LETTER
LETTER CII
LETTER CII To THe Citizens or Satara!
Stirrep to shame by your own pleadings as well as by those of all the laity, | have taken over the care of your church, and have promised you before the Lord to leave nothing undone which is within my power.
Therefore, as it is written, I was forced to touch, as it were, the apple of my eye.2.
Thus my overwhelming respect for you has not permitted me to call to mind either ties of relationship or my intimacy with the man which dates from childhood, before what has been requested by you; but, forgetting all that passed privately between him and me in the nature of friendship, paying no heed to the multitude of lamentations which the people uttered against me when deprived of his rule, or to the tears of all his relatives, not taking to heart the affliction of his aged mother whose only anchor is his care of her; disregarding one and all the many and serious considerations of this sort, I became engrossed with but one concern—to adorn your church with the leadership of such a man, and to succour it, bowed to its knees as it was from the long lack of leadership, and standing in need bishop for the see of Satala in the north-east of Armenia
Minor, 2 Cf. Zech. 2, 8: διότι τάδε λέγει Κύριος Παντοκράτωρ ᾽Οπίσω δόξης ἀπέσταλκέν pe ἐπὶ τὰ ἔθνη τὰ σκυλεύσαντα ὑμᾶς, διότι ὁ ἁπτόμενος ὑμῶν ὡς ἁπτόμενος τῆς κόρης τοῦ ὀφθαλμοῦ αὐτοῦ.
''For thus saith the Lord of hosts: After the glory he hath sent me to the nations that have robbed you: for he that toucheth you, toucheth the apple of my eye."
COLLECTED LETTERS OF SAINT BASIL
Ta μὲν οὖν ἡμέτερα τοιαῦτα. τὰ δὲ παρ᾽ ὑμῶς ἀπαιτοῦμεν λοιπὸν μὴ ἐλάττονα φανῆναι τῆν ἡμετέρας ἐλπίδος καὶ τῶν ὑποσχέσεων ἃς πεποιήμεθα τῷ ἀνδρί, ὅτι "πρὸς οἰκείους καὶ φίλους αὐτὸν ἐξεπέμψαμεν, ἑκάστου ὑμῶν ὑπερβαλέσθαι τὸν ἕτερον ἐν τῇ περὶ τὸν ἄνδρα σπουδῇ καὶ ἀγάπῃ προθυμουμένου. ὅπως οὖν ἐπιδείξησθε τὴν καλὴν ταὔτην φιλοτιμίαν, καὶ τῷ ὑπερβάλ.λοντι τῆς "θεραπείας παρακαλέσητε αὐτοῦ τὴν καρδίαν, ὥστε λήθην μὲν αὐτῷ ἐγγενέσθαι πατρίδος, λήθην δὲ συγγενῶν, λήθην δὲ λαοῦ τοσοῦτον ἐξηρτημένου τῆς προστασίας αὐτοῦ ὅσον παιδίον νεαρὸν τῆς μητρῴας θηλῆς.
IIpoatrecteinapev δὲ Νικίαν, ὥστε τὰ γενόμενα φανερὰ καταστῆσαι τῇ τιμιότητι ὑμῶν, καὶ προλαβόντας ὑ ὑμᾶς ἑορτάζειν καὶ εὐχαριστεῖν τῷ Κυρίῳ τῷ δι ἡμῶν' καταξιώσαντι τὴν εὐχὴν ὑμῶν ἐκπληρωθῆναι.
CAE Σαταλεῦσιν ὅ Hyayev els ἔργον ὁ Κύριος τοῦ λαοῦ αὐτοῦ ὃ τὰ αἰτήματα, καὶ ἔδωκεν αὐτῷ διὰ τῆς ἡμετέρας ταπεινώσεως ποιμένα ἄξιον 'pep TOU ὀνόματος, καὶ οὐ κατὰ τοὺς πολλοὺς καπηλεύοντα τὸν 1 δεομένης editi antiqi.
3 συγγενείας editi antiqi.
3 ἡμᾶς" editi antiqi.
5. αὐτοῦ om, EB.
LETTER CIII
of some great and powerful guidance to enable it to rise again,+ So much regarding ourselves.
And now we beg you, on your part, not to fall short of our hopes, or of the assurances which we made the man, that you to whom we sent him are devoted friends, each one of you being eager to surpass the other in zeal for him and in love.
Therefore see that you display that noble rivalry, and cheer his heart by the overwhelming force of your solicitude, that he may come to forget his fatherland, his relatives, and his people, who have been as dependent on his protection as is a young child on its mother's breast.
We have sent Nicias? on ahead to tell your honourable selves what has happened, and that you on receiving the news may hold festival and give thanks to the Lord who has seen fit through us to fulfil your prayer.
LETTER CIII To THE Propite or Satara 2 Tue Lord has brought the prayers of His people to a fulfilment, and through our humble instrumentality has given them a shepherd worthy of the name, one who does not, like most men,
1 The person Basil has in mind is Poemenius, Cf. Letter CXXII.
2 Otherwise unknown.
3 Of the same date as the preceding, and on the same general topic.
COLLECTED LETTERS OF SAINT BASIL
λόγον, δυνάμενον δὲ καὶ ὑμῖν Ἰ τοῖς τὴν ὀρθότητα τοῦ κηρύγματος ἀγαπῶσι καὶ τὴν κατ᾽ ἐντολὰς 3 τοῦ Κυρίου ξωὴν ᾿καταδεξαμένοις ἀρέσκειν καθ᾽ ὑπερβολὴν ἐν τῷ ὀνόματι ὃ τοῦ Κυρίου τοῦ πληρώσαντος αὐτὸν τῶν πνευματικῶν αὐτοῦ χαρισμάτων.
ΟΙν Μοδέστῳ ὑπάρχῳ Αὐτὸ τὸ γράφειν "πρὸς ἄνδρα τοσοῦτον, κἂν μηδεμία πρόφασις ἑτέρα προσῇ, μέγιστόν ἐστι τῶν εἰς τιμὴν φερόντων τοῖς αἰσθανομένοις" διότι αἱ πρὸς τοὺς παμπληθὲς ἃ τῶν λοιπῶν ὑπερέχοντας ὁμιλίαι μεγίστην τοῖς ἀξιουμένοις ὃ περιφάνειαν. προξενοῦσιν. ἐμοὶ δ ὑπὲρ πατρίδος πάσης "ἀγωνιῶντι ἀναγκαία πρὸς τὴν σὴν μεγαλόνοιαν ἡ ἔντευξις, ἧς ἱκετεύω πράως καὶ κατὰ τὸν σεαυτοῦ τρόπον avac έσθαι, καὶ χεῖρα ὀρέξαι τῇ πατρίδι ἡμῶν εἰς γόνυ ἤδη © κλιθείσῃ. 1 ἔστι δὲ ὑπὲρ οὗ ixeredouév® σε τὸ πρᾶγμα τοιοῦτον.
3 ῥήματι editi antiqi.
4 παμπληθεῖς editi antiqi.
5 χήν add. EK.
6 ἤδη om. E 7 ἐχθούσῃ editi antiqi.
8 ἱκετεύωμεν Εἰ, 1 Written in 372; on the taxation of the clergy.
Modestus was Prefect of the Praetorium, and a persecutor of Catholics under Valens.
At the command of Valens, he offered Basil the choice between deposition and communion with the Arians.
Shortly after this, Modestus fell seriously ill, which
LETTER CIV
make traffic of the title, but who is capable in the extreme of satisfying you who love the orthodox doctrine and have accepted the life that is in accordance with the Lord's commands, in the name of the Lord who has filled him with His spiritual blessings.
LETTER CIV
To THe Prerecr Mopsstus!
Tue very act of writing to so great a man, even if there be no other excuse, is most conducive to honour in the eyes of the discerning ; for intercourse with men who are overwhelmingly superior to the rest of mankind affords the greatest distinction to such as are deemed worthy of it.
As for me, as I strive earnestly for my country as a whole, I must needs address to your Magnanimity this petition
(which I entreat you to suffer calmly even according to your character), that you stretch forth a helping hand to our fatherland now bowed to its knees.
And the matter regarding which we seek your help is this.
Those who are consecrated to our God, that is he regarded as divine judgment for his insolence towards
Basil.
Modestus at once summoned the holy man to his sick bed, and, humbly begging pardon for his behaviour, commended himself to his prayers.
Modestus soon recovered, which he attributed to Basil's intercessions, and he accordingly regarded him with the greatest reverence.
Henceforth Basil's influence with Modestus was so great that he was constantly importuned for letters of favour to the Prefect.
Six of these letters of St. Basil are extant: the present one,
OX, CXI, CCLXXIX, CCLXXX, and CCLXXXI
COLLECTED LETTERS OF SAINT BASIL
a > a > ~ καὶ διακόνους, ὁ παλαιὸς κῆνσος ἀτελεῖς ἀφῆκεν." οἱ δὲ νῦν ἀπογραψάμενοι, ὡς οὐ λαβόντες παρὰ τῆς ὑπερφυοῦς σου ἐξουσίας πρόσταγμα," ἀπεγράψαντο, πλὴν εἰ μὴ πού τινες ἄλλως εἶχον ὑπὸ τῆς ἡλικίας τὴν ἄφεσιν.
"δεόμεθα οὖν μνημόσυνον τῆς σῆς εὐεργεσίας τοῦτο ἡμῖν ἀφεθῆναι," παντὶ τῷ ἐπιόντι "χρόνῳ ἀγαθὴν περὶ σοῦ μνήμην. διαφύλαττον, καὶ συγχωρηθῆναι κατὰ τὸν παλαιὸν νόμον τῆς συντελείας τοὺς ἱερατεύοντας" καὶ μὴ εἰς πρόσωπον τῶν νῦν καταλαμβανομένων γενέσθαι τὴν ἄφεσιν (οὕτω γὰρ εἰς, τοὺς διαδόχους ἡ χάρις μεταβήσεται, οὺς οὐ πάντως συμβαίνει τοῦ ἱερατεύειν ἀξίους εἶναι), ἀλλὰ κατὰ τὸν ἐν τῇ ἐλευθέρᾳ ἀπογραφῇ τύπον κοινήν τινα συγχώρησιν κληρικῶν γενέσθαι, ὥστε ὑπὸ τῶν οἰκονομούντων τὰς ἐκκλησίας τοῖς ἑκάσTOTE λειτουργοῦσι τὴν ἀτέλειαν δίδοσθαι.
Ταῦτα καὶ τῇ σῇ μεγαλοφυΐᾳ ἀθάνατον τὴν ἐπὶ τοῖς ἀγαθοῖς δόξαν διαφυλάξει, καὶ τῷ βασιλικῷ οἴκῳ πολλοὺς τοὺς ὑπερευχομένους παρασκευάσει, καὶ αὐτοῖς τοῖς δημοσίοις. μέγα παρέξει ὄφελος, ἡμῶν οὐ πάντως τοῖς κληρικοῖς, ἀλλὰ τοῖς ἀεὶ καταπονουμένοις τὴν ἀπὸ τῆς ἀτελείας παραμυθίαν παρεχομένων' ὅπερ οὗν καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς ἐλευθερίας ὃ ποιοῦμεν, ὡς ἔξεστι γνῶναι τῷ βουλομένῳ.
1 ἀφῆκαν editi antiqi, 2 προστάματα MH, Harl.
3 ἐναφεθῆναι editi antiqi.
5 ὥσπερ editi antiqi.
1 The Benedictine edition notes that the words '* presbyters and deacons" are probably a marginal gloss, which crept
LETTER ΟΙΝν
presbyters and deacons,! the earlier census left immune from taxation.
But the present registrars, alleging that they had received no authorization from your high Lordship, have enrolled them, with the exception perhaps of some who are otherwise exempt because of old age.
Therefore we ask that this exemption be granted us as a memorial of your beneficence, which will protect your good name for all future time, and that according to the old law those who act as priests be exempt from contribution, and that the exemption be not granted to the persons of those who now receive it (for in that case the favour would pass to their heirs, who might not be at all worthy of priestly duties), but that a general concession be granted the clergy according to the draft of the open register," so that exemption may be given by those who regulate the affairs of the churches to such as on each occasion are in the service.
This will not only keep the glory of the good deeds of your great Lordship immortal, but it will also increase the number of those who pray for the Imperial house, and will confer a great benefit even upon the public revenues, since we give the relief which is derived from our immunity from taxation, not altogether to the clergy, but to those who are at any time in distress; indeed, this is just what we do when we are free to do so, as anyone who wishes may find out. into the text early in the MSS. tradition, since all the MSS. seem to have it.
Moreover, by fepwuévovs and all cognate words Basil always means the whole clergy.
Cf. Letter IV and note.
2 Probably the public census list,
COLLECTED LETTERS OF SAINT BASIL
CV Διακόνοις θυγατράσι Tepevtiov Κόμητος 1 ᾿Ἐγὼ καὶ Σαμοσάτοις ἐπιστὰς προσεδόκησα συντεύξαθαι, τῇ κοσμιότητι ὑμῶν' καὶ ἐπειδὴ διήμαρτον τῆς συντυχίας, οὐ μετρίως ἤνεγκα τὴν ξημίαν, λογιζόμενος πότε εἴη ἢ ἐμοὶ τοῦτος okey πλησιάσαι τοῖς Kal ὑμᾶς χωρίοις ἢ" ὑμῖν 3 αἱρετὸν τὴν ἡμετέραν καταλαβεῖν. ἀλλ᾽ ἐκεῖνα μὲν κείσθω ἐν τῷ θελήματι τοῦ Κυρίου.
Τὸ δὲ νῦν ἔχον, ἐπειδὴ εὗρον τὸν υἱὸν Σωφρόνιον πρὸς ὑμᾶς ἐξορμῶντα, ἡδέως αὐτῷ τὴν ἐπιστολὴν ἐπέθηκα ταύτην, προσηγορίαν ὑμῖν κωμίξουσαν καὶ τὴν ἡμετέραν γνώμην ηλοῦσαν, ὅτι οὐ διαλιμπάνομεν τῇ τοῦ Θεοῦ "χάριτι μεμνημένοι ὑμῶν, καὶ εὐχαριστοῦντες ὑπὲρ ὑμῶν τῷ Κυρίῳ ὅτι ἀγαθῆς, ῥίζης ἀγαθὰ βλαστήματά ἐστε, ἔγκαρπα τοῖς ἀγαθοῖς ἔργοις, καὶ τῷ ὄντι. ὡς κρίνα ἐν μέσῳ ἀκανθῶν. τὸ γὰρ ὑπὸ τοσαύτης διαστροφῆς τῶν παραφθειρόντων τὸν λόγον τῆς ἀληθείας περικυκλουμένας μὴ ἐνδοῦναι πρὸς τὰς ἀπάτας, μηδὲ τὸ ἀποστολικὸν τῆς πίστεως κήρυγμα καταλιπούσας πρὸς τὴν νῦν ἐπιπολάζουσαν καινοτομίαν ὃ μετατεθῆναι, πῶς οὐχὶ μεγάλης μὲν "πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν εὐχαριστίας ἄξιον, μεγάλους δὲ ὑμῖν ἐπαίνους δικαιότατα προξενεῖ ;
2 ei add. EK.
4 ἐπέδωκα editi antiqi.
LETTER CV
LETTER CV
To ΤῊΣ Deaconesses, Davauters or Count TereENTIUvs ὦ Wuen I visited Samosata I expected to meet your
Modesties ; and when I missed this meeting, I did not bear the disappointment lightly, wondering when it might either be possible for me to visit your country again or convenient for you to visit ours.
However, let all this rest with the will of the Lord.
As to the present, when I found that my son Sophronius? was setting out in your direction, I gladly entrusted him with this letter, which conveys to you our greetings, and makes known our mind— that by God's grace we never cease to be mindful of you, and to thank the Lord for you that you are goodly scions of a goodly stock, fruitful in good works, and in very truth like lilies among thorns.? For that you have not given way to deceptions, surrounded as you are by the gross perversity of men who destroy the word of truth, and that you have not abandoned the apostolic proclamation of faith and gone over to the popular novelty of the day—does this not call for great thanksgiving to God, and does it not most justly bring you great commendation?
You have 1 Written in the autumn of 372.
Cf. Loofs 33.
For Count Terentius, cf. Letter XCIX and note.
2 Perhaps the disciple of Kustathius, noted in Letter CXIX, 3 Cf, Cant. 2,2: Ὡς κρίνον ἐν μέσῳ ἀκανθῶν, οὕτως ἣ πλησίν μοῦ ἀνὰ μέσον τῶν θυγατέρων.
'* As the lily among thorns, so is my love among the daughters."
COLLECTED LETTERS OF SAINT BASIL
els Πατέρα καὶ Ὑἱὸν καὶ ἅγιον Πνεῦμα πεπιστεύκατε: μὴ προδῶτε ταύτην τὴν παρακαταθήκην" πατέρα τὴν πάντων ἀρχήν" Tiov μονογενῆ, ἐξ αὐτοῦ γεννηθέντα, ἀληθινὸν Θεόν, τέλειον ἐκ τελείου, εἰκόνα ζῶσαν, ὅλον δεικνύντα ἐν ἑαυτῷ τὸν
Πατέρα" Πνεῦμα ἅγιον, ἐκ Θεοῦ τὴν ὕπαρξιν ἔχον," τὴν πηγὴν τῆς ἁγιότητος, δύναμιν ζωῆς παρεκτικήν, χάριν τελειοποιόν, oe ov υἱοθετεῖται ἄνθρωπος, καὶ ἀπαθανατίξεται" τὸ θνητόν, συνημμένον Πατρὶ καὶ Tid κατὰ πάντα ἐν δόξῃ καὶ 8 ἀϊδιότητε,
€ ἐν δυνάμει καὶ βασιλείᾳ, ἐ ἐν δεσποτείᾳ καὶ θεότητι, ὡς καὶ ἡ τοῦ σωτηρίου βαπτίσματος παράδοσις μαρτυρεῖ.
Οἱ δὲ κτίσμα λέγοντες ἢ τὸν Tiov ἢ τὸ Πνεῦμα, ἢ ὅλως αὐτὸ" els τὴν λειτουργικὴν καὶ δουλικὴν κατάγοντες τάξιν, μακράν εἰσι τῆς ἀληθείας, ὧν φεύγειν προσήκει τὰς κοινωνίας = ἐκτρέπεσθαι τοὺς λόγους ὡς δηλητήρια ὄντα ὃ ψυχῶν' ἐὰν δέ ποτε δῷϑ ἡμῖν ὁ Κύριος γενέσθαι κατὰ ταὐτόν, πλατύτερον ὑμῖν τοὺς περὶ τῆς πίστεως ἐκθησόμεθα λόγους, ὥστε μετ᾽ ἀποδείξεων γραφικῶν καὶ τὸ τῆς ἀληθείας ἰσχυρὸν καὶ τὸ σαθρὸν τῆς αἱρέσεως ὑμᾶς ἐπιγνῶναι.
CVI Στρατιώτῃ Ὑπὲρ πολλῶν ἔχοντες εὐχαριστεῖν τῷ Κυρίῳ, ὧν καὶ ἠξιώθημεν παρ᾽ αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ τῆς ἐπιδημίας
3 ἐν add. E.
LETTER CVI
believed in Father, Son, and Holy Ghost; do not prove false to this sacred trust: Father, the beginning of all things; only begotten Son, born from Him, true God, Perfect from Perfect, living image, displaying the Father entirely in Himself; Holy
Spirit, with His subsistence from God, fount of Holiness, power that gives life, grace that gives perfection, whereby man is adopted, and the mortal made immortal, joined to the Father and the Son in every phase of glory and eternity, of power and royalty, of sovereignty and divinity, as even the tradition of the baptism of salvation doth testify.
Those who speak of the Son or the Spirit as a creature, or who in general place the Spirit in the category of servile and slavish things, are far from the truth, and we should avoid communion with these and turn away their words as being snares for the soul.
But if ever the Lord grants that we be together again, we shall so set forth to you at greater length the doctrine of the Faith, that by proofs taken from Scripture you may recognize the strength of the truth and the rottenness of the heresy.
EETLER CVI
To a Soupier?
Αὐτηούση we can thank the Lord for many things of which in our travels we have been considered
1 Written in 372.
4 αὐτούς editi antiqi. ὃ ὄντας E.
6 δώῃ KE.
COLLECTED LETTERS OF SAINT BASIL
Hudv,t μέγιστον ἀγαθὸν ἐκρίναμεν "τὴν γνῶσιν τῆς σῆς τιμιότητος, τὴν παρὰ τοῦ ἀγαθοῦ Aeoπότου παρασχεθεῖσαν ἡμῖν. ἔγνωμεν yap ἄνδρα δεικνύντα, ὅτι καὶ ἐν τῷ στρατιωτικῷ βίῳ δυνατὸν τῆς πρὸς Θεὸν ἀγάπης τὸ τέλειον διασῶσαι, καὶ ὅτι οὐκ ἐν τῇ περιβολῇ τῆς ἐσθῆτος, ἀλλ᾽ ἐν τῇ διαθέσει τῆς ψυχῆς ὁ Χριστιανὸς ὀφείλει χαρακτηρίζεσθαι.
