Letter 24: Procopius sentences his brothers to repay silence with a flood of letters.

Let winter carry away the blame for your earlier silence, since winter is accustomed to cause such troubles. But if there is any silence from now on, you would rightly bear the responsibility. How great a thing the silence of beloved people is to those who long for them - how could anyone explain it to people who have not experienced it? You, however, would certainly know, since you are lovingly disposed toward friends. I would not be so proud as to think I myself am loved in return by you, though I would pray for that more than for heaps of gold or the highest possible fortune. Then each of you, unable to be idle because of longing, would certainly console my love. If there is nothing of that kind, and if you will still be silent, then I, having suffered such things, will bring a charge. Some judge experienced in love will hear the case and decide what you should suffer or pay. Better: the suffering will be removed, so that you do not grieve me, your lover, again. He will sentence you to pay so many letters that their number will make up for the silence of the time already past.

Ζαχαρίαι καὶ Φιλίππωι Τῆς μὲν προλαβούσης σιωπῆς τὴν αἰτίαν ὁ χειμὼν ἀποφερέσθω τὰ εἰωθότα λυπῶν· τῆς δ' ἐντεῦθεν, εἴ τις ἄρα καὶ γένοιτο, ὑμεῖς ἂν εἰκότως ὑπέχοιτε τὰς εὐθύνας. καίτοι γε ἡλίκον τοῖς ποθοῦσι πρᾶγμα τῶν παιδικῶν ἡ σιγή, πῶς ἄν τις παραστήσαι τοῖς μὴ πρὸς πεῖραν ἐλθοῦσι τοῦ πράγματος; ὑμεῖς δ' ἂν εἰδείητε πάντως, περὶ φίλους διατεθέντες ἐρωτικῶς· οὐ γὰρ ἂν τοσοῦτον φρονήσαιμι ὡς καὶ αὐτὸς οἴεσθαι παρ' ὑμῶν ἀντερᾶσθαι. καίτοι εὐξαίμην ἄν μοι τοῦτο γενέσθαι μᾶλλον ἢ πολλῷ κομᾶν τῷ χρυσῷ καὶ ἡστινοσοῦν τύχης εἰς ἄκρον ἀφῖχθαι. οὕτω γὰρ ἂν ἕκαστος, ῥαθυμεῖν οὐκ ἔχων διὰ τὸν πόθον, ἐμοῦ πάντως ἂν παραμυθοῖτο τὸν ἔρωτα. εἰ δὲ τοιοῦτο μὲν οὐδέν, ἔτι δὲ σιωπήσεσθε, κατηγορήσω μὲν ἐγὼ τοιαῦτα παθών, κρινεῖ δέ τις ἐρωτικὸς δικαστής, καὶ ψηφιεῖται ὅ τι χρὴ παθεῖν ὑμᾶς ἢ ἀποτεῖσαι. μᾶλλον δὲ τὸ μὲν παθεῖν ἀπέσται, ἵνα μὴ τὸν ἐρῶντά με πάλιν λυπήσητε, ψηφιεῖται δὲ ὑμᾶς ἀποτεῖσαι τοσαύτας ἐπιστολὰς ὥστε τῷ πλήθει τοῦ προλαβόντος χρόνου παραμυθεῖσθαι τὴν σιωπήν.