245

308.τ UNINSCRIBED: ON PROTECTION

308.1 And when your Honor was present with the brothers, I spoke on behalf of those from the village of Caprala and I brought them to your Clemency, asking you, having before your eyes the reward from the Lord, to protect them as poor and oppressed in all things. And now again through this letter I renew the same request, praying to the holy God that both the distinction and splendor of life that you possess may be preserved and come to greater things, so that from a greater power you may be able to benefit us more lavishly. For that our one prayer is the salvation of your whole house, I think you are persuaded.

309.τ UNINSCRIBED: ON BEHALF OF ONE IN NEED

309.1 I quite condemned this brother for worrying about the registration of his house, since he already has the necessary exemption from his poverty. For from a prosperous life, the Lord having thus ordained for the benefit of his soul, he has now been turned to extreme poverty, so that he can scarcely procure his daily food, and not even rule a single slave, out of the many he previously had in his own dominion. To him only his body is left, and this weak and old, as you yourself see, and three children, an addition of cares for a poor man. That he therefore had no need of our intercession, since his poverty was sufficient to move you because of the philanthropy of your character, I knew accurately. But since petitioners are hard to please, I feared lest he might miss something of what is due to him, and I have written, knowing that the day on which he first sees your Excellency will become the beginning of a cheerful life for the time to come and will bring about some better change in his affairs.

310.τ UNINSCRIBED: ON BEHALF OF RELATIVES

310.1 It was a matter of great concern for me personally to meet with your Eloquence for many reasons; first, so as to enjoy the good things in you after the long time that has passed, and then also to entreat you concerning the people of Ariarathia, to whom, long afflicted, the Lord has given a worthy consolation by graciously granting them your upright supervision. But there is also another matter of my relatives that is very burdensome and is almost the most critical point of the difficulty in Ariarathia, which I also ask to be remedied, as far as possible, by your goodness, so that it may for the future become bearable for its owners.

311.τ TO A LEADING CITIZEN

311.1 Many letters to your Honor are caused for us by those who do not heed our assurances, but seek something private and exceptional in their own affairs. For long ago we testified to them that you would be a common and equal guardian of justice for us so that no one would seek anything more in matters of kindness, unless perhaps he should exceed in greed. Nevertheless, to reassure this man, we have given him the letter, commending the man to you and asking you to see him kindly

245

308.τ ΑΝΕΠΙΓΡΑΦΟΣ ΕΠΙ ΠΡΟΣΤΑΣΙΑ

308.1 Καὶ παρούσης τῆς τιμιότητός σου τοῖς ἀδελφοῖς, τῶν ἀπὸ τοῦ χωρίου

Καπράλεως ἕνεκεν διελέχθην καὶ προσήγα γον αὐτοὺς τῇ ἡμερότητί σου παρακαλέσας σε ἔχοντα πρὸ ὀφθαλμῶν τὴν παρὰ τοῦ Κυρίου μισθαποδοσίαν προΐστασθαι αὐτῶν ὡς πενήτων καὶ καταπονουμένων ἐν ἅπασι. Καὶ νῦν πάλιν διὰ τοῦ γράμματος τὴν αὐτὴν ἀνανεοῦμαι παράκλησιν εὐχόμενος τῷ ἁγίῳ Θεῷ καὶ τὴν ὑπάρχουσάν σοι περιφά νειαν καὶ λαμπρότητα τοῦ βίου συντηρηθῆναι καὶ ἐπὶ μεί ζονα ἐλθεῖν, ἵνα ἀπὸ μείζονος δυνάμεως πολυτελέστερα ἡμᾶς ἔχῃς εὐεργετεῖν. Ὅτι γὰρ μία ἡμῖν εὐχὴ ἡ παντὸς τοῦ οἴκου ὑμῶν σωτηρία ἡγοῦμαι πεπεῖσθαί σε.

