Letter 216: I will not pretend that things are as they were.
Μοδέστῳ. (358/59)
Οἱ ῥήτορες εὔνοιαν ζητοῦσι παρὰ τῶν δικαζόντων οὐ
μόνον οἱ κατεγνωκότες αὑτῶν μηδὲν ἔχειν ἰσχυρόν, ἀλλὰ καὶ
οἷς ὑπάρχει θαρρεῖν δικαίων εἵνεκα.
καὶ ἐγὼ τοίνυν οἶδα
μὲν ἀκριβῶς ὡς οὔτε μικρὸν οὔτε μεῖζον ἀδικεῖ Καλλιόπιος
οὑτοσί, δέομαι δέ σου τὸ κοινὸν δὴ τοῦτο, Μαὶ αὐτῷ τὸ
ὄμμα ἐπὶ τῆς δίκης ἥμερον. οὕτω γὰρ ἂν καὶ χρήσαιτο τοῖς
οὖσιν αὐτῷ δικαίοις, εἰ μὴ ταραχθείη.
εἰ δ’ οὖν οὐκ ἔξ-
εστιν εὐνοίας πρὸς σὲ μνησθῆναι, ἀλλ’ εὔξασθαί γε τοῖς θεοῖς
ὑπὲρ τοῦ σε ποιῆσαι τοιοῦτον ἔξεστι. καὶ δὴ καὶ εὔχομαι·
Ζεῦ Μειλίχιε καὶ πατέρω·ν ἀνθρώποις ἡμερώτερε,
κατάστησον ἵλεων Καλλιοπίῳ τὸν γενναῖον Μόδε-
στον καὶ σαυτῷ προσόμοιον.
καὶ μεμνήσθω δικάζων
τοῦ Μειλιχίου Δῖός, ὅπως ἡμεῖς τε τῷ φίλῳ συγχαίρωμεν καὶ
Μόντιος ὑπὸ γῆς ἥδοιτο. λέγεται γάρ τι περὶ τῶν οἰχομένων
καὶ τοιοῦτον.
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