Letters 97–110
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 97
97PG 32:493a–497d
Α Τῇ βουλῇ Τυάυωυ Ὁ ἀνακαλύπτων βαθέα, καὶ φανερῶν βουλὰς καρὃιῶν, Κύριος ἔδωκε καὶ τοῖς ταπεινοῖς σύνεσιν. τῶν δυσθεωρήτων, ὥς τινες οἴονται, τεχνασματῶν, Οὐδὲν οὖν ἡμᾶς ἔλαθεν, οὔτε τῶν πεπραγμένων τι κεκρυμμένον· ἀλλʼ ὅμως ἡμεῖς οὔτε ὁρῶμεν, οὔτε ἀκούομεν ἄλλο τι ἢ τὴν εἰρήνην τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ ὅσα, πρὸς αὐτὴν φέρει. Εἰ γὰρ καὶ ἕτεροι δυνατοὶ, καὶ μεγάλοι, καὶ ἑαυτοῖς πεποιθότες, ἀλλʼ ἡμεῖς οὶ μηδέν, καὶ τού μηδενὸς ἄξιοι· ὥστε οὐκ οἶν ποτε τοσοῦτον ἑαυτοῖς λάβοιμεν, ὡς ἐν τῆ μονώσει δύνασθαι νομίσαι περιέσεσθαι τῶν πραγμάτων ἀκριβῶς εἰ· ὃότες, ὅτι πλέον ἡμεῖς τῆς ἑνὸς ἑκάστου τῶν ἀδελφῶν ἐπικουρίας δεόμεθα ἡ ὅσονή ἑτέρα τῶν χειρῶν τῆς ἐτέρας. Ἐπεὶ καὶ ἐξ αὐτῆς τῆς τοῦ σώματος ἡμῶν κατασκευῆς τὸ ἀναγκαῖον τῆς κοινωνίας ὁ Κύριος ἡμᾶς ἐδίδαξεν. Ὅταν γὰρ πρὸς αύτά ταῦτα ἀπίδω} τὰ μέλη ἡμῶν, ὀτιὲν οὐδὲν ἑαυτῷ πρὸς διέργειοα αὔταρκες» πῶς εμαυτὸν λογίσομαι ἐξαρʼ κεῖν ἐαυτῷ πρὸς τὰ τοῦ βίον πράγματα; Οὔτε γὰρ ἂν ποῦς ἀσφαλῶς βαδίσεις, μὴ σννυποστηρίζοντος τού ἑτέρονο οὔτε ὀφθαλμὸς ὑγιῶς ἴδοι, μὴ κοινωνὸν ἔχων τὸν ἕτερον, καὶ μετʼ αὐτοῦ συμφώνως προσβαλλων τοῖς ὁρατοῖς. Ἠ ἀκοὴ ἀκριβεστέρα ἡ διʼ ἀμφοῖν τοῖν πόροιν τὴν φωνὴν δεχομένη, καὶ ἀντίληψις κραταιοτέρα τῇ κοινωνίᾳ τῶν δακτύλων. Καὶ ἁπαξαπλῶς οὐδὲν οὔτε τῶν ἐκ φύσεως οὔτε τῶν ἐκ προαιρέσεως κατορθουμένων ὁρῶ ἄνευ τῆς τῶν ὁμοφύλων συμπνοίας ἐπιτελούμινον· ὅπου γε καὶ αὑτὴ ἡ προσευχὴ μὴ ἔχουσα τούς σομφωνοῦντας ἀδρανεστὶρα ἐστὶ πολλῷ ἑαυτῆς, καὶ ὁ Κύριος ἐπηγγείλατο μέσος γενήσεσθαι μεταξύ δύο ἦ τριῶν ἐπικαλουμένων αὑτὸν ἐν ὁμονοίᾳ. Καὶ αὐτὴν δὲ τὴν οἰκονομίαν ὁ Κύριος κατιὸἐξατο, ἶνα εἰρηνοποίησῃ διὰ τοῦ αἳματος τοῦ σταυροῦ αὐτοῦ εἴτε τὰ ἱπὶτῆςγῆς εἴτε τὰ ὲν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς. "flare, διὰ ταῦτα πάντα, ἐν εἰρήνῃ μένειν τὰς λειπομένας ἡμῶν ἡμέρας niχὸμεθα· ἐν εἰρήνῃ δὲ γενέσθαι τὴν κοίμησιν ἡμῶν αἰτοῦμεν. ’Υπέρ ταύτης addi πόνον ἐλλείπειν ὅντινα οὖν ἔγνωκα, ού ταπεινόν τι φθέγξασθαιὴποιῆσαι, οὐχ ὁδοιπορίας μῆκος ὑπολογίσασθαι, ούκ ἄλλο τι τῶν ὀχληρῶν ὑποστείλασθαι, ὥστε τῶν μισθῶν τῆς εἰρηνοποιίας ἱπιτυχεῖν. Κάν μὴν ἔπηταί τις ταντα καθηγουμένοις ἡμῖν, τοῦτο ἄριστον, καὶ εὐχῆς τυγχάνει πέρας· ἐὰν δὴ πρὸς τήν ἐναντίαν ἀῲῦκῃ, ἐγὼ μὲν οὐδὲ οὕτω τῆς ἐμαυτοῦ κρίσεως ἀποστή σομαι, Α Εὖ σεβ ίῳ, ἐπισκόπῳ Σαμοσάτων. 1. Πάνυ ὡρμημένος καταλαβεῖν τὴν Νικόπολιν, μετὰ τό δέξασθαι τὰ παρά τῆς όσιότητός σου γράμματα ἄρνησιν ἔχοντα τῆς ἀφίξεως, παρείθην ἀπὸ τῆςέπιθυμίας, καὶ πάσης όμοῦ της ἀσθενείας ἀνεμνησθην. Ἷῐλθε δί μοι εἰς ἔννοιαν καὶ η τῶν κεκληκότων ἀφοσιωσις, ὃτι, παροδικην πρὸς ἡμᾶς ποιησάμενοι την κλῆσιν διὰ τοῦ αἰδεσιμωτάτου ἀδελφοῦ Ἑλληνίου τοῦ ἐξισοῡντος Ναζιανξόν, δεύτερον περὶ τῶν αὐτῶν ὑπομιμνήσκοντα, ἦ όδηγοῡντα ἡμᾶς, οὗ κατηξίωσαν ἀποστεῖλαι. Ἐπεὶ 051051:οπτοι αὐτοῖς ἐσμεν διὰ τὰς ἁμαρτίας ἡμῶν, £90816θημεν μὴ πον τό φαιδρὸν αὐτοῖς τῆς πανηγύρεως τῇ παρουσίᾳ ἡμῶν ἔπιθολὼσωμιν. Μετὰ μὲν γὰρ τῆς σῆς μεγαλοφυίας καὶ πρός τοὺς μεγάλους ἀπο· 3 (λύσασθαι πειρασμοὺς οὐκ ὀκνοῦμεν· ἄνευ δὲ σοῦ οὐδὲ ταῖς τυχούσαις θλίψεσιν ἀντιβλεψαι αὐτάρκως ἔχομεν. Ἐπεὶ οὖν ἐκκλησιαστικῶν ἕνεκεν γίνεσθαι ἡμῶν ἡ πρὸς αὐτοὺς ἔντευξις ἔμελλε, τὸν μιν τῆς πανηγύρεως καιρὸν παρελίπομεν, εἰς ἡσυχίαν δὲ καὶ ἀτάραχον διαγωγὴν τὴν συντυχίαν ὑπερεθέμεθα,καὶ προῃρήμεθα καταλαβόντες τὴν Νικόπολιν διαλεχθῆναι περὶ τῶν ταῖς Ἐκκλησίαις ἀναγκαίων τῷ θεοφιλεστάτῳ ἐπισκόπῳ Μελετίῳ, εἰ μέλλοι παραιτεῖσθαι τὴν ἐπὶ Σαμόσατα ὁδόν· εἰ δὲ μὴ, αὐτῷ συνδραμούμεθα, ἐὰν παρʼ ἀμφοτέρων τοῦτο ἡμῖν 2. Ἐπισκόποις 0'“: τοῖς ἑκ τῆς δευτέρας Καππαδοκίας συντυγχάνειν ἐμέλλομενο οἱ, ἐπειδὴ ἐτέρας ὠνομά· σθησαν ἐπαρχίας, ἐνόμισαν ἀθρόως καὶ ἀλλοεθνεῖς καὶ ἀλλόφυλοι πρὸς ἡμᾶς γεγενῆσθαιο οἳ τοσοῦτον ἡμᾶς ἠγνόησαν, ὅσον οἱ μηδὲ τὴν ἀρχὴν πεπειραμένοι, μηδὲ εἰς λόγους ποτε ἀφικόμενοι·Ηροσ· εὸοκᾶτο δὲ καὶ ἑτέρα συντυχία τοῦ αἰδεσιμωτάτον ἐπισκόπου Εὖσταθίου, η καὶ γενομένην ημῖν, Διὰ γὰρ τό παρά πολλῶν καταβοᾶσθαι αὐτόν, ὡς περὶ την πίστιν παραχαράσσοντά τι, ἀφικόμεθα αὐτῷ εἰς λόγους, καὶ εὕρομεν σὺν Θεῷ πρὸς πᾶσαν ὀρθότητα εὐγνώμόνως ἀκολουθοῦντα. Τά δέ τῶν ἐπισκόπων γράμματά παρά την αἰτίαν αὐτῶν ἐκείνων οὐκ ἐκομίσθη τῇ τιμιότητί σου, οὓς ἐχρῆν τὰ παρʼ ἡμῶν διαπέμψασθαι. ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐμὲ παρῆλθε, τῇ συνεχείᾳ τῶν φροντίδων ἐκκρουσθέντα τῆς μνήμης, Τὸν δʼ ἀδελφὸν Γρηγόριον κάγὼ ἠβουλόμην οἰκονομεῖπ Ἐκκλησίαν τῇ αὐτοῦ φύσει σύμμετρον. Αὕτη δε ἧν πᾶσα εἰς ἓν συναχθεῖσα ἠ ὑφʼ ἡλίῳ. Ἐπειδὴ δε τοῦτο ἀδύνατον, ἔστω ἐπίσκοπος, μὴ ἐκ τοῦ τόπου σεμνυνόμενος, ἀλλὰ τόν τόπον σεμνύνων ἀφʼ ἑαυτοῦ. Ὄντως γὰρ μεγάλου ἐστὶν οὐ τοῖς μεγάλοις μόνον ἀρκεῖν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὰ μικρά μεγάλα ποιεῖν τῇ ἑαυτοῦ δυνάμει. Τί δε δεῖ ποιῆσαι τῷ Παλματίῳ, μετὰ τοσαύτας παρακλήσεις τῶν ἀδελφῶν ἔτι ὑπηρετοῦντι τῷ Μαξίμῳ πρὸς τοὺς διωγμοὺς Ἀλλʼ ὅμως οὐδέ νῦν ὀκνοῦσιν έπιστεῖλαι · παραγενέσθαι γὰρ καὶ ὑπό ἀσθενείας σώματος καὶ ὑπὸ ἀσχολιῶν οἰκειακῶν οὐκ ἐπιτρέπονται. Γίνωσκε μέντοι, θεοφιλέστατε Πάτερ, ὅτι πάνυ χρῇζει τῆς παρουσίας σου τὰ ἡμέτερα, καὶ ἀνάγκη σε τὸ τίμιον γῆρας ἔτι ἅπαξ κινῆσαι, ὑπὲρ τοῦ στῆσαι περιφερομένην λοιπόν καὶ ἐγγὺς πτώματος οὖσαν τὴν Καππαδοκίαν.
A Tę̄ boulę̄ Tyauōy Ho anakalyptōn bathea, kai phanerōn boulas karoiōn, Kyrios edōke kai tois tapeinois synesin. tōn dystheōrētōn, hōs tines oiontai, technasmatōn, Ouden oun hēmas elathen, oute tōn pepragmenōn ti kekrymmenon; allʼ homōs hēmeis oute horōmen, oute akouomen allo ti ē tēn eirēnēn tou Theou kai hosa, pros autēn pherei. Ei gar kai heteroi dynatoi, kai megaloi, kai heautois pepoithotes, allʼ hēmeis oi mēden, kai tou mēdenos axioi; hōste ouk oin pote tosouton heautois laboimen, hōs en tē monōsei dynasthai nomisai periesesthai tōn pragmatōn akribōs ei; hootes, hoti pleon hēmeis tēs henos hekastou tōn adelphōn epikourias deometha hē hosonē hetera tōn cheirōn tēs eteras. Epei kai ex autēs tēs tou sōmatos hēmōn kataskeuēs to anankaion tēs koinōnias ho Kyrios hēmas edidaxen. Hotan gar pros auta tauta apidō} ta melē hēmōn, otien ouden heautǭ pros diergeioa autarkes» pōs emauton logisomai exarʼ kein eautǭ pros ta tou bion pragmata? Oute gar an pous asphalōs badiseis, mē snnypostērizontos tou heterono oute ophthalmos hygiōs idoi, mē koinōnon echōn ton heteron, kai metʼ autou symphōnōs prosballōn tois horatois. Ē akoē akribestera hē diʼ amphoin toin poroin tēn phōnēn dechomenē, kai antilēpsis krataiotera tę̄ koinōnią tōn daktylōn. Kai hapaxaplōs ouden oute tōn ek physeōs oute tōn ek proaireseōs katorthoumenōn horō aneu tēs tōn homophylōn sympnoias epitelouminon; hopou ge kai hautē hē proseuchē mē echousa tous somphōnountas adranestira esti pollǭ heautēs, kai ho Kyrios epēngeilato mesos genēsesthai metaxy dyo ē triōn epikaloumenōn hauton en homonoią. Kai autēn de tēn oikonomian ho Kyrios katioexato, ina eirēnopoiēsę̄ dia tou haimatos tou staurou autou eite ta hipitēsgēs eite ta en tois ouranois. "flare, dia tauta panta, en eirēnę̄ menein tas leipomenas hēmōn hēmeras nichometha; en eirēnę̄ de genesthai tēn koimēsin hēmōn aitoumen. ’Yper tautēs addi ponon elleipein hontina oun egnōka, ou tapeinon ti phthenxasthaiēpoiēsai, ouch hodoiporias mēkos hypologisasthai, ouk allo ti tōn ochlērōn hyposteilasthai, hōste tōn misthōn tēs eirēnopoiias hipitychein. Kan mēn epētai tis tanta kathēgoumenois hēmin, touto ariston, kai euchēs tynchanei peras; ean dē pros tēn enantian aǭykę̄, egō men oude houtō tēs emautou kriseōs apostē somai, A Eu seb iǭ, episkopǭ Samosatōn. 1. Pany hōrmēmenos katalabein tēn Nikopolin, meta to dexasthai ta para tēs osiotētos sou grammata arnēsin echonta tēs aphixeōs, pareithēn apo tēsepithymias, kai pasēs omou tēs astheneias anemnēsthēn. Hiilthe di moi eis ennoian kai ē tōn keklēkotōn aphosiōsis, hoti, parodikēn pros hēmas poiēsamenoi tēn klēsin dia tou aidesimōtatou adelphou Hellēniou tou exisountos Nazianxon, deuteron peri tōn autōn hypomimnēskonta, ē odēgounta hēmas, hou katēxiōsan aposteilai. Epei 051051:optoi autois esmen dia tas hamartias hēmōn, £90816thēmen mē pon to phaidron autois tēs panēgyreōs tę̄ parousią hēmōn epitholōsōmin. Meta men gar tēs sēs megalophuias kai pros tous megalous apo; 3 (lysasthai peirasmous ouk oknoumen; aneu de sou oude tais tychousais thlipsesin antiblepsai autarkōs echomen. Epei oun ekklēsiastikōn heneken ginesthai hēmōn hē pros autous enteuxis emelle, ton min tēs panēgyreōs kairon parelipomen, eis hēsychian de kai atarachon diagōgēn tēn syntychian hyperethemetha,kai proę̄rēmetha katalabontes tēn Nikopolin dialechthēnai peri tōn tais Ekklēsiais anankaiōn tǭ theophilestatǭ episkopǭ Meletiǭ, ei melloi paraiteisthai tēn epi Samosata hodon; ei de mē, autǭ syndramoumetha, ean parʼ amphoterōn touto hēmin 2. Episkopois 0'“: tois hek tēs deuteras Kappadokias syntynchanein emellomeno hoi, epeidē eteras ōnoma; sthēsan eparchias, enomisan athroōs kai alloethneis kai allophyloi pros hēmas gegenēsthaio hoi tosouton hēmas ēgnoēsan, hoson hoi mēde tēn archēn pepeiramenoi, mēde eis logous pote aphikomenoi;Ēros; eookato de kai hetera syntychia tou aidesimōtaton episkopou Eustathiou, ē kai genomenēn ēmin, Dia gar to para pollōn kataboasthai auton, hōs peri tēn pistin paracharassonta ti, aphikometha autǭ eis logous, kai heuromen syn Theǭ pros pasan orthotēta eugnōmonōs akolouthounta. Ta de tōn episkopōn grammata para tēn aitian autōn ekeinōn ouk ekomisthē tę̄ timiotēti sou, hous echrēn ta parʼ hēmōn diapempsasthai. alla kai eme parēlthe, tę̄ synecheią tōn phrontidōn ekkrousthenta tēs mnēmēs, Ton dʼ adelphon Grēgorion kagō ēboulomēn oikonomeip Ekklēsian tę̄ autou physei symmetron. Hautē de hēn pasa eis hen synachtheisa ē hyphʼ hēliǭ. Epeidē de touto adynaton, estō episkopos, mē ek tou topou semnynomenos, alla ton topon semnynōn aphʼ heautou. Ontōs gar megalou estin ou tois megalois monon arkein, alla kai ta mikra megala poiein tę̄ heautou dynamei. Ti de dei poiēsai tǭ Palmatiǭ, meta tosautas paraklēseis tōn adelphōn eti hypēretounti tǭ Maximǭ pros tous diōgmous Allʼ homōs oude nyn oknousin episteilai ; paragenesthai gar kai hypo astheneias sōmatos kai hypo ascholiōn oikeiakōn ouk epitrepontai. Ginōske mentoi, theophilestate Pater, hoti pany chrę̄zei tēs parousias sou ta hēmetera, kai anankē se to timion gēras eti hapax kinēsai, hyper tou stēsai peripheromenēn loipon kai engys ptōmatos ousan tēn Kappadokian.
