Letter 597: We have sent these men not to ask a favor but to collect on a promise.

To Clematius. (357) We have sent men not to ask a favor, but to demand the fulfillment of a promise. For you are that man who declared that he would contribute to the public service [liturgy] more than his means allowed. And Clematius does many things that he does not promise, but he most certainly carries through on a promise. Help these men, then, in two ways: first, that they may quickly receive the money, and second, that they may not have to buy the clothing at a high price. As for who Olympius is, learn it from the very fact that it is through him that you address me, for I would not have procured so great a good for a man who was not noble and good and worthy of some zeal on my part. He is a fellow citizen of mine, and to me better than many citizens, and I would wish that every place should bring him gladness. You, then, having seen him gladly and sent him on to Italy with a letter, show that for those who love us there is some fruit of that affection.

Κληματίῳ. (357) Ἐπέμψαμεν οὐκ αἰτήσοντες χάριν, ἀλλ’ ἀπαιτήσοντες ὑπόσχεσιν. σὺ γὰρ ἐκεῖνος ὁ φήσας μείζω τῶν δυνατῶν εἰς τὴν λειτουργίαν εἰσοίσειν. Κλημάτιος δὲ πολλὰ μὲν ὧν οὐκ ἐπαγγέλλεται ποιεῖ, πάντως δὲ ἐπαγγελίαν ἐπιτελεῖ. δύο τοίνυν βοήθει τοῖς ἀνδράσι· τὸ μέν, ὅπως ταχέως τἀργύριον λάβοιεν, τὸ δέ, ὅπως μὴ πολλοῦ τὴν ἐσθῆτα πρίαιντο. ὅστις δέ ἐστιν Ὀλύμπιος, ἀπ’ αὐτοῦ γνῶθι τοῦ δι’ αὐτοῦ σέ με προσειπεῖν, ὃς οὐκ ἂν τοσοῦτον προὐξένουν ἀγαθὸν μὴ καλῷ κἀγαθῷ καί τινος ἀξίῳ σπουδῆς. ἔστι δὲ πολίτης μὲν ἐμός, πολλῶν δὲ βελτίων εἰς ἐμὲ πολιτῶν, καὶ βουλοίμην ἂν αὐτῷ τόπον πάντα εὐφροσύνην φέρειν. σὺ τοίνυν ἡδέως αὐτὸν ἰδὼν καὶ μετὰ γραμμάτων ἐπ’ Ἰταλίας πέμψας δεῖξον ὅτι τοῖς ἡμᾶς φιλοῦ. σιν ἔνι τις τοῦ φίλτρου καρπός.