Καὶ τότε οὖν μετὰ πάσης ἐπιθυμίας συνετύχομέν σοι, καὶ νῦν, ὁσάκις ἂν εἰς μνήμην ἔλθωμεν, μεγίστης ἀπολαύομεν εὐφροσύνης. ἀνδρίζου τοίνυν, καὶ ἴσχυε, καὶ τὴν πρὸς Θεὸν ἀγάπην τρέφειν καὶ πολυπλασιάζειν ἀεὶ σπούδαζε, ἵνα σοι καὶ ἡ τῶν ἀγαθῶν παρ᾽ αὐτοῦ χορηγία ἐπὶ μεῖζον προΐῃ. ὅτι δὲ καὶ ἡμῶν μέμνησαι, οὐδεμιᾶς ἑτέρας ἀποδείξεως προσδεόμεθα, τὴν ἐκ τῶν πραγμάτων ἔχοντες μαρτυρίαν.
CVII ἸΙουλίττῃ ἐλευθέρᾳ Πάνυ ἠθύμησα τοῖς γράμμασιν ἐντυχὼν τῆς εὐγενείας σου, ὅτι σε πάλιν αἱ αὐταὶ περιέχουσιν ἀνάγκαι. καὶ τί δεῖ ποιεῖν πρὸς ἀνθρώπους οὕτω παλίμβολον * ἐπιδεικνυμένους τὸ ἦθος, καὶ ἄλχοτε ἄχλλα λέγοντας, καὶ ταῖς ἰδίαις ὁμολογίαις μὴ ἐμμένοντας ; εἰ γὰρ μετὰ τὰς ἐπ᾽ 8 ἐμοῦ καὶ τοῦ
3 ἀπ᾽ editi antiqi.
1 Written in 372.
Julitta, a widew lady of Cappadocia, is being harassed by the guardian of her heirs.
Basil writes
LETTER CVII
worthy by Him, yet we have counted as the greatest blessing that acquaintance with your Honour which was granted us by the good Master.
For we have come to know a man who proves that even in military life one may preserve the perfection of love for God, and that a Christian should be marked, not by the fashion of his clothing, but by the disposition of his soul.
Now at the time we were quite eager to meet you, and now, as often as we call you to memory, we experience the greatest pleasure.
Therefore play the man, and be strong, and always strive to foster and increase your love of God, that the supply of the blessings
He bestows upon you may grow greater and greater.
Moreover, that you on your part are mindful of us we need no further proof, for we have the witness of your deeds.
LETTER CVII
To tHe Wipow Juuitrra?
1 was very angry when I read in the letter of your Nobility that the same difficulties again beset you.
And how should we deal with men who display such perverse natures, and say one thing on one occasion and another on another, and never abide by their agreements?
For if, after making such promises in the presence of myself and the exthis and the next two letters in an effort to relieve her of these troubles.
Tillemont, though on insufficient grounds, is inclined to identify her with other widows (ἐλευθέραι), to whom Basil addressed letters,
COLLECTED LETTERS OF SAINT BASIL
ἀπὸ ὑπάρχων ὑποσχέσεις, νῦν, ὡς μηδενὸς εἰρημένου, οὕτω στενοχωρεῖ τὴν προθεσμίαν, ἔοικε παντελῶς ἀπηρυθριακέναι πρὸς ἡμᾶς ὁ ἀνήρ.
Πλὴν ἀλλ᾽ ἐπέστειλα αὐτῷ, ἐντρέπων αὐτὸν καὶ ὑπομιμνήσκων τῶν αὐτοῦ ὑποσχέσεων. ἐπέστείλα δὲ καὶ ᾿Ελλαδίῳ, τῷ οἰκείῳ τοῦ ὑπάρχου, ἵνα δι᾽ αὐτοῦ διδαχθῇ τὰ κατὰ σὲ ὁ ὕπαρχος.1 αὐτὸς γὰρ μέχρι τοσούτου θαρρῆσαι δικαστῇ τοσούτῳ οὐκ ἐνόμισα ἐπίβαλλον 7 εἶναί μοι, διὰ τὸ μηδέ To περὶ ἰδιωτικοῦ πράγματος αὐτῷ ἐπεσταλκέναι, καὶ ὑφορᾶσθαι κατάγνωσίν τινα, ὡς οἶδας, εὐκόλως τῶν μεγάλων ἀνδρῶν ἀγριαινόντων πρὸς τὰ τοιαῦτα' εἰ μέντοι τι ἔσται ὄφελος, ἔσται τοῦτο διὰ ᾿λλαδίου, ἀνθρώπου καὶ χρηστοῦ καὶ περὶ ἡμᾶς διακειμένου, καὶ Θεὸν φοβουμένου, καὶ παρρησίαν ἀμύθῃτον ἔχοντος πρὸς τὸν ἄρχοντα. δυνατὸς δὲ ὁ ἅγιος διαγαγεῖν . σε πάσης θλίψεως, μόνον ἐὰν ἀληθινῇ καὶ γνησίᾳ καρδίᾳ ἐπελπίσωμεν ἐπ᾽ αὐτόν.
CVIII Τῷ κηδεμόνι τῶν κληρονόμων ᾿Τουλίττης ᾿Εθαύμασα ἀκούσας ὅτι, τῶν χρηστῶν ἐκείνων καὶ πρεπόντων τῇ σῇ ἐλευθερίᾳ ὑποσχέσεων ἐπιλαθόμενος, νῦν σφοδροτάτην καὶ ἀπαραίτητον ἐπάγεις τὴν ἀπαίτησιν τῇ ἀδελφῇ τῇδε: καὶ τί εἰκάσω ἐκ τῶν λεγομένων οὐκ ἔχω. σοί τε γὰρ 1 ἔπαρχος EB.
3 διάγειν editio Paris.
LETTER CVIII
prefects, the man now, as if nothing had been said, shortens the time of grace as you report, he seems to have utterly lost all sense of shame before us.
However, I did write to him, rebuking him and reminding him of his promises.
And I wrote also to Helladius,! one of the Prefect's household, that the Prefect might be informed of your affairs through him.
For I did not think that it was incumbent upon me to make bold to such an extent myself with so important an officer, because I had never written to him about a matter of private business, and I feared some censure—for, as you know, men of high station are easily incensed over such matters.
If, however, there is to be any assistance forthcoming, it will be through Helladius, a good man, well disposed towards us, God-fearing, and enjoying untold freedom of speech with the Prefect.
But the Holy One can guide you through every affliction, if only with a true and sincere heart we place our hopes in Him.
LETTER CVIII
To rue GuarRDIAN OF THE Heirs oF JuLITTA?
I nave been surprised to hear that you, forgetting those excellent promises which were so becoming to your generosity, now place a very harsh and rigorous demand on this sister of ours; and I do not know what to think of these reports.
For I am not only 1 This Helladius, except for the present letter and Letter CIX, is unknown.
2 Of the same date as the preceding and on the same general topic.
COLLECTED LETTERS OF SAINT BASIL
πολλὴν παρὰ τῶν πεπειραμένων σου μαρτυρουμένην ἐλευθερίαν σύνοιδα, καὶ τῶν ,ὑποσχέσεών σου μέμνημαι ὧν ἐποίησας ἐπ᾽ ἐμοῦ καὶ τοῦδε, λέγων ἐλάττονα μὲν γράφειν χρόνον, πλείονα δὲ συγχωρήσειν διὰ τὸ . βούλεσθαι συμπεριφέρεσθαι τῇ ἀνάγκῃ τοῦ πράγματος, καὶ συγγνώμην παρέyee τῇ ἐλευθέρᾳ ἀναγκαξομένῃ τοσοῦτον ἀθρόως ἐκ τῆς οἰκίας προΐεσθαι χρῆμα.
Τίς οὖν ἡ αἰτία δι ἣν ἡ τοσαύτη μεταβολὴ γέγονεν ἐγὼ νοεῖν οὐκ ἔχω. πλὴν ὅπερ ἂν ἧ, παρακαλῶ σε, μεμνημένον τῆς σεαυτοῦ ἐλευθεριότητος καὶ πρὸς τὸν Κύριον ἀπιδόντα τὸν ἀμειβόμενον τὰς χρηστὰς προαιρέσεις, δοῦναι τὸν καιρὸν ὃν ἐξ ἀρχῆς ὑπέσχου τῆς ἀνέσεως, ἵνα δυνηθῶσι συμπωλήσαντες τὰ ἑαυτῶν διαλῦσαι τὸ χρέος. δῆλον δὲ ὅτι κἀκείνων μέμνημαι, ὅτι ὑπέσχου, εἰ λάβοις τὸ ὁμολογηθὲν χρυσίον, πάντα τὰ ὁμολογηθέντα χαρτία, καὶ τὰ ἐπὶ τῶν ἀρχόντων πραχθέντα καὶ τὰ ἰδιωτικῶς yevomeva,® παραδώσειν TH προειρημένῃ.
Παρακαλῶ οὗν, καὶ ἡμᾶς τίμησον καὶ κτῆσαι παρὰ τῷ Κυρίῳ μεγάλην ἑαυτῷ εὐλογίαν, ἀναμνησθεὶς τῶν σεαυτοῦ ὑποσχέσεων, γινώσκων ὅτι ἄνθρωπος εἶ καὶ αὐτὸς 4 ἀναμένειν ὀφείλεις τοὺς καιροὺς ἐν οἷς δεηθήσῃ τῆς παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ ἀντιλήψεως" ἣν μὴ ἀποκλείσῃς σεαυτῷ διὰ τῆς παρούσης σκληρότητος, ἀλλ᾽ εὐτρέπισον τοὺς οἰκτιρμοὺς τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐπὶ σαυτόν, πᾶσαν χρηστότητα καὶ ἐπιείκειαν τοῖς καταπονουμένοις ἐπιδειξάμενος.
1 καὶ τοῦδε] τοῦ δὲ λόγου conj. Combefisius, 3 διὰ τὸ] δεῖ τῷ H, editi antiqi.
8. γινόμενα editi antiqi.
* καί add. E,
LETTER CVIII
acquainted with your great liberality, to which those who have experienced it bear witness, but I also remember the promises made by you in the presence of myself and this man ;1 for you said that, though you were naming a shorter time in writing, you would grant a longer term because you wished to meet the necessities of the case, and that you were showing indulgence to the widow in view of her being under the necessity of paying out so great a sum of money from her substance all at once.
Now what the cause is of this great change that has taken place in you I cannot understand.
But whatever it is, I beg you, remembering your own generosity, and gazing upon the Lord who requites good resolutions, to grant the term of grace which you promised in the beginning, that they may be able to sell their property and discharge the debt.
And it is evident that I remember this also very well—that you promised, if you should receive the sum agreed upon, to give back to the aforesaid widow all the stipulated documents, both those that were done in the presence of the magistrates and those that were executed privately.
Do you, accordingly, I pray, both honour us and obtain great praise for yourself with the Lord by being mindful of your promises, realizing that you are a man and must expect occasions when you will yourself need help from God; and do not exclude yourself from this help by persisting in your present severity, but make ready God's mercies for yourself by showing every kindness and clemency to those who are in distress.
1 2,6. the ex-prefect.
COLLECTED LETTERS OF SAINT BASIL
CIX "Ἑλλαδίῳ Κόμητι Πάνυ παραιτούμενος δι' ὄχλου εἶναι τῇ χρηστότητί σου διὰ τὸ μέγεθος τῆς περὶ ὑμᾶς ἀρχῆς, ἵνα μὴ δόξω ἀμέτρως ἐμφορεῖσθαι τῆς φιλίας ὑμῶν, ὅμως ὑπὸ τῶν "ἀναγκῶν ἡσυχάζειν οὐκ ἐπιτρέπομαι. τὴν γοῦν ἀδελφὴν τήνδε, καὶ πρὸς γένος ἡμῖν οὖσαν καὶ διὰ χηρείαν καταπονουμένην καὶ παιδὸς ὀρφανοῦ πράγματος 7 φροντίξουσαν, ἐπεὶ εἶδον λοιπὸν ὑπὲρ ὕναμιν ἀφορήτοις ἀνάγκαις συνεχομένην, κατελεήσας καὶ παθὼν τὴν ψυχὴν ἔσπευσα παρακαλέσαι σε, ἵνα, εἴ τις δύναμις, τῷ ἀποσταλέντι παρ᾽ αὐτῆς ἀνθρώπῳ καταξιώσῃς συμπρᾶξαι, πρὸς τὸ ὅπερ αὕτη παριοῦσα 3" ὑπέσχετο ὑφ᾽ ἡμῶν, ἤδη τοῦτο αὐτὴν ἀποδοῦσαν τῆς εἰς τὸ πλέον ἐπηρείας ἀπαλλαγῆναι. ὑπέσχετο γὰρ τὸ κεφάλαιον δοῦσα συγχωρεῖσθαι τοὺς τόκους.
Νῦν τοίνυν οἱ φροντίζοντες αὐτῆς τῶν κληρονόμων μετὰ τὸ κεφάλαιον καὶ τὴν τῶν τόκων εἴσπραξιν € ἐπιχειροῦσι ποιήσασθαι. ὡς οὖν εἰδὼς ὅτι Κύριός ἐστιν ὁ τὰ τῶν χηρῶν καὶ ὀρφανῶν ἰδιοποιούμενος, οὕτω σπούδασον χρήσασθαι ἑ ἑαυτὸν τῇ σπουδῇ τῇ ὑπὲρ τοῦ πράγματος ἐπ᾽ ἐλπίδι τῆς παρ᾽ αὐτοῦ τοῦ Θεοῦ ἡμῶν μισθαποδοσίας. οἶμαι nee Kab τὴν ἡμερότητα τοῦ θαυμασιωτάτου ἐπάρχου 8 μαθοῦσαν ὅτι τὸ κεφάλαιον ἐκτέτισται,
2 παριοῦσα Bigot. alter secunda manu, περιοῦσα alii MSS. et editi.
3 ὑπάρχου conj. ed. Ben,
LETTER CIX
LETTER CIX
To Count Hetvaprius!
Attnouen I must earnestly beg pardon for troubling your Excellency in view of the magnitude of the office you hold, lest I shall seem to be making an immoderate use of your friendship, yet I am not permitted by my necessities to hold my peace.
At any rate, when I beheld this sister (a relative of ours, suffering the affliction of widowhood, and anxious about the substance of her fatherless son)—when, I say, I beheld her beset beyond her strength with intolerable hardships, being filled with pity for her and sick at heart, I have hastened to urge you, if it is in any way possible, to deign to co-operate to this end with the messenger whom she has sent, that, namely, since this woman has already paid the amount she promised in person and in our presence, she may be freed from all further spiteful annoyance,
For she promised to pay the principal on condition of being relieved of the interest.
Now, then, those who act as guardians of her heirs, the principal having been paid, are trying to exact payment of the interest also.
Therefore, do you, as one who knows that the Lord makes the affairs of widows and orphans His own, yourself strive to employ all your zeal in this matter in the hope of the reward which our God Himself will give.
For I think that our kind and most admirable Prefect, on learning that the principal has been paid, will 1 On the same subject as the two preceding letters, and of the same time.
Except for the present letter and Letter CVII, this Helladius is unknown,
COLLECTED LETTERS OF SAINT BASIL
συμπαθήσειν τῷ ἐλεεινῷ λοιπὸν καὶ ἀθλίῳ οἴκῳ εἰς γόνυ κλιθέντι καὶ οὐκέτι ἀρκοῦντι ταῖς ἔξωθεν αὐτῷ ἐπαγομέναις ἐπηρείαις. παρακαλῶ οὖν, καὶ τῇ ἀνάγκῃ σύγγνωθι ov ἣν ὥχλησά!" σοι, καὶ τῷ πράγματι σύμπραξον κατὰ τὴν δύναμιν, ἣ ἣν ἔδωκέ σοι ὁ Χριστὸς χρηστῷ καὶ ἀγαθῷ τὸν τρόπον ὄντι, καὶ εἰς ἀγαθὸν οἷς ἔλαβες κεχρημένῳ.
CX Μοδέστῳ ὑπάρχῳ "Oons ἡμῖν τιμῆς καὶ παρρησίας μεταδίδως, τῇ ἡμερότητι τοῦ τρόπου καταβαίνειν πρὸς ἡμᾶς ἀνεχόμενος, τοσαύτην σοι καὶ ἔτι πλείω ἐν παντὶ τῷ βίῳ παρὰ τοῦ ἀγαθοῦ ἡμῶν Δεσπότου τὴν αὔξησιν γενέσθαι 5 τῆς περιφανείας εὐχόμεθα. ἐμὲ δὲ καὶ πάλαι ἐπιθυμοῦντα γράφειν καὶ ἀπολαύειν τῆς παρὰ σοῦ τιμῆς, κατεῖχεν ἡ πρὸς τὸ ὑπερέχον αἰδώς, εὐλαβούμενον μήποτε νομισθῶ ἀμέτρως ἐμφορεῖσθαι τῆς παρρησίας.
Νῦν δὲ ὁμοῦ μὲν καὶ τὸ λαβεῖν τὴν ἐξουσίαν 8 τοῦ ἐπιστέλλειν παρὰ τῆς ἀπαραβλήτου σου μεγαλοφυΐας, ὁμοῦ δὲ καὶ χρεία τῶν καταπονουμένων ἐξεβιάσατό με πρὸς τὸ θαρσεῖν. a τις οὖν καὶ παρὰ τῶν μικρῶν ἐπὶ τοῖς μεγίστοις 4 ἱκετηρίας ἰσχύς, παρακλήθητι, θαυμασιώτατε, φιλανθρώπῳ νεύματι ἐλεεινῇ ἀγροικίᾳ τὴν σωτηρίαν χαρίσασ1 ἠνόχλησα conj. ed. Ben, 2 γεγενέσθαι EK, 3 Nov... ἐξουσίαν om. EK.
4. peydrAos KH.
LETTER CX
sympathize with this pitiful and wretched household, which is now bowed to its knee and is no longer able to cope with the spitefulness which is visited upon it from the outside.
Therefore, I entreat you (and pardon the necessity which forces me to trouble you), lend your assistance to this matter also according to the power which Christ has given to you, who are noble and of good character and have always employed for a good end what you have received.
LETTER CX
To THE Prerect Mopestus 1 Wuat measure of honour and of frankness in speech you bestow upon us, when in the kindness of your heart you consent to condescend to us, may that same measure and still more of enhancement of your fame be given to you throughout your life by our good Master, we pray.
Although I have long wished to write and to take advantage of the honour you show me, yet respect for your higher station restrained me, careful as I was lest I be thought to avail myself unduly of the freedom you accord me.
But now two things—my having received permission from your incomparable Magnanimity to write, and likewise the need of those who are in distress—have constrained me to be bold.
So if the prayers of the small are of any avail with the great, be pleased, most admirable Sir, by your benign assent to bestow salvation upon a pitiful rustic people, and give orders that the tax on iron be made tolerable
1 Written in 372, on the tribute of iron paid at Mount Taurus.
On Modestus, cf. Letter CIV and note.
COLLECTED LETTERS OF SAINT BASIL
θαι, καὶ τοῖς τὸν Ταῦρον οἰκοῦσι τὸν σιδηροφόρον φορητὴν προστάξαι "γενέσθαι τὴν τοῦ σιδήρου συντέλειαν, ὡς μὴ εἰς ἅπαξ αὐτοὺς ἐκτριβῆναι, ἀλλὰ διαρκῇ αὐτῶν εἶναι τὴν ὑπηρεσίαν τοῖς δημοσίοις" οὗ μάλιστα πάντων μέλειν τῇ ἀξιαγάστῳ σου φιλανθρωπίᾳ πεπείσμεθα.
ΟΧΙ Μοδέστῳ ὑπάρχῳ "Adds μὲν οὐκ ἂν ἐθάρρησα. δι ὄχλου γενέσθαι τῇ μεγαλοφυΐᾳ σου, εἰδὼς καὶ ἐμαυτὸν μετρεῖν καὶ τὰς ἐξουσίας γνωρίξειν. ἐπειδὴ δὲ εἶδον ἄνδρα φίλον ἐναγωνίως διακείμενον ἐπὶ τῷ μετακληθῆναι, ἀπετόλμησα as δοῦναι τὴν ἐπιστολὴν ταύτην, ἵνα ἀνθ᾽ ἱκετηρίας * αὐτὴν προβαλλόμενος τύχῃ τινὸς φιλανθρωπίας. πάντως δέ, εἰ καὶ ἡμεῖς οὐδενὸς λόγου ἄξιοι, GAN αὐτὸ τὸ μέτριον " ἱκανὸν δυσωπῆσαι τὸν φιλανθρωπότατον τῶν ὑπάρχων ὃ καὶ ἡμῖν δοῦναι συγγνώμην, ἵνα, εἰ μὲν μηδὲν πεπλημμέληται TO ἀνδρί, σωθῆναι αὐτὸν ov αὐτὴν τὴν ἀλήθειαν, εἰ δὲ καὶ ἥμαρτεν, ἀφεθῆναι αὐτῷ δι' ἡμᾶς τοὺς ἱκετεύσαντας.
Oia δὲ τὰ ἐνταῦθα τῶν πραγμάτων ἐστί, τίς μᾶλλον ἐπίσταται σοῦ, τοῦ καὶ ἐπιβλέποντος τὰ map ἑκάστῳ ἃ σαθρὰ καὶ τῇ θαυμασίᾳ προμηθείᾳ τὰ πάντα διακρατοῦντος ; ; 1 ἱκεσίας Reg. uterque, Coisl. secundus,
2 μέτρον editi antiqi.
* &edorou editi antiqi.
LETTER CX1
for the inhabitants of the iron-bearing Taurus, so that they may not be ruined once for all, but that their service to the treasury of the state may continue to be rendered—an object in which beyond all others we are convinced that your admirable
Benevolence is concerned.
LETTER CXI
To THE Prerect Mopestus!
