Letter 698: I see no need for a preamble when asking a favor from a friend.
Ἀπολιναρίῳ. (362)
Οὐδὲν οἶμαι δεῖν προοιμιάζεσθαι χάριν αἰτοῦντα παρὰ
φίλου. οὐκοῦν εὐθύς, ὃ δεῖ σε ποιεῖν, ἐρῶ. Μέγιστος οὑτοσὶ
πρότερον μὲν ἦν τῶν διακονούντων Χρυσηίδι, νῦν δὲ ταὐτὸ
Βασσιανῇ πληροῖ, κἂν ἀφέλῃ τις αὐτόν, τὰ πράγματα ἔβλαψεν.
ἴστω τοίνυν ἰπὶ τοῖς πράγμασι· τοῦτο γὰρ ἐγὼ μὶν δίομαι,
σὺ δὲ δοῦναι κύριος. πάντως δὲ ἀφθονία βουλευμάτων πάλαι
μὲν ποθουμένη, νῦν δὲ ἥκουσα.
σὺ δή μοι τὸν Μέγιστον
ἐκκλέψας ἄφες· εἰ δ’ Ἀρκαδία τοῦτο καὶ μέγα, μήτοι τὸν δεύ-
τερον φύγῃς πλοῦν, ἀλλ’ ἐν τοῖς κομίζουσιν ἀπ’ Αἰγύπτου
σῖτον τετάχθω, καί σοι χάριν εἰσόμεθα καὶ τοῦδε.
ὁπότερον
δ’ ἂν δοῦναι γνῷς, ἐν γράμμασιν ὁμολόγει, καὶ πίστις τοῦ
μέλλοντος ἐπιστολὴ γενέσθω.
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