Letters 65–73

Basil of Caesarea · Letters · ca. 357–378 · Caesarea · 9 passages

Greek text: PG 32.English: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), public domain (CC0). Compare: Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 2, vol. 8 (1895), Letters.

Chapter 65

65PG 32:421a–424a

Ἀταρβίῳ Καὶ τί πίρας ἔσται τῆς σιωπῆς, εἰ μεν, τά ἐκ τῆς ἡλικίας πρεσβεῖα ἀπαιτῶν, ἀναμένοιμι παρά σοῦ γενέσθαι τὴν ἀρχὴν τῆς προσφωνήσεως, ἡ δὲ σὴ ἀγάπη ἐπὶ πλεῖον βούλοιτο τῇ βλαβερᾴ κρίσει τῆς ἡσυχίας ἐγκαρτερεῖν ; Ἀλλʼ ὅμως ἐγὼ, τὴνέν τοῖς φιλικοῖς ἧτταν νίκης ἐχειν δύναμιν ἡγησάμενος, ὁμολογῶ σοι μὲν παραχωρεῖν τῆς ἐπὶ τῶ δοκεῖν περιγεγενῆσθαι τῆς οἰκείας κρίσεως φιλοτιμίας· αὐτὸς δι προτῶς ἐπὶ τὸ γράφειν ἦλθον, εἰδὼς, ὅτι η ἀγάπη πάντα στίγει, πάντα ὑπομένει, οὐδαμοῦ ζητεῖ τὸ ἑαυτῆς· διόπερ οὔτε ἐκπίπτει ποτέ. Ἀταπείνωτος γὰρ ὅ κατά ἀγάπην τῷ πλησίον ὑποτασσόμενος. Ὅπως οὖν καὶ αὐτὸς πρὸς γοῦν τὸ ἑξῆς τὸν πρῶτον καὶ μίγιστον καρπὸν τοῦ Πνεύματος ἐπιδεικνύμενος, τὴν ἀγάπην, ἀπορρίψῃς μεν τὸ τῶν ὀργιζομένων σκυθρωπὸν, ὅπερ ἡμῖν διὰ τῆς σιωπῆς ὑποφαίνεις, ἀναλάβῃς δε χαρὰν ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ, εἰρήνην πρὸς τοὺς ὁμοφύχονς τῶν ἀδελφῶν, σπουδὴν καὶ μέριμναν ὑπὲρ της Ἐκιιλησιῶν ’ τοῦ Κυρίου ’δίαμονῆᾳ Γίνωσκε γὰρ, ὅτι, εἰ μὴ τόν ἴσον ἡμεῖς ἀγῶνα ὑπὲρ τῶν Ἐκκλησιῶν ἀναλάβοιμεν, ὁπόσον ἔχουσιν οἱ ἀντικειμενοι τῇ ὑγιαινούσῃ διδασκαλίᾳ εἰς καθαίρεσιν αὐτῶν καὶ παντελῆ ἀφανισμόν, οὐδεν τὸ κωλύον οἶχεσθαι μεν παρασυρεῖσαν ὑπό τῶν ἔχθρῶν τὴν ἀλήθειαν, παραπολαῦσαι δὲ τι καὶ ἡμᾶς τοῦ κρίματος, μὴ πάσῃ σπονδῇ καὶ προθυμίᾳ ἂν ὁμονοίᾳτῇ πρὸς ἀλλήλους καὶ συμπνοίᾳ τῇ κατά τὸν Θεὸν τὴν ἐνδεχομνην μέριμναν ὑπερ τῆς ἐνώσεως τῶν Ἐκκλησιῶν ὶπιδειξαμένους. Παρακαλῶ οὖν, ἔκβαλε τῆς σεαυτοῦ ψυχῆς τὸ οἴεσθαι μηδενός ἑτέρου εἰς κοινωνιαν προσδεῖσθαι. Οὐ γὰρ κατά ἀγάπην περιπατοῦντος οὐδέ πληροῦντός ἔστι τὴν ἐντολὴν τοῦ Χριστοῦ τῆς πρὸς τοὺς ἀδελφοὺς συναφείας ἑαυτὸν ἀποτέμνειν. Ἀμοίδε κάκεῖνο λογίζεσθαι την ἀγαθήν σου προαίρεσιν βούλομαι, ὅτι τὸ τοῦ πολέμου κακον κύκλῳ περιιὸν καὶ πρὸς ἡμᾶς εἰσέλθοι ποτε, κᾶν μετὰ τῶν οἰλλων καὶ ἡμεῖς τῆς ἐπηρείας παραπολαύσωμεν, τῆς εὐθυμίας μῶν μὴ ὴπροατακβαλέσθαι τοῖς ἠδικημένοις τὸν τῆς συμπαθείας ἔρανον.

Atarbiǭ Kai ti piras estai tēs siōpēs, ei men, ta ek tēs hēlikias presbeia apaitōn, anamenoimi para sou genesthai tēn archēn tēs prosphōnēseōs, hē de sē agapē epi pleion bouloito tę̄ blaberą krisei tēs hēsychias enkarterein ? Allʼ homōs egō, tēnen tois philikois hēttan nikēs echein dynamin hēgēsamenos, homologō soi men parachōrein tēs epi tō dokein perigegenēsthai tēs oikeias kriseōs philotimias; autos di protōs epi to graphein ēlthon, eidōs, hoti ē agapē panta stigei, panta hypomenei, oudamou zētei to heautēs; dioper oute ekpiptei pote. Atapeinōtos gar ho kata agapēn tǭ plēsion hypotassomenos. Hopōs oun kai autos pros goun to hexēs ton prōton kai migiston karpon tou Pneumatos epideiknymenos, tēn agapēn, aporripsę̄s men to tōn orgizomenōn skythrōpon, hoper hēmin dia tēs siōpēs hypophaineis, analabę̄s de charan en tę̄ kardią, eirēnēn pros tous homophychons tōn adelphōn, spoudēn kai merimnan hyper tēs Ekiilēsiōn ’ tou Kyriou ’diamonēą Ginōske gar, hoti, ei mē ton ison hēmeis agōna hyper tōn Ekklēsiōn analaboimen, hoposon echousin hoi antikeimenoi tę̄ hygiainousę̄ didaskalią eis kathairesin autōn kai pantelē aphanismon, ouden to kōlyon oichesthai men parasyreisan hypo tōn echthrōn tēn alētheian, parapolausai de ti kai hēmas tou krimatos, mē pasę̄ spondę̄ kai prothymią an homonoiątę̄ pros allēlous kai sympnoią tę̄ kata ton Theon tēn endechomnēn merimnan hyper tēs enōseōs tōn Ekklēsiōn ipideixamenous. Parakalō oun, ekbale tēs seautou psychēs to oiesthai mēdenos heterou eis koinōnian prosdeisthai. Ou gar kata agapēn peripatountos oude plērountos esti tēn entolēn tou Christou tēs pros tous adelphous synapheias heauton apotemnein. Amoide kakeino logizesthai tēn agathēn sou proairesin boulomai, hoti to tou polemou kakon kyklǭ periion kai pros hēmas eiselthoi pote, kan meta tōn oillōn kai hēmeis tēs epēreias parapolausōmen, tēs euthymias mōn mē ēproatakbalesthai tois ēdikēmenois ton tēs sympatheias eranon.

To Atarbius. And what end will there be to our silence, if I, claiming the privileges of age, wait for the beginning of the correspondence to come from you, while your Love wishes to persist longer in the harmful decision to keep quiet? Nevertheless, considering that in matters of friendship defeat has the force of victory, I confess that I yield to you the honor of seeming to have prevailed in your own decision; and I myself have come first to writing, knowing that love bears all things, endures all things, never seeks its own, and therefore never fails. For one who submits to his neighbor in love is not humbled. So I urge you too, at least for the future, showing the first and greatest fruit of the Spirit, love, to throw off the sullenness of the angry, which you show us by your silence, and to take up joy in your heart, peace toward your like-minded brothers, and zeal and care for the continuance of the churches of the Lord. For know that, unless we take up for the churches a struggle equal to that of the opponents of sound teaching for their overthrow and complete destruction, nothing will prevent the truth from being swept away by the enemies, and we too from sharing in the condemnation, for not having shown, with all zeal and eagerness, in mutual concord and agreement according to God, all possible care for the unity of the churches. So I urge you, cast out of your soul the thought that you have no need of communion with anyone else. For to cut oneself off from union with the brothers is not the mark of one who walks in love or fulfills Christ's commandment. At the same time I want your good will to consider this too: that the evil of war, going round in a circle, may one day come in upon us as well, and that if we too, with the rest, share in the outrage, we may not find anyone to contribute sympathy to us in our wrongs, since we have not, in our time of comfort, paid our share of sympathy to those who were wronged.

1 Cor 13:5–8 (allusion, high confidence) · Gal 5:22 (allusion, high confidence) · Titus 2:1 (echo, medium confidence)

Notes and citation

Summary: Basil breaks the silence with Atarbius, urging him to love, peace, and communion with other bishops against the common danger to the churches.

Letter 65 (Benedictine). Atarbius was bishop of Neocaesarea. The last sentence is somewhat garbled in the OCR and translated by sense. Scripture: 1 Cor 13:5, 7–8; Gal 5:22; Titus 2:1.

Cite (SBL): Basil, Ep. 65 (PG 32:421a–424a; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/basil-epistulae/65/#p-65). (abbreviation not yet checked)

BibTeX · RIS (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-basil-epistulae-65) · Report an error

Translation: Translated by Claude from the Migne PG 32 scan text; compared in full afterwards with NPNF² 8, which gives only summaries from Letter 296 and omits some letters; those were re-read against the Greek.

