τῶι δεσπότηι μου καὶ ἀδελφῶι Θεοφάνει Βησόδωρος πλεῖστα χαίρειν.
ἦν ὡς ἀληθῶς πόθος τις καὶ πολὺς ἐνκεῖμένος τῆ̣[ι] διανοίαι μοῦ, ἄδελφε κύριε, ὃς τῇ σῆι κατὰ τὴν πόλιν ἑκάστηι ἐπιφανείαι τε καὶ λαμπρότητι τὸ ἀναπίμπλασθαι ἡδονῆς καὶ τῶν βουλομένων τυχεῖν διὰ μόνης τῆς ὄψεως παρεσκεύαζεν· νῦν δʼ ὁ βραχὺς οὗτος χρόνος τῆς ἀποδημίας ποθεινοτέραν τὴν θέαν ὁρᾶν εὐχομένοις ἡμῖν ἐμπεποίηκεν, ἐπεὶ καὶ ὁ ἐν τῷ καμμύειν χρόνος ἐλάχιστος ὢν πολύς τις καὶ ἀμέτρητος τοῖς ἐρῶσι καὶ ποθοῦσι διαφαίνετα̣ι. [οὕ]τω τοίνυν τὸν ταυτὸν πάθω̣ν, εὔχομαι τῆς τοιαύτης ἀπαλλαγῆναι ἐπιθυμίας, ἀφʼ ἧς καὶ θεωρεῖν σ[ε τά]χιστά μοι συμβήσεται· ὡς γὰρ ἐπὶ τούτωι διάκειμαι τοὺς πανταχόθεν ἑκάστοτε παρἐπιδημοῦντας τῶν ξένων ἐρωτῶν· ἔργον καὶ μακρὸν εἰπεῖν· οὐδὲν γάρ ἐστιν οὔτʼ ἐντιμότερον οὔτʼ ἰσχυρότερον ἀδελφοῦ γνῆσιου ὡς [ ]τον αὐτὸν πολλάκις [ ]ξεν. ἔστι δέ μοι νῦν ἐπιμελησ̣[ὲ]ς̣ καὶ σφόδρα εὐκταῖον τῶν [μέ]ν σοι κατορθωθέντων πραγμάτων τὴν τύχην ἀκριβῶς καταμαθεῖν, ὅπως ἂν καὶ αὐτὸς ἐφʼ οἷς ἐνδόξως διέκραζων μέγιστα ἡσθῶ· πιστεύω γὰρ ἀκριβῶς καὶ θαρρῶ ὡς οὐδέν τι ἀηθὲς [ο]ὐδʼ ἄτοπον συμβήσεται τοῦ θεοῦ σοὶ πρὸς πᾶσαν πρᾶξιν συνθεμένου, ἐφʼ οἷς δικαίως προσιεῖν εὐεργετεῖν κατʼ ἐμαυτόν· τοῖς γὰρ ἀγαθοῖς τῶν ἀνθρώπων παρὰ θεοῦ ἀπόκεινται [πάμπολλα]ι τιμαί. εἴη δέ σε, κύριε ἄδελφε, κατὀρθώσαντα ὑγιῶς κατελθεῖν ἐπὶ τὴν πατρίδα· μεθʼ ἡδονῆς καὶ χαρᾶς γὰρ ἡμῶν ἐπὶ τὴν πατρίδᾳ ἡμῖν καταβήσε· καὶ μειζὰ ὁτιοῦν μοι ὑπ[ ]α̣ν κατὰ τὸν βίον θεωρεῖται. ἔπειτα [τῶι] γε ὑψίστῳ θεῶι χάριν τινὰ καὶ πολλὴν εἶχον ἄν, εἰ ὄψει θεωρεῖν τὰ κατὰ σὲ πράγματα [οἷ]ός τʼ ἦν ἐγώ, τὴν αὐτὴν ὁδὸν ἐξ ἀρχῆς σοι στείλαμένος· νῦν δὲ ὁπωσδήποτε τοῦτο σαφεστέρως ἀκοῆι δέξασθαι καὶ μαθεῖν τὰ περὶ σὲ̣ πράγματα [βού]λομαι ὡς τάχιστά τε καὶ εὔχομαι. ἀσπάζομαί σε πολλ[άκις], ἄδελφε ψυχῆς ὡς ἀληθῶς, καὶ πάντας τοὺς σὺν σοὶ κατʼ ὄνομα.
