Letter 615: I have spoken to you many times about the long-standing friendship of the admirable Thalassius toward me, and about...

To Euphemius. (361) I know that I have often gone through with you both the matter of the wonderful Thalassius' friendship toward us from of old, and the matter of the toils which he endured so that I might be saved, at the time when that thunderbolt had been set in motion. At this you cried out loudly in admiration of the man, and you called him your own savior and benefactor on account of his conduct toward me. When I saw this man sitting downcast in the marketplace, I was troubled, and approaching I asked from what cause he was in such a state for us; but he kept silent. And at his silence I myself was troubled all the more. Then, leaving him, and coming to another one of my acquaintances, I learned of matters which had reasonably grieved him, but which might justly be checked by you. For it is perhaps not permitted to make mention of the punishment for what has been done: such are the present circumstances. I write to you without his knowledge, wishing both to furnish you with occasions for noble deeds, and myself to appear mindful of one who stretched out his hand at moments when men had need of some god. And I think that Heracles too continues mindful of Athena, because through her he escaped—as Homer says—the Styx, having come for Cerberus. But if the goddess had not been present and had not helped, perhaps he would have—but I leave the rest out of honor for Heracles. What then? You must both consider and hate as terrible, lawless, and unworthy of your office that man—that Eurybatus, or Phrynondas, or rather one who has shown all those notorious for villainy to be Aeacuses, and who, repaying favors with accusation and indictment, knows well that he has done the deed of one bent on murder, having brought forward a multitude of charges while having nothing to prove; and he will reach out for your sword, which has already passed through the sycophants and will pass on, and reckoning that he will gain whatever harm he does, on the pretext of the trial, to the household of Thalassius, he says that all are able to bear witness, and he bids all to take part in the seizure. And indeed the device of his craft has even passed into action. The fields are deserted, the crops have perished, the overseers of the estates flee into the mountains. And those who feel envy toward the man lay bare their passion and have made his property the booty of the Mysians—his property, through whom they were often released from dangers. And if there is need of builders or some such thing to be contributed toward the common requirement, more than half of the assessment comes out of the goods of Thalassius; for they reckon that the man is laid low. But to him the first stages of the trial have brought the better repute, and the rest, with God granting it, will accord with this beginning, and someone will see