Chapter 66

66PG 32:424a–425d

Ἀθανασίῳ, ἐπισκόπῳ Ἀλεξανδρείας, 1. Οὐδένα τοσούτον ἠγοῦμαι λυπεῖν τὴν παροῦσαν τῶν Ἐκκλησιῶν κατάστασιν, μᾶλλον δὲ σύγχυσιν, εἰπεῖν ἀληθέστερον, ὅσον τὴν σην τιμιότητα· συγκρίνοντα μεν τοίς ἀρχαίοις τανῦν, καὶ παρὰ πόσον ταῦτα ἐκείνων ἐξήλλακται λογιζόμενον, καὶ ὅτι εἰ κατὰ την αύτὴν ὁμὴν ύποῤῥέοι ἐπὶ τὸ χεῖρον τὰ πράγματα, οὐδὲν ἔσται τὸ κωλύον, εʼίσω ὀλίγου χρόνου πρὸς α”λλο τι σχῆμα παντελῶς μεθαρμοσθῆναι Ἐκκλησίας. Ταύτα πολλάκις ἐπʼ ἐμαυτοῦ γενόμενος διενοήθην, ὅτι εἰ ἡμῖν ούτως ἐλεεινὴ τῶν Ἐκκλησιὼν ἡ παρατροπὴ καταφαίνεται, ποίαν τινὰ εἰκὸς ἐπὶ τούτοις ψυχὴν ἔχειν τὸν τῆς ἀρχαίας εύσταθείας καὶ ὁμονοίας περὶ τὴν πίστιν τῶν Ἐκκλησιῶν τοῦ Κυρίου πεπειραμένον ; Ἀλλʼ ὥσπερ τὸ πολὺ τῆς λύπης τὴν σὴν τελειότητα περιίσταται, οὕτως ηγούμεθα προσήκειν καὶ τῆς ὑπερ τῶν Ἐκκλησιῶν μερίμνης τὸ πλέον τῇ σῇ διαφέρειν ’φρονησει. Πάλαι οἶδα καὶ αὐτὸς, κατὰ τὴν ξένυποξρχουσοὲν μοι μετρίως τῶι πραγμάτων καταληψιν, μίαν ἐπιγνούς ὁδὸν βοηθείας ταῖς καθʼ ἡμᾶς Ἐκκλησίαις τήν παρα τῶν δυτικῶν ἐπισκόπων σύμπνοιαν. Εἰ γὰρ βουληθεῖεν, ὃν ἀνέλαβον ὑπὲρ ένος ἦ δύο τῶν κατὰ τῆν δύσιν ἐπὶ κακοδοξίᾳ φωραθέντων ζῆλον, τοῦτον καὶ ὑπὲρ τῆς παροικίας τῶν καθʼ ἡμᾶς μερῶν ἐπιδείξασθαι, τάχα οἶν τι γένοιτο τοῖς κοινοῖς ὄφελος, τῶν τε κρατούντων τὸ ἀξιόπιστον τού πλήθους δυσωπουμένων, καὶ τῶν ἑκασταχοῦ λαῶν ἀκολουθούντων αὐτοῖς ἀναντιρρήτως. Τίς οὖν ταῦτα δ ιατροίξασθαι τῆς σῆς συνέσεως δυνατώτερος; τίς συνιδεῖν τὸ δέον ὀξύτερος ; τῆς ἐνεργῆσαι τα χρήσιμα πρακτικώτερος ; τίς πρὸς την καταπὸνησιν τῶν ξὰὸελφῶν συμπαθέστερος; τίς τῆς σεμνοτάτης σου πολιᾶς πασῃ τῇ δύσει αἰδεσιμώτεροςς Κατάλιπέ τι μνημόσυνον τῷ βίῳ τᾶς σῆς ἐπάξιον πολιτείας, τιμιώτατε Πάτερ. Τοὺς μυρίους ἐκείνους ύπερ τῆς εὐσεβείας ἄλλους ἐνὶ τούτῳ κατακοσμη σον ἔργῳ. Ἔκπεμψόν τινας ἐκ τῆς ἁγίας τῆς ὑπὸ σεʼ Ἐκκλησίας ἄνδρας δυνατοὺς ἐν τῇ ὑγιαινούσῃ διδασκαλίᾳ πρὸς τοῦς κατά την δύσιν ἐπισκόπουςο διήγησαι αὐτοῖς τὰς κατασχούσας ἡμᾶς συμφοράς· ὑπόθου τρόπον ἀντιλήψεως γενοῦ Σαμουὴλ ταῖς Ἐκκλησίαιςʼ πολεμουμένοις τοῖς λαοῖς συνκακοπάθησον ' ἀνένεγκε εἰρηνικὰς προσευχάς· αἴτησον χάριν παρὰ τοῦ Κυρίου, εἰρήνης τι μνημόσυνον ἐναφεῖναι ταῖς Ἐκκλησίαις. Οἶδα ότι ἀσθενεῖς αἱ ἐπιστολαὶ πρὸς συμβουλὴν τοῦ τοσούτου πράγματος. Ἀλλʼ οὔτε αὐτὸς τῆς παρʼ ἐτέρων 2. Πρὸς μὲν οὖν τὰ λοιπά τῆς ἀνατολῆς ἴσως σοι καὶ πλειόνων συνεργίας προσδεῖ, καὶ ἀνάγκη ἀναμένειν τοὺς ἐκ τῆς ὃύσεως.ἹΙ μέντοι τῆς κατὰ τὴν Αντιόχειαν Ἐκκλησίας εὐταξία προδήλως τῆς σῆς ηιοτηται θεοσεβείας ὥστε τοὺς μεν οἰκονομῆσαι, τοὺς δε καθησυχάσαι, ἀποδοῦναι δὲ τὴν ἰσχὺν τῇ Ἐκκλησίᾳ δια τῆς συαφωνίας. Καὶ γάρ ὅτι ὀφείλεις, κατα τους σοφωτάτους τῶν ἰατρῶν, τῆς ἐπιμελείας ἐκ τῶν καιριωτάτων ἄρχεσθαι, παντὸς ἀκριβέστερον αὐτὸς ἐπίστασαι. Τί δʼ οἷν γένοιτο ταῖς κατὰ τὴν οἰκουμένην Ἐκκλησίαις τῆς Ἀντιοχείας ἐπικαιριὼτερον; ἢν εἰ συνέβη πρὸς όμόνοιαν ἐπανελ- Θείν, ουόἒν ἐκώλυεν, ὧσπερ κεφαλὴν ἐρρωμένην, παντὶ τῷ σώματι ἐπιχορηγεῖν τὴν ὑγίειαν. Τῷ ὄντι δέ τῆς σῆς δεῖται σοφίας καὶ εὖαγγελικῆς συμπα- Otia; τα ἐκείνης τῆς πόλεως ἀρρωστήματαʼ ἦγε οὐχ ὑπὸ τῶν αἰρετικὼν ὃιατέτμηται μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ υπὸ τῶν τα αὐτὰ φρονεῖν αλλήλοις λεγόντων διασπᾶται, Ταῦτα δε ἐνῶσαι καὶ εἰς ἑνός σώματος συναγαγεῖν ἁρμονίαν ἐκείνου μόνου ἐστὶ, τοῦ καὶ τοῖς ξηροῖς ὀστέοις την εἰς νεῦρα καὶ σάρκα πάλιν ἐπάνοδον τῇ ἀφατῳ αὑτοῦ δυνάμει χαριζομένου. Πάντως δὲ τὰ μεγάλα ό Κύριος διὰ τῶν ἀξίων αὐτοῦ ἐνεργεῖ. Πάλιν οὖν καὶ ἐντανθσ. σῇ μεγαλοφυία πρέπειν τὴν τῶν τηλικούτων διακονίαν ἐλπίζομεν, ὣστε καταστορέσαι μὲν τοὺ λαού τόν τάραχον, παῦσαι δὲ τας μερικάς προστασίας, ὑποτάξαι δε πάντας ἀλληλοις ἐν ἀγάπη, καὶ τὴν ἀρχαίαν ἰσχὺν ἀποδουναι τῇ Ἐκκλησία,

Athanasiǭ, episkopǭ Alexandreias, 1. Oudena tosouton ēgoumai lypein tēn parousan tōn Ekklēsiōn katastasin, mallon de synchysin, eipein alēthesteron, hoson tēn sēn timiotēta; synkrinonta men tois archaiois tanyn, kai para poson tauta ekeinōn exēllaktai logizomenon, kai hoti ei kata tēn autēn homēn yporrheoi epi to cheiron ta pragmata, ouden estai to kōlyon, eʼisō oligou chronou pros a”llo ti schēma pantelōs metharmosthēnai Ekklēsias. Tauta pollakis epʼ emautou genomenos dienoēthēn, hoti ei hēmin outōs eleeinē tōn Ekklēsiōn hē paratropē kataphainetai, poian tina eikos epi toutois psychēn echein ton tēs archaias eustatheias kai homonoias peri tēn pistin tōn Ekklēsiōn tou Kyriou pepeiramenon ? Allʼ hōsper to poly tēs lypēs tēn sēn teleiotēta periistatai, houtōs ēgoumetha prosēkein kai tēs hyper tōn Ekklēsiōn merimnēs to pleon tę̄ sę̄ diapherein ’phronēsei. Palai oida kai autos, kata tēn xenypoxrchousoen moi metriōs tōi pragmatōn katalēpsin, mian epignous hodon boētheias tais kathʼ hēmas Ekklēsiais tēn para tōn dytikōn episkopōn sympnoian. Ei gar boulētheien, hon anelabon hyper enos ē dyo tōn kata tēn dysin epi kakodoxią phōrathentōn zēlon, touton kai hyper tēs paroikias tōn kathʼ hēmas merōn epideixasthai, tacha oin ti genoito tois koinois ophelos, tōn te kratountōn to axiopiston tou plēthous dysōpoumenōn, kai tōn hekastachou laōn akolouthountōn autois anantirrētōs. Tis oun tauta d iatroixasthai tēs sēs syneseōs dynatōteros? tis synidein to deon oxyteros ? tēs energēsai ta chrēsima praktikōteros ? tis pros tēn kataponēsin tōn xaoelphōn sympathesteros? tis tēs semnotatēs sou polias pasę̄ tę̄ dysei aidesimōteross Katalipe ti mnēmosynon tǭ biǭ tas sēs epaxion politeias, timiōtate Pater. Tous myrious ekeinous yper tēs eusebeias allous eni toutǭ katakosmē son ergǭ. Ekpempson tinas ek tēs hagias tēs hypo seʼ Ekklēsias andras dynatous en tę̄ hygiainousę̄ didaskalią pros tous kata tēn dysin episkopouso diēgēsai autois tas kataschousas hēmas symphoras; hypothou tropon antilēpseōs genou Samouēl tais Ekklēsiaisʼ polemoumenois tois laois synkakopathēson ' anenenke eirēnikas proseuchas; aitēson charin para tou Kyriou, eirēnēs ti mnēmosynon enapheinai tais Ekklēsiais. Oida oti astheneis hai epistolai pros symboulēn tou tosoutou pragmatos. Allʼ oute autos tēs parʼ eterōn 2. Pros men oun ta loipa tēs anatolēs isōs soi kai pleionōn synergias prosdei, kai anankē anamenein tous ek tēs houseōs.HiI mentoi tēs kata tēn Antiocheian Ekklēsias eutaxia prodēlōs tēs sēs ēiotētai theosebeias hōste tous men oikonomēsai, tous de kathēsychasai, apodounai de tēn ischyn tę̄ Ekklēsią dia tēs syaphōnias. Kai gar hoti opheileis, kata tous sophōtatous tōn iatrōn, tēs epimeleias ek tōn kairiōtatōn archesthai, pantos akribesteron autos epistasai. Ti dʼ hoin genoito tais kata tēn oikoumenēn Ekklēsiais tēs Antiocheias epikairiōteron? ēn ei synebē pros omonoian epanel- Thein, ouoen ekōlyen, hōsper kephalēn errōmenēn, panti tǭ sōmati epichorēgein tēn hygieian. Tǭ onti de tēs sēs deitai sophias kai euangelikēs sympa- Otia? ta ekeinēs tēs poleōs arrōstēmataʼ ēge ouch hypo tōn airetikōn hoiatetmētai monon, alla kai ypo tōn ta auta phronein allēlois legontōn diaspatai, Tauta de enōsai kai eis henos sōmatos synagagein harmonian ekeinou monou esti, tou kai tois xērois osteois tēn eis neura kai sarka palin epanodon tę̄ aphatǭ hautou dynamei charizomenou. Pantōs de ta megala o Kyrios dia tōn axiōn autou energei. Palin oun kai entanths. sę̄ megalophuia prepein tēn tōn tēlikoutōn diakonian elpizomen, hōste katastoresai men tou laou ton tarachon, pausai de tas merikas prostasias, hypotaxai de pantas allēlois en agapē, kai tēn archaian ischyn apodounai tę̄ Ekklēsia,

To Athanasius, bishop of Alexandria. 1. I think no one is so grieved by the present state, or rather, to speak more truly, the confusion, of the churches as your Honor, comparing the present with the past and reckoning how much it has changed from it, and that if affairs keep slipping toward the worse at the same pace, nothing will prevent the churches from being completely transformed into some other shape within a short time. I have often thought about this by myself: if the perversion of the churches appears so pitiable to us, what must be the state of soul of one who has experienced the ancient stability and concord of the churches of the Lord in the faith? But just as the greater part of the grief falls on your Perfection, so we think it fitting that the greater part of the care for the churches should belong to your prudence. I myself, according to my moderate grasp of affairs, have long known one way of help for the churches in our parts: the cooperation of the Western bishops. For if they were willing to show for the church of our region the same zeal that they showed on account of one or two in the West who were detected in heresy, perhaps some benefit might come to our common affairs, as those in power would respect the trustworthiness of the many, and the peoples everywhere would follow them without dispute. Who, then, is more able than your understanding to arrange these things? Who keener to see what is needed? Who more practical in carrying out what is useful? Who more sympathetic toward the sufferings of the brothers? Who more revered by the whole West than your most venerable gray hairs? Leave to the world some memorial worthy of your way of life, most honored Father. Crown those countless contests of yours for godliness with this one work. Send from the holy church under you men strong in sound teaching to the bishops of the West; tell them of the calamities that have overtaken us; suggest a way of helping; be a Samuel to the churches; suffer with the peoples who are being warred against; offer prayers for peace; ask grace from the Lord to leave some memorial of peace in the churches. I know that letters are weak for counsel in so great a matter. But neither do I … from others. 2. For the rest of the East, perhaps you need the cooperation of more, and must wait for those from the West. But the good order of the church at Antioch plainly depends on your Godliness: to arrange matters with some, to calm others, and to restore strength to the Church through harmony. For you yourself know better than anyone that, like the wisest physicians, you should begin the treatment with the most vital parts. And what could be more vital to the churches throughout the world than Antioch? If it should happen to return to concord, nothing would prevent it, like a healthy head, from supplying health to the whole body. Truly the sicknesses of that city need your wisdom and gospel compassion; for it has not only been cut apart by the heretics, but is torn asunder also by those who say they hold the same opinions as one another. To unite these and bring them into the harmony of one body belongs to him alone who by his ineffable power grants to dry bones their return to sinews and flesh. Yet surely the Lord works great things through those worthy of him. So again here too we hope that the service of such great things befits your great nature: to calm the tumult of the people, to put an end to partisan leaderships, to subject all to one another in love, and to give back to the Church its ancient strength.

Textual problem in this passage: see the notes.

1 Sam 7:5–9 (allusion, medium confidence) · Ezek 37:1–10 (allusion, high confidence) · Eph 5:21 (echo, medium confidence)

Notes and citation

Summary: Basil urges Athanasius to win the support of the Western bishops for the East and to heal the schism at Antioch.

