99 (187). To Count Terentius
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a great man not only to suffice for great things but also by hi~ own power to make little things great.
Now, what must be done about Palmatius, 6 who, even after so many admonitions from the brethren, is still serving
Maximus7 in the persecutions? But, in spite of all, they do not even now hesitate to write to him; for they are not permitted to come themselves because of ill health and their own duties at home.
Yet, be assured, Father, most beloved of God, that our affairs have exceeding great need of your presence, and it is necessary for you, yet this once, to bestir your venerable age in order to sustain Cappadocia, which is already wavering and near its fall.
99. To Count Terentius 1 Although I had felt the greatest eagerness to obey, at least in part, both the imperial command and your Honor's friendly letter, whose every word and every opinion, I felt confident, was laden with a right motive and a noble intention,
I was not allowed to direct my zeal to the work. And the 6 Otherwise unknown.
7 Governor of Cappadocia and successor of Elias. Cf. Tillemont, note 58.
Although here represented as a persecu tor of the orthodox, in the next year, when he was removed from office and accused of embezzlement of public funds, he found no warmer advocate than St. Basil. St. Basil wrote three letters in his behalf, Letters 147, 148, and 149. The per· secution here mentioned may simply have been severe exactions of trib. ute.
Terentius was a general and a count under Valens, and, though orthodox, held the Arian emperor's favor. St. Basil addressed the present letter to Terentius in Iberia, where he was in command of the twelve legions, Letter 214 is also addressed to Terentius, while Letter 105 is addressed to the daughters of Terentius, The present letter was written from Satala in July or August, 372. Cf. Loots, up, cit. 27.
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cause-the first, indeed, and truest-is my sins, which everywhere come out to meet me and trip my steps; and, secondly, our estrangement from the bishop who had been assigned to co-operate with us. For, our most revered brother, Theodotus,Z who had promised from the beginning to assist us in everything and had readily brought us down from Getasa to Nicopolis, when he saw us in the city, from I know not what impulse, was filled with such a loathing for us and such a fear of our sins that he could not endure to take us either to morning or to evening prayer. He acted justly as regards us, and in a manner befitting my life, but did not plan advantageously for the general tranquillity of the churches. And he alleged to us as the reason for this that we had willingly received into communion the most revered Bishop Eustathius.
Yet what we have done is as follows.
Since we had been summoned to a synod held by our brother Theodotus, and were eager through charity to heed the invitation, in order that we might not seem to make our meeting unavailing and fruitless, we endeavored to have an interview with the brother Eustathius mentioned above. And we put before him all the charges concerning the faith which the followers of our brother Theodotus bring against him.
Moreover, we demanded that, if he was a follower of the right faith, he should make it evident to us so that we might be in communion with him, but, if he was differently disposed, that he should know definitely that we also would be unfavorably disposed toward him. Accordingly, after we had
2 The Bishop of Nicopolis in Lesser Armenia, and an aged prelate of high character and unquestioned orthodoxy. Theodotus was greatly reo spected by St. Basil, but he was extremely annoyed at St. Basil's reo luctance to sever relations with Eustathius of Sebaste. For this reason he refused to co.operate with St. Basil in giving bishops to Armenia, and virtually excommunicated St. Basil on his arrival at Nicopolis where he had invited him. Friendly relations were later re.established between the two. Letters 121 and 130 are addressed to Theodotus.