him prosecuting those who now insult him. But this somehow escaped me, even though I knew to guard against speaking great things; yet you, as one grieved that I am suffering these things, and moreover reckoning that you yourself are suffering these things along with me, blame the deeds that have been dared, and show that the man without self-control will pay the penalty, and adorn your office for yourself with anger on behalf of Thalassius and his affairs.

Εὐφημίῳ. (361) Καὶ περὶ τῆς ἄνωθεν πρὸς ἡμᾶς τοῦ θαυμαστοῦ Θα- λασσίου φιλίας καὶ περὶ τῶν πόνων, οὓς ὑπέμεινεν, ὅπως σωθείην, ὅτε ὁ σκηπτὸς ἐκεῖνος κεκίνητο, πολλάκις οἶδα πρὸς σὲ διελθών· ἐφ’ ᾧ μέγα τε ἐβόησας τὸν ἄνδρα θαυμάσας καὶ σαυτοῦ σωτῆρα καὶ εὐεργέτην ἐκάλεις ἐκ τῶν πρὸς ἐμέ. τοῦτον ἰδὼν ἐγὼ σκυθρωπὸν ἐν ἀγορᾷ καθήμενον ἐταράχθην καὶ προσιὼν ἠρώτων, ὅθεν ἡμῖν τοιοῦτός ἐστιν, ὁ δὲ ἐσίγα. τῇ σιγῇ δὲ αὐτὸς ἐταραττόμην πλέον. ἔπειτα τὸν μὲν ἀφείς. ἐπ’ ἄλλον δέ τινα τῶν συνήθων ἐλθὼν πράγματα ἔμαθον, ἃ τὸν μὲν εἰκότως ἐλύπησεν, ὑπὸ σοῦ δὲ δικαίως ἂν κωλυθείη. τιμωρίας γὰρ ἴσως τῆς ἐπὶ τοῖς πεπραγμένοις οὐκ ἔξεστι μνη- σθῆναι· τοιαῦτα τὰ παρόντα. γράφω δέ σοι τὸν μὲν λα- θῶν, βουλόμενος δέ σοί τε ἔργων καλῶν ἀφορμὰς παρέχειν αὐτός τε φαίνεσθαι μεμνημένος τοῦ χεῖρα ὀρέξαντος ἐν και- ροῖς θεοῦ τινος χρῄζουσιν. οἶμαι δὲ καὶ τὸν Ἡρακλέα τῆς Ἀθηνᾶς μεμνημένον διατελεῖν, ὅτι δι’ αὐτὴν ἐξέφυγεν, ὥς φησιν Ὅμηρος, τὴν Στύγα ἥκων ἐπὶ τὸν Κέρβερον. εἰ δὲ μὴ παρῆν ἡ θεὸς καὶ ἐβοήθει, τάχα ἄν — ἀλλ’ ἀφίημι τὸ λοιπὸν Ἡρακλέους τιμῇ. τί οὖν; δεῖ σε καὶ δεινὸν καὶ παράνομον καὶ τῆς σῆς ἀρχῆς ἀνάξιον καὶ νομίσαι καὶ μι- σῆσαι. ὁ Εὐρύβατος ἐκεῖνος ἢ Φρυνώνδας, μᾶλλον δὲ πάν- τὰς τοὺς ἐπὶ πονηρίᾳ διαβεβοημένους Αἰακοὺς ἀποφήνας καὶ τὰς χάριτας ἀμειβόμενος κατηγορίᾳ καὶ γραφῇ οἶδε μὲν ὅτι θανατῶντος ἔργον ἐποίησε πλῆθος μὲν αἰτιῶν ἐπενεγκών, ἔχων δὲ ἐλέγχειν οὐδέν, τό τε σὸν ὀρέξεται ξίφος, ὃ διὰ τῶν συκοφαντῶν ἦλθέ τε ἤδη καὶ πορεύσεται, νομίζων δὲ κερδα- νεῖν ὅ τι ἂν ἐπὶ προφάσει τῆς δίκης κακώσῃ Θαλασσίου τὸν οἶκον, πάντας μέν φησι δύνασθαι μαρτυρεῖν, πάντας δὲ κε- λεύει συλλαμβάνειν. καὶ δὴ καὶ τὸ τῆς τέχνης αὐτῷ κεχώ- ρηκεν εἰς ἔργον. ἔρημοι μὲν ἀγροί, καρποὶ δὲ ἀπολώλασιν, ἐπιμεληταὶ δὲ χωρίων εἰς ὄρη φεύγουσιν. οἱ δὲ ἔχοντες φθό- ὄν εἰς τὸν ἄνδρα γυμνοῦσι τὸ πάθος καὶ Μυσῶν λείαν πε- ποιήκασι τὰ τούτου, δι’ ὃν ἐκ κινδύνων ἐλύθησαν πολλάκις. κἂν δέῃ τέκτονας ἤ τι τοιοῦτον εἰς τὴν κοινὴν εἰσενεχθῆ- νᾶι χρείαν, ἐκ τῶν Θαλασσίου τῆς φορᾶς ὑπερήμισυ γίνεται νομίζουσι γὰρ κεῖσθαι τὸν ἄνθρωπον. τῷ δὲ τά τε πρῶτα τῆς δίκης δόξαν ἤνεγκε τὴν ἀμείνω καὶ τὰ λοιπὰ θεοῦ δι- δόντος συνέσται τῷ προοιμίῳ, καί τις αὐτὸν ὄψεται τοὺς νῦν ὑβρίζοντας μετιόντα. ἀλλὰ τοῦτο μὲν οὐκ οἶδ’ ὅπως με ἐξέφυγε καὶ ταῦτα εἰδότα φυλάττεσθαι μὴ μεγάλα λέγειν· σὺ δὲ ὡς ἂν ἐμοῦ ταῦτα πάσχοντος ἀλγήσας καὶ προσέτι γε σαυ- τὸν μετ’ ἐμοῦ ταῦτα πάσχειν νομίσας μέμψαι μὲν τὰ τετολ- μημένα, δεῖξον δὲ ὡς ὁ μὴ σωφρονῶν δώσει δίκην, κόσμησον δὲ σαυτῷ τὴν ἀρχὴν ταῖς ὑπὲρ Θαλασσίου καὶ τῶν τούτου πραγμάτων ὀργαῖς.