The writer addresses a powerful military leader with ironic praise, portraying him as a protector whose ambitions have in fact caused great hardship. He highlights the unequal treatment of the Scythians and the Persians – while the former are taken under the King of Persia’s protection and granted security and freedom of movement, the latter are left without food, medical supplies, or any means of obtaining them. The letter ends with a humble but pointed plea for compassion: the writer asks for a signed pass allowing free movement to Geneva or Switzerland to survive.