Letter CXI.639    Placed in 372.

 To Modestus, the prefect.

Under any ordinary circumstances I should have lacked courage to intrude upon your excellency, for I know how to gauge my own importance and to recognise dignities.  But now that I have seen a friend in a distressing position at having been summoned before you, I have ventured to give him this letter.  I hope that by using it, as a kind of propitiatory symbol, he may meet with merciful consideration.  Truly, although I am of no account, moderation itself may be able to conciliate the most merciful of prefects, and to win pardon for me.  Thus if my friend has done no wrong, he may be saved by the mere force of truth; if he has erred, he may be forgiven through my entreaty.

How we are situated here no one knows better than yourself, for you discern the weak parts in each man and rule all with your admirable forethought.

ΜΟΔΕΣΤῼ ΕΠΑΡΧῼ

[1] Ἄλλως μὲν οὐκ ἂν ἐθάρρησα δι' ὄχλου γενέσθαι τῇ μεγαλοφυΐᾳ σου εἰδὼς καὶ ἐμαυτὸν μετρεῖν καὶ τὰς ἐξουσίας γνωρίζειν. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ εἶδον ἄνδρα φίλον ἐναγωνίως διακείμενον ἐπὶ τῷ μετακληθῆναι, ἀπετόλμησα αὐτῷ δοῦναι τὴν ἐπιστολὴν ταύτην, ἵνα ἀνθ' ἱκεσίας αὐτὴν προβαλλόμενος τύχῃ τινὸς φιλανθρωπίας. Πάντως δέ, εἰ καὶ ἡμεῖς οὐδενὸς λόγου ἄξιοι, ἀλλ' αὐτὸ τὸ μέτριον ἱκανὸν δυσωπῆσαι τὸν φιλανθρωπότατον τῶν ὑπάρχων καὶ ἡμῖν δοῦναι συγγνώμην, ἵνα, εἰ μὲν μηδὲν πεπλημμέληται τῷ ἀνδρί, σωθῆναι αὐτὸν δι' αὐτὴν τὴν ἀλήθειαν, εἰ δὲ καὶ ἥμαρτεν, ἀφεθῆναι αὐτῷ δι' ἡμᾶς τοὺς ἱκετεύσαντας. Οἷα γὰρ τἀνταῦθά ἐστι τῶν πραγμάτων τίς μᾶλλον ἐπίσταται σοῦ, τοῦ καὶ ἐπιβλέποντος τὰ παρ' ἑκάστου σαθρὰ καὶ τῇ θαυμασίᾳ προμηθείᾳ τὰ πάντα διακρατοῦντος;