Letter 93: The Athenians praised Themistocles because, although he loved political power as much as any man of his time, he...

To Hesychius. The Athenians praised Themistocles because, although he loved political power as much as any man of his time, he refused every office where his friends would receive no advantage over strangers. The times have recognized your own merits — through you, a new office has come into being in the administration of the state. I am glad of this, as is only natural given our old friendship and the sacred geometry [mathematics and philosophy] that binds us together. But when I see that you have enrolled my brother's name on the list of senators while leaving his family on the blacklist — still under a cloud from some ancient misfortune — I must say you are not imitating Themistocles, nor acting in accordance with divine geometry. You should treat Euoptius as one of your brothers, if it is true that two things equal to the same thing are equal to each other. If your many responsibilities have caused you to overlook this, please act now: after receiving my letter, exempt his mother-in-law from that absurd fine, both retroactively and going forward. And give me back my brother. God knows whether he has left the country precisely because of this burden. That is the only excuse Euoptius offers for not being here to console me — and I have great need of consolation for the many misfortunes of which you have certainly heard.

Letter 93: Canceling a Fine [1] To Hesychius The Athenians praised Themistocles , the son of Neocles, because although as much a lover of political power as any man of his time, he decline every office in which his friends should possess nothing more than strangers. The times have recognized your merits. Through you an office, new both in name and in reality, has come into the administration of the State. I am very glad of this, as it quite natural when one considers our old friendship, and that sacred geometry has linked us one to the other. [2] But when I see that you deem my brother's name worthy to be ranked in the list of senators, and yet do not strike out his family from the black list, although under a cloud of ancient misfortune something happened before, I can only say that in this you are not behaving as an imitator of Themistocles, nor in accordance with the principles of divine geometry. You ought to treat Euoptius as among the number of your brothers, if it is true that two things equal the same thing are equal also to each other. [3] If through your too numerous occupations you have hitherto neglected your duty, do at once honor my claim upon you, my dearest friend, and after receiving my letter, exempt his mother-in-law both in the future and in the past from the absurd fine. Also give me back my brother. God knows whether he has left the country on this very account. But that is the only excuse Euoptius gives for not being here to console me. I have great need of consolation for many misfortunes of which you have certainly heard.