Letter 117: Dorotheus's praise sends Procopius flying through fame until friendship's exaggeration becomes clear.

You were evidently a formidable man at fastening wings onto whomever you wished and showing him suspended in the air. Winged by your letter, I seemed to be everywhere, as you said, through reputation. I roamed all the cities people inhabit; I traveled as far as the nations beyond the frontier, carried by a light mind. Every people seemed to crown me for eloquence. In short, because of your letter I no longer knew what I appeared to be, until one of your gods snatched me down from your wings. Only when the wandering had barely stopped did I say, "What is happening to me? Look at the writer and reckon with his goodwill, and you will marvel at how powerfully the longing of friendship knows how to persuade. It makes a person think unreal things are real and honor false things as truth." That, I think, is why you are insatiable in praise. You say everything easily and still think it less than what exists. Your affection is the measure of your praise, and it thinks nothing sufficient for praise. But stop, by Zeus of Friendship, writing such things to a small man who looks at himself and blushes at the letters he receives.

Δωροθέωι Δεινὸς ἄρα τις ἦσθα πτερὰ περιβάλλειν ᾧπερ ἂν ἐθέλῃς, καὶ δεικνύναι μετάρσιον. σοῖς γὰρ γράμμασι πτερωθεὶς πανταχοῦ μὲν ἐδόκουν εἶναι, καθ άπερ ἔφης, τῇ φήμῃ, περιεπόλουν δὲ πόλεις ὁπόσας ἄνθρωποι νέμονται, καὶ μέχρι τῶν βαρβάρων διῄειν κούφῃ διανοίᾳ φερόμενος, καὶ πᾶν ἔθνος ἐπὶ λόγοις ἐδόκει με στεφανοῦν, καὶ ἁπλῶς εἰπεῖν διὰ τὴν σὴν ἐπιστολὴν ἠγνόουν ὅ τι καὶ φένωμαι, ἕως μέ τις θεῶν τῶν σῶν ἀνήρπασε πτερῶν. καὶ τῆς πλάνης μόλις παυσάμενος "τί ταῦτα πάσχω;" φημί, "σκόπει τὸν γρά ψαντα καὶ λογίζου τὴν εὔνοιαν, καὶ θαυμάσεις ὅσα πείθειν οἶδε τῆς φιλίας ὁ πόθος. καὶ τὰ μὴ ὄντα γὰρ ἡγεῖσθαι ποιεῖ καὶ τὰ ψευδῆ τιμᾶν ὡς ἀλή θειαν." ἐντεῦθεν, οἶμαι, τῶν ἐπαίνων ἀπλήστως ἔχεις, καὶ πάντα λέγων εὐχερῶς καὶ ταῦτα δοκεῖς τῶν ὑπαρχόντων ἐλάττονα. μέτρον δέ σοι τῶν ἐπαίνων ἡ γνώμη, μηδὲν ἀρκεῖν ἡγουμένη πρὸς ἔπαινον. ἀλλ' ἐπίσχες, πρὸς Φιλίου, τοιαῦτα γράφων πρὸς ἄνδρα μικρὸν εἰς ἑαυτὸν ὁρῶντα καὶ τοῖς γράμμασιν αἰσχυνόμενον.