Letter 655: "Now let Earth know this, and the broad sky above" — and I will add, if you like, the Styx and all the other gods —...

To Fortunatianus. (361) Let Earth now be witness to this, and the broad Heaven above, and I add, if you wish, the Styx as well and the other gods, that truly that letter arrived at the fitting time and that nothing was done by contrivance. But it is perhaps not well done of you to spare your servants while sparing nothing against your friends, and, in order that you may clear those servants from blame, to fasten the charges upon these friends. But concerning these matters we shall plead our case a little later, with Celsus casting his vote; and as for the Bacchian feast, know that absence has for the most part blunted it for us. For there is no one to whom we could speak the things from the heart, but one must either keep silent or, having spoken, repent and rebuke one's tongue, because it blurted out what had better been left unsaid. And I suppose that the same thing has beset you too, silence or fear. So then, in order that both we may enjoy you and you us, and that each of us may through the other enjoy freedom, throw open the doors to your lips and show yourself.

Φουρτουνατιανῷ. (361) ἴστω νῦν τόδε γαῖς καὶ οὐρανὸς εὐρὺς ὕπερθεν, προστίθημι δέ, εἰ βούλει, καὶ Στύγα καὶ τοὺς ἄλλους θεούς, ἡ μὴν τὴν ἐπιστολὴν ἐκείνην τοῦ προσήκοντος τετυχηκέναι χρόνου καὶ μηδὲν πεπρᾶχθαι τέχνῃ. σοὶ δὲ ἴσως οὐ καλῶς ἴχνει φείδεσθαι τῶν οἰκετῶν κατὰ τῶν φίλων καὶ ὅπως ἐκεί- νους ἐξέλοιο μέμψεως, τούτοις περιάπτειν αἰτίας. ἀλλ’ ὑπὲρ μὲν τούτων ὀλίγον ὕστερον διαδικασόμεθα Κέλσου τὴν ψῆφον τιθεμένου, τῆς Βακχείας δὲ ἡμῖν ἴσθι τὸ πλέον ἀμ- βλύνας ὑπὸ τῆς ἀπουσίας. οὐ γὰρ ἔστιν ὅτῳ ἂν τἀπὸ καρδίας λέγοιμεν, ἀλλ’ ἢ δεῖ σιγᾶν ἢ εἰπόντα μετεγνωκέναι καὶ ἐπιτι- μᾶν τῇ γλώττῃ, ὅτι ἐξελάλησεν ὅπερ τ᾿ ἄρρητον ἄμεινον. οἶμαι δὲ καὶ σὲ ταὐτὸν περιεστηκέναι, σιγὴν ἢ φόβον. ὅπως οὖν ἡμεῖς τε σοῦ σύ τε ἡμῶν ἀπολαύοις ἑκάτεροί τε δι’ ἀλ- λήλων ἐλευθερίας, τοῖς στόμασιν ἄνοιγε τὰς θύρας φανείς.