Letter 12: There is a tradition that Alexander of Macedon slept with Homer's poems under his pillow, so that night and day he...

To Maximus the philosopher. There is a tradition that Alexander of Macedon slept with Homer's poems under his pillow, so that night and day he could immerse himself in those martial writings. I sleep with your letters, as though they were some kind of healing medicine, and I never stop rereading them — as if they were freshly written and had just arrived. So if you are willing to give me the next best thing to your actual presence, write — and do not stop. Or better yet: come, with heaven's help. Consider that while you are away, I cannot truly be said to be alive, except insofar as I am able to read what you have written.

To the philosopher Maximus [End of 361 or early in 362. From Constantinople] There is a tradition 5 that Alexander of Macedon used to sleep with Homer's poems under his pillow, in order that by night as well as by day he might busy himself with his martial writings. But I sleep with your letters as though they were healing drugs of some sort, and I do not cease to read them constantly as though they w ere newly written and had only just come into my hands. Therefore if you are willing to furnish me with intercourse by means of letters, as a semblance of your own society, write, and do not cease to do so continually. Or rather come,6 with heaven's help, and consider that while you are away I cannot be said to be alive, except in so far as I am able to read what you have written. 5 Plutarch, Alexander 12. 6 Ammianus 22. 7. 3 describes Julian's effusive greeting of Maximus, for which he interrupted a meeting of the Senate.

[Πρός: Μαξίμῳ φιλοσόφῳ] Ἀλέξανδρον μὲν τὸν Μακεδόνα τοῖς Ὁμήρου ποιήμασιν ἐφυπνώττειν λόγος, ἵνα δὴ καὶ νύκτωρ καὶ μεθ’ ἡμέραν αὐτοῦ τοῖς πολεμικοῖς ὁμιλῇ συνθήμασιν· ἡμεῖς δέ σου ταῖς ἐπιστολαῖς ὥσπερ παιωνίοις τισὶ φαρμάκοις συγκαθεύδομεν, καὶ οὐ διαλείπομεν ἐντυγχάνοντες ἀεὶ καθάπερ νεαραῖς ἔτι καὶ πρῶτον εἰς χεῖρας ἡκούσαις. εἴπερ οὖν ἐθέλεις ἡμῖν εἰκόνα τῆς σῆς παρουσίας τὴν ἐν τοῖς γράμμασιν ὁμιλίαν προξενεῖν, γράφε καὶ μὴ λῆγε συνεχῶς τοῦτο πράττων· μᾶλλον δὲ ἧκε σὺν θεοῖς, ἐνθυμούμενος ὡς ἡμῖν γ’ ἕως ἂν ἀπῇς οὐδ’ ὅτι ζῶμεν εἰπεῖν ἔστιν, εἰ μὴ ὅσον τοῖς παρὰ σοῦ γραφομένοις ἐντυχεῖν ἔξεστιν.