Letters 74–88

Basil of Caesarea · Letters · ca. 357–378 · Caesarea · 12 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 74

74PG 32:444b–449a

Μαρτινιανῷ. 1. Ἐμὲ τί οἴει, πόσου ποτʼ ἆν τιμήσασθαι τὸ εἰς ταυτὸν ποθʼ ἡμᾶς ἀλλήλοις ἐλθεῖν, καὶ ἐπὶ πλεῖόν σοι συγγενέσθαι, ὥστε πάντων ἀπολαῦσαι τῶν ἔν σοὶ καλῶν ; Καὶ γὰρ εἰ μέγα πρὸς μαρτυρίαν παιδεύσεως τὸ πολλῶν ἀνθρώπων ἰδεῖν ἄστεα, καὶ νὸον γνῶναι ο τοῦτο οἶμαι διʼ ὀλίγον χαρίζεσθαι τὴν σήν ὁμιλίαν. Τί γὰρ διαφέρει πολλοὺς ἰδεῖν κατᾶ μέρος, ἕνα τὸν πάντων ὁμοῦ τὴν πεῖραν ἀναδεξάμενονς Μᾶλλον δὲ ἐγὼ καὶ πλεῖστον ἂν ἔχειν εἴποιμι τὸ διοίφορον, ὅσα ἀταλαίπωρον τὴν ’γνῶσιν τῶν καλῶν τιτρόξενεῐ, καὶ καθαρὰν τῆς πρὸς τὸ χεῖρον ἐπιμιξίας σὺνἄγει τὴν ἱστορίαν τῆς ἀρετῆς. Εἴτε γὰρ τερᾱξις ἀρίστη, εἴτε λόγος μνήμης ἄξιοςς εἴτε πολιτεῖαι ἀνδρῶν ὑπερπεφυκὸτων τοὺς ἄλλους ο πάντα τῷ σῷ ταμιείῳ τῆς ψυχῆς ἓναπὸκειταιε Ὠστε οὐκ εἰς ἐνιαυτὸν μόνον, ὡς ὁ Ἀλκινοος τοῦ Ὀδυσσέως, ἀλλʼ εἰς πάντα μου τὸν βίον εὐξαίμην ἄν σου ἀκούειν, καὶ μακρὸν ἄν μοι γενέσθαι τούτου γε ἕνεκα τοῦτον, καὶ ταῦτα δυσκόλως πρὸς αὐτὸν διακείμενος. Τί δήποτʼ οὖν ἐπιστέλλω νῦν, παρεῖναι δίον; Ὅτι με κάμνονσα ἡ πατρὶς ἐπείγει πρὸς ἑαυτήν. Oiei γὰρ πέπονθεν, οὐκ ἀγνοεῖς ὧ ἄριστε · ὃτι Πενθέως τρόπον Μαινάδες ὄντως τινες, δαίμονες, αὐτὴν διεσπάσαντο. Διαιροῡσι γὰρ αὐτὴν καὶ ἱπιδιαιροῦσιν ο ὥσπερ οἱ κακοὶ τῶν ἰατρῶν, χαλεπώτερα τὰ. ἕλκη ποιοῦντες τῇ παρʼ ἑαυτῶν ἀπειρίᾳ. Ἐπεὶ οὖν κέκμηκε κατατεμνομένη, λείπεται αὐτὴν θεραπεύειν, ὡς ἀρρωστοῦσαν. Ἐπέστειλαν οὖν ἔπείγοντες ἡμᾶς οἱ πολῖται · καὶ ἀνάγκη ἁπαντᾲν, οὐχ ᾧς τι ὄφελος ἐσομένους τοῖς πράγμασιν, τὴν ἐκ τῆς ἀπολιίο ψιως μέμψιν ἐπικλίνοντας. Οἶσθα γὰρ, ὡς εὔκολοι μὲν ἐλπίσαι οἱ ἀμηχανοῦντες, εὔκολοι δέ που καὶ καταμέμψασθαι, ἐπὶ τὸ παριοέν aut τρέποντες τὰς αἰτίας. 2. Καίτοι ἔγωγξ καὶ αὐτοῦ τούτου suam ἐδεόμην σοι συνελθεῖν, καὶ δοῦναι γνώμην· μᾶλλον δὲ παρακαλέσαι ἐνθυμηθῆναι τι νεανικὸν καὶ πρέπον τῷη σεαυτοῦ φρονήματι, καὶ εἰς γόνυ κλιθείσαν τὴν πατρίδα ἡμῶν μὴ περιιδεῖν, ἀλλὰ καταλαβόντα τὸ στρατοπεδον, εἰπεῖν μετά παρρησίας τῆς σῆς μήτοι νο· μίξιιν αὐτοὺς δύο κατῆσθαι ἀντὶ μιᾶς ἐπαρχίας. Οὐ γὰρ ἐξ ἄλλης τινὸς οἰκουμένης ἐπεισήγαγον τὴν ἑτέραν· ἀλλὰ παραπλήσιόν τι πεποιήκασιν, ὥσπερ ἄν εἰ τις ἵππον ἣ βοῦν κεκτημένος, εἶτα διχῆ διελὼν, δύο νομίζοι ἔχειν ἐνὸς ἄντι· οὔτε γὰρ δύο ἐποίησε, καὶ τὸν ἕνα διέφθειρεν εἰπεῖν δὲ καὶ τοῖς παραδυναστεΰουσι, μὴ τοῦτον αὔξειν τὸν τρόπον τὴν ﬂuminei”, οὐ γὰρ ἒν ἀριθμῷ εἶναιτὴν δύναμιν, ἀλλʼ ἓν τοῖς πράγμασιν ἐπεὶ νῦν γε ἡγούμεθα τοὺς μὲν ἀγνοίᾳ τῆς ἀληθείας ἴσως, τοὺς δὲ τῷ μὴ βούλεσθαι λυπεῖν τοῖς ῥήμασι, τοὺς δὲ καὶ οὐ μέλον αὐτοῖς, περιορᾷν τὰ γινομεναι Εἰ μὲν οὖν ἧν δυνατὸν αὐτὸν ἐλθεῖν πρὸς βασιλέα, τοῦτο κράτιστον μὲν τοίς προί- Ἱμσοσι, πρέπον δέ σου τῇ καὶῆ τοῦ βίου προαι· ρέσει. Et δι βαρὺ ἄλλως καὶ διὰ τὴν ὤραν τοῦ ἔτους καὶ δ ιά τὴν ἠλικίαν, ὡς αὐτὸς ἔφης, σύντροφον ἔχουσαν ἐν ἑαυτῇ τὸν ἄοινον ἀλλα τό 71 ἐπιστεῖλαι πόνος midst; Ὢστέ, τὴν ἀπὸ τῶν γραμμάτων βοήέ θειαν χαριζόμενος τῇ πατρίδι, πρῶτον μὲν σαυτῷ 0 συνειδήσειςς μηδὲν τῶν εἰς δύναμιν ἡκόντων ἐλλελοιπότε· ἔπειτα μέντοι καὶ τοῖς κάμνουσιν, αὐτῷ τῷ φαίνεσθαι συναλγῶν, ἀρκοῦσαν δώσεις παραμυθίαν. Ἀλλʼ εἴθε γὰρ ἦν οἷον τι, αὐτὸν ἐπιστάντα τοῖς πράγμασιν, ὄψει λαβεῖν αὐτὰ τὰ σκυθρωπά. Οὕτω γὰρ ἄν 10mg,- ἀπʼ αὐτῆς τῆς ἐναργείας τῶν ὁρωμένων συγκινηθιὶς, ἀφῆκας τινα φωνὴν πρέπουσαν καὶ τῇ σῇ μιγαλονοίᾳ,ιιαὶ τῇ κατηφείᾳ τῆς πᾶλιωςδ Σὺ δὲ ἀλλʼ ἡμῖν διηγουμένοις μὴ ἀπιστήσῃς· ἣ ὅτι Σιμωνίδου ὄντως, ἦ τινος τοιούτου μελοποιοῦ ἐδεόμεθα, ἐναργῶς εἰδότος ἐπιστενάζειν τοῖς πάθεσι. Καίτοι τί λέγω Σιμωνίδην; δέον Αἰσχύλον εἰπεῖν, ἢ εἰ δή τις ἔτερος, παραπλησίως ἐκείνῳ συμφορᾶς μέγεθος ἐναργῶς διαθέμενος, μεγαλοφὼνως ὠδύρατο. Ξκυθῶν τινων ἦ Μασσαγετῶν ἀμουσία· μία δὲ φωνὴ ἀπαιτουντων, καὶ ἀπαιτουμένων, καὶ ξαινομένων ταῖς μάστιξι. Στοαὶ δʼ ἑκατέρωθεν σκυθρωπόν ἑπηχοῦσαι, οἷον οἰκείαν δοκοῦσιν ἀφιέναι φωνήν τοῖς γινομενοις ἑπιστενάζουσαι. Γυμνάσια δὲ κεκλεισμένα καὶ νύκτας ἀλαμπεῖς οῦκ ἐᾷ ἡμᾶς οὐδὲν λογίζεσθαι ἡ περὶ τοῦ ζῇν ἀγωνία. Κίνδυνος γὰρ οὐχ ὁ τυχὼν, τῶν κρατοῦντων ὑφαιρεθέντων, ὥσπερ ἐρείσμασι πεσοῦσι, συγκατενεχθῆναι τά πάντα. Καὶ τίς ἀν λόγος τῶν κακῶν τῶν ἡμέτερων ἐφίκοιτο ; Οἱ μὲν οἴχονται φεύγοντες, μέρος τῆς βουλῆς ἡμῶν, οὐ τὸ φαυλότατον, τὴν ἀειφυγίαν Ποδανδοῦ προτιειὴ ο σαντες. Ὀταν δε Ιιοδανδόν εἴπω, τον Κεάδαν με οἵου λέγειν τόν Λακωνικὸν, ἣ εἰ που τῆς οἰκουμένης εἶδες βάραθρον αῦτοφυὶς, ἄ δὴ καὶ Χαρώνεια τισι προσαγορεύειν αὐτομάτως ἐπῆλθεν, ἀέρα νοσοποιόν ἀναπνέοντα. Τοιοῦτῳ τι,νὶ ἐοικός νόμισον καὶ τὸ Ιῐοδανδοῦ κακόνο Τριῶν τοίνυν μοιρῶν, οἱ μὲν φεύγουσιν αὐταῖς γυναιξὶ καὶ ἑστίαις ἀπαναστάντες· οἰ δε ἀπάγονται ῶσπερ αἰχμάλωτοι, οἰ πλεῖστοι τῶν ἐν τῇ πόλει ἄριστοι, ἐλεεινόν φίλοις θέαμα, ἐχθροῖς δε εὐχὴν ἐκπληροῦντες εἰ δή τις γέγονεν ὁλως τοσοῦ τον ἡμῖν ἐπαρασάμενος. Τριτάτη δέ που μοῖρα λέλειπται. Οὗτοι δε, τόν τε ἀπόλειψιν τῶν συνήθων οῦ φέροντες, καὶ ἅμα τῆς χρείας ἀτονώτεροι ἀπελεγχόμενοι, πρὸς αῦτό τό ζῇν ἀπειρήκασι. Ταῦτά σε φανερά ποιῆσαι πᾶσι παρακαλοῦμεν τῇ σεαυτοῦ φωνῇ καὶ τῇ σεαυτοῦ παρρησίᾳ τῇ δικαίᾳ, ἣν ἔχεις ἀπὸ τοῦ βίου· ἐκεῖνο σαφῶς προειπόντα, ὃτι, ἑαν μὴ ταχὺ μεταβουλεῦσωνται, οὐδʼ ἕξουσιν εἰς οῦς τὴν φιλανθρωπίαν ἐνδείξονται. Ἦ γὰρ γενήσῃ τι ὄφελος τοῖς κοινοῖς, ἣ τό γε τοῦ Σόλωνος πεποιηκὼς ἔσῃ, ὃς τοῖς ἀπολειφθεῖσι τῶν πολιτῶν ἀμύνειν οὐχ ἔχων, τῆς ἀκροπόλεως ἤδη κατεχομένης, τὰ ὅπλα ἐνδὺς πρὸ τῶν θυρῶν ἐκαθέζετο, εῦδηλος ὧν τῷ σχήματι, τοῖς γινομένοις οῦ συντιθέμενος. Ἐκεῖνο δʼ ἀκριβῶς οἶδα, ὅτι, καὶ εἴ τίς σου νῦν τὴν γνώμην μὴ ἀποδέχοιτο, μικρὸν ὕστερον σοι εὐνοίας τε ὁμοῦ καὶ συνέσεως τὴν μεγίστην δόξαν προσθήσει ὅταν ἴδῃ τὰ πράγματα κατά τὴν πρόρῥησιν άπαντὸσαντα.

