LETTER
LETTER CXXIX
beginning adhered to the Word.!
" For,'' he says, "the believers had but one heart and one soul."
If, then, they obey you, that will be best.
But if not, recognize the instigators of the trouble, and henceforth cease writing to me about a reconciliation.
LETTER CXXIX
To Me tetius, Bishop or ANTIOCH 2 I knew that the charge which has now sprung up against Apollinaris,®? that man who is so ready to say anything, would surprise the ears of your Perfection.4
For in fact not even I myself was aware until the present time that the situation was as it is; but now the Sebastenes, having sought out these matters from some source, have brought them before the public, and they are circulating a document from which they bring accusations chiefly against us as well, on the ground that we hold the same views as those expressed in the document.
It contains such Eastern faithful a rallying sign and a synonym of orthodoxy.
Basil here writes to refute the charges made against him of teaching heresy, and he names Apollinaris as the real author of the heretical document used as evidence.
He considers other matters also, including the action taken upon his case at the court.
3 Apollinaris (᾿Απολινάριο5) the Younger, Bishop of Laodicea, flourished during the first half of the fourth century.
He was highly esteemed by Basil, it seems, until the year 376.
He taught that Christ hada human body and a human sensitive soul, but no rational mind, the Divine Logos taking the place of this last.
4 Byzantine title,
COLLECTED LETTERS OF SAINT BASIL
τοιαύτας" ὥστε πανταχῆ συνεζευγμένως, μᾶλλον δὲ ἡνωμένως τῇ ἑτερότητι νοεῖν ἀναγκαῖον τὴν πρώτην ταυτότητα, καὶ δευτέραν καὶ τρίτην λέγοντας τὴν αὐτήν. ὅπερ γάρ ἐστι πρώτως ὁ Πατήρ, τοῦτό ἐστι δευτέρως ὁ Tios, καὶ τρίτως τὸ Πνεῦμα. αὖθις δὲ ὅπερ ἐστὶ πρώτως τὸ Πνεῦμα τοῦτο δευτέρως τὸν Ὑἱόν, καθὸ δὴ καὶ ὁ
Κύριός ἐστι τὸ Πνεῦμα: καὶ τρίτως tov Ilatépa ρ Nv ay lal - , \ ς r καθὸ δὴ IIvedua ὁ Θεός. καὶ ὡς βιαιότερον σημᾶναιϊ τὸ ἄρρητον, τὸν Πατέρα πατρικῶς Ὑἱὸν εἶναι, τὸν δὲ Ὑἱὸν υἱικῶς ἸΤατέρα. καὶ ὡσαύτως '
\ rn ΄ὔ θὸ On φΦ Θ Ἂς is ΠΝ / ἐπὶ τοῦ Πνεύματος, καθὸ δὴ εἷς Θεὸς ἡ Τριάς. n "ἢ Ὁ.
nr δύναμαι πιστεῦσαι πλάσματα εἶναι τῶν περιφερόντων," εἰ καὶ ὅτι ἐκ τῆς καθ᾽ ἡμῶν 8 συκοφαντίας οὐδὲν λογίξομαι αὐτοῖς ἀτόλμητον εἶναι. spepoumes γάρ τισι τῶν καθ᾽ ἑαυτούς, καὶ προσθέντες 4 τὴν καθ᾽ ἡμῶν διαβολήν, ἐπήγαγον ταῦτα, ῥήματα μὲν αἱρετικῶν ὀνομάσαντες, τὸν δὲ πατέρα τῆς συγγραφῆς ᾿ἀποκρυψάμενοι, ἵνα τοῖς πολλοῖς ἡμεῖς νομὲσ ὦμεν εἶναι οἱ λογογράφοι." πλὴν ἀλλ᾽ οὐκ ἂν μέχρι τοῦ Kal? ῥήματα συνθεῖναι προῆλθεν αὐτῶν ἡ ἐπίνοια, ὥς γε ἐμαυτὸν πείθω. ὅθεν, ὑπὲρ τοῦ καὶ τὴν Kad' ἡμῶν κρατοῦσαν βλασφημίαν ἀπώσασθαι, καὶ δεῖξαι. πᾶσιν, ὡς οὐδὲν ἡμῖν ἐστὶ ὃ κοινὸν πρὸς τοὺς ἐκεῖνο λέγοντας, ἠναγκάσθημεν μνησθῆναι σημαίνει H, προφερόντων editi antiqi. ἡμᾶς EK, Regius primus. πα στα Coisl. secundus, Reg. secundus. ὀνομάζοντες editi antiqi. of ὦ DPD m=
LETTER CXXIX
statements as these : "Consequently it is necessary to conceive of the first identity in every case conjointly, or rather unitedly with the dissimilarity, saying that the second and the third arethe same.
For what the Father is first, the Son is secondly, and the Spirit thirdly.
And again, what is first the Spirit, this is secondly the Son—inasmuch as the Lord is the Spirit—and thirdly the Father—inasmuch as the Spirit is God."
And in order to express this unspeakable thought more forcefully:
"That the Father is paternally the Son, and the Son is filially the Father.
And in like manner with the Holy Ghost, inasmuch as the Trinity is one God."
These are the things that are being noised about, but I can never believe that these are fabrications of those who are spreading them abroad, although, on account of their slanderous charges against us, I consider that nothing is beyond the limits of their effrontery.
For when writing to some of their own adherents, and after making this false accusation against us, they added the words mentioned above, calling them the expressions of heretics, but concealing the name of the father of the document, in order that to people at large we might be considered the author.
However, their intelligence could not have carried them to the point of actually composing these statements, as I am convinced.
Hence, for the sake of repudiating the charge of blasphemy that is prevalent against us, and of showing to all that we have nothing in common with those who say such things, we have been forced to mention this
H, 28 5
COLLECTED. LETTERS OF SAINT BASIL
τοῦ ἀνδρός, ὡς "προσεγγίξοντος τῇ ἀσεβείᾳ τοῦ Σαβελλίου. καὶ ταῦτα μὲν εἰς τοσοῦτον.
᾿Απὸ δὲ τοῦ στρατοπέδου ἧκέ τις ἀγγέλλων, ἐπὶ τῇ πρώτῃ κινήσει τοῦ κρατοῦντος, ἣν ἐκίνησαν αὐτὸν οἱ τὰς διαβολὰς ἡμῶν] καταχέοντες, γεγενῆσθαί τινα καὶ δευτέραν γνώμην, ὥστε μὴ δοθῆναι ἡμᾶς ἐκδότους τοῖς κατηγόροις, μήτε παραδοθῆναι ἡμᾶς τῷ ἐκείνων θελήματι, ὅπερ ἦν ἐξ ἀρχῆς ὁρισθέν: ἀλλά τινα γενέσθαι τέως ἀναβολήν. ἐὰν οὖν ἢ ταῦτα μένῃ, ἢ τούτων τι δόξῃ φιλανθρωπότερον, σημανοῦμέν σου τῇ θεοσεβείᾳ. ἐὰν δὲ κρατῇ τὰ πρότερα, οὐδὲ τοῦτό σε λήσεται.
'0 μέντοι ἀδελφὸς Σαγκτίσσιμος πάντως ἐστὶ παρ᾽ ὑμῖν πάλαι, καὶ ἃ ἐπιξητεῖ δῆλα γέγονε τῇ τελειότητί σου. εἰ οὖν φαίνεται ἀναγκαῖόν τι ἔχειν ἡ πρὸς τοὺς δυτικοὺς ἐπιστολή, καταξίωσον τυπώσας αὐτὴν διαπέμψασθαι " ἡμῖν, ὥστε ποιῆσαι ὑπογραφῆναι παρὰ τῶν ὁμοψύχων καὶ ἑτοίμην ἔχειν τὴν ὑπογραφήν, ἐν χάρτῃ κεχωρισμένῳ ἐντετυπω μένην," ὃν δυνάμεθα συνάψαι τῷ παρὰ τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ ἡμῶν τοῦ συμπρεσβυτέρου ἡμῖν editi antiqi.
2 "vie oiSaOR:
1 4,6. Apollinaris.
2 Sabellius affirmed that there exists in God only a single person, and that this unity or monad (μονάς) constitutes the absolute being of God.
When the divine essence departed from its quiet and inactivity, manifesting itself and acting,
LETTER CXXIX
man's name ! as one who is approaching the impiety of Sabellius.2_ But let so much suffice on this matter.
But a messenger has come from the court, saying that after the first excitement of the Emperor, to which he wasimpelled by those who were pouring out their slanders against us, a second resolution was determined upon—that we should not be surrendered to our accusers, nor should we be placed at the mercy of their will, as was decreed in the first place ; but that up to the present there has been delay.
Therefore, if these matters remain as they are, or if some more kindly action is decided on, we shall inform your Godliness.
And if the former course prevail, this also will not be concealed from you.
But our brother Sanctissimus, at all events, has been with you for a long time, and your Perfection has become fully aware of what he hasin mind.
So, if the letter to the people of the West appears to contain anything that is important for us, be pleased
to draft it and send it to us, in order that we may get it subscribed to by those of the same mind as ourselves, and that we may have the subscription ready, written upon a separate sheet of paper, which we can fasten to the sheet which is being carried around to us by our brother the presit was called the Word (λόγος).
