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with letters forbidding the peace and the oaths, especially when even the barbarians were begging for it. But I considered it terribly improper and not at all fitting for me, on account of your small-mindedness and your inconstancy regarding noble things, to appear ungrateful and faithless towards friends, if to one who had been the cause of so many goods I should give no recompense, but for the sake of certain tolerable reasons should treat him as an enemy for life. And after this, though I was often able to defend myself, I was unwilling, but sending embassies, both before taking Byzantium and after, I begged you to do what is just, as a friend, and not to transgress the oaths. But you did nothing of what was just and fitting, 3.149 but tried to lead me astray with deceitful and elaborate words. And I, although knowing most clearly that I was being deceived, did not immediately march against you, but I always tried not to appear myself to have rushed into war against you out of small-mindedness. But when I saw that I was laboring in vain, and that my delay was no longer magnanimity and fair-mindedness, but almost neglect of our kinsmen and betrayal, not even then did I come to the land belonging to you, but I am trying to recover the cities that were taken away, for which you yourself bring a charge of injustice and greed, acting similarly to the proverb which says that the thieves bring charges, and as if putting forward something just, you reproach me with insatiability, because though I myself possess the greatest part of the Roman dominion, I am not willing to yield the lesser part to you. But this, my good sir, is far from having any argument for being seemly and just. For we have not divided the rule of the Mysians, or of the Paeonians, or of some others, which belonged to neither of us, but having taken away no small part of the Roman dominion that belongs to me, you demand gratitude for what was left. But that I ruled the Romans even before coming to this state of affairs, there is no need to demonstrate, since all know it most clearly. Nevertheless, even if I had previously been living in great obscurity and was suddenly seen as emperor of the Romans, I would thus have claimed to hold the dominion of those who reigned before, as a kind of 3.150 paternal inheritance, and I would have been justified in every way, not only concerning so many things as you yourself have stolen, but even concerning lesser and trivial things, to dispute and to stir up war, if one were not willing to do what is just. But for me there is not only this justification, but also the oaths, which you yourself made to me, although I did not yet have the entire dominion of the Romans. For it is strange that back then, neither the