Among the letters in Wilamowitz’ Nachlass attributed to Martha Hofmann is a leaflet containing a Latin poem, sent to him on 2.2.1899, in gratitude for the gift of the newly published Griechische Tragoedien. It was signed «Elpenor» – i.e., «Hoffmann», according to a widely circulated joking etymology deriving the surname from hoffen. The author is Wilhelm Hoffmann (1835-1900), a teacher at the Sophien-Gymnasium in Berlin and close friend of Hermann Usener, who composed occasional poems in both modern and ancient languages. Hoffmann had known Wilamowitz since 1869 and corresponded with him on several occasions, notably discussing the use of rhymes in translations of Greek tragedies.