It is the Word which created the world; and again it is the Word which undertook the salvation of humanity.
For this work it took three successive modes of existence: three aspects (πρόσωπα), three denominations (ὀνόματα), corresponding to the three economies which succeed each other in the order of salvation :
Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.
But these three modes of existence are transitory and accidental.
Hach of them is to cease at the same time as the object which necessitates each.
3 A title usually given to the bishops in Byzantine times.
COLLECTED LETTERS OF SAINT BASIL
περικομιξζομένῳ: ἐγὼ μὲν yap οὐδὲν εὑρὼν " συνεκτικὸν ἐν τῷ ὑπομνηστικῷ, οὐκ ἔσχον ὑπὲρ οὗ ἐπιστείλω τοῖς ἐν τῇ δύσει. τὰ μὲν γὰρ ἀναγκαῖα προείληπται: τὰ δὲ περιττὰ γράφειν παντελῶς μάταιον. περὶ δὲ τῶν αὐτῶν ἐνοχλεῖν μὴ καὶ γελοῖον εἴη ; ᾽᾿Ἐκείνη δέ μοι ἔδοξεν ὥσπερ ἀγύμναστος εἶναι ἡ ὑπόθεσις καὶ χώραν παρέχειν γράμμασι, τὸ παρακαλέσαι αὐτοὺς μὴ ἀκρίτως δέχεσθαι τὰς κοινωνίας τῶν ἐκ τῆς ἀνατολῆς ἀφικνουμένων, ἀλλ᾽ ἅπαξ μίαν μερίδα ἐκλεξαμένους, τοὺς λοιποὺς ἐκ τῆς μαρτυρίας τῶν κοινωνικῶν προσλαμβάνεσθαι" καὶ μὴ παντὶ τῷ πίστιν γράφοντι ἐπὶ προφάσει δὴ τῆς ὀρθοδοξίας προστίθεσθαι. οὕτω γὰρ εὑρεθήσονται τοῖς μαχομένοις κοινωνοῦντες, οἱ τὰ μὲν ῥήματα πολλάκις τὰ αὐτὰ προβάλλονται, μάχονται δὲ ἀλλήλοις ὅσον οἱ πλεῖστον διεστηκότες. iv οὖν μὴ ἐπὶ πλεῖον ἡ αἵρεσις ἐξάπτηται 4 τῶν πρὸς ἀλλήλους διαστασιαζόντων ἀντιπροβαλλομένων τὰ Tap αὐτῶν γράμματα, παρακληθῆναι αὐτοὺς ἔδει κεκριμένας ποιεῖσθαι καὶ τὰς τῶν ἐντυγχανόντων αὐτοῖς κοινωνίας. καὶ τὰς ἐγγράφως γινομένας κατὰ τὸν τύπον τῆς
*Excrnaias.
3 γράμματι editi antiqi.
LETTER CXXIX
byter.
For since I found in the memorandum nothing especially important, I had no grounds for writing to those in the West.
For those things which were necessary have been anticipated ; and to write what is superfluous is wholly vain.
And would it not even be ridiculous to trouble them about the same matters?
But the following subject seemed to me to be as it were undeveloped and to offer grounds for writing
—the matter of urging them not to receive indiscriminately the communion of those coming from the East, but after once choosing a single portion of them, to accept the rest on the testimony of these already in communion ; and of urging them not to take into communion everyone who writes down the Creed as a supposed proof of orthodoxy.
For thus they will find themselves to be in communion with men prone to fight, who often put forward statements of doctrine which are identical, but then proceed to fight with one another as violently as the men who are of diametrically opposite opinions,
In order, then, that heresy may not flame out still more on the part of those who in their conflict with one another bring forward their opposing formulae, the people of the West ought to be urged to exercise discrimination as regards both communion with those who come to them by chance and communion based upon a written document according to the law of the Church.
1 From this passage and from Letter CCX XIV the Benedictine editors perceive two kinds of.communion : (1) personal, in the Eucharist and prayer, and (2) by letter.
4 ἐξαπατῆται editi antiqi.
COLLECTED LETTERS OF SAINT BASIL
CXXX / / Θεοδότῳ, ἐπισκόπῳ Νικοπόλεως Καλῶς καὶ προσηκόντως ἡμῶν καθήψω, τιμιώτατε ὡς ἀληθῶς καὶ ποθεινότατε ἀδελφέ, ὅτι ἐξ οὗ ἀνεχωρήσαμεν τότε τῆς σῆς εὐλαβείας τὰς περὶ τῆς πίστεως ἐκείνας προτάσεις τῷ Εὐσταθίῳ φέροντες, οὐδέν σοι οὔτε μικρὸν οὔτε μεῖζον τῶν κατ᾽ αὐτὸν ἐδηλώσαμεν. ἐγὼ δὲ οὐχ ὡς εὐκαταφρονήτων τῶν παρ᾽ αὐτοῦ γενομένων εἰς ἡμᾶς ςε a > ὁ. δὰ > , \ \ > , ὑπερεῖδον, ἄλλ᾿ ὡς εἰς πάντας λοιπὸν TOUS ἀνθρώ- ᾽ὔ an le \ > δὰ a mous διαβοηθείσης τῆς φήμης, Kal οὐδενὸς τῆς n \ rn map ἡμῶν διδασκαλίας εἰς TO THY προαίρεσιν τοῦ ἀνδρὸς διδαχθῆναι προσδεομένου. τοῦτο γὰρ καὶ αὐτὸς ἐπενόησεν, ὥσπερ φοβούμενος μὴ ὀλίγους σχῇ τῆς ἑαυτοῦ γνώμης μάρτυρας, εἰς πᾶσαν ἐσχατιὰν τὰς ἐπιστολὰς ἃς καθ᾽ ἡμῶν συνέγραψε διαπεμψάμενος. τῆς μὲν οὖν κοινωνίας ἡμῶν αὐτὸς ἀπέρρηξεν ἑαυτόν, μήτε κατὰ τὸν ὡρισμένον τόπον συνδραμεῖν ἡμῖν ἀνασχόμενος, μήτε τοὺς μαθητὰς ἑαυτοῦ παραγαγών, ὅπερ ὑπέσχετο"
> \ x. ς n , » Ng , ἀλλὰ καὶ ἡμᾶς στηλιτεύων ἐν πανδήμοις συνό1 καταφρονήτων editi antiqi.
1 For the date of this letter, see note 1 of the preceding letter, Theodotus, Bishop of Nicopolis, a staunch friend of Basil, died in a.p. 375.
He is mentioned in Letters XCII,
XCV, XCIX, CXXI, CCXXIX, and CCXXXVII.
LETTER CXXX
LETTER CXXX
To Turopotus, Bishop or Nicopoiis?
Nosty and fittingly have you upbraided us, most honoured in very truth and beloved brother, because, since the time when we departed from your Reverence, bringing those propositions concerning the Faith to Eustathius,? we have informed you of nothing either small or great in regard to his affairs.
But as for me, it was not because I regarded as contemptible the charges which have been instigated by him against us that I have overlooked the matter, but because the report has now been noised abroad to the whole world, and because nobody needs any instruction from us as regards the purposes of this man.
For he contrived this result himself—as if he were afraid that he would have but a few witnesses of his opinion—by sending to most distant parts the letters which he wrote against us.
He of his own accord has thus severed himself from communion with us, for he did not fulfil his intention of meeting us at the appointed place, nor did he bring his disciples as he had promised ; but he denounced us in the general synods, 2 Eustathius of Sebaste, 300-377.
He was bishop of Sebaste in 356, and was one of the founders of monasticism.
He had studied under Arius, and wavered between semiArianism throughout his life.
He was a close friend of Basil until the latter recognized his true character in 372 or 373.
He had once signed the Nicene Creed, for he together with Theophilus and Silvanus went on a mission to Rome in 365-6, and acknowledged their adherence to the Nicene
Creed before Pope Liberius.
Cf. Letter CCXLV. Heseems to have been a vacillating character, and it is said that he signed practically all the creeds of his age.
COLLECTED LETTERS OF SAINT BASIL
Sous, μετὰ τοῦ Κίλικος Θεοφίλου, γυμνῇ καὶ ἀπαρακαλύπτῳ τῇ βλασφημίᾳ ὡς ἀλλότρια τῆς ἑαυτοῦ διδασκαλίας ταῖς ψυχαῖς ποῦ λαοῦ ἐνσπείραντας δόγματα. ἱκανὰ μὲν οὖν ἣν καὶ ταῦτα πᾶσαν ἡμῶν τὴν πρὸς αὐτὸν συνάφειαν διαλῦσαι. ἐπειδὴ δὲ καὶ εἰς Κιλικίαν ἐλθών, καὶ συντυχὼν Γελασίῳ τινί, πίστιν αὐτῷ ἐξέθετο, ἣ ἣν μόνου ὃ ἣν ᾿Αρείου συγγράψαι καὶ εἴ τις αὐτοῦ γνήσιος, μαθητής, τότε δὴ καὶ πλέον πρὸς τὸν χωρισμὸν ἐβεβαιώθημεν, λογισάμενοι, ὅτι οὔτε
Αἰθίοψ. ἀλλάξει ποτὲ τὸ δέρμα αὐτοῦ, οὔτε πάρδαλις τὰ ποικίλματα αὐτῆς, οὔτε ὁ ἐν διαστρόφοις δόγμασι συντραφεὶς ἀποτρίψασθαι δύναται τὸ κακὸν τῆς αἱρέσεως.
