Letter XII.152    Of the same date as the preceding.

To Olympius.153    Olympius was an influential friend of Basil’s, and sympathized with him in his later troubles, and under the attacks of Eustathius.  cf. Letters ccxi., lxiii., lxiv.

Before you did write me a few words:  now not even a few.  Your brevity will soon become silence.  Return to your old ways, and do not let me have to scold you for your laconic behaviour.  But I shall be glad even of a little letter in token of your great love.  Only write to me.

ΟΛΥΜΠΙῼ

[1] Ἔγραφες ἡμῖν πρότερον μὲν ὀλίγα, νῦν δὲ οὐδ' ὀλίγα, καὶ ἔοικεν ἡ βραχυλογία προϊοῦσα τῷ χρόνῳ παντελὴς γίνεσθαι ἀφωνία. Ἐπάνελθε τοίνυν ἐπὶ τὸ ἔθος, ὡς οὐκ ἔτι σοι μεμψόμεθα λακωνίζοντι πρὸς ἡμᾶς διὰ γραμμάτων, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὰ μικρὰ γράμματα, σύμβολα ὄντα τῆς μεγάλης σου διαθέσεως, πολλοῦ ἄξια ποιησόμεθα. Μόνον ἐπίστελλε ἡμῖν.