surrounding misfortune, nor the fact that the Romans were so hostile to me, nor that I looked to your aid so that I might be able to be master of the rest, nor any other of the difficulties then apparent, persuaded me to yield to you any of the cities subject to the Romans, but I chose rather to die than to do anything ignoble, whereas it was rather you who persuaded me that it was fitting for the cities subject to the Romans to vote for me; but now, when I myself have become master of the entire dominion and have the power to reclaim what was taken away, that I should either have such servile thoughts as to yield the cities willingly, or that you should think you speak with reason when you demand such things. That I myself therefore appear neither previously nor now to be acting unjustly or breaking my oath, I think is manifest to all from what has been said. If, therefore, even if not before, you are now at least willing to do what is just yourself, and to give back Acarnania and Thessaly and the other cities of Macedonia which you hold, of the former injustice 3.151 I shall make little account, in return for the friendship and the generosity which you showed when I needed it, and having renewed the former treaties and the oaths, I will have you again as an ally and a friend, and I shall try to prove myself again from the beginning worthy of the generosity and zeal from you. But if, on the other hand, you have no intention of doing anything just, but have decided once and for all to act unjustly and break your oath, I for my part will concede nothing of what belongs to the Roman empire, but calling God to witness, the guardian of oaths, and the men who were present then at the oaths and are present now, as I challenge you to do what is just and am willing to end the war, if

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γράμμασιν ἐπὶ ἀπαγορεύσει τῆς εἰρήνης καὶ τῶν ὅρκων, μάλιστα καὶ τῶν βαρβάρων δεομένων. ἀλλ' ἄτοπον ἐνόμισα δεινῶς καὶ οὐδὲ ἐμοὶ προσῆκον, διὰ τὴν σὴν μικροψυχίαν καὶ τὴν ἀστασίαν περὶ τὰ καλὰ ἀχάριστον καὶ ἄπιστον φανῆναι πρὸς τοὺς φίλους, εἰ τῷ τοσούτων ἀγαθῶν ὑπάρξαντι μηδεμίαν ἀποδοίην ἀμοιβὴν, ἀλλ' ἀνεκτῶν τινων χάριν αἰτιῶν οἷα πολεμίῳ χρησαίμην διὰ βίου. καὶ μετὰ ταῦτα πολλάκις δυνηθεὶς ἀμύνεσθαι, οὐκ ἠθέλησα, ἀλλὰ πρεσβείας πέμπων, καὶ πρὶν Βυζάντιον ἑλεῖν καὶ μετὰ ταῦτα, τὰ δίκαια ποιεῖν ἐδεόμην, οἷα φίλον, καὶ μὴ τοὺς ὅρκους παραβαίνειν. σὺ δὲ τῶν μὲν δικαίων καὶ προσηκόντων ἔπρατ 3.149 τες οὐδὲν, λόγοις δὲ ἀπατηλοῖς καὶ περιέργοις παράγειν ἐπειρῶ. ἐγὼ δὲ καίτοι σαφέστατα εἰδὼς, ὡς ἀπατῶμαι, οὐκ αὐτίκα ἐπεστράτευον, ἀλλ' ἐπειρώμην ἀεὶ, μὴ αὐτὸς ὑπὸ μικροψυχίας ὡρμημένος πρὸς τὸν κατὰ σοῦ πόλεμον φανῆναι. ἐπεὶ δὲ ἑώρων ἀνήνυτα πονῶν, καὶ μὴ μεγαλοψυχίαν ἤδη καὶ εὐγνωμοσύνην, ἀλλ' ἀμέλειαν τῶν ὁμοφύλων καὶ προδοσίαν οὖσαν τὴν μέλλησιν