Letter 583: That you would deal gently with the cities I knew well, for such is your nature.

To Julian. (357) That you would deal gently with the cities I knew well, for such is your nature. But I was delighted to hear that you also have a sting for those who need stinging. Clematios reported this — a man with a sharp sting of his own. I found myself doubly pleased, since the man being praised is my fellow citizen, and those benefiting — if I call them fellow citizens too, will you say I am right, given what you know of their feelings toward me? You surely know about the matter you wrote to us about — that what happened came about not through me, for I would not rob Spectatus of the credit for his efforts. I did, however, commend those efforts. And this much you may learn from me: that in helping you, he gratifies both parties. Now do us a favor in return: let bears from your region appear among us, since you showed them leopards from here — so that you delight your subjects through the resources of your homeland, and your homeland through theirs.

Ἰουλιανῷ. (357) Ὅτι μὲν πρᾴως προσενεχθήσῃ ταῖς πόλεσιν, εὖ ᾔδειν, φύσει γὰρ δὴ σὺ τοιοῦτος ἥσθην δὲ ἀκούσας ὅτι σοι καὶ κέντρον ἐστὶν ἐπὶ τοὺς κέντρου δεομένους. ἤγγειλε δὲ Κλη- μάτιος, ᾦ καὶ αὐτῷ κέντρον ὀξύ. χαίρειν οὖν μοι συνέ- βαινε τῷ τόν τε ἐπαινούμενον εἶναι πολίτην ἐμὸν καὶ τοὺς ὠφελουμένους,— ἂν εἴπω καὶ τούτους πολίτας, ἄρα σοὶ δόξω λέγειν ὀρθῶς, εἴπερ τἀκείνων οἶσθα πρὸς ἐμέ. πάντως δὲ οἶσθα περὶ ὧν ἐπέστειλας ἡμῖν, ὡς γεγένηται, ἃ γέγονεν, οὐ δι’ ἡμῶν, οὐ γὰρ ἀφαιρήσομαι Σπεκτάτον ὧν ἐσπούδασε τὴν δόξαν, ἐπῄνεσα μέντοι τὴν σπουδὴν. καὶ τοῦτό σοι παρ’ ἐμοῦ τὸ μαθεῖν ἐκεῖνον ὅτι ὅτι σοὶ βοηθῶν ἀμφοτέροις χαρίζε- ται. χάρισαι δὲ καὶ αὐτὸς ἡμῖν τῷ φανῆναι παρ’ ἡμῖν ἄρκτους ἐκεῖθεν, ἐπειδὴ κἀκείνοις ἔδειξας ἐνθένδε παρδά- λεις, ὅπως τοὺς μὲν ἀρχομένους διὸ τῶν τῆς πατρίδος εὐ- φραίνῃς, τὴν δὲ σαυτοῦ διὰ τῶν παρ’ ἐκείνοις.