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An ungirt disposition fittingly wove a slip and provided a fetter, an old law, ancestral for the barbarians. Therefore, for the generals there was a law for their subordinates, and this from your command, O scepter-wielding ruler, not to act with lewd insolence toward women, lest the holy baptism be stained for unbaptized maidens and your army be defiled. So much did you care for your servants, O king, that your words anticipated even the smallest details and that you humble yourself even in these things to your friends; for indeed a friend to you is everyone holding the shield and everyone wielding the sword in battles and everyone shunning bitter cowardice. Thus turmoil held the city of the Cretans, which was, as before and again, a city of Rome, a desirable city, the exalted city, the renowned, the very wealthy city. Tarsus heard and digs trenches and raises a tower and reinforces the gates with iron, and does everything because of the misfortunes of others, foreseeing the future burden for herself.

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ἄζωστος εἰς ὄλισθον ἔκλωθεν τάσις καὶ συμποδισμὸν ἐμπαρεῖχεν ἀξίως, νόμος παλαιός, πατρικὸς τοῖς βαρβάροις. τῶν οὖν στρατηγῶν ἦν ὑπηκόοις νόμος, καὶ τοῦτο τῆς σῆς προσταγῆς, σκηπτροκράτορ, μὴ πρὸς γυναῖκας πορνικῶς καθυβρίσαι, μήπως τὸ σεμνὸν εἰς ἀβαπτίστους κόρας βάπτισμα χρανθῇ καὶ μολυνθῇ σου στόλος. τοσοῦτον ἐφρόντιζες οἰκετῶν, ἄναξ, ὡς μέχρι λεπτῶν προφθάνειν σου τοὺς λόγους καὶ μέχρι τούτων συνταπεινοῦσθαι φίλοις· καὶ γὰρ φίλος σοι πᾶς κρατῶν τὴν ἀσπίδα καὶ πᾶς ὁ τείνων τὴν μάχαιραν ἐν μάχαις καὶ πᾶς ὁ φεύγων τὴν πικρὰν δειλανδρίαν. Οὕτω ταραγμὸς εἶχε Κρητῶν τὴν πόλιν, τὴν οὖσαν ὡς πρὶν καὶ πάλιν Ῥώμης πόλιν, πόλιν ποθητήν, τὴν ἐπηρμένην πόλιν, τὴν ἐξάκουστον, τὴν πολύπλουτον πόλιν. Ἤκουσε Ταρσὸς καὶ κατασκάπτει τάφρους καὶ πύργον ὑψοῖ καὶ σιδηροῖ τὰς πύλας, καὶ πάντα ποιεῖ συμφοραῖς ἀλλοτρίαις, τὸ μέλλον αὐτῇ προβλέπουσα φορτίον.