In other circumstances I should not have made bold to trouble your Excellency, knowing both how to measure my own importance and how to estimate the powers of others.
But when I saw a friend in great distress of mind by reason of a summons, I ventured to give him this letter, that by casting it before you in lieu of the suppliant's token 2 he might obtain a measure of kindness.
But in any case, even if we are of no account, yet our very restraint will suffice to placate the most kind-hearted of prefects and to secure us forgiveness, to the end that, if the man has done no wrong, he may be saved through the influence of the truth itself, but if he has indeed sinned, that his sin may be forgiven him through us who make supplication.
But as to our own situation here, who is better informed than you, who both observe what is corrupt in every man and by your wonderful forethought keep all things under your control?
1 Of the same date as the preceding.
For Modestus, cf.
Letter CIV and note.
2 An olive-branch held in the hands of a suppliant, as a symbol of his condition and claim,
VOL. IL H ᾽
COLLECTED LETTERS OF SAINT BASIL
CXII ᾿Ανδρονίκῳ ἡγεμόνι Εἰ μὲν οὕτως εἶχον σώματος, ὥστε ῥᾳδίως ὑπομένειν ὁδοιπορίας δύνασθαι καὶ τὰ τοῦ χειμῶνος δυσχερῆ φέρειν, οὐκ ἂν ἐπέστελλον, ἀλλ᾽ αὐτὸς παρὰ" τὴν σὴν μεγαλοψυχίαν ἐβάδιζον δυοῖν ὃ ἕνεκεν" τοῦ τε παλαιὸν ὑποσχέσεως ἐκτίσαι χρέος (οἶδα γὰρ ὁμολογήσας παρέσεσθαι τῇ Σεβαστείᾳ καὶ ἀπολαῦσαί σου τῆς τελειότητος" ὅπερ, ἐποίησα μέν, διήμαρτον δὲ τῆς συντυχίας, μικρὸν κατόπιν τῆς σῆς "καλοκἀγαθίας παραγενόμενος), ἑτέρου δέ, τοῦ τὴν πρεσβείαν δι' ἐμαυτοῦ πληρῶσαι, ἣν ἀποστεῖλαι " τέως ἀπώκνουν, μικρότερον ἐμαυτὸν κρίνων ἢ ὥστε τοιαύτης τυγχάνειν χάριτος, καὶ ἅμα λογιξόμενος, ὅ ὅτι οὔτε ἄρχοντα ὕ οὔτε ἰδιώτην ὑ ὑπὲρ: οὐδενὸς ἄν τις λέγων διὰ γραμμάτων πείσειεν οὕτως, ὡς αὐτὸς παρών, καὶ τὰ μὲν ἀπολυόμενος ὃ τῶν ἐγκλημάτων, τὰ δὲ ἱκετεύων, τοῖς δὲ συγγνώμην παραιτούμενος ἔχειν" ὧν οὐδὲν a ἂν * ῥᾳδίως be ἐπιστολῆς γένοιτο. πᾶσιν οὖν τούτοις ἕν ἀντιθείς, σὲ τὴν θείαν κεφαλήν, καὶ ὅτι ἐξαρκέσει τὴν γνώμην ἐνδείξασθαί σοι, ἣν περὶ τοῦ πράγματος ἔχομεν, τὰ δὲ λοιπὰ προσθήσεις παρὰ σεαυτοῦ, πρὸς τὴν ἐγχείρησιν οὐκ ἀπώκνησα.
2 πρός editi antiqi.
9 ἂν om. E.
LETTER CXII
LETTER CXII
To Anpronicus, GENERAL!
Ir I were strong enough in body to be able easily to endure travelling and to bear the hardships of winter, I should not now be writing to you, but should be proceeding to your Magnanimity in person with two purposes in view—to discharge the longstanding debt of a promise (for I know that I agreed to visit Sebasteia and enjoy the company of your
Perfection; and I did go there, but missed meeting you, since 1 arrived a little too late for your noble self), and, secondly, to perform in person the mission which I have thus far hesitated to fulfil by a communication, since I judged myself too insignificant a person to obtain such a favour, and at the same time considered that no one in pleading another's cause could win over an official or a private citizen so well by stating his case in writing as by being present in person, orally disposing of some of his client's charges, pleading excuse for others, and asking pardon for the rest—none of which things could easily be done by letter.
So, weighing against these disadvantages one single advantage—yourself, a god-like man—and considering that it will suffice to indicate to you the judgment we have concerning the affair, to which you will add out of your own knowledge what is lacking, I have not shrunk from making this attempt.
1 Written in 372.
Andronicus, to whom this letter is addressed, and Domitian, an offender, in whose behalf the letter is written, are otherwise unknown.
COLLECTED LETTERS OF SAINT BASIL
"AN ὁρᾷς ὅπως κύκλῳ περίειμι ὀκνῶν καὶ ἀναδυόμενος τὴν αἰτίαν ἐκφαίνειν ὑ ὑπὲρ ὧν ποιοῦμαι τοὺς λόγους.
Δομετιανὸς οὗτος ἐπιτήδειος ἡμῖν ἐστὶν 1 ἐκ τῶν γονέων ἄνωθεν, ὥστε ἀδελφοῦ μηδ᾽ ὁτιοῦν διαφέρειν. τί γὰρ av τις μὴ τἀληθῆ λέγοι ; εἶτα τὴν αἰτίαν μαθόντες ἀφ᾽ ἧς ταῦτα πέποι θεν, ἄξιον εἶναι τοῦ παθεῖν οὕτως ἔφαμεν. μηδὲ 5 γὰρ ἔστω μηδείς, ὃς μικρὸν ἢ μεῖξον εἰς τὴν σὴν ἀρετὴν ἀμελήσας ὃ τὴν τιμωρίαν ἐκφύγοι. ἀλλ᾽ ὁρῶντες τοῦτον περιδεῶς καὶ ἀδόξως ζῶντα, καὶ ἐπὶ τῇ σῇ ψήφῳ κειμένην αὐτοῦ τὴν σωτηρίαν, ἀρκοῦσαν αὐτὸν , ἔχειν τὴν δίκην ἐκρίναμεν. μεγαλόψυχόν τε ὁμοῦ καὶ φιλάνθρωπον διανοηθῆναι σε περὶ αὐτοῦ ἱκετεύομεν. τὸ μὲν γὰρ τοὺς ἀντιτείνοντας ὑπὸ χεῖρα λαμβάνειν ἀνδρείου τε καὶ ἄρχοντος ὡς ἀληθῶς, τὸ δὲ τοῖς ὑποπεπτωκόσι χρηστὸν εἶναι καὶ πρᾶον μεγαλοφροσύνῃ πάντων καὶ ἡμερότητι διαφέροντος. ὥστε ὑπάρξει σοι βουληθέντι ἐ ἐν τῷ αὐτῷ τήν τε πρὸς τὸ ἀμύνασθαι καὶ τὴν εἰς τὸ cote, ὡς ἂν ἐθέλοις, ( ἐπιδείξασθαι μεγαλοψυχίαν. τοῦτο μέτρον ἀρκοῦν Δομετιανῷ τῆς κολάσεως, τῶν προσδοκωμένων ὁ oO φόβος καὶ ὧν ἄξιον οἶδεν ἑαυτὸν παθεῖν ὄντα. τούτοις μηδὲν εἰς τιμωρίαν προσθεῖναι αὐτῷ ἱκετεύομεν. καὶ yap ἐκεῖνο σκόπει, ὅτι κύριοι μὲν τῶν ἠδικηκότων πολλοὶ τῶν πρότερον 5 ἤδη γεγόνασιν, ὧν οὐδεὶς πρὸς τοὺς ὕστερον διεπέμφθη λόγος" ἀφῆκαν δὲ τὴν ὀργὴν οἱ φιλοσοφίᾳ τοὺς πολλοὺς ὑπεράραντες, ὧν ἀθάνατος ἡ μνήμη τῷ χρόνῳ §
! ἐστίν om. EB.
2 un E.
3 ἁμαρτήσας editi antiqi.
4 ἐθέλῃς editi antiqi.
LETTER CXII
But you see how I go about in a circle, hesitating and shrinking from making known the reason why I am writing this letter.
This man Domitian is a friend of ours, as our parents were friends long before, so that he differs not at all from a brother.
For why should one not tell the truth?
Then on learning the reason why he is in bis present plight, we declared that he deserved to suffer so.
For let there be no man who, after slighting your Virtuous Self in any matter small or great, shall escape the penalty.
But when we saw that this man lived in fear and ignominy, and that his salvation rested with your decision, we judged that he had received sufficient punishment; and we now beg you to consider his case with both magnanimity and kindness.
For to keep the rebellious under one's hand is truly the part of a strong man and a ruler, but to be kind and gentle to the fallen is the mark of one who surpasses all men in magnanimity and kindness.
And thus it will be within your power, if you so wish, to exhibit with the same person magnanimity both in exacting punishment and, as you would prefer, in granting succour.
This is a sufficient measure of chastisement for Domitian—his fear of what lies in store for him, and of the punishment which he well knows he deserves to suffer.
To all this we beg you to add nothing by way of vengeance.
And consider this also, that there have been many among those who have gone before us who have exercised power over wrong-doers, of these no record has been passed on to posterity; but of those who, transcending the many through philosophy, have abated their wrath, an immortal remembrance has been handed down to 6 gf» Vat., Reg. secundus, Coisl. secundus,
COLLECTED LETTERS OF SAINT BASIL
παντὶ παραδέδοται. προσκείσθω δὲ καὶ τοῦτο τοῖς περὶ σοῦ διηγήμασι. δὸς ἡμῖν, τοῖς ὑμνεῖν προαιρουμένους τὰ σά, τὰς ἐν τοῖς ἄνω χρόνοις ᾳἀδομένας " φιλανθρωπίας ὑπερβαλέσθαι. οὕτω καὶ Κροῖσος τῷ παιδοφόνῳ τὴν ὀργὴν ἀφεῖναι λέγεται, ἑαυτὸν παραδόντ t εἰς τιμωρίαν" καὶ
Κῦρος ὁ μέγας αὐτῷ τούτῳ τῷ Κροίσῳ φίλος γενέσθαι μετὰ τὴν νίκην. τούτοις σε συναριθμήσομεν, καὶ, ὅση δύναμις ἡμετέρα, ταῦτα ἀναγορεύσομεν, εἴπερ μὴ μικροί, τινες εἶναι παντάπασιν ἀνδρὸς τοσούτου κήρυκες νομισθείημεν.
'Exetvo δὲ ἐπὶ πᾶσιν εἰπεῖν ἀναγκαῖον, ὅτι τοὺς ὁτιοῦν ἀδικοῦντας οὐχ ὑπὲρ τῶν ἤδη γεγενημένων κολάζομεν (rig? yap ἂν γένοιτο μηχανὴ μὴ γεγενῆσθαι τὰ πεπραγμένα 3), ἀλλ᾽ ὅπως ἂν ἢ αὐτοὶ πρὸς τὸ λοιπὸν ἀμείνους γένοιντο, i ἑτέροις ὑπάρξειαν τοῦ σωφρονεῖν παράδειγμα." τούτων τοίνυν οὐθέτερον ἐνδεῖν ὃ ἄν τις ἐν τῷ παρόντι φήσειεν" αὐτός τε γὰρ καὶ μετὰ τὸν θάνατον τούτων μεμνήσεται, τούς τε λοιποὺς τεθνάναι τῷ δέει πρὸς τοῦτον ἀφορῶντας οἴομαι. ὥσθ᾽ ὅπερ ἂν προσθῶμεν τῇ τιμωρίᾳ, τὴν ὀργὴν ἡμῶν αὐτῶν ἀποπιμπλάναι δόξομεν" ὃ πολλοῦ δεῖν ἐπὶ σοῦ ἀληθὲς εἶναι φαίην ἂν ἔγωγε, καὶ οὐδὲν ἃ ἂν τούτων τῶν λόγων προήχθην εἰπεῖν, εἰ μὴ μείζονα τῷ διδόντι. τὴν χάριν ἐνεώρων ἢ τοῖς λαμβάνουσιν. οὐδὲ γὰρ ὀλίγοις ἔσται καταφανὴς ἡ 1) μεγαλοψυχία τοῦ τρόπου.
8 rt E.
4 παραδείγματα Reg. uterque et Coisl. secundus.
LETTER CXII
all time.
And let this also be added to the reports about you.
Grant to us, who would fain hymn your praises, to surpass the songs of good deeds sung in previous ages.
Thus even Croesus! is said to have abated his wrath against the slayer of his son who had given himself up for punishment; and Cyrus the Great is said to have become friendly to this very Croesus? after his victory over him.
With these shall we number you, and with all our power shall we proclaim these deeds, unless we be considered as an altogether too insignificant herald of so great a man.
And this plea we must always utter on every occasion, that we punish those who do any wrong, not for what has already taken place (for what means can there be of undoing what has been done?), but that they may either become better themselves in future, or may be an example to teach wisdom to others.
So one might say that neither of these conditions is lacking in the present case ; for Domitian himself will remember these things even after his death, and I imagine that his fellows are frightened to death through looking at him, Thus if we add anything to his punishment, we shall seem to be glutting our own anger, which I would say is far from being the truth in your case, and I could not have induced myself to say any of these things, did
I not see that the reward is greater for him who gives than for those who receive.
For not to a mere few will the magnanimity of your character be known.
For all the Cappadocians are regarding the future, and it would be my prayer that they
1 Cf. Herodotus 1, 45.
2 Cf. Herodotus 1, 88.
COLLECTED LETTERS OF SAINT BASIL
᾿Οκνῶ δὲ τοῦ γράφειν παύσασθαι, ἡγούμενός μοι ζημίαν οἴσειν τὸ παρεθέν. τοσοῦτόν γε μὴν προσθήσω, ὅτι πολλῶν ἐπιστολὰς * ἔχων ἐξαιτου- / ᾽ \ lal € vA μένων αὐτὸν πασῶν ἡγήσατο προτιμοτέραν εἶναι τὴν map ἡμῶν, οὐκ οἷδά που 3 μαθὼν εἶναί τινα ἡμῶν λόγον παρὰ τῇ σῇ τελειότητι. ὅπως οὖν μήτε αὐτὸς ψευσθῇ τῶν ἐλπίδων, ἃς ἐφ᾽ ἡμῖν ἔσχε, καὶ ἡμῖν ὑπάρξῃ πρὸς τοὺς ἐνταῦθα σεμνολογεῖσθαι, παρακέκλησο, δέσποτα ἀνυπέρβλητε, ἐπινεῦσαι πρὸς τὴν αἴτησιν. πάντως δὲ οὐδενὸς χεῖρον τῶν πώποτε φιλοσοφησάντων ἐπέσκεψαι τὰ ἀνθρώπινα, καὶ οἶδας ὡς καλὸς Οηδαλίρος πᾶσι τοῖς δεομένοις ὑπουργεῖν προαποκείμενος.5
CXIII Tots ἐν Ταρσῷ πρεσβυτέροις Συντυχὼν τῷδε, πολλὴν ἔσχον τῷ ἁγίῳ Θεῷ τὴν χάριν, ὅτι με καὶ διὰ τῆς αὐτοῦ παρουσίας ἀπὸ πολλῶν θλίψεων παρεμυθήσατο, καὶ τὴν ὑμετέραν ἀγάπην ἐναργῶς ἔδειξε δι' αὐτοῦ. σχεδὸν γὰρ τὸν πάντων ὑμῶν περὴ τὴν ἀλήθειαν ζῆλον ἐ ἐν τῇ τοῦ ἑνὸς ἀνδρὸς προαιρέσει κατέμαθον. ἃ μὲν οὖν ἰδίᾳ διελέχθημεν πρὸς ἀλλήλους αὐτὸς ὑμῖν ἀπαγγελεῖ: τς Τὼ δὲ παρ᾽ ἐμοῦ γνωρισθῆναι ὑμῶν προσῆκε τῇ ἀγάπῃ, ταῦτά ἐστιν.
1 πτρῦτο editi antiqi.
LETTER CXIII
might number this also with the rest of the virtues which you possess.
Yet I hesitate to cease writing, thinking that what has been omitted will cause me harm.
So much at any rate I shall add, that although he had letters from many who were interceding for him, he considered the one from us to be more valuable than them all, having learned, I know not where, that a word from us was of weight with your Perfection.
Therefore that he on his part may not be deceived in the hopes which he has placed in us, and that there may be for us some occasion for glorification before our people, be pleased, most illustrious master, to assent to our request.
And assuredly you, no less than any of the philosophers of the past, have studied human life, and you know how goodly a treasure is laid up for all who help the needy.
LETTER CXIII To THe PressyTers aT Tarsus!
On meeting this man, I was very grateful to the Holy God, because by sending him to me after many atilictions He comforted me, and through him gave clear proof of your love.
For I can almost say that in the purpose of this one man I learned the zeal for the truth which all of you possess.
Now, what we discussed privately with one another he himself will report to you; but what your charity may fittingly learn from me is the following.
1 Written in 372, and maintaining that the Nicene Creed alone should be required of the brethren.
5 ἐπαγγελεῖ editi antiqi.
COLLECTED LETTERS OF SAINT BASIL
Ὁ καυρὸς πολλὴν ἐ ἔχει ῥοπὴν πρὸς καταστροφὴν τῶν ἐκκλησιῶν, καὶ τοῦτο πολὺν ἔχομεν ἤδη χρόνον ἐξ οὗ ᾿καταμανθάνομεν. οἰκοδομὴ δὲ Ἔκκλησίας, καὶ σφαλμάτων διόρθωσις, καὶ συμπάθεια μὲν πρὸς τοὺς ἀσθενοῦντας ὑ ὑπερασπισμὸς δὲ πρὸς τοὺς ὑγιαίνοντας τῶν ἀδελφῶν οὐδὲ εἷς. ἀλλ᾽ οὔτε βοήθημα ἢ θεραπευτικὸν * τῆς προκατασχούσης νόσου, ἢ "προφυλακτικὸν τῆς προσδοκωμένης οὐδέν. καὶ ὅλως ἔοικε λοιπὸν ἡ τῆς ᾿Εκκλησίας κατάστασις (ἵνα ἐναργεῖ χρήσωμαι τῷ ὑποδείγματι, κἂν εὐτελέστερον εἶναι δοκῇ) ἱματίῳ παλαιῷ, ὑπὸ τῆς τυχούσης προφάσεως ῥᾳδίως καταρρηγνυμένῳ, ὃ πρὸς τὴν ἐξ ἀρχῆς ἰσχὺν ἐπανελθεῖν πάλιν ἀδυνατεῖ. ὡς οὖν ἐν καιρῷ τοιούτῳ, μεγάλης χρεία τῆς σπουδῆς καὶ πολλῆς τῆς ἐπιμελείας εὐεργετηθῆναί τι τὰς ἐκκλησίας. εὐεργεσία δέ ἐστιν ἑνωθῆναι τὰ τέως διεσπασμένα.2 ἕνωσις δ᾽ ἂν γένοιτο, εἰ βουληθείημεν, ἐν οἷς μηδὲν βλάπτομεν τὰς ψυχάς, συμπεριενεχθῆναι τοῖς ἀσθενεστέροις.
᾿Επεὶ οὖν πολλὰ στόματα ἤνοικται κατὰ τοῦ Πνεύματος τοῦ ἁγίου καὶ πολλαὶ γλῶσσαι ἠκόνηνται εἰς τὴν κατ᾽ αὐτοῦ βλασφημίαν, ? lal ς an "
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ὔ ἀξιοῦμεν ὑμᾶς, ὅσον ἐστὶν ἐφ ὑμῖν, εἰς ὀλίγον ἀριθμὸν περιστῆσαι τοὺς βλασφημοῦντας" καὶ τοὺς μὴ λέγοντας κτίσμα τὸ ,Ἠνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον δέχεσθαι εἰς κοινωνίαν, ἵνα μόνοι καταλειφθῶσιν οἱ Βλάσφημοι, καὶ ἢ καταισχυνθέντες ἐπανέλθωσι πρὸς τὴν ἀλήθειαν, ἢ ἐπιμένοντες τῇ ἁμαρτίᾳ ἀναξιόπιστοι ὦσι διὰ τὴν ὀλιγότητα. μηδὲν 1 προθεραπευτικόν Med.
LETTER CXIII
The spirit of the times is much inclined to the destruction of the churches, and it is now a long time since we have learned this. As for the establishment of the Church, the correction of errors, sympathy for the brethren who are weak and protection of those who are sound—of these things not one!
Nay, there is neither remedy nor cure for the disease which is already upon us, nor means of precaution against that which we await.
And, in short, the condition of the Church now (to use a vivid example, even if it seems to be rather mean) is like that of an old cloak, which, being easily torn by an ordinary strain, cannot be again restored to its original strength.
In such times, therefore, as these there is need of great diligence and much care that the churches may be in some way benefited.
And a benefit it is that the parts which have hitherto been broken apart be united again.
And a union might be effected if we should be willing to show indulgence to the weaker, whenever we can do so without causing harm to souls.
Since, therefore, the mouths of many have been opened against the Spirit, and many tongues have been whetted to utter blasphemy against Him, we believe that you ought, in so far as it is in your power, to reduce the number of blasphemers to a small number; those who do not call the Holy Spirit a creature should be received in communion with you, that the blasphemers may be left alone, and either, being put to shame, may return to the truth, or, abiding in their error, may be considered unworthy of belief by reason of the smallness of their ade τόνον, δι" ot V8 cw ee ΘΥΥ '
3 ἡμῖν editi antiqi.