Letter 66 (Benedictine). The Western bishops had acted against one or two heretics in the West (probably Ursacius and Valens). The divided church at Antioch had rival Nicene parties (Meletius and Paulinus). Some lines are lost at the end of section 1 in the scan (“…”). Scripture: 1 Sam 7:5–9 (Samuel); Ezek 37:1–10; Eph 5:21.

Topics: Church office

Cite (SBL): Basil, Ep. 66 (PG 32:424a–425d; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/basil-epistulae/65/#p-66). (abbreviation not yet checked)

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Chapter 67

67PG 32:425d–428b

Ἀ θανασίῳ, ἐπισκόπῳ Ἀλεξανδρείας. Ἐμοί μεν ἐξαρκοῦν ἐφάνη ἐν τοῖς προτέροις γράμμασι πρὸς τὴν σην τιμιότητα τοσοῦτον ἐνδείξασθαι, ὅτι πᾶν τὸ κατὰ τὴν πίστιν έρῥωμόνον τοῦ κατὰ τὴν ἁγίαν Ἐκκλησίαν Ἀντιοχείας λαοῦ εἰς μίαν συμφωνίαν καὶ ἕνωσιν χρὴ ἑναχθῆναι, πρός τὸ δηλῶσαι, ὃτι τῷ θεοφιλεστάτῳ ἑπισκόπῳ Μελιτίῳ δέοι τὰ εἰς μέρη πλείονα νῦν διῃρημένα συνάψαι, Ἐπεὶ δὲ ὁ αὐτὸς οὗτος ό ᾱγαπητὸς συνδιάκονος ἡμῶν Δωρόθεος ἐναργεστέραν τήν περὶ τούτων ἐπεζήτησε μνήμην, ἀναγκαίως ἐπισημαινόμεθα, ὅτι καὶ πάσῃ τῇ ἀνατολῇ διʼ εὐχῆς, καὶ ἡμῖν τοῐςῗ παντοίως αὖτῷ συνημμένοις ἐπιθυμητὸν, αὐτὸν ἰδεῖν τὴν Ἐκκλησίαν διέποντα rm} Κυρίουο τῇ τε πίστει ἀνεπίληπτον ὄντα, καὶτῷ βίῳ οὐδεμίαν τρός τοὺς ἄλλους ἐπιδεχόμενον σύγκρισιν, καὶ τῷ τοῦ παντὸς, ὡς εἰπεῖν, σώματος τῆς Ἐκκλησίας αὐτόν προεστάναι, τὰ δὲ λοιπά οἷον μερῶν ἀποτμήματα εἶναι. ἰιστε πανταχόθεν ἀναγκαῖόν τε ὁμοῦ καὶ συμφέρον τῶ ἀνδρὶ,τούτῳ συνοφθῆναι τοὺς ἄλλους, ὥσπερ τοῖς μεγάλοις τῶν ποταμῶν τοὺς ἐλάττους· περὶ δι τούς ἄλλους γενέσθαι τινὰ οἰκονομίαν, τὴν κάκείνοις πρέπουσαν, καὶ τὸν λαόν clpa-νεύουσαν, καὶ τῇ σῇ συνέσει καὶ περιβοήτῳ ἇντρεχείᾳ καὶ σπουδῇ ἐπιβάλλουσαι-Πάντως δι οὐκ ἔλαθέ σου τὴν ἀνυπέρβλητον φρόνησιν, ὅτι ἥδ η καὶ τοῖς ὁμοφύχοις σου τοῖς κατὰ τὴν δύσιν τὰ αὐτὰ ταῦτα συνήρεσεν· ὡς δηλοῖ τὰ γράμματα τὰ διὰ τοῦ μοι· καιρίου Σιλουανοῦ κομισθέντα ἡμῖν.

A thanasiǭ, episkopǭ Alexandreias. Emoi men exarkoun ephanē en tois proterois grammasi pros tēn sēn timiotēta tosouton endeixasthai, hoti pan to kata tēn pistin errhōmonon tou kata tēn hagian Ekklēsian Antiocheias laou eis mian symphōnian kai henōsin chrē henachthēnai, pros to dēlōsai, hoti tǭ theophilestatǭ hepiskopǭ Melitiǭ deoi ta eis merē pleiona nyn dię̄rēmena synapsai, Epei de ho autos houtos o agapētos syndiakonos hēmōn Dōrotheos enargesteran tēn peri toutōn epezētēse mnēmēn, anankaiōs episēmainometha, hoti kai pasę̄ tę̄ anatolę̄ diʼ euchēs, kai hēmin toisï pantoiōs autǭ synēmmenois epithymēton, auton idein tēn Ekklēsian dieponta rm} Kyriouo tę̄ te pistei anepilēpton onta, kaitǭ biǭ oudemian tros tous allous epidechomenon synkrisin, kai tǭ tou pantos, hōs eipein, sōmatos tēs Ekklēsias auton proestanai, ta de loipa hoion merōn apotmēmata einai. iiste pantachothen anankaion te homou kai sympheron tō andri,toutǭ synophthēnai tous allous, hōsper tois megalois tōn potamōn tous elattous; peri di tous allous genesthai tina oikonomian, tēn kakeinois prepousan, kai ton laon clpa-neuousan, kai tę̄ sę̄ synesei kai periboētǭ hantrecheią kai spoudę̄ epiballousai-Pantōs di ouk elathe sou tēn anyperblēton phronēsin, hoti hēd ē kai tois homophychois sou tois kata tēn dysin ta auta tauta synēresen; hōs dēloi ta grammata ta dia tou moi; kairiou Silouanou komisthenta hēmin.

To Athanasius, bishop of Alexandria. It seemed to me sufficient in my former letter to show your Honor this much: that all that is sound in the faith among the people of the holy church of Antioch must be brought into one agreement and union, in order to show that the parts now divided into several must be joined to the most God-beloved bishop Meletius. But since this same beloved fellow deacon of ours, Dorotheus, asked for a clearer mention of these things, we necessarily point out that it is the prayer of the whole East, and the desire of us who are joined to him in every way, to see him governing the church of the Lord, since he is irreproachable in faith and admits no comparison with the others in his life, and since he presides over what is, so to speak, the whole body of the church, while the rest are like fragments of parts. So that in every respect it is both necessary and advantageous that the others should join this man, as the lesser rivers join the great; and that some arrangement should be made for the others, one fitting for them, which will pacify the people and which befits your understanding and famous energy and zeal. It has surely not escaped your unsurpassed prudence that the same has already pleased your like-minded brothers in the West, as the letter brought to us by the blessed Silvanus shows.

Notes and citation

Summary: Basil asks Athanasius to support Meletius as the rightful bishop of Antioch, around whom the divided Nicene parties should unite.

Letter 67 (Benedictine). Meletius led the larger Nicene party at Antioch; Athanasius recognized Paulinus. Silvanus was bishop of Tarsus.

Topics: Church office

Cite (SBL): Basil, Ep. 67 (PG 32:425d–428b; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/basil-epistulae/65/#p-67). (abbreviation not yet checked)

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Chapter 68

68PG 32:428c–429a

Μελετίῳ, ἐπισκὸιιῳ ’Δντιοχείας. Τέως μὲν ἠβουλήθημεν κατασχεῖν παρʼ ἑαυτοῖς τόν εὐλαίῗέστοιτον ἀδελφὸν Δωρόθεον τὸν συνδιάκονον, ὥστε, ἐπὶ τῷ τελει τῶν πραγμάτων ᾶποπεμψιίμενοι, γνωρίσαι διʼ αὐτοῦ ἔκαστοι τῶν πεπραγμένων τῇ τιμιότητί σου. Ἐπεὶ δὲ ἡμέραν ἐξ ἡμέρας ὖπερτιθίμενοι εἰς πολὺ τοῦ χρόνου παρετάθημεν, καὶ ἅμα, ὡς ἐν ἀπόροις, βουλή τις ἡμῖν ἐνέπεσε περὶ τῶν πρα· κτέων, ἀπεστείλαμεν τὸν προειρημένον ἄνδρα και ταλαβεἰν ὑμῶν τὴν ὁσιότητα, καὶ διʼ ἑαυτοῦ τε ἀνενεγκεῖν ἕκαστα, καὶ τὸ ὑπομνηστικὸν ἡμῶν ἐπιδεῖξαι, ἵνα, εἱ φανείη χρησίμως ἔχειν τὰ παρʼ ἡμῶν ἐννοηθέντα, εἰς ἔργον ἐλθεῖν παρά τῆς ὑμετέρας τελειότητος σπουδασθείη. Ὡς δὲ συντόμως εἰπεῖν, γνώμη ἐκράτησεν ἐπὶ τήν Ῥώμην διαβῆναι τόν αὐτόν τοῦτον ἀδελφὸν ἡμῶν Δωρόθεον, διαναστῆσαι τινας τῶν ἀπὸ τῆς Ἰταλίας, πρὸς τὴν inid-italu» ἡμῶν θαλάσσῃ χρησαμένους, ἵνα τοὺς ἐμποδίζοντας διαφύγωσι. Γοὺς γὰρ παραὸυναστεύοντας τοῖς κρατοῦσιν εἶδον ιηὸὲν βουλομένους, μήτε δυναμένους ὑπομιμνήσκειν ιτῦτόν περὶ τῶν ἐκβεβλημένων, ἀλλὰ τὸ μή τι χεῖρον ἰδεῖν ἓν ταῖς ἐκκλησίαις γινόμενον κέρδος τιθεμένους. Εἰ οὖν καὶ τῇ σῇ φρονήσει χρήσιμον εἶναι τὸ βούλευμα παρασταίη, καταξιώσας καὶ ἐπιστολὰς τυπῶσαι, καὶ ὑπομνη an.ch ὑπαγορεῦσαι περὶ ὧν χρή διαλεχθῆναι αὐτὸν, καὶ πρὸς τίνας. Ὠστε δὲ ἔχειν ἀξιοπιστίαν τινὰ τὰ γράμματα, συμπαραλήψῃ πάντως τοὺς ὁμογνώμονας, κᾶν μή παρῶσι. Τὰ δʼ ἐνταῦθα ἔτι ἐστὶν ἐν ἀδήλῳ, τοῦ Εὐϊππίου παραγενομένου μὲν, μηδὲν δὲ τέως ἐκφήναντος. ’Δπιιλοῡσι μέντοι καὶ συνδρομήν τινα ὁμοτιωμόνων αὐτοῖς ἔκ τε τῆς ’Λρμενίας τῆς Τετραπόλιως καὶ ἐκ τῆς Κιλικίας.

Meletiǭ, episkoiiǭ ’Dntiocheias. Teōs men ēboulēthēmen kataschein parʼ heautois ton eulaiïestoiton adelphon Dōrotheon ton syndiakonon, hōste, epi tǭ telei tōn pragmatōn apopempsiimenoi, gnōrisai diʼ autou ekastoi tōn pepragmenōn tę̄ timiotēti sou. Epei de hēmeran ex hēmeras ypertithimenoi eis poly tou chronou paretathēmen, kai hama, hōs en aporois, boulē tis hēmin enepese peri tōn pra; kteōn, apesteilamen ton proeirēmenon andra kai talabein hymōn tēn hosiotēta, kai diʼ heautou te anenenkein hekasta, kai to hypomnēstikon hēmōn epideixai, hina, hei phaneiē chrēsimōs echein ta parʼ hēmōn ennoēthenta, eis ergon elthein para tēs hymeteras teleiotētos spoudastheiē. Hōs de syntomōs eipein, gnōmē ekratēsen epi tēn Rhōmēn diabēnai ton auton touton adelphon hēmōn Dōrotheon, dianastēsai tinas tōn apo tēs Italias, pros tēn inid-italu» hēmōn thalassę̄ chrēsamenous, hina tous empodizontas diaphygōsi. Gous gar paraounasteuontas tois kratousin eidon iēoen boulomenous, mēte dynamenous hypomimnēskein ityton peri tōn ekbeblēmenōn, alla to mē ti cheiron idein hen tais ekklēsiais ginomenon kerdos tithemenous. Ei oun kai tę̄ sę̄ phronēsei chrēsimon einai to bouleuma parastaiē, kataxiōsas kai epistolas typōsai, kai hypomnē an.ch hypagoreusai peri hōn chrē dialechthēnai auton, kai pros tinas. Ōste de echein axiopistian tina ta grammata, symparalēpsę̄ pantōs tous homognōmonas, kan mē parōsi. Ta dʼ entautha eti estin en adēlǭ, tou Euïppiou paragenomenou men, mēden de teōs ekphēnantos. ’Dpiilousi mentoi kai syndromēn tina homotiōmonōn autois ek te tēs ’Lrmenias tēs Tetrapoliōs kai ek tēs Kilikias.

