Letter 58: Chrysostom compares Theodosius's letter to honey and asks for continued news of his household.

You have colored your letter with much honey, or rather made it sweeter than honey. For when someone continually partakes of honey's sweetness, it no longer seems as sweet, because satiety destroys the mastery of pleasure. But your letters, which bring us good news of your health, are so far from suffering this fate that they increase our gladness most when they are sent most constantly. You embraced my letter, but I embraced you yourself, the father of the letter. I threw both arms around you, clung to your neck, kissed your dear head, and gained much consolation. I did not think only that your letter had come to me, but that you yourself were present with us and in our company. So great was the power of the letter. Such is the nature of genuine love: even when it pours its streams through letters, it makes one imagine the very source of the letters. That is what we have experienced. Neither time, nor length of road, nor the circumstances of affairs, nor anything else has impeded us in this. Knowing these things, my most admirable master, do not hesitate to write to us continually, telling us about your health, your whole household, and your cheerfulness. You know how eagerly we desire to learn these things.

ΝΗʹ. Θεοδοσίῳ ἀπὸ δουκῶν. Πολλοῦ τοῦ μέλιτος τὴν ἐπιστολὴν ἀνέχρωσας, μᾶλλον δὲ καὶ μέλιτος αὐτὴν ἡδίω πεποίηκας. Τὸ μὲν γὰρ ὅταν συνεχέστερον ὁμιλήσῃ τοῖς ἀπολαύουσιν αὐτοῦ τῆς γλυκύτητος, οὐκ ἔτι ὁμοίως ἡδὺ φαίνεται, τοῦ κόρου τὴν τυραννίδα τῆς ἡδονῆς καταλύοντος· τὰ δὲ γράμματα τὰ σὰ τὴν ὑγίειαν ἡμῖν εὐαγγελιζόμενα τὴν σὴν, τοσοῦτον ἀπέχει τοῦτο παθεῖν, ὅτι καὶ ἐπιτείνει τότε μάλιστα ἡμῖν τὴν εὐφροσύνην, ὅταν συνεχέστερον πέμπηται. Σὺ μὲν οὖν τὴν ἐπιστολὴν περιεπτύξω τὴν ἐμήν· ἐγὼ δὲ αὐτόν σε τὸν πατέρα τῆς ἐπιστολῆς καὶ περιεπτυξάμην, καὶ περιέβαλον ἄμφω τὼ χεῖρε, καὶ τῷ τραχήλῳ περιχυθεὶς, καὶ τὴν φίλην ἐμοὶ φιλήσας κεφαλὴν, πολλὴν ἐκαρπωσάμην τὴν παραμυθίαν. Οὐδὲ γὰρ ἐπιστολὴν ἐνόμιζον σὴν ἐπιέναι μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ αὐτὸν παρεῖναι ἡμῖν καὶ συγγίνεσθαι. Τοσοῦτον ἴσχυσε τῆς ἐπιστολῆς ἡ δύναμις. Τοιοῦτον γὰρ τῆς γνησίας ἀγάπης ἡ φύσις· κἂν διὰ γραμμάτων αὐτῆς προχέῃ τὰ νάματα, αὐτὴν τὴν πηγὴν τῶν γραμμάτων φαντάζεσθαι παρασκευάζει· ὃ δὴ καὶ ἡμεῖς πεπόνθαμεν. Καὶ οὔτε χρόνου πλῆθος, οὔτε ὁδοῦ μῆκος, οὔτε πραγμάτων περίστασις, οὔτε ἄλλο οὐδὲν πρὸς τοῦτο κώλυμα γέγονεν ἡμῖν. Ταῦτ' οὖν εἰδὼς, δέσποτά μου θαυμασιώτατε, ἐπιστέλλειν ἠμῖν συνεχῶς μὴ κατόκνει, περὶ τῆς ὑγείας σου, καὶ τοῦ οἴκου σου παντὸς, καὶ τῆς εὐθυμίας δηλῶν. Οἶσθα γὰρ ὅπως ἡμῖν περισπούδαστον μανθάνειν.