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I will exhaust your philanthropy on behalf of others. 143.3 I write these things on behalf of the presbyter Leontius, if indeed he was ever a presbyter; who if he has suffered what he deserved for what he has done, let us stop here, lest the excess become an injustice; 143.4 but if anything more is owed to his punishment and the acts of insolence have not yet been balanced by his sins, grant this to us and to God and to the tribunal and to the common assembly of priests among whom he was once numbered, even if he has now shown himself unworthy by what he has done and by what he has suffered. 143.5 If, then, we persuade you, this is best; but if not, we bring to you a more venerable intercessor, the one who shares with you both in office and in glory. 144.T TO THE SAME 144.1 Haste is not always praiseworthy. For this reason I have postponed until now my reply concerning the daughter of the most reverend Verianus, granting some time for correction and at the same time considering your goodness which does not praise separation, from which you diverted the inquiry to us, whom you knew not to be hasty or inconsiderate in such matters. 144.2 For this reason, therefore, I have restrained myself until now, and, I think, not unreasonably. But since we have come to a critical moment and it is necessary to make known what was found from the investigation, we will indeed make it known. 144.3 The girl seems to me to be of a double mind, torn between respect for her parents and intimacy with her husband. And her words are with them, but her mind, I do not know if it is not also with him, as her tears indicate. 144.4 You, then, will of course do what seems right to your justice and to God who directs you in all things. But I would have most gladly given the advice to my son Verianus to overlook many of the intervening matters so as not to ratify the divorce, which is entirely displeasing to our laws, even if the laws of the Romans judge otherwise. 144.5 For it is necessary that justice be preserved, which we always pray that you may both speak and do. 145.T TO VERIANUS 145.1 Executioners do nothing terrible; for they are servants of the laws; nor is the sword unlawful, with which we punish the wicked; but nevertheless an executioner is not praised, nor is a blood-stained sword welcomed. 145.2 Thus we too do not endure becoming hated by the divorce being confirmed by our hand and tongue. For it is better to be mediators of union and friendship than of separation and a life's dissolution. 145.3 This seems to me to be what the most admirable governor also had in mind when he entrusted to us the inquiry concerning your daughter, as we are not able to come to the dissolution abruptly or dispassionately. For he clearly put me forward not as an accountant, but as a bishop, and made me an intermediary in your personal affair. 