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to supply you with a harvest of good things. We ask your Magnificence, though absent, to care for our customary affairs as if you were present, and to put a stop to the madness of so-and-so, our unworthy bishop, whose manner of life your Greatness knows most accurately. For he is attempting, as I have learned, to completely destroy our country, having taken up the work of an informer, and slandering the inspection that took place. And this, while everyone, so to speak, knows of the very burdensome assessment of our country, and how many of the estates have become deserted of farmers because of it. But this man, having scorned excommunication and fled the holy synod, has unleashed his tongue against the wretched poor. Therefore, let your Magnificence be entreated to take care, so that falsehood may not prevail over the truth. And I offer the same entreaty concerning the Cilicians. For we continue to lament until the lawlessness is put down. And the Lord of all will give the rewards for this zeal, he who promised to give a reward even for a little water. 46 TO PETER THE SCHOLASTICUS. For those who highly value what is just, nothing is able to hinder this praiseworthy purpose. And your Magnificence confirms this word, having been vexed at what was previously announced, but not tolerating to overlook justice being warred against, but in due season casting off despondency, and justly silencing the enemy of truth. Having learned these things, we have been more ardently disposed toward your great-mindedness, finding true philosophy mixed with rhetorical skill, and we ask you more earnestly, both to destroy the falsehood of the most excellent man, and to strengthen the consolation of the wretched poor. 47 TO PROCLUS, BISHOP OF CONSTANTINOPLE. Last year your Holiness freed the admirable Philip, the chief man of our city, from the harsh billow, and enjoying tranquility through the care of your Holiness, he filled our ears with your praises. But the most reverend bishop so-and-so is trying to render all that zeal useless, slandering the inspection of the country that took place repeatedly twelve years ago, and undertaking an accusation not even fitting for the decent among slaves. But I beseech your sacred head, to stop his falsehood, and to persuade the most illustrious prefects to confirm the decree, which they justly and humanely issued. For in reality our city received a most burdensome assessment, beyond all the cities of the province; and while every city has been relieved, this one has remained until this very day contributing for over sixty-two thousand iuga. Late and with difficulty, those who had obtained that high throne were at last persuaded, and sent inspectors of the country; and the report sent out by them was first received by Isidore of magnificent memory, and confirmed by the most glorious and Christ-loving lord Florentius. And he who now holds these reins, and adorns the throne with justice, having examined the whole case more accurately, ratified this with imperial decrees. But the truth-loving man, on account of his enmity towards one man, I mean the admirable Philip, has undertaken the war against the poor. For this reason indeed I implore your Holiness, to set your just tongue against his unjust tongue, and to defend the truth when it is warred against, and of this indeed

