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of the accusation, having run away he took possession of the reigning city, and having undertaken the work of an informer, he makes war on the country which he calls mother, and he makes war on myriads of poor, and on account of his enmity toward one man he has sharpened his tongue against all. What sort of man he is, therefore, and in what practices he has been brought up, I for my part will not say, considering what is fitting for myself; but what has now been undertaken by him clearly demonstrates it. But concerning the country I say this much: that although the whole province has received relief, this one has never enjoyed any philanthropy, although it has a very heavy burden laid upon it. Whence many of the properties have been deprived of farmers, and many of the possessions have become completely deserted; and for these things the thrice-wretched city councillors are held responsible, and being unable to bear the collection, some beg, and others run away. And the constitution of the city has come down to one man; who will not hold out, unless the cure is applied by your piety. But I hope that your serenity will heal the wounds of the city, and will add this to your other righteous deeds. 44 TO SENATOR THE PATRICIAN. Thanks be to the Savior of all, because to your greatness he always adds the honors of high offices. But I have not written until the present, and I have not immediately declared the gladness that came to me at the culmination of the honor, not wishing to trouble your magnificence. And now I do this, as the country entrusted to me by God stands, as it is said, on a razor's edge. For the assessment having been made at that time when we first enjoyed your visit, and having been confirmed with difficulty under the most magnificent prefect, the lord Florentius, and having been ratified now also by the one holding the same reins, a certain man, bearing the name of bishop, but practicing things foreign even to those on the stage, having fled the council of the chief priests, and this while the bonds of excommunication were laid upon him, is trying to slander and discredit the assessment that was made, assailing the truth with his hatred for the admirable Philip. Therefore I beseech your great genius to show his false accusations to be vain, and for the assessment that has been justly confirmed to remain unshaken. For it befits your greatness to reap the fruit of this righteous deed along with the others, and to gather the blessings from those who have received your benefits, and to serve the God of all, and to serve his genuine servant, the most holy man of God, the lord James, who offers this exhortation with me. And he would have written himself, if it were his custom to write. 45 TO ANATOLIUS THE PATRICIAN. That just like children towards a loving father, all those who inhabit the East were disposed towards your magnificence, your greatness knows precisely. Why then have you hated those who love you, and deprived them of your providence, and made everyone lament and grieve, preferring your own care to the benefit of others? For in truth I do not think that any of those who fear the Lord are not greatly distressed at the loss of your generalship. And I think that all the others too, even if they do not have precise knowledge concerning divine things, likewise receive the same feeling of despondency, considering your good deeds. But I especially lament, remembering both the honor and the sincere disposition; and I beseech the Master of all to always fortify you with his invincible right hand, and of all kinds of

