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of injustice and ingratitude and to avert the expected misfortune; and that he himself, with whatever oaths he might wish, should guarantee 1.442 not to be seen as a malevolent person toward him for the rest of his life, but to submit to him in everything. So Syrgiannes begged for such things; but the grand domestic advised him to be of good courage, as he would not be deprived of his rights; nor would any trouble befall him on account of slander. For neither would the emperor ever endure to condemn someone who was being slandered, nor would he himself permit it. But as for your promise to give oaths, if I now prove useful to you in your expected fortunes, that you will submit to me for all your life and never be ungrateful, nor forget my benefactions, you seem to me to be asking for what is both equal and impossible. For one who has been good to his friends neither before nor after, but for the sake of some small and trivial reason, or not even a small one, is carried about and is unsteady like the Euripus, how could you be justly trusted concerning the future by providing pledges? For you know that although a friendship had grown between us from childhood, I for my part have always striven to give you no just cause for division and trouble, and I have kept myself until now in the same disposition, with God's help; but you, both once and twice, having nothing to complain about, instead of a friend and intimate, suddenly appeared as an enemy and refrained from none of the things, at least as far as you were concerned, that could cause pain. It does not seem opportune for me to reproach you for these things now, since I have once forgiven them; but most recently, while you were held in collars in a prison by the elder emperor and having no 1.443 hope of deliverance from your troubles, I did not even recall your ingratitude, but remembering as I am accustomed my friendship and intimacy with you, I both planned and accomplished such things on your behalf that you yourself would never have hoped for, nor would you have been persuaded they were true if another had said so, and not only did I free you from the prison and the collars, although the empress, the emperor's mother, accused me much on account of my care for you, and the emperor himself granted you security for no other reason than because I alone wished it, but I also benefited you greatly from the public funds, providing annual revenues from estates and appointing you governor of cities, and no less from my own resources; to enumerate each of these things now would be ignoble and in no way close to my character; considering that the facts themselves can teach what sort of friend one has lost through the depravity of his own character, it was