Letter 122: The estate of Zezos was acquired by my uncle, and not unjustly.

To Evagrius. (359/60) The estate of Zezous my uncle acquired, and not unjustly, and I have held it both by the ordinance of justice and by your assistance, on account of which there is no time when we do not praise you, especially since you stood up on our behalf without being summoned. Now then, those who farm it have come in great fear and report certain threats, among which was this: that they will pay the penalty for the wrongs they commit against the imperial house, since they have made us masters of land that belonged to it. But it seems to me that they have heard nothing of this, but are only anticipating it. And it is no wonder that men who consort with the plow and oxen fashion for themselves terrors that do not exist and consider as having already happened things that are not even going to be. For such is farming: it makes one simple-minded. But do you, imitating your own conduct and keeping watch over the friendship you have established, teach those who are afraid that you would fight even against another man who troubled these people.

**To Evagrius** (359/60) The estate of Zizus was acquired by my uncle, and not unjustly. I have held possession of it both by the order of justice and by your assistance — for which we never cease to praise you, especially since you stood up for us without even being asked. Now, however, the tenants who farm the land have come to me in great fear, reporting certain threats — among them, that they will be punished for wronging the imperial household by making us masters of land belonging to the emperor. For my part, I believe they have heard nothing of the sort, but merely expect it. And it is no wonder that men whose company is the plough and the ox should fashion terrors for themselves that do not exist, and believe that things which will never happen have already come to pass. Such is the farmer's life: it makes one simple-minded. But do as you have always done, and keeping faith with the friendship you undertook, teach these frightened men that you would fight even another who tried to disturb them.

Εὐαγρίῳ. (359/60) Τὸ Ζήζους χωρίον ἐκτήσατο μὲν ὁ θεῖος οὑμὸς οὐκ ἀδί- κως, κατέσχον δὲ ἐγὼ τῇ τε τοῦ δικαίου τάξει καὶ τῇ παρὰ σοῦ βοηθείᾳ, δι’ ἣν οὐκ ἔστιν ὅτε σε οὐκ ἐπαινοῦμεν, ἄλλως θ’ ὅτε καὶ ἀπαράκλητος ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν ἔστης. νῦν τοίνυν οἱ τοῦτο γεωργοῦντες ἥκουσι περίφοβοι καί τινας ἀπαγγέλλουσιν ἀπειλάς, ἐν αἷς ἦν, ὅτι δώσουσι δίκην ὧν ἀδικοῦσι τὸν βα- σιλέως οἶκον ἡμᾶς τῆς ἐκείνου γῆς πεποιηκότες δεσπότας. ἐμοὶ δὲ δοκοῦσιν ἀκηκοέναι μὲν τούτων οὐδέν, ἐλπίζειν δέ. καὶ θαυμαστὸν οὐδὲν ἀνθρώπους ὁμιλοῦντας ἀρότρῳ καὶ βουσὶ δείματα αὑτοῖς οὐκ ὄντα ἀναπλάττειν καὶ τὰ οὐδ’ ἐσό- μένα γεγονέναι νομίζειν. τοιοῦτον γὰρ τὸ γεωργεῖν· ἀφελῶς ἔχειν ποιεῖ. ἀλλὰ σὺ τὰ σαυτοῦ μιμούμενος καὶ φιλίαι ἢ ἐνεστήσω τηρῶν δίδαξον τοὺς δεδιότας, ὅτι κἂν ἄλλῳ μαχἐ- σαιο τούσδε ταράττοντι.