To Meletius, bishop of Antioch. For a time we wished to keep our most pious brother, the deacon Dorotheus, with us, so that we might send him off when affairs were concluded and inform your Honor through him of each thing done. But since, putting it off from day to day, we have been drawn out over a long time, and at the same time, as in perplexity, some plan of action occurred to us, we have sent the aforesaid man to find your Holiness, to report each thing himself and to show our memorandum, so that, if what we have thought of appears useful, your Perfection may take steps to carry it out. To put it briefly, the opinion prevailed that this same brother of ours Dorotheus should cross over to Rome and rouse some of those from Italy to visit us, using the sea route, so as to avoid those who would hinder them. For I saw that those who are influential with the rulers neither wish nor are able to remind him about those who have been banished, but count it a gain not to see something worse happen in the churches. If, then, the plan seems useful to your prudence too, deign to draft letters and dictate a memorandum of what he should discuss and with whom. And so that the letters may have some weight, you will surely associate with yourself those of the same mind, even if they are not present. Affairs here are still uncertain: Euippius has arrived but has so far declared nothing. They threaten, however, a gathering of those who think as they do, from Tetrapolis in Armenia and from Cilicia.

Notes and citation

Summary: Basil sends Dorotheus to Meletius with a plan to ask Rome to send Italian bishops to the East, and reports on Euippius's party.

Letter 68 (Benedictine). The ruler who cannot be reminded is the emperor Valens; the banished are the exiled Nicene bishops. Euippius was a bishop of the Homoiousian/Arian party.

Cite (SBL): Basil, Ep. 68 (PG 32:428c–429a; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/basil-epistulae/65/#p-68). (abbreviation not yet checked)

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Chapter 69

69PG 32:429b–433b

Ἀθανασίῳ, ἑπισκόπῳ Ἀλεξαν δ ρ είας. 1.Ην ἐκ παλαιοῦ περὶ τῆς σης τιμιότητος ὑπόληψιν ἔσχομεν, ταύτην ό χρόνος προῖὼν ἀεὶ βεβαιοίσ μᾶλλον δὲ καὶ συναυξει ταῖς προσθήκαις τῶν κατά μέρος ἐπιγινομένων. Ὀτι τῶν μὲν ἄλλων τοῖς πλείστοις ἐξαρκεῖ τὸ καθʼ ἑαυτὸν ἕκαστον περισκοπιῖνο σοὶ δὲ οὐχ ἰκανὸν τοῦτο, ἀλλʼ ἡ μέριμνα σοι πασῶν τῶν Ἐκκλησιῶν τοσαύτη, ὅση καὶ τῆς ἰδίως παρὰ τοῦ κοινοῦ Δεσπότου ἡμῶν ἑμπιστευθείσης ἐπίκειται· ὃς γε οὐδένα χρόνον διαλείπεις διαλεγόμενος, νουθετῶν, ἐπιστέλλων, ἐκπέμπων τινὰς ἐκάστοτε τοὺς ὑποτιθεμένους τὰ βέλτιστα. Καὶ νῦν δὲ ἀπὸ τοῦ ἱεροῦ ’πληρώματος τοῦ ὑπό σὲ κλῆρον τὸν αἱδεσιμὼτατον ἀδελφὸν Πέτρον ἐκπεμφθέντα μετὰ πολλῆς χαρᾶς ἐδεξάμεθα, καὶ τόν ἀγαθὸν αὑτοῦ τῆς ἀποδημίας σκοπὸν ἀπεδεξάμεθα, ὃν ἐπιδείκνυται κατʼ ἐντολὰς τῆς σῆς τιμιότητος, τὰ ἀντιτείνοντα προσαγόμενος, καὶτὰ διεσπασμένα συνάπτων. Ὀθεν τι καὶ ἡμεῖς συμβαλέσθαι τῇ περὶ τοῦτο σπουδῇ βουληθέντες, ἐνομίσαμεν ἐπιτηδειοτάτην ἀρχὴν τοῖς πράγμασι δώσειν, εἰ, ὥσπερ ἐπὶ κορυφὴν τῶν ὅλων, τήν σὴν ἁναδράμοιμεν τελειότητα, καὶ σοὶ συμβούλῳ τε χρησαίμεθα καὶ ἡγεμόνι τῶν πράξεων. Ὅθεν καὶ τόν ἀδελφόν Δωρόθεον τὸν διάκονον τῆς ὑπὸ τόν τιμιώτατον ἐπίσκοπον Μελέτιον Ἐκκλησίας, ἀγαθῷ κεχρημένον περὶ τὴν τῆς πίστεως opθότητα ζήλῳ, καὶ ἐπιθυμοῦντα καὶ αὐτὸν τὴν εἰρήνην τῶν Ἐκκλησιῶν ἐπιδεῖν, πρὸς τὴν σὴν θεοσέβειαν Eunomia-iam, ὥστε, ταῖς σαῖς ὑποθήκαις ἀκολουθοῦντα (ἃς καὶτῷ χρόνῳ καὶ τῇ τῶν πραγμάτων πείρᾳ, καὶ τῷ ὑπὲρ τοὺς ἄλλους ἔχειν τὴν ἐκ τοῦ Πνεύματος συμβουλίαν, ἀσφαλεστέρας ποιεῖσθαι δύνασαιὶ, οὕτως ἐγχειρεῖν τοῖς σπουδαζομένοις. ‘Ov καὶ ὑποδέξη δηλονότι, καὶ προσβλέψας εἰρηνικοῖς ὀφθαλμοῖς, στηρίξας τε αὐτόν τῇ διὰ τῶν προσευχῶν βοηθείᾳ, καὶ ἐφοδιάσας γράμμασι, μᾶλλον δὲ καὶ παραζεύξας τινὰς τῶν αὐτόθεν σπουδαίων, ἐπὶ τά προκείμενα ὁδηγήσεις. Ἐφανη δὲ ἡμῖν ἀκόλουθον ἐπιστεῖλαι τῷ ἐπισκόπῳ ’1ώμης, ἐπισκέψασθαι τά ἐνταῦθα, καὶ δοῦναι γνώμην, ἶνʼ ἐπειδὴ ἀπό κοινοῦ καὶ συναδικοῠ δόγματος ἀποσταλῆναι τινας δύσκολον τῶν ἐκεῖθεν, αὑτὸν αὑθεντῆσαι περὶ τό πρᾶγμα, ἐκλεξάμενον ἄνδρας ἱκα· νοὺς μεν ὁδοιπορίας πόνους ὑπενεγκεῖν, ἱκανοὺς δὲ πραότητι καὶ εὐτονίᾳ ἤθους τοὺς ἐνδιαστρόφους τῶν παρʼ ἡμῖν νουθετῆσαι · ἐπιτηδείως δε καὶ οἰκονομικῶς κεχρημένους τῷ λόγῳ, καὶ πάντα ἔχοντας μεθʼ ἑαυτῶν τά μετά Ἀριμῖνον πεπραγμένα, ἐπὶ λύσει τῶν καττ ἀνάγκην ἐκεῖ γενομένων· καὶ τοῦτο μηδενὸς εἰδότος, ἀψοφητὶ διὰ θαλάσσης ἐπιστῆναι τοῖς ὦδε, ὑπὲρ τοῦ φθάσαι τῆν αἴσθησιν τῶν ἐχθρῶν τῆς εἰρήνης, 2. Ἐπιζητεῖται δε κάκεῖνο παρά τινων τῶν ἐντεῦθεν, ἀναγκαίως, ὡς καὶ αὑτοῖς ημῖν καταφαίνεται, τόν τῆν Μαρκέλλου αἳρεσιν αὐτοὺς ὡς χαλεπὴν καὶβλαβεράν, καὶ τῆς ὑγιαινούσης πίστεως ἀλλοτρίως ἔχουσαν, ἐξορίσαι. Ἐπεὶ μέχρι τοῦ νῦν ἐν πᾶσιν οἷς ἐπιστέλλουσι γράμμασι, τόν μεν δυσώνυμον Ἀρειον οἶνω καὶ κάτω ἀναθεματίζοντες καὶ τῶν Ἐκκλησιῶν ἐξορίζοντες οὑ διαλείπουσι· Μαρκέλλῳ δὲ, τῷ κατά διάμετρον ἐκείνῳ τῆν ἀσέβειαν ἐπιδειξαμένῳ, καὶ εἰς αὑτήν τῆν ὑπαρξίν τῆς τοὺ Μονογενους θεότητος ἀσεβήσαντι, καὶ κακῶς τῆν τοῦ Λόγου προσηγορίαν ἐκδεξαμένῳ, οὐδεμίαν μέμψιν ἐπενεγκόντες φαίνονται, Ὀς Λόγον μεν εἰρῆσθαι τόν Μονογενῆ δίδωσι, κατά χρείαν καὶ ἐπι καιροῦ προελθόντα, πάλιν δε εἰς τόν ὅθεν ἐξῆλθεν ἐπαναστρέψαντα, οὔτε πρὸ τῆς ἐξόδου εἶναι, οὔτε μετά τῆν ἐπάνοδον ὑφεστάναι, Καὶ τούτου ἀπόδειξις αἰ παρʼ ἡμῖν ἀποκειμεναι βίβλοι τῆς ἀδίκου ἐκείνης συγγραφῆς ὑπάρχουσιν. Ἀλλʼ ὅμως τοῦτον οὐδαμοῦ διαβαλόντες ἐφάνησαν, καὶ ταῦτα αἰτίαν ἔχοντες, ὣς τὸ ἐξ ἀρχῆς κατʼ ἄγνοιαν τῆς ἀληθείας, καὶ εἰς κοινωνίαν αὑτὸν ἐκκλησιαστικῆν παραδεξάμενοι. Ἐκείνου τε οὖν μνησθῆναι πρεπόντως ἀπαιτεῖτά παρόντα, ὥστε μῆ ἔχειν ἀφορμὴν, τοὺς θέλοντας ἀφορμὴν, ἐκ τοῦ τῆ σῇ ὁσιότητι συνάπτειν τοὺς ὑγιαίνοντας, καὶ τοὺς πρὸς τὴν ἀληθῆ πίστιν ὀκλάζοντας φανεροὺς πᾶσι ποιῆσαι ’ ὥστε τοϋ λοιποῦ γνωρίζειν ἡμᾶς τοὺς ὀμό- Ρροναςο καὶ μὴ, ὡς ἐν νυκτομαχίᾳ, μηδεμιαν ρίλνην καὶ πολεμίων ἔχειν διάκρισιν, Μόνον παραιαλοῦμεν εὐθὺς ὑπὸ τόν πρῶτον πλοῦν ἐκπεμφθῆναι τόν προειρημένον διάκονον, ἱνα δυνηθῇ κατὰ γοῦν τό ἐφεξῆς ἔτος γενέσθαι τι, ὧν προσευχόμεθα Ἐκεῖνο δί καὶ πρὸ τῶν ἡμετέρων λόγων συνιεῖς τε αὐτὸς καὶ φροντιεῖς δηλονότι, ὅπως ἐπιστάντες, ἕξιν 6636; θέλῃ, μὴ ίκαφῶσι ταῖς Ἐκκλησίαις τα σχίσματα, ἀλλὰ τοῦς τὰ αῦτά φρονοῦντας παντὶ τρόπῳ εἰς ἕνωσιν συνελάσωσι, κᾶν τινας ἰδίας τῶν πρός ἀλλήλους διαφορῶν ἀφορμὰς εὕρωσιν ἔχοντας ὑπὲρ τοῦ μὴ τον όρθοδοξοῦντα λαὸν εἰς πολλὰ κατατέμνεσθαι μέρη τοῖς προεστῶσι συναριστάμενον. Habita γὰρ δεῖ σπουδασαι δεύτερα ἡγήσασθαι τῆς εἰρὴης, καὶ πρὸ πάντων τῆς κατὰ Ἀντιόχειαν Ἐκκλησίας ἐπιμεληθῆναι, ὡς μὴ ἀσθενεῖν ἐν αὐτῇ τὴν ὀρθὴν μερίδα περὶ τὰ πρόσωπα σχιζομένην. Μᾶλλον δε, τούτων ἁπάντων καὶ αὐτὸς εἰς ὕστερον ἑπιμιλήση, ἐπειδὰν, ὅπερ εῦχόμεθα, Θεοῦ συνεργοῦντος σοι, πάντας λάβῃς τὰ τῆς καταστάσεως τῷν Ἐκκλη σιῶν ἐπιτρέποντας.

