνος πολλάκις κρατεῖ, πολλῷ μᾶλλον ἐπὶ Θεοῦ τοῦ ἀγαθοῦ καὶ ἀπαθῶς πάντας εὐεργετεῖν πεφυκότος. ∆ιὸ νῦν μὲν Ἀβραὰμ λέγει· Εὐλογήσω τοὺς εὐλογοῦντάς σε, νῦν δὲ τοῖς ἱεροῖς ἀποστόλοις· Ὁ δεχόμενος ὑμᾶς, ἐμὲ δέχεται · Ἐπειδὴ τοίνυν οἰκείαν ἡγεῖται τὴν τῶν τρο φίμων τιμήν, παρακλήθητι, θαυμασιώτατε, τοὺς Προφήτας αὐτοῦ, τοὺς ἁγίους Ἀποστόλους τῇ παρουσίᾳ τιμῆσαι. 36 ΘΕΟ∆ΟΤΩ ΑΡΧΟΝΤΙ. Παιδίοις μὲν ἡ μορμὼ φοβερά, μειρακίοις δὲ παιδαγωγοὶ καὶ διδάσκαλοι, τοῖς δὲ εἰς ἄνδρας τελοῦσι ἤδη πάντων ἐστὶ φοβερώτατον δικαστὴς καὶ βῆμα καὶ κήρυκες καὶ ῥαβδοῦχοι καὶ εἰσπράξεις· ἂν δὲ δὴ καὶ ἀπορία τούτοις προσῇ, διπλοῦν τὸ δέος γίνεται. Τί δήποτε ταῦτα διεξῆλθον, ἐγὼ τὴν σὴν ἀρετὴν διδάξω. Ἐγκαίνια τῶν ἀποστολικῶν καὶ προφητικῶν σηκῶν τῇ τεσσαρεσκαιδεκάτῃ τοῦ Γορπιαίου μηνός, Θεοῦ νεύοντος, προσδοκῶμεν ἐπιτελέσαι. ∆εδίασι δὲ τὴν σὴν παρου σίαν οἱ παρ' ἡμῖν, ὡς ἔφην, πολιτευόμενοι. ∆εδίασι δὲ οὐ τὸν πραότατον Θεόδοτον, ἀλλ' ὃ περίκεισαι τῆς ἀρχῆς προσω πεῖον· οὗ χωρίς, πολλοῦ ἂν ἐπριάμεθα καὶ παρεῖναι ἡμῖν ἑορτά ζουσι καὶ κοινωνεῖν τῆς πανηγύρεως καὶ τὴν πόλιν κοσμεῖν καὶ κορυφαῖον εἶναι τῶν συνιόντων. Παρακλήθητι τοίνυν, ὦ ἄριστε, ἱερομηνίᾳ τὸν Γορπιαῖον δοῦναι καὶ τοῦτον ἀναθεῖναι Θεῷ καὶ τοῖς τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐρασταῖς καὶ ἐρωμένοις. Οὕτω γὰρ καὶ ἀπὼν κοινωνήσεις τῆς πανηγύρεως, ἡσυχίᾳ καὶ ἀνακωχῇ τοὺς ἁγίους Ἀποστόλους καὶ Προφήτας γεραίρων, καὶ τῆς παρ' αὐτῶν εὐλογίας ἀπολαύσεις, καὶ <τὸν> Θεὸν θερα πεύσεις τὸν τῇ τιμῇ τῶν ἁγίων τερπόμενον, χαριῇ δὲ καὶ ἡμῖν τοῖς εἰρήνην καὶ θυμηδίαν κεχυμένην ἐν τῇ ἑορτῇ ἐκείνῃ ἐφιεμένοις καὶ εὐχομένοις. 37 ΝΕΩΝΙ ΑΡΧΟΝΤΙ. Οὗτος ἡγεμονίας ὅρος· αὕτη ἀρχὴ δικαία καὶ συμφέρουσα τοῖς κοινοῖς. Ἡ γὰρ τῶν ἀρχομένων ἐπιμέλεια οὐ τούτους μόνον εὐεργετεῖ, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοὺς τὴν ἀρχὴν ἐγχειρήσαντας ὀνίνησιν ὅτι μάλιστα. Οἱ μὲν γὰρ ἀμέτρως θατέρου μέρους κηδόμενοι ἑκατέρῳ λυμαίνονται· οἱ δὲ τὸ δραστήριον κεραν νύντες ἡμερότητι, καὶ φιλανθρωπίᾳ τῆς πράξεως ἀμβλύνοντες τὸ σφοδρόν, καὶ τὸ μέτρον τιμῶντες, κατὰ τὸν φιλόσοφον