possible again to save him through his own nobility; and finally from some small and insignificant office I raised you to the command of the entire west. But you, in return for all these things, gave a reward that was astonishing and most fitting for you. For when you should have inscribed me in deeds and words as a benefactor and savior and guardian, you did the very opposite, preparing against me as against an enemy who had done many terrible things and winning over many associates, so that if I should wish to do you wrong and treat you badly, as indeed I had before, you yourself might be able to defend yourself by using your pre-prepared 1.444 power. From which things, as your accusers themselves say, you were hurled down into a much more difficult and worse abyss; and you, now seeing into what evils you have been driven by your lack of counsel, have come to say these things which you have considered, thinking them alone sufficient for the present necessity. But I, hiding nothing, will tell you both how I am disposed toward you, and what I will do. I am neither so disposed as ever to count you among my friends and to do for you any of the things that are proper for friends, nor to treat you as an enemy by harming you as much as possible; but when you come to trial and make your defense concerning the charges against you, I myself will maintain a long silence, uttering nothing. And if you overcome your accusers and escape the trial, I myself will be content and will not begrudge you your success in obtaining justice; but if you appear by far the weaker and are convicted of wrongdoing, if by inexperience in speaking or by the injustice of the slanderers, or in some other way you happen to be deprived of your rights,

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ἀδικίας καὶ ἀγνωμοσύνης καὶ τὴν προσδοκωμένην λύειν συμφοράν· αὐτὸν δὲ ὅρκοις οἷς ἂν ἐθέλοι τὸ 1.442 μὴ διὰ βίου παντὸς κακὸν ὀφθῆναι περὶ αὐτὸν, ἀλλὰ πάντα αὐτῷ πιστώσασθαι ὑπείκειν. Συργιάννης μὲν οὖν τοιαῦτα ἐδεῖτο· ὁ μέγας δὲ δομέστικος αὐτῷ ὑπετίθετο θαῤῥεῖν, ὡς οὐκ ἀποστερήσοιτο τῶν δικαίων· οὐδὲ διὰ συκοφαντίαν αὐτῷ ἀπαντήσει δυσχερὲς οὐδέν. οὔτε γὰρ βασιλέα ἀνασχέσθαι ἄν ποτε καταψηφίσασθαι συκοφαντουμένου, μήτ' αὐτὸν περιϊδεῖν. τὸ δ' ὅρκους παρασχέσθαι ἐπηγγέλθαι, ἄν σοι νῦν περὶ τὰς προσδοκωμένας τύχας χρήσιμος ὀφθῶ, ὥστε διὰ βίου παντὸς ἐμοὶ ὑπείκειν καὶ μηδέποτε ἀγνωμονῆσαι, μηδὲ εἰς λήθην τῶν εὐεργεσιῶν ἐλθεῖν, ἐν ἴσῳ μοι δοκεῖς καὶ ἀδύνατα ἀξιοῦν. ὁ γὰρ μήτε πρότερον μήθ' ὕστερον ἀγαθὸς γενόμενος περὶ τοὺς φίλους, ἀλλὰ μικρᾶς καὶ φαύλης τινὸς ἕνεκα αἰτίας ἢ οὐδὲ μικρᾶς, Εὐρίπου δίκην μεταφερόμενος καὶ ἀστατῶν, πῶς ἂν εἴης δίκαιος πιστεύεσθαι περὶ τοῦ μέλλοντος παρεχόμενος τὰς πίστεις; οἶσθα γὰρ ὡς φιλίας ἡμῖν ἄνωθεν ἐκ παίδων προσγεγενημένης, ἐγὼ μὲν ἐσπούδασα ἀεὶ μηδεμίαν