Letter 94: Procopius says he may need Delphi to interpret Diodorus's handwriting.

I have received another letter from you: clear and very fine in its words, but obscure in its handwriting, which covers over the grace of the words. It seems to me that you are afraid your nature might fall into forgetfulness if you forced it toward clarity, and so you comfort the familiarity of your words with the shape of the letters. In that way you preserve your mark through the obscurity everyone knows. You seem to count this as an advantage, and I think you fear losing the title attached to you. Take heart, then. I would never change my opinion of you, nor would I willingly strip you of your wonderful fame. Only do not force me to go to Delphi with your letter in hand and say, "Tell me, prophetic Pythian, what did the writer mean to say?" Let this be my joke with you, an imitation of your own grace.

Διοδώρωι Δέδεγμαί σου πάλιν ἐπιστολὴν τοῖς μὲν λόγοις σαφῆ καὶ λίαν καλήν, τοῖς δὲ γράμμασιν ἀσαφῆ καὶ τῶν λόγων τὴν χάριν καλύπτουσαν. δοκεῖς γάρ μοι, δεδιὼς μή ποτε πρὸς λήθην ἔλθῃς τῆς φύσεως πρὸς τὸ σαφὲς αὐτὴν βιασάμενος, τῷ τύπῳ τῶν γραμμάτων παραμυθεῖσθαι τῶν ῥημάτων τὸ γνώριμον, ὅπως ἂν πάλιν ἐκ τῆς συνήθους ἀσαφείας ἔχῃς τὸ γνώρισμα. οὕτως σοὶ πλεονέκτημα τὸ πρᾶγμα φαίνεται, καὶ δεδιέναι μοι δοκεῖς ἐκπεσεῖν τοῦ προσρήματος. θάρρει τοίνυν, ὡς οὔποτε μεταθείμην τῆς δόξης, ἕτερα φρονῶν περὶ σοῦ, οὐδὲ ἑκὼν εἶναί σε τῆς θαυμαστῆς εὐκλείας στερήσαιμι. μόνον μή με ἀναγκάσῃς Πυθώδε φοιτᾶν καὶ δεικνύντα τὰ γράμματα "φράσον" λέγειν "ὦ μαντικὲ Πύθιε, τί ποτε λέγειν ὁ γράφων ἐβούλετο;" ταῦτα δέ μοι πεπαίχθω πρὸς σέ, τὴν ὑμετέραν χάριν ἐκμιμουμένῳ.