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ἀγαθῶν χορηγεῖν ὑμῖν τὴν φοράν. Τὴν δὲ ὑμε τέραν μεγαλοφυΐαν παρακαλοῦμεν, καὶ ἀποῦσαν ὡς παροῦσαν τῶν συνήθων φροντίσαι, καὶ τοῦ δεῖνος τοῦ ἀναξίου ἡμῶν ἐπισκόπου καταλῦσαι τὴν λύτταν, οὗ τὴν τοῦ βίου προαίρεσιν ἀκριβέστερον τὸ ὑμέτερον ἐπίσταται μέγεθος. Ἐπιχειρεῖ γάρ, ὡς ἔγνων, παντελῶς ἡμῶν ἀπολέσαι τὴν χώραν, δηλάτωρος ἔργον ἀναδεξάμενος, καὶ τὴν γεγενημένην ἐποψίαν συκοφαν τῶν. Καὶ ταῦτα πάντων, ὡς ἔπος εἰπεῖν, ἐπισταμένων τὴν βαρυτάτην τῆς ἡμετέρας χώρας ἀπογραφήν, καὶ ὡς πολλὰ τῶν κτημάτων ἔρημα διὰ ταύτην τῶν γεωργούντων ἐγένετο. Ἀλλ' οὗτος καὶ τῆς ἀκοινωνησίας καταφρονήσας καὶ τὴν ἁγίαν σύνοδον ἀποδράς, κατὰ τῶν ἀθλίων πενήτων ἐπαφῆκε τὴν γλῶτταν. Φροντίσαι τοίνυν ἡ ὑμετέρα μεγαλοπρέπεια παρα κληθήτω, ἵνα μὴ περιγένηται τῆς ἀληθείας τὸ ψεῦδος. Τὴν αὐτὴν δὲ καὶ περὶ τῶν Κιλίκων προσφέρω παράκλησιν. Θρη νοῦντες γὰρ διατελοῦμεν ἕως ἂν ἡ παρανομία καταλυθῇ. Ταύτης δὲ τῆς σπουδῆς τὰς ἀμοιβὰς ἀντιδώσει τῶν ὅλων ὁ Κύριος, ὁ καὶ ὕδατος μικροῦ δώσειν μισθὸν ὑποσχόμενος. 46 ΠΕΤΡΩ ΣΧΟΛΑΣΤΙΚΩ. Τῶν τὸ δίκαιον περὶ πολλοῦ ποιουμένων οὐδὲν ἱκανὸν ἐπισχεῖν τὸν ἐπαινούμενον τοῦτον σκοπόν. Βεβαιοῖ δὲ τὸν λόγον ἡ σὴ μεγαλοπρέπεια, ἀχθεσθεῖσα μὲν ἐπὶ τὰ πρώην ἀναγγελθέντα, οὐκ ἀνασχομένη δὲ παριδεῖν τὸ δίκαιον πολε μούμενον, ἀλλ' εἰς καιρὸν τὴν ἀθυμίαν ἀπορρίψασα, καὶ τὸν τῆς ἀληθείας ἐχθρὸν ἐνδίκως ἐπιστομίσασα. Ταῦτα μεμαθη κότες, θερμότερον περὶ τὴν σὴν διετέθημεν μεγαλόνοιαν, δεινότητι ῥητορικῇ φιλοσοφίαν ἀληθῆ κεκραμένην εὑρόντες, καὶ παρακαλοῦμεν σπουδαιότερον, καὶ τοῦ βελτίστου καταλῦ σαι τὸ ψεῦδος, καὶ τὴν τῶν ἀθλίων πενήτων κρατῦναι παραψυχήν. 47 ΠΡΟΚΛΩ ΕΠΙΣΚΟΠΩ ΚΩΝΣΤΑΝΤΙΝΟΥΠΟΛΕΩΣ. Πέρυσι μὲν ἡ ἁγιότης ὑμῶν τοῦ χαλεποῦ κλύδωνος ἠλευ θέρωσε τὸν περίβλεπτον Φίλιππον τὸν τῆς ἡμετέρας πρω τεύοντα πόλεως, καὶ γαλήνης διὰ τὴν τῆς σῆς ὁσιότητος ἀπολαύσας κηδεμονίαν, τῶν ὑμετέρων εὐφημιῶν τὰς ἡμετέρας ἐνέπλησεν ἀκοάς. Ἀλλ' ἐκείνην ἅπασαν τὴν σπουδὴν ὁ εὐλα βέστατος ἐπίσκοπος ὁ δεῖνα ἄχρηστον ἀποφῆναι πειρᾶται, τὴν πρὸ δύο καὶ δέκα ἐτῶν πολλάκις γεγενημένην ἐποψίαν τῆς χώρας συκοφαντῶν, καὶ κατηγορίαν ἀναδεξάμενος οὐδὲ τοῖς ἐπιεικέσι τῶν ἀνδραπόδων ἁρμόττουσαν. Ἀλλά σου δέομαι τῆς ἱερᾶς κεφαλῆς, παῦσαι μὲν τὴν ἐκείνου ψευδολογίαν, πεῖσαι δὲ τοὺς ὑπερλάμπρους ὑπάρχους κρατῦναι τὴν ψῆφον, ἣν ἐνδίκως καὶ φιλανθρώπως ἐξήνεγκαν. Τῷ ὄντι γὰρ βαρυτάτην μὲν ἀπογραφὴν ὑπὲρ πάσας τῆς ἐπαρχίας τὰς πόλεις ἡ ἡμετέρα πόλις ἐδέξατο· πάσης δὲ πόλεως κουφισθείσης, μεμένηκεν αὕτη μέχρι καὶ τήμερον ὑπὲρ ἓξ μυριάδων καὶ δισχιλίων εἰσφέρουσα ζυγῶν Ὀψὲ δέ ποτε μόλις πεισθέντες οἱ τὸν ὑψηλὸν ἐκεῖνον θρόνον λαχόντες, ἐπόπτας τῆς χώρας ἀπέστειλαν· καὶ τὴν παρ' ἐκείνων ἐκπεμφθεῖσαν γνῶσιν ἐδέ ξατο μὲν πρῶτος ὁ τῆς μεγαλοπρεποῦς μνήμης Ἰσίδωρος, ἐβεβαίωσε δὲ ὁ ἐνδοξότατος καὶ φιλόχριστος ὁ κύριος Φλω ρέντιος. Ἀκριβέστερον δὲ πᾶσαν τὴν ὑπόθεσιν ἐξετάσας ὁ νῦν ταύτας κατέχων τὰς ἡνίας, καὶ δικαιοσύνῃ τὸν θρόνον κοσμῶν, βασιλικαῖς ταύτην ἐκύρωσε ψήφοις. Ὁ δὲ φιλαλήθης ἀνήρ, διὰ τὴν πρὸς ἕνα δυσμένειαν, τὸν περίβλεπτον λέγω Φίλιππον, τὸν κατὰ τῶν πενήτων ἀνεδέξατο πόλεμον. Οὗ δὴ χάριν τὴν σὴν ἁγιωσύνην ἀντιβολῶ, ἀντιτάξαι τῇ ἀδίκῳ γλώττῃ τὴν δικαίαν σου γλῶτταν, καὶ τῆς ἀληθείας πολεμουμένης ὑπερ ασπίσαι, καὶ ταύτης μὲν