Letter 75: Chrysostom asks Harmatius for letters rather than material help through servants.

What is this? You have given much authority, so that we may freely command your people in whatever we need, but you have deprived us of what we need most: your letters, which report your health to us. Do you not know that for those who love most genuinely this is what is most sought and desired, as it is for us now? If, then, you wish to grant us a favor, my most honored master, stop ordering your people to attend to our bodily needs. We need none of these things; everything flows to us as from springs. Instead, through a little paper and ink, provide us the greatest favor, the one we especially desire to enjoy: write to us continually about your health and that of your whole household. If it were possible for us to meet one another, I would both rouse you from home and ask as the greatest favor to see face to face one who is such a warm friend to us. Since fear of the Isaurians has prevented this, at least provide us generously with the consolation that comes from letters, and we will have received everything.

ΟΕʹ. Ἁρματίῳ. Τί τοῦτο; Ἵνα μὲν μετὰ ἀδείας ἐπιτάττωμεν τοῖς σοὶ προσήκουσιν ἀνθρώποις, ἐν οἷς ἂν δεώμεθα, πολλὴν παρέσχες τὴν ἐξουσίαν· οὗ δὲ μάλιστα ἐδεόμεθα, τούτου ἡμᾶς ἀπεστέρησας, τῶν γραμμάτων λέγω τῶν σῶν, τῶν περὶ τῆς ὑγιείας τῆς σῆς ἡμῖν ἀπαγγελλόντων. Οὐκ οἶσθα ὅτι τοῖς μάλιστα φιλοῦσι γνησίως τοῦτο μάλιστα περισπούδαστον καὶ ποθεινὸν, καθάπερ οὖν καὶ ἡμῖν νῦν; Εἰ τοίνυν βούλει ἡμῖν χαρίσασθαι, δέσποτά μου τιμιώτατε, ἀφεὶς τὸ κελεύειν τοῖς σοῖς ἀνθρώποις θεραπεύειν ἡμᾶς ἐν ταῖς χρείαις ταῖς σωματικαῖς οὐδενὸς γὰρ δεόμεθα τούτων, ἀλλὰ πάντα ἡμῖν ὡς ἐκ πηγῶν ἐπιῤῥεῖ, αὐτὸς διὰ χάρτου μικροῦ καὶ μέλανος τὴν μεγίστην ἡμῖν πάρεχε χάριν, καὶ ἧς μάλιστα ἀπολαύειν ἐπιθυμοῦμεν. Αὕτη δέ ἐστι τὸ συνεχῶς ἡμῖν γράφειν περὶ τῆς ὑγιείας τῆς σῆς, καὶ τοῦ οἴκου σου παντός. Εἰ μὲν γὰρ δυνατὸν ἦν καὶ συγγενέσθαι ἡμᾶς ἀλλήλοις, κἂν ἀνέστησά σε οἴκοθεν, κἂν ἐν μεγίστης ᾔτησα χάριτος μέρει, τὸ τὸν θερμόν σε οὕτως ἐραστὴν ἡμῶν ὄντα καὶ κατ' ὄψιν ἰδεῖν αὐτήν. Ἐπεὶ δὲ τοῦτο ὁ τῶν Ἰσαύρων ἐκώλυσε φόβος, τὴν γοῦν ἀπὸ τῶν γραμμάτων ἡμῖν παραμυθίαν πάρεχε δαψιλῶς, καὶ τὸ πᾶν ἀπειλήφαμεν.