πρόφασιν δικαίαν σοι διαστάσεως παρασχεῖν καὶ ταραχῆς, καὶ διετήρησά γε ἐμαυτὸν ἄχρι νῦν ἐπὶ τῆς ὁμοίας προαιρέσεως καὶ τοῦ θεοῦ συναιρομένου· σὺ δὲ καὶ ἅπαξ καὶ δὶς μηδὲν ἔχων ἐγκαλεῖν, ἀντὶ φίλου καὶ συνήθους πολέμιος ἐξαίφνης ἀνεφάνης καὶ οὐδενὸς, τό γε εἰς σὲ ἧκον, τῶν λυπεῖν ἀπέσχου δυναμένων. ἃ νῦν ἔμοιγε ὀνειδίζειν οὐ κατὰ καιρὸν δοκεῖ, περὶ αὐτῶν ἅπαξ συνεγνωκότι· τὰ τελευταῖα δὲ νῦν ταῦτα ὑπὸ κλοιοῖς ἐν δεσμωτηρίῳ ὑπὸ τοῦ πρεσβυτέρου βασιλέως κατεχομένῳ καὶ μηδεμίαν ἐλ 1.443 πίδα ἔχοντι τῆς τῶν δεινῶν ἀπαλλαγῆς, τῆς μὲν σῆς ἀγνωμοσύνης οὐδὲ ἐπεμνήσθην, τῆς δὲ ἐμῆς πρὸς σὲ φιλίας καὶ συνηθείας ὥσπερ εἴωθα μεμνημένος, ἅπερ οὐδ' ἄν ποτε αὐτὸς ἤλπισας, οὐδ' ἂν ἑτέρου λέγοντος ἐπείθου ὡς εἴη ἀληθῆ, τοιαῦτα καὶ διενοήθην καὶ εἰργασάμην ὑπὲρ σοῦ καὶ οὐ μόνον τοῦ δεσμωτηρίου ἀπήλλαξα καὶ τῶν κλοιῶν, καίτοι γε πολλὰ καὶ βασιλίδος τῆς βασιλέως μητρὸς τῆς εἰς σὲ προνοίας ἕνεκα αἰτιωμένης, καὶ βασιλέως αὐτοῦ δι' οὐδὲν ἕτερον ἢ διὰ τὸ ἐμὲ βούλεσθαι μόνον τὴν ἄδειαν παρεσχημένου, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἔκ τε τῶν κοινῶν ὠφέλησα πολλὰ, προσόδους τε παρέχων ἐτησίους ἐκ χωρίων καὶ ἄρχοντα πόλεων καθιστὰς, καὶ ἐκ τῶν ἰδίων οὐδὲν ἔλαττον· ἃ νῦν ἕκαστα ἀπαριθμεῖν, ἀγεννὲς ἂν εἴη καὶ οὐδαμῶς ἐγγὺς τοῦ ἡμετέρου τρόπου· ἐκεῖνο ἐννοῶν, ὡς αὐτὰ τὰ πράγματα διδάξαι δυνατὰ οἷον φίλον ἰδίᾳ φαυλότητι τρόπων ἀπολωλεκότι, τῇ σφετέρ' αὐτοῦ καλοκαγαθίᾳ πάλιν ὑπῆρξεν ἀνασώσασθαι· καὶ τελευταῖον ἀπὸ μικρᾶς τινος καὶ εὐτελοῦς ἀρχῆς ἐπὶ πᾶσαν τῆς ἑσπέρας ἀνῆγον τὴν ἡγεμονίαν. σὺ δ' ἀντὶ πάντων τούτων θαυμασίαν τινὰ καὶ μάλιστα σοὶ προσήκουσαν ἀπεδίδους τὴν ἀντιμισθίαν. δέον γὰρ ἔργοις τε καὶ λόγοις εὐεργέτην ἀναγράφεσθαι καὶ σωτῆρα καὶ κηδεμόνα, πᾶν ἐποίεις τοὐναντίον, ὡς ἐπὶ πολέμιον καὶ πολλὰ δεινὰ εἰργασμένον παρασκευαζόμενος καὶ προσεταιριζόμενος πολλοὺς, ὡς ἂν εἰ βουληθείην ὥσπερ δὴ καὶ πρότερον ἀδικεῖν καὶ κακῶς ποιεῖν, αὐτὸς εἴης δυνατὸς ἀμύνεσθαι τῇ προπαρεσκευασμένῃ χρώμενος 1.444 δυνάμει. ἐξ ὧν ὥσπερ αὐτοὶ λέγουσιν οἱ κατηγοροῦντες, εἰς πολλῷ χαλεπώτερον καὶ χεῖρον βάραθρον κατεκρημνίσθης· σὺ δὲ ἤδη συνορῶν οἷ κακῶν ὑπ' ἀβουλίας συνηλάθης, ἅ σοι ἔδοξε μόνα δυνατὰ πρὸς τὴν παροῦσαν ἀνάγκην ἀποχρήσειν, ταῦτα ἥκεις ἐσκεμμένος λέγειν. ἐγὼ δὲ μηδὲν ἀποκρυψάμενος, ὅπως τε διάκειμαι πρὸς σὲ, καὶ οἷα ποιήσω, ἐρῶ. οὔθ' οὕτως ἔχω ὥστε ποτὲ τοῖς φίλοις σε συντάττειν τοῖς ἐμοῖς καὶ ὑπὲρ σοῦ τῶν προσηκόντων τοῖς φιλοῦσι πράττειν τι, οὔθ' ὡς πολεμίῳ χρῆσθαι βλάπτων ὅσα δυνατά· ἀλλ' ἐπὶ τῆς δίκης γενομένου καὶ ὑπὲρ ὧν κατηγορῇ τὰς ἀπολογίας ποιουμένου, αὐτὸς μακρὰν ἐξασκήσω σιωπὴν, φθεγγόμενος μηδέν. κἂν μὲν τῶν κατηγόρων περιγένῃ καὶ τὴν δίκην διαφύγῃς, ἀγαπήσω καὶ αὐτὸς καὶ οὐ φθονήσω τυχόντι τῶν δικαίων· ἂν δ' ἥττων φαίνῃ παραπολὺ καὶ ἁλίσκῃ ἀδικῶν, ἂν μὲν ἀπειρίᾳ λόγων ἢ ἀδικίᾳ τῶν συκοφαντῶν, ἢ τρόπῳ δή τινι ἑτέρῳ ἀποστερεῖσθαι συμβαίη τῶν δικαίων,