Laudator Temporis Acti

Basil of Caesarea, Letters 12 (to Olympius; tr. Roy J. Deferrari):

You used to write us little enough, but now you do not write even that little; and if your brevity keeps increasing with the time, it seems likely to become complete speechlessness. Therefore return to your old custom, for I shall never again find fault with you for practising Laconic brevity on me by letter. Nay, even your little letters, seeing that they are tokens of magnanimity, I shall value highly. Only write to me.

ἔγραφες ἡμῖν πρότερον μὲν ὀλίγα, νῦν δὲ οὐδὲ 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.

Pliny the Younger, Letters 1.11 (to Fabius Justus; tr. Betty Radice):

I have not heard from you for a long time, and you say you have nothing to write about. Well, you can at least write that—or else simply the phrase our elders used to start a letter with: "If you are well, well and good; I am well." That will do for me—it is all that matters. Don't think I am joking; I mean it. Let me know how you are; if I don't know I can't help worrying a lot.

olim mihi nullas epistulas mittis. nihil est, inquis, quod scribam. at hoc ipsum scribe, nihil esse quod scribas, vel solum illud unde incipere priores solebant: "si vales, bene est; ego valeo." hoc mihi sufficit; est enim maximum. ludere me putas? serio peto. fac sciam quid agas, quod sine sollicitudine summa nescire non possum. vale.