Letter 851: Libanius urges Tatianus to restore Antioch's council and treat the embassy as his own promised cause.

It seems our council had to fall and rise again. The fall happened when other men were in charge; the recovery is happening now that you hold great office and use your power as it ought to be used. The pleasure you pursue is not the pleasure of banquets, but the pleasure of wanting to help cities. You help some cities so that they are not worn away; you help others grow greater. If we belong among the first group, we will not belong there much longer, since you honor justice so highly. I think you will agree that we are asking for nothing unjust, only what an unfortunate city would ask. Unless you stop this evil, both the city itself and its name will remain under a harm that does not die. You are, after all, another Heracles. Consider also what should call you to our aid: what you yourself and your son have given the city. Then we will be able to say, "This is Tatianus' doing; this is Proclus' doing," and those words will pass from mouth to mouth among many people. Remember this too: you should regard this embassy as yours no less than the city's. You were the first to give voice to its movement and its appeal. So if I say that we are calling in promises, I do you no wrong.

1. Ἔδει τὴν βουλὴν ἡμῖν, ὡς ἔοικε, καὶ πεσεῖν καὶ ἀναστῆναι. τούτοιν δὲ τὸ μὲν πρότερον ἄλλων ὄντων ἐπὶ τῶν πραγμάτων γέγονεν· ἀνίσταται δὲ σοῦ τήν τε ἀρχὴν τὴν μεγάλην ἔχοντος καὶ πρὸς τὸ δέον τῷ δύνασθαι χρωμένου διώκοντος ἡδονὴν οὐ τὴν ἀπὸ τῶν τραπεζῶν, ἀλλὰ τὴν ἀπὸ τοῦ πόλεσιν ἐθέλειν ἐπικουρεῖν. 2. ἐπικουρεῖς δὲ ταῖς μὲν εἰς τὸ μὴ ἐκτριβῆναι, ταῖς δὲ εἰς τὸ γενέσθαι μείζοσιν. ἡμεῖς δέ ἐσμεν ἐκείνων τῶν προτέρων, οὐ μὴν ἔτι γε ἐσόμεθα σοῦ τιμῶντος οὕτω τὴν τοῦ δικαίου μοῖραν. 3. οἶμαι δέ σοι δόξειν ἡμᾶς οὐδὲν ἄδικον αἰτεῖν, ἀλλ’ ἅπερ ἂν ἀτυχοῦσα πόλις· ἣν εἰ μὴ σὺ παύσαις τοῦτο καὶ οὖσαν καὶ καλουμένην, ἀθάνατον μενεῖ τὸ κακόν. εἶ γὰρ Ἡρακλῆς τις ἕτερος. 4. οἴου δέ σε κἀκεῖνα παρακαλεῖν ἐπὶ τὴν βοήθειαν ἅ τε αὐτὸς ἅ τε ὁ παῖς αὐτῇ δέδωκεν, ὥσθ’ ἡμῖν εἶναι λέγειν· τοῦτο Τατιανοῦ, τοῦτο Πρόκλου καὶ διὰ πάνυ πολλῶν ταῦτα ἰέναι τὰ ῥήματα. 5. ἀναμιμνήσκου δὲ κἀκεῖνο, ὅτι τήνδε τὴν πρεσβείαν σὴν οὐχ ἧττον ἢ τῆς πόλεως δεῖ νομίσαι. σὺ γὰρ δὴ τὴν κινοῦσαν καὶ παρακαλοῦσαν πρῶτος ἀφῆκας φωνήν· ὥστ’ εἰ φαίην ἡμᾶς ἀπαιτεῖν ὑποσχέσεις, οὐκ ἀδικήσω.