COLLECTED LETTERS OF SAINT BASIL
τοίνυν πλέον ἐπιζητῶμεν, ἀλλὰ προτεινωμεθα τοῖς βουλομένοις ἡμῖν συνάπτεσθαι ἀδελφοῖς τὴν ἐν Νικαίᾳ πίστιν: κἂν ἐκείνῃ συνθῶνται, ἐπερωτῶμεν καὶ τὸ μὴ δεῖν λέγεσθαι κτίσμα τὸ
Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον, μηδὲ κοινωνικοὺς αὐτῶν εἶναι τοὺς λέγοντας. πέρα δὲ τούτων! ἀξιῶ μηδὲν ἐπιζητεῖσθαι παρ᾽ ἡμῶν. πέπεισμαι γάρ, ὅτι τῇ χρονιωτέρᾳ συνδιαγωγῇ καὶ τῇ ἀφιλονείκῳ συγγυμνασίᾳ, καὶ εἴ τι δέοι πλέον προστεθῆναι εἰς τράνωσιν, δώσει ὁ ὁ Κύριος ὁ πάντα συνεργῶν εἰς ἀγαθὸν τοῖς ἀγαπῶσιν αὐτόν.
CXIV Tots ἐν Ταρσῷ περὶ Κυριακόν 3 "Ὅσον ἐστὶ τὸ τῆς εἰρήνης ἀγαθόν, τί χρὴ λέγειν πρὸς ἄνδρας υἱοὺς τῆς εἰρήνης ; ; ἐπεὶ οὖν τὸ μέγα τοῦτο καὶ θαυμαστὸν καὶ πᾶσι περισπούδαστον τοῖς ἀγαπῶσι τὸν Κύριον κινδυνεύει λοιπὸν εἰς ὄνομα Ψψιλὸν περιστῆναι διὰ τὸ πληθυνθῆναι τὴν ἀνομίαν, ψυγείσης λοιπὸν ἐν τοῖς πολλοῖς τῆς ἀγάπης, οἶμαι προσήκειν μίαν ταύτην εἶναι σπουδὴν τοῖς γνησίως καὶ ἀληθινῶς δουλεύουσι τῷ Κυρίῳ, τὸ ἐπαναγαγεῖν πρὸς ἕνωσιν τὰς ἐκκλησίας τὰς πολυμερῶς καὶ πολυ1 πέρα δὲ τούτων... παρ᾽ ἡμῶν] παρὰ δὲ τούτων... παρ᾽ ὑμῶν editi antiqi.
2 roils αὐτοῖς περὶ Kupiaxdy παραπλήσια editi antiqi.
1 Cf. Rom. 8. 28: οἴδαμεν δὲ ὅτι τοῖς ἀγαπῶσι τὸν θεὸν πάντα συνεργεῖ εἰς ἀγαθὸν τοῖς κατὰ πρόθεσιν κλητοῖς οὖσιν.
""Απάᾶ we know that to them that love God, all things work
LETTER CXIV
number.
Let us then seek nothing more, but merely propose the Creed of Nicaea to the brethren who wish to join us; and if they agree to this, let us demand also that the Holy Spirit shall not be called a creature, and that those who do so call Him shall not be communicants with them.
But beyond these things I think nothing should be insisted upon by us.
For I am convinced that by longer association together and by mutual experience without strife, even if there should be need of some addition being made for clarification, the Lord who worketh all things together unto good to such as love Him! will concede this.
LETTER CXIV
To Cyriacus AND HIS FoLLowers aT Tarsus 2 Way need 1 tell men who are the sons of peace how great is the blessing of peace?
So, since this boon, great and wonderful and eagerly sought by all who love the Lord, is now in danger of being reduced to a mere name, "because iniquity hath abounded, the charity in many having now grown cold,'* I think that those who really and truly labour for the Lord should have this one aim—to bring back into union the churches that have been severed from one another "at sundry times and in together unto good, to such as, according to His purpose, are called to be saints."
2 Written in 372, and, like the preceding letter, on the sufficiency of the Nicene Creed.
'The Cyriacus to whom this letter is addressed has not been identified.
3 Cf. Matt.
'* And because iniquity hath abounded, the charity of many shall grow cold."
COLLECTED LETTERS OF SAINT BASIL
τρόπως ἀπ᾽ ἀλλήλων διατμηθείσας. ὃ δὴ καὶ αὐτὸς ἐπιχειρῶν ποιεῖν οὐκ ἂν δικαίως πολυπράγμονος αἰτίαν λάβοιμι. οὐδὲν γὰρ οὕτως ἴδιόν ἐ ἐστι Χριστιανοῦ ὡς τὸ εἰρηνοποιεῖν" διὸ καὶ τὸν ἐπ αὐτῷ μισθὸν μέγιστον ἡμῖν ὁ Κύριος ἐπηγγείλατο. συντυχὼν τοίνυν τοῖς ἀδελφοῖς καὶ θεασάμενος αὐτῶν πολὺ μὲν τὸ φιλάδελφον καὶ τὸ περὶ ὑμᾶς ἀγαπητικόν, πολλῷ δὲ ἔτι πλέον τὸ φιλόχριστον * καὶ τὸ περὶ τὴν πίστιν ἀκριβές τε καὶ εὔτονον, καὶ ὅτι πολλὴν ἀμφοτέρων ποιοῦνται σπουδήν, τῆς τε ὑμετέρας ἀγάπης μὴ χωρίζεσθαι καὶ τὴν ὑγιαίνουσαν πίστιν μὴ καταπροδοῦναι, ἀποδεξάμενος αὐτῶν τὴν ἀγαθὴν προαίρεσιν ἐπιστέλλω τῇ σεμνότητι ὑμῶν, παρακαλῶν πάσῃ ἀγάπῃ ἔχειν αὐτοὺς ἡνωμένους γνησίως καὶ πάσης ἐκκλησιαστικῆς φροντίδος κοινωνούς" ἐγγυησάμενος καὶ αὐτοῖς τὴν ὑμετέραν ὀρθότητα, ὅτι καὶ αὐτοὶ τῇ τοῦ Θεοῦ χάριτι τῷ ὑπὲρ τῆς ἀληθείας ζήλῳ πρὸς πάντα ἐστὲ παρατεταγμένοι, ὅσαπερ ἂν δέῃ" παθεῖν ὑπὲρ τοῦ λόγου τῆς ἀληθείας.
Ἔστι δέ, ὡς ἐμαυτὸν πείθω, τὰ οὔτε ὑμῖν ὑπεναντία, καὶ τοῖς προειρημένοις τῶν ἀδελφῶν αὐτάρκη πρὸς πληροφορίαν, ταῦτα, ὁμολογεῖν ὑμᾶς τὴν ὑπὸ τῶν πατέρων ἡμῶν ἐκτεθεῖσαν πίστιν τῶν ἐν Νικαίᾳ ποτὲ συνελθόντων, καὶ μηδεμίαν τῶν ἐκεῖ λέξεων ἀθετεῖν, GAN εἰδέναι ὅτι τριακόσιοι δέκα καὶ ὀκτώ, ἀφιλονείκως συνιόντες, οὐκ ἄνευ τῆς τοῦ ἁγίου Ἰ]νεύματος ἐνεργείας
2 δέοι editi antiqi.
LETTER XCIV
divers manners.' 1
When I myself also attempt to accomplish this result I could not justly be accused of officiousness.
For no activity is so peculiarly Christian as making peace; wherefore the reward for this which the Lord has promised us is the highest.
So, after meeting the brethren, and observing how great is their brotherly love,? and their affection towards you, and how much greater still is their love for Christ and their strictness and vigour in the faith, and seeing that they were very zealous for two things—not to be separated from your charity and not to betray the sound faith— accepting their good purpose I am writing to your
August Reverence, urging with all charity that you hold them truly united and sharing in all the solicitude of the Church; I have vouched to them also for your orthodoxy, saying that you likewise, by the grace of God, have in your zeal for the truth made yourselves ready to suffer whatever may be needful in behalf of the doctrine of truth.
The following conditions, I am convinced, are not contrary to your own feelings, and are satisfactory to the above-mentioned brothers by way of information—that you profess the faith as set forth by the Fathers who once assembled at Nicaea, and deny no one of the statements made there, but realize that three hundred and eighteen, coming together without strife, spoke not without the agency of the Holy λαλήσας τοῖς πατράσιν ἐν τοῖς προφήταις.
'God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spoke in times past to the fathers by the prophets."
"" Blessed are the peace-makers : for they shall be called the children of God."
COLLECTED LETTERS OF SAINT BASIL
ἐφθέγξαντο" προσθεῖναι δὲ τῇ πίστει ἐκείνῃ Kal τὸ μὴ χρῆναι λέγειν κτίσμα τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον, μὴ μέντοι μηδὲ τοῖς λέγουσι κοινωνεῖν, ἵνα καθαρὰ ἢ τοῦ Θεοῦ ἡ ᾿Εκκλησία, μηδὲν ξζιζάνιον ἑαυτῇ παραμεμιγμένον ἔχουσα. ταύτης αὐτοῖς τῆς πληροφορίας παρὰ τῆς εὐσπλαγχνίας ὑμῶν προτεθείσης, καὶ αὐτοὶ πρέπουσαν ὑμῖν ὑποταγὴν ἕτοιμοί εἰσι παρασχέσθαι. αὐτὸς γὰρ ἐγγυῶμαι τὸ μέρος τῶν ἀδελφῶν, ὡς εἰς οὐδὲν ἀντεροῦσιν, ἀλλὰ πᾶσαν ὑμῖν ἐπιδείξονται εὐταξίας ὑπερβολήν, ἑνὸς τούτου αὐτοῖς τοῦ ἐπιζητουμένου παρ᾽ αὐτῶν ὑπὸ τῆς ὑμετέρας τελειότητος ἑτοίμως παρασχεθέντος.
CXV ,ὔ « a 1 Σιμπλικίᾳ αἱρετικῇ ᾿Αβούλως οἱ ἄνθρωποι καὶ μισοῦσι τοὺς κρείττονᾶς καὶ φιλοῦσι τοὺς χείρονας. διὸ δὴ καὶ 1 Βασίλειος add. E.
1 Written in 372 or 373.
The tone of this letter is wholly unworthy of St. Basil, and not at all like that of the other letters, There is, however, no other reason for doubting its authenticity.
The circumstances which led to the writing of this letter may be learned from Gregory Nazianzenus, Letter
XXXVIII.
It seems that a certain church in Cappadocia, long without a bishop, had elected a slave of a certain
Simplicia, a wealthy and generous lady but of suspected orthodoxy.
Basil and Gregory unwisely ordained the man without the consent of his owner, who threatened Basil with the vengeance of her slaves and eunuchs.
In the present letter, Basil replies to her threats.
After Basil died, sheharassed Gregory in an effort to get the ordinationannulled.
Cf. Maran, Vita Basilii, XXV.
The Migne edition states that the codex Caesareus LXVII contains the following prefatory note for this letter ;
LETTER CXV
Spirit ; and that you add to the aforesaid Creed that one must not speak of the Holy Spirit as a creature, nor have communion with those who so speak of Him, in order that the Church of God may be pure, having no darnel mixed with it.
When this assurance has been given them from the goodness of your heart, they in turn are ready to offer you fitting obedience.
For I myself vouch to you in behalf of the brethren that they will offer no opposition, but will show you a full abundance of good discipline, provided that this one thing which is demanded by them be readily granted by your Perfection.
LEEPER GXY:
To tHe Heretic Simpuicta 2 Foo.isu it is for men both to hate their superiors and to love their inferiors.
Wherefore I myself now τοῦ αὐτοῦ ἐπιστολὴ πρὸς Σιμπλικίαν περὶ εὐνούχων αὐτῆς. αἱρετικὴ ἣν αὕτη. ἀἄρρωστήσαντος δὲ τοῦ μακαρίου Βασιλείου, καὶ εἰσιόντος ἔν τινι λουτρῷ λούσασθαι, ἣ αὐτὴ Σιμπλικία προστάττει εὐνούχοις καὶ κορασίοις ῥιφῆναι τὰ σάβανα αὐτοῦ ἔξω" καὶ παρευθὺς ἡ δικαία κρίσις τοῦ θεοῦ ἀνεῖλέ τινας ἐξ αὐτῶν" καὶ ἡ αὐτὴ Σιμπλικία ἔπεμψε χρήματα τῷ αὐτῷ μακαρίῳ βασιλείῳ ἐξιλεουμένη τὸ πταῖσμα: ὁ δέ, μὴ δεξάμενος, ἔγραψεν αὐτῇ ταῦτα.
"Ὁ Letter of the same to Simplicia, about her eunuchs.
She was a heretic.
Now when Basil was ill, and was entering a bath to wash, the same Simplicia ordered her eunuchs and maids to throw his towels outside; and straightway the just judgment of God destroyed some of them; and the same
Simplicia sent money to the same blessed Basil to make amends for her insult; but he would not receive them and wrote thisto her."
The writer of this comment was evidently unacquainted with the letter of Gregory of Nazianzus quoted above.
COLLECTED LETTERS OF SAINT BASIL
αὐτὸς κατέχω τὴν γλῶτταν, σιωπῇ τῶν "ἐμῶν ὕβρεων πνίγων τὸν ὄνειδον. ἐγὼ δὲ μενῶ τὸν ἄνωθεν δικαστήν, ὃ ὃς οἶδε πᾶσαν κακίαν ἐν τέλει ἀμύνεσθαι. κἂν γὰρ ὑπὲρ ψάμμον ἐκχέῃ τις χρήματα, βλάπτει ψυχήν, πατήσας τὸ δίκαιον. ἀεὶ γὰρ θυσίαν Θεός, οὐχ ὡς xpn Cov, οἶμαι, ζητεῖ, ἀλλὰ θυσίαν πολυτελῆ τὴν εὐσεβῆ καὶ δικαία:" γνώμην δεχόμενος. ὅταν δέ τίς ἑαυτὸν παραβαίνων πατῇ, κοινὰς λογίζεται, τὰς εὐχάς.
Σαυτὴν οὖν τῆς ἐσχάτης ἡμέρας ὑπόμνησον, καὶ ἡμᾶς, εἰ βούλει, μὴ δίδασκε. ἴσμεν σου πλείονα, Kal" ταῖς ἔνδοθεν ἀκάνθαις οὐ τοσοῦτον συμπνιγόμεθα: οὔτε ἐν ὀλίγοις καλοῖς δεκαπλασίονα κακίαν ἐπιμίγνυμεν. ἐπήγειρας ἡμῖν σαύρας τε καὶ φρύνους, ἐαρινὰ δῆθεν θηρία, πλὴν ὅμως ἀκάθαρτα. ἀλλ᾽ ἥξει πτερὸν 8 ἄνωθεν τὸ ταῦτα νεμόμενον. ἐμοὶ γὰρ λόγος, οὐχ ὡς σὺ νομίξεις, ἀλλ᾽ ὡς οἷδε κρίνειν Θεός. εἰ δὲ καὶ μαρτύρων χρεία, οὐ δοῦλοι στήσονται, οὐδὲ εὐνούχων γένος ἄτιμον καὶ πανώλεθρον" τοῦτο δὴ τοῦτο, ἄθηλυ, ἄνανδρον, γυναικομανές, ἐπίζηλον, κακόμισθον, ὀξύθυμον, Anrvdpiades,* γαστρίδουλον, χρυσομανές, ἀπηνές, κλαυσίδειπνον, εὐμετάβλητον, ἀμετάδοτον, πάνδοχον, ἀπροσκορές, μανικὸν καὶ ζηλότυπον' καὶ τί γὰρ ἔτι εἰπεῖν; σὺν αὐτῇ τῇ γενέσει σιδηροκατάδικον. πῶς οὗν τούτων 5 γνώμη ὀρθή, ὦ ὧν καὶ οἱ πόδες στρεβλοί;
οὗτοι σωφρονοῦσι μὲν ἄμισθα διὰ σιδήρου" μαίνονται δὲ ἄκαρπα ov οἰκείαν αἰσχρότητα. οὐχ οὗτοι στήσονται τῆς κρίσεως μάρτυρες, ἀλλ᾽
1 ἐκχέει editi antiqi.
2 ἐν add. E.
8 πτηνόν Regius secundus et Coisl. secundus, 4 θηλυδρῶδες HK.
LETTER XCV
check my tongue, by silence smothering the indignity of the insults offered me.
But I shall await the Judge above, who knows how in the end to avenge all evil.
For even if anyone pour out money like sand, he but harms his soul, having trampled on justice.
For God always demands a sacrifice, not, I think, because He needs it, but because He accepts the pious and just mind as a costly sacrifice.
But when anyone by transgression tramples upon himself, He considers his prayers profane.
Therefore be mindful of the last day, and, if you please, do not try to teach us.
We know more than you, and are not so choked up within by thorns, nor do we mingle a tenfold evil with a few virtues.
You have roused against us lizards and toads,! beasts of spring forsooth, but nevertheless unclean.
But there will come a bird from above to feed on these.
For it matters to me, not how you think, but how God knows how to judge.
And if there be need also of witnesses, slaves will not stand forth, nor any disreputable and utterly accursed race of eunuchs,— yes, I mean just that—a race, neither feminine nor masculine, woman-mad, envious, of evil wage, quick to anger, effeminate, slaves to the belly, money-mad, coarse, grumbling about their dinner, fickle, stingy, ready to accept anything, disgusting, crazed, jealous
—and yet why say more?—at their very birth doomed to the knife!
How then can these possess true judgment, whose very feet are twisted?
They are chaste without reward—thanks to the knife; and they rave with passion without fruition—thanks to their own lewdness.
These will not stand as witnesses at the judgment, but the eyes of just 1 Apparently the slaves and eunuchs.
COLLECTED LETTERS OF SAINT BASIL
ὀφθαλμοὶ δικαίων, καὶ ὄψεις ἀνδρῶν τελείων" ὅσοι τότε ὁρῶσι, πρὸς ἃ βλέποντες νῦν εἰσὶ συνέσει.
CXVI Φιρμίνῳ Καὶ σπάνιά σου τὰ γράμματα, καὶ μικρὰ ταῦτα, ἢ ὄκνῳ τοῦ γράφειν, ἢ ἄλλως, τὸν ἐκ τοῦ πλήθους κόρον διαφεύγειν οἰκονομοῦντος, ἤπου καὶ πρὸς βραχυλογίαν ἑαυτὸν συνεθίζοντος. ἡμῖν μέντοι οὐδὲν ἐξαρκεῖ, ἀλλὰ κἂν ὑπερβάλλῃ τῷ πλήθει, τῆς ἐπιθυμίας ἐστὶν ἐλάττω διὰ τὸ βούλεσθαι 1 ἕκαστα περὶ σοῦ μανθάνειν, πῶς μέν σοι τὸ σῶμα ἔχει, ὅπως δέ σοι τὰ τῆς ἀσκήσεως, καὶ πότερον ἐπιμένεις τοῖς εξ ἀρχῆς ἐγνωσμένοις ἤ τι καὶ μετεβουλεύσω, πρὸς τὰ συμπίπτοντα τὴν γνώμην μετατιθέμενος."
Ki μὲν οὖν ὁ αὐτὸς διέμεινας ὃ σεαυτῷ, οὐκ ἂν πλῆθος γραμμάτων ἐπεζητοῦμεν, ἀλλ᾽ ἐξήρκει ἡμῖν τοσοῦτον" ὁ δεῖνα τῷ δεῖνι" ὑγιαίνειν ἡμᾶς ἴσθι, καὶ ἔρρωσο. ἐπεὶ δὲ ἀκούομεν &* καὶ λέγειν αἰσχυνόμεθα, καταλιπόντα σε τὴν τῶν μακαρίων προγόνων τάξιν, ἐπὶ τὸν πρὸς πατρὸς πάππον αὐτομολεῖν καὶ Βρεττάνιον σπουδάξειν γενέσθαι ἀντὶ Φιρμίνου, ἐπιζητοῦμεν αὐτὰ ταῦτα πάνθ᾽ add. editi antiqi.
1 Written about 372, Firminus, his father of like name, and his grandfather, Bretannius, are known only from this letter.
It seems that Firminus had at one time resolved to
LETTER CXVI
men and the countenances of whole men—all who then see with their eyes that which they now gaze upon with their understanding.
LETTER CXVI
To Firminus!
Your letters are rare, and these brief, either through reluctance to write, or for some other reason—because you plan to avoid the satiety that comes from numbers, or perhaps are even accustoming yourself to brevity of speech.
We, however, are not at all satisfied, but even if there is an exceedingly great number, it falls short of our desire because we wish to know everything about you—how your health is, how it is with your practice of asceticism, and whether you abide by your original determination, or have made some change, altering your purpose to suit the circumstances.
Now if you had remained consistent with yourself, we should not be asking for a great number of letters, but so much would be enough for us: ' So-and-so to So-and-so; rest assured that we are well, and good health to you."
But since we hear what we are ashamed even to mention,—that you, forsaking the ranks of your blessed forefathers, have deserted to your paternal grandfather and are ambitious to become a Bretannius rather than a Firminus, these become an ascetic.
Later, however, he abandoned asceticism and joined the army, intent upon a military career.
Basil, on hearing this, wrote the present letter.
He exhorts him to abandon army life and imitate his father, who distinguished himself in civic duties, rather than his grandfather, Bretannius, who won military fame.