᾿Επενεανιεύσατο δὲ τούτοις καὶ γράψας καθ᾽ ἡμῶν, μᾶλλον δὲ συγγράψας λόγους μακροὺς πάσης λοιδορίας καὶ συκοφαντίας γέμοντας" ὑπὲρ ὧν οὐδὲν ἀπεκρινάμεθα τέως, διὰ τὸ διδαχθῆναι παρὰ τοῦ ἀποστόλου, μὴ ἑαυτοὺς ἐκδικεῖν, ἀλλὰ διδόναι τόπον τῇ ὀργῇ" καὶ ἅμα ἐννοήσαντες τὸ βάθος τῆς ὑποκρίσεως, μεθ᾽ ἧς πάντα τὸν χρόνον ἡμῖν προσηνέχθη, ἀφασίᾳ τινὶ ὑπ᾽ ἐκπλήξεως
See ὄν πα Ki δὲ καὶ μηδὲν ἣ ἣν ἐκείνων, τὸ ὑπόγυον τοῦτο, τὸ τολμηθὲν αὐτῷ, Tire οὐκ ἂν φρίκην καὶ 1 αὐτοῦ editi antiqi.
2 μόνον editi antiqi.
1 Theophilus was bishop of Castabala (also called Hieropolis) on the river Pyramis in Cilicia, whither he was translated from Eleutheropolis.
Cf.
Letters CCXLIV, and CCXLY.
He was on friendly terms with St. Basil at one time, and was sent to Rome on an embassy.
See note above.
LETTER CXXX
he along with the Cilician Theophilus,' saying with bare and undisguised slander that we were sowing a different doctrine from his in the souls of the people.
Accordingly, these circumstances sufficed for our severing all connexions with him.
And when, having come into Cilicia and having met there a certain Gelasius,? he set forth his creed to him, a creed to which only an Arius could subscribe or a real disciple of Arius, then in truth were we more strongly confirmed in our separation from him, considering that neither will an Ethiopian ever change his skin, nor a leopard her spots,® nor is a man who has been nourished on perverted doctrines able to rid himself of the evil of heresy.
He has added to these acts of effrontery by writing against us, or rather by composing long tracts filled with every abuse and calumny ; regarding which we have hitherto made no reply, because we have been taught by the apostle not to avenge ourselves, but to give place unto wrath;* and, moreover, having considered the depth of the hypocrisy which has characterized his dealings with us at all times, we have been seized with a sort of speechlessness through astonishment.
But even if none of these things had been, in whom would not this last piece of audacity on his part
2 This Gelasius is otherwise unknown.
3 Cf. Jer. 13, 23: ef ἀλλάξεται Αἰθίοψ τὸ δέρμα αὐτοῦ καὶ πάρδαλις τὰ ποικίλματα αὐτῆς ; καὶ ὑμεῖς δυνήσεσθε εὖ ποιῆσαι μεμαθηκότες τὰ κακά, 'If the Ethiopian can change his skin, or the leopard his spots: you also may do well, when you have learned evil."
'' Revenge not yourselves, my dearly beloved ; but give place unto wrath."
COLLECTED LETTERS OF SAINT BASIL
wi c / Ν ' ὅς γε, ὡς ἀκούω (εἴ ye ἀληθὴς ὁ λόγος καὶ μὴ a \ πλάσμα ἐστὶν ἐπὶ διαβολῇ συντεθέν), ὅτι Kai na A / ἀναχειροτονῆσαί τινας ἐτόλμησεν, ὃ μέχρι σήμερον οὐδεὶς τῶν αἱρετικῶν ποιήσας φαίνεται. πῶς οὖν δυνατὸν πράως φέρειν ἡμᾶς τὰ τοιαῦτα καὶ ἰάσιμα εἶναι νομίζειν τοῦ ἀνδρὸς τὰ ἁμαρτήματα ;
/ ᾿ς ΄ \ μὴ τοίνυν ψευδέσι λόγοις παράγεσθε, μηδὲ a Ν ὑπονοίαις ἀνδρῶν πάντα εὐκόλως πρὸς τὸ κακὸν
> / i e BA ς -"
>» / ἐκλαμβανόντων πείθεσθε, ws apa ἡμεῖς adiagopal τιθέμεθα τὰ τοιαῦτα. γίνωσκε γάρ, tf a δ ποθεινότατε ἡμῖν καὶ τιμιώτατε, ὅτι οὔπω οἶδα τοσοῦτον πένθος ἄλλοτε TH Ψυχῇ μου παραδεξάμενος, ὅσον νῦν, ὅτε ἤκουσα τῶν ἐκκλησιαστικῶν a \ f θεσμῶν τὴν σύγχυσιν. ἀλλὰ μόνον εὔχου, ἵνα ὃ € a ig K 4 δὲ \ θ Ν ' lal on ἡμῖν ὁ Κύριος μηδὲν κατὰ θυμὸν ἐνεργεῖν, b 9:
Ssh \ » / Wa , ? a
ἀλλ ἔχειν τὴν ἄγάπην, ἣτις οὐκ ἀσχημονεῖ, οὐ φυσιοῦται. ὅρα γὰρ ὅπως 3 οἱ μὴ ἔχοντες ταύτηι: ἐπήρθησαν μὲν ὑπὲρ τὰ μέτρα τὰ ἀνθρώmiva, ἐνασχημονοῦσι δὲ τῷ βίῳ, κατατολμῶντες ν ς \ / > y \ πράξεων, ὧν ὁ παρελθὼν χρόνος οὐκ ἔχει τὰ ὑποδείγματα.
1 ἀδιάφορα Coisl. secundus, Reg. secundus, 2 πῶς editi antiqi.
1 Cf. 1 Cor. 13, 4 and 5: ἣ ἀγάπη μακροθυμεῖ, χρηστεύεται" οὐ φυσιοῦται, οὐκ ἀσχημονεῖ, ov ζητεῖ τὰ ἑαυτῆς. ἣ ἀγάπη ov
LETTER CXXX
have produced a chill of horror and a complete aversion for the man?
For he, as I hear (if the report be true and not a figment made up for the purpose of calumny), has presumed also to re-ordain certain men, a thing which up to the present no one of the heretics appears to have done.
How, then, is it possible for us to endure such things mildly and to consider that the errors of the man are curable?
Therefore, do not be led astray by his false words; nor give credence to the suspicions of men who are easily inclined to understand everything in a bad sense, who assume, for instance, that we regard such matters as of indifferent importance.
For we wish you to know, most beloved and honoured friend, that I do not recall having ever received such deep grief in my soul as at this moment, when I have heard of the confusion in the ecclesiastical laws.
But only pray that the Lord may grant us to do nothing in anger, but to have charity, which does not act unseemly, and is not puffed ἀρ.
For, behold how those who do not have this charity have been raised above the bounds proper to men, and are now living a most unseemly life, daring to commit deeds of which the past possesses no examples." ζηλοῖ: ἡ ἀγάπη οὐ meprepeverat, οὐ παροξύνεται, ov λογίζεται τὸ κακόν.
''Charity is patient, is kind: charity envieth not, dealeth not perversely ; is not puffed up; is not ambitious, seeketh not her own, is not provoked to anger, thinketh no evil."
2 The Benedictine editors remark that Basil is not correct in maintaining that there was no heretical precedent for such actions.
The Arians are charged with it in the Book of the Prayers of Faustus and Marcellinus, δι. Patr. V, 655.
ΟἹ, also Constantius' letter to the Ethiopians against Frumentius; Athan., Apol. ad Const. 31.
COLLECTED LETTERS OF SAINT BASIL
CXXXI ᾿Ολυμπίῳ Οντως ἡ τῶν ἀπροσδοκήτων ἀκοὴ ἱκανή ἐστι ποιῆσαι ἀνθρώπου ἠχῆσαι ἀμφότερα. τὰ ὦτα. ὃ καὶ ἐμοὶ νῦν συνέβη. εἰ γὰρ" καὶ τὰ μάλιστα γεγυμνασμέναις μου λοιπὸν ταῖς ἀκοαῖς προσέπεσε ὃ τὰ περιφερόμενα Kal? ἡμῶν ταῦτα συντάγματα, διὰ τὸ καὶ πρότερον αὐτὸν ἐμὲ δεδέχθαι τὴν ἐπιστολήν, πρέπουσαν μὲν ταῖς ἐμαῖς ἁμαρτίαις, οὐ μὴν προσδοκηθεῖσάν ποτε γραφήσεσθαι παρὰ τῶν ἐπιστειλάντων"
GAN ὅμως τὰ δεύτερα τοσαύτην ὑπερβολὴν ἐφάνη ἡμῖν ἔχειν ἐν ἑαυτοῖς τῆς πικρίας, ὥστε ἐπισκοτῆσαι τοῖς προλαβοῦσι. πῶς γὰρ οὐ μικροῦ τῶν φρενῶν ἔξω ἐγενόμην τῶν ἐμαυτοῦ, ἐντυχὼν τῇ πρὸς τὸν εὐλαβέστατον ἀδελφὸν Δαξίναν 4 ἐπιστολῇ, μυρίων μὲν ὕβρεων καὶ κατηγοριῶν ἀφορήτων γεμούσῃ καθ᾽ ἡμῶν καὶ ἐ ἐπαναστάσεων, ὡς ἐν τοῖς χαλεπωτάτοις ἡμῶν κατὰ τῆς ᾿Εκκλησίας βουλεύμασιν εὑρεθέντων ; εὐθὺς δὲ καὶ ἀποδείξεις τοῦ ἀληθεῖς εἶναι τὰς καθ᾽ ἡμῶν βλασφημίας ἐπήχθησαν ἀπὸ συγγράμματος οὐκ οἷδα ὑπὸ τίνος γραφέντος. μέρη μὲν γὰρ ἐπέγνων, ὁμολογῶ, παρὰ τοῦ Λαοδικέως ᾿Απολιναρίου 1 ἄνθρωπον Reg. secundus, Bigot., Coisl. secundus.