309.τ ΑΝΕΠΙΓΡΑΦΟΣ ΕΠΙ ΕΝ∆ΕΕΙ

309.1 Πάνυ κατέγνων τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ τοῦδε φροντίζοντος ἐπὶ τῇ ἀπογραφῇ τοῦ

οἴκου, ὅς γε προλαβὼν τὴν ἀναγκαίαν ἀτέ λειαν ἔχει ἀπὸ τῆς πενίας. Ἀπὸ γὰρ βίου εὐπόρου, οὕτω τοῦ Κυρίου ἐπὶ συμφέροντι τῆς ψυχῆς αὐτοῦ οἰκονομήσαν τος νῦν εἰς τὴν ἐσχάτην πενίαν περιετράπη, ὡς μόλις μὲν καὶ τῆς ἐφ' ἡμέραν τροφῆς εὐπορεῖν, ἀνδραπόδου δὲ μηδὲ ἑνὸς κατάρχειν, ἀπὸ πολλῶν ὧν πρότερον εἶχεν ἐν τῇ ἑαυτοῦ δεσποτείᾳ. Τούτῳ τὸ σῶμα περιλέλειπται μόνον καὶ τοῦτο ἀσθενὲς καὶ γηραιόν, ὡς καὶ αὐτὸς ὁρᾷς, καὶ παῖδες τρεῖς, προσθήκη φροντίδων ἀνδρὶ πένητι. Ὅτι μὲν οὖν οὐδὲν ἐδεῖτο τῆς ἡμετέρας πρεσβείας ἱκανὴν ἔχων τὴν πενίαν δυσωπῆσαι διὰ τὸ φιλάνθρωπον τοῦ τρόπου ἀκριβῶς ἠπιστάμην. Ἐπεὶ δὲ δυσάρεστοι οἱ αἰτοῦντες, ἐφοβήθην μήποτε ἐλλιμπάνῃ τι τῶν εἰς αὐτὸν ὀφειλομένων καὶ ἐπέ στειλα εἰδὼς ὅτι ἡ ἡμέρα αὐτῷ ἐν ᾗ ἂν πρῶτον ἴδῃ σου τὴν σεμνότητα ἀρχὴ εὐθύμου βίου πρὸς τὸν μετὰ ταῦτα χρόνον γενήσεται καὶ δώσει τινὰ βελτίονα τῶν πραγμάτων αὐτοῦ μεταβολήν.

310.τ ΑΝΕΠΙΓΡΑΦΟΣ ΥΠΕΡ ΣΥΓΓΕΝΩΝ

310.1 Αὐτῷ μοι περισπούδαστον ἦν συντυχεῖν σου τῇ λογιότητι πολλῶν

ἕνεκεν· πρῶτον μὲν ὥστε ἀπολαῦσαι τῶν ἐν σοὶ καλῶν διὰ πολλοῦ τοῦ ἐν τῷ μεταξὺ χρόνου, ἔπειτα δὲ καὶ περὶ τῶν κατὰ Ἀριαραθίαν ἀνθρώπων παρακαλέσαι σε, οἷς ἐκ παλαιοῦ θλιβομένοις ἔδωκεν ὁ Κύριος ἀξίαν παραμυθίαν τῆς σῆς ὀρθότητος τὴν ἐπιστασίαν αὐτοῖς χαρισάμενος. Ἔστι δέ τι καὶ ἕτερον τῶν συγγενῶν τῶν ἐμῶν πάνυ βεβα ρημένον καὶ σχεδὸν τὸ καιριώτατον τῆς Ἀριαραθικῆς ἀπο ρίας ὑπάρχον, ὃ καὶ παρακαλῶ κατὰ τὸ ἐνδεχόμενον ἰατρευ θῆναι παρὰ τῆς σῆς χρηστότητος, ὥστε φορητὸν τοῦ λοιποῦ γενέσθαι τοῖς κεκτημένοις.

311.τ ΠΡΩΤΕΥΟΝΤΙ

311.1 Πολλὰς ἡμῖν ποιοῦσι τὰς ἐπιστολὰς πρὸς τὴν σὴν τιμιό τητα οἱ ταῖς

διαβεβαιώσεσιν ἡμῶν μὴ προσέχοντες, ἀλλ' ἴδιόν τι καὶ ἐξαίρετον ἐν τοῖς ἑαυτῶν ἐπιζητοῦντες. Πάλαι γὰρ ἡμεῖς αὐτοῖς διεμαρτυράμεθα ὅτι οὕτως ἔσῃ κοινὸς καὶ ἴσος τῶν δικαίων ἡμῖν φύλαξ ὥστε μηδένα πλέον ἐπιζητῆ σαί τι τῶν εἰς φιλανθρωπίαν, ἐὰν μή που ὑπερβάλῃ τῇ ἀπληστίᾳ. Ὅμως δὲ πληροφοροῦντες τόνδε ἐδώκαμεν αὐτῷ τὴν ἐπιστολὴν συνιστῶντές σοι τὸν ἄνδρα καὶ παρακαλοῦν τες καλῶς τε αὐτὸν ἰδεῖν