To Theodorus. (362/63)
You have honored me with your remembrance, but you did not quite gauge the weakness of my eyes. No part of my body is sound, but my eyes have given out more than the rest, and unless they encounter large letters, they need someone to read for them.
You have many books, fine and beautiful, the kind that could help someone in my condition. But I am not yet worthy of such things, and I know I have been a nuisance and ask your forgiveness. For what you sent had only one merit: that it came from you and was accompanied by your letter. In every other respect, the gift was not worthy of you.
So it has returned to the same storeroom, to lie among the fine things and ward off the evil eye from them.
You have honored me with your remembrance, but you did not quite gauge the weakness of my eyes. No part of my body is sound, but my eyes have given out more than the rest, and unless they encounter large letters, they need someone to read for them.
You have many books, fine and beautiful, the kind that could help someone in my condition. But I am not yet worthy of such things, and I know I have been a nuisance and ask your forgiveness. For what you sent had only one merit: that it came from you and was accompanied by your letter. In every other respect, the gift was not worthy of you.
So it has returned to the same storeroom, to lie among the fine things and ward off the evil eye from them.
Modern English rendering for readability. See the 19th-century translation or original Latin/Greek for scholarly use.