Martinianǭ. 1. Eme ti oiei, posou potʼ an timēsasthai to eis tauton pothʼ hēmas allēlois elthein, kai epi pleion soi syngenesthai, hōste pantōn apolausai tōn en soi kalōn ? Kai gar ei mega pros martyrian paideuseōs to pollōn anthrōpōn idein astea, kai noon gnōnai o touto oimai diʼ oligon charizesthai tēn sēn homilian. Ti gar diapherei pollous idein kata meros, hena ton pantōn homou tēn peiran anadexamenons Mallon de egō kai pleiston an echein eipoimi to dioiphoron, hosa atalaipōron tēn ’gnōsin tōn kalōn titroxenei, kai katharan tēs pros to cheiron epimixias synagei tēn historian tēs aretēs. Eite gar teraxis aristē, eite logos mnēmēs axioss eite politeiai andrōn hyperpephykotōn tous allous o panta tǭ sǭ tamieiǭ tēs psychēs henapokeitaie Ōste ouk eis eniauton monon, hōs ho Alkinoos tou Odysseōs, allʼ eis panta mou ton bion euxaimēn an sou akouein, kai makron an moi genesthai toutou ge heneka touton, kai tauta dyskolōs pros auton diakeimenos. Ti dēpotʼ oun epistellō nyn, pareinai dion? Hoti me kamnonsa hē patris epeigei pros heautēn. Oiei gar peponthen, ouk agnoeis hō ariste ; hoti Pentheōs tropon Mainades ontōs tines, daimones, autēn diespasanto. Diairousi gar autēn kai hipidiairousin o hōsper hoi kakoi tōn iatrōn, chalepōtera ta. helkē poiountes tę̄ parʼ heautōn apeirią. Epei oun kekmēke katatemnomenē, leipetai autēn therapeuein, hōs arrōstousan. Epesteilan oun epeigontes hēmas hoi politai ; kai anankē hapantąn, ouch hǭs ti ophelos esomenous tois pragmasin, tēn ek tēs apoliio psiōs mempsin epiklinontas. Oistha gar, hōs eukoloi men elpisai hoi amēchanountes, eukoloi de pou kai katamempsasthai, epi to parioen aut trepontes tas aitias. 2. Kaitoi egōnx kai autou toutou suam edeomēn soi synelthein, kai dounai gnōmēn; mallon de parakalesai enthymēthēnai ti neanikon kai prepon tǭē seautou phronēmati, kai eis gony klitheisan tēn patrida hēmōn mē periidein, alla katalabonta to stratopedon, eipein meta parrēsias tēs sēs mētoi no; mixiin autous dyo katēsthai anti mias eparchias. Ou gar ex allēs tinos oikoumenēs epeisēgagon tēn heteran; alla paraplēsion ti pepoiēkasin, hōsper an ei tis hippon hē boun kektēmenos, eita dichē dielōn, dyo nomizoi echein enos anti; oute gar dyo epoiēse, kai ton hena diephtheiren eipein de kai tois paradynasteÿousi, mē touton auxein ton tropon tēn ﬂuminei”, ou gar en arithmǭ einaitēn dynamin, allʼ hen tois pragmasin epei nyn ge hēgoumetha tous men agnoią tēs alētheias isōs, tous de tǭ mē boulesthai lypein tois rhēmasi, tous de kai ou melon autois, periorąn ta ginomenai Ei men oun hēn dynaton auton elthein pros basilea, touto kratiston men tois proi- Himsosi, prepon de sou tę̄ kaiē tou biou proai; resei. Et di bary allōs kai dia tēn ōran tou etous kai d ia tēn ēlikian, hōs autos ephēs, syntrophon echousan en heautę̄ ton aoinon alla to 71 episteilai ponos midst? Ōste, tēn apo tōn grammatōn boēe theian charizomenos tę̄ patridi, prōton men sautǭ 0 syneidēseiss mēden tōn eis dynamin hēkontōn elleloipote; epeita mentoi kai tois kamnousin, autǭ tǭ phainesthai synalgōn, arkousan dōseis paramythian. Allʼ eithe gar ēn hoion ti, auton epistanta tois pragmasin, opsei labein auta ta skythrōpa. Houtō gar an 10mg,- apʼ autēs tēs enargeias tōn horōmenōn synkinēthiis, aphēkas tina phōnēn prepousan kai tę̄ sę̄ migalonoią,iiai tę̄ katēpheią tēs paliōsd Sy de allʼ hēmin diēgoumenois mē apistēsę̄s; hē hoti Simōnidou ontōs, ē tinos toioutou melopoiou edeometha, enargōs eidotos epistenazein tois pathesi. Kaitoi ti legō Simōnidēn? deon Aischylon eipein, ē ei dē tis eteros, paraplēsiōs ekeinǭ symphoras megethos enargōs diathemenos, megalophōnōs ōdyrato. Xkythōn tinōn ē Massagetōn amousia; mia de phōnē apaitountōn, kai apaitoumenōn, kai xainomenōn tais mastixi. Stoai dʼ hekaterōthen skythrōpon hepēchousai, hoion oikeian dokousin aphienai phōnēn tois ginomenois hepistenazousai. Gymnasia de kekleismena kai nyktas alampeis ouk eą hēmas ouden logizesthai hē peri tou zę̄n agōnia. Kindynos gar ouch ho tychōn, tōn kratountōn hyphairethentōn, hōsper ereismasi pesousi, synkatenechthēnai ta panta. Kai tis an logos tōn kakōn tōn hēmeterōn ephikoito ? Hoi men oichontai pheugontes, meros tēs boulēs hēmōn, ou to phaulotaton, tēn aeiphygian Podandou protieiē o santes. Otan de Iiodandon eipō, ton Keadan me hoiou legein ton Lakōnikon, hē ei pou tēs oikoumenēs eides barathron autophuis, a dē kai Charōneia tisi prosagoreuein automatōs epēlthen, aera nosopoion anapneonta. Toioutǭ ti,ni eoikos nomison kai to Iiodandou kakono Triōn toinyn moirōn, hoi men pheugousin autais gynaixi kai hestiais apanastantes; oi de apagontai ōsper aichmalōtoi, oi pleistoi tōn en tę̄ polei aristoi, eleeinon philois theama, echthrois de euchēn ekplērountes ei dē tis gegonen holōs tosou ton hēmin eparasamenos. Tritatē de pou moira leleiptai. Houtoi de, ton te apoleipsin tōn synēthōn ou pherontes, kai hama tēs chreias atonōteroi apelenchomenoi, pros auto to zę̄n apeirēkasi. Tauta se phanera poiēsai pasi parakaloumen tę̄ seautou phōnę̄ kai tę̄ seautou parrēsią tę̄ dikaią, hēn echeis apo tou biou; ekeino saphōs proeiponta, hoti, hean mē tachy metabouleusōntai, oudʼ hexousin eis ous tēn philanthrōpian endeixontai. Ē gar genēsę̄ ti ophelos tois koinois, hē to ge tou Solōnos pepoiēkōs esę̄, hos tois apoleiphtheisi tōn politōn amynein ouch echōn, tēs akropoleōs ēdē katechomenēs, ta hopla endys pro tōn thyrōn ekathezeto, eudēlos hōn tǭ schēmati, tois ginomenois ou syntithemenos. Ekeino dʼ akribōs oida, hoti, kai ei tis sou nyn tēn gnōmēn mē apodechoito, mikron hysteron soi eunoias te homou kai syneseōs tēn megistēn doxan prosthēsei hotan idę̄ ta pragmata kata tēn prorrhēsin apantosanta.

To Martinianus. 1. What do you think I would give to meet you at last and be with you for a longer time, so as to enjoy all your good qualities? For if it is a great proof of education “to see the cities of many men and know their mind,” this, I think, your conversation grants in a short time. For what difference is there between seeing many men one by one and seeing one who has taken in the experience of them all together? Rather, I would say there is a very great difference, inasmuch as it provides knowledge of good things without toil, and gathers the history of virtue pure of any mixture with the worse. For whether it is a noble deed, or a word worth remembering, or the ways of life of men who have surpassed the rest, all are stored in the treasury of your soul. So not for a year only, like Alcinous with Odysseus, but for all my life I would pray to listen to you, and for this reason I would wish that life to be long, though I am ill disposed toward it. Why, then, do I write now, when I ought to be present? Because my homeland, in its suffering, urges me to itself. For you know, my excellent friend, what it has suffered: like Pentheus, it has been torn apart by some veritable Maenads, demons. For they divide it and divide it again, like bad physicians who make wounds worse by their own inexperience. Since, then, it is exhausted by being cut up, it remains to tend it as one sick. The citizens have written urging us, and we must go, not as though we will be of any use to affairs, but to avoid the blame for staying away. For you know that those in difficulty are quick to hope, and quick also to find fault, turning the blame on what was left undone. 2. And yet for this very reason I needed to meet you and give my opinion; or rather to urge you to think of some vigorous course befitting your own spirit, and not to overlook our homeland brought to its knees, but to go to the court and say with your frankness that they should not think they possess two provinces instead of one. For they have not brought the second in from some other world; but they have done something like a man who owns a horse or an ox and then, cutting it in two, thinks he has two instead of one; for he has not made two, and he has destroyed the one. And to say also to those in power that they should not increase the empire in this way; for strength lies not in number but in substance. For now we think that some, perhaps through ignorance of the truth, others through not wishing to cause pain by their words, and others because it does not concern them, overlook what is happening. If, then, it were possible for you to go to the emperor yourself, that would be best for affairs and fitting for your noble choice of life. But if that is burdensome in any case, both because of the season and because of your age, which, as you yourself said, has idleness as its companion, at least writing is no labor. So by giving the help of letters to your homeland, you will first give yourself the consciousness of having left out nothing in your power; and then you will give sufficient consolation to the sufferers by the very fact of appearing to share their pain. Would that you could come yourself and see the gloomy state of things with your own eyes! For so, moved by the very vividness of what you saw, you would utter some word worthy both of your magnanimity and of the city's dejection. But do not disbelieve us when we tell you, that we truly need a Simonides, or some such lyric poet, who knew how to lament sufferings vividly. Yet why do I say Simonides? I should say Aeschylus, or any other who, like him, set forth the greatness of a calamity vividly and lamented it in a loud voice. … There is the uncouthness of Scythians or Massagetae; and one sound: of those who exact, of those from whom it is exacted, and of those torn by the scourges. The colonnades on either side echo gloomily, and seem to utter a sound of their own as they groan at what is happening. The closed gymnasia and the nights without lamps do not let us think of anything; the struggle to live absorbs us. For there is no ordinary danger that, with those in power removed as if the props had fallen, everything may come down together. And what words could reach our evils? Some have gone in flight, a part of our council, and not the worst, preferring perpetual exile to Podandus. When I say Podandus, think I mean the Ceadas of the Spartans, or any natural pit you may have seen in the world, which some have spontaneously come to call Charonia, breathing out disease-bearing air. Think that the evil of Podandus is something like that. Of three parts, then, some are fleeing, uprooting themselves with their wives and hearths; others are being led away like captives, most of the best men in the city, a pitiable sight to friends, fulfilling the prayer of enemies, if indeed anyone has ever cursed us so much. A third part is left; and these, unable to bear the loss of their friends, and at the same time proved too weak for their needs, have given up on life itself. These things we urge you to make known to all with your own voice and your just frankness, which you have from your life, declaring plainly beforehand that, unless they quickly change their minds, they will not even have anyone on whom to show their kindness. For either you will be of some use to the common good, or you will have done what Solon did, who, unable to defend the citizens who were left, when the acropolis was already occupied, put on his armor and sat before his doors, making it plain by his attitude that he did not agree with what was happening. This I know for certain: that even if someone does not accept your opinion now, a little later he will give you the greatest credit for goodwill and understanding, when he sees things turn out as you foretold.

Textual problem in this passage: see the notes.

Notes and citation

Summary: Basil asks Martinianus to protest at court against the division of Cappadocia into two provinces, describing the ruin of Caesarea.

Letter 74 (Benedictine). In 371/372 the emperor Valens divided Cappadocia, and many of Caesarea's councillors were moved to Podandus, a small place in the new province. “To see the cities of many men and know their mind”: Homer, Od. 1.3. Alcinous and Odysseus: Od. 11.373–376. Pentheus torn by the Maenads: Euripides, Bacchae. The Ceadas was the Spartan pit for criminals; Charonia were places of mephitic vapors. Solon sitting armed before his door: told in Diogenes Laertius 1.49 and Plutarch, Solon 30. The OCR is garbled in several places and translated by sense. Several lines are lost in the scan before “There is the uncouthness of Scythians” (“…”).

Notes on the original text

Digital text corrected (OCR junk): δαίμονες (Η), αὐτὴν → δαίμονες, αὐτὴν; εἰ τις 12) ἵππον → εἰ τις ἵππον.

Extrabiblical texts: Homer, Od. 1.3 (Homer, Odyssey; quotation); Homer, Od. 11.373-376 (Homer, Odyssey; allusion); Euripides, Bacch. (Euripides (plays and fragments); allusion); Plutarch, Sol. 30 (Plutarch; allusion)

Cite (SBL): Basil, Ep. 74 (PG 32:444b–449a; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/basil-epistulae/74/#p-74). (abbreviation not yet checked)

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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 75

75PG 32:449a–449d

Ἀβουργίῳ. Πολλῶν ὄντων ἃ τὸ σὸν ἦθος ὑπὲρ τοὺς ἄλλους εἶναι πεποίηκεν, οὐδὲν οὕτως ἴδιόν ἐστι σόν, ὡς ἡ περὶ τὴν πατρίδα σπουδή· δικαίας αὐτῇ ἀποδιδόντος σου τὰς ἀμοιβὰς, ἐξ ἧς ὁρμηθεὶς τοσοῦτος ἐγένου, ὥστε διὸ πάσης τῆς οἰκουμένης γνώριμον εἷναί σου τὴν περιφάνειαν. Αὕτη τοίνυν ἡ πατρὶς. ἦ σε ἐνεγκοῦσα καί θρεψαμένη, εἰς τὴν τῶν παλαιῶν διηγημάτων ἀπιστίαν περιελήλυθε· καὶ οὐκ οἶν τις ἐπιστὰς ἡμῶν τῇ πόλει, οὐδὲ τῶν πάνυ συνήθων, αὐτὴν γνωρίσειεν. Οὕτως εἰς πᾶσαν ἐρημίαν ἁθρόως μετεσκεύασται, πολλῶν μεν καὶ πρότερον αὐτῆς ἀφαιρεθέντων τῶν πολιτευομένων, νῦν δε σχεδὸν ἁπάντων εἰς τὴν Ποδανδόν μετοικισθέντων. Ὧν ἀκρωτηριασθέντες οἰ λειπόμενοι, καὶ αὐτοὶ εἰς πᾶσαν ἀπόγνωσιν μεταπεπτωκασι, καὶ πᾶσι τοσουτον ἐνεποίησαν τῆς ἀθυμίας τὸν ὄγκον, ὥστε σπανίζειν λοιπόν καὶ τῶν οἰκητόρων τὴν πόλιν, καὶ γεγενῆσθαιτόι τῇδε ἐρημίαν δεινὴν, ἐλεεινὸν μὲν φίλοις θέαμα, πολλὴν δὲ χαρὰν καί εὐθυμίαν φέρον τοῖς πάλαι ἐφεδρεύουσιν ἡμῶν τῷ πτώματι. Τίνος οὖν ἐστι χεῖρα ἡμῖν ὀρέξαι ;ἣ τίνος συμπαθὲς ἐφʼ ἡμῖν ἀφεῖναι δάκρυον, ἀλλʼ οὐχὶ τῆς σῆς ἠμεροτητος, ὃς καὶ ἀλλοτρίᾳ συμπαθοῖς πόλει τοιαῦτα κα·μνοῦση, μὴ ὅτι γε τῇ σε παραγα-γούση εἰς τὸν βίον ; Εἴ τις οὖν δύναμίς, ταύτην νῦν ἰπὶ τῆς παρούσης χρείας ἡμῖν ἐπίδειξαι. Πάντως δὲ μεγάλην ἔχεις τὴν παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ ῥοπὴν, ὃς ἐπʼ οὐδενὸς καιροῦ καταλᾶοιπὲ σε, καὶ πολλὰς ἔδωκέ σοι τῆς παρʼ ἐαυτοῦ εὐμενείας τὰς ἀποδείξεις· μόνον ἐὰν θελήσῃς ὅλως διαναστῆναι πρὸς τὴν ἐπιμέλειαν ἡμῶν, καὶ τῇ προσοῦση σοι δυνάμει χρήσασθαι εἰς τὴν ὑπὲρ τῶν πολιτῶν βοήθειαν.