To the senate of Tyana. The Lord, who uncovers deep things and makes manifest the counsels of hearts, has given understanding even to the lowly … of contrivances hard to see through, as some think. Nothing, then, has escaped us, nor is anything of what has been done hidden; but nevertheless we neither see nor hear anything other than the peace of God and whatever leads to it. For even if others are powerful and great and confident in themselves, we are nothing and worth nothing; so that we would never claim so much for ourselves as to think we could master affairs in isolation, knowing exactly that we need the help of each one of the brothers more than one hand needs the other. For from the very structure of our body the Lord has taught us the necessity of fellowship. For when I look at these very members of ours, that none of them is sufficient by itself for its activity, how shall I reckon myself sufficient by myself for the affairs of life? For neither could one foot walk safely without the other supporting it, nor one eye see soundly without having the other as partner and directing itself in harmony with it at what is seen. Hearing is more exact when it receives sound through both passages, and grasping is stronger by the cooperation of the fingers. And in a word, of things accomplished either by nature or by choice, I see none brought about without the cooperation of those of the same kind; since even prayer itself, without those who agree in it, is much weaker than itself, and the Lord promised to be in the midst of two or three who call on him in concord. And the Lord accepted the economy itself in order to make peace through the blood of his cross, whether things on earth or things in heaven. For all these reasons, we pray to remain in peace for our remaining days, and we ask that our falling asleep may be in peace. For the sake of this I have resolved to spare no labor whatever, not to refuse to say or do anything humble, not to reckon the length of a journey, not to shrink from any other troublesome thing, so as to obtain the rewards of peacemaking. And if anyone follows us as we lead in this, that is best, and our prayer is fulfilled; but if he is drawn the other way, I shall not even so depart from my own judgment … [Letter 98] To Eusebius, bishop of Samosata. 1. Though very eager to reach Nicopolis, after receiving your Holiness's letter refusing to come, I fell away from my desire and remembered all my weakness at once. It also came into my mind how perfunctorily those who invited us had acted: having made their invitation to us in passing, through our most reverend brother Hellenius, the tax assessor at Nazianzus, they did not deign to send a second to remind us about the same things or to guide us. Since we are suspect to them because of our sins, we were afraid of somehow clouding the brightness of the festival by our presence. For with your Magnanimity we do not shrink from facing even great trials; but without you we are not equal to looking even ordinary afflictions in the face. Since, then, our meeting with them was to take place for ecclesiastical matters, we let the time of the festival pass and put off the meeting to a quiet and untroubled occasion, and we have decided to go to Nicopolis and discuss what is necessary for the churches with the most God-beloved bishop Meletius, if he means to decline the journey to Samosata; and if not, we will run there with him, if this … from both. 2. We were also to meet the bishops from the second Cappadocia, who, because they have been named as of another province, have thought that they have suddenly become foreigners and of another race to us; who have ignored us as completely as those who have never had any experience of us nor ever come to speak with us. Another meeting was also expected, with the most reverend bishop Eustathius, which has in fact taken place for us. For since he is cried down by many as falsifying something in the faith, we came to speak with him, and found him, with God, readily following all orthodoxy. The letters of the bishops were not brought to your Honor through the fault of those very men who ought to have sent on ours; but it also slipped my mind, crowded out of memory by the press of cares. As for our brother Gregory, I too wished him to govern a church proportionate to his nature; and that would have been the whole world under the sun gathered into one. But since that is impossible, let him be a bishop not honored by his see, but honoring his see by himself. For it truly belongs to a great man not only to be sufficient for great things, but also to make small things great by his own power. And what must be done about Palmatius, who after so many exhortations from the brothers still serves Maximus in his persecutions? Yet even now they do not shrink from writing; for they are not permitted to come, both because of bodily weakness and because of domestic business. Know, however, most God-beloved Father, that our affairs greatly need your presence, and that you must once more stir your honored old age, in order to steady Cappadocia, which is now tottering and near to falling.
Textual problem in this passage: see the notes.
Dan 2:22 (allusion, high confidence) · 1 Cor 4:5 (allusion, high confidence) · 1 Cor 12:21 (allusion, medium confidence) · Matt 18:19–20 (allusion, high confidence) · Col 1:20 (quotation, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Basil tells the senate of Tyana that he seeks only peace and needs his brothers' fellowship; a second letter tells Eusebius of his plans to meet Meletius, his talk with Eustathius, and Gregory of Nyssa's small see.
- This staged ref holds two letters. Staged as 95: the first is Letter 97 (Benedictine), to the senate of Tyana (Tyana became the metropolis of the new province of Cappadocia Secunda, whose bishop Anthimus opposed Basil). A line is lost after its opening sentence and its end is lost in the scan (“…”). [Letter 98], to Eusebius of Samosata, whose heading stands in the text; a phrase is lost at the end of section 1 (“…”). A Migne note on the reading “Samosata” had leaked into section 2 and is removed by a logged correction. “Our brother Gregory” is Gregory of Nyssa, made bishop of the small town of Nyssa. Scripture in Letter 97: Dan 2:22; 1 Cor 4:5; 1 Cor 12:12–21; Matt 18:19–20; Col 1:20.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR junk; leaked apparatus (variant reading)): Τὸν δʼ Σαμόσατα. fieri. Σαμοσάτων. ἀδελφὸν → Τὸν δʼ ἀδελφὸν; ὀχληρῶν [81) ὑποστείλασθαι → ὀχληρῶν ὑποστείλασθαι.
Cite (SBL): Basil, Ep. 97 (PG 32:493a–497d; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/basil-epistulae/97/#p-97). (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 99
99PG 32:500a–504b
παραδέξασθαι. Τὸ μέντοι γενόμενον παρʼ ἡμῶν τοιοῦτόν εστιν. 2. Ἡμεῖς, κληθέντες εἰς σύνοδον παρὰ τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ Θεοδότου τελουμένην, καὶ ὁρμήσαντες διʼ ἀγάπην ὑπακοῦσαι τῇ κλήσει, ἶνα μὴ δόξωμεν ἄπρακτον καὶ ἀργὴν ποιεῖσθαι τὴν συντυχίαν, ἐσπουδάσαμεν εἰς λόγους ἐλθεῖν τῷ προειρημένῳ ἀδελφῷ Εύσταθίῳ. Καὶ προετείναμεν αὐτῷ τὰ περὶ τῆς πίστεως ἐγκλήματα, ὅσα προφέρουσιν αύτῷ οἱ περὶ τὸν ἀδελφὸν Θεόδοτον καὶ ἠξιώσαμεν, εἰ μὲν ἕπεται τῇ ὀρθῇ πίστει, φανερὸν ἡμῖν καταστῆσαι, ὥστε ἡμᾶς εἶναι κοινωνικούς· εἰ δι ἀλλοτρίως ἔχει, ἀκριβῶς εἰδέναι, ὅτι καὶ ἡμεῖς ἕξομεν πρὸς αὐτὸν ἀλλοτρίως. Πολλῶν τοίνυν γενομένων λόγων πρὸς ἀλλήλους, καὶ πάσης ἐκείνης τῆς ἡμέρας τῇ περὶ τούτων σκέψει δαπανηθείσης · καταλαβούσης λοιπὸν τῆς ἑσπέρας, διεκρίθημεν ἀπʼ ἀλλήλων, εἰς οὐδὲν ὀμολογούμενον πέρας τὸν λόγον προαγαγόντες. Τῇ δὲ ἑξῆς πάλιν, ἔωθεν συγκαθεσθέντες, περὶ τῶν αὐτῶν διελεγόμεθα, ἐπελθόντος ἤδη καὶ τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ Ποιμενίου, τοῦ πρεσβυτέρου τῆς Σεβαστείας, καὶ σφοδρῶς ἡμῖν τόν ἐναντίον γυμναςοντος λόγον, Κατά μικρὸν οὖν ἡμεῖς τε, ὑπὲρ ὧν ἔδοξεν ἡμῖν ἐγκαλεῖν, ἀπελυόμεθα, κάκείνους εἰς τὴν τῶν ἐπιξητουμὲνων ὑφʼ ἡμῶν συγκατάθεσιν προηγάγομεν ' ᾤστε χάριτι τοῦ Κυρίου εὖρεθῆναι ἡμᾶς μηδέ εἰς τὸ σμικρότατον πρὸς ἀλλήλουςδιαφερομένους. Οὕτω τοίνυν περὶ ἑννάτην που ὤραν ἀνέστημει ἐπὶ τὰς προσευχὰς, εὐχαριστήσαντες τῷ Κυρίῳ, τῷ δόντι ἡμῖν τὸ αὐτὸ φρονεῖν, καὶ τὸ αὐτὸ λέγειν. Ἐπὶ τούτοις ἔδει με καὶ ἔγραφόν τινα παρά τοῦ ἀνδρὸς ὁμολογίαν λαβεῖν, ὥστε καὶ τοῖς ἐναντιουμένοις αύτῷ φανερὰν γενέσθαι τὴν συγκατάθεσιν, καὶτοῖς λοιποῖς ἱκανὴν εἷναι τοῦ ἀνδρὸς τῆς προαιρέσεως τὴν ἀπόδειξινο Ἀλλʼ ἐβουλήθην αὐτὸς ὑπὸ πολλῆς ἀκριβείας, τοῖς ἀδελφοῖς συντυχὼν τοῖς περί Θεόδοτον, παρʼ αὐτῶν λαβεῖν γραμματεῖον πίστεως, καὶ αύτό προτεῖναι τῷ προειρημένῳο ἵνα ἀμφότερα γένηται, ἦ τε ὀρθὴ πίστις παρʼ αὐτοῦ ὁμολογηθῇ, καὶ αὐτοὶ πληροφορηθῶσι, μηδεμίαν ἕχοντες ἀντιλογίας ὑπόθεσιν ἐκ τοῦ τὰς παρʼ αυτῶν προτασεις παραδεχθῆναι. Ἀλλά πρὶν μαθεῖν τίνος ἕνεκα συνετύχομεν, καὶ τί ἡμῖν ἐκ τῆς ὁμιλίας κατώρθωται, οἱ περὶ τὸν ἐπίσκοπον Θεόδοτον οὐκέτι ἡμᾶς εἰς τὴν σύνοδον προτρέψασθαι κατηξίωσαν. Ἀλλʼ ἀπὸ μέσης ἀνεζεύξαμεν τῆς ὁδοῦ, ἀθυμήσαντες, ὅτι ἀτελεῖς ἡμῖν ποιοῦσι τούς ὑπὲρ τῆς εἰρήνης τῶν Ἐκκλησιῶν καμάτους. 3. Μετὰ ταῦτα τοίνυν, ἐπειδὴ κατέλαβεν ἡμεῖςῆ ἀνάγκη τῆς ἐπὶ τὴν Ἀρμενίαν ὁδοῦ, εἰδὼς τοῦ ἀνδρὸς τὸ ἰδιότροπον, καὶ βουλόμενος ὑπὸ μάρτυρι ἀξιοπίστῳ αὐτός τε ὑπὲρ τῶν πεπραγμενων ἀπολογήσασθαι κἀκεῖνον πληροφορῆσαι, ἦλθον ἐπὶ Γήτασα τὸν ἀγρὸν τοῦ θεοφιλεστάτου ἐπισκόπου Μελετίου, συμπαρόντος μοι καὶ αὐτοῦ τοῦ προειρημένου Θεοδότου · καὶ οὕτως ἐκεῖ, ἐπειδὴ ἐνεκλήθημεν παρʼ αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ τῇ πρὸς Εὗστοίθιον συναφείᾳ, εἷπον τὸ ἐκ τῆς συντυχίας κατόρθωμα, ὅτι ἔλαβον αὐτὸν εἰς πάντα ἡμῖν όμοδοξούντα. Ὠς δε δειβεβαιοῦτο ἔξαρνον γεγενῆσθαι μετὰ τὴν ἀφʼ ἡμῶν ἀναχώρησιν, κρὶλ διαβεβαιοῦσθαι αὑτὸν τοῖς ἰδίοις αὑτοῦ μαθηταῖς, ἦ μὲν εἰς μηδὲν ἡμῖν περὶ τῆς πίστεως συντεθεῖσθαι, ἀπήντων ἐγώ πρὸς ταῦτα (καὶ σκόπει, θαυμασιώτατε, εἰ μὴ δικαιοτάτας καὶ ἁναντιβρλότους ἐποιούμην πρὸς τοῦτο τὰς ἀποκρίσεις), ὅτι ἐγώ μὲν πέπεισμαι, εἰκάζων ἐκ τῆς λοιπῆς εὐπαθείας τοῦ ἀνδρὸς, μὴ οὕτως αὐτόν κούφως περιτρέπεσθαι πρὸς τα ἐναντία, μηδὲ νῦν μὲν ὁμολογεῖν, νῦν δε ὑπὲρ ὧν εἶπεν ἀρνεῖσθαιʼ ἄνδρα καὶτὸ ὑπὲρ τῶν τυχόντων ψεῦδος, ὡς φοβερὸν, ἀπο· φεύγοντα, μὴ ὅτι γε περὶ τῶν τηλικούτων πραγμιῖ των, καὶ οὕτω παρά πᾶσι βεβοημένων, ἑλέσθαι ἄν ποτε ἐναντιωθῆναι τῇ ἀληθείᾳ. Εἰ δε ἄρα καὶ ἀληθῆ εἶναι συμβῇ τὰ θρυλλούμενα παρʼ ὑμῶν, προτεῖναι αὐτῷ γραμματεῖον, πᾶσαν ἕχον τῆς ὀρθῆς πίστεως τὴν ἀπόδειξιν, χρὴ. Ἐὰν μὲν οὗν εὕρω αὐτὸν συντιθέμενον ἐγγράφως, ἑπιμενῶ τῇ κοινωνία· ἐὰν δὲ λάβω ἀναδυόμενον, ἀποστήσομαι αὐτοῦ τῆς συναφείας. ’Λποδεξαμένου τόν λόγον τοῦ ἐπισκόπου Μελετίου, καὶ τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ Διοδώρου τοῦ συμπρεσβυτέρου (παρῆν γὰρ τοῖς γινομένοις), συνθέμενος ό αἰδεσιμώτατος ἁδελφὸς Θεόδοτος ἐκεῖ, καὶ παρακαλέσας ἡμᾶς κατελθεῖν ἐπὶ Νικόπολιν, ἵνα καὶ τὴν Ἐκκλησίαν αὐτοῦ ἐπισκεψώμεθα, καὶ αὐτόν λάβωμεν τῆς μέχρι Σατάλων ὁδοιπορίας συνέμπορον, καταλιπών ἡμᾶς ἐν Γητάσοις, ἐπειδὴ κατελάβομεν (ii) τὴν Νικόπολιν, ἐπιλαθόμενος ὧν τε παρʼ ἐμοῦ ἤκουσεν. ὧν τε συνέθετο ἡμῖν, ἐκείναις ταῖς ὕβρεσι καὶ ταῖς ἀτιμίαις, ἆς μικρῷ πρόσθεν διηγησάμην, καταισχύνας ἡμᾶς ἀπέπεμψε. ’ 4. Πῶς οὖν ἦν δυνατόν μοι, τιμιωτάτη κεφαλὴ, ποιῆσαί τι τῶν προστεταγμένων, καὶ δοῦναι ἐπισκόπους τῇ ’Λρμενίᾳ; οὕτω πρός με τοῦ κοινωνοῦ τῆς φροντίδος διατεθέντος, παρʼ οὗ ἐγὼ προσεδόκων τοὺς ἐπιτηδείους ἄνδρας εὑρήσειν, διὰ τὸ εῖναι ἐν τῇ παροικίᾳ αὐτοῦ καὶ εὖλαβεῖς, καὶ συνετοὺς, καὶ τῆς γλώττης ἐμπείρους, καὶ τὰ λοιπὰ ἰδιώματα τοῦ ἔθνους ἱπισταμένους· ὧν εἰδὼς τὰ ὀνόματα, ἑκὼν σιωπησομαι, ἵνα μή τί ἇμπόδιον γένηται πρὸς τό ἐν ἑτέρῳ γοῦν χρόνῳ χρησιμευθῆναι τὴν Ἀρμενίαν. Καὶ νῦν γενόμενος μέχρι Σατάλων ἐν τοιούτῳ σώματι, τα μὲν λοιπὰ ἔδοξατῇ τοῦ Θεοῦ χάριτι καθιστᾴν, εὶρηνεύσας τοὺς τὴς Ἀρμενίας ἑπισκοπους, καὶ … τῆςσυναφείας. λεχθεὶς αὐτοῖς τὰ πρέποντα, ὥστε ἀποθέσθαι τὴν συνήθη ἀδιαφορίαν, καὶ ἀναλαβεῖν την γνησίαν τοῦ Κυρίου ὑπὲρ τῶν Ἐκκλησιῶν σπονδὴν, δοὺς αὐτοῖς xui τύπους περὶ τῶν ἀδιαφόρως κατα τὴν Ἀρ. μενίαν παρανομουμένων, ὅπως αὐτοῖς προσῆκεν ἐπιμελεῖσθαι· ἐδεξάμην δὲ xui ψηφίσματα παρα τῆς ἐκκλησίας Σαταλων, παράκλησιν ἔχοντα δοθῆναι αὖ· τοῖς παρʼ ἡμῶν ἐπίσκοπον. Ἐπιμελὲς δὲ μοι τοῦτο ἐγένετο, καὶ τὴν περιχυθεῖσαν βλασφημίαν τῷ ἀδελφῷ ἡμῶν Κυρίλλῳ τῷ ἐπισκόπῳ Ἀρμενίας ἀνερεννῆσαν καὶ διὰ τῆς χάριτος τοῦ Θεοῦ εὕρομεν αὐτὴν ψευδῶς κινηθεῖσαν, ἐκ διαβολῆς τῶν μισούντων αὐτόνʼ ἦν καὶ φανερῶς ὡμολόγησαν ἐφʼ ἡμῶν. Καὶ ἐδόξαμεν μετρίως ἡμεροῦν πρὸς αὐτόν τόν ἐν Σαταλοις λαὸν, ὥστε μηκετι αὐτοῦ τὴν κοινωνίαν φεύγειν. Εἰ o‘i μικρά ταῦτα, xui οὐδενὸς οῖζια, ἀλλα παρʼ ἡμῶν οὐδὲν ἦν πλέον δυνατόν γενέσθαι, ma τὴν ἐκ τῆς τοῦ διαβόλου περιεργίας ἡμῶν αὐτων πρὸς ἀλλήλους ἀσυμφωνίαν. Ταῦτα με ἔδει (ιδ-16) σιωπᾷν, ἵνα μὴ δόξω δημοσιεύειν ἐμαυτόν τὰ ὀνείδη· ἀλλʼ ἐπειδὴ οὐκ
