Letter 717: Even if you do not write to me, I still feast on your letters.

To Julian. (362) But even if you do not write to us, we at least feast on your letters. For whenever we learn that someone has received one, we are at once close at hand, and, whether by persuading them or by prevailing over them against their will, we have read it. The gain, then, is no less ours than theirs, but the honor belongs to those men alone; yet we too long for honor, since we long also for the affection that comes from you. For it is clear that, if you bestow any honor, you will not do this without loving us.

Ἰουλιανῷ. (362) Ἀλλ’ εἰ καὶ μὴ πρὸς ἡμᾶς ἐπιστέλλεις, ἡμεῖς γε τοῖς σοῖς ἑστιώμεθα γράμμασιν. ὅταν γὰρ ὅτι τις ἔλαβε μάθοvεν, εὐθὺς ἡμεῖς πλησίον καὶ ἢ πείσαντες ἢ κρατήσαντερ ἀκόντων ἀνέγνωμεν. τὸ μὲν οὖν κέρδος οὐχ ἧττον ἢ ᾿ κείνων, τὸ τετιμῆσθαι δὲ παρ’ ἐκείνοις μόνοις ἐρῶμεν δὲ καὶ αὐτοὶ τιμῆς, ἐπειδὴ καὶ φίλτρου τοῦ παρὰ σοί. δῆλον γὰρ ὡς, εἴ τι τιμήσεις, οὐκ ἄνευ γε τοῦ φιλεῖν τοῦτο ποιήσεις.