Letter 31: Procopius asks Diodorus to write often and favor a cousin who carries the letter.

Now I know how much wrong you did before by keeping silent. From the joy you gave me when you wrote, I understand how much pain you caused by not writing at all. When I took your letter in my hands, I was filled with old happiness, thinking you were present in the writing. I was moved to speak as if you stood there. Some things I said; other things I seemed to hear you saying. Only with difficulty did I come back to myself and realize it had been a dream and that I had been deceived. So write often, so that when I lack the sight of you, I may take pleasure in dreams. Even a passionate lover, unlucky in love, has seen a good dream and been changed by it. Yet as I say this, I am afraid that if you think it true, you will be filled with pride and there will be silence again. Consider it false, then, and only let me hear you speaking. As for the bearer of the letter, who is my cousin and, if I may speak of the future, a kinsman by marriage, look on him with kindly eyes. If necessary, give him your tongue as an ally, and you will seem to grant me the whole favor.

Διοδώρωι Νῦν ἔγνων ὅσον ἠδίκεις πρότερον σιωπῶν· ἐξ ὧν γὰρ ηὔφρανας γράφων, ἐκ τούτων ὅλως σιγήσας λυπεῖς. τὴν γὰρ σὴν ἐπιστολὴν εἰς χεῖρας λαβὼν παλαιᾶς ἐνεπλήσθην εὐδαιμονίας, σὲ παρεῖναι δοκῶν ἐν τοῖς γράμμασι, καί τι λέγειν ὡς παρόντι προήχθην. καὶ τὰ μὲν εἶπον, τὰ δὲ λέγοντος ἀκούειν ἐδόκουν, καὶ μόλις ἀνενεγκὼν ἔγνων ὡς ὄναρ ἦν ἐκεῖνα καὶ ἠπατήμεθα. οὐκοῦν γράφε πολλάκις, ἵνα τῆς θέας ἀποροῦντες ὀνείρασιν εὐφραινώμεθα, ἐπειδήπερ καὶ δεινὸς ἐραστὴς τῶν παιδικῶν ἀτυχῶν χρηστὸν ὄναρ εἶδε καὶ μεταβάλλεται. ἀλλὰ γὰρ δέδοικα ταυτὶ λέγων μὴ καὶ νομίσας ἀληθῆ φρονήματος ἐμπλησθῇς καὶ γένηται πάλιν σιγή. νόμιζε τοίνυν εἶναι ψευδῆ, καὶ μόνον λαλοῦντος ἀκούσαιμι. τὸν δὲ φέροντα τὴν ἐπιστολὴν ἀνεψιὸν ὄντα καὶ κηδεστήν, εἴ γε δεῖ τὸ μέλλον εἰπεῖν, εὐμενέσιν ἰδὼν ὀφθαλμοῖς, κἂν δέῃ παρασχὼν αὐτῷ συμμαχοῦσαν τὴν γλῶτταν, ἐμοὶ τὸ πᾶν διδόναι δόκει τῆς χάριτος.