COLLECTED LETTERS OF SAINT BASIL
ἀκοῦσαι, καὶ τοὺς λογισμοὺς μαθεῖν καθ᾽ ods ἐπὶ ταύτην ἐλθεῖν τοῦ βίου τὴν ὁδὸν ὑπήχθης. ἀλλ᾽ ἐπειδὴ αὐτὸς ἀπεσιώπησας αἰδοῖ τοῦ βουλεύματος, ἡμεῖς σε παρακαλοῦμεν μήτε βουλεύεσθαι αἰσχύνης ἄξια, καὶ εἴ te? ὑπέδραμέ σου τὸν νοῦν, ἀπελάσαντα τοῦτο τῆς διανοίας σεαυτοῦ γενέσθαι πάλιν, καὶ μακρὰ χαίρειν εἰπόντα στρατείᾳ καὶ ὅπλοις καὶ ταῖς ἐπὶ 4 στρατοπέδου ταλαιπωρίαις, καταλαβεῖν τὴν πατρίδα, ἀρκοῦν πρὸς ἀσφάλειαν βίου καὶ πρὸς πᾶσαν περιφάνειαν τὸ ἐξίσου τοῖς προγόνοις κρατῆσαι τῆς πόλεως ἡγησάμενον' ὅπερ ἀπόνως σοι παραγενήσεσθαι πεπιστεύκαμεν, πρός Te τὴν ἐκ φύσεως ἐπιτηδειότητα ἀφορῶντες καὶ πρὸς τὴν ἐρημίαν τῶν ἐνισταμένων. εἴτε οὖν μὴ γέγονεν ἐξ ἀρχῆς ἡ γνώμη, εἴτε γενομένη πάλιν ἐκβέβληται, γνώρισον ὃ ἡμῖν ἐν τάχει" εἰ δέ, ὃ μὴ γένοιτο, τὰ αὐτὰ μένει βουλεύματα, αὐτάγγελτος ἡμῖν ἡκέτω ἡ συμφορά: γραμμάτων δὲ οὐ δεόμεθα.
CXVII ᾿Ανεπίγραφος, ἐπὶ ἀσκήσει ᾿Εγὼ καὶ ἄλλως ὀφείλεσθαι τῇ ὑμετέρᾳ τεμιότητι ἐμαυτὸν νομίζω, καὶ τὸ νῦν δὲ τοῦτο φρόν1 παρὰ σοῦ add. editio Paris.
8 καί add, E, 4 τοῦ add. HK.
5 δήλωσον editi antiqi.
' Written about 372, This is clearly the answer of
LETTER CXVII
very things we want to hear from you, and to learn the considerations that have influenced you to enter upon this manner of life.
But because you yourself have been silent through shame of your plan, we exhort you never to plan things which call for shame, and if any such thing has entered your mind, to expel it from your thoughts and regain the mastery over yourself, and, bidding a long farewell to military life and to arms and to the toils of the camp, to return to your native country, since as regards security of life and all glory it is enough to be the ruler, like your forefathers, of your own city through your leadership; and in this we are confident that you can succeed without difficulty, as we observe, not only the fitness for rule which nature has given you but also the absence of opponents.
Whether, therefore, this has not been your intention from the beginning, or, having once been in your mind, has been rejected again, inform us at once; but if, on the other hand (and may it not come to pass), your plans remain the same, let the misfortune come to us self-announced, and we need no letters.
LETTER CXVII
Wirnout Inscription, on Asceticism ἢ For other reasons I consider myself indebted to your Honour, and now the present anxiety in which Firminus to the preceding letter, and there appears no reason for doubting its authenticity.
This and all the other unaddressed letters do not appear in MSS. of the Aa family, but this is probably due to their having been unknown.
Cf.
Bessiéres 156, 159, 160.
COLLECTED LETTERS OF SAINT BASIL
Ticpa, ἐν ᾧ ἐσμέν, ἀναγκαίως ἡμᾶς ὑπευθύνους ταῖς τῶν τοιούτων πραγμάτων ὑπηρεσίαις καθίστησι, κἂν οἱ τυχόντες ὦσιν; οἱ ἐπιτάττοντες, μὴ ὅτι ὑμεῖς οἱ πολλοῖς δικαίοιφ καὶ ἄλλοις πρὸς ἡμᾶς συναπτόμενοι. τὰ μὲν οὖν παρελθόντα εἰς ἐξέτασιν ἀγαγεῖν οὐκ ἀναγκαῖον" ἐπεὶ ἐνῆν εἰπεῖν, ὅτι ἡμεῖς ἐγενόμεθα ἑαυτοῖς τῶν 5 ταράχων αἴτιοι, τῆς ἀγαθῆς ἐκείνης ἀσκήσεως καὶ μόνης ἀγούσης πρὸς σωτηρίαν φιλονεικήσαντες ἀποστῆναι" διὸ τάχα καὶ τῷ ταράχῳ τούτῳ εἰς πειρασμὸν παρεδόθημεν.
"ANN ἐκεῖνα μὲν γέγονε καὶ ὑπομνήσεως ἠξιώθη, ὥστε μὴ δεύτερον ἡμᾶς τοῖς ὁμοίοις περιπεσεῖν. τὰ δὲ ἐφεξῆς, πάνυ βούλομαι πληροφορεῖσθαί σου τὴν εὐλάβειαν, ὅτι τοῦ Θεοῦ συγχωροῦντος ῥᾷστα ἡμῖν προσχωρήσει, τοῦ πράγματος καὶ ἐννόμου ὄντος καὶ οὐδὲν ἔχοντος βαρύ, καὶ τῶν φίλων ἡμῶν πολλῶν ὃ ἑτοίμως χαριζομένων, ὄντων ἐν τῷ στρατοπέδῳ. τυπωθήσεται οὖν Tap ἡμῶν δέησις, κατὰ τὴν ὁμοιότητα τοῦ προσδοθέντος λιβέλλου τῷ βικαρίῳ, ἐν ἣ ἐὰν μή τις γένηται παρολκή, εὐθέως ἀποπεμψόμεθα τὴν ἐκ τοῦ γράμματος ἃ ἄδειαν παρεχόμενοι. πέπεισμαι δὲ 1 εἰσίν Ἰὼ, editi antiqi.
2 τῶν om. KE.
3 πολλῶν om. Vat., Med.
1 The civil government of the Empire was distributed into thirteen dioceses, The first of these was subject to the jurisdiction of the cowrt of the East.
The place of the Augustal praefect of Egypt was no longer filled by a Roman
LETTER CXVII
we find ourselves also of necessity places us under obligation for services in troubles of this kind, even if those who lay their commands upon us are ordinary persons and not, like yourself, men who are joined to us by many other just claims.
Now it is not necessary to bring the past into review; for I might say that we were the cause of our own disturbances, since we strove to abandon that goodly practice of asceticism which alone leads to salvation; and so perhaps we were given over to this disturbance also by way of temptation.
But those matters are past, and have been considered worthy of mention only that we may not a second time fall into the same difficulties.
As to the next step, however, | am quite anxious that your Reverence be informed that, God granting, it will easily turn out as we wish, the matter being lawful and involving no difficulty, and our friends at court, who are many, are glad to do us a favour.
So a petition will be drawn up by us, modelled on the document that has been handed to the Vicar,} according to which, if there is no delay, we shall be quickly sent home by merely producing the permit based upon the writ.2, And I am convinced that in knight ; but the name was retained.
The eleven remaining dioceses—Asiana, Pontica, Thrace, Macedonia, Dacia, Pannonia or Western Illyricum, Italy, Africa, Gaul, Spain, and Britain—were governed by twelve vicars or vice-prefects.
2 That a written discharge was necessary is plainly seen from Letter CXXIII of Gregory Nazianzenus, who thus addressed a certain Ellelichus:
'' Mamanta, the slave Reader, whose father was a soldier, was consecrated to God on account of his noble character.
Give him to God and to us, but do not let him be numbered among vagabond soldiers.
Give him his freedom in writing, so that he may not be threatened by others."
Cf. Migne, Vol. 32, 534, note 99.
COLLECTED LETTERS OF SAINT BASIL
ἐν τοιούτοις μεῖζον τῶν βασιλικῶν προσταγμάTOV τὴν προαίρεσιν ἡμῶν ἰσχύειν, ἣν ἐὰν ἄτρεπτον
Ν > lol >'
\ \ ?
\ , > Kal ἀκλινῆ ἐκ τοῦ κατὰ τὴν ἀκμὴν βίου ἐπιδει- ΄, > , δ ke \ » \ a ξώμεθα, ἀνεπιχείρητος ἡμῖν καὶ ἄσυλος διὰ τῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ βοηθείας τῆς παρθενίας ἡ φυλακὴ εἴη.
καὶ ἐθεασάμεθα ἡδέως, καὶ ἔχομεν ἐν τοῖς γνωρίμοις, εὐχόμενοι ἄξιον εἷναι τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ τῆς a , σῆς μαρτυρίας.
CXVIII Ἰοβίνῳ, ἐπισκόπῳ Πέρρης Ἔχω σε χρεώστην ὀφλήματος ἀγαθοῦ. ἐδάνεισα γάρ σοι χρέος ἀγάπης, ὃ χρή με ἀπολαβεῖν σὺν τόκῳ, ἐπειδὴ καὶ ὁ Κύριος ἡμῶν τὸ τοιοῦτον εἶδος τῶν τόκων οὐ παραιτεῖται. ἀπόδος τοίνυν, ὦ φίλη κεφαλή, ἐπιστὰς ἡμῶν τῇ πατρίδι. τοῦτο μὲν οὖν ἐστὶν αὐτὸ τὸ κεφάλαιον. τίς δὲ ἡ προσθήκη ; τὸ σὲ εἶναι τὸν παραγινόμενον, ἄνδρα τοσοῦτον ἡμῶν διαφέροντα ὅσῳ! πατέρες εἰσὶ βελτίους παίδων.
LETTER CXVIII
such matters our principles are more powerful than the royal mandates, and that if we show them to be unswerving and without deviation from the very highest life, with the help of God the keeping of our celibacy would be unassailable and inviolate.
We were not only glad to see the brother whom you entrusted to us, but we also count him among our friends, praying that he may be worthy of God and of your testimony.
LETTER CXVIII
To Jovinus, Bisuop or Perruat I consipeR you a debtor for a goodly debt.
For I made you a loan, an obligation of love, which I ought to get back with interest, since even our Lord does not deprecate usury of this kind.
Therefore, pay it back, my dear friend, by a visit to our land.
That would be, to be sure, only the principal itself.
But what would be the increase?
The fact that it is you who pay the visit, a man so far superior to us as parents are better than their children.
1 Written at the end of 372, or at the beginning of 373.
This letter is an excellent example of the spirit of the Second Sophistic period of Greek rhetoric.
The entire letter is a rather far-fetched metaphor.
Basil has already visited Jovinus, and his visit is compared to a loan out at interest.
That Jovinus repaid the visit we learn from Letter CXXVII.
The MSS. vary between Jovinus and Jobinus.
Furthermore, all do not agree in qualifying Jovinus as Bishop of Perrha.
Some MSS. read Κέρρης, and others Πέργης.
Tillemont and Maran, however, prefer the reading Méppns of six MSS. (4 Vat. Reg., 2nd Coisl., and Paris).
Perrha was in Syria and not far from the seat of Husebius of Samosata,
COLLECTED LETTERS OF SAINT BASIL
CXIX Εὐσταθίῳ, ἐπισκόπῳ Σεβαστείας Καὶ διὰ τοῦ αἰδεσιμωτάτου καὶ εὐχλαβεστάτου ἀδελφοῦ μου! Πέτρου προσφθέγγομαί σου τὴν ἀγάπην," παρακαλῶν σε ὡς διὰ πάσης προφάσεως καὶ νῦν EA aE? ὑπὲρ ἐμοῦ, ἵνα, μεταβαλλόμενος ° ἀπὸ τοῦ φευκτοῦ * τούτου καὶ βλαβεροῦ τρόπου, γένωμαί ποτε ἄξιος τοῦ ὀνόματος τοῦ
Χριστοῦ. πάντως δέ, κἂν ἐγὼ μὴ λέγω, διαλεχθήσεσθε πρὸς ἀλλήλους περὶ τῶν καθ᾽ ἡμᾶς, καὶ γνωρίσει σοι τὴν ἀκρίβειαν τῶν πεπραγμένων, ὥστε μὴ παραδεχθῆναι ἀβασανίστως τὰς πονηρὰς καθ᾽ ἡμῶν ὑπονοίας, ἃς εἰκὸς κατασκευάξειν τοὺς καὶ παρὰ τὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ φόβον καὶ παρὰ τὴν τῶν ἀνθρώπων ὑπόληψιν εἰς ἡμᾶς ἐξυβρίσαντας. οἷα γὰρ ἡμῖν ἐνεδείξατο ὁ γενναῖος Βασίλειος, ὃν ἀντὶ φυλακτηρίου τῆς ἐμῆς ζωῆς παρὰ τῆς σῆς εὐλαβείας ὑπεδεξάμην, ἐγὼ μὲν καὶ εἰπεῖν aicχύνομαι" εἴσῃ δὲ τὰ καθ᾽ ἕκαστον παρὰ τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ ἡμῶν διδαχθείς. καὶ τοῦτο λέγω οὐκ πὰ ἀμυνόμενος (εὔχομαι γὰρ αὐτῷ μὴ λογισ1 μου om, Bi.
2 καί editi antiqi.
3 μεταβαλόμενος Εἰ, Reg. secundus, Bigot. alter.
4 ἀπευκτοῦ editi antiqi.
* Written at the end of 372 or beginning of 373.
10 deals with the untrustworthiness of a certain Basil and Sophronins, two henchmen of Eustathius, by whom they had been recommended to Basil.
Eustathius was ruined by his love of power and self-aggrandizement, which was probably the source of his hypocrisy.
Basil was loath to break with Eustathius because of their mutual interest in asceticism,
LETTER CXIX
LETTER CXIX
To Eustratuius, Bisnop or Sepaste!
I appress you, my dear friend, through my most reverend and pious brother Peter,? urging you on every occasion and especially now to pray for me, that, being transformed from this present abhorrent and harmful nature, I may one day become worthy of the name of Christ.
But assuredly, even if I do not speak, you and he will converse with one another about our affairs, and he will make known to you every detail of what has happened, so that you may not admit without investigation the base suspicions against us, which these men are likely to trump up, who, regardless of the fear of God or of our reputation among men, have heaped insults upon us.
For what sort of charges the noble?
Basil has brought against us, the man whom I received from your Reverence as a guard of my life, I am indeed ashamed to say; but you will know every detail on being informed by our brother.
And this I say, not to avenge myself upon this Basil (for I pray that it and for a long time was blind to Eustathius' duplicity and Arian proclivities.
As subsequent letters show, the present letter records the first of a series of events that eventually
Ὁ brought about a break betweenthetwo.
Cf. Letter LXXXIX (and note), which is also addressed to Eustathius.
For Eustathius' persistent heresy, cf. Letters CXXX, CCXXIII and CCXLIV.
2 The present letter and Letter CCIII, written to the bishops of the Pontus, were carried by one named Peter, whom St. Basil designates as brother.
It is uncertain whether this Peter is Basil's own brother or a spiritual brother.
3 Tronical.
For this Basil, cf. note 1.
COLLECTED LETTERS OF SAINT BASIL
θῆναι παρὰ τοῦ Κυρίου), ἀλλὰ βεβαίαν μοι τὴν παρὰ σοῦ ἀγάπην μεῖναι ἡμῖν διοικούμενος, ἣν φοβοῦμαι μὴ διασαλεύσωσι ταῖς ὑπερβολαῖς τῶν διαβολῶν, ἃς εἰκὸς αὐτοὺς κατασκευάσαι εἰς ἀπολογίαν τοῦ πταίσματος. ὅπερ, δ᾽ ἂν κατηγορήσωσιν ἡμῶν, ἐκεῖνο παρὰ τῆς σῆς ἀγχινοίας ἐξεταξέσθωσαν, εἰ ἐνεκάλεσαν ἡμῖν, εἰ τὴν " διόρθωσιν τοῦ ἁμαρτήματος οὗ νῦν ἡμῖν ἐπάγουσιν ἐπεξήτησαν, εἰ ὅλως φανερὰν ἑαυτῶν τὴν πρὸς ἡμᾶς λύπην κατέστησαν. νῦν δέ, ἐν φαιδρῷ τῷ προσώπῳ καὶ πεπλασμένοις ὃ ἀγάπης ῥήμασιν ἀμύθητόν τινα δόλου καὶ πικρίας βυθὸν τῇ ψυχῇ συγκαλύπτοντες, διὰ τῆς ἀνελευθέρου φυγῆς ἐφανέρωσαν. ἐφ᾽ ᾧ ὅσον μὲν ἡμῖν ὃ ἐποιήσαντο πένθος, ὅσον δὲ τὸν γέλωτα τοῖς ἀεὶ τὸν εὐλαβῆ βίον ἐν τῇ ἀθλίᾳ ταύτῃ πόλει βδελυσσομένοις καὶ τέχνην πρὸς τὸ πιστευθῆναι καὶ σχηματισμὸν εἰς ἀπάτην τὸ πλάσμα τῆς σωφροσύνης " διαβεβαιουμένοις ἐπιτηδεύεσθαι, πάντως, κἂν ἡμεῖς μὴ διηγησώμεθα, γνώριμον τῇ συνέσει σου. ὡς μηδὲν ἐπιτήδευμα οὕτως ὕποπτον εἶναι πρὸς κακίαν λοιπὸν τοῖς ἐνταῦθα, ὡς τὸ ἐπάγγελμα τοῦ ἀσκητικοῦ βίου.
Ἃ πῶς χρὴ ἴ θεραπευθῆναι, τῆς σῆς ἂν εἴη συνέσεως φροντίσαι.8 τὰ γὰρ παρὰ ᾿Σωφρονίου συρραπτόμενα ὃ ἐγκλήματα ἡμῖν οὐκ ἀγαθῶν ἐστὶ προοίμια, ἀλλ' ἀρχὴ διαιρέσεως καὶ χωρισοὗπερ Medicaeus, Regius primus, Bigot. alter. εἰ τὴν .
. ἢ ὅλως editi antiqi. τετιμημένοις tres MSS.
4 σιωπῆς Εἰ, editi antiqi. ἡμῖν ...
"Ὁ ταπεινοφροσύνης KH, Harl., Reg. secundus. ἃ m@s] ὅπως οὖν HK, editi antiqi.
LETTER CXIX
may not be laid to his account by our Lord), but to make sure that your love for me shall abide steadfast, since I fear that these men may shake it by the exaggerated slanders which they have probably trumped up in defence of their error.
But whatever accusation these persons may bring against us, let them be examined by you with all your acumen as to this—first, whether they have brought a formal complaint against us, secondly, whether they have sought the rectification of the error for which they now attack us, and, finally, whether they have made their grievance against us entirely clear.
But as the case now stands, though they conceal within their souls, under their beaming countenances and their counterfeit expressions of affection, a depth of treachery and bitterness that defies description, yet through their ignoble flight they have made their grievance manifest.
How much sorrow they have brought upon us in this matter, and how much occasion for ridicule they have furnished to those in this unhappy city who constantly express their contempt for the pious life and assert that our pretended practice of chastity is but a trick to get ourselves trusted and a pose intended to deceive, assuredly all this, even if we refrain from stating it, is well known to your sagacity ; and the result is that no mode of life is so suspected as vicious by the people here as is the profession of asceticism.
How these things should be remedied would be the proper concern of your sagacity to devise.
For the charges concocted against us by Sophronius are not a prelude of good things, but a beginning of 8 φροντίς Vat.; καὶ φροντίδος tres alii MSS.
COLLECTED LETTERS OF SAINT BASIL
> , ἀποψυγῆναι. ὃν ὑπὸ τῆς σῆς εὐσπλαγχνίας παρακαλοῦμεν κατασχεθῆναι ἀπὸ τῆς βλαβερᾶς ταύτης ὁρμῆς, καὶ πειραθῆναι τῇ παρ᾽ ἑαυτοῦ ἀγάπῃ κατασφίγγειν μᾶλλον τὰ διιστάμενα καὶ μὴ τοῖς πρὸς διάστασιν" ὡρμημένοις συνεπιτείνειν τὸν χωρισμόν.
Oxx Μελετίῳ, ἐπισκόπῳ ᾿Αντιοχείας Γράμματα ἐδεξάμην παρὰ τοῦ θεοφιλεστάτου ἐπισκόπου Εὐσεβίου, προστάσσοντα πάλιν γραφῆναι τοῖς δυτικοῖς περί τινων ἐκκλησιαστικῶν.
στολὴν ὑπογραφῆναν. ὃὲ Tapa πάντων τῶν κοινωνικῶν. ἐπεὶ οὖν οὐχ εὗρον ὅπως ἐπιστείλω περὶ ὧν ἐπέταξε, παρέπεμψα τὸ ὑπομνηστικὸν τῇ θεοσεβείᾳ σου, ἵνα καὶ αὐτῷ ἐντυχὼν καὶ τοῖς ἀναφερομένοις παρὰ τοῦ ποθεινοτάτου ἀδελ1 καὶ μὴ] ἤ Εἰ.
3 σῶν om. EK.
1 Probably written in a.p, 372.
Letters CXX, CXXI, CXXIT, CXXIX, and CXXX are all related in the matter of chronology.
'Tillemont and the Benedictine editors agree in the actual dating, although they differ in the identity of certain persons.
Loofs (p. 29), in treating of these letters,
LETTER CXX
division and separation and an incentive to the cooling even of the charity within us.
