Letter 124: Chrysostom congratulates Gemellus's city because his office will let him protect the wronged.

Others congratulate your Magnificence on your office; I congratulate the city, and your own greatness as well. I do not rejoice because the office has made you higher, for you have long been above such things, but because it has given you a chance to show many people your wisdom and gentleness freely, and to gather profit from it. I know well that you can teach even those fixed to the earth and gaping after these dreams, by which I mean popular reputation, that a ruler is not made by cloak, belt, or herald's voice. A ruler is shown by restoring what has been damaged, correcting what is wrong, punishing injustice, and not allowing justice to be driven out by power. I know your boldness, freedom of speech, high-mindedness, contempt for worldly things, hatred of wickedness, gentleness, and love for humankind, which a ruler needs above all. For this reason I know clearly that you will be a harbor for the shipwrecked, a staff for those bent to the knee, and a tower for those attacked by unjust power. Sitting in exile and surrounded by many difficulties, I am full of joy, because I count help given to the wronged as my own delight.

ΡΚ∆ʹ. Γεμέλλῳ. Ἄλλοι μὲν τῇ θαυμασιότητί σου συνήδονται τῆς ἀρχῆς, ἐγὼ δὲ τῇ πόλει, καὶ τῇ μεγαλοπρεπείᾳ δὲ τῇ σῇ, οὐ διὰ τὴν ἐντεῦθεν τιμὴν ὑψηλότερος γὰρ τῶν τοιούτων μεμελέτηκας εἶναι, ἀλλὰ διὰ τὸ λαβεῖν ἀφορμὴν τὴν παρέχουσάν σοι μετὰ πολλῆς τῆς ἀδείας καὶ τοῖς πολλοῖς δεῖξαι τὴν σύνεσίν σου, καὶ τὴν ἡμερότητα, καὶ τὸ ἐντεῦθεν κέρδος συναγαγεῖν. Εὖ γὰρ οἶδα ὅτι καὶ τοὺς σφόδρα τῇ γῇ προσηλωμένους, καὶ πρὸς τὰ ὀνείρατα ταῦτα κεχηνότας, λέγω δὴ τὴν παρὰ τῶν πολλῶν δόξαν, παιδεῦσαι δυνήσῃ, ὅτι οὐκ ἐν τῇ χλανίδι, καὶ τῇ ζώνῃ, οὐδὲ ἐν τῇ φωνῇ τοῦ κήρυκος ὁ ἄρχων, ἀλλ' ἐν τῷ τὰ πεπονηκότα ἀνακτᾶσθαι, καὶ τὰ κακῶς ἔχοντα διορθοῦν, καὶ κολάζειν μὲν ἀδικίαν, μὴ συγχωρεῖν δὲ ὑπὸ δυναστείας τὸ δίκαιον ἀπελαύνεσθαι. Καὶ γὰρ οἶδά σου τὴν παῤῥησίαν, τὴν ἐλευθεροστομίαν, τῆς διανοίας τὸ ὕψος, τὴν τῶν βιωτικῶν ὑπεροψίαν, τὸ μισοπόνηρον, τὸ ἥμερον, τὸ φιλάνθρωπον, οὗ μάλιστα ἄρχοντι δεῖ. ∆ιὸ κἀκεῖνο οἶδα σαφῶς, ὅτι λιμὴν ἔσῃ τῶν ναυαγούντων, βακτηρία τῶν ἐπὶ γόνυ κλιθέντων, πύργος τῶν ὑπὸ δυναστείας ἀδίκου πολεμουμένων· καὶ ἔσῃ ταῦτα ῥᾳδίως. Οὐδὲ γὰρ πόνου σοι δεῖ, οὐδὲ ἱδρῶτος, οὐδὲ χρόνου μακροῦ εἰς τὸ κατορθοῦν ταῦτα· ἀλλ' ὥσπερ ὁ ἥλιος ὁμοῦ τε φαίνεται, καὶ πάντα λύει ζόφον· οὕτω καὶ αὐτὸς ἐπὶ τοῦ θρόνου φανεὶς, εὖ οἶδ' ὅτι ἐκ πρώτης ἡμέρας τούς τε ἀδικεῖν ἐπιχειροῦντας ἀνέστειλας, τούς τε ἀδικουμένους, καὶ πρὶν εἰς τὸ δικαστήριον εἰσελθεῖν, πάσης ἐπηρείας ἀπήλλαξας· καὶ ἤρκεσεν εἰς τὴν τούτου διόρθωσιν ἡ τῆς φιλοσόφου σου ψυχῆς ὑπόληψις. ∆ιὰ ταῦτα καίτοι ἐν ἐρημίᾳ καθήμενος, καὶ πολλαῖς συνεχόμενος περιστάσεσι, πολλῆς γέμω τῆς εὐφροσύνης, ἡμετέραν ἡδονὴν τὴν τῶν ἀδικουμένων συμμαχίαν ἡγούμενος.