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discussed much with each other, and all that day had been spent in the examination of these matters, finally, when evening had come, we separated from each other without having brought our discussion to any final agreement. On the following day again, having taken our stands early in the morning, we were arguing on the same points, and at this time the brother Poimenius, a presbyter of Sebasteia, came, and he zealously defended the opposing doctrine against us.3 Little by little, then, we freed ourselves of those charges which he seemed to bring against us and led them on to such agreement regarding the points which we were inv.estigating that, by the grace of the Lord, we were found to differ not in the slightest degree from each other. Thus, then, somewhere around the ninth hour we rose up to pray and returned thanks to the Lord who granted us the favor of believing and speaking the same doctrine. In addition to this, I ought to have secured a written admission from the man so that his agreement in doctrine might be evident to those opposed to him, and might be for the rest sufficient proof of the man's good will. But I myself wished, for the sake of greater exactness, to meet with the followers of Theodotus, to secure from them a written statement of the faith, and to offer it to Eustathius mentioned above. My purpose was twofold, that he might confess the true faith, and that they might be fully assured, having no occasion for controversy because of his admitting their propositions. But, before learning why we were meeting, or what we had accomplished by our interview, the followers of Bishop Theodotus no longer deemed it proper to call us to the synod. We turned back in the middle of our journey, being disheartened because they were making ineffectual our labors for the peace of the churches.
After this, then, when the necessity of a journey to Ar· 3 'Us' and 'we' here mean St. Basil alone, not St. Basil and Eustathius.
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menia befell us, knowing the individuality of the man, and wishing to defend my actions before a trustworthy witness and to fully satisfy him, I went to Getasa, the field of Meletius, the bishop dearly beloved of God, where Theodotus, whom
I mentioned before, was present with me. So, when we were accused by him there because of our connection with Eustathius, I reported the success of our conference-that I found him agreeing perfectly with us in everything. But, as he affinned that [Eustathius] had denied this after his departure from us, and that he had declared to his own followers that he had agreed with us in no way concerning the faith, in reply to this I said (and consider, admirable Sir, if I did not give most just and incontrovertible answers to this) that I was persuaded, inferring from the constancy of the man in other respects, that he did not turn so lightly to the opposite views, and that he did not at one moment admit, and at the next deny, what he had said. I was convinced that a man who shunned deceit even in trifling matters as something terrible, to say nothing of matters of such importance and so universally noised abroad, would never choose to be opposed to the truth. But, even if that which is talked among you should happen to be true, a written statement must be offered to him, containing a complete exposition of the right faith. Certainly, then, if I find him expressing his agreement in writing, I shall remain in communion with him, but, if I detect him shrinking back, I shall withdraw from union with him. When Bishop Meletius approved my words and also brother Diodorus, our fellow presbyter (for he was present on this occasion), then the most revered brother Theodotus agreed and invited us to go to Nicopolis in order that we might inspect his church, and might take him as our fellow traveler on our journey to Satala. However, he left us in Getasa, and, when we arrived at Nicopolis, forgetful of what
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he had heard from me and of what he had agreed with us, he dismissed us, after having covered us with shame by those insults and those ignominies which we described a short while ago.
How, therefore, was it possible for me, most honorable Friend, to carry out any of your commands and to give bishops to Armenia, since the companion of my cares entertained such feelings toward me? Through him I was expecting to find suitable men, because there are in his diocese both pious and intelligent men who are skilled in the language and understand the other peculiar traits of the nation. Although
I know their names, I shall willingly keep silence, in order that no obstacle may arise to prevent their service in Armenia at another time, at least.
And now, having arrived at Satala in such a state of health, I seem to have settled all the rest, by the grace of God.
I reconciled the bishops of Armenia and gave them the proper instructions, so that they may lay aside their accustomed indifference and assume a true zeal for the churches of the Lord. Concerning transgressions indifferently committed throughout Armenia, I also gave them rules as to how they might properly deal with them. Then, too, I received proposals passed by the majority from the Church of Satala, containing a request that we give them a bishop. Next, this became an object of care to me-to investigate the slander spread abroad about our brother Cyril, Bishop of Annenia; through the grace of God we discovered that it was falsely set in motion through the prejudice of those who hate him.
This they openly confessed in our presence. Moreover, we seem in some measure to have appeased the people of Satala in his regard, so that they no longer avoid communion with him. Now, if these are slight matters and worth nothing, nevertheless, there was nothing else that we could do, because