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κατηγορίας, ἀποδρὰς τὴν βασιλεύουσαν κατέλαβε πόλιν, καὶ δηλάτωρος ἔργον ἀναδεξάμενος, πολεμεῖ μὲν χώραν, ἣν ὀνομάζει μητέρα, πολεμεῖ δὲ μυριάσι πενήτων, καὶ διὰ τὴν πρὸς ἕνα δυσμένειαν τὴν γλῶτταν κατὰ πάντων ἠκό νησεν. Ὁποῖος μὲν οὖν ἐκεῖνος καὶ τίσιν ἐπιτηδεύμασιν ἐν τεθραμμένος, ἐγὼ μὲν οὐκ ἐρῶ, τὰ ἐμαυτῷ πρέποντα λογιζό μενος· τεκμηριοῖ δὲ σαφῶς τὸ νῦν ἐγχειρηθὲν παρ' αὐτοῦ. Περὶ δὲ τῆς χώρας τοσοῦτόν φημι· ὅτι τῆς ἐπαρχίας πάσης κουφισμὸν δεξαμένης, οὐδέποτε αὕτη φιλανθρωπίας ἀπέ λαυσε, καίτοι βαρύτατον φορτίον ἐπικείμενον ἔχουσα. Ὅθεν πολλὰ μὲν τῶν κτημάτων ἐστέρηται γεωργῶν, πολλὰ δὲ καὶ τῶν κεκτημένων ἔρημα γεγένηται παντελῶς· ἀπαιτοῦνται δὲ ὑπὲρ τούτων οἱ τρισάθλιοι πολιτευόμενοι, φέρειν δὲ τὴν εἴσπραξιν οὐ δυνάμενοι οἱ μὲν προσαιτοῦσιν, οἱ δὲ δραπε τεύουσι. Περιέστη δὲ εἰς ἕνα τὸ τῆς πόλεως σχῆμα· ὃς οὐκ ἀνθέξει, μὴ τῆς ἰάσεως παρὰ τῆς ὑμετέρας εὐσεβείας ἐπιτε θείσης. Ἐλπίζω δὲ ὅτι ἡ ὑμετέρα γαληνότης θεραπεύσει τὰ τῆς πόλεως τραύματα, καὶ ταῖς ἄλλαις δικαιοπραγίαις ἐπιθή σει καὶ ταύτην. 44 ΣΕΝΑΤΩΡΙ ΠΑΤΡΙΚΙΩ. Χάρις τῷ Σωτῆρι τῶν ὅλων, ὅτι τῷ ὑμετέρῳ μεγέθει ἀεὶ προστίθησι τὰς τῶν ἀξιωμάτων τιμάς. Ἐγὼ δὲ μέχρι τοῦ παρόντος οὐ γέγραφα καὶ τὴν ἐπὶ τῷ κολοφῶνι τοῦ γέρως ἐγγενομένην μοι θυμηδίαν εὐθὺς οὐ δεδήλωκα, ἐνοχλεῖν οὐ βουλόμενος τὴν ὑμετέραν μεγαλοπρέπειαν. Καὶ νῦν δὲ τοῦτο ποιῶ, τῆς θεόθεν ἐγχειρισθείσης μοι χώρας ἐπὶ ξυροῦ ἀκμῆς, τὸ δὴ λεγόμενον, ἑστηκυίας. Τῆς γὰρ ἐποψίας κατ' ἐκεῖνον τὸν καιρὸν γενομένης, καθ' ὃν τῆς ὑμετέρας τὸ πρῶτον ἐπι δημίας ἀπελαύσαμεν, καὶ μόλις κρατυνθείσης ἐπὶ τοῦ μεγα λοπρεπεστάτου ὑπάρχου τοῦ κυρίου Φλωρεντίου βεβαιωθείσης δὲ καὶ νῦν ὑπὸ τοῦ τὰς αὐτὰς κατέχοντος ἡνίας, ἀνήρ τις, ἐπισκόπου μὲν ὄνομα περιφέρων, ἀλλότρια δὲ καὶ τῶν ἐπὶ τῆς σκηνῆς ἐπιτηδεύων, φυγὼν τὸ τῶν ἀρχιερέων συνέδριον, καὶ ταῦτα τῶν τῆς ἀκοινωνησίας ἐπικειμένων αὐτῷ δεσμῶν, συκο φαντεῖν πειρᾶται καὶ διαβάλλειν τὴν γενομένην ἐποψίαν, τῇ περὶ τὸν περίβλεπτον Φίλιππον ἀπεχθείᾳ τὴν ἀλήθειαν βάλ λων. ∆ιὸ τὴν ὑμετέραν μεγαλοφυΐαν ἀντιβολῶ, τὰς μὲν ἐκείνου ψευδηγορίας ἀποφῆναι ματαίας, τὴν δὲ γεγενημένην ἐποψίαν ἐνδίκως βεβαιωθεῖσαν ἀσάλευτον διαμεῖναι. Πρέπει γὰρ ὑμῶν τῷ μεγέθει, καὶ ταύτην μετὰ τῶν ἄλλων τὴν δικαιοπραγίαν καρπώσασθαι, καὶ τὰς παρὰ τῶν εὐεργετουμένων εὐλογίας τρυγῆσαι, καὶ θεραπεῦσαι μὲν τὸν τῶν ὅλων Θεόν, θεραπεῦσαι δὲ τὸν γνήσιον αὐτοῦ δοῦλον, τὸν ἁγιώτατον ἄνθρωπον τοῦ Θεοῦ, τὸν κύριον Ἰάκωβον, ὃς τήνδε προσφέρει σὺν ἐμοὶ τὴν παράκλησιν. Ἔγραψε δ' ἂν καὶ αὐτός, εἴπερ αὐτῷ τὸ γράφειν σύνηθες ἦν. 45 ΑΝΑΤΟΛΙΩ ΠΑΤΡΙΚΙΩ. Ὅτι καθάπερ παῖδες ἐπὶ πατέρα φιλόστοργον, διετέθησαν περὶ τὴν ὑμετέραν μεγαλοπρέπειαν ἅπαντες οἱ τὴν ἑῴαν οἰκοῦντες, οἶδεν ὑμῶν τὸ μέγεθος ἀκριβῶς. Ἀνθ' ὅτου τοίνυν μεμισήκατε τοὺς φιλοῦντας, καὶ τῆς ὑμετέρας αὐτοὺς ἐστε ρήσατε προμηθείας, καὶ θρηνεῖν ἅπαντας καὶ ὀδύρεσθαι πεποιήκατε, τὴν οἰκείαν θεραπείαν τῆς τῶν ἄλλων προτιμή σαντες ὠφελείας; Τῷ ὄντι γὰρ οὐχ ἡγοῦμαί τινα τῶν φοβου μένων τὸν Κύριον μὴ λίαν ἀσχάλλειν ἐπὶ τῇ στερήσει τῆς ὑμετέρας στρατηγίας. Οἶμαι δὲ καὶ τοὺς ἄλλους ἅπαντας, εἰ καὶ μὴ τὴν περὶ τὰ θεῖα γνῶσιν ἔχουσιν ἀκριβῆ, τὸ τῆς ἀθυ μίας ὁμοίως δέχεσθαι πάθος, τὰς ὑμετέρας λογιζομένους εὐεργεσίας. Ἐγὼ δὲ διαφερόντως ὀλοφύρομαι, καὶ τῆς τιμῆς, καὶ τῆς εἰλικρινοῦς διαθέσεως μεμνημένος· καὶ τὸν τῶν ὅλων ἱκετεύω ∆εσπότην, τῇ ἀμάχῳ δεξιᾷ τειχίζειν ὑμᾶς ἀεί, καὶ τῶν παντοδαπῶν