137 (366). To Antipater
SAINT BASIL
137. To Antipater1 At present, I seem to be especially sensible of the loss which I suffer by my illness, when during the administratio~ of our country by such a great man I myself am compelled to be absent because of the care I must give my body. For a whole month already I have been taking the treatments of the natural hot springs in the hope of receiving some benefit from them. But, I seem to labor in vain in the solitude, or even to appear to most people to be deserving of ridicule, as one who does not understand the proverb which says: 'Hot springs are of no use to the dead.'
Now, even though I am in such a st~te, I desire, disregarding everything else, to come to visit your Grace, so as to enjoy your noble qualities, and through your integrity to settle in a proper manner the affairs of my house. For, the home of our most revered 2 mother Palladia is my own, since not only family relationship joins her to us but also the kindliness of her character has caused her to take the place of a mother to us. Therefore, since some commotion has been stirred up about her house, we ask your Lordship to defer the examination for a little while and to await our arrival, not so that justice may be thwarted (for I would prefer to die ten thousand times rather than ask such a favor from a judge who is devoted to the laws and to justice), but that you may know from me by word of mouth those matters which it is not proper for me to write. In fact, in this way you yourself will not go astray from the truth nor will we suffer anything contrary to our will. I ask, then, as the perAntipater is the Governor of Cappadocia to whom St. Basil is recommending the protection of his old friend and relative. Palladia. Cf.
Letters 186 and 187. Palladia is otherwise unknown. This letter was written in 373.
2 Semnottites-a title of distinction used by St. Basil.