Letter 322

To Unknown. (357) I write on behalf of a family that has fallen into legal difficulties through no real fault of their own. The details are complex, but the essence is simple: they are honest people caught in circumstances that make them appear guilty. I ask not for special treatment but for a fair hearing. If you examine the evidence carefully, you will see that the accusations are built on misunderstanding rather than malice, and that justice requires their acquittal rather than their punishment. I would not risk my reputation by defending the guilty -- the fact that I write should itself tell you something about the merits of their case.

Ἀρισταινέτῳ. (357) Χάρις γε σοὶ προσθέντι τὸ ὅτι ὑγίανας τῷ ὅτι ἠρρώ- στησας καὶ τοῖς γε μὴ προσαγγείλασιν ἡμῖν, ἡνίκα ἠσθένεις, χάρις· ἄνευ γὰρ τῆς τοῦ κακοῦ λύσεως αὐτὸ τὸ δυσχερὲς οὐκ ἂν ἐβουλόμην εἰδέναι. ἔχω δὲ οὔτ' ἀπιστεῖν μὴ ταύτην εἶναι τῇ σιγῇ πρόφασιν οὔτ’ αὖ πάνυ πιστεύειν. τὸ μὲν γὰρ ὁ λέγων ποιεῖ· πῶς γὰρ ἔστιν ἀπιστεῖν Ἀρισταινέτῳ; πάλιν δὲ πιστεύειν Ἀρισταινέτου κωλύει γράμματα Στρατηγίῳ μὲν ἐλθόντα, δοθέντα δὲ ἡμῖν ὑπ’ ἐκείνου γελῶντος ἅμα οἷς δή τι καὶ σκῶμμα παρέγραψας, ὡς ἄρα τρίτος ἐγὼ φθονοίην τῷ πρώτῳ. καί μοι δοκεῖτε σύ τε κἀκεῖνος, δι’ ὃν πρῶτος μὲν οὐκ ἐγένου, μένεις δὲ ἐν δευτέροις, οὐ γάρ με ἔλαθες οὔπω τῶν δευτέρων ἐκβάς, πλείω τοῦ δέοντος παίζειν. δῆλον γὰρ ὡς ὅπερ ἐγὼ πρὸς ἐκεῖνον ἀπέρριψα, σοὶ τοῦτο ἐκεῖνος ἐμή- νυσε. πρότερον μὲν οὖν ἤκουόν σε μέλλειν ἐκεῖσε τρέχειν καὶ πολὺ τοῦτο ἦν, ὡς μέλλεις, νῦν δ’ ἀκούω σοι τὸ μένειν ἀρέσκειν. ἐδόκεις οὖν μοι τότε μέν, εἰρήσεται γάρ, ἐκπε- πλευκέναι σαυτοῦ, νῦν δὲ ἐπανήκειν εἰς σαυτόν. οὐ γὰρ ἐν τοσαύταις ἀρχόντων νιφάσι σὲ μόνον ἰδιωτεύειν δεινόν, ἀλλ’ εἰ νῦν ἄρξεις, ἐν ᾧ τοσοῦτοι, τοῦτο οὐκ ἀνεκτόν. ἐλθεῖν μὲν οὖν σε παρὰ φίλον, εἰ καὶ μὴ μέτριον τοῦτο ἄλλῳ φίλῳ, παρ’ ὃν οὐκ ἦλθες, ἔχει τι σχήματος, γενέσθαι δέ σε δῆλον ἀρχῆς εἵνεκα Νικαίαν ἐκλιπόντα οὐκ ἴσον. ἰδού ποταμῶν ἄνω. συμβουλεύω μὲν ἐγώ, σὺ δὲ ἃ πράττων ἀμείνων ἔση, μανθάνεις.