We urge that this man be restrained by your kindness of heart from this hurtful impulse of his, and that your affection rather strive to tighten that which is falling apart and not to increase the tendency to schism in those who are eager for disagreement.
LETTER CXX
To Me erius, Bishop or Antiocu?
I wave received a letter from the most Godbeloved bishop Eusebius, enjoining that we write again to the Westerners concerning certain ecclesi astical affairs.
He wished, furthermore, that the letter be drawn up by us but signed by all those in communion.
Since, therefore, I have not discovered how to write about those things which he has enjoined, I am sending his memorandum to your
Godliness in order that when you have read it and given heed to the matters reported by our most raises questions which he does not himself answer satisfactorily.
Indeed in several places his arrangement seems to be contradicted by certain facts contained in the letters themselves. I have retained the chronology of Tillemont and the Benedictines.
For the identity of Meletius, cf. Letter LXVI, note 4.
Previous letters addressed to Meletius are LVII, LXVIII, and LXXXIX.
In this letter Basil continues his support of the claims of Meletius, now exiled in Armenia, as the regular
Catholic bishop of Antioch, and he complains of the irregular ordination of Faustus as bishop of an Armenian see by Anthimus of Tyana, one of his opponents.
VOL. 11.
COLLECTED LETTERS OF SAINT BASIL
hod Σαγκτισσίμου τοῦ συμπρεσβυτέρου προσέχων, αὐτὸς καταξιώσῃς ὡς παρίσταταί σοι ὃ περὶ τούτων τυπῶσαι, ἡμῶν ἑτοίμως ἐχόντων καὶ ὃ αὐτῷ συνθέσθαι καὶ ταχέως ποιῆσαι περικομισθῆναι τοῖς κοινωνικοῖς, ὥστε τὰς πάντων ὑπογραφὰς ἔχοντα ἀπελθεῖν τὸν μέλλοντα ὁρμᾶν πρὸς τοὺς κατὰ τὴν δύσιν ἐπισκόπους. ταχέως ὃ ἡμῖν τὸ παριστάμενον τῇ ὁσιότητί σου γνωρισθῆναι κέλευσον, ἵνα μὴ ἀγνοῶμεν τὰ δόξαντά σοι.
Περὶ δὲ τῶν τυρευομένων ὃ ἢ καὶ ἤδη ἐσκευωρημένων καθ᾽ ἡμῶν ἐν τῇ ᾿Αντιοχείᾳ ἀνοίσει Ἵ ὁ αὐτὸς ἀδελφὸς τῇ τιμιότητί σου, ἐάν περ μὴ προλαβοῦσα ἡ φήμη τῶν γενομένων φανερὰ ποιήσῃ τὰ πεπραγμένα. καὶ γὰρ ἐγγύς ἐστιν ἡ ἐλπὶς τῆς ἐκβάσεως τῶν ἀπειλουμένων. γινώσκειν δὲ βούλομαι τὴν εὐλάβειάν σου, ὅτι ὁ ἀδελφὸς Ανθιμος Φαῦστον, τὸν συνόντα τῷ
3 σοι add. editi antiqi.
4 παρακομισθῆναι By 5 ody add. editi antiqi.
7 ἀνύσει ἘΣ, Med., Reg. secundus, 1 Tillemont argues that Sanctissimus because of his Latin name was a priest from the West.
The Benedictine editor, however, prefers to consider him a presbyter of Antioch, since Roman names were at this time quite commonly given
LETTER CXX
beloved brother Sanctissimus,' our presbyter, you may yourself deign to write as seems best to you about these affairs ; for we are ready both to agree to this and to cause it to be sent quickly around to those in communion with us, so that the messenger who is about to set out to visit the bishops of the West may have the signatures of all when he departs.
Order whatever seems best to your Holiness to be quickly made known to me, in order that we may not be ignorant of your decisions.
And as regards what is being devised or even what has already been fabricated against us at Antioch, the same brother will inform your Honour, unless previously the report of what has happened shall have made clear what has been done.
For in truth hope is at hand that these threats will pass away.
But I wish your Reverence to know that our brother Anthimus? has ordained and made a bishop to Greeks.
The latter seems correct, because Sanctissimus displays unusual interest in Eastern affairs, and Basil calls him his '' most beloved," and '' fellow-presbyter," and sends him on several important missions.
The following is a chronology of his known journeys:
374. The Easterners send Sanctissimus and Dorotheus to the West in the early spring.
375. Sanctissimus and Dorotheus return to the Kast through Thrace.
They probably visit Eusebius of Samosata, who was exiled to Thrace in 374.
376. Sanctissimus makes an extensive tour of the Kast.
377. The Hasterners communicate with the Westerners through Sanctissimus to procure the condemnation of Apollinarius and Kustathius.
2 In 371 Anthimus, a contentious and ambitious prelate, claimed to be metropolitan of Cappadocia Secunda with his diocese Tyana as a metropolitan see.
He was joined by those prelates who opposed Basil's election to the see of Caesarea.
COLLECTED LETTERS OF SAINT BASIL
πάπᾳ, ἐπίσκοπον ἐχειροτόνησε, μηδὲ ψήφους δεξάμενος, καὶ τῷ τόπῳ χειροτονήσας ὃ τοῦ αἰδεσιμωτάτου ἀδελφοῦ Κυρίλλου: ὥστε στάσεων ἐμπλῆσαι τὴν εὐ τον: ἵνα ὃ τοίνυν μὴ καταψεύσωνται ἡμῶν," μηδὲ αὐτοὶ τὴν αἰτίαν σχῶμεν τῆς ἀταξίας τῶν γενομένων, «ἐγνώρισα ταῦτα τῇ σεμνότητί σου. δῆλον δέ, ὡς καὶ αὐτὸς καταξιώσεις γνώριμα ποιῆσαι τοῖς λοιποῖς. ἡγοῦμαι γὰρ πολλοὺς λυπήσειν τὴν ἀταξίαν ταύτην.
, Θεοδότῳ, ἐπισκόπῳ Νικοπόλεως § Πολὺς ὁ χειμὼν καὶ ἐπὶ τὸ μακρότατον παραταθείς, ὡς "μηδὲ τὰς διὰ γραμμάτων παραμυθίας ῥᾳδίως ἡμῖν ὑπάρχειν. ὅθεν ὀλιγάκις οἶδα καὶ ἐπιστείλας τῇ εὐλαβείᾳ σου καὶ δεξάμενος γράμματα. ἀλλ᾽ ἐπειδὴ ὁ 0 ποθεινότατος ἀδελφὸς ἡμῶν 1 πάππῳ Coisl. secundus, Reg. secundus.
3 ὅρα editi antiqi.
᾿Αρμενίας μικρᾶς add. editi antiqi, nonnulli MSs.
1 All information about Faustus is procured from Letters CXX, CXXI, and ΟΧΧῚ of St. Basil.
Smith and Wace infer that he was Bishop of Satala, but Tillemont and the Benedictine editors prove this to be untenable.
2 The title pope (papa) was originally employed with great latitude.
In the East it has always been used to designate simple priests.
In the West, however, it seems from the beginning to have been restricted to bishops.
It was probably in the fourth century that it became a distinctive title of the
LETTER CXXI
of Faustus,! him who associates with the pope,? without having received votes, and having appointed him in the place of our most reverend brother Cyril; and in consequence Armenia has become filled with schisms.
Therefore, that they may not lie against us, and that we ourselves may not be held responsible for the confusion produced by what has happened, I have made these things known to your
August Reverence.
And obviously you yourself will deign to make this known to the rest.
For I think that the present confusion will distress many.
LETTER CXXI
To Tueopotus, BisHop or Nicopouts?
Tue winter is severe and very long drawn out, so that it is not easily within our power to have the consolation of even a letter.
It is for this reason, I realize, that I have seldom either written to your Reverence or received a letter from you.
But since Roman Pontiff.
Gregory VII finally prescribed that it be confined to the successors of Peter.
To whom Basil here refers is an enigma.
3 On the same subject, and of the same date as the preceding ; one of the two (cf. CX XX) extant letters of St.
Basil to Theodotus.
Theodotus, Bishop of Nicopolis and Metropolitan of Lesser Armenia, was an aged prelate of noble character and unquestioned soundness of faith, and was highly esteemed by Basil.
Theodotus, however, suspected Eustathius of Sebaste of unsound doctrine, and when
Basil, who at first felt a warm friendship for Eustathius, was reluctant to give credence to these suspicions and even endeavoured to clear them away, he turned his suspicions upon Basil himself.
Theodotus then became openly cold and discourteous, and refused to co-operate with Basil in the appointing of bishops to Lesser Armenia.
COLLECTED LETTERS OF SAINT BASIL
Laykrioatpos" ὁ ,συμπρεσβύτερος τὴν μέχρις ὑμῶν ὁδοιπορίαν ὑπέστη, δι᾽ αὐτοῦ καὶ προσφθέγγομαί * σου τὴν κοσμιότητα, 3 Kal παρακαλῶ προσεύχεσθαι ὑπὲρ ἐμοῦ καὶ χρῆσαι τὴν ἀκοὴν τῷ προειρημένῳ," ὥστε map αὐτοῦ διδαχθῆναι τὰ τῶν ἐκκλησιῶν ἐν οἵοις ὃ ἐ ἐστὶ καὶ τὴν δυνατὴν σπουδὴν εἰσενέγκασθαι εἰς τὰ προκείμενα.
Ρίνωσκε δὲ ὑσὶ Φαῦστος γράμματα ἔχων ἧκε πρὸς ἡμᾶς παρὰ πάπα, ἀξιοῦντα αὐτὸν γενέσθαι ἐπίσκοπον. ἐπειδὴ δὲ ἠἡτήσαμεν ἡμεῖς, μαρτυρίαν τῆς σῆς εὐλαβείας καὶ τῶν λοιπῶν ἐπισκόTOV; καταφρονήσας ἡμῶν πρὸς λνθιμον ᾧχετο, καὶ map' αὐτοῦ λαβὼν τὴν χειροτονίαν χωρὶς ἡμετέρας ὑπομνήσεως ἐπανῆκε.
CXXII Ποιμενίῳ, ἐπισκόπῳ Σατάλων Πάντως ἐπεζήτησας8 γράμματα παρὰ τῶν ᾿Αρμενίων, ὅτε ἐπανῆκαν διὼ σοῦ, καὶ τὴν αἰτίαν ἔμαθες, dv ἣν οὐκ ἔδωκα αὐτοῖς τὴν ἐπιστολήν.
\ § s / Μ € lal > , εἰ μὲν οὖν εἶπον φιλαλήθως, ἔδωκας ἡμῖν αὐτόθεν 1 Σαγκτήσιμος H, editi antiqi.
5 οἷς HE. ὁ rod add. EF.
8 ἐπιζητήσας editi antiqi.
1 Of. note 1, p. 246.
* Cf. note 1, p. 248.
3 Cf. note 2, p. 248.
4 Οἱ, ποΐϑ 2, Ρ. 247.
LETTER CXXII
our most beloved brother Sanctissimus,! the presbyter, has undertaken the journey to you, through him I salute your Decorum, and beseech you to pray for me and to lend audience to the aforesaid, that you may be informed by him in what condition the affairs of the churches are and bring all possible zeal to bear upon the matters aforementioned.
But be informed that Faustus? came to us with a letter from a pope, asking that he be made bishop.
But when we asked for a testimonial from your Reverence and from the rest of the bishops, showing contempt for us, he went to Anthimus,' and after receiving the election from him without any mention being made of us, he returned.
LETTER CXXII
To Pormenius, ΒΙΒΗΟΡ or ϑαταιλῦ You must certainly have asked the Armenians for a letter as they returned through your country, and must have learned the reason why I had not given them the letter.
Now if they spoke with regard for the truth, you granted us forgiveness on the spot;
5 Written at the end of 372 or beginning of 373. Poemenius, Bishop of Satala in Armenia, was a near relation of Basil, and had been brought up with him in close intimacy.
In 372 Valens commissioned Basil to appoint bishops to the vacant sees in Armenia, among which was Satala.
In compliance with Imperial orders and the earnest petitions of both magistrates and people, St. Basil appointed Poemenius to the see in Satala.
Cf. Letter CII, where Basil earnestly commends his friend to the good offices of his new flock,
In the present letter reference is also made to the uncanonical appointment of Faustus by Anthimus, on which cf. the letters immediately preceding.
COLLECTED LETTERS OF SAINT BASIL
τὴν συγγνώμην" εἰ δὲ ἀπεκρύψαντο ἐκεῖνοι, ὅπερ οὐκὶ εἰκά ὡ---ἀλλὰ παρ᾽ ἡμῶν ἄκουε.
'O τὰ πάντα γενναῖος ἼΑνθιμος, ὁ διὰ μακροῦ χρόνου τὴν πρὸς ἡμᾶς εἰρήνην σπεισάμενος, ἐπειδὴ εὗρε καιρὸν ἑαυτοῦ Te? κενοδοξίαν ἐκπληρῶσαι καὶ ἡμῖν λύπην τινὰ προξενῆσαι, ἐχειροτόνησε τὸν Φαῦστον ἰδίᾳ αὐθεντίᾳ καὶ ἰδίᾳ χειρί, οὐδενὸς ὑμῶν ἀναμείνας ψῆφον καὶ ἡμῶν καταγελάσας ἀκριβολογουμένων περὶ τὰ τοιαῦτα. ἐπεὶ οὖν συνέχεε, μὲν παλαιὰν εὐταξίαν, κατεφρόνησε δὲ καὶ ὑμῶν, παρ᾽ ὧν ἀνέμενον ἐγὼ τὴν μαρτυρίαν δέξασθαι, ἐποίησε δὲ πρᾶγμα οὐκ οἶδα εἰ εὐάρεστον τῷ Θεῷ, τούτου ἕνεκεν ὃ λυπηθεὶς πρὸς αὐτούς, οὐδεμίαν ἔδωκα ἐπιστολὴν πρὸς οὐδένα τῶν ᾿Αρμενίων, οὐδὲ πρὸς τὴν σὴν εὐλάβειαν. ἀλλ᾽ οὐδὲ εἰς κοινωνίαν ἐδεξάμην τὸν Φαῦστον, φανερῶς διαμαρτυρόμενος, ὅτι εἰ μὴ ὑμέτερά μοι κομίσειε γράμματα, πάντα τὸν χρόνον ἔ ἔσομαι καὶ αὐτὸς ἠλλοτριωμένος καὶ τοὺς ὁμοψύχους port οὕτω διαθήσω πρὸς αὐτὸν ἔχειν.
Ri μὲν οὖν ἰάσιμα τὰ γενόμενα, eter αὐτός Te ἐπιστεῖλαι μαρτυρῶν αὐτῷ, ὁρᾷς ἀγαθὴν τοῦ ἀνδρὸς τὴν ζωήν, καὶ τοὺς ᾿ἄχλοὺς προτρέψασθαι" εἰ δὲ ἀνίατα, καὶ τοῦτό μοι ανερὸν ποίησον, ὥστε μηκέτι με αὐτοῖς "καθόλου προσέχειν, εἰ καὶ ὅτι, ὡς ἔδειξαν, ὥρμηνται λοιπὸν πρὸς τὸν "AvOipov ἑαυτῶν ὃ "μεταθεῖναι τὴν κοινωνίαν, ἡμῶν καὶ τῆς ἐκκλησίας ταύτης, ὡς ἑώλων εἰς φιλίαν, καταφρονήσαντες.
1 οὖν Ii.
LETTER. CXXII
but if they concealed the facts, which I do not suppose—well, hear our story :
The in all respects noble Anthimus, he who long ago made his peace with us, when he found an opportunity of satisfying his own conceit and of causing some vexation to us, consecrated Faustus by his own authority and with his own hand, waiting for the vote of no one of you and ridiculing us for being scrupulous about such matters.
Since, then, he was violating an ancient orderly practice and had showed contempt even for you, from whom I was waiting to receive the testimonial, and had committed an act which I am inclined to consider displeasing to God, I, feeling aggrieved at the Armenians on this account, gave them no letter to anyone in Armenia, not even to your Reverence.
Moreover, I did not even receive Faustus into communion, plainly giving witness that unless he should bring me a letter from you, I myself would be permanently estranged and would dispose those of like mind with me also to be so disposed toward him.
Now, if what has happened admits of a remedy, do you yourself hasten to write, bearing witness for him, if you see that the life of the man is good, and to urge the rest to do likewise.
But if the situation is incurable, make this also clear to me, that I may no longer pay any attention to them at all—even if you must say that they have undertaken, as they have indicated, to transfer their communion to Anthimus, in contempt of us and this church, having grown stale as regards friendship.
4 μου KE, 5 éautdv B-
COLLECTED LETTERS OF SAINT BASIL
OX XIII Οὐρβικίῳ μονάξοντι ἼἜμελλες ἡμῖν παρέσεσθαι (καὶ τὸ ἀγαθὸν ἐγγὺς) ἄκρῳ γοῦν δακτύλῳ καταψύξαιϊ ἡμᾶς ἐν τοῖς πειρασμοῖς φλεγομένους. εἶτα τί; αἱ ἁἅμαρτίαι ἡμῶν ἀντέβησαν καὶ διεκώλυσαν τὴν ὁρμήν, iv ἀθεράπευτα κάμνωμεν. ὥσπερ γὰρ ἐν τοῖς κύμασι τὸ μὲν λήγει, τὸ δὲ ἀνίσταται, τὸ δὲ ἤδη φρίκῃ μελαίνεται, οὕτω καὶ τῶν ἡμετέρων κακῶν τὰ μὲν πέπαυται, τὰ δὲ πάρεστι, τὰ δὲ προσδοκᾶται" καὶ μία τῶν κακῶν ἡμῖν, ὡς ἐπὶ τὸ πλεῖστον, ἀπαλλαγή, εἶξαι τῷ καιρῷ καὶ ὑπεξελθεῖν τοῖς διώκουσιν.
᾿Αλλὰ καὶ πάρεσο͵ ἡμῖν," ἢ παραμυθούμενος, ἢ καὶ "γνώμην δώσων, ἢ καὶ προπέμψων,5 πάντως δὲ αὐτῷ τῷ ὁφθ ῆναι ῥάους "ποιήσων. καὶ τὸ μέγιστον, εὔχου, καὶ ὑπερεύχου, μὴ καὶ τοὺς λογισμοὺς. ἡμῶν βαπτισθῆναι ὑπὸ τοῦ κακοῦ καὶ τοῦ 4 κλύδωνος, ἀλλ᾽ ἐν πᾶσι διαφυλάσσειν τῷ Θεῷ τὸ εὐχάριστον, ἵνα μὴ ἐν τοῖς κακοῖς δούλοις ἀριθμηθῶμεν, ἀγαθύνοντι μὲν ἐξομολογούμενοι, παιδεύοντι δὲ διὰ τῶν ἐναντίων μὴ καταψύξων editi antiqi, πάρεσο ἡμῖν] ἡμῖν ἧκε μόλις editi antiqi. προσπέμψων editi antiqi. kal τοῦ om, quinque MSS, een 1 Written in 373, to Urbicius, a monk, about whom nothing is known, except for the present letter and Letter
COLXII.
Basil here writes for consolation and advice.
The period 372-374 was one of intense personal suffering for
LETTER CXXIII
LETTER CXXIII
To Ursicius, a Monk!
You were on the point of visiting us (and the blessing was near), to cool us with but the tip of your finger as we burned in the midst of temptations.
Then what?
Our sins stood in the way and prevented your setting out, that in our sickness we might find no healing.
For just as among the waves one sinks, another rises, and a third is already turning black with rippling, so too with our troubles— some have ceased, others are at hand, and others are being awaited ; and the one relief from our evils is, for the most part, to yield to the occasion and to withdraw from before our pursuers.
But pray do visit us, either to console us, or to give advice, or to send us on our way, but in any case by the very sight of you to make us easier at heart.
And—most important of all—pray, and pray again, that our reason be not submerged by the flood of evil, but that in all things we may keep ourselves pleasing to God, in order that we may not be numbered among the wicked servants who thank Him when He grants blessings, but when He chastises through the opposite means do
St. Basil.
He and his lifelong friend Gregory of Nazianzus had become estranged ; Theodotus, Bishop of Nicopolis, for whom Basil had great esteem, had suspected him of heresy, and refused to co-operate with him in appointing bishops in Lesser Armenia; he had at last been forced to see the treachery and ingratitude of his former friend, Eustathius of Sebaste ; and, finally, Eusebius of Samosata, his intimate and confidential counsellor, had been exiled to Thrace by the Emperor Valens,
COLLECTED LETTERS OF SAINT BASIL
προστιθέμενοι" ἀλλὰ καὶ δι αὐτῶν τῶν δυσχερῶν ὠφελώμεθα, μᾶλλον αὐτῷ πιστεύοντες, ὅτε καὶ μᾶχλον χρήζομεν.
