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may join in with time, and do not destroy the remnants of the Persians. 141.4 It is more fitting for you to raise up cities than to destroy the weary ones. Become a founder of cities either by adding something to what exists or by preserving what exists. Do not permit that a city exists until your reign, and after you it exists no longer; nor give a wicked tale to time, to have received it counted among cities, and to have left it an uninhabited place, the once-city recognizable only by mountains and cliffs and forests.” 141.5 Let the city of your creation do and say these things to your philanthropy. But from us, as from friends, receive this exhortation: be willing to chastise those who have sinned against the command of your authority, for about this we have no confidence, even if they say the audacity was not from a common plot, but the irrational impulse of some mere youths; 141.6 but to concede the greater part of your anger and to use a greater reasoning; they grieved excessively for their mother being put to death, they could not bear to be called citizens and be without a city, they went mad, they broke the law, they despaired of their own safety, the strangeness of their suffering made them frantic. Therefore, because of this, must the city be no city at all? By no means, O admirable one, do not inscribe this. 141.7 But honor all citizens and magistrates and officials who are supplicating; for think that the calamity touches all alike, even if they keep quiet because of the greatness of your authority, groaning as if underwater. 141.8 And honor our gray hair, for whom it is a terrible thing if, having once had the great city, now we should not even have a city, and both the temple we raised to God and our love of beauty concerning it should become a dwelling-place of wild beasts after your reign. 141.9 For it is not if statues will be thrown down, that this is terrible, even if it is terrible to others; nor think that our argument is about these things, for us whose concern is for better things, but if along with these an ancient city which has produced something illustrious will be thrown down, while we are living and seeing, we who are honored by you and are thought to have some strength. But so much for the speech about these things. 