Abourgiǭ. Pollōn ontōn ha to son ēthos hyper tous allous einai pepoiēken, ouden houtōs idion esti son, hōs hē peri tēn patrida spoudē; dikaias autę̄ apodidontos sou tas amoibas, ex hēs hormētheis tosoutos egenou, hōste dio pasēs tēs oikoumenēs gnōrimon heinai sou tēn periphaneian. Hautē toinyn hē patris. ē se enenkousa kai threpsamenē, eis tēn tōn palaiōn diēgēmatōn apistian perielēlythe; kai ouk oin tis epistas hēmōn tę̄ polei, oude tōn pany synēthōn, autēn gnōriseien. Houtōs eis pasan erēmian hathroōs meteskeuastai, pollōn men kai proteron autēs aphairethentōn tōn politeuomenōn, nyn de schedon hapantōn eis tēn Podandon metoikisthentōn. Hōn akrōtēriasthentes oi leipomenoi, kai autoi eis pasan apognōsin metapeptōkasi, kai pasi tosouton enepoiēsan tēs athymias ton onkon, hōste spanizein loipon kai tōn oikētorōn tēn polin, kai gegenēsthaitoi tę̄de erēmian deinēn, eleeinon men philois theama, pollēn de charan kai euthymian pheron tois palai ephedreuousin hēmōn tǭ ptōmati. Tinos oun esti cheira hēmin orexai ?hē tinos sympathes ephʼ hēmin apheinai dakryon, allʼ ouchi tēs sēs ēmerotētos, hos kai allotrią sympathois polei toiauta ka;mnousē, mē hoti ge tę̄ se paraga-gousē eis ton bion ? Ei tis oun dynamis, tautēn nyn ipi tēs parousēs chreias hēmin epideixai. Pantōs de megalēn echeis tēn para tou Theou rhopēn, hos epʼ oudenos kairou katalaoipe se, kai pollas edōke soi tēs parʼ eautou eumeneias tas apodeixeis; monon ean thelēsę̄s holōs dianastēnai pros tēn epimeleian hēmōn, kai tę̄ prosousē soi dynamei chrēsasthai eis tēn hyper tōn politōn boētheian.

To Aburgius. Of the many things that have set your character above others, nothing is so much your own as your zeal for your homeland; you rightly repay it, since, starting from it, you have become so great that your renown is known throughout the whole world. This homeland, then, which bore and nourished you, has come to the incredibility of old tales; and no one who visited our city, not even one well acquainted with it, would recognize it. So suddenly has it been changed to utter desolation, many of its citizens having been taken from it before, and now almost all of them having been moved to Podandus. Those left, mutilated by their loss, have themselves fallen into utter despair, and have produced in all such a weight of dejection that the city now lacks even inhabitants, and a dreadful desolation has come over the place, a pitiable sight to friends, but bringing much joy and good cheer to those who have long lain in wait for our fall. Whose part is it, then, to stretch out a hand to us, or to shed a tear of sympathy for us, if not your gentleness, who would sympathize even with a foreign city suffering so, let alone the one that brought you into life? If, then, you have any power, show it to us now in the present need. You surely have great influence from God, who has never forsaken you on any occasion and has given you many proofs of his favor; only be willing to rise up wholly to care for us, and to use the power you have for the help of your fellow citizens.

Notes and citation

Summary: Basil asks Aburgius to use his influence to help Caesarea, ruined by the division of the province.

Letter 75 (Benedictine).

Cite (SBL): Basil, Ep. 75 (PG 32:449a–449d; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/basil-epistulae/74/#p-75). (abbreviation not yet checked)

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Chapter 76

76PG 32:449d–452c

Σωφρονίῳ μαγίστρῳ. Τὸ μὲν μέγεθος τῶν καταλαβουσῶν συμφορῶν τὴν πατρίδα ἡμῶν αὐτὸν ἐμέ ἠνάγκαζε, καταλαβόντα τὸ στρατόπεδον, τῇ τε σῇ μεγαλοφυίᾳ διηγήσασθαι τήν κατέχουσαν ἡμῶν τὴν πόλιν κατήφειαν, καὶ τοῖς λοιποῖς ὅσοι ἰπὶ μεγίστης ἐστὶ δυνάμεως τῶν προιγματων· ἐπειδὴ δὲ ἦ τε τοῦ σώματος ἀρρωστία, καὶ ἡ τῶν Ἐκκλησιῶν ἐπιμέλεια κατέχει με, τέως, διὰ γράμματος ἀποδύρασθαι πρὸς τὴν σὴν μεγαλόνοιαν ἑπείχθην· γνωρίζων, ὅτι οὔτε σκάφος ἐν πελάγει πνεύμασι βιαίοις καταβαπτισθὲν οὓτως ἀθρόως ἠφανίσθη ποτὶ, οὐ σεισμοῖς ἐκτριβεἰσα πόλις, οὐχ ὕδασιν ἐπικλυσθεῖσα εἰς ἁθρόον ἀφανισμὸν ἐχώρησεν οὕτως, ὡς ἠ ἡμετέρα τῇ καινῇ ταύτῃ τῶν πραγμάτων οἰκονομίᾳ καταποθεῐσα εἰς ἀπώλειαν ἐχώρησε παντελῆ. Καὶ μῦθος γέγονε τὰ ἡμέτερα. Οἷχεται μὲν γὰρ τὸ πολίτευμα· πᾶν δὲ τὸ πολιτικὸν σύνταγμα, τῇ περὶ τοὺς κρατοῦντας ἀθυμίᾳ καταλιπὸν τὴν ἐν τῇ πόλει οἴκησιν, διὰ τῆς ἀγροικίας πλανᾶται, Ἐπιλελοιπε δὲ λοιπὸν καὶ ἡ τῶν ἀναγκαίων διάθεσις, καὶ ὅλως ἀωρότατον θέαμα γε· γένηται ἡ ξπρότερον ἀνδράσι τε λογίοις ἑπαγαλλομένη καὶ τοῖς λοιποῖς, οἷς εὐθηνοῡνται πόλεις ἀνευδεῶς διάγουσαι. Μίαν δὲ ἐνομίσαμεν ὡς ἐν δεινοῖς παραμυθίαν εἶναι, τὸ ἐπιστενάξαι τοῖς πάθεσιν ἡμῶν πρὸς τὴν σὴν ἡμερότητα, καὶ παρακαλέσαι, εἰ τις δύναμις, χιῖρα ὀρέξαι πόλει ἡμῶν εἰς γόνυ κλιθείσῃ. Τὸν δὲ τρόπον διʼ οὗ ἂν γένοιο ἐν καιρῷ τοῖς πράγμασιν, αὐτὸς μὲν εἰσηγεῖσθαι οὐκ ἔχω· σοι δὲ πάντως καὶ εὑρεῖν διὰ τὴν σύνεσιν ιον, καὶ χρήσασθαι τοῖς εὑρεθεῖσι, διὰ τὴν παρὰ Θεοῦ σοι διδομένην δύναμιν, οὐ χαλεπόν,

Sōphroniǭ magistrǭ. To men megethos tōn katalabousōn symphorōn tēn patrida hēmōn auton eme ēnankaze, katalabonta to stratopedon, tę̄ te sę̄ megalophuią diēgēsasthai tēn katechousan hēmōn tēn polin katēpheian, kai tois loipois hosoi ipi megistēs esti dynameōs tōn proigmatōn; epeidē de ē te tou sōmatos arrōstia, kai hē tōn Ekklēsiōn epimeleia katechei me, teōs, dia grammatos apodyrasthai pros tēn sēn megalonoian hepeichthēn; gnōrizōn, hoti oute skaphos en pelagei pneumasi biaiois katabaptisthen houtōs athroōs ēphanisthē poti, ou seismois ektribeisa polis, ouch hydasin epiklystheisa eis hathroon aphanismon echōrēsen houtōs, hōs ē hēmetera tę̄ kainę̄ tautę̄ tōn pragmatōn oikonomią katapotheisa eis apōleian echōrēse pantelē. Kai mythos gegone ta hēmetera. Hoichetai men gar to politeuma; pan de to politikon syntagma, tę̄ peri tous kratountas athymią katalipon tēn en tę̄ polei oikēsin, dia tēs agroikias planatai, Epileloipe de loipon kai hē tōn anankaiōn diathesis, kai holōs aōrotaton theama ge; genētai hē xproteron andrasi te logiois hepagallomenē kai tois loipois, hois euthēnountai poleis aneudeōs diagousai. Mian de enomisamen hōs en deinois paramythian einai, to epistenaxai tois pathesin hēmōn pros tēn sēn hēmerotēta, kai parakalesai, ei tis dynamis, chiira orexai polei hēmōn eis gony klitheisę̄. Ton de tropon diʼ hou an genoio en kairǭ tois pragmasin, autos men eisēgeisthai ouk echō; soi de pantōs kai heurein dia tēn synesin ion, kai chrēsasthai tois heuretheisi, dia tēn para Theou soi didomenēn dynamin, ou chalepon,

To Sophronius the master. The greatness of the calamities that have overtaken our homeland was forcing me myself to go to the court and describe to your Magnanimity, and to the others who are in the greatest power in affairs, the dejection that holds our city. But since bodily illness and the care of the churches detain me, I have hastened meanwhile to lament to your Greatness by letter, making known that no ship sunk in the open sea by violent winds ever vanished so suddenly, no city shattered by earthquakes or flooded by waters ever went to such sudden destruction, as ours, swallowed up by this new arrangement of affairs, has gone to complete ruin. Our affairs have become a fable. For our civic body is gone; the whole civic order, abandoning residence in the city from dejection about those in power, wanders through the countryside. Even the supply of necessities has failed, and altogether the city has become a most unseasonable sight, which formerly prided itself on learned men and on the other things in which cities that live without want abound. We thought there was one consolation, as in disasters: to groan over our sufferings to your Gentleness, and to ask you, if you have any power, to stretch out a hand to our city brought to its knees. The means by which you might come to the help of affairs in time I cannot myself suggest; but for you it is surely not hard both to find it by your understanding and to use what you find by the power given you by God.

Notes and citation

Summary: Basil laments to Sophronius the ruin of Caesarea after the division of the province and asks his help.

Letter 76 (Benedictine).

Cite (SBL): Basil, Ep. 76 (PG 32:449d–452c; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/basil-epistulae/74/#p-76). (abbreviation not yet checked)

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Chapter 77

77PG 32:452c–453a

Ἀνεπίγραφος περὶ Θηρασιον. Ἔν ακὶ τουτο τῆς ἀγαθῆς ἀρχῆς τοῦ μεγάλου ἁπηλαύσαμεν Θηρασίου, τῆς σῆς λογιότητος τὴν ἑπιδημίαν συνεχῶς ἡμῖν γινομένην. Τό αὐτὸ δὲ τοῦτο ἕζημιώθημεν στερηθέντες τοῦ ἄρχοντος. Ἀλλʼ ἔπειδή τὰ ἅπαξ ἡμῖν παρά τοῦ Θεοῦ χαρισθέντα μένει βέβαια, καὶ ταῖς ψυχαῖς ἀλλήλων ἑνοικούμενα διὰ τῆς μνήμης, εἰ καὶ τοῖς σώμασι διωρίσμεθα, γράφωμεν γοῦν συνεχῶς, καὶ φθεγγώμεθα πρὸς ἀλλήλους τὰ ἀναγκαῖα· καὶ μάλιστα νῦν, ὅτε ὁ χειμὼν τὴν ὀλιγοχρόνιον ταύτην ἐκεχειρίαν ἐσπείσατο. Ἐλπεζομεν δέ μὴ ἀπολείψεσθαί σε τοῦ θαυμασιωτάτου ἀνδρὸς Θηρασίου, πρέπον εἶναι κρίναντα κοινωνεῖν τῷ ἀνδρὶ τοιούτων φροντίδων,πή ναιόμενον καὶ μάτην, πρόνασιν ἀσμενίζοντα παρέχουσάν σοι ἰδεῖν τι τοὺς φίλους, καὶ παρʼ αὐτῶν Θιαθῆναι. Πολλὰ δὲ ἔχων εἰπεῖν καὶ περὶ πολλῶν, εἰς τὴν συντυχίαν ὑπερεθέμην, οὐκ ἀσφαλὲς εἶναι ἡγούμενος ἄπιστολαῖς τὰ τοιαῦτα καταπιστευειν,

Anepigraphos peri Thērasion. En aki touto tēs agathēs archēs tou megalou hapēlausamen Thērasiou, tēs sēs logiotētos tēn hepidēmian synechōs hēmin ginomenēn. To auto de touto hezēmiōthēmen sterēthentes tou archontos. Allʼ epeidē ta hapax hēmin para tou Theou charisthenta menei bebaia, kai tais psychais allēlōn henoikoumena dia tēs mnēmēs, ei kai tois sōmasi diōrismetha, graphōmen goun synechōs, kai phthengōmetha pros allēlous ta anankaia; kai malista nyn, hote ho cheimōn tēn oligochronion tautēn ekecheirian espeisato. Elpezomen de mē apoleipsesthai se tou thaumasiōtatou andros Thērasiou, prepon einai krinanta koinōnein tǭ andri toioutōn phrontidōn,pē naiomenon kai matēn, pronasin asmenizonta parechousan soi idein ti tous philous, kai parʼ autōn Thiathēnai. Polla de echōn eipein kai peri pollōn, eis tēn syntychian hyperethemēn, ouk asphales einai hēgoumenos apistolais ta toiauta katapisteuein,

Without address, about Therasius. This too we enjoyed from the good government of the great Therasius: the frequent presence of your Eloquence with us. And in this very thing we suffered loss when we were deprived of the governor. But since what God has once given us remains secure, dwelling in one another's souls through memory, even if we are separated in body, let us at least write often and say what is needful to one another; especially now that the winter has granted this short truce. We hope that you will not leave the most admirable Therasius, judging it fitting to share in such cares with such a man, … welcoming an opportunity that lets you see your friends and be seen by them. Though I have much to say about many things, I have put it off until our meeting, thinking it unsafe to entrust such things to letters.

