Letter 302: You were right to honor the man I recommended -- not because I recommended him, but because he deserved it.
Γεροντίῳ. (361?)
Σέβων Κρητῶν μὲν εὐγενέστατος, Ἑλλήνων δὲ γνωρι-
μώτατος, ἡμῖν δὲ ἀνδρῶν φίλτατος. τοῦτον ἀποδράντες οἰκέ-
ται καὶ καταφυγὴν ἀρκοῦσαν νομίσαντες Ὀνήσιμον, ἄνθρω-
πον πονηρόν, Σύρον ἔμπορον, οὐ λανθάνουσιν.
Εὔοδος
γὰρ εἰδὼς τό τε ἀδίκημα καὶ τοῖς οἰκέταις περιτυχὼν ἥσθη
τε καὶ ἀνεβόησε καὶ λαβόμενος εἷλκεν ὡς Ἑκηβόλιον, Ἀσχό-
λιος τούτῳ πατήρ, νομίζων οὕτως ἂν ἡμῖν καλῶς πεμφθῆναι
τοὺς δραπέτας.
ἔοικε δὲ οὐ καλῶς ὅ γε Εὔοδος βεβουλεῦ-
σθαι. χρόνος τε γὰρ ἐκεῖθεν πολὺς καὶ τὸ θήραμα οὐδαμοῦ
πολλαί τε ὑποψίαι κατὰ τοῦ πράγματος.
ἀλλ’ εἴ τι καὶ
δεύτερον κεκακούργηται, σὺ τοῦτο ποιήσεις μάταιον οὐκ ἐῶν
ἀντὶ τοῦ δεσπότου τοὺς βουλομένους εἶναι τῶν ἀνδραπόδων
κυρίους. ἡμῶν τε γὰρ οὐκ ἂν ἀμελήσαις τοῖς τε νόμοις ἐθε-
λήσεις ἀποδοῦναι τὴν ἰσχύν.
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