3 προσέπεσον editi antiqi.
4 Δεζίναν Med., Clarom.
5 περί editi antiqi.
1 Written in about 373, to Olympius, a wealthy layman of Neocaesarea and intimate friend of Basil.
The subject of the letter is the same as that of the several preceding.
LETTER CXXXI
LETTER CXXXI
To Otympius!
Truty the hearing of unexpected news is enough to make both ears of a man ring.
This has now happened to me also.
For although the reports of those writings which are being circulated against us have reached my ears, already exceedingly well practised in such matters (for even before that I myself had received the letter, which indeed befitted my sins, but which I never thought would be written by those who sent it), nevertheless the later reports have proven to have in them so great an excess of bitterness as to obscure all that has gone before.
For how could I help becoming almost out of my senses when 1 read the letter addressed to our very reverend brother Dazinas,? a letter teeming with countless insults, with intolerable accusations against us and assaults, as though I had been detected in the most shameful plans against the Church?
For example, proofs of the truth of the slanders against me were drawn from a work written by someone, I know not whom.
For I did indeed recognize, I confess, that parts had been written by Apollinarius?
Other letters addressed to this Olympius are IV, XII, XIII, and CCXI.
2 In this letter Eustathius accused Basil of bad faith and of Apollinarian errors.
3 Apollinarius the Younger flourished in the latter half of the fourth century, and was at first highly esteemed by Athanasius and Basil, for his classical culture, piety, and steadfastness to the Nicene Creed during the Arian controversy.
Later he became the author of the Christological heresy which bears his name.
COLLECTED LETTERS OF SAINT BASIL.
γεγράφθαι, καὶ αὐτὰ οὐδὲ ἀναγνοὺς ἐξ ἔργου ποτέ, ἀλλ᾽ ἀκούσας ἑτέρων ἀπαγγειλάντων' ἄλλα δέ τινα εὗρον ἐγγεγραμμένα,1 ἃ μήτε "ἀνέγνων ποτέ, μήτε 3 ἑτέρου λέγοντος ἤκουσα: καὶ τούτων ὁ μάρτυς ἐν οὐρανῷ πιστός. πῶς οὖν οἱ τὸ ψεῦδος ἀποστρεφόμενοι, οἱ τὴν ἀγάπην πλήρωμα εἶναι τοῦ νόμου δεδιδαγμένοι, οἱ τὰ ἀσθενήματα τῶν ἀδυνάτων βαστάζειν ἐπαγγεχλόμενοι, ταύτας ἡμῖν κατεδέξαντο τὰς συκοφαντίας ἐπενεγκεῖν καὶ as ἀχλοτρίων συγγραμμάτων ἡμᾶς κατακρῖναι,( πολλὰ λογισάμενος κατ᾽ ἐμαυτόν, ἐπινοεῖν τὴν αἰτίαν οὐκ "ἔχω, εἰ μή, ὅπερ ἐξ ἀρχῆς εἶπον, μέρος ἔκρινα εἶναι τῶν ὀφειλομένων μοι διὰ τὰς ἁμαρτίας κολάσεων καὶ τὴν ἐπὶ τούτοις λύπην.
Πρῶτον μὲν γὰρ κατεπένθησα τῇ ψυχῇ, ὅτι ὠλιγώθησαν αἱ ἀλήθειαι ἀπὸ τῶν υἱῶν τῶν ἀνθρώπων" ἔπειτα δὲ καὶ ἐφοβήθην αὐτὸς περὶ ἐμαυτοῦ, μή ποτε πρὸς ταῖς ἄλλαις ἁμαρτίαις καὶ τὴν μισανθρωπίαν πάθω, οὐδὲν πιστὸν ἐν οὐδενὶ λογιζόμενος εἶναι, εἴπερ οἱ εἰς τὰ μέγιστα παρ᾽ ἐμοῦ πιστευθέντες τοιοῦτοι μὲν περὶ ἐμέ, τοιοῦτοι δὲ περὶ αὐτὴν ἐφάνησαν τὴν ἀλήθειαν. γίνωσκε τοίνυν, ἀδελφέ, καὶ πᾶς ὅστις τῆς ἀληθείας φίλος, μήτε ἐμὰ εἶναι τὰ συντάγματα, οὔτε ἀρέσκεσθαι ὃ αὐτοῖς, ἐπεὶ μὴ τῇ ἐμῇ γνώμῃ συγγεγράφθαι. εἰ δὲ ἐπέστειλά ποτε πρὸ πολλῶν ἐνιαυτῶν ® ᾿Απολιναρίῳ ἢ ἄλλῳ τινί, ἐγκαλεῖσθαι οὐκ ὀφείλω, οὔτε γὰρ αὐτὸς * ἐγκαλῶ, εἴ τις ἐκ τῆς ἑταιρίας τινὸς εἰς αἵρεσιν ἀπεσχίσθη
24 #B.
3 én' KB.
4 κατακρίνειν KH, Harl., Reg. primus, Clarom.
LETTER CXXXI
of Laodicea, although I had never read them in his book but had merely heard others relate them; but I found certain other things written therein which I have never read nor heard anybody else state, and of these the faithful Witness isin heaven.
How, therefore, those who scorn falsehood, who have been taught that charity is the fulfilment of the law, who profess to bear the infirmities of the weak, could have brought themselves to assail us with these calumnies and to condemn us from the writings of other men, this is a thing for which, though I have pondered deeply, I cannot discover the reason, unless, as I said in the beginning, I must conclude that the sorrow caused me by these things is a part of the punishments due me on account of my sins.
For, in the first place, I grieved in my soul, that truths had been made of little account by the sons of men; and, in the second place, I was also afraid for myself, lest some time, in addition to my other sins,
I should also experience a hatred of mankind, reflecting that no trust is to be placed in any man, inasmuch as those who were most freely trusted by me have shown themselves so false to me and so false to truth itself.
Know then, brother, and everyone who is a lover of truth, that these writings are not mine, nor are they pleasing to me, for they have not been composed according to my convictions.
And if I ever wrote, many years ago, to Apollinarius or to any other person, I ought not to be blamed.
For I, on my part, do not find fault, if any member of anybody's group has detached himself to go into heresy
5 ἀρκεῖσθαι editi antiqi.
6 ἐτῶν editi antiqi.
7 ἐγώ add. editi antiqi.
COLLECTED LETTERS OF SAINT BASIL
(οἴδατε δὲ πάντως τοὺς ἄνδρας, κἂν ὀνομαστὶ μὴ λέγω), διότι ἕ ἕκαστος τῇ ἰδίᾳ ἁμαρτίᾳ ἀποθανεῖται.
Ταῦτα νῦν μὲν ἀπεκρινάμην πρὸς τὸν ἀποσταλέντα τόμον, ἵνα αὐτός τε εἰδείης τὴν ἀλήθειαν καὶ τοῖς βουλομένοις μὴ κατέχειν ὡς ἐν ἀδικίᾳ τὴν ἀλήθειαν φανερὰν καταστήσῃς. ἐὰν δὲ δέῃ καὶ πλατύτερον ὑπὲρ ἑκάστου τῶν ἐπενεχθέντων ἡμῖν ἀπολογήσασθαι, καὶ τοῦτο ποιήσομεν, τοῦ
Θεοῦ συνεργοῦντος. ἡμεῖς, ἀδελφὲ Ὀλύμπιε, οὔτε τρεῖς θεοὺς λέγομεν, οὔτε ᾿Απολιναρίῳ κοινωνοῦμεν.
ΟΧΧΧΤ ᾿Αβραμίῳ, ἐπισκόπῳ Βατνῶν Πάντα τὸν ἀπὸ τοῦ μετοπώρου χρόνον ἠγνόησα περὶ τῆς εὐλαβείας σου, ὅπου 3 ἡ διάγεις. καὶ γὰρ πεπλανημένας τὰς φήμας εὕρισκον, τῶν μὲν ἀπαγγελλόντων ἐν Σαμοσάτοις διατρίβειν σου τὴν εὐλάβειαν, τῶν δὲ ἐν τῇ χώρᾳ, ἄλλων δὲ περὶ τὰς βάτνας αὐτὰς διαβεβαιουμένων ἑωρακέναι" διὸ οὐδὲ συνεχῶς ἐπέστειλα. νῦν δὲ μαθὼν ἐν ᾿Αντιοχείᾳ διάγειν, ἐν τῇ οἰκίᾳ τοῦ αἰδεσιμωτάτου
Σατορνίνου τοῦ κόμητος, ἔδωκα τὴν ἐπιστολὴν προθύμως τῷ ποθεινοτάτῳ καὶ εὐλαβεστάτῳ 1 ἀλλά add. editi antiqi.