Athanasiǭ, hepiskopǭ Alexan d r eias. 1.Ēn ek palaiou peri tēs sēs timiotētos hypolēpsin eschomen, tautēn o chronos proiōn aei bebaiois mallon de kai synauxei tais prosthēkais tōn kata meros epiginomenōn. Oti tōn men allōn tois pleistois exarkei to kathʼ heauton hekaston periskopiino soi de ouch ikanon touto, allʼ hē merimna soi pasōn tōn Ekklēsiōn tosautē, hosē kai tēs idiōs para tou koinou Despotou hēmōn hempisteutheisēs epikeitai; hos ge oudena chronon dialeipeis dialegomenos, nouthetōn, epistellōn, ekpempōn tinas ekastote tous hypotithemenous ta beltista. Kai nyn de apo tou hierou ’plērōmatos tou hypo se klēron ton haidesimōtaton adelphon Petron ekpemphthenta meta pollēs charas edexametha, kai ton agathon hautou tēs apodēmias skopon apedexametha, hon epideiknytai katʼ entolas tēs sēs timiotētos, ta antiteinonta prosagomenos, kaita diespasmena synaptōn. Othen ti kai hēmeis symbalesthai tę̄ peri touto spoudę̄ boulēthentes, enomisamen epitēdeiotatēn archēn tois pragmasi dōsein, ei, hōsper epi koryphēn tōn holōn, tēn sēn hanadramoimen teleiotēta, kai soi symboulǭ te chrēsaimetha kai hēgemoni tōn praxeōn. Hothen kai ton adelphon Dōrotheon ton diakonon tēs hypo ton timiōtaton episkopon Meletion Ekklēsias, agathǭ kechrēmenon peri tēn tēs pisteōs opthotēta zēlǭ, kai epithymounta kai auton tēn eirēnēn tōn Ekklēsiōn epidein, pros tēn sēn theosebeian Eunomia-iam, hōste, tais sais hypothēkais akolouthounta (has kaitǭ chronǭ kai tę̄ tōn pragmatōn peirą, kai tǭ hyper tous allous echein tēn ek tou Pneumatos symboulian, asphalesteras poieisthai dynasaii, houtōs encheirein tois spoudazomenois. ‘Ov kai hypodexē dēlonoti, kai prosblepsas eirēnikois ophthalmois, stērixas te auton tę̄ dia tōn proseuchōn boētheią, kai ephodiasas grammasi, mallon de kai parazeuxas tinas tōn autothen spoudaiōn, epi ta prokeimena hodēgēseis. Ephanē de hēmin akolouthon episteilai tǭ episkopǭ ’1ōmēs, episkepsasthai ta entautha, kai dounai gnōmēn, inʼ epeidē apo koinou kai synadikou dogmatos apostalēnai tinas dyskolon tōn ekeithen, hauton hauthentēsai peri to pragma, eklexamenon andras hika; nous men hodoiporias ponous hypenenkein, hikanous de praotēti kai eutonią ēthous tous endiastrophous tōn parʼ hēmin nouthetēsai ; epitēdeiōs de kai oikonomikōs kechrēmenous tǭ logǭ, kai panta echontas methʼ heautōn ta meta Ariminon pepragmena, epi lysei tōn katt anankēn ekei genomenōn; kai touto mēdenos eidotos, apsophēti dia thalassēs epistēnai tois ōde, hyper tou phthasai tēn aisthēsin tōn echthrōn tēs eirēnēs, 2. Epizēteitai de kakeino para tinōn tōn enteuthen, anankaiōs, hōs kai hautois ēmin kataphainetai, ton tēn Markellou hairesin autous hōs chalepēn kaiblaberan, kai tēs hygiainousēs pisteōs allotriōs echousan, exorisai. Epei mechri tou nyn en pasin hois epistellousi grammasi, ton men dysōnymon Areion oinō kai katō anathematizontes kai tōn Ekklēsiōn exorizontes hou dialeipousi; Markellǭ de, tǭ kata diametron ekeinǭ tēn asebeian epideixamenǭ, kai eis hautēn tēn hyparxin tēs tou Monogenous theotētos asebēsanti, kai kakōs tēn tou Logou prosēgorian ekdexamenǭ, oudemian mempsin epenenkontes phainontai, Os Logon men eirēsthai ton Monogenē didōsi, kata chreian kai epi kairou proelthonta, palin de eis ton hothen exēlthen epanastrepsanta, oute pro tēs exodou einai, oute meta tēn epanodon hyphestanai, Kai toutou apodeixis ai parʼ hēmin apokeimenai bibloi tēs adikou ekeinēs syngraphēs hyparchousin. Allʼ homōs touton oudamou diabalontes ephanēsan, kai tauta aitian echontes, hōs to ex archēs katʼ agnoian tēs alētheias, kai eis koinōnian hauton ekklēsiastikēn paradexamenoi. Ekeinou te oun mnēsthēnai prepontōs apaiteita paronta, hōste mē echein aphormēn, tous thelontas aphormēn, ek tou tē sę̄ hosiotēti synaptein tous hygiainontas, kai tous pros tēn alēthē pistin oklazontas phanerous pasi poiēsai ’ hōste toÿ loipou gnōrizein hēmas tous omo- Rronaso kai mē, hōs en nyktomachią, mēdemian rilnēn kai polemiōn echein diakrisin, Monon paraialoumen euthys hypo ton prōton ploun ekpemphthēnai ton proeirēmenon diakonon, hina dynēthę̄ kata goun to ephexēs etos genesthai ti, hōn proseuchometha Ekeino di kai pro tōn hēmeterōn logōn synieis te autos kai phrontieis dēlonoti, hopōs epistantes, hexin 6636? thelę̄, mē ikaphōsi tais Ekklēsiais ta schismata, alla tous ta auta phronountas panti tropǭ eis henōsin synelasōsi, kan tinas idias tōn pros allēlous diaphorōn aphormas heurōsin echontas hyper tou mē ton orthodoxounta laon eis polla katatemnesthai merē tois proestōsi synaristamenon. Habita gar dei spoudasai deutera hēgēsasthai tēs eirēēs, kai pro pantōn tēs kata Antiocheian Ekklēsias epimelēthēnai, hōs mē asthenein en autę̄ tēn orthēn merida peri ta prosōpa schizomenēn. Mallon de, toutōn hapantōn kai autos eis hysteron hepimilēsē, epeidan, hoper euchometha, Theou synergountos soi, pantas labę̄s ta tēs katastaseōs tǭn Ekklē siōn epitrepontas.

To Athanasius, bishop of Alexandria. 1. The opinion we have long had of your Honor, time in its progress always confirms, or rather increases, as particular events are added. For most others it is enough to look after each his own; but for you this is not sufficient: you have as much care for all the churches as for the one entrusted to you personally by our common Master; for you never cease conversing, admonishing, writing, sending on each occasion men to suggest what is best. And now we have received with great joy our most reverend brother Peter, sent from the sacred body of the clergy under you, and have welcomed the good purpose of his journey, which he displays according to your Honor's instructions, winning over those who resist and joining what has been torn apart. So, wishing ourselves to contribute something to the effort in this matter, we thought we would give affairs the most fitting beginning if we had recourse to your Perfection as to the head of all, and used you as counselor and leader of our actions. Therefore we have sent to your Godliness our brother Dorotheus, deacon of the church under the most honored bishop Meletius, who shows good zeal for the orthodoxy of the faith and himself desires to see the peace of the churches, so that, following your suggestions (which you are able to make the safer because of your age, your experience of affairs, and your having, beyond others, counsel from the Spirit), he may thus set his hand to what is being sought. You will plainly receive him, look upon him with peaceful eyes, strengthen him with the help of your prayers, provide him with letters, or rather join to him some of the zealous men there, and guide him on to what lies before him. It seemed to us consistent to write to the bishop of Rome, to look into affairs here and give his judgment, so that, since it is difficult for any to be sent from there by a common synodal decree, he himself might exercise his authority in the matter, choosing men able to bear the labors of the journey, and able, by gentleness and firmness of character, to admonish the perverse among us; men who use speech fittingly and with discretion, and who bring with them all the acts done after Ariminum, for the annulling of what was done there under compulsion; and that this should be done without anyone's knowing it, so that they might arrive here quietly by sea, in order to forestall the notice of the enemies of peace. 2. Some here also ask, of necessity, as it seems to us too, that they should banish the heresy of Marcellus as grievous and harmful and foreign to sound faith. For until now, in all the letters they write, they do not cease anathematizing the ill-named Arius up and down and banishing him from the churches; but they appear to bring no blame against Marcellus, who displayed an impiety diametrically opposed to his, and who was impious against the very existence of the Godhead of the Only-begotten, and understood the name “Word” wrongly. He grants that the Only-begotten was called Word, as having come forth for a need and for a season, and having returned again into him from whom he came forth, and that he neither existed before the going forth nor subsists after the return. And the books of that unrighteous composition kept among us are proof of this. Yet they have nowhere appeared to censure him, and this though they are blamed for having at the beginning, through ignorance of the truth, received him into church communion. The present circumstances, then, require that he be fittingly mentioned, so that those who seek an occasion may not have one, from the fact that the sound are joined to your Holiness and that those who limp toward the true faith are made manifest to all; so that in future we may know those of like mind, and not, as in a night battle, have no means of distinguishing friends and enemies. We only urge that the aforesaid deacon be sent off at once by the first sailing, so that at least by the coming year something of what we pray for may be achieved. And this you understand even before our words and will plainly see to: that when they come, if God wills, they should not throw schisms among the churches, but should bring together into unity by every means those who think the same, even if they find some who have personal grounds for differences with one another, so that the orthodox people may not be cut into many parts by siding with their leaders. For we must count everything secondary to peace, and above all care for the church at Antioch, so that the orthodox party in it may not be weakened by being split over persons. Or rather, you yourself will care for all these things later, when, as we pray, with God's help, you have all entrusting to you the settlement of the churches.

2 Cor 11:28 (allusion, high confidence) · 2 Cor 11:12 (allusion, high confidence) · 1 Kgs 18:21 (echo, medium confidence)

Notes and citation

Summary: Basil sends Dorotheus to Athanasius, proposes asking the bishop of Rome to send envoys and to condemn Marcellus of Ancyra, and urges unity at Antioch.

Letter 69 (Benedictine). The bishop of Rome is Damasus. Ariminum: the council of 359, whose creed many Western bishops signed under pressure. Marcellus of Ancyra taught that the Word went forth from God for the work of creation and redemption and would return into him; Basil asks the West to condemn him. Scripture: 2 Cor 11:28; Titus 2:1; 2 Cor 11:12; 1 Kgs 18:21 (limping).

Notes on the original text

Digital text corrected (OCR junk): ἐξορίσαι (ΤΟ). → ἐξορίσαι..

Topics: Heresy, Church office

Cite (SBL): Basil, Ep. 69 (PG 32:429b–433b; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/basil-epistulae/65/#p-69). (abbreviation not yet checked)

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Chapter 70

70PG 32:436a–436c

ζοντας τοὺς διεστῶτας, ἣ εἰς φιλίαν τὰςἘκκλησίας τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐπανάγοντας, ἣ τοὺς γοῦν αἰτίους τῆς ἀκαταστασίας φανερωτέρονς ὑμῖν καθιστῶντας· ὥστε καὶ ὑμῖν φανερὸν εἷναιτοῦ λοιποῦ, πρὸς τινας ἔχειν τὴν κοινωνίαν προσῆκε. Πάντως δὲ οὐδὶν καις νόν ἐπιζητοῦμεν, ἀλλὰ τοῖς τε λοιποῖς τῶν πάλαι μακαρίων καὶ θεοφιλων ἀνδρῶν σύνηθες, καῖ διαφερόντως ὑμῖν. Οἴδαμεν γὰρ, μνήμης ἀκολουθίᾳ, ἡμῶν αἱτηθέντων, καὶ ἀπὸ παρὰ τῶν πατέρων γραμμάτων τῶν ἔτι καὶ νῦν πεφυλάγμένων παρʼ ἡμῖν, διδασκόμενοι, Διονύσιον ἐκεῖνον, τὸν μακαριώτατον ἐπίσκοπον, παρʼ ὑμῖν ἐπί τε ὀρθότητι πίστεως καὶ τῇ λοιπῆ ἁρετῇ διαπρέψαντα. ὶπισκεπτόμενον διὰ γραμμάτων τὴν ἡμετέραν Ἐκκλησίαν τῶν Καισαρέων, καὶ παρακαλοῦντα τοὺς πατέρας ἡμῶν διὰ γραμμάτων, καὶ πέμπειν τοὺς ἄπολυτρουμένους ὲκ τῆς αἰχμαλωσίας τὴν ἀδελφότητα, Ἐν χαλεπωτέοῳ δὲ νῦν καὶ σκυθρωποτέρῳ τὰ καθʼ ἡμᾶς, καὶ πλείονος δεόμενα τῆς ἐπιμελείας. Οὐ γὰρ οἰκοδομημάτων γηΐνων καταστροφὴν, ἀλλʼ Ἐκκλησιῶν ἅλω· δουλείαν σωματικὴν, σιν ὀδυρόμεθα· οὐδε δουλείαν σωματικὴν, ἀλλʼ αἰχμαλωσίαν ψυχῶν καθʼ ἑκάστην ἡμέραν ἐνεργουμένην παρὰ τῶν ὑπερμαχοῦντων τῆς αἱρέσεως καθ-

zontas tous diestōtas, hē eis philian tasEkklēsias tou Theou epanagontas, hē tous goun aitious tēs akatastasias phanerōterons hymin kathistōntas; hōste kai hymin phaneron heinaitou loipou, pros tinas echein tēn koinōnian prosēke. Pantōs de oudin kais non epizētoumen, alla tois te loipois tōn palai makariōn kai theophilōn andrōn synēthes, kai diapherontōs hymin. Oidamen gar, mnēmēs akolouthią, hēmōn haitēthentōn, kai apo para tōn paterōn grammatōn tōn eti kai nyn pephylagmenōn parʼ hēmin, didaskomenoi, Dionysion ekeinon, ton makariōtaton episkopon, parʼ hymin epi te orthotēti pisteōs kai tę̄ loipē haretę̄ diaprepsanta. ipiskeptomenon dia grammatōn tēn hēmeteran Ekklēsian tōn Kaisareōn, kai parakalounta tous pateras hēmōn dia grammatōn, kai pempein tous apolytroumenous ek tēs aichmalōsias tēn adelphotēta, En chalepōteoǭ de nyn kai skythrōpoterǭ ta kathʼ hēmas, kai pleionos deomena tēs epimeleias. Ou gar oikodomēmatōn gēïnōn katastrophēn, allʼ Ekklēsiōn halō; douleian sōmatikēn, sin odyrometha; oude douleian sōmatikēn, allʼ aichmalōsian psychōn kathʼ hekastēn hēmeran energoumenēn para tōn hypermachountōn tēs haireseōs kath-