Notes and citation

Summary: Basil, regretting the departure of the governor Therasius, asks an unnamed friend to keep writing and to stay near Therasius.

Letter 77 (Benedictine), without address. A phrase is garbled in the OCR (“…”).

Cite (SBL): Basil, Ep. 77 (PG 32:452c–453a; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/basil-epistulae/74/#p-77). (abbreviation not yet checked)

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Chapter 78

78PG 32:453b–453d

Ἀνιπίγρκφος ὑπὲρ Ἐλπιδίου, Οὐκ ἔλαθεν ἡμᾶς ἠ ἁναθή σου σπονδὴ me: τὸν αἰδισιμώτατον ἑταῖρον ἡμῶν Ἐλπὶδιον ο ὅπως τῇ σννὲθιι σωυτοῦ συνέσει ἔδωκας καιρὸν φιλανθρωm’a; τῷ ἄρχοντι. ’.ταύτην οὖν τὴν χάριν νῦν σε τι· λιιῶσαι παρακαλοῦμεν διὰ τοῦ γράμματος, καὶ ὑπομνῆσαι τὸν,ἄρχοντα οἰκείῳ προστάγματι ἰπὶ τῆ ς καρίδος ἡμῶν καταστῆναι τὸν ἄνδρα πᾶσαν σχεδὸν τὴν φροντίδα τῶν δημοσίων ἐξηρτημένον, Ὠστε πολλεις ila; καὶ εὐπροσώπους ὑποβάλλειν προφάσεις τῷ ,ἄρχοντῃ ἐξ ὧν ﬁrmate; ἐπιμένειν αὐτὸν τῇ πατρίδι ἡμῶν προστάξαι. Οἷα δᾶ τὰ breuem, καὶ ὅσον ἄξιος τοῖς πράγμασιν ὁ ἀνὴρ, πάντως ossa δεήσῃ παρʼ ἡμῶν διδαχθῆναι, αὐτὸς τῇ,ἑαυτοῦ,συνέσει,ἀκριβῶς

Anipigrkphos hyper Elpidiou, Ouk elathen hēmas ē hanathē sou spondē me: ton aidisimōtaton hetairon hēmōn Elpidion o hopōs tę̄ snnethii sōytou synesei edōkas kairon philanthrōm’a? tǭ archonti. ’.tautēn oun tēn charin nyn se ti; liiōsai parakaloumen dia tou grammatos, kai hypomnēsai ton,archonta oikeiǭ prostagmati ipi tē s karidos hēmōn katastēnai ton andra pasan schedon tēn phrontida tōn dēmosiōn exērtēmenon, Ōste polleis ila? kai euprosōpous hypoballein prophaseis tǭ ,archontę̄ ex hōn ﬁrmate? epimenein auton tę̄ patridi hēmōn prostaxai. Hoia da ta breuem, kai hoson axios tois pragmasin ho anēr, pantōs ossa deēsę̄ parʼ hēmōn didachthēnai, autos tę̄,heautou,synesei,akribōs

Without address, on behalf of Elpidius. Your good zeal for our most reverend friend Elpidius has not escaped us, and how with your usual understanding you gave the governor an occasion for kindness. We urge you now by letter to complete this favor, and to remind the governor by a personal order to establish the man in our homeland, since almost the whole care of public affairs depends on him. So you can suggest many plausible reasons to the governor, from which he may order him to remain in our homeland. What sort of man he is, and how valuable to affairs, you surely need not learn from us, since you yourself by your own understanding exactly …

Textual problem in this passage: see the notes.

Notes and citation

Summary: Basil asks an official to have the governor station Elpidius in Caesarea, where public affairs depend on him.

Letter 78 (Benedictine), without address. The end is lost in the scan (“…”), and the OCR is garbled in places. Benedictine Letter 79 (to Eustathius of Sebaste) is not found in this scan.

Cite (SBL): Basil, Ep. 78 (PG 32:453b–453d; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/basil-epistulae/74/#p-78). (abbreviation not yet checked)

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Chapter 80

80PG 32:456a–456c

Α Αθανασιῳ, ἐπισκόπῳ Ἀλεξανδρείας. Ὀσον τῶν Ἐκκλη σιῶν τα ἀρρωστήματα ἐπὶ τὸ μεῖζον πρόεισι, τοσοῦτον πάντες ἐπὶ τήν σην ἐπιστρεφόμεθα τε· λειότητα, μιαν ἑαυτοῖς ὑπολειπεσθαι τῶν δεινῶν παραμυθίαν τὴν σην προστασίαν πεπιστευκότες · ὃς καὶ τῇ δυνάμει τῶν προσευχῶν, xui τῷ εἰδέναι τὰ βελτιστα τοῖς πράγμασιν ὑποτίθεσθαι, διασώσασθαι ἡμᾶς ἐκ τοῦ φοβεροῦ τούτου χειμῶνος παρὰ πάντων ὁμοίως τῶν xui κατα μικρὸν ἦ ἀκοῇ ἦ πείρᾳ γνωριζόντων την τελειότητα σου πιστεύῃ. Διὸ μὴ ἀνῇς καὶ προσευχόμενοςῦπὲρ τῶν ψυχῶν ημῶν, xui διεγ είρων ἡμᾶς τοῖς γράμμασιν· ὧν εἰ ᾔδεις ὁπόσον ἑστι τό ὠφέλιμον, ουκ οἶν ποτε rupaπεσοῦσαν σοι γραμμάτων ἀφορμὴν, πρὸς ἡμᾶς ὑπερέ- 6ης. Εἰ δὲ καταξιωθείημεν τῇ συνεργίᾳ τῶν προσευχῶν σου ἰδεῖν σε καὶ ἀπολαῦσαι τῶν ἐν σοὶ ἀγαθῶν, xui προσθεῖναι τῇ ἱστορίᾳ τοῦ ἡμετέρου βίον τὴν συντυχίαν τῆς μεγάλης σου ὄντως καὶ ἀποστολικῆς ψυχῆς· πάντως ἆν ἑαυτοῖς ἐλογισάμεθα, ὧν ἐθλίεημιν ἐν πάσῃ τῇ ζωῇ ἡμῶν, ἀντιρροπον ποιρὰ τῆς τοὺ Θεοῦ φιλανθρωπίας ἐσχηκέναι παραμυθίαν.

A Athanasiǭ, episkopǭ Alexandreias. Oson tōn Ekklē siōn ta arrōstēmata epi to meizon proeisi, tosouton pantes epi tēn sēn epistrephometha te; leiotēta, mian heautois hypoleipesthai tōn deinōn paramythian tēn sēn prostasian pepisteukotes ; hos kai tę̄ dynamei tōn proseuchōn, xui tǭ eidenai ta beltista tois pragmasin hypotithesthai, diasōsasthai hēmas ek tou phoberou toutou cheimōnos para pantōn homoiōs tōn xui kata mikron ē akoę̄ ē peirą gnōrizontōn tēn teleiotēta sou pisteuę̄. Dio mē anę̄s kai proseuchomenosyper tōn psychōn ēmōn, xui dieg eirōn hēmas tois grammasin; hōn ei ę̄deis hoposon hesti to ōphelimon, ouk oin pote rupapesousan soi grammatōn aphormēn, pros hēmas hypere- 6ēs. Ei de kataxiōtheiēmen tę̄ synergią tōn proseuchōn sou idein se kai apolausai tōn en soi agathōn, xui prostheinai tę̄ historią tou hēmeterou bion tēn syntychian tēs megalēs sou ontōs kai apostolikēs psychēs; pantōs an heautois elogisametha, hōn ethlieēmin en pasę̄ tę̄ zōę̄ hēmōn, antirropon poira tēs tou Theou philanthrōpias eschēkenai paramythian.

To Athanasius, bishop of Alexandria. The more the sicknesses of the churches advance, the more we all turn to your Perfection, believing that your protection is the one consolation left us in our troubles; you who, by the power of your prayers and by knowing how to suggest what is best in affairs, are believed by all alike, who know your Perfection even a little by report or experience, able to save us from this fearful storm. So do not cease praying for our souls and rousing us with your letters. If you knew how great their benefit is, you would never pass over an occasion for writing to us that came your way. And if, by the help of your prayers, we were thought worthy to see you and enjoy your good qualities, and to add to the history of our life a meeting with your truly great and apostolic soul, we would surely reckon that we had received from God's love for mankind a consolation equal to all the afflictions of our whole life.

Notes and citation

Summary: Basil asks Athanasius for his prayers and letters and longs to meet him.

Letter 80 (Benedictine).

Cite (SBL): Basil, Ep. 80 (PG 32:456a–456c; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/basil-epistulae/74/#p-80). (abbreviation not yet checked)