1 Cf. Letter CX XV ; also Greg. Naz. Orat. land XXIX.
2 Placed by the Benedictines in 373.
Loofs prefers the spring of 375 as the date of composition ; cf. pp. 28 ff. and 46 ff.
Abramius or Abraham was bishop of Batnae in
LETTER CXXXII
(and you certainly know the men, even if I do not call them by name), for each one will perish by his own sin.
These answers I have made at the present time regarding the book that was sent, in ordér that you yourself may know the truth and may make it clear to such as do not wish to restrain the truth as guilty of an injustice.
Butif it is necessary to defend myself even more extensively regarding each of the charges brought against us, this also shall we do, God being our helper.
As for us, Brother Olympius, we neither say that there are three Gods, nor do we keep communion with Apollinarius.+
LETTER CXXXII
To Asramius, Bishop or BaTNan?
Durine the whole time since late autumn I have been ignorant of the whereabouts of your Reverence.
For 1 kept receiving misleading rumours, some saying that your Reverence was sojourning in Samosata, others that you were in the country, while others maintained that they had seen you near
Batnae itself.
On this account I did not write regularly.
But having just learned that you are staying in Antioch at the house of the most venerable Count Saturninus,? I have eagerly entrusted this letter to our most beloved and revered brother,
Osrhoene near the Euphrates.
His name appears with those of Meletius, Eusebius, Basil, and others in the letter written by the bishops of the East to those of Italy and Gaul.
Cf.
Letter XCII.
He also was present at the Council of Constantinople in 381.
8 This Saturninus is not otherwise known.
COLLECTED LETTERS OF SAINT BASIL
ἀδελφῷ Σαγκτισσίμῳ τῷ συμπρεσβυτέρῳ, 1 δι' οὗ Tpood θέγγομαί σου τὴν ἀγάπην, "παρακαλῶν ὅπουπερ ἂν ἣ ἧς μεμνῆσθαι μάλιστα μὲν τοῦ Θεοῦ, εἶτα καὶ ἡμῶν, ods ἀγαπᾷν ἐξ ἀρχῆς προείλου, καὶ ἔχειν ἐν τοῖς οἰκειοτάτοις ἀριθμουμένους.
ΟΧΧΧΙΠ Πέτρῳ, ἐπισκόπῳ᾽ Αλεξανδρείας Ths μὲν σωματικῆς φιλίας ὀφθαλμοὶ πρόξενοι γίνονται, καὶ ἡ διὰ μακροῦ χρόνου ἐγγινομένη συνήθεια βεβαιοῖ" τὴν δὲ ἀληθινὴν ἀγάπην ἡ τοῦ
Πνεύματος δωρεὰ συνίστησι, συνάπτουσα μὲν τὰ μακρῷ διεστῶτα τόπῳ, γνωρίξουσα δὲ ἀλλήλοις τοὺς ἀγαπητούς, οὐ διὰ σωματικῶν χαρακτήρων, ἀλλὰ διὰ τῶν τῆς ψυχῆς ἢ ἰδιωμάτων. ὃ δὴ καὶ ἐφ᾽ ἡμῶν ἡ τοῦ Κυρίου "χάρις ἐποίησε, παρασχομένη ἡμᾶς ἰδεῖν σε τοῖς τῆς ψυχῆς ὀφθαλμοῖς, καὶ περιπτύξασθαί σε τῇ ἀγάπῃ τῇ ἀληθινῇ, καὶ οἱονεὶ συμφυῆναί σοι καὶ πρὸς μίαν ἐλθεῖν ἕνωσιν ἐκ τῆς κατὰ τὴν πίστιν κοινωνίας. "πεπείσμεθα γάρ σε ἀνδρὸς τοσούτου θρέμμα ὑπάρχοντα, καὶ τὴν ἐκ παλαιοῦ διατριβὴν μετ᾽ αὐτοῦ λαχόντα, τῷ αὐτῷ πορεύεσθαι πνεύματι, καὶ τοῖς αὐτοῖς στοιχεῖν τῆς εὐσεβείας δόγμασι.
Διὸ καὶ προσφθεγγόμεθά σου τὴν τιμιότητα, καὶ παρακαλοῦμεν μετὰ τῶν ἄλλων καὶ τὴν περὶ
1 ἡμῶν add. editi antiqi.
2 ἀρετῆς editi antiqi.
1 Cf, Letters CXX and CXXI.
LETTER CXXXIII
Sanctissimus,! our presbyter, through whom I salute your Charity, begging that wherever you are you will be mindful especially of God, then also of us, whom from the beginning you chose to cherish and to number among your most intimate friends.
LETTER CXXXIII
To Prrer, Bishop or ALEXANDRIA?
Eyes are promoters of bodily friendship, and the intimacy engendered through long association strengthens such friendship.
But true love is formed by the gift of the Spirit, which brings together objects separated by a wide space, and causes loved ones to know each other, not through the features of the body, but through the peculiarities of the soul.
This indeed the favour of the Lord has wrought in our case also, making it possible for us to see you with the eyes of the soul, to embrace you with the true love, and to grow one with you, as it were, and to enter into a single union with you through communion according to faith.
For we are convinced that you, having been the spiritual nursling of so great a man, and having been favoured with long association with him, walk in the same spirit as he and are guided by the same dictates of piety.
Therefore we salute your Honour, and entreat you to take over from him, among other things, the 2 Written in 373, to Peter, Bishop of Alexandria.
This Peter had succeeded Athanasius in May 373, by the latter's request, who died on May 2 of that year.
Basil begs him to follow in the footsteps of Athanasius; in love for God, for the brotherhood, and for Basil himself,
COLLECTED LETTERS OF SAINT BASIL
ἡμᾶς διάθεσιν τοῦ "μεγάλου ἀνδρὸς διαδέξασθαι" ἐπιστέλλειν τε ἡμῖν συνήθως τὰ κατὰ σαυτόν, καὶ ἐπιμελεῖσθαι τῆς πανταχοῦ ἀδελφότητος τοῖς αὐτοῖς σπλάγχνοις καὶ τῇ αὐτῇ προθυμίᾳ, ἡ καὶ ὁ μακαριώτατος > ἐκεῖνος περὶ πάντας ἐχρῆτο τοὺς ἀγαπῶντας τὸν Θεὸν ἐν ἀληθείᾳ.
CXXXIV Παιονίῳ πρεσβυτέρῳ "Ὅσον ηὔφρανας ἡμᾶς τοῖς γράμμασιν εἰκάξεις που πάντως αὐτοῖς οἷς ἐπέστειλας" οὕτω τὸ καθαρὸν τῆς καρδίας, ἀφ᾽ ἧς προῆλθεν ἐκεῖνα τὰ ῥήματα, "περεθῶς ἐκ τῶν γραμμάτων κατεμηνύετο. καὶ γὰρ" ὁλκὸς μὲν ὕδατος δείκνυσι τὴν οἰκείαν πηγήν, λόγου δὲ φύσις τὴν προενεγκοῦσαν αὐτὸν καρδίαν χαρακτηρίζει. ὥστε ἄτοπόν τε καὶ πολὺ τοῦ εἰκότος παρηλλαγμένον πεπονθέναι ὁμολογῶ. σπουδάζων γὰρ ἀεὶ γράμμασιν ἐντυγχάνειν τῆς τελειότητός σου, ἐπειδὴ ἔλαβον εἰς χεῖρας τὴν ἐπιστολὴν καὶ ἀνέγνων αὐτήν, οὐχ ἥσθην μᾶλλον τοῖς ἐπεσταλμένοις, ἢ ἠνιάθην τὴν ζημίαν, ὁ ὁπόση γέγονεν ἡμῖν κατὰ τὸν τῆς σιωπῆς χρόνον, διαλογιζόμενος.
* καί add. editi antiqi.
8 διαλίποις multi MSS. non vetustissimi.
1 Written in 373.
Paeonius is otherwise unknown.
Letters
CX XXIV, CXXXV, CCXXIII, CCCXXXIII and
CCCXXXIV have been quoted in certain studies of the history of stenography.
A. Schramm (Korrespondenzblatt,
LETTER CXXXIV
great man's disposition toward us, to send me word of your affairs regularly, and to take care of the brotherhood everywhere with the same kindliness and the same zeal which that most blessed one employed toward all those who in truth love God.
LETTER CXXXIV
To THe PressyTer Parontius!
How much pleasure you gave us by your letter you no doubt fully surmise from the very tones you used in writing it; so accurately was the purity of heart whence those words proceeded revealed by what you wrote.
For as a rill of water reveals its own true source, so the nature of one's speech shows the character of the heart that brought it forth.
So I confess that I have experienced a strange and very unusual thing.
For though always eager to read a letter from your Perfection,? when I had taken the letter in my hands and read it, I was not so much delighted by the message you had sent as I was vexed at the thought of how great a loss I had sustained during your period of silence.
But since you have begun to write, do not cease Amtliche Zeitschr. des k, Stenographischen Instituts zu Dresden, 1903 (XLVIII), 221 and 241 ff.) would conclude from the present letter that Basil himself was a master of tachygraphy, and did not scorn to give instruction in it.
