Letter 806

To Maximus. (363 AD) "I ask for Arcadia — a great thing I ask." But changing the last word I shall say: you will give it, for you have already given many other things greater than Arcadia, when you freed so many Armenians who had been led under the yoke for no short time. Now then, that this Leontius not experience the yoke is something I must work for and you must weigh in on. This Leontius has long been an associate of mine, and it is no wonder that a Galatian should be my friend. It would not have been right for me not to be eager to help, and if I fail in my request I shall earn a reputation for rashness — if I hoped to obtain such things from you when you are not yet so great in power. So that both those you govern and those among whom you live may know the greatness of our friendship, preserve this man for us in his present condition. In doing this you will not deprive the military service under you of what belongs to it, but will prevent it from unjustly acquiring more. I would wish it to become great under you, but I see that everything unjust is neither honorable nor lasting. I hear that those dragging him into that labor have nothing to say about why it must be done except that they want it. Teach them not to lay hands on everyone, and if persuasion fails, compel them. Leontius would gain secure release if, after hearing his case, you determined that he has no connection whatsoever to those dragging him off. If you do not do this, you will have produced not a resolution of his fears but merely a postponement — and that is Tantalus, dreading the stone.

Μαξίμῳ. (363) Ἀρκαδίην δε αἰτῶ, μέγα αἰτῶ. τὸ δὲ ἀκροτελεύτιον μεταθεὶς ἐρῶ ὅτι δώσεις πολλὰ γὰρ δὴ καὶ ἕτερα δέδωκας μείζω τῆς Ἀρκαδίας, ἡνίκα Ἀρμενίων τόσους καὶ τόσους ἀγο- μένους ὑπὸ ζυγὸν χρόνον οὐκ ὀλίγον ἀφῆκας ἐλευθέρους. καὶ νῦν τοίνυν ὅπως οὑτοσὶ Λεόντιος μὴ λάβῃ πεῖραν ζυγοῦ, σπουδαστέον τε ἐμοὶ καὶ σοὶ συμβυλευτέον. γέγονε δέ μοι πάλαι συνήθης ὁ Λεόντιος οὗτος καὶ θαυμαστὸν οὐδὲν εἶναί τινα Γαλατῶν ἐμοὶ φίλον. οὔτ᾿ οὖν μὴ προθυμεῖσθαι βοηθεῖν εἶχε καλῶς κἂν μὴ τύχω δεηθείς δόξαν οἴσομαι κου- φότητος, εἰ καὶ τοιούτων ἤλπισα τεύξεσθαι παρὰ σοῦ μήπω τηλικοῦτος ὤν. ἵν’ οὖν τὸ μέγεθος τῆς ἡμετέρας γνῶσι φιλίας καὶ ὧν ἄρχεις καὶ παρ’ οἷς οἰκεῖς, τήρησον ἡμῖν τὸν ἄνθρωπον ἐφ’ οὗπερ νῦν ἐστι σχήματος. τοῦτο δὲ ποιῶν οὐ τῶν αὑτῆς στερήσεις τὴν ὑπὸ σοὶ στρατείαν, ἀλλὰ κωλύσεις ἀδικοῦσαν προσλαβεῖν. ἐγὼ δὲ αὐτὴν γίγνεσθαι μὲν ὑπὸ σοῦ μεγάλην βουλοίμην ἄν, ὁρῶ δὲ ὅτι πᾶν, ὃ μὴ δίκαιον, οὔτε καλὸν οὔτε μόνιμον. ἀκούω δὲ τοὺς ἕλκοντας αὐτὸν εἰς ἐκεῖνον τὸν πόνον οὐδὲν ἔχειν εἰπεῖν, δι’ ὃ δεῖ τοῦτο ποιεῖν, ἢ ὅτι βούλονται. ἀλλὰ σύ γε αὐτοὺς δίδασκε μὴ πάντων ἅπτεσθαι, καὶ μὴ πείθων ἀνάγκαζε. γένοιτο δ’ ἂν ἀπαλλαγὴ τῷ Λεοντίῳ βεβαίως, εἰ λέγοντος ἀκούσας γνοίης αὐτὸν μηδαμόθεν τοῖς ἕλκουσι προσήκειν· ὡς μὴ τοῦτο ποιήσας οὐ λύσιν τῶν φόβωι, ἀλλ’ ἀναβολὰς εἰργάσω, τοῦτο δέ ἐστιν ὁ Τάνταλος δεδοικὼς τὸν λίθον.