145.4 I beseech you, therefore, to grant something to my timidity; and if the better counsels prevail, use us as servants of your will, and we rejoice to be commanded in such matters; but if the worse and more awkward things prevail, things which we have not yet attempted even to this day, seek another more suitable for these things. 145.5 But I have no leisure, in order to gratify your friendship (even if I know you are most honorable to me in all things), to offend God, to whom I am accountable for every motion and thought. 145.6 But as for your daughter, we will believe her then (for the truth will be spoken), when she is able, having escaped her reverence for you, to speak the truth freely. As for now, her state is pitiable; for she divides her words for you, but her tears for her husband. 146.T TO OLYMPIUS 146.1 This was what I was saying, as if from a certain prophecy, while receiving your favor in all things and being insatiably filled with your gentleness, that I fear I may exhaust your philanthropy on behalf of others. 146.2 For behold, it is my own struggle (if indeed it is mine, that of my own people), and I do not make my pleas with the same confidence. First, because it is my own. For to plead on one's own behalf, though more useful, is yet more humbling. 146.3 Then I am suspicious of satiety, as it dissolves what is pleasant and is opposed to all good things. So these things are thus, and I conjecture very correctly. Nevertheless, trusting in God, before whom I stand, and in your magnanimity in doing good, I have dared this supplication. 146.4 Let him be the worst of all

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δαπανήσω σου τὸ φιλάνθρωπον ἐν τοῖς ἀλλοτρίοις. 143.3 Γράφω δὲ ταῦτα ὑπὲρ τοῦ πρεσβυτέρου Λεοντίου, εἴτ' οὖν ποτε πρεσβυτέρου· ὃς εἰ μὲν ἄξια πέπονθεν ὧν πεποίηκεν, ἐνταῦθα στῶμεν, μὴ τὸ ὑπερβάλλον ἀδικία γένηται· 143.4 εἰ δέ τι τῇ τιμωρίᾳ προσχρεωστεῖται καὶ οὔπω τοῖς ἁμαρτήμασι τὰ τῆς ὕβρεως ἀντισώθη, τοῦτο ἡμῖν συγχώρησον καὶ τῷ Θεῷ καὶ τῷ βήματι καὶ τῷ κοινῷ συλλόγῳ τῶν ἱερέων οἷς ποτε συνηρίθμητο, καὶ εἰ νῦν ἀνάξιον ἑαυτὸν ἀπέφηνεν οἷς τε πεποίηκεν, οἷς τε πέπονθεν. 143.5 Εἰ μὲν οὖν πείθομεν, τοῦτο ἄριστον· εἰ δὲ μή, προσάγομέν σοι πρεσβευτὴν αἰδεσιμώτερον, τὸν κοινωνόν σοι καὶ τῆς ἀρχῆς καὶ τῆς εὐδοξίας. 144.Τ ΤΩΙ ΑΥΤΩΙ 144.1 Οὐ πανταχοῦ τὸ τάχος ἐπαινετόν. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο ἀνεβαλόμην τὴν ἀπόκρισιν εἰς τόδε περὶ τῆς τοῦ αἰδεσι μωτάτου Οὐηριανοῦ θυγατρός, τῷ χρόνῳ τι διδοὺς εἰς διόρθωσιν καὶ ἅμα τῆς σῆς στοχαζόμενος ἀγαθότητος οὐκ ἐπαινούσης τὸ διαστάσιον, ἐξ ὧν ἡμῖν τὴν πεῦσιν διέτρεψας, οὓς οὐ ταχεῖς ᾔδεις οὐδὲ ἀπερισκέπτους πρὸς τὰ τοιαῦτα. 