… setting at one those who are divided, or bringing the churches of God back to friendship, or at least making the causes of the disturbance more manifest to you, so that it may be clear to you too in future with whom you ought to be in communion. We are asking nothing new, but what was customary for the blessed and God-beloved men of old, and especially for you. For we know, by the sequence of memory, when we were asked, and taught by the letters of our fathers which are still preserved among us, that that most blessed bishop Dionysius, eminent among you both for orthodoxy of faith and for the rest of virtue, visited by letter our church of Caesarea, and consoled our fathers by letter, and sent men to ransom the brothers from captivity. But our affairs are now in a harder and gloomier state and need more care. For we lament not the overthrow of earthly buildings, but the capture of churches; not bodily slavery, but the captivity of souls worked every day by the champions of heresy …

Textual problem in this passage: see the notes.

Notes and citation

Summary: Fragment: Basil asks the bishop of Rome to send help to the East, recalling Dionysius of Rome's care for Caesarea in a former crisis.

Letter 70 (Benedictine), without address, to Damasus bishop of Rome. Its heading and opening, and its end, are lost in the scan (“…”). The Dionysius mentioned is Dionysius bishop of Rome (259–268), who sent men to ransom Cappadocian Christians captured by the Goths (or Scythians).

Cite (SBL): Basil, Ep. 70 (PG 32:436a–436c; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/basil-epistulae/65/#p-70). (abbreviation not yet checked)

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Chapter 71

71PG 32:436c–440a

Γρηγορίῳ Βασίλειος. Ι. Ἐδεξάμηντά γράμματα τῆς σῆς εὐλαβείας διὰ το) αἱδεσιμωτάτον ἀδελφοῦ Ἐλληνίουʼ καὶ ὃσα ἐνέφηνας ἡμῖν, αὐτὸς ταῦτα γυμνῶς διηγήσατο. Ἀκούσαντες δὲ ὅπως διετέθημεν, οὐκ ἀμφιβάλλεις πάντως. Πλὴν ἀλλʼ ἐπειδὴ ἐκρίναμεν πάσης λύπης ἀνωτέραν ποιεῖσθαι τὴν πρὸς σὲ ἀγάπην ἐδεξάμεθα καὶ ταῦτα ὡς ἦν προσῆκον, καὶ εὐχόμεθα τῷ ἁγίῳ Θεῷ, τὰς λειπομένας ἡμέρας ἡ ὧρας οὕτω διαφυλαχθῆναι ἐν τῇ περὶ σὲ διαθέσει, ὡς καὶ ἐν τῷ κατόπιν χρόνῳ, ἐν ᾧ οὐδὲν ἡμῖν αὐτοῖς οὔτε μικρὸν οὔτε μεῖζον ἐλλελοιπόσι συνέγνωμεν. Εἰ δὲ ὁ δεῖνα ἄρτι παρακύψαι γιλοτιμσύμενος πρὸς τὸν βίον τῶι Χριστιανῶν, εἶτα οἰόμενος αὐτῷ σεμνότητά τινα φέριιν τὸ ἡμῖν συνανατρίβεσθαι ο ἄ τε οὐκ ἤκουσε κατασκευάζει, καὶ ἃ μὴ ἐνόησεν ἐξηγεῖται, θαυμαστὸν οὐδέν. Ἀλλʼ ἐκεῖνο θαυμαστὸν καὶ παράδοξον, ὅτι τούτων ἀκροατὰς ἔχει τοὺς γνησιωτάτους μοι τῶν παρʼ ὑμῖν ἀδελφῶν· καὶ οὐκ ἀκροατὰς μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ μαθητὰς, ὡς ἔοικεν. Εἴ γε καὶ ἄλλως ἧν παρα·δοζον τοιοῦτον μὲν εἶναι τόν διδάσκοντα, ἐμὲ δε τὸν δ ιασυρὸμενον, ἀλλʼ οὖν τῶν καιρῶν ἡ καταστροφὴ ἐπαίδευσεν ἡμᾶς πρὸς μηδὲν δυσκολαίνειν. Πάλαι γὰρ τὰ τούτων ἀτιμότερα συνήθη ἡμῖν γέγονε διὰ τὰς ἁμαρτίας ἡμῶν, Ἐγὼ τοίνυν, εἰ οὐδέπω τοῖς αὖτοῡ ἀδελφοῖς δέδωκα πεῖραν τῆς ἐμαυτοῦ περὶ τὸν Θεόν αἱρέσεως, οὐδὲ νῦν ἔχω τι ἀποκρίνασθαι ο οὓς γὰρ οὐκ ἔπεισεν ὁ μακρὸς χρόνος, πῶς συμπείσει ἐπιστολὴ βραχεῖα; εἰ δε ἐκεῖνα αὐτάρκη, λῆpet νομιζέτθωσαν τὰ παρὰ τῶν διαβαλλόντων. Πλήν γε ὅτι, ἐὰν ἕπιτρέψωμεν στόμασιν ἀχαλινώτοις, καὶ καρδίαις ἀπαιδεύτοις λαλεῖν περὶ ὢν ἂν ἐθέλωσιν, καὶ ἕτοιμα ἔχωμεν πρὸς ὑποδοχὴν τὰ ὦτα, οὐ μόνον ἡμεῖς τὰ τῶν ἄλλων παραδεξόμεθα, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἕτεροι τὰ ἡμέτερα. 2. Τούτων δι αἴτιον ἐκεῖνο, ὃ πάλάι μὲν παρεκάλονν μή γίνεσθαι, νῦν δὲ ἀπαγορεύσας σιωπῶ, τὸ μὴ συντυγχάνειν ἡμᾶς ἀλλήλοις. Εἰ γὰρ κατὰ τὰς ἀρχαίας συνθήκας, καὶ κατὰ τὴν ὀφειλομένην νῦν ταῖς Ἐκκλησίαις παρʼ ἡμῶν ἐπιμελειαν τὰ πολλᾶ τοῦ immo-3 μετʼ ἀλλήλων διήγομεν, οὐκ ἂν ἐδώκαμεν πάροδον τοῖς διαβάλλουσι. Σὺ δε, εὶ δοκεῖ, τούτους μεν ἔα χαίρειν · αὐτὸς δὲ παρακλήθητι συγκάμνειν ἡμῖν εἰς τὸν προκείμινον ἀγῶνα, καὶ συντυχεῖν μεθʼ ἡμῶν τῷ καθʼ ἡμῶν στρατευομένῳ. Εἰ γὰρ ὀφθῇ ς μόνον, ἐφέξεις αὐτοῦ τὴν ὁρμὴν, καὶ τοὺς συγιροτουμινους ἐπὶ τῷ καταστρέψασθαι τὰ τῆς πατρίδος πράγματα διαλύσεις, ’γνώριμον αὐτοῖς κα·fdo-11301;, ὅτι αὐτὸς τῇ τοῦ Θεοῦ χάριτι τοῦ καθʼ ἡμᾶς συλλόγου κατάρχεις ο καὶ φράζεις πᾶν ἄδικον στόμα τῶν λαλούντων κατὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ ἀνομίαν. Ἀν ταῦτα γένηται, αὐτὰ τὰ ἱιῖράγματα δείξει, τίς μεν 6 κατακολουθῶν σοι ἄτη τὰ κατᾶ, τίς δὴ ό μετοκλάζων καὶ προδιδοὺς δειλιςί τὸν λόγον τῆς ἀληθείαςε Ἐὰν δὲ τὰ τῆς Ἐκιιλησίας ῇρὸδιδόμὲνα, ὀλίγος μοι λόγος διὰ ῥήμάτων πείθειν τούς τοσούτου με τι· θεμένους ἄξιον, ὅσον ἂν τιμήσανται ἄνθρωποι οὔπω ﬁxura-3c μετρεῖν δεδιδαγμὲνόῖ. Μετʼ οὖ πολὺ γὰρ, τῇ τοῦ Θεοῦ χάριτι διὰ τῶν ἦόγων ἀττόδειξις τάς συnaenia; ίλίοιξει · διότι προσδοκῶμεν ὑπὲρ τοῦ λὸγὸν τῆς ἀληθείας τάχα μέν τι καὶ μεῖζον πείσε σθαι εἰ δι μὴ, πάντως ’7': τῶν ’ἐκκλὴσίῶν καὶ τῶν πατρίδων ἀπελαθήσεσθαι. Ἐὰν δὲ καί μηδεν τῶν λπιζομένων γένηται, ού μακράν ἔστι τό τού Χριιʼτοῦ δικαστήριον. Ὠστε, εἰ μὲν τὴν συντυχίαν διὰ

Grēgoriǭ Basileios. I. Edexamēnta grammata tēs sēs eulabeias dia to) haidesimōtaton adelphou Ellēniouʼ kai hosa enephēnas hēmin, autos tauta gymnōs diēgēsato. Akousantes de hopōs dietethēmen, ouk amphiballeis pantōs. Plēn allʼ epeidē ekrinamen pasēs lypēs anōteran poieisthai tēn pros se agapēn edexametha kai tauta hōs ēn prosēkon, kai euchometha tǭ hagiǭ Theǭ, tas leipomenas hēmeras hē hōras houtō diaphylachthēnai en tę̄ peri se diathesei, hōs kai en tǭ katopin chronǭ, en hǭ ouden hēmin autois oute mikron oute meizon elleloiposi synegnōmen. Ei de ho deina arti parakypsai gilotimsymenos pros ton bion tōi Christianōn, eita oiomenos autǭ semnotēta tina pheriin to hēmin synanatribesthai o a te ouk ēkouse kataskeuazei, kai ha mē enoēsen exēgeitai, thaumaston ouden. Allʼ ekeino thaumaston kai paradoxon, hoti toutōn akroatas echei tous gnēsiōtatous moi tōn parʼ hymin adelphōn; kai ouk akroatas monon, alla kai mathētas, hōs eoiken. Ei ge kai allōs hēn para;dozon toiouton men einai ton didaskonta, eme de ton d iasyromenon, allʼ oun tōn kairōn hē katastrophē epaideusen hēmas pros mēden dyskolainein. Palai gar ta toutōn atimotera synēthē hēmin gegone dia tas hamartias hēmōn, Egō toinyn, ei oudepō tois autou adelphois dedōka peiran tēs emautou peri ton Theon haireseōs, oude nyn echō ti apokrinasthai o hous gar ouk epeisen ho makros chronos, pōs sympeisei epistolē bracheia? ei de ekeina autarkē, lēpet nomizetthōsan ta para tōn diaballontōn. Plēn ge hoti, ean hepitrepsōmen stomasin achalinōtois, kai kardiais apaideutois lalein peri ōn an ethelōsin, kai hetoima echōmen pros hypodochēn ta ōta, ou monon hēmeis ta tōn allōn paradexometha, alla kai heteroi ta hēmetera. 2. Toutōn di aition ekeino, ho palai men parekalonn mē ginesthai, nyn de apagoreusas siōpō, to mē syntynchanein hēmas allēlois. Ei gar kata tas archaias synthēkas, kai kata tēn opheilomenēn nyn tais Ekklēsiais parʼ hēmōn epimeleian ta polla tou immo-3 metʼ allēlōn diēgomen, ouk an edōkamen parodon tois diaballousi. Sy de, ei dokei, toutous men ea chairein ; autos de paraklēthēti synkamnein hēmin eis ton prokeiminon agōna, kai syntychein methʼ hēmōn tǭ kathʼ hēmōn strateuomenǭ. Ei gar ophthę̄ s monon, ephexeis autou tēn hormēn, kai tous sygirotouminous epi tǭ katastrepsasthai ta tēs patridos pragmata dialyseis, ’gnōrimon autois ka;fdo-11301?, hoti autos tę̄ tou Theou chariti tou kathʼ hēmas syllogou katarcheis o kai phrazeis pan adikon stoma tōn lalountōn kata tou Theou anomian. An tauta genētai, auta ta hiiiragmata deixei, tis men 6 katakolouthōn soi atē ta kata, tis dē o metoklazōn kai prodidous deilisi ton logon tēs alētheiase Ean de ta tēs Ekiilēsias ę̄rodidomena, oligos moi logos dia rhēmatōn peithein tous tosoutou me ti; themenous axion, hoson an timēsantai anthrōpoi oupō ﬁxura-3c metrein dedidagmenoi. Metʼ ou poly gar, tę̄ tou Theou chariti dia tōn ēogōn attodeixis tas synaenia? ilioixei ; dioti prosdokōmen hyper tou logon tēs alētheias tacha men ti kai meizon peise sthai ei di mē, pantōs ’7': tōn ’ekklēsiōn kai tōn patridōn apelathēsesthai. Ean de kai mēden tōn lpizomenōn genētai, ou makran esti to tou Chriiʼtou dikastērion. Ōste, ei men tēn syntychian dia