paradexasthai. To mentoi genomenon parʼ hēmōn toiouton estin. 2. Hēmeis, klēthentes eis synodon para tou adelphou Theodotou teloumenēn, kai hormēsantes diʼ agapēn hypakousai tę̄ klēsei, ina mē doxōmen aprakton kai argēn poieisthai tēn syntychian, espoudasamen eis logous elthein tǭ proeirēmenǭ adelphǭ Eustathiǭ. Kai proeteinamen autǭ ta peri tēs pisteōs enklēmata, hosa propherousin autǭ hoi peri ton adelphon Theodoton kai ēxiōsamen, ei men hepetai tę̄ orthę̄ pistei, phaneron hēmin katastēsai, hōste hēmas einai koinōnikous; ei di allotriōs echei, akribōs eidenai, hoti kai hēmeis hexomen pros auton allotriōs. Pollōn toinyn genomenōn logōn pros allēlous, kai pasēs ekeinēs tēs hēmeras tę̄ peri toutōn skepsei dapanētheisēs ; katalabousēs loipon tēs hesperas, diekrithēmen apʼ allēlōn, eis ouden omologoumenon peras ton logon proagagontes. Tę̄ de hexēs palin, eōthen synkathesthentes, peri tōn autōn dielegometha, epelthontos ēdē kai tou adelphou Poimeniou, tou presbyterou tēs Sebasteias, kai sphodrōs hēmin ton enantion gymnasontos logon, Kata mikron oun hēmeis te, hyper hōn edoxen hēmin enkalein, apelyometha, kakeinous eis tēn tōn epixētoumenōn hyphʼ hēmōn synkatathesin proēgagomen ' ǭste chariti tou Kyriou eurethēnai hēmas mēde eis to smikrotaton pros allēlousdiapheromenous. Houtō toinyn peri hennatēn pou ōran anestēmei epi tas proseuchas, eucharistēsantes tǭ Kyriǭ, tǭ donti hēmin to auto phronein, kai to auto legein. Epi toutois edei me kai egraphon tina para tou andros homologian labein, hōste kai tois enantioumenois autǭ phaneran genesthai tēn synkatathesin, kaitois loipois hikanēn heinai tou andros tēs proaireseōs tēn apodeixino Allʼ eboulēthēn autos hypo pollēs akribeias, tois adelphois syntychōn tois peri Theodoton, parʼ autōn labein grammateion pisteōs, kai auto proteinai tǭ proeirēmenǭo hina amphotera genētai, ē te orthē pistis parʼ autou homologēthę̄, kai autoi plērophorēthōsi, mēdemian hechontes antilogias hypothesin ek tou tas parʼ autōn protaseis paradechthēnai. Alla prin mathein tinos heneka synetychomen, kai ti hēmin ek tēs homilias katōrthōtai, hoi peri ton episkopon Theodoton ouketi hēmas eis tēn synodon protrepsasthai katēxiōsan. Allʼ apo mesēs anezeuxamen tēs hodou, athymēsantes, hoti ateleis hēmin poiousi tous hyper tēs eirēnēs tōn Ekklēsiōn kamatous. 3. Meta tauta toinyn, epeidē katelaben hēmeisē anankē tēs epi tēn Armenian hodou, eidōs tou andros to idiotropon, kai boulomenos hypo martyri axiopistǭ autos te hyper tōn pepragmenōn apologēsasthai kakeinon plērophorēsai, ēlthon epi Gētasa ton agron tou theophilestatou episkopou Meletiou, symparontos moi kai autou tou proeirēmenou Theodotou ; kai houtōs ekei, epeidē eneklēthēmen parʼ autou epi tę̄ pros Heustoithion synapheią, heipon to ek tēs syntychias katorthōma, hoti elabon auton eis panta hēmin omodoxounta. Ōs de deibebaiouto exarnon gegenēsthai meta tēn aphʼ hēmōn anachōrēsin, kril diabebaiousthai hauton tois idiois hautou mathētais, ē men eis mēden hēmin peri tēs pisteōs syntetheisthai, apēntōn egō pros tauta (kai skopei, thaumasiōtate, ei mē dikaiotatas kai hanantibrlotous epoioumēn pros touto tas apokriseis), hoti egō men pepeismai, eikazōn ek tēs loipēs eupatheias tou andros, mē houtōs auton kouphōs peritrepesthai pros ta enantia, mēde nyn men homologein, nyn de hyper hōn eipen arneisthaiʼ andra kaito hyper tōn tychontōn pseudos, hōs phoberon, apo; pheugonta, mē hoti ge peri tōn tēlikoutōn pragmii tōn, kai houtō para pasi beboēmenōn, helesthai an pote enantiōthēnai tę̄ alētheią. Ei de ara kai alēthē einai symbę̄ ta thrylloumena parʼ hymōn, proteinai autǭ grammateion, pasan hechon tēs orthēs pisteōs tēn apodeixin, chrē. Ean men houn heurō auton syntithemenon engraphōs, hepimenō tę̄ koinōnia; ean de labō anadyomenon, apostēsomai autou tēs synapheias. ’Lpodexamenou ton logon tou episkopou Meletiou, kai tou adelphou Diodōrou tou sympresbyterou (parēn gar tois ginomenois), synthemenos o aidesimōtatos hadelphos Theodotos ekei, kai parakalesas hēmas katelthein epi Nikopolin, hina kai tēn Ekklēsian autou episkepsōmetha, kai auton labōmen tēs mechri Satalōn hodoiporias synemporon, katalipōn hēmas en Gētasois, epeidē katelabomen (ii) tēn Nikopolin, epilathomenos hōn te parʼ emou ēkousen. hōn te synetheto hēmin, ekeinais tais hybresi kai tais atimiais, as mikrǭ prosthen diēgēsamēn, kataischynas hēmas apepempse. ’ 4. Pōs oun ēn dynaton moi, timiōtatē kephalē, poiēsai ti tōn prostetagmenōn, kai dounai episkopous tę̄ ’Lrmenią? houtō pros me tou koinōnou tēs phrontidos diatethentos, parʼ hou egō prosedokōn tous epitēdeious andras heurēsein, dia to einai en tę̄ paroikią autou kai eulabeis, kai synetous, kai tēs glōttēs empeirous, kai ta loipa idiōmata tou ethnous hipistamenous; hōn eidōs ta onomata, hekōn siōpēsomai, hina mē ti hampodion genētai pros to en heterǭ goun chronǭ chrēsimeuthēnai tēn Armenian. Kai nyn genomenos mechri Satalōn en toioutǭ sōmati, ta men loipa edoxatę̄ tou Theou chariti kathistąn, eirēneusas tous tēs Armenias hepiskopous, kai … tēssynapheias. lechtheis autois ta preponta, hōste apothesthai tēn synēthē adiaphorian, kai analabein tēn gnēsian tou Kyriou hyper tōn Ekklēsiōn spondēn, dous autois xui typous peri tōn adiaphorōs kata tēn Ar. menian paranomoumenōn, hopōs autois prosēken epimeleisthai; edexamēn de xui psēphismata para tēs ekklēsias Satalōn, paraklēsin echonta dothēnai au; tois parʼ hēmōn episkopon. Epimeles de moi touto egeneto, kai tēn perichytheisan blasphēmian tǭ adelphǭ hēmōn Kyrillǭ tǭ episkopǭ Armenias anerennēsan kai dia tēs charitos tou Theou heuromen autēn pseudōs kinētheisan, ek diabolēs tōn misountōn autonʼ ēn kai phanerōs hōmologēsan ephʼ hēmōn. Kai edoxamen metriōs hēmeroun pros auton ton en Satalois laon, hōste mēketi autou tēn koinōnian pheugein. Ei o‘i mikra tauta, xui oudenos oizia, alla parʼ hēmōn ouden ēn pleon dynaton genesthai, ma tēn ek tēs tou diabolou periergias hēmōn autōn pros allēlous asymphōnian. Tauta me edei (id-16) siōpąn, hina mē doxō dēmosieuein emauton ta oneidē; allʼ epeidē ouk
…to accept. What was actually done by us is this. 2. We had been summoned to a synod being held by our brother Theodotus, and out of love we set out to obey the summons; so that we might not seem to make the meeting idle and fruitless, we were eager to come into discussion with the aforementioned brother Eustathius. We put before him the charges about the faith that those around our brother Theodotus bring against him, and we asked him, if he follows the right faith, to make it plain to us, so that we might be in communion with him; but if he holds otherwise, to know clearly that we too would hold ourselves apart from him. Many words passed between us, and that whole day was spent in examining these things; when evening came on at last, we parted from each other without having brought the discussion to any agreed end. The next day we sat down together again at dawn and discussed the same matters, our brother Poemenius, the presbyter of Sebasteia, having now arrived as well and vigorously pressing the opposite argument against us. Little by little, then, we cleared ourselves of the points on which they seemed to accuse us, and brought them to assent to what we were asking, so that by the grace of the Lord we were found not to differ from one another in the smallest point. So about the ninth hour we rose for prayers, giving thanks to the Lord, who had granted us to think the same thing and to say the same thing. After this I ought also to have obtained from the man a written confession, so that his assent might be made plain to those who oppose him, and the proof of the man's intention might be sufficient for the rest. But out of great carefulness I wished myself to meet the brothers around Theodotus, to receive from them a written statement of faith, and to put this before the aforementioned man, so that both things might be done: the right faith would be confessed by him, and they would be fully satisfied, having no ground for objection, since their own propositions had been accepted. But before learning why we had met and what had been achieved by our conversation, those around bishop Theodotus no longer saw fit to invite us to the synod. So we turned back halfway along the road, disheartened that they were making our labours for the peace of the churches come to nothing. 3. After this, then, when the necessity of the journey into Armenia came upon me, knowing the man's peculiar temper, and wishing before a trustworthy witness both to defend myself for what had been done and to satisfy him, I went to Getasa, the estate of the most God-beloved bishop Meletius, the aforementioned Theodotus also being present with me. And so there, when I was accused by him for my association with Eustathius, I told him the success of the meeting: that I had found him agreeing with us in everything. When he maintained that Eustathius had denied it after leaving us, and was assuring his own disciples that he had agreed with us on nothing concerning the faith, I answered this (and consider, most admirable friend, whether the answers I gave were not most just and unanswerable): that for my part I was persuaded, judging from the man's general good character, that he would not turn round so lightly to the contrary, nor confess at one time and deny at another what he had said; a man who shuns falsehood even about ordinary things as something dreadful would hardly choose ever to oppose the truth on matters so great and so widely talked of by everyone. 'But if what is rumoured among you should turn out true, a written document containing the full proof of the right faith must be put before him. If I find him agreeing in writing, I will remain in communion; but if I find him shrinking back, I will withdraw from association with him.' Bishop Meletius accepted the proposal, and so did our brother Diodorus, the fellow presbyter (for he was present at these proceedings); and the most reverend brother Theodotus agreed there, and urged us to come down to Nicopolis, so that we might both visit his church and take him as companion on the road as far as Satala. But he left us at Getasa; and when we reached Nicopolis, forgetting both what he had heard from me and what he had agreed with us, he sent us away, put to shame with those insults and dishonours which I described a little earlier. 4. How then was it possible for me, most honoured head, to do any of the things commanded, and to give bishops to Armenia, when the partner of my care was so disposed toward me, the very one through whom I expected to find the suitable men, because there are in his district men who are devout and prudent, skilled in the language, and acquainted with the other characteristics of the nation? I know their names, but I will willingly keep silent, so that nothing may hinder Armenia from being served by them at least at some other time. And now, having come as far as Satala in such a state of body, I thought by the grace of God to settle the rest. I made peace among the bishops of Armenia, and … I said to them what was fitting, that they should lay aside their usual indifference and take up the Lord's genuine zeal for the churches; and I gave them rules about the unlawful things done carelessly in Armenia, how they ought to deal with them. I also received resolutions from the church of Satala containing a request that a bishop be given them by us. I also made it my care to investigate the slander poured upon our brother Cyril, the bishop of Armenia; and by the grace of God we found that it had been raised falsely, from the calumny of those who hate him, as they openly confessed before us. And we seemed to have made the people in Satala moderately gentler toward him, so that they no longer shun his communion. If these things are small and worth nothing, still nothing more could be done by us, because of the discord among ourselves brought about by the devil's meddling. I ought to have kept silent about these things, so as not to seem to make my own disgrace public; but since …
Phil 2:2 (echo, low confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Basil tells Count Terentius how he met Eustathius and found him orthodox, how Theodotus of Nicopolis then shut him out and insulted him, and what little he could do in Armenia.
