Letter 210: This man needs your help, and he deserves it.
Προσλοανῷ (360?)
Εἰ πολίτῃ δίκαιον βοηθεῖν, διπλοῦν τοῦτο νυνὶ γίγνεται
τὸ δίκαιον. εἴτε γὰρ Ἀντιοχεὺς ὁ Καλλιόπιος καλοῖτο, δεῖ δή-
που με συμμαχεῖν· εἴτ’ ἀπὸ τῆς μείζονος, ἐγγέγραμμαι παρ’
αὐτοῖς, ὥστε καὶ ταύτῃ βοηθητέον. τὸ δέ γε ἔτι μεῖζον, χρη-
στὸς ἀνὴρ καὶ δόξαν ἀπὸ τοῦ φυλάττειν τὰς φιλίας λαβών.
καὶ γάρ τοι πένης ἐλθὼν ἐκεῖσε καὶ δοὺς τῆς φύσεως πεῖ-
ραν τὰ τῶν εὐδαιμόνων ἅπαντα εἶχε. τοῦ δὲ καὶ τοῦτο ἐπῃ-
νεῖτο, ὅτι πλείω λαμβάνειν ἐξὸν ἠσπάζετο τοὔλαττον.
γί-
νεται δὴ καὶ πάρεδρος ἀκολουθῶν φίλῳ, Προβατίῳ τῷ καλῷ.
καὶ καλὴν ἀρχὴν ὁ Φθόνος ἔβαλεν. ὅθεν δὴ καὶ τάδε συμ-
βέβηκεν, ἃ δὴ πάρεστιν ὁρᾶν. μᾶλλον δέ, οὐ πάντα δυσχερῆ·
τῇ γὰρ ἀληθείᾳ προσέθετο βασιλεὺς καὶ λύει τὴν ταραχήν·
ἀλλ’ οἶσθα δι’ ἧς ἔρχεται ψήφου τἀκείνου γράμματα καὶ
ὡς ἥ κυρία καὶ βεβαιῶσαι καὶ μή. ταύτην οὖν ὅπως προσ-
λάβοιμεν, σκόπει. πάντα δ’ ἂν γένοιτο τῆς σῆς φρενός τε καὶ
ῥώμης, τῆς μὲν ἀνευρισκούσης πόρον, τῆς δὲ ἐπὶ τὸ πέρας
ἰούσης.
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