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Chapter 81

81PG 32:456c–460d

Ἰννοκεντίῳ ἐπισκοπῳ. Ὀσον εὐθύμησα δεξάμενος γράμματα τῆς ἀγάπης σου, τοσοῦτον ἐλυπήθην, ὃτι βάρος ἐπέθηκας ἡμῖν φροντίδος τῆς ὑπερβαινούσης ημᾶς. Πῶς γὰρ δυνηθῶμεν ἀπὸ τοσούτου διαστήματος, τοσαύτας ἡμεῖς οἰκονομίας aspir/aviariae; Ἐως μέν γὰρ ὑμᾶς ἔχει η Ἐκκλησία, ὡς ἰδίοις στηρίγμασινέπ· αναπαυεται· ἐὰν δέ τι περὶ τῆς ὑμετέρας ζωῆς ό Κύριος οἰκονομηση, τίνας δύναμαι ὁμοτίμους ἐν· τευοεδ ὑμῖν εἰς την ἐπιμελειαν τῶν ἀδελφῶν ἐκπέμπειν;”ὁπερ σὺ ἐπεζήτηςας διὰ τὼν γραμμά· ’ των, καλῶς ποιῶν xui ἐμφρόνως, βουλόμενος ζῶν ἰδεῖν τόν μετὰ σε μέλλοντα κυβερνᾲν τὸ ἑκλεκτον ποίμνιον τοῦ Κυρίουο ὃ καὶὸ μακάριος Μωῡσής καί ἐπεθύμησε καὶ εῐὸεν · ἐπεὶ οὖν καὶὸ τόπος μέγας καί περιβόητος, καὶ τὸ σὸν ἔργον παρὰ πολλοῖς ονομί στὸν, xui οἱ καιροὶ χαλεποὶ, μεγάλου χρείαν ἔχοντες κυβερνήτου, διὰ τὰς συνεχεῖς ζάλας καὶ τοὺς ἔπανισταμένους κλύδωνας τῇ Ἐκκλησία · οὐκ ἐνόμισα ἀσφαλες εἶναι τῇ ἐμῇ ψυχῇ ἀφωσιωμένως τῷ πράγματι χρήσασθαι· μάλιστα μεμνημένος ὧν ἔγραψας, ὅτι μέλλεις ἐπὶ τοῦ Κυρίου ἀντικαθίστασθαί μοι, δικαζόμενος πρός με ὑπὲρ τῆς ἀμελείας τῶν Ἐκκλησιῶν, Ἵνα οὖν μὴ εἰσέλθω εἰς κρίσιν μετὰ σοῦ, ἀλλὰ μᾶλ· λον κοινωνόν σε εὕρω τῆς ἀπολογίας μου, τῆς ὶπὶ τοῦ Χριστοῦ, περιβλεψάμενος ἓν τῷ συνεδρίῳ, τοῦ πρεσβυτερίου τοῦ κατὰ τὴν πόλιν, ἐξελεξάμην τό τιμιὼτατον σκεῦος, τόν ἔκγονον τοῦ μακαρίου Ἐρμογένους, τοῦ τὴν μεγάλην καὶ ἄρρηκτον πίστιν γράψαντος ἓν τῇ μεγάλῃ συνόδῳ · πρεσβύτερον τῆς Ἐκκλησίας ἐκ πολλῶν ἤδη ἐτῶν, εὐσταθῆ τόν τρόπον, ἔμπειρον κανόνων, ἀκριβῆ τὴν πίστιν, ἐν ἐγκρατείᾳ καὶ ἀσκήσει μέχρι νῦν διάγονταο εἰ καὶ ὅτι τί εὔτονον αὐτοῦ τῆς σκληραγωγίας λοιπόν κατεδαπάνησε τήν σάρκαʼ πτωχόν, καὶ μηδένα πορισμὸν ἔχοντα ἑν τῷ κόσμῳ τούτῳ, ὡς μηδε ἄρτου αὐτόν εὐπορεῖν, ἀλλὰ δ ιά τῶν χειρῶν ἐκπλέκειν τόν βίον μετα τῶν ἀδελφῶν τῶν συνόντων αὐτῷ. Τουτον ἐμοὶ βουλητὸν ἐστιν ἀποστεῖλαι. Εἰ οὖν κα] αὐτὸς τοιούτου χρῄζεις ἀνδρὸς, ἀλλὰ μὴ αὐτὸ τοῡτι νεωτέρου τινός ἐπιτηδείου μόνον πρὸς τό πέμπεσθαι καὶ τὰς βιωτικὰς ἑξανύειν χρείας, ταχύ μοι διὰ πρώτης ἀφορμῆς ἐπιστεῖλαι καταξίωσον, ἶνα πέμψω σοι τοῦτον τόν ἄνδρα, ἐκλεκτόν ὄντα τοῦ Θεοῦ, καὶτῷ πράγματι ἐπιτήδειον, αἰδέσιμον τοῖς ἑντυγχάνουσι, καὶ ἓν πραότητι παιδεύοντα τοὺς ἀντιδιατιθεμένους. “Ov ἠδυνάμην καὶ εὐθὺς ἐκπέμψαι · ἀλλʼ ἐπειδὴ αὐτὸς προλαβὼν ἐπεζήτησας ἄνθρωπον, τὰ μὶν ἄλλα καλὸν καὶ ἀγαπητὸν ἡμῖν, τοῦ δε προει‹ ρημένου ἀνδρὸς παραπολὺ ἀποδέοντα, ἠβουλήθην · σοι γωερὰν γενέσθαι την ἇμαυτου γνώμην ἵνʼ, εί χρῄξεις ἀνδρὸς τοιουτου, ἦ ἐκπέμψῃς τινα τῶν αδελμέχρις ἡμῶν ὁδοιπορίας τὸν κάματον ὑποστῆναι. Ἀβανασίῳ, ἐπισκόπῳ ’Δλεξανδρείας. Ὅταν μὲν πρὸς τὰ πράγματα ἀποβλέψωμεν, καὶ τας δυσκολίας κατίδωμεν, ὑφʼ ὧν πᾶσα ἀγαθή ἐνέργεια οἷον ὑπό τινος δεσμοῦ ἐμποδιζομένη κατἔχεται, εἰς ἀπόγνωσιν ἑαυτῶν ἐρχόμεθα παντελῆ · ὅταν 5": πάλιν πρὸς τὴν σὴν ἀπίδωμεν σεμνοπρέπειαν, καὶ λογισώμεθα, ὅτι σὲ ἰατρὸν τῶν ἐν ταῖς Ἐκκλησίαις ἀρρωστημάτων ό Κύριος ἡμῶν ἐταμιεύσατο · ἀναλαμβάνομεν ἑαυτῶν τοὺς λογισμοὺς, καὶ ἐκ τοῦ κατά τῆν ἀπόγνωσιν πτώματος πρὸς τὴν ἰλπίὸα τῶν χρηστοτέρων διανιστάμεθα. Λέλυται πᾶσα Ἐκκλησία, ὡς οὐδὲ ἡ σὴ φρόνησις ἀγνοεῖ. Καὶ ὁρᾷς πάντως τά ἑκασταχοῦ, οἷον ἀφʼ ὑψηλῆς τινος σκοπιᾶς τῆς τοῦ νοῦ Θεωρίας · ὅπως, καθάπερ ἓν πελά-γει, πολλῶν ὁμοῦ συμπλεόντων, ὑπὸ της βίας τοῦ κλύδωνος πάντες όμοῦ ἀλλήλοις προσρήγνυνται · καὶ γίνεται τὸ ναυάγιον, πῆ μὶν ἰκ τῆς ἔξω· θεν αἰτίας βιαίως κινούσης τὴν θάλατταν, πῆ δὴ ἐκ τῆς τῶν ἐμπλεόντων ταραχῆς ἂντιβαινόντων ἀλλῆλοις καὶ διωθουμένων. Ἀρκεῖ ἐπὶ τῆς εἰκόνος ἐᾶσαι τόν λόγον, οὔτε τῆς σῆς σοφίας ἐπιτρεπούσης τι πλέον, οὔτε τῆς καταστάσεως ἔπιτρεπούσης ἡμῖν τὴν παρρησίαν. Καὶ πρὸς ταῦτα τις ἱκανὸς κυβερνήτηςς τίς ἀξιόπιστος διαναστῆσαι τὸν Κύριον ἐπιτιμῆσαι τῷ ἀνέμῳ καὶ τῆ θαλάσσῃ; Τίς ἕτεροςῆ ό ἐκ παιδὸς τοῖς ὑπερ τῆς εὐσεβείας ἰναθλήσας ἀγῶσινς Ἐπεὶ οὖν ὥρμηται νῦν γνησίως πᾶν τὸ περὶ ἡμᾶς ὑγιαῖνον κατὰ τῆν πίστιν εἰς τὴν πρὸς τοὺς ὁμοδόξους κοινωνίαν καὶ ἕνωσιν, θαρρούντως ἤλθομεν εἰς τὴν παράκλησίν σου τῆς ἀνεξικακίας, ἕπιστεῖλαι πᾶσιν ἡμῖν ἐπιστολὴν μίαν, παραίνεσιν ἔχουσαν τῶν πρακτέων. Οὖτων γὰρ βούλονται παρά σοῦ τὴν ἀρχὴν ὑπάρξαι αὐτοῖς τῶν κοινωνικῶν ὃιαλέξεων. Ἐπειδὴ δε ἴσως ὕποπτοι καταφαίνονται σοι τῇ μνήμῃ τῶν παρελθόντων, έκεῖνο ποίησον, θεοφιλέστατε Πάτερ ἕμοὶ τὸς πρὸς τοὺς ἓπισκόπους ἐπιστολὰς διάπεμψαι ἣ διά τινος τῶν αὐτόθεν πιστῶν, ἡ καὶ διὰ τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ Δωροθέου τοῦ συνδιακόνου ἡμῶν, ἃς ὑποδεξάμενος οὗ πρότερον δώσω, μῆ λαβὼν τὰς παρʼ αὐτῶν ἀποκρίσεις· ἐὰν δὲ μὴ, Ἠμαρτηκὼς ἔσομαι εἰς σὲ πάσας τὰς ἡμέρας τῆς ζωῆς μου, Πάντως δὲ οὗ πλείονος ἄξιον φόβου τοῦτο τῷ ἒξ ἀρχῆς εἰπόντι πρὸς τόν πατέρα ἦ ἐμοὶ νῦν πρὸς σι τὸν πνευματικὸν πατέρα λέγοντι. Εἰ δὲ τοῦτο παντὶ τροπῷ ἀπηγόρευται παρὰ σοὶ, ἀλλʼ ἡμᾶς γε τῆς ἐπὶ τῇ διακονία αἰτίας ἄφες, ἀδόλως καὶ ἀκατασκεύως. ἐπιθυμία τῆς εἰρήνης καὶ τῆς πρὸς ἀλλήλους ἡμῶν συναφείας τῶν ὁμονοούντων εἰς τὰ πρὸς τὸν Κύριον, ἐπὶ τὴν πρεσβείαν ταύτην καὶ μεσιτείαν ἀφικομένους.

Innokentiǭ episkopǭ. Oson euthymēsa dexamenos grammata tēs agapēs sou, tosouton elypēthēn, hoti baros epethēkas hēmin phrontidos tēs hyperbainousēs ēmas. Pōs gar dynēthōmen apo tosoutou diastēmatos, tosautas hēmeis oikonomias aspir/aviariae? Eōs men gar hymas echei ē Ekklēsia, hōs idiois stērigmasinep; anapauetai; ean de ti peri tēs hymeteras zōēs o Kyrios oikonomēsē, tinas dynamai homotimous en; teuoed hymin eis tēn epimeleian tōn adelphōn ekpempein?”hoper sy epezētēsas dia tōn gramma; ’ tōn, kalōs poiōn xui emphronōs, boulomenos zōn idein ton meta se mellonta kybernąn to heklekton poimnion tou Kyriouo ho kaio makarios Mōysēs kai epethymēse kai eioen ; epei oun kaio topos megas kai periboētos, kai to son ergon para pollois onomi ston, xui hoi kairoi chalepoi, megalou chreian echontes kybernētou, dia tas synecheis zalas kai tous epanistamenous klydōnas tę̄ Ekklēsia ; ouk enomisa asphales einai tę̄ emę̄ psychę̄ aphōsiōmenōs tǭ pragmati chrēsasthai; malista memnēmenos hōn egrapsas, hoti melleis epi tou Kyriou antikathistasthai moi, dikazomenos pros me hyper tēs ameleias tōn Ekklēsiōn, Hina oun mē eiselthō eis krisin meta sou, alla mal; lon koinōnon se heurō tēs apologias mou, tēs ipi tou Christou, periblepsamenos hen tǭ synedriǭ, tou presbyteriou tou kata tēn polin, exelexamēn to timiōtaton skeuos, ton ekgonon tou makariou Ermogenous, tou tēn megalēn kai arrēkton pistin grapsantos hen tę̄ megalę̄ synodǭ ; presbyteron tēs Ekklēsias ek pollōn ēdē etōn, eustathē ton tropon, empeiron kanonōn, akribē tēn pistin, en enkrateią kai askēsei mechri nyn diagontao ei kai hoti ti eutonon autou tēs sklēragōgias loipon katedapanēse tēn sarkaʼ ptōchon, kai mēdena porismon echonta hen tǭ kosmǭ toutǭ, hōs mēde artou auton euporein, alla d ia tōn cheirōn ekplekein ton bion meta tōn adelphōn tōn synontōn autǭ. Touton emoi boulēton estin aposteilai. Ei oun ka] autos toioutou chrę̄zeis andros, alla mē auto touti neōterou tinos epitēdeiou monon pros to pempesthai kai tas biōtikas hexanyein chreias, tachy moi dia prōtēs aphormēs episteilai kataxiōson, ina pempsō soi touton ton andra, eklekton onta tou Theou, kaitǭ pragmati epitēdeion, aidesimon tois hentynchanousi, kai hen praotēti paideuonta tous antidiatithemenous. “Ov ēdynamēn kai euthys ekpempsai ; allʼ epeidē autos prolabōn epezētēsas anthrōpon, ta min alla kalon kai agapēton hēmin, tou de proei‹ rēmenou andros parapoly apodeonta, ēboulēthēn ; soi gōeran genesthai tēn hamautou gnōmēn hinʼ, ei chrę̄xeis andros toioutou, ē ekpempsę̄s tina tōn adelmechris hēmōn hodoiporias ton kamaton hypostēnai. Abanasiǭ, episkopǭ ’Dlexandreias. Hotan men pros ta pragmata apoblepsōmen, kai tas dyskolias katidōmen, hyphʼ hōn pasa agathē energeia hoion hypo tinos desmou empodizomenē katechetai, eis apognōsin heautōn erchometha pantelē ; hotan 5": palin pros tēn sēn apidōmen semnoprepeian, kai logisōmetha, hoti se iatron tōn en tais Ekklēsiais arrōstēmatōn o Kyrios hēmōn etamieusato ; analambanomen heautōn tous logismous, kai ek tou kata tēn apognōsin ptōmatos pros tēn ilpioa tōn chrēstoterōn dianistametha. Lelytai pasa Ekklēsia, hōs oude hē sē phronēsis agnoei. Kai horąs pantōs ta hekastachou, hoion aphʼ hypsēlēs tinos skopias tēs tou nou Theōrias ; hopōs, kathaper hen pela-gei, pollōn homou sympleontōn, hypo tēs bias tou klydōnos pantes omou allēlois prosrēgnyntai ; kai ginetai to nauagion, pē min ik tēs exō; then aitias biaiōs kinousēs tēn thalattan, pē dē ek tēs tōn empleontōn tarachēs antibainontōn allēlois kai diōthoumenōn. Arkei epi tēs eikonos easai ton logon, oute tēs sēs sophias epitrepousēs ti pleon, oute tēs katastaseōs epitrepousēs hēmin tēn parrēsian. Kai pros tauta tis hikanos kybernētēss tis axiopistos dianastēsai ton Kyrion epitimēsai tǭ anemǭ kai tē thalassę̄? Tis heterosē o ek paidos tois hyper tēs eusebeias inathlēsas agōsins Epei oun hōrmētai nyn gnēsiōs pan to peri hēmas hygiainon kata tēn pistin eis tēn pros tous homodoxous koinōnian kai henōsin, tharrountōs ēlthomen eis tēn paraklēsin sou tēs anexikakias, hepisteilai pasin hēmin epistolēn mian, parainesin echousan tōn prakteōn. Outōn gar boulontai para sou tēn archēn hyparxai autois tōn koinōnikōn hoialexeōn. Epeidē de isōs hypoptoi kataphainontai soi tę̄ mnēmę̄ tōn parelthontōn, ekeino poiēson, theophilestate Pater hemoi tos pros tous hepiskopous epistolas diapempsai hē dia tinos tōn autothen pistōn, hē kai dia tou adelphou Dōrotheou tou syndiakonou hēmōn, has hypodexamenos hou proteron dōsō, mē labōn tas parʼ autōn apokriseis; ean de mē, Ēmartēkōs esomai eis se pasas tas hēmeras tēs zōēs mou, Pantōs de hou pleionos axion phobou touto tǭ ex archēs eiponti pros ton patera ē emoi nyn pros si ton pneumatikon patera legonti. Ei de touto panti tropǭ apēgoreutai para soi, allʼ hēmas ge tēs epi tę̄ diakonia aitias aphes, adolōs kai akataskeuōs. epithymia tēs eirēnēs kai tēs pros allēlous hēmōn synapheias tōn homonoountōn eis ta pros ton Kyrion, epi tēn presbeian tautēn kai mesiteian aphikomenous.

To Innocent, a bishop. As much as I was cheered at receiving your Love's letter, so much was I grieved that you laid on us the weight of a care that is beyond us. For how can we, from so great a distance, manage such great matters? As long as the church has you, it rests on its own supports; but if the Lord should order anything concerning your life, whom can I send from here, of equal honor with you, to care for the brothers? This is what you asked in your letter, rightly and wisely, wishing to see in your lifetime the one who is to govern after you the Lord's chosen flock, which blessed Moses also both desired and saw. Since, then, the place is great and famous, your work renowned among many, and the times difficult, needing a great helmsman because of the continual storms and the waves rising against the Church, I did not think it safe for my soul to treat the matter perfunctorily, especially remembering what you wrote, that you would stand against me before the Lord, bringing a case against me for neglect of the churches. So that I may not enter into judgment with you, but rather find you a partner in my defense before Christ, I looked round among the council of the presbytery of the city and chose the most honorable vessel, the descendant of the blessed Hermogenes, who wrote the great and unbreakable creed at the great council: a presbyter of the church for many years now, steady in character, experienced in the canons, exact in faith, living until now in self-control and ascetic discipline, though the intensity of his austerity has by now consumed his flesh; poor, having no means of livelihood in this world, so that he does not even have bread in abundance, but earns his living with his hands together with the brothers who live with him. This is the man I wish to send. If, then, you too need such a man, and not merely some younger man fit only to be sent on errands and to carry out the business of life, deign to write to me quickly at the first opportunity, so that I may send you this man, chosen by God and suited to the task, venerable to those who meet him, and correcting opponents with gentleness. I could have sent him at once; but since you yourself first asked for a man good and dear to us in other respects but falling far short of the aforesaid, I wished to make my opinion clear to you, so that, if you need such a man, you may either send one of the brothers … to undergo the toil of the journey as far as us. [Letter 82] To Athanasius, bishop of Alexandria. When we look at affairs and see the difficulties by which every good activity is held back as though bound by a chain, we come to complete despair of ourselves; but when again we look to your Reverence and consider that our Lord has reserved you as physician for the sicknesses in the churches, we recover our thoughts and rise up from the fall of despair to the hope of better things. The whole Church is broken up, as your prudence is not unaware. And you surely see what is happening everywhere, as from a high lookout of mental contemplation: how, as at sea, when many are sailing together, all are dashed against one another by the violence of the waves, and shipwreck comes partly from an external cause violently stirring up the sea, partly from the confusion of those on board, who oppose and jostle one another. It is enough to leave the argument at the image, since neither does your wisdom allow anything more, nor does the situation allow us frankness. And against these things, who is an able helmsman? Who is trustworthy enough to rouse the Lord to rebuke the wind and the sea? Who else but he who from childhood has contended in the contests for godliness? Since, then, all that is sound in the faith about us is now genuinely eager for communion and union with those of the same belief, we have come confidently to entreat your forbearance to send one letter to all of us, containing advice on what should be done. For so they wish to have from you the beginning of the talks toward communion. But since they perhaps appear suspect to you because of the memory of the past, do this, most God-beloved Father: send the letters for the bishops to me, either by one of the faithful there or by our brother Dorotheus, our fellow deacon; and when I receive them I will not give them out until I have received their replies. If not, “I shall bear the blame before you all the days of my life.” Surely this was no more to be feared by him who first said it to his father than by me now saying it to you, my spiritual father. But if this is in every way refused by you, at least acquit us of blame for our mediation, since we have come to this embassy and mediation without guile or contrivance, from desire for peace and for the union of those who agree in the things of the Lord.