- This staged ref holds the greater part of Letter 99, to Count Terentius (its opening sentences, before "to accept", are not in this ref). The scan breaks off mid-sentence at the end; the last sentence of the letter is lost and is not supplied. A line or more is lost in section 4 after "I made peace among the bishops of Armenia, and"; it is marked "…". Getasa was an estate of Meletius of Antioch in Armenia Minor.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR garble over a lost line; OCR slip; OCR slip: a split word and a misplaced line fragment rejoined): bri} περὶ τούτων σκέψει δ απανηθείσης → τῇ περὶ τούτων σκέψει δαπανηθείσης; ἀπολο. κάκεῖνον πληροφορῆσαι, ἦλθον ἐπὶ τι γη σασθαι, Γητασα → ἀπολογήσασθαι κἀκεῖνον πληροφορῆσαι, ἦλθον ἐπὶ Γήτασα; ἀποκρίang) → ἀποκρίσεις); διαςρ) ἘπὶᾼτῆηΝοηῃιιΗί mssgnpt τῆς..... → … τῆς.
Topics: Church office
Cite (SBL): Basil, Ep. 99 (PG 32:500a–504b; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/basil-epistulae/97/#p-99). (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 100
100PG 32:504c–505a
Εὑσεβίῳ, ἓπισκόπῳ Σαμοσάτων, Οὕτως εἶδον τὰ γράμματα τῆς σου γείτονι χώρα τῆς Ἀρμενίας, ὡς οἷν ἴδοιεν οἱ θαλαττεύοντες πυρσὸν ἒν πελάγει πόρρωθεν φρυκτωο ρούμενον, ἄλλως τε κᾶν ἀγριαίνουσα πως τύχοιῌθ) ἡ θάλασσα ὑπʼ ἀνέμων, Καὶ γὰρ φύσει μὲν ὴδύ καὶ παρηγορίαν ἔχον πολλὴν τὸ τῆς σῆς σεμνότητος γράμμα, τότε δὲ μάλιστα τὴν ἀπʼ αὐτοῦ χάρινδ καιρὸς συνηύξησεν, ὅν ὁποῖος ἦν, καὶ ὅπως ἡμᾶς λυπήσας, ἐγὼ μὲν οὐκ ἄν εἴποιμι, κρίνας ἅπαξ ἔπιλαοέσθαι τῶν λυπηρῶν ό μέντοι συνδιάκονος ἡμῶν διηγήσεταί σου τῇ θεοσεβείᾳ. Ἐμὲ δὲ ἐπέλιπε ravuλῶς τὸ σῶμα, ὥστε μηδὲ τὰς σμικροτάτας κινήσεις δύνασθαι ἀλύπως φέρειν. Πλὴν ἀλλʼ εὔχομαι δυνηθῆναί μοι τὴν παλαιὰν ἐπιθυμίαν νῦν γοῦν διὰ τῆς βοηθείας τῶν σῶν προσευχῶν ἐκπληρωθῆναι· sim ὅτι πολλήν μοι πεποίηκε τὴν δυσκολίαν ἡ ἀποδημία αὕτη, τοσούτῳ χρόνῳ ἀμεληθέντων τῶν κατὰ τὴν ἡμετέραν Ἐκκλησίαν πραγμάτων. Ἐὰν δὲ ό Θεὸς, ἕως ἐσμὲν ὑπὲρ γῆς, καταξιώσῃ ἡμᾶς ἰδεῖν ἐπὶ Ἐκκλησίας ἡμῶν τὴν σὴν θεοσέβειαν ὄντως ἀγαθὰς ἐλπίδας καὶ ἐπὶ τοῖς μέλλουσιν ἕξομεν, ὡς οὗ πάντη ἐσμὲν ἀπόβλητοι τῶν δωρεῶν τοῦ Θεοῦ. Τοῦτο γοῦν, ἐάνῇ δυνατόν παρακαλοῦμεν ἐπὶ τῆς συνόδοι γενέσθαι, ἣν διʼ ἔτους οἶγομεν ἐπὶ τῇ μνήμη τοῦ μακαρίου μάρτυρος Ευψυχίου προσεγγιζουσῃ λοιπόν κατά την ἑβδόμην ἡμέραν τοῦ Σεπτεμβρίου μηνός. Καὶ γὰρ καὶ φροντίδος ἀξια ἡμῖν περιιειται πράγματα τῆς παρά σου δεόμενα συνεργίας, εἵς τε κατάστασιν ἐπισκόπων καὶ εἰς βουλὴν καὶ σκέψιν τῶν μελετωμένων καθʼ ἡ μῶν ποιρά τῆ ς χρη στότη το ς ἡμῖν ἀφίη σιν.
Heusebiǭ, hepiskopǭ Samosatōn, Houtōs eidon ta grammata tēs sou geitoni chōra tēs Armenias, hōs hoin idoien hoi thalatteuontes pyrson en pelagei porrōthen phryktōo roumenon, allōs te kan agriainousa pōs tychoiĘ̄th) hē thalassa hypʼ anemōn, Kai gar physei men ēdy kai parēgorian echon pollēn to tēs sēs semnotētos gramma, tote de malista tēn apʼ autou charind kairos synēuxēsen, hon hopoios ēn, kai hopōs hēmas lypēsas, egō men ouk an eipoimi, krinas hapax epilaoesthai tōn lypērōn o mentoi syndiakonos hēmōn diēgēsetai sou tę̄ theosebeią. Eme de epelipe ravulōs to sōma, hōste mēde tas smikrotatas kinēseis dynasthai alypōs pherein. Plēn allʼ euchomai dynēthēnai moi tēn palaian epithymian nyn goun dia tēs boētheias tōn sōn proseuchōn ekplērōthēnai; sim hoti pollēn moi pepoiēke tēn dyskolian hē apodēmia hautē, tosoutǭ chronǭ amelēthentōn tōn kata tēn hēmeteran Ekklēsian pragmatōn. Ean de o Theos, heōs esmen hyper gēs, kataxiōsę̄ hēmas idein epi Ekklēsias hēmōn tēn sēn theosebeian ontōs agathas elpidas kai epi tois mellousin hexomen, hōs hou pantē esmen apoblētoi tōn dōreōn tou Theou. Touto goun, eanę̄ dynaton parakaloumen epi tēs synodoi genesthai, hēn diʼ etous oigomen epi tę̄ mnēmē tou makariou martyros Eupsychiou prosengizousę̄ loipon kata tēn hebdomēn hēmeran tou Septembriou mēnos. Kai gar kai phrontidos axia hēmin periieitai pragmata tēs para sou deomena synergias, heis te katastasin episkopōn kai eis boulēn kai skepsin tōn meletōmenōn kathʼ hē mōn poira tē s chrē stotē to s hēmin aphiē sin.
To Eusebius, bishop of Samosata. I saw the letter of your holiness in the country bordering on Armenia as seafarers might see a beacon signalling from far off on the open sea, especially if the sea happened to be somewhat roughened by winds. For the letter of your reverence is by nature pleasant and full of comfort, but at that time the occasion especially increased the pleasure it gave. What that occasion was, and how it grieved us, I would not say, having decided once for all to forget painful things; but our fellow deacon will tell it to your piety. My body has failed me utterly, so that I cannot bear even the smallest movements without pain. Yet I pray that my old desire may now at last be fulfilled through the help of your prayers. I know that this journey has caused me great difficulty, since the affairs of our church were neglected for so long. But if God, while we are still upon earth, deems us worthy to see your piety in our church, we shall truly have good hopes for the future as well, that we are not wholly cast away from the gifts of God. This, then, if possible, we beg may happen at the synod which we hold every year for the memorial of the blessed martyr Eupsychius, now approaching, on the seventh day of September. For matters worthy of attention are pressing upon us which need your cooperation, both for the appointment of bishops and for counsel and examination of what is being devised against us by …
Notes and citation
Summary: Basil tells Eusebius that his letter came like a beacon in a storm, describes his failing health, and begs him to come to the September synod for the martyr Eupsychius.
- Letter 100. The last words of the letter are garbled in the scan (they named the person whose actions were causing Basil trouble) and are marked "…"; they are not supplied.
