Letter 497: It seems I am using unreliable couriers for my letters, if after sending many on top of many I am accused of never...

To Olympios. (356/57) It seems I am using unreliable couriers for my letters, if after sending many on top of many I am accused of never having written at all. You are right to be hurt at not receiving them. But to let the couriers off and accuse me instead — to prosecute me before your uncle — that is bitter revenge indeed. For you know that he commands my respect, and he would not wish me to be unjustly accused. And perhaps you think it a small thing to have set the Gorgon upon me. See to it, then, that he knows I did write to you, and don't be diligent in reporting the worst while lazy about the better news. Know this too: frequent letters can be prevented by many things — illness, business, and travelers who claim they want to carry letters more than they actually want to. But remembering you and admiring you among ourselves — this we have never once failed to do. And this is what I believe about friends: even when they do not write, they have not ceased to love.

Ὀλυμπίῳ. (356/57) Ἔοικα διακόνοις οὐ δικαίοις χρῆσθαι περὶ τὰ γράμματα, εἰ πολλὰ ἐπὶ πολλοῖς ἐπιστείλας ὡς οὐδ’ ὁτιοῦν ἐπιστείλας ἐγκέκλημαι. σὺ δ’ ἀλγῶν μὲν τῷ μὴ λαβεῖν ὀρθῶς δοκεῖς ἀλγεῖν, τὸ δ’ ἀφέντα ἐγκαλεῖν ἐμοὶ παρὰ τῷ θείῳ με διώκειν, τουτὶ δὴ πικρῶς ἀμυνομένου. οἶσθα γὰρ ὡς ἐμοί τε ἐκεῖνος αἰδέσιμος ἐμέ τε ἐκεῖνος οὐκ ἂν ἀδίκως ἐγκαλεῖσθαι ἐθέλοι. σὺ δ’ ἴσως ἐπενεγκών μοι τὴν Γοργόνα μικρὸν οἴει πεποι- ηκέναι. πρᾶττε οὖν, ὅπως καὶ τοῦτο εἴσεται, ὅτι σοι ἐπέστει- λα, καὶ μὴ τὰ φαυλότερα μηνύων ἀργὸς γένῃ περὶ τὰ βελ- τίω. καὶ μὴν κἀκεῖνο ἴσθι, ὡς ἡ μὲν πυκνότης τῶν γραμ- μάτων πολλοῖς ἂν κωλυθείη, καὶ νόσῳ καὶ ἀσχολίᾳ καὶ τῷ τοὺς ὡς ὑμᾶς ἰόντας φάσκειν ἐθέλειν γράμματα φέρειν μᾶλ- λον ἢ θέλειν· τὸ δὲ μεμνῆσθαί σου καὶ θαυμάζειν ἐν ἡμῖν αὐτοῖς τοῦτο οὐκ ἔστιν ὅτε οὐ τετηρήκαμεν. ὃ δὴ καὶ περὶ τῶν φίλων ἐγὼ πέπεισμαι, ὅτι κἂν μὴ γράφωσι, τὸ φιλεῖν γε οὐκ ἀφῃρήκασιν.