σχεδὸν, οὐδ' οὕτως ἐπὶ τὴν σοὶ προσήκουσαν ἥκω γῆν, ἀλλὰ τὰς ἀφῃρημένας πόλεις ἀνασώζεσθαι πειρῶμαι, ἐφ' αἷς αὐτὸς ἀδικίαν καὶ πλεονεξίαν ἐγκαλεῖς, παραπλήσιον ποιῶν τῇ παροιμίᾳ, ἥ φησι προσεγκαλεῖν τοὺς φῶρας, καὶ ὥσπερ τι τῶν δικαίων προβαλλόμενος, ἀπληστίαν ὀνειδίζεις, ὅτι τὸ πλεῖστον τῆς ἀρχῆς Ῥωμαίων ἔχων αὐτὸς, σοὶ τοῦ ἐλάττονος οὐ βούλομαι παραχωρεῖν. τοῦτο δὲ, ὦ βέλτιστε, οὐδὲ ὀλίγου δεῖ τοῦ λόγον ἔχειν πρὸς τὸ εἶναι εὐπρεπὲς καὶ δίκαιον. οὐ γὰρ δὴ τὴν Μυσῶν ἀρχὴν, ἢ Παιόνων, ἤ τινων ἄλλων διειλόμεθα, ἣ προσῆκεν οὐδ' ἑτέρῳ, ἀλλὰ τῆς ἐμοὶ προσηκούσης Ῥωμαίων ἡγεμονίας οὐκ ὀλίγον μέρος ἀφελόμενος, καὶ χάριν ἀξιοῖς εἰδέναι περὶ τοῦ ὑπολειφθέντος. ἐγὼ δ' ὅτι μὲν καὶ πρὶν εἰς τοῦτο ἥκειν σχήματος Ῥωμαίων ἦρχον, ἀποφαίνειν οὐκ ἀνάγκη, πάντων σαφέστατα εἰδότων. πλὴν ἀλλ' εἰ καὶ ἀφανείᾳ πολλῇ τὸ πρότερον συζῶν, ἀθρόον ἑωρώμην Ῥωμαίων βασιλεὺς, οὕτως ἂν ἠξίουν τῶν προβεβασιλευκότων ἔχειν τὴν ἀρχὴν, ὥσπερ τινὰ 3.150 πατρῷον κλῆρον, καὶ παντί τῳ δίκαιος ἂν ἦν, οὐ περὶ τοσούτων μόνον, ὅσων ἀπεστέρησας αὐτὸς, ἀλλὰ καὶ περὶ ἐλαττόνων καὶ τῶν τυχόντων ἀμφισβητεῖν καὶ πόλεμον κινεῖν, εἰ μὴ ἐβούλετο τὰ δίκαια ποιεῖν. ἐμοὶ δὲ οὐ τοῦτο μόνον πρόσεστι δικαίωμα, ἀλλὰ καὶ οἱ ὅρκοι, οὓς αὐτὸς ἐποιήσω πρὸς ἐμὲ, καίτοι μηδέπω τὴν ἡγεμονίαν πᾶσαν ἔχοντα Ῥωμαίων. ἄτοπον γὰρ τότε μὲν μήτε τὴν περισχοῦσαν δυσπραγίαν, μήτε τὸ Ῥωμαίους ἐμοὶ τοσοῦτον ἐκπεπολεμῶσθαι, μήθ' ὅτι πρὸς τὴν σὴν ἐπικουρίαν ἀφεώρων, ὥστε δυνήσεσθαι τῶν ἄλλων εἶναι κύριος, μήτ' ἄλλο μηδὲν τῶν φαινομένων τότε δυσχερῶν, σοὶ πεῖσαι τῶν Ῥωμαίοις ὑπηκόων πόλεων παρακεχωρηκέναι, ἀλλ' αἱρεῖσθαι μᾶλλον ἀποθνήσκειν, ἤ τι πράττειν ἀγεννὲς, σὲ δὲ μᾶλλον τὰς Ῥωμαίοις ὑπηκόους πόλεις ἐμοὶ πεῖσαι ψηφίσασθαι προσήκειν· νυνὶ δ' ὅτε τῆς ἀρχῆς ἁπάσης κύριος αὐτὸς κατέστην καὶ δύναμιν ἀνακαλεῖσθαι τὰ ἀφῃρημένα ἔχω, ἢ φρονήσειν οὕτω δοῦλα, ὥσθ' ἑκοντὶ παραχωρεῖν τῶν πόλεων, ἢ σὲ λόγον οἴεσθαι λέγειν ἔχοντα τοιαῦτα ἀξιοῦντα. ὡς μὲν οὖν οὐκ ἀδικῶν, οὐδὲ ἐπιορκῶν αὐτὸς οὔτε πρότερον φαίνομαι, οὔτε νῦν, ἐκ τῶν εἰρημένων πᾶσιν εἶναι οἴομαι καταφανές. εἰ μὲν οὖν, εἰ καὶ μὴ πρότερον, ἀλλὰ νῦν γοῦν τὰ δίκαια ποιεῖν ἐθέλεις καὶ αὐτὸς, καὶ Ἀκαρνανίαν ἀποδιδόναι καὶ Θετταλίαν καὶ τὰς ἄλλας, ἃς ἔχεις, τῆς Μακεδονίας πόλεις, τῆς προτέρας ἀδικίας 3.151 ὀλίγον ποιήσομαι τὸν λόγον, τῆς φιλίας ἀμειβόμενος καὶ τῆς φιλοτιμίας, ἧς ἡνίκα ἐδεόμην ἐπεδείξω, καὶ τὰς προτέρας ἀνανεωσάμενος σπονδὰς καὶ τοὺς ὅρκους, αὖθις σύμμαχον καὶ φίλον ἕξω, καὶ πειράσομαι ἐμαυτὸν ἀποδεικνύναι αὖθις ἐξαρχῆς ἄξιον τῆς παρὰ σοῦ φιλοτιμίας καὶ σπουδῆς. εἰ δ' αὖθις οὐδὲν δίκαιον ποιεῖν διανοῇ, ἀλλ' ἀδικεῖν εἰσάπαξ ἔγνως καὶ ἐπιορκεῖν, ἐγὼ μὲν τῶν προσηκόντων τῇ Ῥωμαίων βασιλείᾳ οὐδενὸς παραχωρήσω, θεὸν δὲ μαρτυράμενος τὸν ἔφορον τῶν ὅρκων, καὶ ἀνθρώπους, οἳ τότε τε παρῆσαν ἐν τοῖς ὅρκοις καὶ νῦν πάρεισιν, ἐμοῦ τὰ δίκαια προκαλουμένου καὶ καταλύειν τὸν πόλεμον ἐθέλοντος, ἂν