Letter CLXXIX.854    Placed in 374.

To Arinthæus.855    Possibly commendatory of the same Eusebius.

Your natural nobility of character and your general accessibility have taught me to regard you as a friend of freedom and of men.  I have, therefore, no hesitation in approaching you in behalf of one who is rendered illustrious by a long line of ancestry, but is worthy of greater esteem and honour on his own account, because of his innate goodness of disposition.  I beg you, on my entreaty, to give him your support under a legal charge, in reality, indeed, ridiculous, but difficult to meet on account of the seriousness of the accusation.  It would be of great importance to his success if you would deign to say a kind word in his behalf.  You would, in the first place, be helping the right; but you would further be showing in this your wonted respect and kindness to myself, who am your friend.

ΑΡΙΝΘΑΙῼ

[1] Καὶ φιλελεύθερόν σε εἶναι καὶ φιλάνθρωπον τό τε τῆς φύσεως εὐγενὲς καὶ τὸ πρὸς πάντας κοινωνικὸν ἱκανῶς ἡμᾶς ἐκδιδάσκει. Διὸ θαρρούντως πρεσβεύομεν ὑπὲρ ἀνδρὸς λαμπροῦ μὲν ἄνωθεν ἐκ προγόνων, πλείονος δὲ δι' ἑαυτὸν τιμῆς καὶ αἰδοῦς ἀξίου διὰ τὴν ἐνυπάρχουσαν αὐτῷ τῶν τρόπων ἡμερότητα: ὥστε σε παρακληθέντα ὑφ' ἡμῶν παραστῆναι αὐτῷ ἀγωνιζομένῳ δίκην τῆς μὲν ἀληθείας ἕνεκεν εὐκαταφρόνητον, ἐναγώνιον δὲ ἄλλως διὰ τὸ τῆς συκοφαντίας βαρύ. Μεγάλη γὰρ ἂν γένοιτο ῥοπὴ αὐτῷ πρὸς σωτηρίαν, εἰ καταξιώσειάς τι ῥῆμα φιλάνθρωπον ὑπὲρ αὐτοῦ προέσθαι προηγουμένως μὲν τῷ δικαίῳ χαριζόμενος, ἔπειτα καὶ ἡμῖν τοῖς ἐξαιρέτοις σου τὴν συνήθη τιμὴν καὶ χάριν καὶ ἐν τούτῳ χαριζόμενος.