Letter 864: Libanius asks Eutychianus to prevent a poor woman from suffering another injury after giving birth in prison.

You know how I feel toward people in distress. If I see someone wounded by Fortune, I pity them, and if I can do anything to help, I do not hesitate. You have often seen this in me, and you have judged me kind, praised me for it, and asked the gods to grant me some good in return. I am the same man now. There is a poor woman who has given birth in prison, though the written orders did not intend this, and now she is being driven from her home. I would like her, through you, not to suffer a second blow. I am quite sure you will not start calculating staters, as that notorious man would; rather, you will count the very act of giving in such circumstances as your profit. As for our embassy, I could say a good deal, but I keep silent out of respect for you, and also so that what happens may be entirely yours: the work of a man who has taken pains and urged himself to act.

1. Οἶσθα ὅτι πάσχω τι πρὸς τοὺς ἀτυχοῦντας, κἂν ἴδω τινὰ τετρωμένον ὑπὸ τῆς Τύχης, ἐλεῶ τε καὶ εἴ τι δυναίμην εὖ ποιεῖν, οὐ κατοκνῶ. ταυτὶ δὲ δρῶν σὺ πολλάκις χρηστόν τε ἡγήσω με καὶ ἐπῄνεσας καὶ παρὰ τῶν θεῶν ᾔτησας ἀντὶ τούτων ἀγαθόν τί μοι γενέσθαι. 2. καὶ νῦν τοίνυν ὁ αὐτός εἰμι καὶ γυναῖκα πένητα τεκοῦσαν ἐν τῷ δεσμωτηρίῳ τῶν γραμμάτων οὐ τοῦτο βουλομένων, εἶτα καὶ τῆς οἰκείας ἐκβαλλομένην βουλοίμην ἂν διὰ σοῦ μὴ τὸ δεύτερον παθεῖν. πάντως δὲ οὐ μεμνήσῃ στατήρων, τοῦτο δὴ τὸ τοῦ δεῖνος, ἀλλ’ αὐτὸ κέρδος ἡγήσῃ τὸ τὰ τοιαῦτα δεδωκέναι. 3. περὶ δὲ τῆς παρ’ ἡμῶν πρεσβείας ἔχων εἰπεῖν οὐκ ὀλίγα σιωπῶ τιμῶν σε τῇ σιωπῇ καὶ ἵν’ ὅλον σὸν τὸ γενησόμενον ᾖ σοῦ καὶ πεπονηκότος καὶ σαυτὸν παρακαλέσαντος.