144.2 ∆ιὰ τοῦτο μὲν οὖν κατέσχον ἐμαυτὸν εἰς δεῦρο καί, οἶμαι, οὐκ ἀλογίστως. Ἐπεὶ δὲ εἰς στενὸν ἥκομεν τοῦ καιροῦ καὶ ἀνάγκη γνωρίσαι τὸ παρὰ τῆς ἐξετάσεως εὑρεθέν, καὶ δὴ γνωρίσομεν. 144.3 ∆ιπλῆ τις ἡ παῖς εἶναί μοι φαίνεται, μεριζομένη αἰδοῖ τε γονέων καὶ ἀνδρὸς συνηθείᾳ. Καὶ τὰ μὲν ῥήματα μετ' ἐκείνων ἐστίν, ἡ δὲ διάνοια οὐκ οἶδα εἰ μή τι καὶ μετὰ τούτου, ὡς παραδηλοῖ τὸ δάκρυον. 144.4 Αὐτὸς μὲν οὖν δηλαδὴ πράξεις ὃ παρίσταται τῇ σῇ δίκῃ καὶ τῷ κατευ θύνοντί σε πρὸς πάντα Θεῷ. Ἐγὼ δὲ ἥδιστα ἂν γνώμην ἔδωκα τῷ υἱῷ Οὐηριανῷ πολλὰ τῶν ἐν μέσῳ παραδραμεῖν ἐπὶ τῷ μὴ κυρῶσαι τὸ ἀποστάσιον, ὃ τοῖς ἡμετέροις ἀπαρέσκει πάντως νόμοις, κἂν οἱ Ῥωμαίων ἑτέρως κρίνωσι. 144.5 Τὸ δίκαιον γὰρ φυλαχθῆναι ἐπαναγκές, ὃ καὶ ἡμεῖς σοι εὐχόμεθα ἀεὶ λέγειν τε καὶ ποιεῖν. 145.Τ ΟΥΗΡΙΑΝΩΙ 145.1 Οὐδὲν δεινὸν ποιοῦσιν οἱ δήμιοι· καὶ γὰρ ὑπηρε τοῦνται νόμοις· οὐδὲ τὸ ξίφος παράνομον, ᾧ τοὺς πονηροὺς κολάζομεν· ἀλλ' ὅμως οὐκ ἐπαινεῖται δήμιος οὐδὲ ἀσμενίζεται φοινικὸν ξίφος. 145.2 Οὕτως οὐδὲ ἡμεῖς ἀνεχό μεθα γενέσθαι μισητοὶ διὰ τῆς ἡμετέρας χειρὸς καὶ γλώσσης τοῦ ἀποστασίου βεβαιουμένου. Κρεῖττον γὰρ ἑνώσεως καὶ φιλίας ἢ διαστάσεως καὶ βίου λύσεως μέσους γίνεσθαι. 145.3 Τοῦτό μοι δοκεῖ καὶ ὁ θαυμασιώτατος ἄρχων ἐνθυμηθεὶς ἡμῖν ἐπιτρέψαι τὴν πεῦσιν τῆς σῆς θυγατρός, ὡς οὐκ ἀποτόμως οὐδὲ ἀπαθῶς ἐλθεῖν δυναμένοις ἐπὶ τὴν λύσιν. Οὐ γὰρ ὡς λογιστήν, ἀλλ' ὡς ἐπίσκοπον δηλαδὴ προεβάλετο καὶ μέσον ἐποιήσατο τῆς καθ' ὑμᾶς περι πετείας. 145.4 Παρακαλῶ τοίνυν χαρίσασθαί τι τῇ ἐμῇ δειλίᾳ· καὶ εἰ μὲν τὰ κρείττω νικᾷ, χρήσασθε ἡμῖν ὑπηρέ ταις τῆς ὑμετέρας βουλήσεως, καὶ χαίρομεν τὰ τοιαῦτα ἐπιταττόμενοι· εἰ δὲ τὰ χείρω τε καὶ σκαιότερα καὶ οἷς οὐδέπω καὶ τήμερον ἐνεχειρήσαμεν, ἄλλον ἐπιζητεῖτε τὸν πρὸς ταῦτα ἐπιτηδειότερον. 145.5 Ἐμοὶ δὲ οὐ σχολή, ἵνα τῇ ὑμετέρᾳ φιλίᾳ χαρίσωμαι (εἰ καὶ τὰ πάντα οἶδα ὑμᾶς ἐμαυτῷ τιμιωτάτους), Θεῷ προσκρούειν, ᾧ λόγον ὑπέχω παντὸς κινήματος καὶ διανοήματος. 145.6 Τῇ δὲ σῇ θυγατρὶ τότε πιστεύσομεν (εἰρήσεται γὰρ τἀληθές), ὅταν δυνηθῇ τὸ αἰδεῖσθαι ὑμᾶς φυγοῦσα παρρησιάζεσθαι τὴν ἀλήθειαν. Ὡς νῦν γε τὸ πάθος ἐλεεινόν· μερίζει γὰρ ὑμῖν μὲν τὰ ῥήματα, τῷ δὲ ἀνδρὶ τὸ δάκρυον. 146.Τ ΟΛΥΜΠΙΩΙ 146.1 Τοῦτο ἦν ὅπερ ἔλεγον ὥσπερ ἔκ τινος προφητείας εἰς πάντα δεξιοῦ σου τυγχάνων καὶ ἀπλήστως τῆς σῆς ἡμερότητος ἐμφορούμενος, ὅτι δέδοικα μὴ κενώσω τὸ φιλάνθρωπον ὑμῶν ἐν τοῖς ἀλλοτρίοις. 146.2 Ἰδοὺ γὰρ ἀγὼν ἐμὸς (εἴπερ ἐμός, ὁ τῶν ἐμῶν), καὶ οὐ μετὰ τῆς ἴσης παρρησίας ποιοῦμαι τοὺς λόγους. Πρῶτον μὲν ὅτι ἐμός. Τὸ γὰρ ὑπὲρ ἑαυτοῦ δεῖσθαι, εἰ καὶ χρησιμώτερον, ἀλλὰ ταπεινότερον. 146.3 Ἔπειτα ὑφορῶμαι τὸν κόρον ὡς τὸ ἡδὺ λύοντα καὶ πᾶσιν ἐναντιούμενον τοῖς καλοῖς. Ἔχει μὲν οὖν οὕτως ταῦτα, καὶ εἰκάζω λίαν ὀρθῶς. Ὅμως δὲ τῷ τε Θεῷ θαρρῶν, ᾧ παρέστηκα, καὶ τῇ σῇ περὶ τὸ εὖ ποιεῖν μεγαλοψυχίᾳ, τὴν ἱκεσίαν ταύτην ἐθάρρησα. 146.4 Ἔστω κάκιστος πάντων