Libanius → Demetrios
Tradução moderna em inglês
To Demetrius. (362)
The moment I received your letter, in which you asked for the restoration of the old honors, I ran to the excellent Salutius and listed those who had received them — the same ones you named to me. "Grant it, then," I said, "after so many others, to the man who should have received it before them all." "What 'many others'?" he replied. And then I learned that someone had deceived you with words, and you in turn had deceived me.
So now I sit and watch, waiting to see if anyone at all will receive any of the former privileges, ready to seize the chance. Let us be patient until some god repeals the second law.
Texto latino / grego
Δημητρίῳ. (362) Εὖθύς ὡς ἔλαβόν σου τὴν ἐπιστολήν, ἐν ᾗ τὸ μέτρον ἀπῄτεις τῶν παλαιῶν τιμῶν, ἔδραμον πρὸς τὸν χρηστὸν Σαλούτιον καὶ διεξῆλθον τοὺς εἰληφότας, οὓς καὶ σὺ πρὸς ἐμέ. δὸς τοίνυν, ὡς ἔφην, μετὰ πολλοὺς ᾧ δεδωκέναι πρὸ τῶν ἄλλων ἐχρῆν, ποίους ἔφη πολλούς; καὶ τότε ἄρα ἐμάνθανον ὡς σὲ μὲν λόγοις τις ἐξηπάτηκε, σὺ δὲ ἐμέ. καὶ νῦν κάθημαι φυλάττων, εἴ τινι τῶν πάντων ἔσται τι τῶν προτέρων, ὡς ἁρπασόμενος. καὶ στέρξωμεν, ἕως ἄν τις δαιμό- νων τὸν δεύτερον λύσῃ νόμον.