141.10 For even if we should say more, we will find something stronger than your reasonings, by which so great a nation is led, and may it lead more and greater ones, and to greater rules. But it is necessary for your magnanimity to know this about those who have previously fallen into this, that they are altogether wretched, cast away, and having shared in none of the disorder with those who sinned, as many of those then present persuade us. 141.11 Concerning these things, take counsel as to what you may think is advantageous both for glory here and for hopes there. But we will bear what has come to pass, not without grief indeed, but we will bear it; for what else could we do? But if the worse should prevail, we will grant one favor only, we will cast tears upon the once-city. 142.T TO THE SAME 142.1 Although the desire for a meeting with you is warm and the need of your petitioners is great, yet the illness is invincible. For this reason I have dared to entrust this embassy to a letter. 142.2 Respect our gray hair, which you have already respected, doing well and many times. And respect also this sickness to which in some part the toils for God have also contributed, if I must also boast a little. 142.3 And for this reason spare the magistrates who look to us as if we had freedom of speech before you. And spare the others who are under our care. For indeed there is no loss to affairs from philanthropy, since you accomplish more by fear than others by punishments. 142.4 And in return for these things, may it be granted to you to meet with such a judge as you yourself may be to those who petition and to us who intercede. 143.T TO THE SAME 143.1 What does suffering much and being treated well grant to men? It teaches philanthropy and inclines one to those in need. For there is no such lesson for learning to pity as having previously received kindness. 143.2 This has happened to me also; I have learned sympathy from what I have suffered. And do you see our magnanimity? I myself needing your clemency in my own affairs, I intercede for others and I do not fear lest

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συνεπιθῇ τῷ χρόνῳ, μηδὲ διαφθείρῃς τὰ Περσῶν λείψανα. 141.4 Πόλεις ἐγείρειν σοι πρεπωδέστερον ἢ καταλύειν τὰς κεκμηκυίας. Γενοῦ πολιστὴς ἢ τῷ προσθεῖναί τι τοῖς οὖσιν ἢ τῷ φυλάξαι τὴν οὖσαν. Μὴ ἀνάσχῃ μέχρι τῆς σῆς ἀρχῆς εἶναι πόλιν, καὶ μετὰ σὲ μηκέτ' εἶναι· μηδὲ δοῦναι πονηρὸν τῷ χρόνῳ διήγημα, λαβεῖν ἀριθμουμένην ἐν πόλεσιν, καὶ καταλιπεῖν χωρίον ἀοίκητον τήν ποτε πόλιν ὄρεσι καὶ κρημνοῖς καὶ ὕλαις μόναις γνωριζομένην.» 141.5 Ταῦτα μὲν ποιείτω καὶ λεγέτω πρὸς τὴν σὴν φιλανθρωπίαν ἡ τοῦ πλάσματος πόλις. Ἡμῶν δὲ ὡς φίλων δέξαι παραίνεσιν· σωφρονίσαι μὲν θέλησον τοὺς ἐξημαρτηκότας εἰς τὸ πρόσταγμα τῆς σῆς ἐξουσίας, ὑπὲρ γὰρ τούτου οὐδὲν θαρροῦμεν, εἰ καὶ μὴ ἀπὸ κοινοῦ σκέμματός φασιν εἶναι τὸ θράσος, ἀλλὰ μειρακίσκων τινῶν ὁρμὴν ἀλόγιστον· 141.6 τὸ πλεῖον δὲ τῆς ὀργῆς συγχωρῆσαι καὶ λογισμῷ χρήσασθαι μείζονι· μητρὸς ὑπερήλγησαν νεκρουμένης, οὐκ ἤνεγκαν πολῖται καλεῖσθαι καὶ εἶναι ἀπόλιδες, ἐμάνησαν, παρηνόμησαν, ἀπέγνωσαν τῆς ἑαυτῶν σωτηρίας, ἔκφρονας αὐτοὺς τὸ παράδοξον τοῦ πάθους ἐποίησεν. Ἆρ' οὖν διὰ τοῦτο χρὴ μηδὲ εἶναι πόλιν τὴν πόλιν; Μηδαμῶς, ὦ θαυμάσιε, μὴ τοῦτο ἐπιγράφῃς. 