Cite (SBL): Basil, Ep. 100 (PG 32:504c–505a; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/basil-epistulae/97/#p-100). (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 101
101PG 32:505b–508b
Παράμυθητική. εὐχῆς ἄξιον ἦν, πρώτην διαπεμπομένους ἐπιστολήν, εὖθυμοτέραν ἔχειν τὴν τῶν γραμμάτων ὑπόθεσιν. Οὕτω γὰρ ἀν ἡμῖν τά κατά γνώμην ὑπῆρξε, διότι πᾶσι βουλόμεθα τοῖς ἐν εὐσεβείᾳ ζῇν προαιρουμένοις πάντα τόν βίον εἰς ἀγαθόν εὐοδοῦσθαι, Ἀλλʼ ἐπειδὴ ὁ διοικῶν τὴν ζωὴν ἡμῶν Κύριος, κατά τὴν ἄρρητον αὐτοῦ σοφίαν πάντως πρὸς τό συμφέρον τῶν ψυχῶν τῶν ἡμετέρων ταῦτα ᾠκονόμησε γενέσθαι, διʼ ὧν σοι μὲν ὀδυνηρὰν κατέστησε τήν ζωὴν, ἡμᾶς δὲ, τοὺς τῇ κατά Θεόν συνημμένους, εἰς συμπάθειαν ἤγαγε, μαθόντας παρά τῶν ἀδελφῶν ἡμῶν, ἐν οἷς γέγοναςο ἀναγκαῖον ἡμῖν ἐφάνη, την ἐνδεχομένην παράκλησιν προσαγαγεῖν σοι. Εἰ μὲν οὖν ἦν δυνατὸν καὶ διαβῆναι μέχρι τοῦ τόπου ἐν ᾧ συμβαίνει διάγειν σου τὴν εὐγένειαν, περὶ παντὸς ἀν τοῦτο ἐποιησάμηνο ἐπεὶ δὲ καὶ ἡ τοῦ σώματος ἀρρωστία, καὶτῶν συνεχόντων ἡμᾶς πραγμάτων τό πλῆθος, καὶ αὐτὴν ταύτην ἦν ὑπέστημεν ὁδὸν ἐπὶ πολλῇ τῶν καθʼ ἡμᾶς Ἐκχ).ησιῶν ζημία παρεσκεύασεʼ δ ιά γραμμάτων ςέπισκέψασθαί σου τὴν σεμνότητα προεθυμήθημεν, ὑπομιμνήσκοντες, ὃτι αἱ θλίψεις αὗται οὐκ ἀργῶς τοῖς δούλοις τοῦ Θεοῦ παρά τοῦ ἐπισκοποῦντος ἡμᾶς Κυρίου γίνονται, ἀλλά ἐπὶ δοκιμασία τῆς ἀληθινῆς πρὸς τόν κτίσαντα ἡμᾶς Θεὸν ἀγάπης. Ὠς γάρ τοὺς ἀθλητὰς οἱ τῶν ἀγώνων κάματοι τοῖς στεφάνοις προσάγουσιν, οὕτω καὶ τοὺς Χριστιανοὺς ἡ ἒν τοῖς πειρασμοῖς δοκιμασία πρὸς τὴν τελείωσιν ἄγει, ἐὰν μετά τῆς πρεπούσης ὑπομονῆς ἓν εὐχαριστίᾳ πάσῃ τά οἰκονομούμενα παρὰ τοῦ Κυρίου καταδεξὼμεθα. Ἀγαθότητι Δεσπότου οιοκεῖται τὰ πάντα. Οὐδὲν τῶν συμβαινόντων ἡμῖν ὡς λυπηρὸν ὑπο ρέχεσθαι χρὴ, κάξ-ι πρὸς τὸ παρὸν ἅπτηται τῆς ἀσθενείας ἡμῶν. Εἰ γὰρ ’ καὶ τοὺς λόγους ’ἀγνοοῦμεη καθʼ οὓς ἕκαστον τῶν γινομένων ὡς καλὸν παρὰ τοὺ Δεσπότου ἡμῖν ἐπάγεται· tam ἐκεῖνο πεπεῖσθαι ὀφείλομεν, ὃτι πάντως συμφέρει τὸ γινόμενον ἣ ἡμῖν διὰ τὸν τῆς ὑπομονῆς μισθὸν, ἢ τῇ παραληφθείσῃ ψυχῇ, ἵνα μὴ, ἐπὶ πλέον τῇ ζωῇ ταύτῃ ἐπιβραδύνασα, τῆς ἐμπολιτευομένης τῷ βίῳ κακία, ὼαπλησθῇ. Εἰ μὲν γὰρ ἐν ζωῇ ταύτῃ ἡ τῶν Χριστιανῶν ἐλπὶς περιώριστο, εἰκότως χαλεπὸν ἂν ἐνομίσθη τὸ θᾶττον διαζευχθῆναι τοῦ σώματος· εἰ δὲ ἀρχὴ τοῦ ἀληθινοῦ βίου τοῖς κατὰ Θεὸν ζῶσίν ἐστι τὸ τῶν δεσμῶν τούτων τῶν σωματικῶν τὴν ψυχὴν ἐκλυθῆναι, τί λυπούμεθα, ὡς καὶ οἱ μὴ ἔχοντες ἐλπίδα; Παρακλὴθητι οὖν μὴ ὑποπεσεῖν τοῖς πάθεσιν, ἀλλὰ δεῖξαι, ὅτι ὑπέρκεισαι καὶ ὑπερῆρας. ι
Paramythētikē. euchēs axion ēn, prōtēn diapempomenous epistolēn, euthymoteran echein tēn tōn grammatōn hypothesin. Houtō gar an hēmin ta kata gnōmēn hypērxe, dioti pasi boulometha tois en eusebeią zę̄n proairoumenois panta ton bion eis agathon euodousthai, Allʼ epeidē ho dioikōn tēn zōēn hēmōn Kyrios, kata tēn arrēton autou sophian pantōs pros to sympheron tōn psychōn tōn hēmeterōn tauta ǭkonomēse genesthai, diʼ hōn soi men odynēran katestēse tēn zōēn, hēmas de, tous tę̄ kata Theon synēmmenous, eis sympatheian ēgage, mathontas para tōn adelphōn hēmōn, en hois gegonaso anankaion hēmin ephanē, tēn endechomenēn paraklēsin prosagagein soi. Ei men oun ēn dynaton kai diabēnai mechri tou topou en hǭ symbainei diagein sou tēn eugeneian, peri pantos an touto epoiēsamēno epei de kai hē tou sōmatos arrōstia, kaitōn synechontōn hēmas pragmatōn to plēthos, kai autēn tautēn ēn hypestēmen hodon epi pollę̄ tōn kathʼ hēmas Ekch).ēsiōn zēmia pareskeuaseʼ d ia grammatōn sepiskepsasthai sou tēn semnotēta proethymēthēmen, hypomimnēskontes, hoti hai thlipseis hautai ouk argōs tois doulois tou Theou para tou episkopountos hēmas Kyriou ginontai, alla epi dokimasia tēs alēthinēs pros ton ktisanta hēmas Theon agapēs. Ōs gar tous athlētas hoi tōn agōnōn kamatoi tois stephanois prosagousin, houtō kai tous Christianous hē en tois peirasmois dokimasia pros tēn teleiōsin agei, ean meta tēs prepousēs hypomonēs hen eucharistią pasę̄ ta oikonomoumena para tou Kyriou katadexōmetha. Agathotēti Despotou oiokeitai ta panta. Ouden tōn symbainontōn hēmin hōs lypēron hypo rechesthai chrē, kax-i pros to paron haptētai tēs astheneias hēmōn. Ei gar ’ kai tous logous ’agnooumeē kathʼ hous hekaston tōn ginomenōn hōs kalon para tou Despotou hēmin epagetai; tam ekeino pepeisthai opheilomen, hoti pantōs sympherei to ginomenon hē hēmin dia ton tēs hypomonēs misthon, ē tę̄ paralēphtheisę̄ psychę̄, hina mē, epi pleon tę̄ zōę̄ tautę̄ epibradynasa, tēs empoliteuomenēs tǭ biǭ kakia, ōaplēsthę̄. Ei men gar en zōę̄ tautę̄ hē tōn Christianōn elpis periōristo, eikotōs chalepon an enomisthē to thatton diazeuchthēnai tou sōmatos; ei de archē tou alēthinou biou tois kata Theon zōsin esti to tōn desmōn toutōn tōn sōmatikōn tēn psychēn eklythēnai, ti lypoumetha, hōs kai hoi mē echontes elpida? Paraklēthēti oun mē hypopesein tois pathesin, alla deixai, hoti hyperkeisai kai hyperēras. i
Consolatory. It would have been desirable, when sending a first letter, that its subject should be more cheerful. For then things would have gone for us as we wished, since we want all who choose to live in godliness to prosper in what is good throughout their whole life. But since the Lord who orders our life, according to his ineffable wisdom, has surely arranged for the good of our souls that these things should happen (things by which he has made your life painful, and has brought us, who are joined to you in the way of God, to sympathy, when we learned from our brothers what you have been through), it seemed necessary to us to bring you what comfort we could. If it had been possible to travel as far as the place where your nobility happens to live, I would have counted it of the highest importance; but since the sickness of my body, the great number of affairs that hold us, and this very journey we have undertaken, to the great loss of our churches, prevented it, we were eager to visit your reverence by letter, reminding you that these afflictions do not come idly upon the servants of God from the Lord who watches over us, but to test our true love toward God who created us. For as the labours of the contests bring athletes to their crowns, so testing in temptations brings Christians to perfection, if we accept what the Lord dispenses with fitting patience and with all thanksgiving. All things are ordered by the goodness of the Master. Nothing that happens to us ought to be received as grievous, even if for the present it touches our weakness. For even if we do not know the reasons why each thing that happens is brought on us by the Master as good, yet we ought to be persuaded of this: that what happens is surely for the good either of us, through the reward of patience, or of the soul that has been taken, so that it might not linger longer in this life and be filled with the wickedness that dwells in it. For if the hope of Christians were bounded by this life, it would rightly be thought hard to be separated early from the body; but if, for those who live according to God, the beginning of true life is that the soul be released from these bodily bonds, why do we grieve like those who have no hope? Be exhorted, then, not to fall under your sufferings, but to show that you stand above them and have risen over them.
1 Thess 4:13 (allusion, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Basil consoles a bereaved person: trials test our love for God, and for Christians death is the beginning of true life.
- Letter 101, to an unnamed bereaved person. Allusion: 1 Thess 4:13.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR slip (Latin letters for ἐλπίδα); stray mark): Παράμυθητική. [εὐχῆς → Παράμυθητική. εὐχῆς; ἔχοντες ambat; → ἔχοντες ἐλπίδα;.
Cite (SBL): Basil, Ep. 101 (PG 32:505b–508b; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/basil-epistulae/97/#p-101). (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 102
102PG 32:508b–509b
Σαταλεῦσι πολίταις. Ἐγὼ τὰς τε ἰδίας ὑμῶν παρακλήσεις καὶτὰςτοῦ λαοῦ παντὸς δυσωπηθεὶς, καὶ ἐδεξάμην τὴν φροντίδα τῆς καθʼ ὑμᾶς Ἐκκλησίας, καὶ ὑπεῖχόμην ὑμῖν ὶνώπιον Κυρίου* μηδὲν ἐλλείψειν τῶν εἰς δύναμιν ἐμὴν ἡκόντων. Διό ἠναγκάσθην, κατὰ τὸ γεγραμμῦ ννον, οἷον τῆς κόρης τοῦ ἐμοῦ ὀφθαλμοῦ fifth? Οὕτως τὸ ὑπερβάλλον τῆς καθʼ ὑμᾶς τιμῆς οὐδενός μοι συνεχώρησεν εἰς μνήμην ἐλθεῖν, ού συγγενείαξ, ού τῆς ἐκ παιδὸς συνηθείας τῆς ὑπαρχούσης μοι C τὸν ἄνδρα, πρὸ τῶν παρʼ ὑμῶν αἰτηθέντων· ἄλλα πάντων μεν τῶν ἰδίᾳ μοι ὑπαρχόντων πρὸς αὐτὸν δίς οἰκειότητος λόγον ἐπιλαθόμενος, μὴ ὑπολογίσθίμθξθς δὲ μηδὲ τοῦ στεναγμοῦ τὸ πλῆθος, ὃ καταστενάξεξ μου ὁ λαὸς ὀ τὴν προστασίαν αὐτού Clay-tatem, ἕξὴ πάσης αὐτοῦ τῆς συγγενείας τὸ δάκρυον, μὴ μητρὲς αὑτοῦ γηραιᾶς καὶ ἐπὶ μόνῃ τῇ παρʼ αύτοῡ θεραπείᾳ σαλευούσης τὴν θλίψιν εἰς καρδίαν λαβών· πάντων ὁμοῦ τοιούτων ὄντων καὶ τοσούτων ἀλογήσας, ἑνὸς ἐγενόμην, τοῦ τὴν ὑμετέραν Ἐκκλησίαν καταξοα σμῆσαι μὲν τῇ τοῦ τηλικούτου ἀνδρὸς προσίτασξᾳι βοηθῆσαι δὲ αὐτῇ ἔκ τῆς χρονίας ἀπροστασίας ειςγξνν λοιπὸν κλιθείσῃ, καὶ πολλῆς καὶ δυνατῆς χειραγιιςγιας εἰς τὸ διαναστῆναι δεομένη. Τὰ μὲν οὖν ἡμέτίθῗ τοιαῦτα. Τὰ δε παρʼ ὑμῶν ἀπαιτοῦμεν λοιπὸν ξπ ἐλάττονα φανῆναι τῆς ἡμετέρας ελπὶδος, καὶ, τᾶςν ὑποσχέσεων ἃς πεποιήμεθα τῷ ἀνδρὶ, ὅτι πρὸξ °.“ κείους καί φίλους αὐτὸν ἐξεπέμψαμεν, ἑκάστου Win: ὑπερβαλέσθαι τὸν ἕτερον ἐν τῇ περὶ τὸν ἄνδρα, otiosi? καὶ ἀγάπῃ προθυμουμένου. Ὅπως οὑν έπιδῖείευξ· σθε τὴν καλὴν ταύτην φιλοτιμίαν, καὶ τῷ ὑπερβάλλοντι τῆς θεραπείας παρακαλὲσητε αὑτοῦ τὴν καθʼ δίαν, ὧκτε λήθην μὲν αὐτῷ ἐγγενέσθαι πατρίδος, λήθην δὲ συγγενῶν, λήθην δὲ λαοῦτ οσοῦτον ἐξηρτημένου τῆς προστασίας αὐτοῦ, ὅσον παιδίον νεαρὸν τῆς μητρῴας θηλῆς. Προαπεστείλαμεν δὲ Νικίαν, Κυρίῳ τῷ δ ιʼ ἡμῶν καταξιώσαντι τὴν ὑμῶν ἐκπληρωθῆναι.
Sataleusi politais. Egō tas te idias hymōn paraklēseis kaitastou laou pantos dysōpētheis, kai edexamēn tēn phrontida tēs kathʼ hymas Ekklēsias, kai hypeichomēn hymin inōpion Kyriou* mēden elleipsein tōn eis dynamin emēn hēkontōn. Dio ēnankasthēn, kata to gegrammy nnon, hoion tēs korēs tou emou ophthalmou fifth? Houtōs to hyperballon tēs kathʼ hymas timēs oudenos moi synechōrēsen eis mnēmēn elthein, ou syngeneiax, ou tēs ek paidos synētheias tēs hyparchousēs moi C ton andra, pro tōn parʼ hymōn aitēthentōn; alla pantōn men tōn idią moi hyparchontōn pros auton dis oikeiotētos logon epilathomenos, mē hypologisthimthxths de mēde tou stenagmou to plēthos, ho katastenaxex mou ho laos o tēn prostasian autou Clay-tatem, hexē pasēs autou tēs syngeneias to dakryon, mē mētres hautou gēraias kai epi monę̄ tę̄ parʼ autou therapeią saleuousēs tēn thlipsin eis kardian labōn; pantōn homou toioutōn ontōn kai tosoutōn alogēsas, henos egenomēn, tou tēn hymeteran Ekklēsian kataxoa smēsai men tę̄ tou tēlikoutou andros prositasxąi boēthēsai de autę̄ ek tēs chronias aprostasias eisnxnn loipon klitheisę̄, kai pollēs kai dynatēs cheiragiisgias eis to dianastēnai deomenē. Ta men oun hēmetithï toiauta. Ta de parʼ hymōn apaitoumen loipon xp elattona phanēnai tēs hēmeteras elpidos, kai, tasn hyposcheseōn has pepoiēmetha tǭ andri, hoti prox °.“ keious kai philous auton exepempsamen, hekastou Win: hyperbalesthai ton heteron en tę̄ peri ton andra, otiosi? kai agapę̄ prothymoumenou. Hopōs houn epidieieux; sthe tēn kalēn tautēn philotimian, kai tǭ hyperballonti tēs therapeias parakalesēte hautou tēn kathʼ dian, hōkte lēthēn men autǭ engenesthai patridos, lēthēn de syngenōn, lēthēn de laout osouton exērtēmenou tēs prostasias autou, hoson paidion nearon tēs mētrǭas thēlēs. Proapesteilamen de Nikian, Kyriǭ tǭ d iʼ hēmōn kataxiōsanti tēn hymōn ekplērōthēnai.
To the citizens of Satala. Moved by your own appeals and by those of the whole people, I both accepted the care of your church and promised you before the Lord to leave undone nothing that lies within my power. Therefore I was compelled, as it is written, to touch as it were the pupil of my own eye. So far did the greatness of my regard for you allow nothing to come to my mind before the things you asked: neither kinship, nor the familiarity I have had with the man since boyhood. Rather, forgetting every ground of closeness I have with him personally, taking no account of the great groaning with which the people who had him as their leader will groan against me, nor of the tears of all his kin, nor taking to heart the affliction of his aged mother, who depends on his care alone, and disregarding all these things, so many and so great, I became intent on one thing: to adorn your church with the leadership of so great a man, and to help it, since from its long lack of a leader it has now sunk to its knees and needs a great and strong guiding hand to rise again. Such, then, is our part. What we now ask from you is that you should not prove less than our hope and than the promises we made to the man, that we were sending him out to his own people and friends, each eager to outdo the other in honour and love toward him. See then that you show this fine rivalry, and by the abundance of your attentions comfort his heart, so that forgetfulness of his homeland may come over him, forgetfulness of his kin, forgetfulness of a people that hangs on his leadership as a newborn child on its mother's breast. We have sent Nicias ahead … to the Lord, who has deigned through us that your wish be fulfilled.
Zech 2:8 (2:12 LXX) (allusion, medium confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Basil tells the people of Satala that he has given them his own kinsman Poemenius as bishop at great personal cost, and asks them to receive him warmly.
- Letter 102. The new bishop is Poemenius, Basil's relative. "As it is written": Zech 2:8 ("the pupil of his eye"); the verb is garbled in the scan and translated by sense. Words are lost in the last sentence (after "Nicias ahead"), marked "…".
