Letter 52: Procopius says Silanus gave him two bright days of hope before disappointment.

You struck me out of a hope so great that you could not describe it. When I took your earlier letter into my hands and learned from it that you would soon return to me, I rejoiced, breathed deeply with pleasure, and said, "O Zeus, may this happen." So day after day I was lifted into the air and walked on a light hope, constantly saying, "Will I ever see him and greet him after so long?" and "May I be with him again." But when the time passed beyond expectation, I did not even think it worth writing. People say this can be an irritant of love: by seeming to be despised, you might hurry all the more toward me, wishing to reproach me for not remembering friends. You seem to have become my Stratocles the rhetor. When the Athenians had been defeated and did not know their fortune, he announced a victory to them. At once the city stood upright, gave itself over to celebration, and though unfortunate, rejoiced. When the truth was announced and appearance was no more, Stratocles said, "What wrong did I do if for two days at least you became happier through me, and the appearance was a gain?" But since a matter of one's mother, Pindar thinks, stands above business, may your fatherland see you soon, and after her, may I see you too.

Σιλανῷ Ἐξέκρουσας ἡμᾶς ἐλπίδος οὐκ ἂν εἰπεῖν ἔχοις ὁπόσης. ἐγὼ γάρ σου τὴν προτέραν ἐπιστολὴν εἰς χεῖρας λαβὼν καὶ γνοὺς ἐξ αὐτῆς ὡς μικρὸν ὕστερον ἡμῖν ἐπανήξεις, ἥσθην τε καὶ μέγα ὑφ' ἡδονῆς ἀναπνεύσας ἔφην· «ἀλλ' ὦ Ζεῦ, γένοιτο ταῦτα». τοιγαροῦν μετέωρος ἦν ὁσημέραι καὶ ἐπὶ κούφης ἔβαινον τῆς ἐλπίδος, πυκνὰ δὴ λέγων· «ἆρά ποτε ὄψομαι καὶ προσείπω χρόνιον» καὶ «γενοίμην αὖθις σὺν ἐκείνῳ». ὡς δὲ χρόνος ἦν παρ' ἐλπίδας, οὐδὲ γράφειν ἠξίουν, ἐρέθισμά φασιν ἔρωτος τοῦτο ποιῶν, ὅπως ἂν καταφρονεῖσθαι δοκῶν, ἔτι μᾶλλον ἐπείγοιο πρὸς ἡμᾶς, ὀνειδίσαι θέλων τὸ μὴ φίλων μεμνῆσθαι. καί μοι δοκεῖς Στρατοκλῆς ἡμῖν ὁ ῥήτωρ γενέσθαι. ἐκεῖνος γὰρ ἡττωμένοις τοῖς Ἀθηναίοις καὶ τὴν τύχην ἀγνοοῦσι νίκην ἀπήγγειλεν. εὐθὺς οὖν ἡ πόλις ὀρθή, καὶ παίζειν ἀνεῖτο, καὶ δυστυχοῦντες ηὐφραίνοντο. ὡς δὲ τἀληθὲς ἠγγέλθη καὶ τὸ δοκεῖν ἦν οὐκέτι, «τί γάρ» φησιν ὁ Στρατοκλῆς «ἠδίκουν, εἰ δυοῖν γοῦν ἡμέραιν ἡδίους γεγόνατε δι' ἐμὲ καὶ κέρδος ἦν τὸ δοκεῖν;» ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ μητρὸς πρᾶγμα καὶ ἀσχολίας ὑπέρτερον τῷ Πινδάρῳ δοκεῖ, ἴδοι σε θᾶττον ἡ πατρίς, καὶ μετ' ἐκείνην ἡμεῖς.