Letter 201: Chrysostom dismisses excuses for Herculius's silence while still asking for health news.

Do not tire yourself seeking an apology for your long silence, my admirable and magnificent master, or taking refuge in the scarcity of letter-carriers. Whether you write or keep silent, our judgment about your love is unchangeable. Your deeds have made it so clear that the whole city knows you as our warm and passionate friend. Still, even though we think this of you, we strongly desire to receive letters from your Admirableness again and again, especially letters telling us of your health. You yourself said that learning about our health is the greatest comfort during separation. You know how much this matters to someone who knows how to love, because you yourself know well how to love. Grant us the same favor, so that even in this great wilderness we may draw much consolation from it.

ΣΑʹ. Ἑρκουλίῳ. Μὴ κάμνε ζητῶν ἀπολογίαν τῆς μακρᾶς σιγῆς, δέσποτά μου θαυμασιώτατε καὶ μεγαλοπρεπέστατε, καὶ ἐπὶ τὴν σπάνιν τῶν γραμματηφόρων καταφεύγων. Ἡμεῖς γὰρ, καὶ γράφοντός σου καὶ σιγῶντος, ἀκίνητόν σου τὴν περὶ τῆς ἀγάπης σου ψῆφον ἔχομεν, ἣν διὰ τῶν ἔργων ἐπεδείξω οὕτω σαφῶς, ὡς πᾶσαν εἰδέναι τὴν πόλιν τὸν θερμὸν ἡμῶν καὶ μανικὸν ἐραστήν. Πλὴν ἀλλὰ καὶ οὕτω διακείμενοι, σφόδρα ἐπιθυμοῦμεν συνεχῶς δέχεσθαι γράμματα παρὰ τῆς σῆς θαυμασιότητος, τὰ περὶ τῆς ὑγείας δηλοῦντα τῆς σῆς. Ὥσπερ γὰρ αὐτὸς μεγίστην ἔφης παραψυχὴν εἶναι τοῦ χωρισμοῦ, τὸ περὶ τῆς ὑγείας τῆς ἡμετέρας μανθάνειν καὶ οἶσθα ἡλίκον τοῦτο ἀνδρὶ φιλεῖν ἐπισταμένῳ, ἐπειδὴ καὶ φιλεῖν οἶσθα καλῶς, οὕτω καὶ ἡμῖν περισπούδαστον τοῦτο. Χαρίζου δὴ ταύτην ἡμῖν τὴν χάριν, ἵνα καὶ ἐν ἐρημίᾳ τοσαύτῃ καθήμενοι, πολλὴν ἐντεῦθεν καρπωσώμεθα τὴν παράκλησιν.