Maier (idem, 1904 (XLIX) 42 ff.) rightly objects to this conclusion.
In any case Basil employed tachygraphy, and had his difficulties with it.
Cf. the present letter, and Letter CXXX.
2 A Byzantine title, used usually of priests.
COLLECTED LETTERS OF SAINT BASIL
TOUTO ποιῶν. εὐφρανεῖς γὰρ πλέον ἢ οἱ τὰ πολλὰ χρήματα τοῖς φιλοπλούτοις διαπεμπόμενοι" τῶν δὲ γραφέων οὐδείς μοι παρῆν, οὔτε τῶν καλλιγραφούντων οὔτε τῶν ταχυγράφων. οὺς γὰρ᾽ ἔτυχον ἐξασκήσας, οἱ μὲν ἀνέδραμον ἐπὶ τὴν πρώτην τοῦ βίου συνήθειαν, οἱ δὲ d ἀπειρήκασι πρὸς τοὺς πόνους, χρονίαις ἀρρωστίαις κεκακωμένοι.
CXXXV Διοδώρῳ,Σ πρεσβυτέρῳ ᾿Αντιοχείας ᾿Ενέτυχον τοῖς ἀποσταλεῖσι βιβλίοις παρὰ τῆς τιμιότητός σου. καὶ τῷ μὲν δευτέρῳ ὑπερήσθην, οὐ διὰ τὴν βραχύτητα μόνον, ὡς εἰκὸς ἣν τὸν ἀργῶς πρὸς πάντα καὶ ἀσθενῶς λοιπὸν διακείμενον, ἀλλ᾽ ὅτι πυκνόν τε ἅμα ἐστὶ ταῖς ἐννοίαις, καὶ εὐκρινῶς, ἐν αὐτῷ ἔχουσιν αἵ τε ἀντιθέσεις τῶν ὑπεναντίων καὶ αἱ πρὸς αὐτὰς ἀπαντήσεις" καὶ τὸ τῆς λέξεως ἁπλοῦν τε καὶ ἀκατάσκευον πρέπον ἔδοξέ μοι εἶναι προθέσει Χριστιανοῦ, οὐ πρὸς ἐπίδειξιν μᾶνχλον ἢ κοινὴν ὠφέλειαν συγγράφοντος τὸ δὲ πρότερον, τὴν μὲν δύναμιν ἔχον τὴν αὐτὴν ἐν τοῖς πράγμασι, λέξει δὲ πολυ1 καί add. E.
3 γράφοντος editi antiqi.
1 Written in 373.
Cf. previous letter and note.
This is an exceedingly interesting letter, especially for the student of the history of literary criticism.
It contains Basil's ideas on the rhetoric of his day, which were exactly such as a person of good taste would hold to-day, although in all probability a unique position in Basil's time.
And we must
LETTER CXXXV
doing so.
For you give more pleasure than do those who distribute large sums of money to the avaricious,
But no one of my scribes has been at hand, either calligraphist or shorthand writer.
For of those whom I have trained, some have gone back to their former manner of life, and the others have abandoned their labours, having been afflicted with chronic maladies.
LETTER CXXXV
To Dioporus, PrespyTerR or ANntTiocH!
I Have read the books sent me by your Honour.
And with the second I was exceedingly pleased, not only because of its brevity, which was likely to please a man who is inactive in all matters and in poor health besides, but because it is at once closepacked with ideas, and both the objections of our opponents and our answers to them are set forth in the work with the utmost clarity; and its simple and unlaboured style seemed to me to befit the purpose of a Christian, who writes not so much for display as for general edification.
But the former work, which is of the same importance as to subjectmatter, but is adorned with richer diction, with say that St. Basil in his own works was consistent with this theory.
He also characterizes at some length Plato's style and that of Aristotle and Theophrastus.
This Diodorus was a pupil of Silvanus, bishop of Tarsus.
Cf. Theodoret, Hist. Heel. 4, 24.
In Letter XVI Theodoret speaks of his obligations to him as a teacher.
In 378, Diodorus became bishop of Tarsus.
Only a few fragments of his works are extant, for the major portion, it is said, was destroyed by the Arians.
Cf. also Basil's Letter CLX.
COLLECTED LETTERS OF SAINT BASIL
τελεστέρᾳ καὶ σχήμασι ποικίλοις καὶ διαλογικαῖς χάρισι κεκομψευμένον, πολλοῦ μοι ἐφάνη καὶ χρόνου πρὸς τὸ ἐπελθεῖν! καὶ πόνου διανοίας πρὸς τὸ καὶ συλλέξαι τὰς ἐννοίας καὶ παρακατασχεῖν αὐτὰς τῇ μνήμῃ δεόμενον. αἱ γὰρ ἐν τῷ μεταξὺ παρεμβαλλόμεναι διαβολαὶ τῶν ὑπεναντίων καὶ συστάσεις τῶν ἡμετέρων, εἰ καὶ ὙΠ τη τινας ἐπεισάγειν το διαλεκτικὰς ὃ τῷ συγγράμματι, arr οὖν τῷϑ σχολὴν καὶ διατριβὴν ἐμποιεῖν διασπῶσι μὲν τὸ "συνεχὲς τῆς ἐννοίας καὶ τοῦ ἐναγωνίου λόγου τὸν τόνον ὑποχαυνοῦσιν.
᾿Εκεῖνο γὰρ πάντως συνεῖδέ 4 σου ἡ ἀγχίνοια, ὅτι καὶ τῶν ἔξωθεν φιλοσόφων οἱ τοὺς διαλόγους συγγράψαντες, ᾿Αριστοτέλης μὲν καὶ ᾿ Θεόφραστος, εὐθὺς αὐτῶν ἥψαντο τῶν πραγμάτων, διὰ τὸ συνειδέναι ἑαυτοῖς τῶν Ἰλατωνικῶν χαρίτων τὴν ἔνδειαν.
Πλάτων δὲ τῇ ἐξουσίᾳ τοῦ λόγου ὁμοῦ μὲν τοῖς δόγμασι μάχεται, ὁμοῦ δὲ καὶ παρακωμῳδεῖ τὰ πρόσωπα, Θρασυμάχου μὲν τὸ θρασὺ καὶ ἰταμὸν διαβάλλων, Ἱππίου δὲ τὸ κοῦφον τῆς διανοίας καὶ χαῦνον, καὶ ὃ ἸΠ]ρωταγόρου τὸ ἀλαζονικὸν καὶ ὑπέρογκον. ὅπου δὲ ἀόριστα πρόσωπα ἐπεισάγει τοῖς διαλόγοις, τῆς μὲν εὐκρινείας ἕνεκεν τῶν πραγμάτων κέχρηται τοῖς προσδιαλεγομένοις," οὐδὲν δὲ ὅτερον ἐκ τῶν προσώπων ἐπεισκυκλεῖ ταῖς ὑποθέσεσιν' ὅπερ ἐποίησεν ἐν τοῖς No ὁμοις.
LETTER CXXXV
figures of divers kinds, and with charms peculiar to the dialogue, seemed to me to require a great deal of time to peruse and much mental labour to grasp its ideas and to retain them in the memory.
For the accusations of our opponents and the arguments in defence of our own side which have been worked into the context, even though they do seem to add some dialectic attractions to the work, yet by causing delay and waste of time disrupt the continuity of the thought and loosen the tension of the argumentative attack.
For assuredly your quick wit realizes this—that those philosophers outside the faith who wrote dialogues, Aristotle and Theophrastus for instance, at once grappled with the facts themselves, because they realized their own lack of the literary graces of Plato.
But Plato with the power of his eloquence at one and the same time both attacks opinions and ridicules the persons who represent them, attacking the rashness and recklessness of Thrasymachus, the levity and conceit of Hippias, and the boastfulness and pompousness of Protagoras.1_ But whenever he introduces indefinite characters into his dialogues, he uses his interlocutors merely for the sake of giving clarity to his subject matter, and brings nothing else from the characters into the arguments; just as he did in the Laws.
So it is necessary also for us, who do not set out 1 4.¢, in the Republic, the Hippias, and the Protagoras respectively.
3 τό HK.
4 συνοῖδε Harl,, secunda manu.
