Letter 129: Chrysostom praises Marcianus and Marcellinus as a beloved pair joined by love.

How beautiful your pair is, and how much we long for you: joined not only by the law of nature, but by the chain of intense love. We take pride in your friendship and long to meet you face to face. Since that is not possible for now, we do what is possible. We write constantly, remember you continually, and carry you in our mind wherever we are. The length of the road does not separate us even a little from your good order. Love has wings like that: it easily crosses roads and distances and rises above the pressure of circumstances. So although we are held by many troubles, wilderness, siege, and repeated attacks by bandits, none of this has made us more careless in loving you. We keep our affection for you always in bloom. Therefore we ask you to write more often and send us good news of your health. You know what consolation we will receive from this while sitting in the wilderness.

ΡΚΘʹ. Μαρκιανῷ καὶ Μαρκελλίνῳ. Ὡς καλὴ ὑμῶν ἡ ξυνωρὶς, καὶ σφόδρα ἡμῖν ποθεινὴ, οὐ νόμῳ φύσεως μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἀγάπης σφοδροτάτης ἀλύσει συνδεδεμένη. ∆ιὰ ταῦτα καλλωπιζόμεθα ὑμῶν τῇ φιλίᾳ ἐναβρυνόμενοι, καὶ ἐπιθυμοῦμεν καὶ τῆς κατ' ὄψιν συντυχίας μετασχεῖν. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ τοῦτο τέως οὐκ ἔνι, ὅπερ ἔνι ποιοῦμεν, γράφομεν συνεχῶς, μεμνήμεθα διηνεκῶς, ἐπὶ διανοίας ὑμᾶς πανταχοῦ περιφέρομεν, ὅπουπερ ἂν ὦμεν, οὐδὲ μικρὸν τῷ μήκει τῆς ὁδοῦ διειργόμεθα τῆς ἐμμελείας τῆς ὑμετέρας. Τοιοῦτον γὰρ τῆς ἀγάπης τὸ πτερόν· καὶ ὁδὸν καὶ διάστημα εὐκόλως περᾷ, καὶ πραγμάτων περιστάσεως ὑψηλότερον γίνεται. ∆ιὸ καὶ ἡμεῖς, καίτοι πολλαῖς συνεχόμενοι θλίψεσιν, ἐρημίαις, πολιορκίαις, συνεχέσιν ἐφόδοις λῃστρικαῖς, οὐδενὶ τούτων ῥᾳθυμότεροι περὶ τὸ φιλεῖν ὑμᾶς γεγενήμεθα, ἀλλ' ἀνθοῦσαν διηνεκῶς τὴν περὶ ὑμᾶς διατηροῦμεν διάθεσιν. ∆ιὸ καὶ παρακαλοῦμεν συνεχέστερον ἡμῖν ἐπιστέλλειν τὰ περὶ τῆς ὑγείας τῆς ὑμετέρας εὐαγγελιζομένους. Ἴστε γὰρ αὐτοὶ ὅσην ἐντεῦθεν καρπωσόμεθα καὶ ἐν ἐρημίᾳ καθήμενοι τὴν παράκλησιν.