Ep. CXLVI. To Olympius. 

This is what I said as if by a sort of prophecy, when I found you favourable to every request, and was making insatiable use of your gentleness, that I fear I shall exhaust your kindness upon the affairs of others.  For see, a contest of my own has come (if that is mine which concerns my own relations), and I cannot speak with the same freedom.  First, because it is my own.  For to entreat for myself, though it may be more useful, is more humiliating.  And next, I am afraid of excess as destroying pleasure, and opposing all that is good.  So matters stand, and I conjecture only too rightly.  Nevertheless with confidence in God before Whom I stand, and in your magnanimity in doing good, I am bold to present this petition.

Suppose Nicobulus to be the worst of men:—though his only crime is that through me he is an object of envy, and more free than he ought to be.  And suppose that my present opponent is the most just of men.  For I am ashamed to accuse before Your Uprightness one whom yesterday I was supporting:  but I do not know if it will seem to you just that punishment should be demanded for one man’s crimes from another, though these were quite strange to him, and had not even his consent; from the man who has so stirred his household and been so upset as to have surrendered to his accuser more readily than the latter wished.  Must Nicobulus or his children be reduced to slavery as his persecutors desire?  I am ashamed both of the ground of the persecution and of the time, if this is to be done while both you are in power and I have influence with you.  Not so, most admirable friend, let not this be suggested to Your Integrity.  But recognizing by the winged swiftness of your mind the malice from which this proceeds, and having respect to me your admirer, shew yourself a merciful judge to those who are being disturbed—for to-day you are not merely judging between man and man, but between virtue and vice; and to this more consideration than by an ordinary man must be given by those who are like you in virtue and are skilful governors.  And in return for this you shall have from me not only the matter of my prayers, which I know you do not, like so many men, despise; but also that I will make your government famous with all to whom I am known.

[146] ΟΛΥΜΠΙΩΙ

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. 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. 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.

Ἔστω κάκιστος πάντων Νικόβουλος ὃς ἓν ἀδικεῖ μόνον ὅτι δι' ἡμᾶς ἐστιν ἐπίφθονος καὶ τοῦ δέοντος ἐλευθεριώτερος. Ἔστω καὶ δικαιότατος ἀνθρώπων ὁ νῦν ἡμῖν πολεμῶν. Αἰσχύνομαι γὰρ κατηγορεῖν ἐπὶ τῆς σῆς ὀρθότητος οὗ πρώην ὑπερεμάχουν: ἀλλ' οὐκ οἶδα εἴ σοι παραστήσεται δίκαιον ὑπὲρ ἄλλων ἁμαρτημάτων ἐν ἄλλοις ἀπαιτεῖσθαι δίκην, καὶ τούτων ἀλλοτρίων, καὶ οὐδὲ ἑκουσίων, τὸν οὕτω κινήσαντα τοὺς οἰκέτας καὶ τοσοῦτον ἀγανακτήσαντα, ὥστε ἐνδοῦναι τῷ ἐγκαλοῦντι προθυμότερον ἤπερ ἐκεῖνος Ἐβούλετο. Ἀλλὰ δεῖ δουλεύειν Νικόβουλον, ἢ τοὺς τούτου παῖδας, ὃ δοκεῖ τοῖς ἐπηρεάζουσιν; αἰσχύνομαι γὰρ τὴν ὑπόθεσιν τῆς ἐπηρείας καὶ τὸν καιρόν, εἰ σοῦ τε ἄρχοντος καὶ ἡμῶν παρὰ σοὶ δυναμένων τοῦτο γενήσεται. Νῦν βοηθεῖται τὰ δημόσια, νῦν αὔξεται τὰ βουλευτήρια, ὅτε λυπεῖ τὰ ἴδια; Μηδαμῶς, ὦ θαυμάσιε, μὴ τοῦτο παραστήτω τῇ σῇ καθαρότητι. Ἀλλὰ συνεὶς μὲν τῷ πτηνῷ τάχει τῆς διανοίας τὴν ἀφ' ἧς ταῦτα γίνεται κακοήθειαν, αἰδεσθεὶς δὲ ἡμᾶς τοὺς σοὺς ἐπαινέτας, φιλάνθρωπον σεαυτὸν παράσχου τοῖς κινουμένοις κριτήν, ὡς οὐκ ἀνθρώποις μόνον δικάζων σήμερον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἀρετῇ καὶ κακίᾳ: οὗ μᾶλλον ἢ τοῦ καθ' ἕκαστον φροντιστέον τοῖς γε κατὰ σὲ τὴν ἀρετὴν καὶ δεξιοῖς ἄρχουσιν. Ἔσται δέ σοι παρ' ἡμῶν ἐπὶ τούτοις οὐ τὸ τῶν εὐχῶν μόνον, ὧν οἶδά σε μὴ περιφρονοῦντα κατὰ τοὺς πολλούς, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸ περιβόητον καταστῆσαι τὴν σὴν ἀρχὴν πᾶσιν οἷς γνωριζόμεθα.