VOL, II, 1,
COLLECTED LETTERS OF SAINT BASIL
ἐρχομένους ἐπὶ τὸ γράφειν, ἀλλ᾽ ὑποθήκας καταλιμπάνειν ὠφελίμων λόγων τῇ ἀδελφότητι προελομένους, ἐὰν μέν τι πᾶσι προκεκηρυγμένον ἐπὶ αὐθαδείᾳ τρόπου πρόσωπον ὑποβαλλώμεθα," τινὰ καὶ ἀπὸ 2 προσώπου ποιότητος παραπλέκειν τῷ λόγῳ, εἴπερ ὅλως ἐπιβάλλει ἡμῖν διαβάλλειν ἀνθρώπους, τῶν πραγμάτων ἀφεμένους 5 ἐὰν δὲ ἀόριστον ἢ τὸ διαλεγόμενον, αἱ πρὸς τὰ πρόσωπα διαστάσεις * τὴν μὲν συνάφειαν διακόπτουσι, πρὸς οὐδὲν δὲ πέρας χρήσιμον ἀπαντῶσι. :
Ταῦτα εἶπον iva δειχθῇ, ὅτι οὐκ εἰς κόλακος χεῖρας ἀπέστειλάς σου τοὺς πόνους, ἀλλὰ ἀδελφῷ τῷ γνησιωτάτῳ ἐκοινώνησας τῶν καμάτων. εἶπον δὲ οὐ πρὸς ἐπανόρθωσιν τῶν γεγραμμένων, ἀχλὰ πρὸς ,»φυλακὴν τῶν μελλόντων. πάντως γὰρ ὁ τοσαύτῃ περὶ τὸ "γράφειν ἕξει καὶ σπουδῇ κεχρημένος οὐκ ἀποκνήσει γράφων" ἐπειδὴ οὐδὲ οἱ τὰς ὑποθέσεις "παρέχοντες ἀπολήγουσιν. ἡμῖν δὲ ἀρκέσει μὲν ἀναγινώσκειν Ta ὑμέτερα" τοῦ δὲ δύνασθαι γράφειν τι τοσοῦτον ἀποδέομεν, ὅσον μικροῦ δέω λέγειν, καὶ τοῦ ὑγιαίνειν, ἢ καὶ τοῦ μετρίαν σχολὴν ἄγειν ἀπὸ τῶν πραγμάτων.
᾿Απέστειλα δὲ νῦν διὰ τοῦ ἀναγνώστου τὸ μεῖζον καὶ πρότερον, ἐπελθὼν αὐτὸ ὡς ἐμοὶ δυνατόν. τὸ δὲ δεύτερον 5 παρακατέσχον, βουλόμενος αὐτὸ μεταγράψαι, καὶ μὴ εὐπορῶν τέως 7 τινὸς τῶν εἰς τάχος "γραφόντων. μέχρι γὰρ τοσαύτης ἦλθε πενίας τὰ ἐπίφθονα Καππαδοκῶν.
3 γῆς τοῦ add. EK.
3 ἀφεμένοις editi antiqi.
* διατάσεις editi antiqi.
5 rod λόγου add. editi antiqi.
LETTER CXXXV
to write for worldly honour, but propose to bequeath to the brethren admonitions on edifying subjects, if we introduce a character already well known to the world for rashness of conduct, to weave something derived from the quality of the character into the treatise, if it is at all incumbent upon us to censure men who neglect their duties.
But if the material brought into the dialogue be indefinite, digressions against persons break its unity and tend to no useful end.
All this I have said that it might be shown that you have not sent your work into the hands of a flatterer, but that you have given to a most sincere brother a share in your toils.
And I have spoken, not to correct what has been written, but as a warning for future writings.
For assuredly a man who has employed such aptitude and enthusiasm for writing will not refrain from writing; since there is no shortage of persons to supply you with subjects.
For us it will suffice to read what you write; but we fall as far short of being able to write anything ourselves, as, I may almost say, of enjoying good health, or of having even a modicum of leisure from active affairs.
I have now sent back to you through the lector the first and larger of your works, after reading it to the best of my ability.
The second, however, I have kept, wishing to copy it, although as yet I am not provided with any fast copyist.
For to such a state of poverty has the once envied condition of the Cappadocians come !
6 καὶ μικρότερον add, editi Paris.
7 réos H,
COLLECTED LETTERS OF SAINT BASIL
CXXXVI Εὐσεβίῳ, ἐπισκόπῳ Σαμοσάτων Ἔν οἵοις ἡμᾶς ὄντας κατέλαβεν ὁ χρηστὸς ᾿Ισαάκης1 αὐτός σοι ἄμεινον διηγήσεται, εἰ καὶ μὴ ἀρκοῦσαν ἔχει τὴν γλῶσσαν, ὥστε τραγικῶς ἐξαγγεῖλαι τὸ ὑπεραῖρον τῶν παθῶν, τοσοῦτον ἦν τῆς ἀρρωστίας τὸ "μέγεθος. καὶ τὸ εἰκὸς δὲ παντὶ γνώριμον. τῷ ἐμὲ καὶ κατὰ βραχὺ ἐπισταμένῳ. εἰ γὰρ ἐν τῇ δοκούσῃ εὐεξίᾳ τῶν ἀπεγνωσμένων πρὸς τὸ Shy ἀσθενέστερον διεκείμην, γινώσκειν ἔξεστι τίς a ἂν ἤμην ἐπὶ τῆς ἀρρωστίας. καίτοιγε ἐχρῆν (δὸς γὰρ τῷ πυρετῷ συγγνώμην ἐρεσχελοῦντι), ἐπειδή μοι κατὰ φύσιν ἦν τὸ νοσεῖν, ἐν τῇ μεταβολῇ ταύτῃ " τῆς ἕξεως ὑγείας 8 μοι νῦν τὸ κράτιστον περιεῖναι. ἀλλ᾽ ἐπειδὴ μάστιξ τοῦ Κυρίου ἐστὶ προσθήκαις ταῖς κατὰ τὴν ἡμετέραν ἀξίαν τὸ ἀλγεινὸν ἐπιτείνουσα, ἀσθένειαν ἐπὶ τῇ ἀσθενείᾳ προσεκτησάμην, ὥστε τὸ ἀπὸ τούτου καὶ παιδὶ φανερὸν εἶναι, ὅτι πᾶσα ἀνάγκη οἰχήσεσθαι * ἡμῖν τὸ ἔλυτρον τοῦτο, πλὴν εἰ μή που ἄρα ἡ τοῦ ene φιλανθρωπία ἡμῖν ἐν τῇ μακροθυμίᾳ αὐτοῦ 5 χρόνους εἰς μετάνοιαν xapelomern," ποιήσειε καὶ νῦν, ὡς καὶ πολλάκις πρότερον, λύσιν τινὰ καὶ πόρον" ἐκ τῶν "ἀμηχάνων. δεινῶν ταῦτα μὲν οὖν ἕξει ὡς αὐτῷ φίλον καὶ ἡμῖν συμφέρον.
1 Ἰσαάκιος editi antiqi.
2 ταύτης quattuor MSS.
4 οἰχήσεται HK, Harl., Med.
5 rovrov editi antiqi. ὁ καί add. EK, 7 χαριζομένου HK, 8 καί add, H.
LETTER CXXXVI1
LETTER CXXXVI
To Eusesrus, Bishop or Samosata!
In what condition the excellent Isaac? has found us he himself will relate to you better, even though his tongue is inadequate to proclaim in tragic fashion the transcendence of my sufferings, such was the seriousness of my illness.
But probably this was known to everyone who was never so slightly acquainted with me.
For if when in apparent good health I was really weaker than those of whose lives we despair, one may understand what I must have been during that illness.
And yet I really ought (for you must grant indulgence to the fever that harasses me), since sickness used to be my natural state, in my present change of condition to be enjoying the best of health.
But since it is the scourge of the Lord that goes on extending our bad health by new additions according to our deserts, I have acquired one infirmity after another, so that the result is plain to a child—that this shell of ours must quite certainly depart, unless perchance the mercy of God, in His magnanimity granting us the grace of a period of time for repentance, should now also, as on so many former occasions, bring about some release and some means of escape from our desperate straits.
These things, however, shall be according to His pleasure and our own profit.
1 Written in 373.
This Eusebius was Bishop of Samosata on the Euphrates from 360 to 373.
_He was orthodox of faith, and a friend of Basil, Gregory Nazianzene, and Meletius,
Bishop of Antioch.
Cf. Letters XXVII, XXX, XXXI, XXXIV, ete.
2 Otherwise unknown.
3'3
COLLECTED LETTERS OF SAINT BASIL
Τὰ δὲ τῶν ἐκκλησιῶν ὅπως οἴχεται Kal προπέTOTAL, ἡμῶν τῆς οἰκείας ἀσφαλείας ἕνεκεν τὰ τῶν πλησίον περιορώντων. καὶ οὐδὲ τοῦτο συνορᾷν δυναμένων, ὅτι τῇ τοῦ κοινοῦ κακοπραγίᾳ 1 καὶ τὸ καθ᾽ ἕκαστον συναπόλλυται, τί χρὴ καὶ λέγειν; ἄλλως τε καὶ πρὸς ἄνδρα, ὃς πόρρωθεν ἕκαστα προειδώς, καὶ προδιεμαρτύρω καὶ προεκήρυξας, καὶ αὐτός τε προεξανέστης, καὶ τοὺς λοιποὺς συνεπήγειρας, ἐπιστέλλων, αὐτὸς παραγινόμενος, τί οὐ ποιῶν, τίνα φωνὴν οὐκ ἀφιείς! ὧν μεμνήμεθα μὲν 3 ἐφ᾽ ἑκάστῳ τῶν ἐκβαινόντων, ὠφελούμεθα δὲ ἀπ᾽ αὐτῶν οὐκέτι. καὶ νῦν εἰ μὴ αἱ ἁμαρτίαι ἀντέστησάν μοι, καὶ τὸ μὲν πρῶτον ὁ εὐλαβέστατος καὶ ἀγαπητὸς ἀδελφὸς ἡμῶν Βὐστάθιος ὁ ὁ συνδιάκονος, εἰς νόσον χαλεπὴν καταπεσών, εἰς ὅλους με δύο παρέτεινε, μῆνας, ἡμέραν ἐξ ἡμέρας τὴν σωτηρίαν αὐτοῦ περιμένοντα" ἔπειτα δὲ οἱ σὺν ἐμοὶ πάντες ἠσθένησαν, ὧν τὰ μὲν καταλείμματα ὃ ἐξαριθμήσεται ὁ ἀδελφὸς ᾿Ισαάκης" τὸ δὲ τελευταῖον αὐτὸς ἐγὼ τῇ νόσῳ κατεσχέθην ταύτῃ! ἐπεὶ πάλαι ἂν ἤμην παρὰ τὴν σὴν τιμιότητα, οὐκ ὄφελός τι τοῖς κοινοῖς παρεχόμενος, ἀλλ᾽ ἐμαυτῷ μέγα κέρδος ἐκ τῆς συντυχίας σου κτώμενος. καὶ yap ἐγνώκειν ἔξω τῶν ἐκκλησιαστικῶν γενέσθαι βελῶν διὰ τὸ ἀφύλακτον ἡμῶν πρὸς τὰ σκευωρούμενα Ἴ παρὰ τῶν ἐναντίων. σώζοι σε τῷ βίῳ 1 δυσπραγίᾳ Reg. secundus, Coisl. secundus.
