Letter 52

To Urbanus. (359) I did not hesitate to write to you on behalf of a man who has a case in court -- I might even say in his defense. For if he appeared to me to be in the wrong, I would have turned him away. But to give a letter to a man who has justice on his side does no wrong to the judge. After all, if the judge is already telling himself to uphold what is just, what harm is there in hearing the same from someone else? He will reach the same verdict he would have reached without the letter, and he will have the added satisfaction of appearing to have honored a friend.

To Urbanus (359) I have not hesitated to write to you on behalf of a man who has a case before you — and I might add, in his favor as well. For if he had appeared to me to be in the wrong, I would have turned him away; but to a man who has justice on his side, the one who gave him a letter has done the judge no wrong. For if the judge himself urges himself to uphold what is just, what harm is there if he hears from another about what is just? He will reach the same verdict he would have rendered even without my letter, but he will have the added distinction of appearing to have honored a friend.

Οὐρβανῷ. (359) Οὐκ ὤκνησά σοι γράψαι δι’ ἀνδρὸς δικαζομένου, προσ- θείην δ’ ἂν καὶ ὑπὲρ ἀνδρός. εἰ μὲν γὰρ ἀδικεῖν ἐφαίνετό μοι ἂν ἀπηλαύνετο παρ’ ἐμοῦ δίκαια δὲ ἔχοντι λέγειν ὁ δοὺς ἐπιστολὴν οὐκ ἠδίκηκε τὸν δικαστήν. εἰ γὰρ αὐτὸς αὑτὸν παρακαλεῖ τῷ δικαίῳ βοηθεῖν, τί δεινόν, ἂν ἀκούσῃ παρ’ ἄλλου περὶ τῶν δικαίων; γνώσεται μὲν γὰρ ἃ καὶ γραμ- μάτων χωρὶς ἐψηφίζετ’ ἄν, προσέσται δὲ αὐτῷ τὸ καὶ φίλον τετιμηκέναι δοκεῖν