Letter XXXVI.283    Placed before 370.

Without address.

It has, I think, been long known to your excellency that the presbyter of this place is a foster brother of my own.  What more can I say to induce you in your kindness, to view him with a friendly eye, and give him help in his affairs?  If you love me, as I know you do, I am sure that you will endeavour, to the best of your power, to relieve any one whom I look upon as a second self.  What then do I ask?  That he do not lose his old rating.  Really he takes no little trouble in ministering to my necessities, because I, as you know, have nothing of my own, but depend upon the means of my friends and relatives.  Look, then, upon my brother’s house as you would on mine, or let me rather say, on your own.  In return for your kindness to him God will not cease to help alike yourself, your house, and your family.  Be sure that I am specially anxious lest any injury should be done to him by the equalization of rates.

ΑΝΕΠΙΓΡΑΦΟΣ ΕΠΙ ΕΠΙΚΟΥΡΙᾼ

[1] Ὁ πρεσβύτερος τοῦ χωρίου τοῦδε οἶμαι ὅτι πάλαι ἔγνωσται τῇ εὐγενείᾳ σου ὅτι ἐστὶν ἐμοὶ σύντροφος. Τί οὖν ἄλλο δεῖ με εἰπεῖν πρὸς τὸ δυσωπῆσαί σου τὴν χρηστότητα οἰκείως αὐτὸν ἰδεῖν καὶ βοηθῆσαι αὐτῷ εἰς τὰ πράγματα; Εἰ μὲν γὰρ ἐμὲ ἀγαπᾷς, ὥσπερ οὖν ἀγαπᾷς, δηλονότι καὶ οὓς ἀντ' ἐμαυτοῦ ἔχω ἀναπαῦσαι πάσῃ δυνάμει προαιρῇ. Τί οὖν ἐστιν ὃ παρακαλῶ; Φυλαχθῆναι αὐτῷ τὴν παλαιὰν ἀπογραφήν. Καὶ γὰρ καὶ κάμνει οὐ μετρίως ἡμῖν ὑπηρετῶν πρὸς τὸν βίον, διὰ τὸ ἡμᾶς, ὡς αὐτὸς ἐπίστασαι, μηδὲν κεκτῆσθαι ἴδιον, ἀλλὰ τοῖς τῶν φίλων καὶ συγγενῶν ἀρκεῖσθαι. Ὡς οὖν ἐμὸν οἶκον, μᾶλλον δὲ ὡς ἑαυτοῦ, οὕτω θέασαι τὸν τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ τοῦδε, καὶ ἀντὶ τῆς εἰς αὐτὸν εὐποιίας παρέξει Θεὸς καὶ σοὶ καὶ οἴκῳ καὶ γένει παντί σου τὴν συνήθειαν. Γίνωσκε δέ μοι πάνυ ἐπιμελὲς εἶναι μηδὲ ἐκ τῆς ἐξισώσεως ἐπηρεασθῆναι τὸν ἄνθρωπον.