Topics: Church office
Cite (SBL): Basil, Ep. 102 (PG 32:508b–509b; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/basil-epistulae/97/#p-102). (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 103
103PG 32:509b–509d
Σαταλεῦ σιν. "Hyriea εἰς ξογὸν ὁ Κοίριος τοῦ λαοῦ αὐτοῦ τὰ αἰτήματα, καὶ ἔδωκεν αὐτῷ διὰ τῆς ἡμετέρας ταπεινώσεως ποιμένα ἆξιον μν τοὲῦ ὀνόματος, καὶ οὗ κατά τοὺς πολλοὺς καπηλεύοντα τόν λόγον, δυνάμενον δὲ καὶ ὑμῖν τοῖς τὴν ὀρθότητα τοῦ κηρύγματος ἀγαπῶσι, καὶ τὴν κατʼ ἐντολὰς τοῦ Κυρίου ζωὴν καταδεξαμένοις, ἀρέσκειν καθʼ ὑπερκολὴν ἐν τῷ ὀνόματι τοῦ Κυρίου τοῦ πληρώσαντος αὐτὸν τῶν πνευματικῶν αὐτοῦ χαρισμάτων.
Sataleu sin. "Hyriea eis xogon ho Koirios tou laou autou ta aitēmata, kai edōken autǭ dia tēs hēmeteras tapeinōseōs poimena axion mn toeu onomatos, kai hou kata tous pollous kapēleuonta ton logon, dynamenon de kai hymin tois tēn orthotēta tou kērygmatos agapōsi, kai tēn katʼ entolas tou Kyriou zōēn katadexamenois, areskein kathʼ hyperkolēn en tǭ onomati tou Kyriou tou plērōsantos auton tōn pneumatikōn autou charismatōn.
To the people of Satala. The Lord has brought to fulfilment the requests of his people, and has given them through our lowliness a shepherd worthy of the name, not one who, like the many, peddles the word, but one able to please you exceedingly (you who love the soundness of the preaching and have embraced the life according to the Lord's commandments) in the name of the Lord, who has filled him with his spiritual gifts.
2 Cor 2:17 (allusion, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Basil announces to Satala that God has given them a worthy shepherd.
- Letter 103. The opening verb is garbled in the scan and translated by sense. Allusion: 2 Cor 2:17 ("peddling the word").
Topics: Church office
Cite (SBL): Basil, Ep. 103 (PG 32:509b–509d; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/basil-epistulae/97/#p-103). (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 104
104PG 32:512a–512c
βάντες παρὰ τῆς ὑπερφυοῦς σον ἐξουσίας προσ. ταγμα, ἀπεγράψαντο, πλὴν εἰ μὴ πού τινες ἀλλως εἶχον ὑπὸ τῆς ἡλικίας τήν ἄφεσιν. Δεόεμεθα οὖν μνημόσυνον τῆς σῆς εὐεργεσιας τοῦτο ἡμῖν ci?εοῆναι (il), παντὶ τῶ ἐπιόντι χρόνῳ ἀγαθὴν περὶ σθʼ) μνήμην διαφυλάττον, καὶ συγχωρηθῆναι κατὰ τὸν παλαιὸν νόμον τῆς συντελείας τοὺς ὶερατεᾶονταςο καὶ μὴ εἰς πρόσωπον τῶν νῦν καταλαμβανομένων γενέσθαι τὴν ἄφεσιν (οὕτω γὰρ εις τοὺς διαδόχους ἡ χάρις μεταβήσεται, οὖς οὗ παντως συμβαίνει τοῦ ἱερατεύειν ἀξίους εἶναι), ἀλλὰ κατα τὸν ἐν τῇ ἐλευθέρᾳ ἀπογραφῇ τύπον, κοινήν τινα συγχώρησιν κληρικὼν γενέσθαι, ὥστε ὑπὸ τῶν οἰκονομοὺντιων τὰς Ἐκκλπσιας τοῖς ἑκάστοτε λειτουργοῦσι τήν ἁτέλειαν δίδοσθαι. Ταῦτα καὶ τῇ σῇ μεγαλοφυῗᾳ ἀθάνατον τὴν ἐπὶ τοῖς ἀγαθοῖς δόξαν ὃιαφνλάξιι,καὶ τῷ βασιλικῷ οῖκῳ πολλοὺς τους ὑπερευχομένονς παρπσκευάσὲι, καὶ αὐτοῖς τοῖς δημοσίοις μέγα παρέξει ὄφελος, ἡμῶν οὐ πάντως τοῖς κληρικοίς, ἀλλά τοῖς ἀεὶ καταπονουμένοις τὴν ἀπὸ τῆς ἀτελείας πα· ραμυοίαν παρεχομένων· ὅπερ οὖν καί ἐπι τῆς ἐλευθερίας ποιοῦμεν, ὡς ἔξεστι γνῶναι τῷ βουλομένω.
bantes para tēs hyperphyous son exousias pros. tagma, apegrapsanto, plēn ei mē pou tines allōs eichon hypo tēs hēlikias tēn aphesin. Deoemetha oun mnēmosynon tēs sēs euergesias touto hēmin ci?eoēnai (il), panti tō epionti chronǭ agathēn peri sthʼ) mnēmēn diaphylatton, kai synchōrēthēnai kata ton palaion nomon tēs synteleias tous ierateaontaso kai mē eis prosōpon tōn nyn katalambanomenōn genesthai tēn aphesin (houtō gar eis tous diadochous hē charis metabēsetai, ous hou pantōs symbainei tou hierateuein axious einai), alla kata ton en tę̄ eleutherą apographę̄ typon, koinēn tina synchōrēsin klērikōn genesthai, hōste hypo tōn oikonomountiōn tas Ekklpsias tois hekastote leitourgousi tēn hateleian didosthai. Tauta kai tę̄ sę̄ megalophyïą athanaton tēn epi tois agathois doxan hoiaphnlaxii,kai tǭ basilikǭ oikǭ pollous tous hypereuchomenons parpskeuasei, kai autois tois dēmosiois mega parexei ophelos, hēmōn ou pantōs tois klērikois, alla tois aei kataponoumenois tēn apo tēs ateleias pa; ramyoian parechomenōn; hoper oun kai epi tēs eleutherias poioumen, hōs exesti gnōnai tǭ boulomenō.
… having received an order from your exalted authority, they registered them, except where some had exemption on other grounds because of age. We ask, then, that this be granted to us as a memorial of your benefaction, preserving a good memory of you for all time to come: that according to the old law those who serve as priests be released from the tax; and that the exemption not be made personal to those now enrolled (for then the favour would pass to their successors, who will not necessarily be worthy of the priesthood), but that, after the pattern in the free register, a general exemption for clergy be made, so that the exemption may be given by those who manage the churches to whoever is serving at any time. This will both preserve for your greatness an immortal glory for good deeds, and provide the imperial house with many who pray for it, and bring great benefit to the public revenue itself, since we give the relief of exemption not to the clergy indiscriminately but to those who are continually in distress; which is what we do also in the case of the free register, as anyone who wishes may learn.
Textual problem in this passage: see the notes.
Notes and citation
Summary: Basil asks the prefect Modestus to restore the old exemption of the clergy from taxation as a general grant administered by the church.
- Letter 104, to the prefect Modestus. The opening of the letter is lost in the scan; the staged text begins mid-sentence. The sense of "free register" (ἐλευθέρα ἀπογραφή) and of the last clause is uncertain.
Topics: Church office
Cite (SBL): Basil, Ep. 104 (PG 32:512a–512c; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/basil-epistulae/97/#p-104). (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 105
105PG 32:512c–513c
Διακόνοις θυγατράσι Τερεντίου Κόμητοςι- Ἐγὼ καὶ Σαμοσάτοις ἐπιστὰς προσεδόκησξκ στί· τεύξσθαι τῆ κοσμιότητι ὑμῶν· καὶ ἐπειδὴ διηραρ· φῆν vi! ηυνφηνίηρ δεῖ vlt-'Iu'rnr ἧνεηκα τὴν ζημιῶν τον τῇς συντυχίας, οὐ μετρίως ἤνεγκα τὴν CW“? \--.U-.'..-.._- _.'-- Α..,ιι:..-: Luam-An γύλιν πλησιο λογᾝόμενος ποτε εἴη ἤ ἐμοὶ δυνατὸν πάλιν trimi“: πλη mσαι τοῖς καθʼ ὑμᾶς χωρίοις, ἦ ὑμῖν αἱρείτον τηῗ ἡμετέραν καταλαβεῖν. Ἀλλʼ ἐκεῖνα μὲν mide?) εἴ τῳ εὖρον θελήματι τοῦ Κυρίου. Τὸ δὲ νῦν ἕχον, ἐπειδή ἡδέως τὸν υἱὸν Σωφρονιον πρὸς ὑμᾶς ἐξορμῶνται αὐτῷ τήν ἐπιστολὴν ἐπέθηκα ταύτην, προσΨ ρίαν ὑμῖν κωμίζουσαν, καὶ τὴν ἡμετέραν ’ἴνθξμπν δηλοῦσαν, ὅτι οὑ διαλιμπάνομεν τῇ τοῦ Θεοῦ χαριτι μεμνημενοι ὑμῶν, καί εὐχαριστοῦντες ὑπὲρ ὑμῶν τῷ Κυρίῳ, ότι ἀγαθῆς ῥίζης ἀγαθά βλαστήματα ἐστε, ἔγκαρπα τοῖς ἀγαθοῖς ἔργοις, xui τῷ ὄντι ὡς κρίνα ἐν μέσῳ ἀκανθῶν. Τὸ γὰρ ύπὸ τοσαύτης διαστροφῆς τῶν παραφθειρόντων τὸν λόγον τῆς ἀληθείας περικυκλουμένας μὴ ἐνδοῦναι πρὸς τὰς ἀπάτας, μηδέ τὸ ἆποστολικὸν τῆς πίστεως κηρυγμα καταλιπούσας πρὸς τὴν νύν ἐπιπολάζουσαι καινοτομίαι μετατεθῆναι, πῶς ούχί μεγάλης μὲν πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν εύχαριστίας ἄξιον, μεγάλους δὲ ύμῖν ἐπαίνους δικαιότατα προξενεῖ; Εἰς Πατέρα καί Υίὸν xui ἅγιον Πνεῦμα πεπιστεύκατε · μὴ προδῶτε ταύτην τὴν παρακαταθήκην. Πατέρα τὴν πάντων ἀρχὴν· Υὶὸν μονογενῆ, ἐξ αὐτοῦ γεννηθέντα, ἀληθινὸν Θεὸν, τελειον ἐκ τελείου, εἰκόνα ζῶσαν, ὅλον δεικνύντα ἐν ἐαυτῷ τὸν Πατέρα · Πνεῦμα ἅγιον, ἔκ Θεοῦ τὴν ὕπαρξιν ἔχον, τὴν πηγὴν τῆς ἁγιότητος, δύναμιν ζωῆς παρεκτικήν, ’χάριν τελειοποιὸν, διʼ οὗ υἱοθετεῖται ἄνθρωπος, καὶ ἀπαθανατίζεται τὸ θνητὸν, συνημμένον Πατρὶ καὶ Ti?» κατὰ πάντα ἐν δόξῃ καὶ ἀίδιότητι, ἓν δυνάμει καὶ βασιλείᾳ, ἐν δεσποτεία καὶ θεότητι, ὡς καὶ ἡ τοῦ σωτηρίου βαπτίσματος παράδοσις μαρτυρεῖ. Οἱ δὲ κτίσμα λέγοντες ἦ τὸν Υἰὸν ἦ τὸ Πνεῦμα, ἡ ὅλως αύτὸ ὶΞΗ) εἰς τὴν ὴιτουργικὴν καὶ δουλικὴν κατάγοντες τάξιν, μακράν εἱσι τῆς ἀληθείας, ὧν φεύγειν προσήκει τὰς κοινωνίας καὶ ἐκτρέπεσθαι τούς λόγους, ὡς δηλητήρια ὄντα ψυχῶν· Ἐὰν δέ ποτε δῷ ἡμῖν ό Κύριος γενέσθαι κατά ταυτὸν, πλατύτερον ύμῖν τούς περὶ τῆς πίστεως ἐκθησόμεθα 167w;- ὥστε μετʼ ἀποδείξεων γραφικῶν καὶ τὸ τῆς ἀληθείας ἰσχυρὸν καί τὸ σαθρὸν τῆς αἱρέσεως ὑμᾶς ἐπιγνῶναι.
Diakonois thygatrasi Terentiou Komētosi- Egō kai Samosatois epistas prosedokēsxk sti; teuxsthai tē kosmiotēti hymōn; kai epeidē diērar; phēn vi! ēunphēniēr dei vlt-'Iu'rnr hēneēka tēn zēmiōn ton tę̄s syntychias, ou metriōs ēnenka tēn CW“? \--.U-.'..-.._- _.'-- A..,ii:..-: Luam-An gylin plēsio logĘ̄omenos pote eiē ē emoi dynaton palin trimi“: plē msai tois kathʼ hymas chōriois, ē hymin haireiton tēï hēmeteran katalabein. Allʼ ekeina men mide?) ei tǭ euron thelēmati tou Kyriou. To de nyn hechon, epeidē hēdeōs ton huion Sōphronion pros hymas exormōntai autǭ tēn epistolēn epethēka tautēn, prosPs rian hymin kōmizousan, kai tēn hēmeteran ’inthxmpn dēlousan, hoti hou dialimpanomen tę̄ tou Theou chariti memnēmenoi hymōn, kai eucharistountes hyper hymōn tǭ Kyriǭ, oti agathēs rhizēs agatha blastēmata este, enkarpa tois agathois ergois, xui tǭ onti hōs krina en mesǭ akanthōn. To gar ypo tosautēs diastrophēs tōn paraphtheirontōn ton logon tēs alētheias perikykloumenas mē endounai pros tas apatas, mēde to apostolikon tēs pisteōs kērygma katalipousas pros tēn nyn epipolazousai kainotomiai metatethēnai, pōs ouchi megalēs men pros ton Theon eucharistias axion, megalous de ymin epainous dikaiotata proxenei? Eis Patera kai Uion xui hagion Pneuma pepisteukate ; mē prodōte tautēn tēn parakatathēkēn. Patera tēn pantōn archēn; Uion monogenē, ex autou gennēthenta, alēthinon Theon, teleion ek teleiou, eikona zōsan, holon deiknynta en eautǭ ton Patera ; Pneuma hagion, ek Theou tēn hyparxin echon, tēn pēgēn tēs hagiotētos, dynamin zōēs parektikēn, ’charin teleiopoion, diʼ hou huiotheteitai anthrōpos, kai apathanatizetai to thnēton, synēmmenon Patri kai Ti?» kata panta en doxę̄ kai aidiotēti, hen dynamei kai basileią, en despoteia kai theotēti, hōs kai hē tou sōtēriou baptismatos paradosis martyrei. Hoi de ktisma legontes ē ton Uion ē to Pneuma, hē holōs auto iXĒ) eis tēn ēitourgikēn kai doulikēn katagontes taxin, makran heisi tēs alētheias, hōn pheugein prosēkei tas koinōnias kai ektrepesthai tous logous, hōs dēlētēria onta psychōn; Ean de pote dǭ hēmin o Kyrios genesthai kata tauton, platyteron ymin tous peri tēs pisteōs ekthēsometha 167w?- hōste metʼ apodeixeōn graphikōn kai to tēs alētheias ischyron kai to sathron tēs haireseōs hymas epignōnai.