Basil to Gregory. 1. I received the letter of your Piety through our most reverend brother Hellenius; and all that you indicated to us he himself told us plainly. How we were affected on hearing it, you surely do not doubt. Nevertheless, since we decided to put our love for you above all grief, we received this too as was fitting, and we pray to the holy God that our remaining days or hours may be kept in the same disposition toward you as in the past, in which we are conscious of having failed in nothing, small or great. And if So-and-so, who has lately ventured to take a peep at the life of Christians, and then thinks it brings him some dignity to rub shoulders with us, invents what he has not heard and explains what he has not understood, it is no wonder. But this is wonderful and strange: that he has as his hearers the most genuine of my brothers among you; and not only hearers, but, it seems, disciples. And though it would in any case have been strange that such a man should be the teacher and I the one disparaged, yet the overturning of the times has taught us to be vexed at nothing. For long ago things more dishonorable than these have become usual to us because of our sins. So, if I have not yet given the brothers proof of my choice concerning God, I have nothing to answer now either; for those whom a long time has not persuaded, how will a short letter persuade? But if those proofs are sufficient, let them count the words of the slanderers as nonsense. However, if we allow unbridled mouths and untaught hearts to speak about whatever they wish, and keep our ears ready to receive them, not only shall we accept the stories of others, but others will accept those about us. 2. The cause of this is what I long urged should not happen, but now, having given up, I keep silent about: that we do not meet one another. For if, according to our old agreements and according to the care we now owe to the churches, we spent most of the year together, we would not have given entry to the slanderers. But you, if you think fit, let them go; and yourself be pleased to labor with us in the contest before us, and to meet with us the man who is campaigning against us. For if you are only seen, you will check his onset, and break up those who are being gathered to overturn the affairs of our homeland, by making it known to them that you, by the grace of God, lead our assembly, and that you stop every unjust mouth of those who speak lawlessness against God. If this happens, the facts themselves will show who follows you in all things, and who limps and betrays the word of truth through cowardice. But if the affairs of the Church are betrayed, I care little to persuade by words those who value me at as much as men may value who have not yet learned to measure themselves. For before long, by God's grace, the proof through deeds will refute the slanders; since we expect, for the word of truth, perhaps to suffer something greater, and if not, at least to be driven from the churches and our homelands. And if none of what is expected happens, the judgment seat of Christ is not far off. So, if you seek the meeting for the sake of …

Textual problem in this passage: see the notes.

Ps 63:11 (62:12 LXX) (allusion, high confidence) · 2 Cor 10:12 (allusion, medium confidence) · 2 Cor 5:10 (allusion, high confidence)

Notes and citation

Summary: Basil answers Gregory of Nazianzus about slanders spread by a newcomer, urges that they meet more often, and asks Gregory to stand with him against the coming opponent.

Letter 71 (Benedictine), to Gregory of Nazianzus. A Migne footnote (with a Latin rendering) had leaked into section 2 and is removed by a logged correction. The end of the letter is lost in the scan (“…”). The opponent is probably the emperor Valens's agent or the Arian bishops. Scripture: Ps 63:11 (LXX 62:12); 2 Cor 10:12; 2 Cor 5:10.

Notes on the original text

Digital text corrected (leaked apparatus (footnote with Latin rendering)): καὶ τῶν ιεῧ) Τὸν. διδάσκοντος. τοιούτους δξ τοὺς ἀνεχομένονς,ίει]ηίνιιιηιωερε tales esSe eos qui τατρίδων → καὶ τῶν πατρίδων.

Cite (SBL): Basil, Ep. 71 (PG 32:436c–440a; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/basil-epistulae/65/#p-71). (abbreviation not yet checked)

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Chapter 72

72PG 32:440a–440c

Ἡσυχίῳ. Οἶδά σου καὶ τὴν πρός ἡμᾶς ἁγαπην, καὶ τήν περὶ τὰ καλὰ σπουδήν. Διόπερ χρῄζων δυσωπῆσαι τόν ποθεινότατον υἱόν Καλλισθένην, ἡγησάμην, εἰ ιοινωνόν σε λάβοιμι τῆς φροντίδος, ῥᾷον κατορθώσειν τό σπουδαζόμενον, Λελύπηται ό ἀνὴρ κατὰ τοῦ λογιωτάτου Εὗστοχίου · καὶ λελύπηται δικαίαν λύπην. Ἐγκαλεί ούτού τοῖς οἰκέταις θράσος κατʼ αύτού καὶ ἀπόνοιαν. Τοῦτον ἀξιοῦμεν παρακληθῆναι, ἆρκεσθξντα τῷ φόβῳ, ὃν ἐφόβησεν αύτούς τε τούς θρασυνοαένους καὶ τούς τούτων δεσπότας, καταλῦσαι τὴν φιλονεικίαν, δόντα τὴν χάριν. Ούτω γὰρ ἀμφότερα ὑπάρξει· καὶ τό παρὰ ἀνθρώποις σεμνόν, καὶ τὸ ποιρά Θεῷ εὐδόκιμον, ἐὰν τῷ φόβῳ θελήσῃ τό μακρόθυμον ἁναμίξαι. Αὐτός τε οὖν, εἶ τις σοι προῦπάρχει φιλία πρὸς τὸν ἄνδρα καὶ συνήθεια, αἴτησον παρʼ αὐτοῦ τὴν χάριν ταύτην · καὶ οὓς ἑὰν γνῷς ἓν τῇ πόλει δυμαμένους αὐτόν δυσὶ ωπῆσαι, κοινωνοὺς λάβε τῆς φροντίδος, εἰπὼν αὖ· τοῖς, ὅτι τό γινόμενον ἐμοὶ μάλιστα κεχαρισμένον ἔσται. Καὶ ἀπόπεμψαι τὸν συνδιάκονον πράξαντα.r Ο ὧν ἕνεκεν ἀπεστάλη. Αἰσχύνομαι γὰρ, καταφυγόντων πρὸς με τῶν ἀνθρώπων, μὴ δυνηθῆναι αὗτοῖς γενέσθαι τι χρήσιμον.

Hēsychiǭ. Oida sou kai tēn pros hēmas hagapēn, kai tēn peri ta kala spoudēn. Dioper chrę̄zōn dysōpēsai ton potheinotaton huion Kallisthenēn, hēgēsamēn, ei ioinōnon se laboimi tēs phrontidos, rhąon katorthōsein to spoudazomenon, Lelypētai o anēr kata tou logiōtatou Heustochiou ; kai lelypētai dikaian lypēn. Enkalei outou tois oiketais thrasos katʼ autou kai aponoian. Touton axioumen paraklēthēnai, arkesthxnta tǭ phobǭ, hon ephobēsen autous te tous thrasynoaenous kai tous toutōn despotas, katalysai tēn philoneikian, donta tēn charin. Outō gar amphotera hyparxei; kai to para anthrōpois semnon, kai to poira Theǭ eudokimon, ean tǭ phobǭ thelēsę̄ to makrothymon hanamixai. Autos te oun, ei tis soi prouparchei philia pros ton andra kai synētheia, aitēson parʼ autou tēn charin tautēn ; kai hous hean gnǭs hen tę̄ polei dymamenous auton dysi ōpēsai, koinōnous labe tēs phrontidos, eipōn au; tois, hoti to ginomenon emoi malista kecharismenon estai. Kai apopempsai ton syndiakonon praxanta.r O hōn heneken apestalē. Aischynomai gar, kataphygontōn pros me tōn anthrōpōn, mē dynēthēnai hautois genesthai ti chrēsimon.

To Hesychius. I know both your love for us and your zeal for what is good. So, needing to prevail upon our most dear son Callisthenes, I thought that if I took you as a sharer in the task, I would more easily achieve what I am eager for. The man has been aggrieved against the most learned Eustochius, and aggrieved with a just grievance. He accuses his servants of insolence and recklessness toward him. We ask that he be urged to be content with the fear with which he has frightened both the insolent servants and their masters, and to end the quarrel by granting this favor. For so he will have both: dignity before men and approval before God, if he is willing to mix long-suffering with fear. So, if you have any previous friendship and acquaintance with the man, ask him yourself for this favor; and whomever you know in the city able to prevail on him, take them as sharers in the task, telling them that what is done will be especially gratifying to me. And send back our fellow deacon having accomplished what he was sent for. For I am ashamed if, when men have taken refuge with me, I cannot be of any use to them.

Notes and citation

Summary: Basil asks Hesychius to help persuade Callisthenes to forgive the servants of Eustochius.

Letter 72 (Benedictine).

Cite (SBL): Basil, Ep. 72 (PG 32:440a–440c; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/basil-epistulae/65/#p-72). (abbreviation not yet checked)

