Letter 272: You have long known how much I care about Dulcitius.

To Modestus. (361?) You have long known how much I care about Dulcitius. For a long time now I have been making requests to you on his behalf, and you have granted them. Since we were asking for just things, you could not refuse -- and so you will not refuse now either, since what we ask now is equally just. He says he farms a small plot near Beroea [modern Aleppo] and has been forced to sell a large quantity of grain, but is being cheated by swindlers who hide some of it, fabricate records, skip over entries, remove amounts, and talk the figures down. He has come to explain all this, so help him. A judge's goodwill is a great asset even to those with a strong case.

Μοδέστῳ. (361?) Ὅτι μοι μέλει Δουλκιτίου πάλαι τυγχάνεις εἰδώς. πάλαι γὰρ ἐμοί τε ὑπὲρ τοῦδε πρὸς σὲ γεγένηνται δεήσεις παρὰ σοῦ τε χάριτες εἰς ἡμᾶς. δίκαια γὰρ αἰτούντων οὐκ εἶχες ἀνανεύειν οὐκοῦν οὐδὲ νῦν ἀνανεύσεις, ἐπεὶ καὶ ταῦτά ἐστιν ἃ νῦν αἰτοῦμεν δίκαια. μικρὰν μέν φησι χώραν περὶ τὴν Βέρροιαν γεωργεῖν, πολὺν δὲ σῖτον ἠναγκάσθαι πωλεῖν, ἀδικεῖσθαι δὲ ὑπὸ τῶν ἐξαπατώντων καὶ τὰ μὲν κρυπτόντων, τὰ δὲ πλατ- τόντων, τὰ δὲ ὑπερπηδώντων, τὰ δὲ αἰρόντων, τὰ δὲ μικρὰ τῷ λόγῳ ποιούντων. 3 ταῦθ’ ἥκει διδάξων καὶ βοήθησον αὐτῷ. δικαστοῦ δὲ εὔνοια μέγα καὶ τοῖς ἰσχυρὰ λέγουσιν.