To the deaconesses, daughters of Count Terentius. When I was at Samosata I expected to meet your modesty; and when I missed the meeting, I bore the loss of it not lightly, reckoning whether it would ever be possible for me to come near your district again, or for you to choose to visit ours. But those things lie with the will of the Lord. For now, since my son Sophronius was gladly setting out to you, I gave him this letter, bringing you greeting and showing our remembrance: that by the grace of God we do not cease to remember you and to give thanks for you to the Lord, because you are good shoots of a good root, fruitful in good works, and truly like lilies among thorns. For that you, surrounded by such great perversity of those who corrupt the word of truth, have not yielded to their deceits, nor abandoned the apostolic preaching of the faith to go over to the novelties now prevailing: how is this not worthy of great thanksgiving to God, and does it not most justly win you great praise? You have believed in Father and Son and Holy Spirit: do not betray this deposit. The Father, the principle of all things; the only-begotten Son, begotten from him, true God, perfect from perfect, living image, showing the whole Father in himself; the Holy Spirit, having his existence from God, the fountain of holiness, life-giving power, perfecting grace, through whom man is adopted as a son and the mortal is made immortal, joined with Father and Son in all things, in glory and eternity, in power and kingdom, in lordship and godhead, as the tradition of saving baptism also testifies. But those who say that either the Son or the Spirit is a creature, or who bring the Spirit down altogether to the ministering and servile rank, are far from the truth; it is right to flee their fellowship and to turn away from their words, as poisons of souls. If the Lord ever grants us to be together, we will set out the teaching of the faith for you more fully, so that with proofs from Scripture you may recognize both the strength of the truth and the rottenness of the heresy.
Song 2:2 (allusion, high confidence) · 1 Tim 6:20 (echo, medium confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Basil praises Terentius's daughters for keeping the apostolic faith and sets out a short confession of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit against those who make the Son or Spirit a creature.
- Letter 105. Part of the opening sentence is garbled in the scan and translated by sense. Echoes: Song 2:2 (lilies among thorns); 1 Tim 6:20 (the deposit). The confession of the Spirit is Basil's own wording against the Pneumatomachi.
Cite (SBL): Basil, Ep. 105 (PG 32:512c–513c; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/basil-epistulae/97/#p-105). (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 106
106PG 32:513c
Στρ ατ ιωτη. Ὑπὲρ πολλῶν ἔχοντες εὐχαριστεῖν τῷ Κυρίῳ, ὧν καὶ ἠξιώθημεν παρ αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ τῆς ἐπιδημίας ἡμῶν, μέγιστον ἀγαθὸν ἐκρίναμεν τὴν γνῶσιν τῆς σῆς τιμιότητος, τὴν παρὰ τοῦ ἀγαθοῦ Δεσπότου παρασχεθεῖσαν ἡμῖν. ’Ἔγνωμεί γὰρ ἄνδρα δεικνύντα, ὅτι καὶ ἐν τῷ στραο τιωτικῷ βίῳ δυνατὸν τῆς πρὸς Θεὸν ἀγάπης τὸ τέλειον διασῶσαυ καὶ ὅτι ούκ ἐν τῇ περιβολῇ τῆςὲσθῆτος, ἀλλʼ ἐν τῇ ὃιαθεσει τῆς ψυχῆς ό Χριστιανὸς ὀφείλει χαρακτηρίζεσθαι. Καὶ τότε οὖν μετά πάσης ἐπιθυμίας συνετύχομὲν σοι· καὶ νῦν, ὁσάκις ἂν εἰς μνήμην ἔλθωμεν, μεγίστης ἀπολαύομεν εὐφροσύνης. Ἀνὸρίζου τοίνυν, καί ἴσχυε, καὶ τὴν πρὸς Θεὸν ἀγάπην τρέφειν καὶ πολύπλασιάζειν ἀεὶ σπούδαζε, ἵνα σοι xui ἡ τῶν ἀγαθῶν παρʼ αὑτοῦ χορηγία ἐπὶ μεῖζον προίῃ. Ὀτι δὲ καὶ ἡμῶν μέμνησαι, οὐδεμιᾶς ἐτέρας ἀποδείξεως προσδεόμεθα, τὴν ἐκ τῶν πραγμάτων ἔχοντες μαρτυρίαν.
Str at iōtē. Hyper pollōn echontes eucharistein tǭ Kyriǭ, hōn kai ēxiōthēmen par autou epi tēs epidēmias hēmōn, megiston agathon ekrinamen tēn gnōsin tēs sēs timiotētos, tēn para tou agathou Despotou paraschetheisan hēmin. ’Egnōmei gar andra deiknynta, hoti kai en tǭ strao tiōtikǭ biǭ dynaton tēs pros Theon agapēs to teleion diasōsau kai hoti ouk en tę̄ peribolę̄ tēsesthētos, allʼ en tę̄ hoiathesei tēs psychēs o Christianos opheilei charaktērizesthai. Kai tote oun meta pasēs epithymias synetychomen soi; kai nyn, hosakis an eis mnēmēn elthōmen, megistēs apolauomen euphrosynēs. Anorizou toinyn, kai ischye, kai tēn pros Theon agapēn trephein kai polyplasiazein aei spoudaze, hina soi xui hē tōn agathōn parʼ hautou chorēgia epi meizon proię̄. Oti de kai hēmōn memnēsai, oudemias eteras apodeixeōs prosdeometha, tēn ek tōn pragmatōn echontes martyrian.
To a soldier. Though we have many things to thank the Lord for, which he granted us during our visit, we judged the greatest good to be our acquaintance with your honour, granted us by the good Master. For we came to know a man who shows that even in military life it is possible to preserve the perfection of love for God, and that a Christian ought to be marked out not by the cut of his clothing but by the disposition of his soul. So then we met you with all eagerness, and now, as often as we remember you, we enjoy the greatest gladness. Be manly, then, and be strong, and be always eager to nourish and multiply your love for God, so that his supply of good things to you may also increase. That you remember us too we need no further proof, having the testimony of your deeds.
1 Cor 16:13 (echo, medium confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Basil praises a soldier who shows that a Christian can keep perfect love for God in military life.
- Letter 106. Echo: 1 Cor 16:13.
Topics: Ethics
Cite (SBL): Basil, Ep. 106 (PG 32:513c; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/basil-epistulae/97/#p-106). (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 107
107PG 32:516a–516d
Ἰουλίττῃ ἐλευθέρᾳ. Α Πάνυ ἐθύμησα τοῖς γράμμασιν ἐντυχὼν τῆς εὐγενείας σου, ὅτι σε πάλιν αἱ αὐταὶ περιέχουσιν ἀνάγκαι. Καὶ τί δεῖ ποιεῖν πρὸς ἀνθρώπους οὕτω παλίμβολον ἔπιδεικνυμένους τὸ ἦθος, καὶ ἄλλοτε ἄλλα λέγοντας, καὶ ταῖς ἰδίαις ὁμολογίαις μὴ ἐμμένοντας ; Εἰ γὰρ τὰς ἐπʼ ἐμοῦ καὶ τοῦ ἀπὸ ὑπάρχων ὑποσχέσεις, νῦν, ὡς μηδενὸς εἰρημένου, οὕτω στενοχωρεί τὴν προθεσμίαν, ἔοικε παντελῶς ἀπηρυθριακέναι πρὸς ἡμᾶς ὁ ἀνὴρ, Πλὴν ἀλλʼ ἐπέστειλα αὐτῷ, ἐντρέπων αὑτὸν καὶ ὑπομιμνήσκων τῶν αὐτοῦ ὑποσχέσεων. Ἐπέστειλα δί καὶ Ἑλλαδίῳ, τῷ οἰκείῳ τοῦ ὑπάρχου, ἵνα διʼ αὖτοῦ διδαχθῇ τὰ κατὰ σὲ ὁ ὕπαρχος. Αὐτὸς γὰρ μέχρι τοσούτου θαῤῥῆσαι δικαστῇ τοσούτῳ οὐκ ἐνόμισα ἐπιβάλλον εἶναί μοι, διὰ τὸ μηδέπω περὶ ἰδιωτικοῦ πράγματος αὐτῷ ἐπεσταλκέναι, καὶ ὑφορᾶσθαι κατάγνωσίν τινα, ὡς οἶδας, εὐκόλως τῶν μεγάλων ἀνδρῶν ἀγριαινόντων πρὸς τὰ τοιαῦτα· Εἰ μέντοι τι ἔσται ὄφελος, ἔσται τοῦτο δ ιὰ Ἑλλαδίου, ἀνθρώπου καὶ χρηστοῦ καὶ περὶ ἡμᾶς διακειμένου, καὶ Θεὸν φοβουμένου, καὶ παῤῥησίαν ἀμύθητον ἔχοντος πρὸς τὸν ἄρχοντα. Δυνατὸς δὲ ὁ ἅγιος διαγαγεῖν σε πάσης θλίψεως, μόνον ἐὰν ἀληθινῇ καὶ γνησίᾳ καρδίᾳ ἐπιλπίσωξιιν επ αυτον.
Ioulittę̄ eleutherą. A Pany ethymēsa tois grammasin entychōn tēs eugeneias sou, hoti se palin hai autai periechousin anankai. Kai ti dei poiein pros anthrōpous houtō palimbolon epideiknymenous to ēthos, kai allote alla legontas, kai tais idiais homologiais mē emmenontas ? Ei gar tas epʼ emou kai tou apo hyparchōn hyposcheseis, nyn, hōs mēdenos eirēmenou, houtō stenochōrei tēn prothesmian, eoike pantelōs apērythriakenai pros hēmas ho anēr, Plēn allʼ epesteila autǭ, entrepōn hauton kai hypomimnēskōn tōn autou hyposcheseōn. Epesteila di kai Helladiǭ, tǭ oikeiǭ tou hyparchou, hina diʼ autou didachthę̄ ta kata se ho hyparchos. Autos gar mechri tosoutou tharrhēsai dikastę̄ tosoutǭ ouk enomisa epiballon einai moi, dia to mēdepō peri idiōtikou pragmatos autǭ epestalkenai, kai hyphorasthai katagnōsin tina, hōs oidas, eukolōs tōn megalōn andrōn agriainontōn pros ta toiauta; Ei mentoi ti estai ophelos, estai touto d ia Helladiou, anthrōpou kai chrēstou kai peri hēmas diakeimenou, kai Theon phoboumenou, kai parrhēsian amythēton echontos pros ton archonta. Dynatos de ho hagios diagagein se pasēs thlipseōs, monon ean alēthinę̄ kai gnēsią kardią epilpisōxiin ep auton.
To Julitta, a free woman. I was very distressed on reading your nobility's letter, that the same pressures hold you again. And what is one to do with people who show so changeable a character, saying now one thing and now another, and not abiding by their own agreements? For if, after the promises made before me and the former prefect, he now, as though nothing had been said, cuts the time limit so short, the man seems to have lost all shame toward us. Nevertheless I have written to him, rebuking him and reminding him of his promises. I have also written to Helladius, the prefect's friend, so that through him the prefect may be informed of your affairs. For I did not think it fitting for me to be so bold myself with so great a judge, because I have never yet written to him on a private matter, and I suspect some censure, since, as you know, great men are easily provoked by such things. If there is to be any help, it will come through Helladius, a man who is good and well disposed toward us, God-fearing, and with unspeakable freedom of speech before the ruler. The Holy One is able to bring you through all affliction, if only we hope in him with a true and sincere heart.
Notes and citation
Summary: Basil tells the widow Julitta that he has written to her creditor and to Helladius on her behalf.
- Letter 107. Julitta was a widow ("free woman" renders ἐλευθέρα, a title of a lady of free birth).
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR slip (Latin letters)): καὶ calore ἄλλα → καὶ ἄλλοτε ἄλλα; διὰ τὸ unde πω → διὰ τὸ μηδέπω.
Cite (SBL): Basil, Ep. 107 (PG 32:516a–516d; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/basil-epistulae/97/#p-107). (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 108
108PG 32:516d–517b
Τῷ κηδεμόνι τῶν κληρονόμὼν Ἰουλὶττης. Ἐθαύμασα ἀκούσας, ὅτι, τῶν χρηστῶν ἐκείνων καὶ πρεποντων τῇ σῇ ίλευθερίᾳ ὑποσχέσεων ἐπίλαθὸμενος, νῦν σφοδροτάτην καὶ ἀπαραίτητον ἐπάγεις τὴν ἀπαίτησιν τῇ ἀδελφῇ τῇδε καὶ τί εἰκάσω ἐκ τῶν λεγομένων, οὐκ ἑχω. Σοί τε γὰρ πολλὴν παρὰ τῶν πεπειραμνων σου μαρτυρουμένην ἐλευθερίαν σύνοιδα, καὶ τῶν ὑποσχέσεων σου μέμνημαι ὧν ἐποίησας ἐπʼ ἐμοῦ καὶ τοῦδε° λέγων ἐλάττονα μὲν γράφειν χρόνον, πλείονα δε συγχωρήσειν, διὰ τοίὸε) βουλεσθαι συμπεριφέρεσθαι τῇ ἀνάγκη τοῦ πράγματος, καὶ συγγνώμην παρέχειν τῇ ἐλευθέρᾳ ἀναγκαζομένη τοσοῦτον ἁθρόως ἐκ τῆς οἰκίας προίεσθαι χρῆμα. Τίς οὖν ἡ αἰτία διʼ ἣν ἠ τοσαύτη μεταβολὴ γέγονεν, ἐγὼ νοεῖν οὐκ ἔχω. Πλὴν ὅπερ ἆν ᾖ, παρακαλῶ σε. μεμνημένον τῆς σεαυτοῦ ἐλευθεριότητος, καὶ πρὸς τὸν Κύριον ἀπιδόντα τόν ἀμειβόμενον τὰς χρηστὰς προαιρέσεις, δοῦναι τόν καιρόν ὅν ἐξ ἀρχῆς ὑπέσχου τῆς ἀνέσεως, ἵνα δυνηθῶσι, συμπωλήσαντις τὰ ἑαυτῶν, διαλῦσαι τό χρέος. Δῆλον δὲ, ὅτι κάκείνων μέμνημαι, ὅτι ὑπέσχου, εἰ λάβοις τὸ ὀμολογηθὶν χρυσίον πάντα τὰ ὁμολογηθέντα χαρτία, καὶ τὰ ἐπὶ τῶν ἀρχόντων πραχθέντα, καὶ τὰ ἰδιωτικῶςγενόμενα, παραδώσειν τῇ προειρημένη. Παρακαλῶ οὖν, καὶ ἡμᾶς τίμησόν, καὶ κτῆσαι παρὰ τῷ Κυρίῳ μεγάλην ἐαυτῷ εὐλογίαν, ἀναμνησθεὶς τῶν σεαυτοῦ ὑποσχέσεων, γινώσκων, ὅτι ἅνθρωπος εἶ, καὶ αὐτὸς ἀναμένειν ὀφείλεις τοὺς καιροὺς ἐν οἷς δεηθήσῃ τῆς παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ ἀντιλήψεως· ἣν μὴ ἁποκλείσης σεαυτῷ δια τῆς παρούσης σκληρότητος· ἀλλʼ εὐτρέπισον τοὺς οἰκτιρμοὺς τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐπὶ σαυτὸν, πᾶσαν χρηστότητα καὶ ἇπιείκειαν τοῖς καταπονουμίνοις ἐπιδ ειξάμενος.
