Letter 34: Chrysostom thanks Carteria for a medicinal gift but most wants news of her health.

This too comes from your love, from a concerned soul so strongly disposed toward us: not only did you send the polyarchion [a medicinal preparation], you also considered how it might be useful and added both nard and sweet oil, correcting the dryness caused by the long journey. You prepared this yourself and did not entrust it to others, and you cared not merely for speed but for the thing to be done properly. That, especially, has made us marvel at your disposition toward us. For this reason we thank you, with only one complaint: in your letter you did not send what mattered most to us, namely good news of your health. We are now anxious because we do not know the state of your illness. If you would quickly send a letter telling us that the sickness has lessened, you would grant us the greatest favor. Knowing how much we long to learn that you have recovered from this weakness, give us this joy, which in this harsh desert and siege will be no small comfort.

Λ∆ʹ. Καρτερίᾳ. Καὶ τοῦτο τῆς ἀγάπης τῆς σῆς, τῆς μεμεριμνημένης ψυχῆς τῆς σφοδρῶς περὶ ἡμᾶς διακειμένης, τὸ μὴ μόνον ἀποστεῖλαι τὸ πολυάρχιον, ἀλλὰ καὶ σκοπῆσαι ὅπως ἂν γένοιτο χρήσιμον, προσθεῖναί τε αὐτῷ τό τε νάρδινον, καὶ τὸ γλεύκινον ἔλαιον, διορθοῦντα αὐτοῦ τὴν ἀπὸ τῆς μακρᾶς ἀποδημίας ξηρότητα. Καὶ τὸ αὐτὴν καὶ κατασκευάσαι τοῦτο, καὶ μὴ ἑτέροις ἐπιτρέψαι, καὶ μὴ τῆς ταχύτητος γενέσθαι, ἀλλὰ τοῦ γενέσθαι σπουδαῖον αὐτὸ, καὶ τοῦτο μάλιστα ἐκπλήττεσθαι ἡμᾶς τὴν διάθεσιν τὴν περὶ ἡμᾶς πεποίηκε. ∆ιὰ τοῦτό σοι χάριτας ὁμολογοῦμεν ἓν μόνον ἐγκαλοῦντες, ὅτι, ὃ μάλιστα περισπούδαστον ἦν ἡμῖν, τοῦτο οὐκ ἔπεμψας διὰ τῶν γραμμάτων, τὰ εὐαγγέλια λέγω τῆς σῆς ὑγείας. Καὶ ὡς νῦν ἐν φροντίδι καθεστήκαμεν, οὐκ εἰδότες οἷα τῆς ἀῤῥωστίας ἕστηκε τῆς σῆς· οὕτως ἂν διὰ τάχους ἡμῖν πέμψῃς γράμματα ἀπαγγέλλοντα ἡμῖν, ὅτι λέλυται τὰ τῆς νόσου, τὰ μέγιστα ἡμῖν χαριῇ. Εἰδυῖα τοίνυν ὅπως σφόδρα ἐπιθυμοῦμεν μαθεῖν, ὅτι δὴ ἐκ τῆς ἀσθενείας ταύτης ἀνήνεγκας, χαρίζου ἡμῖν ταύτην τὴν εὐφροσύνην, ἐν τῇ χαλεπωτάτῃ ταύτῃ ἐρημίᾳ τε καὶ πολιορκίᾳ οὐ μικρὰν ἐσομένην ἡμῖν παράκλησιν.