Textual problem in this passage: see the notes.

Num 27:15–23 (allusion, high confidence) · Ps 143:2 (142:2 LXX) (allusion, medium confidence) · 2 Tim 2:21 (allusion, medium confidence) · 2 Tim 2:25 (quotation, high confidence) · Matt 8:26 (allusion, high confidence) · Gen 43:9 (quotation, high confidence)

Notes and citation

Summary: Basil offers bishop Innocent a holy presbyter as his successor; a second letter asks Athanasius to write to the Eastern bishops seeking communion, offering to hold the letters until they reply.

This staged ref holds two letters. Letter 81 (Benedictine), to bishop Innocent: Hermogenes, bishop of Caesarea, is credited with writing the creed at the council of Nicaea. A line is lost before the end (“…”). [Letter 82], to Athanasius, whose heading stands in the text. Scripture: Num 27:15–23 (Moses and Joshua); Ps 143:2 (LXX 142:2); 2 Tim 2:21, 25; Matt 8:26; Gen 43:9 (Judah to his father: “I shall bear the blame…”).

Topics: Church office

Cite (SBL): Basil, Ep. 81 (PG 32:456c–460d; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/basil-epistulae/74/#p-81). (abbreviation not yet checked)

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Chapter 83

83PG 32:461a

Κηνσίτορι. Ἐμοὶ πρὸς τήν σὴν εὐγένειαν συνήθεια μὲν καὶ ἠ κατʼ ὀφθαλμοὺς συντυχία πάνυ βραχεῖα γέγονέ· γνῶσις δε ἡ ἐξ ἀκοῆς, διʼ ἧς πολλοῖς συναπτόμεθα τῶν ἐπιφανῶν, οῦκ ὀλίγη τε, οὐδὲ εὐκαταφρόνητος. Εἰ δε καὶ σοί τις ἐκ τῆς φήμης περὶ ἡμῶν ὑπάρχει λόγος, αὐτὸς ἂν εἰδείης ἄμεινον. Τὸ δʼ οὖν σὸν παρʼ ἡμῖν τοιοῦτον ἐστιν οἷον εἴπομεν. Ἐπειδὴ δί ἐκάλεσέ σε ὁ Θεὸς εἰς πρᾶγμα φιλανθρωπίας ἐπί· δειξιν ἕχον, διʼ οὗ δυνατόν ἐστι διορθωθῆναι ἡμῶν τὴν πατρίδα παντελῶς ἐδαφισθεῖσαν, ἠγοῦμαι πρέπειν μοι ὑπομνῆσαι σου τὴν χρηστότητα, ἱνα ἐπʼ ἐλπίδι τῆς παρὰ Θεοῦ ἀνταποδοσεως τοιοῦτον σεαυτὸν καταξιώσῃς παρασχέσθαι, ὥστε ἀθανάτου μὲν τῆς μνὴο μης ἀξιοῦσθαι, γενέσθαι δε αἰωνίων ἀναπαύσων κληρονόμον, ἓν τοῦ ἐλαφροτέρας ποιῆσαι τοῖς καταπονουμένοις τὰς θλίψεις. Ἐπειδή δε κάμοί τίς ἐστι κτῆσις περὶ Χαμανηνήν, ἀξιῶ σε προστῆναι αῦτῆς, ὡς οἰκείας. Μὴ θαυμάζῃς δὲ, εἰ ἐμαυτοῦ λέγω τὰ τῶν φίλων, μετὰ τῆς ἄλλης ἀρετῆς καὶ φιλίαν πεπαιδευμένος, καὶ μεμνημένος τοῦ σοφῶς εἰπόντος, ἀλλον ἑαυτὸν εἶναι τὸν φίλον. Τὴν τοίνυν κτῆσιν τήν ὃιαγέρουσαν τῷδε, ταύτην ὡς ἐμαυτοῦ παρατίθεμαι τιμιότητί σου· καὶ παρακαλῶ, ἐπισκεψάμενον τὰ τῆς οἰκίας δυσχερῆ, δοῦναι αὐτοῖς καὶτῶν παρελθόντων χρόνων παραμυθίαν, καὶ πρὸς τὸ μέλλον αἱρετὴν αὐτοῖς κατασκευάσαι τὴν οἴκησιν, τὴν φευκτὴν καὶ ἀπηγορευμένην διὰ τὸ πλῆθος τῆς ἐπικειμένης αὐτῇ συντελείας. Σπουδάσω δε καὶ αὐτὸς στου διαλεχθῆναι.

Kēnsitori. Emoi pros tēn sēn eugeneian synētheia men kai ē katʼ ophthalmous syntychia pany bracheia gegone; gnōsis de hē ex akoēs, diʼ hēs pollois synaptometha tōn epiphanōn, ouk oligē te, oude eukataphronētos. Ei de kai soi tis ek tēs phēmēs peri hēmōn hyparchei logos, autos an eideiēs ameinon. To dʼ oun son parʼ hēmin toiouton estin hoion eipomen. Epeidē di ekalese se ho Theos eis pragma philanthrōpias epi; deixin hechon, diʼ hou dynaton esti diorthōthēnai hēmōn tēn patrida pantelōs edaphistheisan, ēgoumai prepein moi hypomnēsai sou tēn chrēstotēta, hina epʼ elpidi tēs para Theou antapodoseōs toiouton seauton kataxiōsę̄s paraschesthai, hōste athanatou men tēs mnēo mēs axiousthai, genesthai de aiōniōn anapausōn klēronomon, hen tou elaphroteras poiēsai tois kataponoumenois tas thlipseis. Epeidē de kamoi tis esti ktēsis peri Chamanēnēn, axiō se prostēnai autēs, hōs oikeias. Mē thaumazę̄s de, ei emautou legō ta tōn philōn, meta tēs allēs aretēs kai philian pepaideumenos, kai memnēmenos tou sophōs eipontos, allon heauton einai ton philon. Tēn toinyn ktēsin tēn hoiagerousan tǭde, tautēn hōs emautou paratithemai timiotēti sou; kai parakalō, episkepsamenon ta tēs oikias dyscherē, dounai autois kaitōn parelthontōn chronōn paramythian, kai pros to mellon hairetēn autois kataskeuasai tēn oikēsin, tēn pheuktēn kai apēgoreumenēn dia to plēthos tēs epikeimenēs autę̄ synteleias. Spoudasō de kai autos stou dialechthēnai.

To a censitor. My acquaintance with your Nobility and our meeting face to face have been very brief; but my knowledge of you by report, by which we are connected with many distinguished men, is neither small nor to be despised. Whether you have any account of us from report, you yourself would know better. At any rate your standing with us is such as we have said. Since God has called you to a task that offers a display of kindness, through which it is possible to restore our homeland, utterly razed to the ground, I think it fitting to remind your Goodness, that, in hope of God's recompense, you may deign to show yourself such as to be thought worthy of immortal memory and to become an heir of eternal rest, by making lighter the afflictions of the oppressed. And since I too have some property at Chamanene, I ask you to protect it as your own. Do not wonder if I call my friends' property my own, since with the rest of virtue I have been taught friendship too, and remember him who wisely said that a friend is another self. The property, then, belonging to So-and-so, I commend to your Honor as my own; and I urge you, considering the hardships of the household, both to give them some relief for past times and to make their dwelling desirable for the future, which is now shunned and given up because of the weight of the assessment imposed on it. I too will make an effort to meet you.

Notes and citation

Summary: Basil asks a tax assessor to deal kindly with Caesarea and with a friend's property at Chamanene as if it were his own.

Staged as 82; this is Letter 83 (Benedictine). “A friend is another self” is a saying attributed to Aristotle (Eth. Nic. 9.4) and to Pythagoras.

Extrabiblical texts: Aristotle, Eth. nic. 9.4 (Aristotle (works); allusion)

Cite (SBL): Basil, Ep. 83 (PG 32:461a; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/basil-epistulae/74/#p-83). (abbreviation not yet checked)

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Chapter 84

84PG 32:464a–464b

χόντι · οὔτε ἄρχοντι δηλονότι καὶ ἰδιώτη · ἀλλὰ πειράτέον τοῦ μὲν ἐκ τῆς τέχνης, τοῦ δὲ ἀπὸ τῆς ἕξουσίας ἀπολαύειν εἰς τὰ ἡμέτερα. Ὠσπερ οὖν τοῖς ἐν ἡλίῳ βαδίζουσιν ἕπεται πάντως η σκιὰ, κᾶν αὐτοὶ μὴ προέλωνται · οὕτω καὶ ταῖς πρὸς τοὺς ἄρχοντας ’ὁμιλίαις ἀκολουθεῖ τι καὶ παρεμπόρευμα, ἡ τῶν καμνόντων βοήθεια. Τὴν μὶν οὖν πρώτην αἰτίαν τῆς ἐπιστολῆς πληρούτω αὐτό τὸ προσειπεῖν σου τὴν μεγαλόνοιαν. ὅ, κᾶν μηδεμία πρόφασις τῷ γράφειν προσῇ, ἀγαθόν κεφάλαιον αὐτὸ χρὴ νομίζεσθαι. Προσεὶρησο τοίνυν ἡμῖν, ὦ ἄριστε, καὶ φυλάττοιο τῷ βίῳ παντὶ, ἀρχὰς, ἐξ ἀρχῶν ἀμείβων, καὶ οὒλοτε ἀλλους ταῖς ἐπιστασίαις εὐεργετῶν. Τοῦτο γαρ ἐμοί τε ποιεῖν σύνηθες, καὶ σοὶ ὀφειλόμενον παρὰ τῶν καὶ κατὰ μικρὸν πεπειραμένων τῆς περὶ τό ἄρχειν σου ἀρετῆς. 2. Μετά δὲ τὴν εὐχὴν, δέξαι καὶ τὴν ὑπὲρ τοῦ ἀθλίου γέροντος ἱκεσίαν, ὃν ἀφῆκε μεν τῶν δημοσίων γράμμα βασιλικόν· μᾶλλον δὲ καὶ προ τοῦ βασιλέως αὐτὸ τὸ γῆρας ἔδωκεν αὐτῷ τὴν ἀναγκαίαν ἀτέλειαν. Ἐβεβαίωσας δε καὶ αὐτὸς τὴν ἅνωθεν χάριν αἰδοῖ τῆς φύσεως, καὶ προμηθείᾳ τῶν δημοσίων, ἐμοὶ δοκεῖν, ὡς ἆν μὴ ἀνθρώπῳ παρανοοῦντι διὰ τόν χρόνον κινδυνεύοι τι τῶν κοινῶν.Δι ἐτέρας δὲ ὁδοῦ πάλιν πῶς αὐτόν ἔλαθες, ὦ θαυμάσιε, παραγαγὼν εἰς τὸ μέσση Τόν γὰρ ὑῐδοῦν αὖ· τοῦ, οὔπω τέταρτον ἔτος ἀπὸ γενέσεως ἄγοντα, κελεύσας τοῦ βουλευτηρίου μετέχειν, τί ἀλλο καὶ οὐχὶ τὸν πρεσβύτην διὰ τοῦ ἐκγόνου πάλιν ἐξ ἀρχῆς παρʼ αγεις εἰς τὰ δημόσια; Ἀλλὰ νῦν ἱκετεύομεν ἀμφοτέρων σε λαβεῖν τῶν ἡλικιῶν οἶκτον, καὶ ἀμφοτέρους ἁνεῖναι δια τὰ προσόντα ἑκατέρῳ ἐλεεινά. Ὀ μεν γὰρ οῦκ εἶδε γονέας, οὐδʼ ἐγνώρισε, ἀλλὰ διʼ ἀλλοτρίων χειρῶν εἰς τόν βίον τοῦτον εἰσῆλθεν, εὐθὺς ἐκ σπαργάνων ἀμφοτέρων ὀρφανισθείς· ὁ δε τοσοῦτον ἐταμιεύοη τῷ βίῳ, ὡς μηδὲν αὐτὸν εἶδος συμφορᾶς παρελθεῖν· Ἐπεῖδε μὲν γὰρ υὶοῦ τελευτὴν οἰωρον. εἶδε δὲ οἷκον ἔρημον διαδόχων· ἅψεται δὲ νῦν, ἐὰν μή τι αὐτὸς ἄξιον τῆς σεαυτοῦ φιλανθρωπίας διανοηθῇς, τὴν παραμυθίαν τῆς ἀπαιδίας, ταύο την ἀφορμὴν αὐτῷ μυρίων γενησομένην κακῶν. Οὗ γὰρ δήπου τό παιδίον εἰς βουλευτὰς συντελέσει, ὴ ἐκλέξει τὰς εἰσφορὰς, ἣ στρατιώταις χορηγήσει τὸ σιτηρέσιον ο ἀλλʼ ἀνάγκη πάλιν τοῦ ἀθλίου γέρον· τος τὴν πολιὰν καταισχύνω-θαι. Δὸς οὖν χάριν καὶ τοῖς νόμοις ἀκόλουθον, καὶ τῇ φύσει συμβαίνουσαν τῷ μὲν προστάξας μέχρι τῆς τῶν ἀνδρῶν ἡλικίας συγχωρηθῆναί, τόν δὲ ἐπὶ τῆς κλίνης ἀναμένειν τὸν θάνατον. Πραγμάτων δὲ συνέχειαν καὶ τό τῆς ἀνάγκης ἀπαραίτητον ἄλλοι προβαλλέσθωσαν. Οὐ γὰρ δὴ τοῦ σοῦ τρόπον ἦ κακῶς πράττοντας περι ιδεῖν, ἡ νόμων ὀλιγωρῆσαι, ἡ φίλοις μὴ εἶξαι καθικετεύουσι, κᾶν τὰ ἐξ ἀνθρώπων σε περιεστήκει πράγματα. ἓγγόνου.

