Letter CLXXVIII.851    Placed with the preceding.

To Aburgius.852    Also recommending the interests of Eusebius.

I know that I have often recommended many persons to your excellency, and so in serious emergencies have been very useful to friends in distress.  But I do not think that I have ever sent to you one whom I regard with greater respect, or one engaged in contests of greater importance, than my very dear son Eusebius, who now places this letter in your hands.  He will himself inform your excellency, if the opportunity is permitted him, in what difficulties he is involved.  I ought to say, at least, as much as this.  The man ought not to be misjudged, nor, because many have been convicted of disgraceful doings, ought he to come under common suspicion.  He ought to have a fair trial, and his life must be enquired into.  In this way the untruth of the charges against him will be made plain, and he, after enjoying your righteous protection, will ever proclaim what he owes to your kindness.853    The Ben. note considers the circumstances referred to are the cruelties of Valens to those who were accused of enquiring by divination as to who should succeed him on the throne.  cf. Ammianus Marcellinus xxix. 1, 2.

ΑΒΟΥΡΓΙῼ

[1] Πολλοὺς οἶδα πολλάκις συστήσας τῇ τιμιότητί σου καὶ γενόμενος ἐπὶ μεγίστων καιρῶν χρήσιμος ἱκανῶς τοῖς καταπονουμένοις. Οὐ μὴν τιμιώτερόν γε ἐμοὶ οὐδ' ὑπὲρ μειζόνων ἀγωνιζόμενον οἶδα πρότερον παραπέμψας τῇ κοσμιότητί σου, τοῦ ποθεινοτάτου υἱοῦ Εὐσεβίου, τοῦ νῦν τὴν ἐπιστολὴν ταύτην ἐγχειρίζοντός σοι παρ' ἡμῶν. Ὃς ποταπῷ μὲν συμπέπλεκται πράγματι αὐτός, ἂν τύχοι τινὸς καιροῦ, διηγήσεταί σου τῇ σεμνότητι. Ἃ δὲ παρ' ἡμῶν λεχθῆναι προσῆκε ταῦτά ἐστι: μὴ παρασυρῆναι τὸν ἄνδρα μηδέ, τῷ πολλοὺς πεφηνέναι τοὺς ἐπὶ ταῖς χαλεπωτάταις πράξεσιν ἑαλωκότας, καὶ αὐτόν τι τῆς τῶν πολλῶν ὑπονοίας παραπολαῦσαι, ἀλλὰ τυχεῖν δικαστηρίου καὶ εἰς ἐξέτασιν αὐτοῦ τὸν βίον ἀχθῆναι. Ῥᾷστα γὰρ οὕτω καὶ ἡ συκοφαντία φανερὰ γενήσεται καὶ ὁ ἀνὴρ τυχὼν τῆς δικαιοτάτης προστασίας κήρυξ ἔσται διηνεκὴς τῶν ὑπηργμένων αὐτῷ παρὰ τῆς σῆς ἡμερότητος.