ἀπόδ(ος) τῶι κ̣υρίωι μ[ου] ἀδ[ελφῶι Θεοφ]άνει π(αρὰ) Βησοδώρου.
To my master and brother Theophanes, Bessodorus, greetings.
Truly, there has been a certain longing and much that has remained in my mind, dear brother, which has prepared to be filled with pleasure and the glory of your appearances in each city, and to attain the desires of those wishing through mere sight. Now, this brief time of absence has made the sight of you more desirable for us, since even the time spent in the journey is very little, yet it seems long and immeasurable to those who love and desire.
Thus, I wish to be freed from such longing, and it will soon happen that I see you; for I am disposed to ask those who are visiting from everywhere about you. It is a long task to speak; for there is nothing more honorable or stronger than the kinship of a brother, as I have often experienced it myself. Now, I am very eager to learn accurately about the good fortune of your affairs, so that I may also be able to rejoice greatly in what I hear; for I believe and am confident that nothing shameful or inappropriate will happen to you in any undertaking, for which it is just to be able to do good to me; for many honors are laid up for the good among men by God. May you, dear brother, be able to return healthily to your homeland; for with joy and delight, we will descend to our homeland. And may there be greater things for me to see in life. After that, I had some gratitude to the Most High God, if I could see the matters concerning you as I have been able to send you the same path from the beginning; now, however, I wish to hear this more clearly and to learn about the matters concerning you as soon as possible. I embrace you often, dear brother of my soul, truly, and all those with you by name.
τῷ δεσπότῃ μου καὶ ἀδελφῷ Θεοφάνει Βησόδωρος πλεῖστα χαίρειν.
ἦν ὡς ἀληθῶς [σου] πόθος τις καὶ πολὺς ἐνκείμενος τῇ διανοίᾳ μου, ἄδελφε κύριε, ὃς τῇ σῇ κατὰ τὴν πόλιν ἑκάστῃ ἐπιφανείᾳ τε καὶ λαμπρότητι τὸ ἀναπίμπλασθαι ἡδονῆς καὶ τῶν βουλομένων τυχεῖν διὰ μόνης τῆς ὄψεως παρεσκεύαζεν· νῦν δʼ ὁ βραχὺς οὗτος χρόνος τῆς ἀποδημίας ποθεινοτέραν τὴν θέαν ὁρᾶν εὐχομένοις ἡμῖν ἐμπεποίηκεν, ἐπεὶ καὶ ὁ ἐν τῷ καμμύειν χρόνος ἐλάχιστος ὢν πολύς τις καὶ ἀμέτρητος τοῖς ἐρῶσι καὶ ποθοῦσι διαφαίνεται. οὕτω τοίνυν τὸν ταὐτὸν παθὼν, εὔχομαι τῆς τοιαύτης ἀπαλλαγῆναι ἐπιθυμίας, ἀφʼ ἧς καὶ θεωρεῖν σε τάχιστά μοι συμβήσεται· ὡς γὰρ ἐπὶ τούτῳ διάκειμαι τοὺς πανταχόθεν ἑκάστοτε παρεπιδημοῦντας τῶν ξένων ἐρωτῶν· ἔργον καὶ μακρὸν εἰπεῖν· οὐδὲν γάρ ἐστιν οὔτʼ ἐντιμότερον οὔτʼ ἰσχυρότερον ἀδελφοῦ γνησίου. ἔστι δέ μοι νῦν ἐπιμελὲς καὶ σφόδρα εὐκταῖον τῶν μέν σοι κατορθωθέντων πραγμάτων τὴν τύχην ἀκριβῶς καταμαθεῖν, ὅπως ἂν καὶ αὐτὸς ἐφʼ οἷς ἐνδόξως διέκραζον μέγιστα ἡσθῶ· πιστεύω