Letter 36: I do not congratulate you more on governing the city than I congratulate the city on handing you the reins.

To Themistius (358/59) I congratulate you no more on governing the city than I congratulate the city on handing you the reins. For you had no need of power, but the city had need of a good leader. And who could rank before you in her eyes — you, through whom she has grown greater among men, some of whom possess virtue together with wealth, and others who lack money but have a nature worth more than money? But these poor men, my dear fellow, do wish them to be full members of the council; and if anyone demands gold from them, put a stop to it, so that their sharing in your city's honors does not become the cause of their ruin. Now the others will make their case to whomever they think will secure them justice. But you — preserve for me our mutual friend who possesses nothing but his good name. This is not the famous Julian I mean, but the brother of Hierocles in both birth and character. When I saw him being enrolled among your number, I laughed to myself, thinking that his poverty would very soon get him struck from the list. But then I checked my laughter, reflecting that it should be enough for you to have a man who, when he might have grown rich by dishonorable means, refused to do so. But when a letter arrived saying that he too must put down gold, then instead of laughing I was thrown into alarm, and I thought it necessary to take refuge in the clemency of Hermogenes. And so we did. When Hermogenes learned the facts, he rescued our friend from those who were dragging him off — men for whom the dragging would have ended in nothing but the dragging itself, since there was nothing to take. So Hermogenes released him. But there remains another bond, and unless you loose it, our friend will be a riddle to us — at once released and still bound. But you will solve the riddle by confirming the first decision with a second, and by coming to the aid of a man who is both well known and in debt. This I know for a fact, and he is not ashamed of it. When you speak on the matter of his lack of means, perhaps no one will contradict you. But if there is anyone so wretched as to refuse to say the same as you, send him to Phrygia — and he will come back to you convinced that Julian is a poor man.

Θεμιστίῳ. (358/ 59) Οὐ σοὶ συγχαίρω μᾶλλον τοῦ τὴν πόλιν ἄγειν ἢ τῇ πό- λει τοῦ παραδοῦναί σοι τὰς ἡνίας. σοί μὲν γὰρ οὐδὲν δυ νάμεως, τῇ δὲ ἡγεμόνος ἀγαθοῦ. σοῦ δὲ τίς ἐκείνῃ πρότερος, δι’ ὃν γέγονεν ἀνδράσι μείζων τῶν μὲν ἐχόντων ἀρετὴν μετὰ πλούτου, τῶν δὲ μὴ χρήματα, φύσιν δὲ ἀμείνω χρημάτων; ἀλλὰ τούτους γε τοὺς πένητας, ὦ δαιμόνιε, πλήρωμα μὲν εἶναι τῇ βουλῇ βούλου· χρυσὸν δὲ εἰ τις εἰσπράττοι, κωλύσεις, ὅπως αὐτοῖς μὴ τὸ κοινωνεῖν τῶν παρ’ ὑμὶν καλῶν αἴτιον ᾖ κακῶν. οἱ μὲν οὖν ἄλλοι δι’ ὧν οἴονται τεύξεσθαι τῶν δι- καίων, τούτοις διαλέξονται, σὺ δέ μοι σῶζε σόν τε κnὶ ἐμὸν φίλον ἔχοντα πλὴν δόξης οὐ Ἰουλιανὸς οὗτός ἐστιν, ἀδελ- φὸς Ἱεροκλέους τῷ τε σπέρματι καὶ τοῖς τρόποις. ὃν ὁρῶν εἰς ὑμᾶς ἐγγραφόμενον ἐγέλων ἐννοῶν, ὡς αὐτίκα μάλα αὐτὸν ἐξαλείψει τὸ πένεσθαι. ἔπειτ’ ἐπελαβόμην τοῦ γέλωτος ὡς ἀρκέσον ὑμῖν ἄνδρα ἔχειν ᾧ πλουτεῖν ἐξὸν κακῶς οὐκ ἠξίω- σεν. ὡς δὲ ἧκε γράμματα δεῖν καὶ τόνδε θεῖναι χρυσίον, ἐν- ταῦθα ἀντὶ τοῦ γελᾶν ἐταραττόμην καὶ ἐδόκει χρῆναι κατα- φεύγειν ἐπὶ τὴν Ἑρμογένους πρᾳότητα. καὶ οὕτω ποιοῦμεν. ὁ δὲ τὰ ὄντα μαθὼν ἐξαιρεῖται τῶν ἑλκόντων, οἷς τὸ ἕλ- κειν εἰς αὐτὸ τοῦτ’ ἂν ἐτελεύτα τὸ ἕλκειν· οὐ γὰρ ἦν λαβεῖν. ἐκεῖνος μὲν οὖν ἀφῆκεν· ἀλλ’ ἔστιν ἕτερος δεσμός, ὃν ἂν μὴ σὺ λύσῃς, αἴνιγμα ἡμῖν ὁ φίλος ὁμοῦ λελυμένος τε καὶ δε- δεμένος. ἀλλὰ σὺ λύσεις τὸ αἴνιγμα τοῖς δευτέροις τὰ πρότερα βεβαιῶν καὶ βοηθῶν ἀνδρὶ γνωρίμῳ τε καὶ δανειζομένῳ. τοῦτο δὲ ἐγὼ μὲν σύνοιδα, ἐκεῖνος δὲ οὐκ αἰσχύνεται. λέ- γοντι δέ σοι περὶ τῆς ἀχρηματίας ἴσως μὲν οὐδεὶς ἀντερεῖ· εἰ δ’ οὖν τις οὕτω κακοδαίμων ὡς μὴ ταὐτὰ φθέγγεσθαί σοι, πέμπε τοῦτον εἰς Φρυγίαν, ὁ δέ σοι πεπεισμένος ἐπανήξει πέ- νητα τὸν Ἰουλιανὸν εἶναι.