chonti ; oute archonti dēlonoti kai idiōtē ; alla peirateon tou men ek tēs technēs, tou de apo tēs hexousias apolauein eis ta hēmetera. Ōsper oun tois en hēliǭ badizousin hepetai pantōs ē skia, kan autoi mē proelōntai ; houtō kai tais pros tous archontas ’homiliais akolouthei ti kai paremporeuma, hē tōn kamnontōn boētheia. Tēn min oun prōtēn aitian tēs epistolēs plēroutō auto to proseipein sou tēn megalonoian. ho, kan mēdemia prophasis tǭ graphein prosę̄, agathon kephalaion auto chrē nomizesthai. Proseirēso toinyn hēmin, ō ariste, kai phylattoio tǭ biǭ panti, archas, ex archōn ameibōn, kai oulote allous tais epistasiais euergetōn. Touto gar emoi te poiein synēthes, kai soi opheilomenon para tōn kai kata mikron pepeiramenōn tēs peri to archein sou aretēs. 2. Meta de tēn euchēn, dexai kai tēn hyper tou athliou gerontos hikesian, hon aphēke men tōn dēmosiōn gramma basilikon; mallon de kai pro tou basileōs auto to gēras edōken autǭ tēn anankaian ateleian. Ebebaiōsas de kai autos tēn hanōthen charin aidoi tēs physeōs, kai promētheią tōn dēmosiōn, emoi dokein, hōs an mē anthrōpǭ paranoounti dia ton chronon kindyneuoi ti tōn koinōn.Di eteras de hodou palin pōs auton elathes, ō thaumasie, paragagōn eis to messē Ton gar huidoun au; tou, oupō tetarton etos apo geneseōs agonta, keleusas tou bouleutēriou metechein, ti allo kai ouchi ton presbytēn dia tou ekgonou palin ex archēs parʼ ageis eis ta dēmosia? Alla nyn hiketeuomen amphoterōn se labein tōn hēlikiōn oikton, kai amphoterous haneinai dia ta prosonta hekaterǭ eleeina. O men gar ouk eide goneas, oudʼ egnōrise, alla diʼ allotriōn cheirōn eis ton bion touton eisēlthen, euthys ek sparganōn amphoterōn orphanistheis; ho de tosouton etamieuoē tǭ biǭ, hōs mēden auton eidos symphoras parelthein; Epeide men gar uiou teleutēn oiōron. eide de hoikon erēmon diadochōn; hapsetai de nyn, ean mē ti autos axion tēs seautou philanthrōpias dianoēthę̄s, tēn paramythian tēs apaidias, tauo tēn aphormēn autǭ myriōn genēsomenēn kakōn. Hou gar dēpou to paidion eis bouleutas syntelesei, ē eklexei tas eisphoras, hē stratiōtais chorēgēsei to sitēresion o allʼ anankē palin tou athliou geron; tos tēn polian kataischynō-thai. Dos oun charin kai tois nomois akolouthon, kai tę̄ physei symbainousan tǭ men prostaxas mechri tēs tōn andrōn hēlikias synchōrēthēnai, ton de epi tēs klinēs anamenein ton thanaton. Pragmatōn de synecheian kai to tēs anankēs aparaitēton alloi proballesthōsan. Ou gar dē tou sou tropon ē kakōs prattontas peri idein, hē nomōn oligōrēsai, hē philois mē eixai kathiketeuousi, kan ta ex anthrōpōn se periestēkei pragmata. hengonou.

… nor to a ruler and a private person alike; but one must try to profit for our affairs from the one by his art and from the other by his authority. As, then, a shadow certainly follows those who walk in the sun, even if they do not choose it, so with conversations with rulers there follows a kind of by-trade, the help of the suffering. Let the first reason for my letter, then, be fulfilled by the mere greeting of your Magnanimity, which, even if there were no other pretext for writing, ought to be considered a good thing in itself. Greetings, then, from us, my excellent friend, and may you be kept safe all your life, passing from office to office, and benefiting now some, now others, by your administrations. For this is both my custom to pray and your due from those who have even slightly experienced your virtue in governing. 2. After the prayer, receive also my supplication for a wretched old man, whom an imperial letter released from public duties; or rather, even before the emperor, his very age gave him the necessary exemption. You yourself confirmed the favor from above, out of respect for nature and, I think, out of care for the public interest, so that nothing of the common affairs might be endangered by a man growing senile through age. But by another road, my admirable friend, how did you unawares bring him back into the midst? For by ordering his grandson, not yet in his fourth year since birth, to belong to the council, what else are you doing but bringing the old man back to public duties through his descendant? Now, however, we implore you to take pity on both ages and release both because of the pitiable state of each. For the one has never seen or known his parents, but came into this life through others' hands, orphaned of both from his swaddling clothes; and the other has been kept so long in life that no form of misfortune has passed him by. He saw his son's untimely death; he saw his house without heirs; and now, unless you devise something worthy of your kindness, the consolation of his childlessness will become for him the occasion of countless evils. For the child, surely, will not contribute to the council, nor collect the taxes, nor supply the soldiers with their rations; but once again the gray hairs of the wretched old man must be disgraced. Grant, then, a favor consistent with the laws and agreeable to nature, ordering that the child be excused until the age of manhood, and the old man left to await death in his bed. Let others plead the press of business and the inexorability of necessity. For it is not your way to overlook those in distress, or to slight the laws, or not to yield to friends who implore you, even if the affairs of men press round you. …

Textual problem in this passage: see the notes.

Notes and citation

Summary: Basil asks a governor to free an aged man and his orphaned four-year-old grandson from enrollment in the city council.

Staged as 83; this is Letter 84 (Benedictine), to the governor. Its heading and opening are lost in the scan (“…”); a stray word (“of the grandson”) at the end is a leftover of the scan and is not translated.

Notes on the original text

Digital text corrected (OCR junk): γράφεινίῖὅ) → γράφειν .

Cite (SBL): Basil, Ep. 84 (PG 32:464a–464b; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/basil-epistulae/74/#p-84). (abbreviation not yet checked)

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Chapter 85

85PG 32:465a–468b

Α Περὶ τοῦ μὴ δεῖν ὁρκοῦν. Oti παυόμεθα κατὰ πᾶσαν σύνοδον διαμαρτυρόμενοι, καὶ ἰδίᾳ ἓν ταῖς συντυχίαις περὶ τῶν αὐτῶν διαλεγόμενοι, ὥστε τοὺς ὅρκους ἐπὶ τοῖς δημοσίοις τεᾘσμασι μὴ έπάγεσθαι παρὰ τῶν ἁπαιτητῶν τοῖς ἀγροίκοις. Λειπόμενον ἧν καὶ διὰ τοῦ γράμματος περὶ τῶν αὐτῶν ἐνώπιον Θεοῦ καὶ ἀνθρώπων διαμαρτύρασθαι, ὅτι προσήκεὶ παύσασθαι ὑμᾶς διαμαρτον ταῖς ψυχαῖς τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἐπάγοντας, καὶ ἀλλους ἐπινοῆσαι τινας τρόπους τῶν ἀπαιτήσεων, τὰς δέ ψυχὰς συγχωρῆσαι τοῖς ἀνθρώποις ἀτρώτους ἔχειν. Ταῦτα πρὸς σε γράφομεν, οὐχ ὡς σοῦ δεομένου τῆς ἐκ τῶν λόγων παρακλήσεως (οἴκοθεν γὰρ ’ἔχεις τὰς περὶ τό φοβεῖσθαι τὸν Κύριον ἀφορμὰς), ἀλλʼ ἶνα διὰ σοῦ πάντες οἰ ἀνεχόμενοί σου δώαχθῶσι μὴ παροργίζειν τόν Ἀγιον, μηδὲ ἀπηγορευμένον πρᾶγμα τῇ πονηρᾷ συνηθείᾳ εἰς ἀδιαφορίαν κατάγειν. Καὶ γὰρ οὔτε ὄφελός τι αὐτοῖς πρὸς τὰς ἀπαιτῆσεις ἐκ τῶν ὅρκων ἐστὶ, καὶ ὀπολογούμε νον κακὸν τῇ ψυχῇ προσλαμβάνουσιν. Ἐπειδὰν γὰρ καταμελετήσωσι τὰς ἐπιορκίας οἶ ἄνθρωποι, οὐκέτι ἰαυτούς ἐπείγουσι πρὸς τήν ἔκτισιν, ἀλλὰ ἀπάτης ὅπλον καὶ ἀναβολῆς ἀφορμὴν ἐξευρῆσθαι αὐτοῖς τόν ὅρκον οἴονται. Εἴτε οὖν ὀξεῖαν ίπάγει τὴν ἀνταπόδ οσιν τοῖς ἕπιωρκηκόσιν ὁ Κύριος, ούχ ἕξουσι τοὺς ὑπακούοντας,τῶν ὑπευθύνων ύπό τῆ ς τιμωρίας ἀναλωθέντων· εἴτε διὰ μακροθυμίας ἀνέχεται ό Δεσπότης, ὃ προλαβὼν εἷπον, ὅτι οἱ πεπειραμένοι τῆς ἀνοχῆς τοῦ Κυρίου καταφρονοῦσιν αὐτοῦ τῆς χρηστότητος ’ μὴ ἀνομείτωσαν διατιῆς,μηδε παροξυνέτωσαν ἔφʼἕαυτούς τὸν Θεὸν, Εἶρηται ἡμῖν τὰ ἡμῖν ἐπιβάλλοντα· ὄψονται οἱ ἀπειθοῦντες. ΔΠΙΣΥΟΑΗ Πς. Τῷ ἡγεμόνι. Οἶδα μεγίστην καὶ πρωτην σπουδὴν οὖσαν τῇ τιμιότητί σου πάντα τρόπον χαρίζεσθαι τῷ δικαίῳ ’ δευτέραν δε τὸ καί τοὺς φίλους εύποιείν, καὶ τῶν προσφευγόντων τῇ προστασίᾳ τῆς σῆς μεγαλονοίας ἀντιποιεῖσθαι. Πάντα τοίνυν εἰς ταυτὸν συνέδραμεν ἐπὶ τῆς παροῦσης ὑποθέσεως. Καὶ γὰρ δικαιόν ἔστι τὸ πρᾶγμα, ὑπὲρ οὗ τὴν πρεσβείαν ποιούμεθα, καὶ ἡμῖν κεχαρισμένον, οὓς ἐν τοῖς φίλοις ἀριθμεῖν τοῖς σεαυτοῦ κατηξίωσας καὶ ὀφειλόμενον τοῖς τήν στερρότητα σοῦ εἰς τήν ὑπερ ὧν πεπόνθασι βοήθειαν ἔπικα).ουμ.ένοις. Σίτον γὰρ, ὃν μόνον εἶχε πρὸς τὴν ἀναγκαίαν τοῦ βίου δ ιαγωγὴν ὁ ποθεινότατος ἀδελφὸς Δωρόθεος, διήρπασάν τινες ἕν Βηρίσοις, τῶν τὰ δημόσια διοικεῖν πεπιστευμένων, εἶτε ἀφʼ ἑαυτῶν ἓλθόντες ἐπι τὴν βίαν, εἴτε καὶ ἑτέρων αὐτοῖς ὑποθεμένων. Πλὴν οὐδαμόθεν αὐτοῖς τὸ πρᾶγμα ἰινέοριλητον, Τί γὰρ ἧττον ἀδικεῖ ὁ οἴκοθεν πονηρὸςὴ ὀ ἑτέρων κακία ὑπηρετούμενος; Καὶ τοῖς πεπονθόσιν ἡ ζημία ὁμοία. Τοῦτο-ν ἀξιοῦμεν, διʼ ὧν ἀφηρέθη μὲν ἀπολαβεῖν, καὶ δὴ ἐξεῖναι αὐτοῖς ἐπὶ ἑτέροις τὴν αἰτίαν τῶν τετολμημένων ἀναφέρειν ὅσου δὲ ἄξιον τὸ τὴν ἐκ τῆς σιτοδείας διαψυγείν ἀνάγκην, τοσούτου τὴν χάριν τιμησὸμεθα τὴν παρὰ τῆς σῆς μεγαλοφνῖαςν ἐὰν ἄρα δοῦναι καταξιώσης.