γὰρ ἀκριβῶς καὶ θαρρῶ ὡς οὐδέν τι ἀηθὲς οὐδʼ ἄτοπον συμβήσεται τοῦ θεοῦ σοι πρὸς πᾶσαν πρᾶξιν συνθεμένου, ἐφʼ οἷς δικαίως προσίημι εὐεργετεῖν κατʼ ἐμαυτόν· τοῖς γὰρ ἀγαθοῖς τῶν ἀνθρώπων παρὰ θεοῦ ἀπόκεινται πάμπολλαι τιμαί. εἴη δέ σε, κύριε ἄδελφε, κατορθώσαντα ὑγιῶς κατελθεῖν ἐπὶ τὴν πατρίδα· μεθʼ ἡδονῆς καὶ χαρᾶς γὰρ ἡμῶν ἐπὶ τὴν πατρίδα ἡμῖν καταβήσει. ἔπειτα τῷ γε ὑψίστῳ θεῷ χάριν τινὰ καὶ πολλὴν εἶχον ἄν, εἰ ὄψει θεωρεῖν τὰ κατὰ σὲ πράγματα οἷός τʼ ἦν ἐγώ, τὴν αὐτὴν ὁδὸν ἐξ ἀρχῆς σοι στειλάμενος· νῦν δὲ ὁπωσδήποτε τοῦτο σαφεστέρως ἀκοῇ δέξασθαι καὶ μαθεῖν τὰ περὶ σὲ πράγματα βούλομαι ὡς τάχιστά τε καὶ εὔχομαι. ἀσπάζομαί σε πολλάκις, ἄδελφε ψυχῆς ὡς ἀληθῶς, καὶ πάντας τοὺς σὺν σοὶ κατʼ ὄνομα.
(hand 2) ἐρρωμένον σε ἀπολάβοιμι, δέσποτα ἄδελφε, τῶν ἡμῖν βουλομένων ἐνδόξως τυχόντα.
ἀπόδος τῷ κυρίῳ μου ἀδελφῷ Θεοφάνει παρὰ Βησοδώρου.
To my master and brother Theophanes, Besodoros sends many greetings.
Truly, brother and lord, there was a certain great longing for you deeply set in my mind, which your presence and splendor in every city filled with pleasure and prepared for those who wished to enjoy it merely by sight. But now this short time of your absence has made your appearance even more desirable to us who long to see you. For even the briefest moment of closing one's eyes seems long and immeasurable to those who love and desire. Thus, suffering the same thing, I pray to be freed from such longing, from which it will soon happen that I see you. Indeed, I am so disposed that I constantly ask travelers from everywhere about you; it would be a long task to recount. For nothing is more honorable or stronger than a true brother. Now it is my earnest and fervent wish to learn exactly about your successful affairs, so that I myself may greatly rejoice in those things in which you have gloriously distinguished yourself. For I firmly believe and am confident that nothing unusual or improper will happen, since God is with you in every undertaking, for which reason I rightly undertake to benefit you as far as I can. For many honors from God are reserved for good men. May it be granted to you, lord brother, to return safely and successfully to your homeland; for your return will bring us pleasure and joy. Then indeed I would have great gratitude to the Most High God if I were able to see your affairs with my own eyes, having set out on the same journey from the beginning. But now, at least, I wish and pray to hear clearly and learn about your affairs as soon as possible. I greet you many times, brother of my soul truly, and all those with you by name.
(hand 2) May I find you in good health, master brother, having gloriously achieved what we desire.
Deliver to my lord brother Theophanes from Besodoros.