141.7 Ἀλλὰ τίμησον μὲν πάντας πολίτας καὶ πολιτευτὰς καὶ ἀξιωματικοὺς ἱκετεύοντας· πάντων γὰρ οἴου τὴν συμφορὰν ὁμοίως ἅπτεσθαι, καὶ εἰ τῷ μεγέθει τῆς σῆς ἐξουσίας ἐφησυχάζουσιν, οἷον ὑποβρύχια στένον τες. 141.8 Τίμησον δὲ τὴν ἡμετέραν πολιάν, οἷς δεινὸν εἴ ποτε τὴν μεγάλην πόλιν ἔχοντες, νῦν μηδὲ πόλιν ἔχοιμεν, καὶ θηρίων οἰκητήριον γένοιτο μετὰ τὴν σὴν ἀρχὴν ὅ τε ναὸς ὃν ἠγείραμεν τῷ Θεῷ καὶ ἡ περὶ τοῦτον ἡμῶν φιλο καλία. 141.9 Οὐδὲ γὰρ εἰ ἀνδριάντες κατενεχθήσονται, τοῦτο δεινόν, εἰ καὶ ἄλλοις δεινόν· μηδὲ περὶ τούτων νομίσῃς ἡμῖν εἶναι τὸν λόγον, οἷς περὶ τὰ κρείττονα ἡ σπουδή, ἀλλ' εἰ συγκατενεχθήσεται τούτοις πόλις ἀρχαία καί τι λαμπρὸν ἐνεγκοῦσα, ζώντων ἡμῶν καὶ ὁρώντων τῶν παρὰ σοὶ τιμωμένων καί τινα ἰσχὺν ἔχειν νομιζομένων. Ἀλλ' ὁ μὲν περὶ τούτων λόγος τοσοῦτος. 141.10 Οὐδὲ γὰρ εἰ πλείονα εἴποιμεν, ἰσχυρότερόν τι τῶν σῶν εὑρήσομεν λογισμῶν, οἷς ἔθνος τοσοῦτον ἄγεται, καὶ ἀχθείη γε πλείω καὶ μείζω, καὶ ἐπὶ μείζοσι ταῖς ἀρχαῖς. Ἐκεῖνο δὲ ἀναγκαῖον γνῶναι τὴν σὴν μεγαλόνοιαν περὶ τῶν προεμπεπτωκότων, ὅτι παντελῶς εἰσιν ἄθλιοι, ἀπερριμμένοι, καὶ μηδεμιᾶς ἀταξίας τοῖς ἡμαρτηκόσι κοινωνήσαντες, ὡς πολλοὶ πείθουσιν ἡμᾶς τῶν τότε παρόντων. 141.11 Πρὸς ταῦτα βούλευσαι ὅ τι ἂν συμφέρειν νομίσῃς καὶ πρὸς τὴν ἐντεῦθεν δόξαν καὶ πρὸς τὰς ἐκεῖθεν ἐλπίδας. Ἡμεῖς δὲ τὸ παραστὰν οἴσομεν, οὐκ ἀλύπως μέν, οἴσομεν δέ· τί γὰρ ἂν καὶ πράξαιμεν ἕτερον; Εἰ δὲ τὰ χείρω νικήσειεν, ἓν χαριούμεθα μόνον, τῇ ποτε πόλει ἐπιβαλούμεθα δάκρυα. 142.Τ ΤΩΙ ΑΥΤΩΙ 142.1 Εἰ καὶ ὁ πόθος τῆς σῆς συντυχίας θερμὸς καὶ ἡ χρεία τῶν δεομένων μεγάλη, ἀλλ' ἡ νόσος ἀήττητος. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο γράμμασι πιστεῦσαι ταύτην τὴν πρεσβείαν ἐθάρρησα. 142.2 Αἰδέσθητι μὲν ἡμῶν τὴν πολιάν, ἣν ᾐδέσθης ἤδη καλῶς ποιῶν καὶ πολλάκις. Αἰδέσθητι δὲ καὶ τὴν ἀρρωστίαν ταύτην ᾗ μέρος τι καὶ οἱ κατὰ Θεὸν ἱδρῶτες συνεισήνεγκαν, εἴ τι δεῖ καὶ νεανιεύσασθαι. 142.3 Καὶ διὰ τοῦτο φεῖσαι μὲν τῶν πολιτευομένων πρὸς ἡμᾶς βλεπόντων ὡς ἐχόντων ἡμῶν ἐπὶ σοῦ παρρησίαν. Φεῖσαι δὲ τῶν ἄλλων τῶν ὑπὸ τὴν ἡμετέραν φροντίδα. Καὶ γὰρ οὐδεμία ζημία τοῖς πράγμασιν ἐκ τῆς φιλανθρωπίας, ἐπεὶ τῷ φόβῳ πλείονα κατορθοῖς ἢ ταῖς τιμωρίαις ἕτεροι. 142.4 Σοὶ δὲ ἀντὶ τούτων γένοιτο τὸ τοιούτου τυχεῖν τοῦ κριτοῦ οἷόσπερ ἂν αὐτὸς γένῃ τοῖς δεομένοις καὶ ἡμῖν τοῖς πρεσβεύουσιν. 143.Τ ΤΩΙ ΑΥΤΩΙ 143.1 Τί τὸ πολλὰ παθεῖν καὶ τὸ εὖ παθεῖν τοῖς ἀνθρώποις χαρίζεται; διδάσκει φιλανθρωπίαν καὶ κλίνει τοῖς δεομέ νοις. Οὐδὲν γὰρ τοιοῦτον παίδευμα πρὸς τὸ ἐλεεῖν ὡς τὸ προλαβεῖν χρηστότητα. 143.2 Τοῦτο καὶ αὐτῷ μοι συμβέ βηκεν· ἔμαθον τὸ συμπαθὲς ἐξ ὧν ἔπαθον. Καὶ ὁρᾷς τὸ ἡμέτερον μεγαλόψυχον; αὐτὸς χρῄζων τῆς σῆς ἡμερότητος ἐν τοῖς ἐμοῖς πράγμασιν, ὑπὲρ ἄλλων πρεσβεύω καὶ οὐ δέδοικα μὴ