Letter 89: Procopius says the search for good books has cost him his dearest friend.

Are you still silent? Am I still among the neglected? Once you kept me surrounded with frequent letters, and it was the sweetest thing to hear you speaking often. Now suddenly you are silent, and I have been robbed of that pleasure. This is what I have gained from good books: while seeking them, I seem to have lost the dearest of all my friends as well. Above all, send the book, and leave nothing behind of your former goodwill. If not, let at least our friendship remain. Then I will seem to have suffered nothing. Tell me also how the school is going for you: whether a crowd of students fences in your theater, and, most important, whether you are reveling in wealth and some Pactolus has flooded your house. May that happen for you. Then I will count the book as already received, and your money in thousands.

Στεφάνωι Ἔτι σιγᾷς; ἔτι τῶν ἠμελημένων ἡμεῖς; καὶ μὴν πάλαι γε πυκνοῖς ἡμᾶς εἶχες τοῖς γράμμασιν, καὶ ἦν ἥδιστόν τι χρῆμα φθεγγομένου πολλάκις ἀκούειν. ἀλλὰ νῦν ἐξαίφνης σιγᾷς καὶ τῆς ἡδονῆς ἐστερήμεθα. τοιαῦτα τῶν χρηστῶν βιβλίων ἀπέλαυσα. ζητῶν γὰρ ἐκεῖνα καὶ τὸν πάντων μοι φίλτα τον προσαπολέσαι δοκῶ. σὺ δὲ μάλιστα μὲν καὶ τὸ βιβλίον ἀπόστειλον καὶ τῆς πρὶν εὐνοίας ἀπολίπῃς μηδέν. εἰ δὲ μή, τὸ γοῦν φίλους εἶναι διαμενέτω. δόξω γὰρ οὕτω πεπονθέναι μηδέν. δήλωσον δέ μοι καὶ ὅπως ὑμῖν ἔχει τὸ φροντιστήριον, καὶ εἰ πλῆθος ὁμιλητῶν σοι περιφράττει τὸ θέατρον, καὶ, τὸ δὴ μέγιστον, εἰ πλούτῳ κωμᾷς, καὶ σοί τις Πακτωλὸς τὴν οἰκίαν ἐπέκλυσε. ταῦτά σοι γινέσθω, καὶ τὸ βιβλίον ἐσχήκαμεν καί σοι λοιπὸν εἰς χιλιάδας ἀριθμεῖται τὸ νόμισμα.