Letter 182: Your fine friend Bacchius has been separated from you and has not spent nearly enough time with me.

To Demetrius. (359/60) Your fine friend Bacchius has been separated from you and has not spent nearly enough time with me. The reason: an ulcer kept him at home, and my professional duties -- you know how demanding they are -- prevented me from being free. On top of that, worries have piled up because of those who have no respect for the emperor's decisions [regarding pagan rights]. They are doing their very best to overturn them. But the day I did see our friend, I counted as a white day [a lucky day] to set against many others. I listened to his accounts of the drinking contests with dark wine and how he searched for wine through the broth. May he never stop drinking, and may you never stop writing -- you who have achieved this crowning feat: winning your victory in perfect calm.

Δημητρίῳ. (359/60) Ὑμῶν τε ὁ καλὸς διέστηκε Βάκχιος ἐμοί τε οὐχ ἄξιον συγγεγένηται τὸ δὲ αἴτιον, τὸν μὲν οἴκοι κατέσχεν ἕλ- κος, ἐμὲ δὲ τὰ τῆς τέχνης, οἶσθα ὁπόσα ὄντα, κωλύοντα εἶναι ἐλεύθερον, καὶ προσεγένοντο δὴ φροντίδες διὰ τοὺς <οὐκ> αἰδουμένους τὰ δόξαντα τῷ θείῳ. πάνυ γοῦν αὐτὰ κινεῖν ἐπιχειροῦσιν. αὐτὴν μέντοι τὴν ἡμέραν, ἐν ᾗ τὸν ἑταῖρον εἶδον, ἀντὶ πολλῶν τε καὶ μάλα λευκὴν ἤγαγον ἀκούων τοὺς ἐν τοῖς πότοις ἀγῶνας τοῦ μέλανος καὶ ὅπως διὰ τοῦ ζωμοῦ τὸν οἶνον ἐζήτησεν. ἀλλὰ μήτ’ ἐκεῖνος παύσαιτο πίνων μήτε σὺ γράφων, ὃς τοῦτο μέγιστον εἴργασαι τὸ μεθ’ ἡσυχίας στῆ- σαι τὸ τρόπαιον.