A Peri tou mē dein horkoun. Oti pauometha kata pasan synodon diamartyromenoi, kai idią hen tais syntychiais peri tōn autōn dialegomenoi, hōste tous horkous epi tois dēmosiois teĘ̄smasi mē epagesthai para tōn hapaitētōn tois agroikois. Leipomenon hēn kai dia tou grammatos peri tōn autōn enōpion Theou kai anthrōpōn diamartyrasthai, hoti prosēkei pausasthai hymas diamarton tais psychais tōn anthrōpōn epagontas, kai allous epinoēsai tinas tropous tōn apaitēseōn, tas de psychas synchōrēsai tois anthrōpois atrōtous echein. Tauta pros se graphomen, ouch hōs sou deomenou tēs ek tōn logōn paraklēseōs (oikothen gar ’echeis tas peri to phobeisthai ton Kyrion aphormas), allʼ ina dia sou pantes oi anechomenoi sou dōachthōsi mē parorgizein ton Agion, mēde apēgoreumenon pragma tę̄ ponērą synētheią eis adiaphorian katagein. Kai gar oute ophelos ti autois pros tas apaitēseis ek tōn horkōn esti, kai opologoume non kakon tę̄ psychę̄ proslambanousin. Epeidan gar katameletēsōsi tas epiorkias oi anthrōpoi, ouketi iautous epeigousi pros tēn ektisin, alla apatēs hoplon kai anabolēs aphormēn exeurēsthai autois ton horkon oiontai. Eite oun oxeian ipagei tēn antapod osin tois hepiōrkēkosin ho Kyrios, ouch hexousi tous hypakouontas,tōn hypeuthynōn ypo tē s timōrias analōthentōn; eite dia makrothymias anechetai o Despotēs, ho prolabōn heipon, hoti hoi pepeiramenoi tēs anochēs tou Kyriou kataphronousin autou tēs chrēstotētos ’ mē anomeitōsan diatiēs,mēde paroxynetōsan ephʼheautous ton Theon, Eirētai hēmin ta hēmin epiballonta; opsontai hoi apeithountes. DPISYOAĒ Ps. Tǭ hēgemoni. Oida megistēn kai prōtēn spoudēn ousan tę̄ timiotēti sou panta tropon charizesthai tǭ dikaiǭ ’ deuteran de to kai tous philous eupoiein, kai tōn prospheugontōn tę̄ prostasią tēs sēs megalonoias antipoieisthai. Panta toinyn eis tauton synedramen epi tēs parousēs hypotheseōs. Kai gar dikaion esti to pragma, hyper hou tēn presbeian poioumetha, kai hēmin kecharismenon, hous en tois philois arithmein tois seautou katēxiōsas kai opheilomenon tois tēn sterrotēta sou eis tēn hyper hōn peponthasi boētheian epika).oum.enois. Siton gar, hon monon eiche pros tēn anankaian tou biou d iagōgēn ho potheinotatos adelphos Dōrotheos, diērpasan tines hen Bērisois, tōn ta dēmosia dioikein pepisteumenōn, eite aphʼ heautōn helthontes epi tēn bian, eite kai heterōn autois hypothemenōn. Plēn oudamothen autois to pragma iineorilēton, Ti gar hētton adikei ho oikothen ponērosē o heterōn kakia hypēretoumenos? Kai tois peponthosin hē zēmia homoia. Touto-n axioumen, diʼ hōn aphērethē men apolabein, kai dē exeinai autois epi heterois tēn aitian tōn tetolmēmenōn anapherein hosou de axion to tēn ek tēs sitodeias diapsygein anankēn, tosoutou tēn charin timēsometha tēn para tēs sēs megalophniasn ean ara dounai kataxiōsēs.

That one ought not to require oaths. We do not cease, at every synod, solemnly protesting, and speaking privately about the same things in our meetings, that oaths should not be imposed on the country people by the collectors over the public taxes. It remained to testify about the same things by letter before God and men, that you ought to stop bringing death to the souls of men, and to devise some other methods of collection, allowing men to keep their souls unwounded. We write this to you, not as though you needed exhortation by words (for you have from within the grounds for fearing the Lord), but so that through you all who are under you may be taught not to provoke the Holy One, nor to reduce a forbidden thing to indifference by evil habit. For they gain nothing from the oaths toward the collections, and they take on an acknowledged evil for the soul. For when men have practiced perjury, they no longer press themselves to pay, but think that the oath has been invented for them as a weapon of deceit and an occasion for delay. If, then, the Lord brings swift retribution on the perjured, they will have no one to obey them, as those liable will have been destroyed by the punishment; or if the Master bears with them in long-suffering, those who have experienced the Lord's forbearance, as I said before, despise his goodness. Let them not transgress the law in vain, nor provoke God against themselves. We have said what falls to us; those who disobey will see. [Letter 86] To the governor. I know that the greatest and first zeal of your Honor is to favor justice in every way, and the second to do good to your friends and to take up the cause of those who flee to the protection of your Magnanimity. All these have come together in the present case. For the matter for which we intercede is just, and dear to us, whom you have deigned to count among your friends, and owed to those who call upon your firmness for help in what they have suffered. For the grain which our most beloved brother Dorotheus alone had for the necessary support of his life has been seized at Berisa by some of those entrusted with administering public affairs, whether they came to the violence of their own accord or at the suggestion of others. In any case the matter is in no way blameless for them. For how does one who is wicked of himself do less wrong than one who serves another's wickedness? And for those who have suffered, the loss is the same. We ask that he recover what he was robbed of, and they may lay the blame for what was dared on others if they wish; and we shall value the favor from your Magnanimity, if you deign to grant it, as much as it is worth to escape the necessity of famine.

Rom 2:4 (allusion, high confidence) · Matt 5:34 (echo, medium confidence)

Notes and citation

Summary: Basil protests against tax collectors exacting oaths from peasants; a second letter asks a governor to restore grain seized from the presbyter Dorotheus at Berisa.

This staged ref holds two letters. Letter 85 (Benedictine), “That one ought not to require oaths,” addressed to an official over the tax collectors. Scripture: Rom 2:4; Matt 5:34. [Letter 86], “To the governor,” whose heading stands in the text. A note of Migne's edition had leaked into it and is removed by a logged correction.

Notes on the original text

Digital text corrected (leaked apparatus (editor's note)): τοῖς [139.1205 μὴ. δεῖν. Ῡςζῦςιω-ωιὶωιῃη addidiσεαυτοῦ → τοῖς σεαυτοῦ.

Topics: Ethics

Cite (SBL): Basil, Ep. 85 (PG 32:465a–468b; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/basil-epistulae/74/#p-85). (abbreviation not yet checked)

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Chapter 87

87PG 32:468b

’Λνεπίγραφος ὑπερ τῶν αὐτῶν. Ἐθαύμασα πῶς, σοῦ μεσιτεύοντος, τοσούτον ἐτολμήθη κακὸν κατὰ τοῦ συμπρεσβυτίρου ὥστε ἣν μονην εἶχεν ἀφορμὴν τοῦ βίον, ταύτην διαρπασθῆναι. Καὶ τὸ δεινότατον, ὅτι οἱ τοῦτο τετολμηκότις ἐπὶ σε τὴν αἰτίαν ὧν πεποιήκασιν ἀναφέρουσιν · ὃν οὑχ ὅπως ἐπιτρέπειν τὰ τοιαῦταγίνεσθαι, καὶ παντὶ σθένει διακωλύειν ἀκόλουθον ἦν, μάλιστα μὲν κατὰ πάντων ἐἰ δʼ ἄρα, κατὰ γοῦν τῶν πρεσβυτέρων, καὶ τούτων ὅσοι ἡμῖν ὁμόψυχοι, καὶ τὸν αὐτὴν τῆς εὐσεβείας ὁδὸν πορευόμενοι. Εἰ τι οὖν φροντίζεις τοῦ ἀναπαᾶσαι ἡμᾶς, ταχέως διορθωθῆναι τὰ γενόμενα ποίησον. Δύνασαισγόιρ σὺν Θεῷ καὶ ταῦτα καὶ ἔτι μείζω τούτων κατορθοῦν, οἷς ἀν ἆθελης. Ἐπέστειλα δ ε καὶ τῷ ἄρχοντι τῆς πατρίδος, ἵνα) ἐὰν ἀφʼ ἑαυτῶν μὴ θελήσωσι ποιῆσαι τὰ δικαια, ἐκ τῆς κινήσεως τῶν δικαστηρίων ἀναγκασθῶσι ποιῆσαι.

’Lnepigraphos hyper tōn autōn. Ethaumasa pōs, sou mesiteuontos, tosouton etolmēthē kakon kata tou sympresbytirou hōste hēn monēn eichen aphormēn tou bion, tautēn diarpasthēnai. Kai to deinotaton, hoti hoi touto tetolmēkotis epi se tēn aitian hōn pepoiēkasin anapherousin ; hon houch hopōs epitrepein ta toiautaginesthai, kai panti sthenei diakōlyein akolouthon ēn, malista men kata pantōn ei dʼ ara, kata goun tōn presbyterōn, kai toutōn hosoi hēmin homopsychoi, kai ton autēn tēs eusebeias hodon poreuomenoi. Ei ti oun phrontizeis tou anapaasai hēmas, tacheōs diorthōthēnai ta genomena poiēson. Dynasaisgoir syn Theǭ kai tauta kai eti meizō toutōn katorthoun, hois an athelēs. Epesteila d e kai tǭ archonti tēs patridos, hina) ean aphʼ heautōn mē thelēsōsi poiēsai ta dikaia, ek tēs kinēseōs tōn dikastēriōn anankasthōsi poiēsai.

Without address, on the same subject. I was astonished how, while you were acting as mediator, so great an evil was dared against our fellow presbyter that the one means of livelihood he had was plundered. And the most terrible thing is that those who dared this lay the blame for what they did on you, whose part it was not only not to allow such things to happen, but to prevent them with all your strength, above all against anyone, but if not, at least against presbyters, and those of them who are of one mind with us and walk the same road of godliness. If, then, you care at all to refresh us, have what has been done quickly set right. For with God you are able to accomplish both this and greater things than these, with whomever you wish. I have also written to the governor of our homeland, so that, if they are not willing to do what is just of their own accord, they may be compelled to do it by the action of the courts.

Notes and citation

Summary: Basil protests to an official that the grain of the presbyter Dorotheus was seized in his name, and asks for redress.

Staged as 86; this is Letter 87 (Benedictine), “Without address, on the same subject” as Letter 86.

Cite (SBL): Basil, Ep. 87 (PG 32:468b; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/basil-epistulae/74/#p-87). (abbreviation not yet checked)

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Chapter 88

88PG 32:469a

Ἀνεπίγραφος, ἐπὶ ἆπαιτητῇ χρημάτων. Τὴν δυσκολίαν τῆς συγκομιδῆς τοῦ πραγματευτικοῦ χρυσίου πάντων μάλιστα ἡ σὴ τιμιότης κατέμαθεʼ καὶ τῆς πενίας ἡμῶν οὐδένα μάρτυρα τοιοῦτον ἔχομεν, οἷον σὲ, ὃς ἐκ τῆς μεγάλης φιλανθρωπίας καὶ συνέπαθες ἡμῖν, καὶ συμπεριηνέχθης μέχρι τοῦ παρόντος τὰ δυνατὰ, οὐδαμοῦ τὸ πρᾶον τῆς ἑαυτοῦ τῶν τρόπων παταστάσεως ἐκ τῆς τῶν οῗνωθεν ἐπικειμένων ταραχῆς παρακινήσας. Ἐπεὶ οὖν ὑπολείπεται ἡμῖν ἕκ τοῦ παντὸς σταθμοῦ ὀλίγον ἔτι χρυσίον, καὶ τοῦτο ἀνάγκη ἐκ τοῦ ἐράνου, εἰς ὃν προετρεψαμεθα πᾶσαν τήν πόλιν, συγκομισθῆναι ' παρακαλοῦμέν σου τήν ἡμερότητα μικρὸν τι ἐκτεῖναι ἡμῖν τὴν προθεσμίαν, πρὸς τὸ καὶτοὺς ἔξω τῆς πόλεως ὑπομνησθῆναι, Ἐν ἀγροῖς γάρ ἐστι τὸ πολὺ τῶν ἐν τέλει, ὡς οὐδὲ αὐτὸς ἀγνοεῖς. Ἐὰν μὲν οὖν δυνατὸν παρά τοσάσδε λίτρας ἐκπεμφθῆναι, τοσοῦτον γὰρ ἡμῖν ὑπολέλειπται, τοῦτο γενέσθαι παρακαλοῦμέν σεʼ κᾶκείνο ἑπαποσταλήσεται ὕστερον· ἐὰν δὲ πᾶσα ἀνάγκη ἀθρόον αὐτὸ παραπεμφθῆναι τοῖς θησαυροῖς, ὅπερ ἐξ ἀρχῆς ἠξιώσαμεν, πλατυτέραν ἡμῖν γενέσθαι τὴν προθεσμίαν.

Anepigraphos, epi apaitētę̄ chrēmatōn. Tēn dyskolian tēs synkomidēs tou pragmateutikou chrysiou pantōn malista hē sē timiotēs katematheʼ kai tēs penias hēmōn oudena martyra toiouton echomen, hoion se, hos ek tēs megalēs philanthrōpias kai synepathes hēmin, kai symperiēnechthēs mechri tou parontos ta dynata, oudamou to praon tēs heautou tōn tropōn patastaseōs ek tēs tōn oïnōthen epikeimenōn tarachēs parakinēsas. Epei oun hypoleipetai hēmin hek tou pantos stathmou oligon eti chrysion, kai touto anankē ek tou eranou, eis hon proetrepsametha pasan tēn polin, synkomisthēnai ' parakaloumen sou tēn hēmerotēta mikron ti ekteinai hēmin tēn prothesmian, pros to kaitous exō tēs poleōs hypomnēsthēnai, En agrois gar esti to poly tōn en telei, hōs oude autos agnoeis. Ean men oun dynaton para tosasde litras ekpemphthēnai, tosouton gar hēmin hypoleleiptai, touto genesthai parakaloumen seʼ kakeino hepapostalēsetai hysteron; ean de pasa anankē athroon auto parapemphthēnai tois thēsaurois, hoper ex archēs ēxiōsamen, platyteran hēmin genesthai tēn prothesmian.

Without address, to a collector of money. Your Honor knows better than anyone the difficulty of collecting the gold for the trade tax; and we have no witness of our poverty like you, who out of great kindness both sympathized with us and have borne with us as far as possible until now, never disturbing the gentleness of your character because of the pressure laid on you from above. Since, then, a little gold still remains due from the whole amount, and this must be collected from the contribution to which we have urged the whole city, we ask your Gentleness to extend the time limit a little for us, so that those outside the city also may be reminded. For most of the officials are in the country, as you yourself know. If, then, it is possible for so many pounds to be sent (for that is what remains for us), we ask you to let this be done, and the rest will be sent afterward; but if it is absolutely necessary for it to be forwarded to the treasury all at once, which is what we asked from the beginning, that the time limit be made longer for us.

Notes and citation

Summary: Basil asks a tax collector for more time to raise the remainder of the trade tax from the citizens of Caesarea.

Letter 88 (Benedictine), without address. The tax is the chrysargyron (the gold tax on trade).

Cite (SBL): Basil, Ep. 88 (PG 32:469a; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/basil-epistulae/74/#p-88). (abbreviation not yet checked)

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