Tǭ kēdemoni tōn klēronomōn Ioulittēs. Ethaumasa akousas, hoti, tōn chrēstōn ekeinōn kai prepontōn tę̄ sę̄ ileutherią hyposcheseōn epilathomenos, nyn sphodrotatēn kai aparaitēton epageis tēn apaitēsin tę̄ adelphę̄ tę̄de kai ti eikasō ek tōn legomenōn, ouk hechō. Soi te gar pollēn para tōn pepeiramnōn sou martyroumenēn eleutherian synoida, kai tōn hyposcheseōn sou memnēmai hōn epoiēsas epʼ emou kai toude° legōn elattona men graphein chronon, pleiona de synchōrēsein, dia toioe) boulesthai symperipheresthai tę̄ anankē tou pragmatos, kai syngnōmēn parechein tę̄ eleutherą anankazomenē tosouton hathroōs ek tēs oikias proiesthai chrēma. Tis oun hē aitia diʼ hēn ē tosautē metabolē gegonen, egō noein ouk echō. Plēn hoper an ę̄, parakalō se. memnēmenon tēs seautou eleutheriotētos, kai pros ton Kyrion apidonta ton ameibomenon tas chrēstas proaireseis, dounai ton kairon hon ex archēs hypeschou tēs aneseōs, hina dynēthōsi, sympōlēsantis ta heautōn, dialysai to chreos. Dēlon de, hoti kakeinōn memnēmai, hoti hypeschou, ei labois to omologēthin chrysion panta ta homologēthenta chartia, kai ta epi tōn archontōn prachthenta, kai ta idiōtikōsgenomena, paradōsein tę̄ proeirēmenē. Parakalō oun, kai hēmas timēson, kai ktēsai para tǭ Kyriǭ megalēn eautǭ eulogian, anamnēstheis tōn seautou hyposcheseōn, ginōskōn, hoti hanthrōpos ei, kai autos anamenein opheileis tous kairous en hois deēthēsę̄ tēs para tou Theou antilēpseōs; hēn mē hapokleisēs seautǭ dia tēs parousēs sklērotētos; allʼ eutrepison tous oiktirmous tou Theou epi sauton, pasan chrēstotēta kai hapieikeian tois kataponouminois epid eixamenos.
To the guardian of the heirs of Julitta. I was astonished to hear that, forgetting those kind promises that befitted your liberality, you are now pressing a most severe and inexorable demand on this sister; and what to conclude from what is reported, I do not know. For I know your great liberality, to which those who have experienced you bear witness, and I remember the promises you made before me and him, saying that you would write down a shorter time but would allow a longer one, because you wished to make allowance for the necessity of the case and to show indulgence to the lady, who is compelled to pay out so large a sum from her house all at once. What the cause of so great a change is, I cannot understand. But whatever it may be, I urge you, remembering your own liberality and looking to the Lord who repays good intentions, to give the time of relief that you promised from the beginning, so that they may be able to sell their property and discharge the debt. And plainly I remember this too: that you promised, if you received the agreed gold, to hand over to the aforesaid lady all the agreed documents, both those executed before the magistrates and those made privately. I urge you, then, both to honour us and to gain for yourself a great blessing with the Lord, remembering your own promises, knowing that you are a man and must yourself expect the times when you will need help from God. Do not shut yourself off from it by your present harshness, but make God's compassion ready for yourself by showing all kindness and gentleness to those in distress.
Notes and citation
Summary: Basil reminds the guardian of Julitta's heirs of his promise to allow her time to pay and to return her documents, and urges him to show mercy.
- Letter 108. "Him": the scan reads τοῦδε ("this man"); the parallel Letter 107 says the promises were made before Basil and the former prefect.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR slip; OCR slip (Latin letters)): ἰατιλὴψεως* → ἀντιλήψεως·; οἰκτιρpet); → οἰκτιρμοὺς.
Topics: Ethics
Cite (SBL): Basil, Ep. 108 (PG 32:516d–517b; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/basil-epistulae/97/#p-108). (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 109
109PG 32:517b–520b
Ἐλλαδ ίῳ Κύμη τι. Πάνυ παραιτούμενος διʼ ὄχλου εἶναι τῇ χρηστότητί σου, διὰ τό μέγεθος τῆς περὶ ὑμᾶς ἀρχῆς, ἵνα μὴ δόξω ἁμέντως ἐμφόρείσθαι τῆς φιλίας ὑμῶν· ὅμως ὑπὸ τῶν ἀναγκῶν ἡσυχάζειν οὐκ ἐπιτρέπομαι. Τὴν γοῦν ἀδελφὴν τήνδε, καὶ πρὸς γένος ἡμῖν οὖσαν καὶ διὰ χηρείαν καταπονουμένην, καὶ παιδὸς ορφανοῦ πράγματος φροντίζουσαν, ἐπεὶ εἰὸον λοιπὸν ὑπὲρ δύναμιν ἀφορὴτοις ἀνάγκαις συνεχομένην, κατελεήσας, καὶ παθὼν τὴν ψυχὴν, ἔσπευσα παρακαλέσαι σε, ἱνα, εἴ τις δύναμις, τῷ ἀποσταλέντι παρʼ αὐτῆς ἀνθρώπῳ καταξιὼσης συμπρᾶξαι, πρὸς τὸ ὅπερ αὕτη περιοῦσα ὑπέσχετο ὑφʼ ἡμῶν, ἤδη τοῦτο αὐτὴν ἆποδοὺσαν τῆς εἰς τόʼπλέον ἐπηρείας ἀπαλλαγῆναι. ’Υπέσχετο γὰρ τό κεφάλαιον δοῦσα συγχωρεῖσθαι τοὺς τόκους. Νῦν τοίνυν οἱ φροντίζοντες αὐτῆς τῶν κληρονόμων μετὰ τὸ κεφάλαιον καὶ τὴν τῶν τόκων εἴσπραξιν ἐπιχειροῦσι ποιήσασθαι. Ως οὖν εἰδὼς, ὅτι Κύριός ἐστιν ὁ τὰ τῶν χηρῶν καὶ όρφανῶνὶδιοποιούμενος, οὕτω σπούδασον χρήσασθαι ἑαυτὸν τῇ σπονδῇ τῇ ὑπὲρ τοῦ πράγματος, ἐπʼ ἑλπίδι τῆς παρʼ αὐτοῦ τοῦ Θεοῦ ἡμῶν μισθαποδοσίας. Οἶμαι γὰρ, καὶ τὴν ἡμερότητα τοῦ θαυμασιωτάτου ἐπάρχου μαθοῦσαν, ὅτι τὸ κεφάλαιον ἐκτέτισται, συμπαθὴσειν τῷ ἐλλεεινῷ λοιπὸν καὶ ἀθλίῳ οἴκῳ εἰς γονυ κλιθέντι, καὶ οὐκέτι ἆρκοῦντι ταῖς ἔξωθεν αὑτῷ ἐπαγομέναις ἐπηρείαις. Παρακαλῶ οὖν, καὶ τῇ ἆνήκῃ σύγγνωθι, διʼ ἣν ὤχλησά σοι, καὶ τῷ πράγματι σύμπραξον κατά την δύναμιν, ἣν ἔδωκέ σοι όΧριστὸς χρηστῷ καί ἀγαθῷ τόν τρόπον ὄντι, καὶ εὶς ἀγαθὸν οἷς ἔλαβες κεχρημένῳ.
Ellad iǭ Kymē ti. Pany paraitoumenos diʼ ochlou einai tę̄ chrēstotēti sou, dia to megethos tēs peri hymas archēs, hina mē doxō hamentōs emphoreisthai tēs philias hymōn; homōs hypo tōn anankōn hēsychazein ouk epitrepomai. Tēn goun adelphēn tēnde, kai pros genos hēmin ousan kai dia chēreian kataponoumenēn, kai paidos orphanou pragmatos phrontizousan, epei eioon loipon hyper dynamin aphorētois anankais synechomenēn, kateleēsas, kai pathōn tēn psychēn, espeusa parakalesai se, hina, ei tis dynamis, tǭ apostalenti parʼ autēs anthrōpǭ kataxiōsēs sympraxai, pros to hoper hautē periousa hypescheto hyphʼ hēmōn, ēdē touto autēn apodousan tēs eis toʼpleon epēreias apallagēnai. ’Ypescheto gar to kephalaion dousa synchōreisthai tous tokous. Nyn toinyn hoi phrontizontes autēs tōn klēronomōn meta to kephalaion kai tēn tōn tokōn eispraxin epicheirousi poiēsasthai. Ōs oun eidōs, hoti Kyrios estin ho ta tōn chērōn kai orphanōnidiopoioumenos, houtō spoudason chrēsasthai heauton tę̄ spondę̄ tę̄ hyper tou pragmatos, epʼ helpidi tēs parʼ autou tou Theou hēmōn misthapodosias. Oimai gar, kai tēn hēmerotēta tou thaumasiōtatou eparchou mathousan, hoti to kephalaion ektetistai, sympathēsein tǭ elleeinǭ loipon kai athliǭ oikǭ eis gony klithenti, kai ouketi arkounti tais exōthen hautǭ epagomenais epēreiais. Parakalō oun, kai tę̄ anēkę̄ syngnōthi, diʼ hēn ōchlēsa soi, kai tǭ pragmati sympraxon kata tēn dynamin, hēn edōke soi oChristos chrēstǭ kai agathǭ ton tropon onti, kai eis agathon hois elabes kechrēmenǭ.
To Count Helladius. Though I very much shrink from troubling your kindness, because of the greatness of the office around you, lest I seem to make immoderate use of your friendship, yet necessity does not allow me to keep quiet. This sister, who is related to us, worn down by widowhood and having the care of the affairs of her orphan child, I saw now held fast beyond her strength by unbearable necessities; and taking pity on her and grieved in soul, I hastened to beg you, if you have any power, to deign to help the man sent by her, so that, having now paid what she promised in person in our presence, she may be released from further harassment. For she was promised that, if she paid the principal, the interest would be remitted. Now, however, those who have charge of her heirs are trying to exact the interest as well, after the principal. As one who knows, then, that it is the Lord who makes the cause of widows and orphans his own, be eager to devote yourself to this matter, in hope of the reward from our God himself. For I think that the gentleness of the most admirable prefect too, when it learns that the principal has been paid, will sympathize with a pitiable and wretched house, now sunk to its knees and no longer able to withstand the harassments brought on it from outside. I beg you, then, both to forgive the necessity for which I have troubled you, and to help in the matter according to the power that Christ has given you, since you are kind and good in character and have used for good what you have received.
Ps 68:5 (67:6 LXX) (echo, low confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Basil asks Helladius to help Julitta, a widowed kinswoman, against creditors who demand interest after she has paid the principal.
- Letter 109. Echo: Ps 68:5; 146:9 (God as protector of widows and orphans).
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR slip (Latin letters)): τῷ πράγματι ariaπραξον → τῷ πράγματι σύμπραξον.
Cite (SBL): Basil, Ep. 109 (PG 32:517b–520b; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/basil-epistulae/97/#p-109). (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 110
110PG 32:520b–520d
Μοδέστῳ ὑπάρχῳ. ,Ὅσης ἡμῖν τιμῆς καὶ παρρησίας μεταδίδως, τῇ ἡμερότητα τοῦ τρόπον καταβαίνεν πρὸς ἡμᾶς ἀνεχόμενος, τοσαύτην σοι καὶ ἔτι πλείω ἐν παντὶ τῷ βίῳ παρὰ τοῦ ἀγαθοῦ ἡμῶν Δεσπότου τὴν αὔξησιν γενέσθαι τῆς περιφανείας εὐχόμεθα. Ἐμὲ δὲ καὶ πάλαι ἐπιθυμοῦντα γράφειν, καὶ ἀπολαύειν τῆς παρὰ σοῦ τιμῆς, κατεῖχεν ἠ πρὸς τὸ ὑπερέχον αἰδώς· εὐλαβούμενον μήποτε νομισθῶ ἀμέτρως ἐμφορεῖσθαι τῆς παρρῥησίας. Νῦν δέ ὁμοῦ μὲν καὶ τό λαβεῖν τήν ἐξουσίαν τοῦ ἐπιστέλλειν παρὰ τῆς ἁπαραβλὴτον σου μεγαλοφυίας, ὁμοῦ δὲ καὶ χρεία τῶν καταπονουμένων ἐξεβιάσατό με πρὸς τὸ θαρσεῖν. Εἰ τις οὖν καὶ παρὰ τῶν μικρῶν ἐπὶ τοῖς μεγίστοις ἱκετηρίας ἰσχὺς, παρακλήθητι, θαυμασιώτατε, φιλανθρώπῳ νεύματι ἐλεεινῇ ἀγροικίᾳ τήν σωτηρίαν χαρίσασθαι, καὶτοῖς τόν Ταῦρον οἰκοῦσι τόν σιδηροφόρον φορητὴν προσο τάξαι γενέσθαι την τοῦ σιδήρου συντέλειαν· ὡς μὴ εἰς ἅπαξ αὐτοὺς ἐκτριβῆναι, ἀλλὰ διαρκῇ αὑτῶν εἶναι τὴν ὑπηρεσίαν τοῖς δημοσίοις· οὗ μάλιστα πάντων μέλειν τῇ ἀξιαγάστῳ σου φιλανθρωπίᾳ πε· πείσμεθα.
Modestǭ hyparchǭ. ,Hosēs hēmin timēs kai parrēsias metadidōs, tę̄ hēmerotēta tou tropon katabainen pros hēmas anechomenos, tosautēn soi kai eti pleiō en panti tǭ biǭ para tou agathou hēmōn Despotou tēn auxēsin genesthai tēs periphaneias euchometha. Eme de kai palai epithymounta graphein, kai apolauein tēs para sou timēs, kateichen ē pros to hyperechon aidōs; eulaboumenon mēpote nomisthō ametrōs emphoreisthai tēs parrrhēsias. Nyn de homou men kai to labein tēn exousian tou epistellein para tēs haparablēton sou megalophuias, homou de kai chreia tōn kataponoumenōn exebiasato me pros to tharsein. Ei tis oun kai para tōn mikrōn epi tois megistois hiketērias ischys, paraklēthēti, thaumasiōtate, philanthrōpǭ neumati eleeinę̄ agroikią tēn sōtērian charisasthai, kaitois ton Tauron oikousi ton sidērophoron phorētēn proso taxai genesthai tēn tou sidērou synteleian; hōs mē eis hapax autous ektribēnai, alla diarkę̄ hautōn einai tēn hypēresian tois dēmosiois; hou malista pantōn melein tę̄ axiagastǭ sou philanthrōpią pe; peismetha.
To Modestus the prefect. For all the honour and freedom of speech you share with us, bearing with gentleness of character to come down to us, we pray that as great an increase of your eminence, and still greater, may come to you from our good Master throughout all your life. Though I have long desired to write and to enjoy the honour you show, reverence for your superiority held me back, for I was careful not to be thought to make immoderate use of the freedom of speech. But now both the permission to write, received from your incomparable greatness, and the need of those in distress have forced me to take courage. If, then, there is any power in the supplications of small people on behalf of the greatest matters, be entreated, most admirable sir, by a kindly nod to grant safety to a pitiable country people, and to order that the iron levy laid on those who live in iron-bearing Taurus be made bearable, so that they may not be crushed at once, but their service to the public may be lasting. We are persuaded that this, above all things, concerns your admirable humanity.
Notes and citation
Summary: Basil asks the prefect Modestus to lighten the iron levy on the people of the Taurus mountains.
- Letter 110.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR slip; OCR slip (Latin letters)): καὶ suam ἐπιθυμοῦντα → καὶ πάλαι ἐπιθυμοῦντα; ἱκπηρίαςὶσχὺς → ἱκετηρίας ἰσχὺς.
Cite (SBL): Basil, Ep. 110 (PG 32:520b–520d; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/basil-epistulae/97/#p-110). (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.