To Justinus, Praetor of Sicily, on Friendship and the Grain Supply

Gregory to Justinus, praetor of Sicily. [a]

What my tongue says, my conscience approves; for even before you had taken up the duties of any office of rank, I loved and respected you greatly. The very modesty of your bearing began to lay claim to affection even from one who had been unwilling. And when I heard that you had come to govern Sicily as praetor, I rejoiced greatly. But since I have found that a certain ill feeling is creeping in between you and the clergy, I have been extremely distressed. But now that you are occupied with the charge of civil government, and I with the care of this church government, we can rightly love each other personally so far as we do no harm to the community as a whole. So I beg you by Almighty God, before whose fearful judgment we must give account of our deeds, that your glory always keep the fear of him before your eyes and never let anything come in by which even a slight disagreement might arise between us. Let no gains draw you aside into injustice; let neither the threats nor the favors of anyone turn you from the path of what is right. See how short life is. Think, all you who hold the power of judging, before what judge you must one day go. So we must consider carefully that we will leave all gains behind us here, and that of harmful gains we will carry with us to the judgment only the charges brought against us for them. Those advantages, then, are what we should seek which death can in no way take away, but which the end of this present life will show to be such as last forever.

As for what you write about the grain, the magnificent Citonatus states something very different: that no more has been sent than what was supplied to restock the public granary, in payment of what was due for the past indiction. Pay attention to this matter, for if what is sent falls short at all, it will be the death not of any one person only, but of the whole people together. [b] Now for the management of the estates of the church in Sicily I have sent, under the guidance of God as I believe, a man with whom you will be in full agreement if you are a lover of what is right, as I have found you to be. As for your wish that I should remember you kindly, I confess the truth when I say that, unless some injustice creeps in through the snares of the ancient enemy, I have learned your glory’s modesty to be such that I will not blush to be your friend.