Letter 37: Joannes [a mutual friend of ours who, after an illness that left him unfit for military service, entered a...

To Anysius. Joannes [a mutual friend of ours who, after an illness that left him unfit for military service, entered a monastery] has been in the grip of a serious illness. But he suffers less from the disease itself than from the heartbreak of being separated from you. He is still in the same condition, and on top of everything, a third thing is making him worse: he longs to do something worthy of a soldier, and he chafes against his enforced inaction.

Letter 37: Illness [1] To Anysius Joannes, note [A mutual acquaintance of Synesius and Anysius who, after an illness that made him unsuited for military service, entered a monastery.] whom I love especially because of his affection for you, has been in the grip of a grievous malady. But he is suffering less from his illness than from the disappointment of being separated from your sacred self. He is still in the same state, and in addition to this there is a third thing which is making his illness worse. He is longing to do something that may become a soldier, and he frets against his forced inaction.