CXXIV Θεοδώρῳ ἢ Λέγουσί τινες τοὺς ἑαλωκότας τῷ πάθει τοῦ ἔρωτος, ὅταν κατά τινα βιαιοτέραν ἀνάγκην τῶν ποθουμένων ἀπάγωνται, εἰ πρὸς τὴν εἰκόνα τῆς ἀγαπηθείσης μορφῆς ἀποβλέψειαν, τὸ σφοδρὸν ἀναπαύειν τοῦ πάθους wa τῆς ἐν ὀφθαλμοῖς ἀπολαύσεως. εἰ μὲν οὖν ἀληθῆ ταῦτα ἢ3 μὴ λέγειν οὐκ ἔχω" ὃ δέ μοι πρὸς τὴν σὴν συμβέβηκεν ἀγαθότητα οὐ πόρρω τῶν εἰρημένων, ἐστίν. ἐπειδὴ γὰρ γέγονέ τις διάθεσις. ἐμοὶ πρὸς τὴν ἱερὼν καὶ ἄδολόν σου ψυχήν, ἵν᾿ οὕτως εἴπω, ἐρωτική, τὸ δὲ ἀπολαύειν τῶν ποθουμένων, ὡς οὐδὲ ἄλλο τι τῶν ἀγαθῶν, οὐκ ἐν εὐκολίᾳ ἡμῖν ἐστὶ διὰ τὴν ἐκ τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν ἐναντίωσιν, ἐνόμισα εἰκόνα τῆς ἀγαθότητός σου ἐναργεστάτην ἐν τῇ τῶν εὐλαβεστάτων ἡμῶν ἀδελφῶν παρουσίᾳ ἑωρακέναι. καὶ εἰ δίχα τούτων συνέβη τῇ σῇ με περιτυχεῖν γνησιότητι, ἐλογισάμην ἂν ἐν σοὶ κἀκείνους ἑωρακέναι" διότι τῆς "ἀγάπης, Ὁ λέγω, τοσοῦτον ἐν ἑκάστῳ ὑμῶν τὸ μέτρον ἐστίν, ὡς ἐπίσης τὴν περὶ τοῦ πλείονος ἑκάστῳ φιλονεικίαν ἐμφαίνεσθαι. ἐπὶ τούτοις ηὐχαρίστησα τῷ ἁγίῳ
Θεῷ, καὶ εὔχομαι, εἴπερ ἔτι ὑπολείπεταί τις 1 ἀσπαστική add, Reg. secundus, Coisl. secundus, editi antiqi.
LETTER CXXIV
not submit.
Nay, let us derive benefit even from our very difficulties, trusting in Him the more when we stand the more in need.
LETTER CXXIV
To TuHeEoporus!
Some say that those who are seized with the passion of love, whenever through some unusually urgent necessity they are parted from the object of their desire, if they can look upon the semblance of the beloved form in a picture, can check the violence of their passion through the pleasure they derive from the sight.
Now whether this is true or not I cannot say; but that which has happened to me regarding your Goodness is not far from what I have described.
For since I had conceived with respect to your holy and guiless soul what I may call an amatory disposition, but the enjoyment of the object of our desire, like all other blessings, is made difficult for us by the opposition of our sins, I thought that I saw a very distinct image of your
Goodness in the presence of our very reverend brothers.
And if, in their absence, I had fallen in with your Nobility, I should have considered that in you I had seen them also; for the measure of my love, I mean, is so great in the case of each of you that there appears in me an eager desire for the advantage of each in equal degree.
For this I have thanked the holy God, and I pray, if any period of 1 Written in A.D. 373.
The identity of this Theodorus is quite unknown.
2 7 editi antiqi.
COLLECTED LETTERS OF SAINT BASIL
χρόνος ζωῆς, γενέσθαι por διὰ σοῦ τὴν ζωὴν ἡδεῖαν, ὡς τό γε νῦν ἄθλιον πρᾶγμα τὸ ζῇν καὶ φευκτὸν εἶναι ἡγοῦμαι, τῆς τῶν φιλτάτων συνουσίας κεχωρισμένον. οὐ γάρ ἐστι, κατὰ τὴν ἐμὴν κρίσιν, ἐφ᾽ ᾧ τις ἂν εὐθυμήσειε, τῶν ἀληθῶς ἀγαπώντων διεζευγμένος.
CXXV ᾽ , , ε , \ A Αντίγραφον Πίστεως ὑπαγορευθείσης παρὰ τοῦ ἁγιωτάτου " Βασιλείου, ἣ ὑπέγραψεν Εὐστά- € ΄ θιος ὁ Σεβαστείας ἐπίσκοπος.
Τοὺς προληφθέντας ἑτέρᾳ πίστεως ὁμολογίᾳ καὶ μετατίθεσθαι πρὸς τὴν τῶν ὀρθῶν συνάφειαν
1 κεχωρισμένος editio secunda Paris.
2 μεγάλου editi antiqi.
1 Written in 373.
This letter represents but one step in Basil's gradual disillusionment as to the character of Eustathius of Sebaste.
On Eustathius, cf. Letters LX XIX, and CXIX with notes.
The series of incidents leading up to Basil's break with Eustathius may be described briefly as follows :
Theodotus, bishop of Nicopolis, had invited St. Basil to attend a Synodical ineeting at Nicopolis.
Basil, on his way there, interviewed Eustathius, which at once barred him from attending the synod.
Grieved and humiliated at. this treatment from Theodotus, Basil returned home and sought counsel from Eusebius of Samosata.
This occurred in May of 372.
In the following June or July he again returned to Armenia, not only to confer with Meletius but also to comply with an order from the Emperor to place bishops in the vacant sees of that province.
On account of the coolness between himself and Theodotus, Basil went first to Getasa, the home of Meletius, and there, in the presence of reliable
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life be yet left to me, that my life be made sweet through you, since for the present, at least, I consider life a wretched thing and to be avoided, separated as it is from association with those most dear.
For, in my opinion, there is nothing for which a man may be joyful if he be separated from those who truly love him.
LETTER CXXV
A Transcript oF Farra DicraTeD
BY THE MOST
Hoty Basit, ro Wuicu Eustatutius, THE Bisnop oF SEBASTE, SuBSCRIBED ὦ Tuose who have formerly been committed to an unorthodox confession of Faith and wish to pass witnesses, he justified his conduct with Eustathius and refuted the accusations of Theodotus.
The latter, who was present, maintained that Eustathius had denied any agreement with Basil's propositions.
Accordingly, to satisfy Theodotus, Basil offered to make Eustathius sign a profession of faith containing all the articles of the Nicene
Creed.
Theodotus accepted the plan, and promised to assist Basil in appointing bishops in Armenia.
However, upon his arrival in Nicopolis, Theodotus forgot all that had passed and virtually excommunicated Basil.
Under these circumstances, Basil was prevented from making the appointments.
Fatigued, disappointed, and grieved over the turn of affairs, he returned home only to find sadly neglected conditions in his own diocese.
St. Basil made a third visit to Armenia in the year 373, probably on account of the ordination of Faustus.
It was on this trip that the people of Armenia demanded an assurance of the orthodoxy of Kustathius.
St. Basil willingly offered to go in person to Kustathius and have him sign a profession of faith.
The present letter was accordingly drafted.
Some think it is written by St. Basil together with Theodotus, while others believe that it has the tone of a
COLLECTED LETTERS OF SAINT BASIL
βουλομένους, ἢ καὶ νῦν πρῶτον ἐν τῇ κατηχήσει τοῦ λόγου τῆς ἀληθείας, ἐπιθυμοῦντας γενέσθαι, χρὴ τὴν ὑπὸ τῶν μακαρίων πατέρων ἐν τῇ κατὰ
Νίκαιάν ποτε συγκροτηθείσῃ συνόδῳ γραφεῖσαν πίστιν. τὸ δὲ αὐτὸ τοῦτο χρήσιμον ἂν εἴη καὶ πρὸς τοὺς ὑπονοουμένους ἐναντίως ἔχειν τῇ ὑγιαινούσῃ διδασκαλίᾳ καὶ συσκιάξζοντας ἑ ἑαυτῶν ἀποφυγαῖς εὐπροσώποις τὸ τῆς κακοδυξίας φρόνημα. καὶ γὰρ καὶ τούτοις αὐτάρκης "ἢ ἐγκειμένη πίστις. ἢ γὰρ διορθώσαιντο ἑαυτῶν τὴν ἐν τῷ κρυπτῷ νόσον, ἢ συγκαλύπτοντες αὐτὴν ἐν τῷ βάθει, αὐτοὶ μὲν τὸ κρῖμα τῆς ἀπάτης βαστάσουσιν, ἡμῖν δὲ τὴν ἀπολογίαν κούφην ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ τῆς κρίσεως παρασκευάσουσιν, ὅτε ἀποκαλύψει ὁ Κύριος τὰ κρυπτὰ τοῦ σκότους, καὶ φανερώσει τὰς βουλὰς τῶν καρδιῶν. λαμβάνειν τοίνυν αὐτοὺς ὁμολογοῦντας προσήκει, ὅτι πιστεύουσι κατὰ τὰ ῥήματα τὰ ὑπὸ τῶν "Πατέρων ἡμῶν ἐκτεθέντα ἐν τῇ Νικαίᾳ καὶ κατὰ τὴν ὑγιῶς ὑπὸ τῶν ῥημάτων τούτων ἐμφαινομένην διάνοιαν.
At any rate, a meeting was arranged and the transcript signed in the presence of witnesses.
For Basil's own account of the signing, cf. Letter CCXLIV, sec. 2. But Basil's suspicions, once aroused, were not easily 'allayed. He accordingly proposed another meeting so that the prelates of Caesarea and Sebaste might be united with one another and their communion for the future be sincere.
Both the place and the date were decided upon, but Eustathius and his colleagues failed to keep the appointment.
In spite of all efforts on the part of Eusebius of Samosata to effect a reconciliation and finally to win Eustathius to the
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over into unity with the orthodox, or those who now for the first time wish to be instructed in the doctrine of truth, must be taught in the articles of Faith as drawn up by the blessed Fathers in the synod once convened at Nicaea.
And this same thing would also be useful for those who are suspected of being opposed to the sound doctrine and who seek to cloak with specious subterfuges their unorthodox views.
For even for these the creed embodied therein suffices.
For either they may correct their hidden malady, or, if they still conceal it in the depth of their hearts, they will themselves bear the responsibility for their deception, but for us they will make easy our defence on the Day of Judgment, when the Lord " will reveal the hidden things of darkness and will make manifest the counsels of the heart." 1
It is therefore fitting to receive them when they confess that they believe according to the words set forth by our Fathers at Nicaea and according to the meaning disclosed by those words when soundly interpreted.
For there are some who even in this creed pervert Nicene faith, Eustathius, shortly after signing the present letter, renounced communion with Basil and openly attacked him on the ground of Apollinarism, Although pained at the duplicity of his former friend, and distressed over his false charges, Basil for about three years maintained a discreet silence.
He then for the first time openly defended himself against the slanders of Eustathius.
Cf. Letter CCXXIII.
1.1 Cor. 4,5: ὥστε μὴ πρὸ καιροῦ τι κρίνετε, ἕως ἂν ἔλθῃ ὁ Κύριος, ὃς καὶ φωτίσει τὰ κρυπτὰ τοῦ σκότους, καὶ φανερώσει τὰς βουλὰς τῶν καρδιῶν: καὶ τότε 6 ἔπαινος γενήσεται ἑκάστῳ ἀπὸ τοῦ
""Τπογϑίουθ judge not before the time; until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the heart ; and then shall every man have praise from God."
COLLECTED LETTERS OF SAINT BASIL
δολοῦντες TOV λόγον τῆς ἀληθείας Kal πρὸς τὸ ἑαυτῶν βούλημα τὸν νοῦν τῶν ἐν αὐτῇ ῥημάτων ἕλκοντες. ὅπου γε καὶ Μάρκελλος ἐτόλμησεν, ἀσεβῶν εἰς τὴν ὑπόστασιν τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν ᾿Ιησοῦ
Χριστοῦ καὶ ψιλὸν αὐτὸν ἐξηγούμενος λόγον, ἐκεῖθεν προφασίσασθαι τὰς ἀρχὰς εἰλαφέναι, τοῦ ὁμοουσίου τὴν διάνοιαν κακῶς ἐξηγούμενος." καί τινες τῶν ἀπὸ τῆς δυσσεβείας τοῦ Λίβυος
Σαβελλίου, ὑπόστασιν καὶ οὐσίαν ταὐτὸν εἶναι ὑπολαμβάνοντες, ἐκεῖθεν ἕλκουσι τὰς ἀφορμὰς πρὸς τὴν κατασκευὴν τῆς ἑαυτῶν βλασφημίας, ἐκ τοῦ ἐγγεγράφθαι τῇ πίστει, ὅτι "Eady δέ τις λέγῃ ὃ ἐξ ἑτέρας οὐσίας ὴ ὑποστάσεως τὸν Tiov, avaθεματίζει ἡ καθολικὴ καὶ ἀποστολικὴ ἐκκλησία. οὐ γὰρ ταὐτὸν εἶπον ἐκεῖ οὐσίαν καὶ ὑπόστασιν. εἰ γὰρ μίαν καὶ τὴν αὐτὴν ἐδήλουν ἔννοιαν αἱ φωναί, τίς χρεία ἣν ἑκατέρων ; ; ἀλλὰ δῆλον ὅ ὅτι, ὡς τῶν μὲν ἀρνουμένων τὸ ἐκ τῆς οὐσίας εἶναι τοῦ Πατρός, τῶν δὲ "λεγόντων οὔτε ἐκ τῆς οὐσίας arn ἐξ ἄλλης τινὸς ὑποστάσεως, οὕτως ἀμφότερα, ὡς ἀλλότρια τοῦ ἐκκλησιαστικοῦ φρονήματος, ἀπηγόρευσαν. ἐπεὶ ὅπου γε τὸ ἑαυτῶν ἐδήλουν 1 προφασίζεσθαι Coisl. secundus, Reg. secundus.
5 χέγει Harl. ; λέξῃ editi antiqi.
* ἐκεῖνοι editi antiqi.
1 Marcellus of Ancyra was one of the bishops present at the Councils of Ancyra and Nicaea.
He was a strong opponent of Arianism, but in his zeal to combat Arius adopted the opposite extreme of modified Sabellianism.
He was several times condemned, dying deprived of his see in 374, Marcellus confused the Personality of God, declaring that God was originally only one Personality, but at the
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the doctrine of truth and stretch the sense of the words in it to suit their own purpose.
For instance, even Marcellus,! acting impiously toward the person 2 of our Lord Jesus Christ and explaining Him as mere " Word," had the effrontery to profess that he had taken his principles from that creed, perversely explaining the meaning of "consubstantial."
And some of those from the impious sect of the Libyan Sabellius,? understanding person and substance to be the same, draw from that creed the beginnings they use for the establishment of their own blasphemy, from the fact of its having been written in the creed that "if anyone says the Son is of a different substance or person, the Catholic and Apostolic Church anathematizes him.'"'
For it is not said therein that the substance and the person are the same.
For if the words revealed one and the same meaning, what was the need of each separately?
But it is evident that, since some denied that the Son is of the substance of the Father, and others said that He was not of the substance but of some other person, thus they condemned both positions as foreign to the opinion of the Church.
For, when they came creation of the universe the Word or Logos went out from the Father and was God's activity in the world.
This Logos became incarnate in Christ and was thus constituted Son of God.
The Holy Ghost likewise went forth as the third Divine Personality from the Father and from Christ according to St. John 20, 22,
At the consummation of all things, however, Christ and the Holy Ghost will return to the Father, and the Godhead will be again an absolute Unity.
Cf. Cath. Encycl. under Marcellus of Ancyra.
Cf. also Jerome, De Vir. Ill. 86.
2 For a definition of the theological terms used in this letter, cf. Letter VIII and note.
3 For Sabellius, cf. Introduction, Vol. L
COLLECTED LETTERS OF SAINT BASIL
φρόνημα, εἶπον ἐκ τῆς οὐσίας τοῦ Πατρὸς τὸν Υἱόν, οὐκέτι προσθέντες καὶ τὸ ἐκ τῆς ὑποστάσεως. ὥστε ἐκεῖνο μὲν. ἐπ᾽ ἀθετήσει κεῖται τοῦ πονηροῦ φρονήματος, τοῦτο δὲ Pavépwow ἔ ἔχει τοῦ σωτηρίου δόγματος. δεῖ τοίνυν ὁμολογεῖν ὁμοούσιον τὸν Ὑἱὸν τῷ Πατρί, καθὼς γέγραπται, ὁμολογεῖν δὲ ἐ ἐν ἰδίᾳ μὲν ὑποστάσει τὸν Πατέρα, ἐ ἐν ἰδίᾳ δὲ τὸν Υἱόν, καὶ ἐν ἰδίᾳ τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον, καθὰ καὶ αὐτοὶ σαφο ἐκδεδώκασιν. αὐτάρκως γὰρ καὶ σαφῶς " ἐνεδείξαντο εἰπόντες, φῶς ἐκ φωτός, ὅτι ἕτερον μὲν τὸ γεννῆσαν φῶς, ἕτερον δὲ τὸ γεννηθέν, φῶς μέντοι καὶ: φῶς: ὥστε ἕνα καὶ τὸν αὐτὸν εἶναι τὸν τῆς οὐσίας λόγον. ἐγκείσθω δὴ ἡμῖν καὶ αὐτὴ ἡ πίστις ἡ κατὰ Νίκαιαν συγγραφεῖσα.
Πιστεύομεν εἰς ἕνα Θεὸν Πατέρα παντοκράτορα, πάντων ὁρατῶν τε καὶ ἀοράτων ποιητήν. καὶ εἰς ἕνα Κύριον ᾿Ιησοῦν Χριστὸν τὸν Ὑἱὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ, γεννηθέντα ἐκ τοῦ Πατρὸς Μονογενῆ, τουτέστιν, ἐκ τῆς οὐσίας τοῦ Πατρός: Θεὸν ἐκ
Θεοῦ, φῶς ἐκ φωτός, Θεὸν ἀληθινὸν ἐκ Θεοῦ ἀληθινοῦ' γεννηθέντα, οὐ ποιηθέντα" ὁμοούσιον τῷ Πατρί, δι' οὗ τὰ πάντα ἐγένετο, τά τε ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ καὶ τὰ ἐ ἐν τῇ yn τὸν δι᾿ ἡμᾶς τοὺς ἀνθρώmous Kal διὰ THY ἡμετέραν σωτηρίαν κατελθόντα, ἢ καὶ σαρκωθέντα, ἐνανθρωπήσαντα, παθόντα, καὶ ἀναστάντα τῇ, τρίτῃ ἡμέρᾳ, ἀνελθόντα εἰς τοὺς ὃ οὐρανούς, ἐρχόμενον κρῖναι ζῶντας καὶ νεκρούς. καὶ εἰς τὸ ἅγιον Πνεῦμα. τοὺς δὲ λέγοντας: Ἦν 1 εὐσεβῶς Harl., Regius.
3 σοφῶς Harl. secunda mines editi antiai.
8 Πατέρα om, EK, 4 ἡμῶν add. editi antiqi.
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to revealing their opinion, they said that the Son was of the substance of the Father, not going on to add "of the person."
Thus the former statement is laid down as a rejection of faulty opinion, while the latter contains the declaration of the doctrine of salvation.
It is necessary, therefore, to confess the Son as of the same substance as the Father, as it is written, and to confess the Father in His own proper person, and the Son in His own, and the Holy Ghost in His own, according as the Fathers themselves have clearly set forth.
For sufficiently and clearly have they shown this when they said, «Light of Light, the One which begot Light and the Other which was begotten, and yet Light and Light," so that the definition of the substance is one and the same.
Now let the creed itself, composed at Nicaea, be added by us.
We believe in one God the Father Almighty, maker of all things, visible and invisible, and in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, born of the Father, the only Begotten, that is, of the substance of the Father ; God of God, Light of Light, true God of true God; begotten not made; consubstantial with the Father, by whom all things were made, both in heaven and on earth; who for us men and for our salvation came down and was incarnate, and was made Man.
He suffered and arose on the third day, and He ascended into heaven and shall come to judge the living and the dead.
And in the Holy Ghost.
And as for such who say " There was a time 5 rod om. HK.
7 ἐκ τῶν οὐρανῶν add. editiones Paris. et secunda Basil.
8 τούς om. E,
COLLECTED LETTERS OF SAINT BASIL
ποτέ, ὅτε οὐκ ἦν, καὶ πρὶν γεννηθῆναι οὐκ οἦν, καὶ ὅτε ἐξ οὐκ ὄντων ἐγένετο, ἢ ἐξ ἑτέρας ὑποστάσεως ἢ οὐσίας φάσκοντας Ais ἢ τρεπτὸν ἢ ἀλλοιωτὸν τὸν Ὑἱὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ, τοὺς τοιούτους ἀναθεματίζει ἡ καθολικὴ καὶ ἀποστολικὴ ᾿Εἰκκλησία.
