Letter 23: Procopius jokes that Diodorus's new official circle has made him look down on old friends.

This is exactly what I expected would happen. I thought that as soon as you arrived there, seeing the tribunal of officials, the chorus of rhetors, and the crowd of petitioners following after you, you would immediately be filled with pride. If anyone merely wished to speak, you would hardly bear the speaker. As for us, you would have only a brief word: "Why should I care about those men hidden away in the dark?" you would surely say of me. If you called us people crawling on the ground, I would not be surprised. I expected this, and it has happened: such is the pride of the rhetors in my part of the world, who call everyone else petitioners while dignifying their own affairs. Now it seems that you chose me as a friend before, not because you judged me worthy, but because, lacking better men, you made use of those at hand. You are surely sorry for the time you spent with me so undeservedly. Even as I write, I fear you may be annoyed by a letter from me too. I would pray for your prosperity. If I must again be despised, it is painful, but I will bear it all the same, consoling myself with your good fortune.

Διοδώρωι Τοῦτο ἐκεῖνο ὃ καὶ προσδοκῶντί μοι γέγονεν. ᾤμην γὰρ εὐθὺς ὡς ἐκεῖσε γενόμενος, ἀρχόντων ὁρῶν βῆμα καὶ ῥητόρων χορὸν καὶ προσφύγων ὄχλον ἑπόμενον, πλησθήσῃ μὲν αὐτίκα φρονήματος, κἂν λαλεῖν τις ἐθέλῃ μόνον οὐκ ἀνέξει τοῦ λέγοντος· ἡμῶν δὲ λόγος ἔσται βραχύς, καὶ "τί μοι τοὺς ἐν σκότῳ κεκρυμμένους ἐκείνους;" λέξεις που πάντως περὶ ἡμῶν. εἰ δὲ καὶ χαμαὶ ἐρχομένους προσείποις, οὐδὲ τοῦτο θαυμάσαιμι. τὸ αὐτὸ καὶ προσεδόκων καὶ γέγονε τοῦτο τῶν καθ' ἡμᾶς ῥητόρων τὸ φρόνημα, οἳ καὶ πρόσφυγας τοὺς ἄλλους καλοῦσι, τὰ καθ' ἑαυτοὺς ἀποσεμνύνοντες πράγματα. καὶ νῦν δοκεῖς φίλους ἡμᾶς ᾑρῆσθαι τὸ πρότερον, οὐκ ἀξίους κρίνας, ὥσπερ εἰκός, ἀλλ' ὅτι κρειττόνων ἀπορίᾳ τοῖς παροῦσιν ἐκέχρησο, καὶ μεταμέλει σοι πάντως τοῦ χρόνου ὃν παρ' ἡμῖν ἀναξίως διέτριβες. καὶ νῦν δέδοικα γράφων μὴ καὶ πρὸς τὴν παρ' ἡμῶν δυσχεράνῃς ἐπιστολήν. ἐγὼ δέ σε καλῶς πράττειν εὐξαίμην· κἂν δέῃ πάλιν καταφρονεῖσθαι, λυπηρὸν μέν, οἴσομεν δ' οὖν ὅμως τῇ σῇ τύχῃ παραμυθούμενοι.