Letter 72: Chrysostom praises Alphius's generosity to those in need and asks for household news.

Although we are settled far from you, when we hear of your achievements and the great generosity you show toward those in need, we leap for joy, are glad, and rejoice. We wanted to meet your honor in person and, being present, express our many thanks to you face to face. But this is not possible at present because the Isaurian troubles have intensified and the whole road has been blocked. I know well that if this were not so, you yourself would have come and would have made great haste to run to us. Since this is not possible for now, we write and greet your honor, and we continually entreat you, whenever possible, to write to us and announce the good news of your health and that of your whole household. Even while sitting here, we will reap no ordinary comfort from such letters from your honor.

ΟΒʹ. Ἀλφίῳ. Ἡμεῖς εἰ καὶ πόῤῥω σου καθήμεθα, ἀλλ' ἀκούοντές σου τὰ κατορθώματα, καὶ τὴν πολλὴν μεγαλοψυχίαν, ἣν περὶ τοὺς δεομένους ἐπιδείκνυσαι, σκιρτῶμεν, εὐφραινόμεθα, χαίρομεν. Καὶ ἐβουλόμεθα μὲν καὶ κατ' ὄψιν συντυχεῖν σου τῇ τιμιότητι, καὶ πολλὰς παρόντι παρόντας ὁμολογῆσαί σοι χάριτας. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ τοῦτο τέως οὐκ ἔνι, διὰ τὸ τὰ Ἰσαυρικὰ μὲν ἐπιταθῆναι πλέον, καὶ πᾶσαν ἀποτετειχίσθαι τὴν ὁδόν· εὖ γὰρ οἶδ' ὅτι εἰ μὴ τοῦτο ἦν, καὶ αὐτὸς παρεγένου, καὶ πολλὴν ἐποιήσω σπουδὴν δραμεῖν ἕως ἡμῶν· ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ τοῦτο τέως οὐ δυνατὸν, καὶ γράφομεν, καὶ προσαγορεύομέν σου τὴν τιμιότητα, καὶ παρακαλοῦμεν συνεχῶς, ἡνίκα ἂν ἐξῇ, ἐπιστέλλειν ἡμῖν, καὶ τὰ περὶ τῆς ὑγείας σου, καὶ τοῦ οἴκου σου παντὸς ἡμῖν εὐαγγελίζεσθαι. Οὐ γὰρ τὴν τυχοῦσαν, καὶ ἐνταῦθα καθήμενοι, ἀπὸ τῶν τοιούτων γραμμάτων τῆς σῆς τιμιότητος καρπωσόμεθα τὴν παράκλησιν.