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Chapter 73

73PG 32:440d–444b

Καλλισθένει. i. Πύχαρίστησα τῷ Θεῷ τοῖς γράμμασιν ἕντυχών τῆς εὐγενείας σουο πρῶτον μὶν, ὃτι ἀνδρὸς τιμᾷν ἡμᾶς προαιρουμένου ἀφίκετό μοι προσηγορία · καὶ γὰρ πολλοῦ ἀξίαν τιθέμεθα τῶν ἀρίστων ὄινδρῶν την συντυχίαν· δεύτερον δε εἰς εὐφροσύνην, το μνήμης ἀγαθῆς τυγχάνειν. Σύμβολον μνήμης γράμματα, οἷπερ ἕπειδή ἐδεξάμην, καὶ κατέμαθον τόν ἐν αὐτοῖς νοῦν, ἐθαύμασα ὅπως τῷ ὄντι κατὰ τὴν πάντων υποληψιν, πατρικὴν ἀπένειμε τὴν αἰδῶ. Τὸ γὰρ φλεγμαίνοντα καὶ ὠργισμένον, καὶ ὁρμήσαντα πρὸς τὴν τῶν λελυπηκότων ἄμυναν, παραλῦσαι μὲν τό πολῦ τῆς σῳοδρότητος, ἡμᾶς δί τοῦ πράγματος κυρίους ποιήσασθαι, ἔδωκεν ἡμῖν εὐφρανθῆναι ὡς ἐπὶ τέκνῳ πνευματικῷ. ’Δντὶ οὖν τούτων τί ἄλλο λειπόμενόν ἐστιν ἢ εὔχεσθαί σοι τα ἀγαθάς φίλοις μέν σε ἣδιστον εἶναι, ἐχθροῖς δὲ φοβερόν, πᾶσι δε όμοῖως αἰδέσιμον, ἳνα καὶ οἱ τῶν προσηκόντων τι ἐλλελοιπότες, αἴσθησιν λαβόντες τῆς ἐν σοὶ πραότητος, ἑαυτῶν καθάψωνται, ὅτι εἰς τοιοῦτόν σε ὄντα ἐξήμαρτον. 2. Ἐπειδή οὖν προσέταξας τοὺς οἰκετας ἐπὶ τόν τύπόν ἐν τὴν ἀταξίαν ἐπεδείξαντο διαχθῆναι, ἆξιῶ τόν σκοπόν μαθεῖν, καθʼ ὃν ἐπιζητεῖ τοῦτο ἡ χρηστότης σου. Εἰ μὲν γὰρ αὐτὸς παρέσῃ, καὶ αὐτὸς εἰσπράξη τῶν τετολμημένων τὴν δίκην, παρέσονται μὶν οἱ παῖδες· τί γὰρ ἄλλο δεῖ γενέσθαι, εἰ τοῦτό σοι κέκριται; πλὴν ἀλλʼ ἡμεῖς οὐκ οἴδαμεν ποίαν ἔτι χάριν εἰληφότες ἰσόμεθα, ἐάν περ μὴ έξαρκέσωμεν ἐξελέσθαι τοὺς παῖδας τῆς τιμωρίας. Εἰ δὲ αὐτόν σε ἡ ἐπὶ τῆς λεωφόρου ἀσχολία καθέξει, τίς ό ὑποδεχόμενος ἐκεῖ τοὺς ἀνθρώπους; τίς δὲ ὀ μέλλων αὐτοὺς ἀντὶ σοῦ ἀμύνεσθαι; Ἀλλʼ εἰ δοκεῖ σοι ἐλθεῖν αὐτοὺς εἰς ὄψιν, καὶ τοῦτο πάντως κέκριταεχ μέχρι Σασίμων κέλευσον γενέσθαι αὐτῶν τὴν παράστασιν, καὶ αὑτοῦ δεῖξον σεαυτοῦ τό πρᾶον τοῦ ἤθους καὶ μεγαλόθυμον. Λαβὼν γὰρ ὑποχειρίους τοὺς παροξύναντας, καὶ έν τούτῳ τό εὐκαταφρόνητον τῆ ς σεαυτοῦ ἀξίας ἐπιδειξάμενος, ἄφες αὐτοὺς ἀβλαβεῖς, ὡς έν τοῖς προτέροις γράμμασι παρεκαλέσαμεν, ἡμῖν με) διδοὺς τὴν χάριν, παρὰ δὲ Θεοῦ τὴν ἐφʼ οἷς ποιεῖς ἀντίδοσιν ἐκδεχόμενος. 3. Kal. ταῦτα λέγω, οὐχ ὡς οὕτωςʼόφείλοντος τελεσθῆναι τοῦ πράγματος, ἀλλὰ σννινδ ιδ οὺς τῇ ὁρμῇ σου, καὶ φοβούμενος μή τι ὑπολείπηται ἄπεπτον τοῦ θυμοῦ, καὶ ὥσπερ ἐπὶ τῶν φλεγμαινόντων ὀφθαλμῶν καὶ τὰ ἁπαλώτατα τῶν βοηθημάτων ὀδυνηρὰ φαίνεται, οὕτω καὶ νῦν ό ἡμέτερος λόγος έξαγριάνῃ σε μᾶλλον ἦ καταστείλῃ. Ἐπεὶ τό εὐπρεπέστατον ἧν, καί σοὶ μέγιστον κόσμον ἐνεγκεῖν δυνάμενον, καὶ ἐμοὶ ἀρκοῦν πρὸς τοὺς ἐμαυτοῦ φίλους καὶ ἡλικιώτας εἰς σεμνολόγημα, τό ἡμῖν ἐπιτραπῆναι τὴν ἐκδίκησιν. Πάντως δὲ εἰ καὶ ὀμώμοσταί σοι δοῦναι αὐτοὺς εἰς τιμωρίαν κατά τοὺς νόμους, οὔτε ἡ παρʼ ἡμῶν ἐπιτίμησις ἐλάττων ἐστὶν εἰς ἱκδίκησιν, οὔτε ὁ θεῖος νόμος ἀτιμότερος τῶν ἐμπολιτευομένων τῷ βίῳ νομίμων. Ἀλʼ ἦν δυνατόν αὐτοὺς, ἐνταῦθα ἐπιστραφέντας τοῖς ἡμετέροις νομίμοις, ἐν οἷς καὶ αὐτὸς τὴν ἐλπίδα ἔχεις τῆς σωτηρίας, καὶ σε τῆς ἐπὶ τῷ ὅρκῳ ἀνάγκης ἐλευθερῶσαι, καὶ αὐτους σύμμετρον τοῖς ἡμαρτημένοις ἐκπληρῶσαι τὴν δ iam. Ἀλλὰ πάλιν μοι· κρὰν ποιῶ τὴν ἐπιστολήν. Ὑπὸ γὰρ τοῦ σφόδρα σπουδάζειν πιθανός σοι γενέσθαι, οὐδὲν τῶν εἰς διάνοιαν ἐρχομένων ἀποσιωπῆσαι ἀνέχομαι ο γοβούμενος μὴ παρὰ τοῦτο ἄπρακτος μοι ἡ αἴτησις γένηται, ἐλλιπῶς μοῡ τὴν διδασκαλίαν ποιησαμένου. ’Λ).λʼ, ὡ τιμιώτατον καὶ γνήσιον θρέμμα τῆς Ἐκκλησίας, βεβαίωσον καὶ ἐμοὶ τὰς ἐλπίδας, ἃς ἔχω νῦν ἐπὶ σοὶ, καὶ τὰς πάντων σκωμφωνως περὶ τῆς σῆς ἓμμελείαςκαὶ πραότητοςπαρτνρίας, καὶ ἔπίστιιλον τῷ στρατιώτῃ ἀπαλλαγῆναι ἡμῶν ἓν τάχει, ὃς νῦν ’γε οὐδὲν ἆπαχθείας, οὐδὲ ὕβρεως ἐ).λέλοιπε, μᾶλλον αἱρούμενος σε μὴ λυπῆσαι ἣ πάντας ἡμᾶς οἰκείους ἔχειν καὶ φίλους.

Kallisthenei. i. Pycharistēsa tǭ Theǭ tois grammasin hentychōn tēs eugeneias souo prōton min, hoti andros timąn hēmas proairoumenou aphiketo moi prosēgoria ; kai gar pollou axian tithemetha tōn aristōn oindrōn tēn syntychian; deuteron de eis euphrosynēn, to mnēmēs agathēs tynchanein. Symbolon mnēmēs grammata, hoiper hepeidē edexamēn, kai katemathon ton en autois noun, ethaumasa hopōs tǭ onti kata tēn pantōn ypolēpsin, patrikēn apeneime tēn aidō. To gar phlegmainonta kai ōrgismenon, kai hormēsanta pros tēn tōn lelypēkotōn amynan, paralysai men to poly tēs sǭodrotētos, hēmas di tou pragmatos kyrious poiēsasthai, edōken hēmin euphranthēnai hōs epi teknǭ pneumatikǭ. ’Dnti oun toutōn ti allo leipomenon estin ē euchesthai soi ta agathas philois men se hēdiston einai, echthrois de phoberon, pasi de omoiōs aidesimon, hina kai hoi tōn prosēkontōn ti elleloipotes, aisthēsin labontes tēs en soi praotētos, heautōn kathapsōntai, hoti eis toiouton se onta exēmarton. 2. Epeidē oun prosetaxas tous oiketas epi ton typon en tēn ataxian epedeixanto diachthēnai, axiō ton skopon mathein, kathʼ hon epizētei touto hē chrēstotēs sou. Ei men gar autos paresę̄, kai autos eispraxē tōn tetolmēmenōn tēn dikēn, paresontai min hoi paides; ti gar allo dei genesthai, ei touto soi kekritai? plēn allʼ hēmeis ouk oidamen poian eti charin eilēphotes isometha, ean per mē exarkesōmen exelesthai tous paidas tēs timōrias. Ei de auton se hē epi tēs leōphorou ascholia kathexei, tis o hypodechomenos ekei tous anthrōpous? tis de o mellōn autous anti sou amynesthai? Allʼ ei dokei soi elthein autous eis opsin, kai touto pantōs kekritaech mechri Sasimōn keleuson genesthai autōn tēn parastasin, kai hautou deixon seautou to praon tou ēthous kai megalothymon. Labōn gar hypocheirious tous paroxynantas, kai en toutǭ to eukataphronēton tē s seautou axias epideixamenos, aphes autous ablabeis, hōs en tois proterois grammasi parekalesamen, hēmin me) didous tēn charin, para de Theou tēn ephʼ hois poieis antidosin ekdechomenos. 3. Kal. tauta legō, ouch hōs houtōsʼopheilontos telesthēnai tou pragmatos, alla snnind id ous tę̄ hormę̄ sou, kai phoboumenos mē ti hypoleipētai apepton tou thymou, kai hōsper epi tōn phlegmainontōn ophthalmōn kai ta hapalōtata tōn boēthēmatōn odynēra phainetai, houtō kai nyn o hēmeteros logos exagrianę̄ se mallon ē katasteilę̄. Epei to euprepestaton hēn, kai soi megiston kosmon enenkein dynamenon, kai emoi arkoun pros tous emautou philous kai hēlikiōtas eis semnologēma, to hēmin epitrapēnai tēn ekdikēsin. Pantōs de ei kai omōmostai soi dounai autous eis timōrian kata tous nomous, oute hē parʼ hēmōn epitimēsis elattōn estin eis hikdikēsin, oute ho theios nomos atimoteros tōn empoliteuomenōn tǭ biǭ nomimōn. Alʼ ēn dynaton autous, entautha epistraphentas tois hēmeterois nomimois, en hois kai autos tēn elpida echeis tēs sōtērias, kai se tēs epi tǭ horkǭ anankēs eleutherōsai, kai autous symmetron tois hēmartēmenois ekplērōsai tēn d iam. Alla palin moi; kran poiō tēn epistolēn. Hypo gar tou sphodra spoudazein pithanos soi genesthai, ouden tōn eis dianoian erchomenōn aposiōpēsai anechomai o goboumenos mē para touto apraktos moi hē aitēsis genētai, ellipōs mou tēn didaskalian poiēsamenou. ’L).lʼ, hō timiōtaton kai gnēsion thremma tēs Ekklēsias, bebaiōson kai emoi tas elpidas, has echō nyn epi soi, kai tas pantōn skōmphōnōs peri tēs sēs hemmeleiaskai praotētospartnrias, kai epistiilon tǭ stratiōtę̄ apallagēnai hēmōn hen tachei, hos nyn ’ge ouden apachtheias, oude hybreōs e).leloipe, mallon hairoumenos se mē lypēsai hē pantas hēmas oikeious echein kai philous.

To Callisthenes. 1. I thanked God on reading your Nobility's letter: first, because a greeting came to me from a man who chooses to honor us (for we set great value on meeting the best men); second, for joy, at obtaining a kind remembrance. A letter is a token of remembrance; and when I received it and learned the sense in it, I admired how truly, as all suppose, you have paid us a father's respect. For that you, inflamed and angry and having set out to punish those who grieved you, should relax much of your vehemence and make us masters of the matter, has given us joy as over a spiritual child. In return, what is left but to pray for good things for you: that you may be most pleasant to friends, formidable to enemies, and respected alike by all, so that those who have failed in any of their duties, perceiving your gentleness, may reproach themselves for having sinned against such a man as you. 2. Since, then, you have ordered the servants to be brought to the place where they showed their disorderliness, I ask to learn the purpose for which your Goodness requires this. If you yourself will be present and exact the penalty for what they dared, the boys will be there; for what else must happen, if you have so decided? But then we do not know what further favor we shall have received, if we are unable to rescue the boys from punishment. But if your business on the highway keeps you yourself away, who will receive the men there? And who will punish them in your place? But if you think they should come into your sight, and this is wholly decided, order them to be presented as far as Sasima, and there show the gentleness and magnanimity of your character. For having the offenders in your hands, and having shown them in this that your dignity is not to be despised, let them go unharmed, as we urged in our former letter, granting the favor to us and awaiting from God the reward for what you do. 3. I say this not as though the matter must be done in this way, but yielding to your impulse, and fearing lest some part of your anger remain undigested, and that, as with inflamed eyes even the gentlest remedies seem painful, so now our words may rather exasperate than calm you. For the most seemly course, able to bring you the greatest credit, and enough for me as a boast before my friends and contemporaries, would have been to entrust the punishment to us. In any case, even if you have sworn to hand them over to punishment according to the laws, neither is our rebuke less effective as punishment, nor is the divine law less honorable than the laws that govern civil life. But it was possible for them, being corrected here by our laws, in which you too have your hope of salvation, both to free you from the necessity of your oath and themselves to pay a penalty proportionate to their offenses. But again I am making my letter long. For in my great eagerness to persuade you, I cannot bear to keep silent about anything that comes to mind, fearing lest my request fail for this reason, that I have not made my instruction complete. But, most honored and genuine nursling of the Church, confirm for me too the hopes I now have of you, and the unanimous testimony of all about your courtesy and gentleness, and write to the soldier to depart from us quickly, who now has omitted nothing of annoyance or insolence, preferring not to grieve you rather than to have all of us as friends and relations.

Notes and citation

Summary: Basil thanks Callisthenes for leaving the punishment of Eustochius's servants to him, and asks him to pardon them or let the Church correct them instead.

Letter 73 (Benedictine). Sasima was a small town on the highway, later Gregory of Nazianzus's see.

Cite (SBL): Basil, Ep. 73 (PG 32:440d–444b; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/basil-epistulae/65/#p-73). (abbreviation not yet checked)

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