7 σκαιωρούμενα Harl., Paris., Clarom.
LETTER CXXXVI
As for the interests of the churches—how they have gone to ruin and have been lightly sacrificed,1 while we, consulting our own personal safety, neglect the good of our neighbours and are unable to see even this, that the ruin of each of us is involved in the common disaster—why need I say a word?
And especially so to a man like you who, foreseeing everything long in advance, made protest and issued proclamation beforehand, and not only was the first to rise up yourself, but also helped to rouse the rest, writing them letters, visiting them in person, τ omitting what act, leaving what word unspoken !
These things we do indeed remember after each event happens, but we no longer derive profit from them.
And now if my sins had not stood in my way,—that is, first of all, our most reverend and beloved brother and deacon, Eustathius,? falling grievously ill, caused me no great anxiety for two whole months as I waited day after day for his return to health; and next, all my associates fell ill (of which things our brother Isaac will enumerate all that I omit); and, last of all, I myself was seized by this present illness—but for these things I should long ago have been by the side of your Honour, not lending you any aid in the common cause, but deriving great gain for myself from your company.
For 1 had decided to get out of the way of the missiles of the ecclesiastics because I had no means of protecting myself against the contrivances of my adversaries.
May the mighty hand of God preserve you unto τὰ τῆς πόλεως πράγματα.
''The interests of the state have been lightly sacrificed for mere present pleasure."
2 This deacon enjoyed Basil's confidence, and once conveyed another letter for him to Eusebius of Samosata,
Cf.
Letter XLVII.
COLLECTED LETTERS OF SAINT BASIL
fal a la Ν A παντὶ ἡ μεγάλη τοῦ Θεοῦ yelp, Tov γενναῖον φύλακα τῆς πίστεως καὶ νήφοντα τῶν ἐκκλησιῶν
CXXXVII ᾿Αντιπάτρῳ Νῦν μοι δοκῶ μάλιστα ἐπαισθάνεσθαι τῆς -" ἢ ᾽ ζημίας, ἣν ὑπομένω διὰ τὸ ἀρρωστεῖν, ὁπότε, n / ἀνδρὸς τοιούτου τὴν πατρίδα ἡμῶν ἐφέποντος, a \ a αὐτὸς ἀπεῖναι διὰ τὴν ἐπιμέλειαν τοῦ σώματος fe] iN t ἀναγκάζομαι. μῆνα yap ὅλον ἤδη προσκαθέζοpart τῇ ἐκ τῶν αὐτοφυῶς θερμῶν 5 ὑδάτων θερα- ,ὔ e / ΝΜ > fal [4 Ν \ πείᾳ ws δή τι ὄφελος ἐντεῦθεν ἕξων. ἔοικα δὲ διακενῆς πονεῖν ἐπὶ τῆς ἐρημίας, ἢ καὶ γέλωτος lal - "
\ aA τοῖς πολλοῖς ἄξιος εἶναι φαίνεσθαι, μηδὲ τῆς παροιμίας ἀκούων τῆς οὐδὲν ἀπὸ θερμῶν ὄφελος εἶναι τοῖς τεθνηκόσι λεγούσης.
Διόπερ καὶ οὕτως ἔχων βούλομαι πάντα παρεὶς a \ a καταλαβεῖν σου τὴν σεμνοπρέπειαν, ὥστε τῶν ἐν σοὶ καλῶν ἀπολαύειν καὶ τὰ κατὰ τὸν οἶκον τὸν fo) a n a ἐμαυτοῦ πράγματα διὰ τῆς σῆς ὀρθότητος εὐπρεπῶς διαθέσθαι. ἐμὸς γάρ ἐστιν ἴδιος ὁ τῆς σεμνο- \ a , τάτης μητρὸς ἡμῶν ]Παλλαδίας οἶκος, ἣν οὐ μόνον ἡ la) Ῥ lad fo) τοῦ γένους οἰκειότης ἡμῖν συνάπτει, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸ TOU 1 μῆνα.
Med. editi antiqi. προσκαθέσομαι editi antiqi.
1 Written in 373.
Antipater, governor of Cappadocia,
LETTER CXXXVII
all mankind, you who are the noble guardian of the faith and the vigilant champion of the churches ; and before our departure from this life may He deem us worthy of an interview with you for the good of our soul.
LETTER CXXXVII
To Antipater!
Art this time I seem to be most sensible of the loss which I suffer in being sick, when, on the occasion of a man like you succeeding to the governorship of our country, I am myself compelled to be absent because of the care I must take of my body, For during a whole month already have I been assiduously undergoing the treatment of the naturally hot waters, expecting to receive some benefit therefrom, But it seems that I toil quite uselessly in this solitary place, or that I even show myself deserving of ridicule in the eyes of the many for not heeding the proverb which says, "Warm baths are of no use to the dead."
Wherefore, in spite of my present condition, I desire, putting aside everything else, to go to your gracious self, that I may have the benefit of your excellent qualities and through your uprightness may fittingly arrange the affairs of my own house.
For my very own is the house of our most revered mother Palladia, whom not only the kinship of family binds to us, but also the goodness of her to whom Basil recommends the protection of Palladia, his old friend and relative.
Cf.
Letters CLXXXVI and
OLXXXVII.
Palladia is otherwise unknown.
COLLECTED LETTERS OF SAINT BASIL
τρόπου δεξιὸν ἀντὶ μητρὸς ἡμῖν εἶναι πεποίηκεν. ἐπεὶ οὖν κεκίνηταί TLS ταραχὴ περὶ τὸν οἶκον αὐτῆς, ἀξιοῦμέν σου τὴν μεγαλόνοιαν μικρὸν ὑπερθέσθαι τὴν ἐξέτασιν καὶ ἀναμεῖναι ἡμῶν τὴν παρουσίαν, οὐχ ὥστε διαφθαρῆναι τὸ δίκαιον (μυριάκις γὰρ ἂν ἀποθανεῖν ἑλοίμην ἢ τοιαύτην αἰτῆσαι χάριν παρὰ δικαστοῦ φίλου τοῖς νόμοις καὶ τῷ δικαίῳ),
GAN ὥστε ἃ οὐκ εὐπερεπὲς ἐμοὶ γράφειν, ταῦτα ἀπὸ στόματος ᾿ἀπαγγέλλοντός μου μαθεῖν. οὕτω γὰρ οὔτε αὐτὸς τῆς ἀληθείας διαμαρτήσῃ, οὔτε ἡμεῖς πεισόμεθά τι τῶν ἀβουλήτων. δέομαι οὖν, τοῦ προσώπου ἐν ἀσφαλείᾳ ὄντος καὶ κατεχομένου παρὰ τῆς τάξεως, ἀνεπαχθῆ ταύτην χάριν καὶ ἀνεπίφθονον ἡμῖν καταθέσθαι.
Εὐσεβίῳ, ἐπισκόπῳ Σαμοσάτων Τίνα με οἴει ψυχὴν ἐσχηκέναι, ὅτε τὴν ἐπιστολὴν ἐδεξάμην τῆς "θεοσεβείας σου; εἰ μὲν γὰρ πρὸς τὴν ἐν τῷ γράμματι ἀπεῖδον διάθεσιν, εὐθὺς ὥρμων πέτεσθαι τὴν εὐθὺς 1 Σύρων, εἰ δὲ πρὸς τὴν ἀρρωστίαν τοῦ σώματος, ὑφ᾽ ἧς πεπεδημένος ἐκείμην, ἠσθανόμην οὐχὶ τοῦ πέτεσθαι μόνον ἀλλὰ καὶ τοῦ ἐπὶ τῆς κλίνης ͵ στρέφεσθαι ἐνδεῶς ἔχων. πεντηκοστὴν γὰρ ταύτην ἡμέραν ἦγον ἐν τῇ ἀρρωστίᾳ, καθ᾽ ἣν ἐπέστη ἡμῖν ὁ ἀγαπητὸς καὶ σπουδαιότατος ἀδελφὸς ἡμῶν συνδιάκονος ᾿Ελπίδιος: πολλὰ μὲν τῷ πυρετῷ 2 εὐθύ Ke