"Emel οὖν ἐνταῦθα τὰ μὲν ἄλλα ἀρκούντως καὶ ἀκριβῶς διώρισται, τὰ μὲν ἐπὶ διορθώσει τῶν βλαβέντων, τὰ δὲ εἰς προφυλακὴν τῶν προσδοκωμένων ὑποφυήσεσθαι' ὁ δὲ περὶ τοῦ Πνεύματος λόγος ἐν παραδρομῇ κεῖται, οὐδεμιᾶς ἐξεργασίας ἀξιωθεὶς διὰ τὸ μηδέπω τότε τοῦτο κεκινῆσθαι τὸ ξήτημα, ἀλλ᾽ ἀνεπιβούλευτον ἐνυπάρχειν * ταῖς τῶν πιστευόντων ψυχαῖς τὴν περὶ αὐτοῦ διάνοιαν κατὰ μικρὸν δὲ προϊόντα τὰ πονηρὰ τῆς ἀσεβείας σπέρματα, ἃ πρότερον μὲν ὑπὸ ᾿Αρείου τοῦ προστάτου τῆς αἱρέσεως κατεβλήθη, ὕ ὕστερον δὲ ὑπὸ τῶν τὰ ἐκείνου κακῶς διαδεξαμένων, ἐ ἐπὶ λύμῃ τῶν ἐκκλησιῶν ἐξετράφη, καὶ ἡ ἀκολουθία τῆς ἀσεβείας εἰς τὴν κατὰ τοῦ
Πνεύματος βλασφημίαν ἀπέσκηψεν" ἀναγκαῖον πρὸς τοὺς μὴ φειδομένους ἑαυτῶν, μηδὲ προορωμένους τὴν ἄφυκτον ἀπειλήν, ἣν "τοῖς βλασφηpavow εἰς τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον ὁ Κύριος ἡμῶν ἐπανετείνατο, ἐκεῖνο προτείνειν, ὅτι χρὴ αὐτοὺς ἀναθεματίξειν τοὺς λέγοντας κτίσμα τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον, καὶ τοὺς νοοῦντας οὕτω, καὶ τοὺς μὴ ὁμολογοῦντας αὐτὸ φύσει ἅγιον εἶναι, ὡς ἔστι φύσει ἅγιος ὁ Πατήρ, καὶ φύσει ἅγιος ὁ Υἱός, arn ἀποξενοῦντας * αὐτὸ τῆς θείας καὶ paKapias φύσεως. ἀπόδειξις δὲ TOD ὀρθοῦ φρονήματος τὸ 1 ὑπάρχειν Τὶ, 3 ἐπέσκηψεν E, Regius.
LETTER CXXV
when He was not," and "Before He was begotten He was not," or that " He came into existence from what was not," or who profess that the Son of God is of a different person or substance, or that He changeth, or is variable, such as these the Catholic and Apostolic Church anathematizes.
Since, therefore, all points with but one exception have been sufficiently and accurately defined herein, some as an emendation for what had been perverted, and others as a precaution against what was expected to arise—for the doctrine of the Holy
Ghost was laid down cursorily, not being considered as necessary of elaboration, because at that time this question had not yet been agitated, but the sense of it was unassailably inherent in the souls
of the faithful—but since, coming forth little by little, the baneful seeds of impiety, which had been sown before by Arius, the author of the heresy, and later by those who wickedly succeeded to his opinions, have been nurtured to the harm of the churches, and the succession of impiety has broken forth into blasphemy against the Spirit, in view of these things it is necessary to hold before those who have no pity for themselves nor foresee the inevitable threat which our Lord held over those who blaspheme the Holy Ghost, this conclusion—that we must anathematize those who call the Holy Spirit a creature, both those who think so, and those who will not confess that He is holy by nature, even as the Father is holy by nature, and as the Son is holy by nature, but deprive Him of His divine and blessed nature.
And the proof of orthodox opinion 3 ἐπανετείνετο HK, 4. ξενοῦντας EH.
COLLECTED LETTERS OF SAINT BASIL
μὴ χωρίξειν αὐτὸ Πατρὸς καὶ Ὑἱοῦ (δεῖ γὰρ ἡμᾶς βαπτίξεσθαι μέν, ὡς παρελάβομεν" πιστεύειν δέ, ὡς βαπτιζόμεθα: δοξάζειν δέ, ὡς πεπιστεύκαμεν, Πατέρα καὶ Ὑἱὸν καὶ ἅγιον Πνεῦμα), ἀφίστασθαι δὲ τῆς κοινωνίας τῶν κτίσμα λεγόντων, ὡς φανερῶς βλασφημούντων' ἐκείνου διωμολογημένου (ἀνωγκαία γὰρ ἡ ἐπισημείωσις διὰ τοὺς συκοφάντας), ὅτι, οὔτε "ἀγέννητον λέγομεν τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον" ἕνα γὰρ οἴδαμεν ἀγέννητον καὶ μίαν τῶν ὄντων ἀρχήν, τὸν Ilatépa τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν ᾿Ιησοῦ Χριστοῦ" οὔτε γεννητόν" ἕνα γὰρ μονογενῆ ἐν τῇ παραδόσει τῆς πίστεως δεδιδάγμεθα" τὸ δὲ Πνεῦμα τῆς ἀληθείας
. ἐκ τοῦ. Ἰ]ατρὸς ἐκπορεύεσθαι διδαχθέντες, ἐκ τοῦ Θεοῦ εἶναι ὁμολογοῦμεν ἀκτίστως. ἀναθεματίζειν δὲ καὶ τοὺς λειτουργικὸν λέγοντας τὸ
Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον, ὡς διὰ τῆς φωνῆς ταύτης εἰς τὴν τοῦ κτίσματος κατάγοντας τάξιν. τὰ γὰρ λειτουργικὰ πνεύματα κτίσματα ἡμῖν ἡ Γραφὴ παρέδωκεν, εἰποῦσα, ὅτι ἸΠάντες εἰσὶ λειτουργικὰ πνεύματα εἰς διακονίαν "ἀποστελλόμενα. διὰ δὲ τοὺς πάντα φύροντας καὶ μὴ φυλάσσοντας τὴν ἐν τοῖς εὐαγγελίοις διδασκαλίαν, ἀναγκαῖόν ἐστι καὶ τοῦτο "προσδιαστείλασθαιϊ ὅτι φεύγειν δεῖ καὶ τοὺς τὴν ἀκολουθίαν ἣν παρέδωκεν ἡ ἡμῖν ὁ Κύριος ἐναμείβοντας, ὡς φανερῶς μαχομένους, τῇ εὐσεβείᾳ,3 καὶ Υἱὸν μὲν προτάσσοντας tov Ilatpos, Υἱοῦ δὲ τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον προτιθέντας. ἀκίνητον yap καὶ ἀπαρεγχείρητον φυλάσσειν 1 προδιαστείλασθαι Kh.
2 ἀληθείᾳ editi antiqi.
LETTER CXXV
is not to separate Him from the Father and the Son (for we must be baptized as we have received the words of baptism, and we must believe as we are baptized, and we must give glory as we have believed, to the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost), but to abstain from communion with those, as open blasphemers, who call Him a creature; since this point is agreed upon (for comment is necessary because of the slanders), that we neither speak of the Holy
Spirit as unbegotten—for we recognize One unbegotten and One Beginning of all existing things, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ—nor speak of Him as begotten—for we have been taught One only begotten in the tradition of our Faith; and having been taught that the Spirit of Truth proceeds from the Father, we confess it to be from God without any act of creation.
And we must anathematize also those who speak of the Holy Ghost as ministering, on the ground that by this expression they lower Him to the order of creatures.
For Scripture has handed down tous the ministering spirits as creatures, saying, "All are ministering spirits sent to minister." 1
And on account of those who confuse everything and do not preserve the teaching of the Gospel, it is necessary to lay down this principle also—that we must avoid those who change the order which our Lord had left us, as being clearly enemies of religion, and place the Son before the Father and put the Holy Spirit before the Son.
For it is meet that we keep unaltered 1 Of, Heb, 1, 14: οὐχὶ πάντες εἰσὶ λειτουργικὰ πνεύματα, εἰς διακονίαν ἀποστελλόμενα διὰ τοὺς μέλλοντας κληρονομεῖν σωτηρίαν;
'Are they not all ministering spirits, sent to minister for them who shall receive the inheritance of salvation ?"
COLLECTED LETTERS OF SAINT BASIL
προσήκει τὴν ἀκολουθίαν, ἣ ἣν ἐξ αὐτῆς τοῦ Κυρίου τῆς φωνῆς παρελάβομεν, εἰπόντος" Πορευθέντες, μαθητεύσατε πάντα τὼ ἔθνη, βαπτίξοντες αὐτοὺς εἰς τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ Ilatpos καὶ τοῦ Tiod καὶ τοῦ ἁγίου Τ]νεύματος.
Εὐστάθιος ἐπίσκοπος σοὶ Βασιλείῳ ἀναγνοὺς ἐγνώρισα, καὶ συνήνεσα τοῖς προγεγραμμένοις. ὑπέγραψα δὲ συμπαρόντων μοι τῶν ἀδελφῶν, τοῦ ἡμετέρου Φρόντωνος, καὶ τοῦ χωρεπισκόπου Σεβήρου, καὶ ἄλλων τινῶν κληρικῶν.
CXXVI ᾿Αταρβίῳ 5 Παραγενόμενοι μέχρι τῆς Νικοπόλεως ἐπ᾽ ἐλπίδι τοῦ καὶ τὰς κινηθείσας ταραχὰς ᾿ἐπανορθώσασθαι καὶ τὴν ἐνδεχομένην ἐπαγαγεῖν παραμυθίαν τοῖς ἀτάκτως καὶ παρὰ τὸν ἐκκλησιαστικὸν θεσμὸν γενομένοις, ὃ σφόδρα, ἠθυμήσαμεν μὴ καταλαβόντες σου τὴν χρηστότητα, ἀλλὰ μαθόντες ἐξεληλακέναι σε πρὸς πᾶσαν ἔπειξιν,( καὶ ταῦτα μεσούσης σχεδὸν τῆς συνόδου τῆς παρ᾽ ὑμῶν τελουμένης. διὸ ἀναγκαίως ἐπὶ τὸ γράμμα ἤλθομεν, δι' οὗ ὑπομιμνήσκομεν ἀπαντῆσαι πρὸς
1 «Υπογραφὴ Εὐσταθίου ἐπισκόπου] καὶ ὑπέγραψεν Εὐστάθιος 6 Σεβαστείας ἐπίσκοπος Harl., Regius. a Νικοπόλεως add. Clar. Neoxaisapelas add. Εἰ, Med.
1 Matt. 28, 19.
3 Fronto was a priest under the jurisdiction of Theodotus, Bishop of Nicopolis, to whose see he was elevated after the
LETTER CXXVI
and untampered with that order which we received from the very words of Our Lord, when He said,
"Going teach ye all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy
Ghost."' 1
Signature of Eustathius, Bishop.
I, Eustathius, bishop, after reading to you, Basil, have understood, and have approved what has been written above.
And I have signed in the presence of my brothers, our Fronto,? the suffragan-bishop
Severus,' and certain other members of the clergy.
LETTER CXXVI
To Ararsius 4 Arrivinc at Nicopolis in the hope of setting right the troubles which had been stirred up and of providing all possible relief for what had happened irregularly and contrary to ecclesiastical law, we were greatly disappointed when we did not meet your Goodness, but learned that you had departed in all haste and indeed almost in the middle of the synod which was being held by you.
Therefore we must have recourse to writing, through which we bid you latter's death.
However, he did not possess Theodotus' firmness of character, for he fell into heresy.
3 Known only from this passage.
4 Of the year 373.
For Atarbius, Bishop of Neocaesarea, ef. Letter LXV.
He was a relative of Basil, and the leader of the Neocaesareans in their revolt against Basil.
Cf.
Letter CCVII.
The present letter is an excellent example of the firm and tactful way in which Basil dealt with such as wandered from the orthodox faith and as even had wronged himself.
COLLECTED LETTERS OF SAINT BASIL
ἡμᾶς, ἵνα αὐτὸς διὰ σαυτοῦ παραμυθήσῃ ἡμῶν τὴν λύπην, ἣν μέχρι θανάτου λελυπήμεθα, ἀκούσαντες ἐπὶ μέσης τῆς ἐκκλησίας τετολμῆσθαι πράγματα οὔπω μέχρι τῆς ἡμέρας ταύτης εἰς ἀκοὴν ἡμετέραν ἔλθοντα. καὶ ταῦτα μὲν εἰ καὶ λυπηρὰ καὶ βαρέα, ἀλλ᾽ ἔτι pop ad, διὰ τὸ εἰς ἄνθρωπον γεγενῆσθαι, ὃ ὃς τὴν ὑπὲρ ων πέπονθεν ἐκδίκησιν τῷ Θεῷ ἐπιτρέψας, ὅλος ἐστὶ τῆς εἰρήνης καὶ τοῦ μηδὲν παρὰ τὴν αὐτοῦ" αἰτίαν βλαβερὸν γίνεσθαι 3 τῷ λαῷ τοῦ Θεοῦ.
᾿Επειδὴ δέ τινες τῶν τιμίων καὶ πάσης πίστεως ἀξίων ἀδελφῶν ἀπήγγειλαν ἡμῖν, ὡς περὶ τὴν πίστιν καινοτομουμένων τινῶν καὶ λαλουμένων παρὰ σοῦ ὑπεναντίως τῇ ὑγιαινούσῃ διδασκαλίᾳ, ἐπὶ τούτοις ὃ πλέον συγκινηθέντες, καὶ πολὺν ἀγῶνα ἀγωνιάσαντες τοῦ * μὴ πού TL πρὸς τοῖς μυρίοις τραύμασιν, οἷς πέπονθεν 4 Ἐκκλησία παρὰ τῶν εἰς τὴν ἀλήθειαν τοῦ Evayyeriou ἐξαμαρτόντων," ἔτι καὶ ἄλλο ἀναφυῇ κακόν, ἀνανεωθείσης τῆς παλαιᾶς τοῦ ἐχθροῦ τῆς "EKKAnσίας Σαβελλίου αἱρέσεως (τούτοις γὰρ οἱ ἀδελφοὶ ἀπήγγειλαν * ἡμῖν συγγενῆ εἶναι τὰ εἰρημένα), τούτου ἕνεκεν ἐπεστείλαμεν, ἵνα μὴ ὀκνήσῃς μικρὸν διάστημα κινηθεὶς καταλαβεῖν Ξ ἡμᾶς, καὶ τὴν ἐπὶ τούτοις πληροφορίαν παρασχόμενος, ἡμῶν τε τὴν ὀδύνην καταπραῦναι, καὶ τὰς ὃ τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐκκλησίας παραμυθήσασθαι, τὰς νῦν ἀφορήτως καὶ βαρέως ἐ ἐπί τε τοῖς πεπραγμένοις καὶ ἐπὶ τοῖς θρυλλουμένοις εἰρῆσθαι παρὰ σοῦ λυπουμένας.
2 γενέσϑαι EK, editi antiqi.
4 σοῦ om KE.
5 re editi antiqi.
LETTER CXXVI
to meet us, that you yourself in person may console our grief, which has distressed us unto death, for we heard that in the midst of the Church you dared a thing which has never before this day come to our hearing.
But even these things, even if they are painful and severe, are yet endurable, because they have happened to a man who has entrusted to God the requital of his sufferings and is wholly desirous of peace and of having nothing harmful happen, through any fault of his, to the people of God.
But since some of our honoured brothers who are worthy of every trust have announced to us that certain innovations in regard to the faith are being made by you, and that things are being said by you contrary to sound teaching, being aroused the more on this account, and being in great distress lest perchance, in addition to the countless wounds which the Church has suffered at the hands of those who have erred against the truth of the Gospel, still another evil may spring up, if there be a renewal of the ancient heresy of Sabellius,| the enemy of the Church (for our brothers announced that the words spoken by you were akin to his), on this account we have written, that you may not hesitate to rouse yourself and undertake a short journey to us, and, by furnishing us full information on these points, to assuage our grief and to solace the churches of God, which are now unbearably and seriously grieved at what has been done and at what is generally reported to have been said by you.
1 Vol. I, Introduction.
7 ἀπήγγελον editi antiqi.
9 τοῦ add.
COLLECTED LETTERS OF SAINT BASIL
COXxXVII Εὐσεβίῳ, ἐπισκόπῳ Σαμοσάτων Ὃ φιλάνθρωπος Θεὸς ὁ συμμέτρους ταῖς θλίψεσι τὰς παρακλήσεις συνάπτων καὶ παρακαλῶν τοὺς ταπεινούς, ἵνα μὴ λάθωσιν ὑπὸ τῆς περισσοτέρας λύπης καταποθέντες, ἴσην ταῖς ἐπιγενομέναις ἡμῖν κατὰ τὴν Νικόπολιν ταραχαῖς τὴν παραμυθίαν ἐπήγαγε, τὸν θεοφιλέστατον ἐπίσκοπον ᾿Ιοβῖνον ἐν καιρῷ ἐπιστήσας" ὃς ὅπως εὐκαίρως ἡμῖν ἐπεφάνη, αὐτὸς διηγησάσθω. ἡμεῖς γὰρ φειδόμενοι τοῦ μήκους τῆς ἐπιστολῆς σιωπήσομεν, καὶ ἵνα μὴ δόξωμεν τοὺς ἐκ μεταβολῆς ἀγαπητοὺς ἡμῖν γενομένους α οἱονεὶ τῇ ὑπομνήσει τοῦ σφάλματος στηλιτεύειν.
᾿Αλλὰ παράσχοι ὁ ἅγιος Θεὸς ἐπιστῆναί σε τοῖς ἡμετέροις τόποις, ὥστε περιπτύξασθαι μὲν τὴν σὴν σεμνοπρέπειαν, διηγήσασθαι δὲ τὰ καθ᾽ ἕκαστον. πέφυκε γάρ πως τὰ κατὰ τὴν πεῖραν λυπήσαντα ψυχαγωγίαν τινὰ 5 ἔχειν ἐν διηγήμασι. πλὴν ἀλλ᾽ ὑπὲρ ὧν τελείως μὲν ὡς πρὸς τὴν εἰς ἡμᾶς ἀγάπην, προηγουμένως δὲ καὶ 1 γινομένοις KH, Med.
2 τινά om. E.
8 πολλήν add. editi antiqi.
1 Written about June 373.
All that is definitely known of Eusebius of Samosata is learned from the letters of St.
Basil the Great and St. Gregory of Nazianzus.
He was instrumental in the consecration of Meletius as Bishop of Antioch, and was his staunch supporter during the long
LETTER CXXVII
LETTER CXXVII
To Eusesius, Bishop or Samosata!
Our merciful God, who applies consolations commensurate with our afflictions and consoles the downhearted, lest unaware they be overwhelmed by excessive grief, has brought to us a solace equal to the troubles that befell us at Nicopolis, having caused the most God-beloved bishop, Jovinus, to come opportunely; and how very opportunely he appeared to us, let him himself tell.
For we, to spare a long letter, shall say nothing ourselves, and also that we may not seem to denounce as it were publicly by the mention of their error those who by a change of heart have become dear to us.
But may the holy God grant that you may come to our region, so that I may embrace your August
Reverence, and recount to you every particular.
For it is natural somehow that matters which have grieved us when we experienced them can afford a certain gratification when we recount them.
However, as regards those matters in which our most God-beloved bishop has been active—with complete years of schism and exile.
It was likewise through his efforts that Basil was elevated to the see of Caesarea.
This was the beginning of a mutual and unbroken friendship.
After Easter in 374, Eusebius was exiled to Thrace.
He was recalled in 378, and on his return to Samosata was martyred.
Previous letters addressed to him are
XX VII, XXX, XXXI,
XXXIV, XLVII, XLVIII, XCV, XCVIII, and C.
Shortly after Basil's return from Nicopolis, whither he had gone to investigate the trouble caused by the uncanonical consecration of Faustus, Jovinus paid him a visit and rallied to his support.
Jovinus himself is apparently the bearer of this letter, telling the good news to Kusebius.
COLLECTED LETTERS OF SAINT BASIL
στιβαρῶς ὡς πρὸς τὴν τῶν κανόνων ἀκρίβειαν ὁ ὁ θεοφιλέστατος ἐπίσκοπος ἐκινήθη, ἐπαίνεσον αὐτόν, καὶ εὐχαρίστησον τῷ Κυρίῳ, ὅτι τὰ σὰ θρέμματα πανταχοῦ τὸν χαρακτῆρα τῆς σῆς σεμνότητος δείκνυσιν.
/ fa] > >
γὼ τὴν περὶ TO εἰρηνεύεσθαι τὰς ἐκκλησίας τοῦ Κυρίου ! σπουδὴν ἔργῳ μὲν ἐνδείξασθαι ἀξίως οὔπω δεδύνημαι, ἐν δὲ τῇ καρδίᾳ μου τοσαύτην ἔχειν ἐπιθυμίαν φημί, ὥστε ἡδέως ἂν καὶ τὴν ζωὴν τὴν ἐμαυτοῦ προέσθαι ὑπὲρ τοῦ τὴν ὑπὸ τοῦ πονηροῦ ἐξαφθεῖσαν φλόγα τοῦ μίσους κατασβεσθῆναι. καὶ εἰ μὴ τῆς ἐπιθυμίας ἕνεκεν τῆς κατὰ τὴν εἰρήνην ἠνεσχόμην ἐγγίσαι τοῖς κατὰ
Κολώνειαν τόποις, μὴ εἰρηνευθείη μοι 3. ἡ ζωή. εἰρήνην μέντοι τὴν ἀληθινὴν τὴν ὑπ᾽ αὐτοῦ τοῦ
Κυρίου καταλειφθεῖσαν ἡμῖν ἐπιζητῶ" καὶ ὃ παρεκάλεσά μοι εἰς πληροφορίαν ὑπάρξαι, οὐκ ἄλλο τι ἐπιθυμοῦντός ἐστιν ἢ τῆς ἀληθινῆς εἰρήνης, κἂν ἄλλως τινὲς διαστρέφοντες τὴν ἀλήθειαν ἐξηγῶνται. ἐκεῖνοι μὲν οὖν κεχρήσθω1 Θεοῦ quattuor MSS.
2 μοῦ EK.
1 Written in 373.
For Eusebius, see preceding letters.
This letter is Basil's reply to a letter from Eusebius, in which Eusebius attempted to effect a reconciliation between Basil and Eustathius of Sebaste.
On Eustathius of Sebaste, see preceding letters.