Letter 31: Chrysostom renews an old friendship with Marcellinus after mutual silence.

For a long time we have both kept silence toward one another, but we have not forgotten that old and genuine love of yours for us. We preserve it flourishing, and wherever we go we carry it with us, drawing the greatest comfort from it. Now that we have met people traveling to your nobility, we offer the greeting that is due and declare that even if we should be carried to the ends of the inhabited world, we will keep you engraved on our mind and conscience. For people so disposed, both writing and receiving letters from those they love bring great pleasure. Double our joy, then, most honored master. Whenever it is possible, write to us continually and tell us the state of your health. You know how eager we are to learn this, and how great a comfort we will draw from it even while living in a foreign land.

ΛΑʹ. Μαρκελλίνῳ. Μακρὰν μὲν ἐσιγήσαμεν ἀμφότεροι σιγὴν πρὸς ἀλλήλους, τῆς δὲ ἀγάπης σου τῆς ἀρχαίας καὶ γνησίας ἡμῖν ἐκείνης οὐκ ἐπιλελήσμεθα, ἀλλ' ἀκμάζουσαν αὐτὴν διατηροῦμεν, καὶ ὅπουπερ ἂν ἀπίωμεν, αὐτὴν περιφέρομεν, μεγίστην ἐντεῦθεν καρπούμενοι τὴν παράκλησιν. ∆ιὸ δὴ καὶ νῦν ἐπιτυχόντες τῶν πρὸς τὴν σὴν εὐγένειαν ἀφικνουμένων, τήν τε ὀφειλομένην ἀποδιδόαμεν πρόσρησιν, καὶ δηλοῦμεν, ὅτι κἂν πρὸς αὐτὰς ἀπενεχθῶμεν τῆς οἰκουμένης τὰς ἐσχατιὰς, ἔχοντές σε ἄπιμεν ἐν διανοίᾳ ἐγκεκολαμμένον ἡμῶν τῷ συνειδότι. Ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ τοῖς οὕτω διακειμένοις οὐ τὸ γράφειν μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸ δέχεσθαι γράμματα παρὰ τῶν οὕτω φιλουμένων, πολλὴν φέρει τὴν ἡδονὴν, διπλασίασον ἡμῖν τὴν εὐφροσύνην, δέσποτα τιμιώτατε, καὶ ἡνίκα ἂν ἐξῇ, γράφε συνεχῶς ἡμῖν, τὰ περὶ τῆς ὑγιείας τῆς σῆς δηλῶν. Οἶσθα γὰρ ὅπως ἡμῖν περισπούδαστον ταῦτα μανθάνειν, καὶ ὅσην καὶ ἐν ἀλλοτρίᾳ διατρίβοντες, ἐντεῦθεν καρπωσόμεθα τὴν παράκλησιν.