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of the Spirit? 6.5 Or, to speak of smaller and more humble things, who for the daily duties and manual labor? who for the gathering of wood and quarrying of stone? who for the gardening and irrigation? who for the plane tree, golden and more precious than that of Xerxes, under which sat not a luxurious king, but a worn-out monk, 6.6 which I planted, Apollos watered, your honor, but God gave the increase to our honor, so that a memorial of our industry might be preserved among you, just as in the ark, it is said and believed, was Aaron’s rod that budded. 6.7 To pray for these things is very easy, but to obtain them is not easy. But be present with me and breathe with me and work with me for virtue, and preserve through your prayers the profit which we once gathered together, lest little by little like a shadow we dissolve, as the day declines. 6.8 For I breathe you more than the air; and this alone is my life, what I become with you, whether present, or absent in images. 7.T TO CAESARIUS 7.1 We have blushed enough on your account; for that we were also grieved, what need is there to write to one who is most of all persuaded of it? 7.2 For not to speak of our own feelings, nor of how much despondency the rumor about you has filled us with—grant me to speak of fear as well—I would wish, if it were somehow possible, that you were present for the words of others, of relatives and strangers alike, of those who are in any way known to us, but at any rate Christians, which they say about you and about us, not one this and another that, but all in succession in the same way, since men philosophize more eagerly on the affairs of others than on their own. 7.3 For these words have become for them like some kind of special study. Now that a bishop's son is serving in the army, now that he is aspiring to worldly power and glory, now that he is overcome by money (at a time when a common fire has been kindled and men are running the race for their souls); but not to consider it the one glory and safety and resource to stand nobly against the time and to keep oneself as far as possible from every curse and defilement. 7.4 How could the bishop admonish another not to be carried away by the times nor to be mixed up with idols? How could he rebuke those who sin in some other way, when he himself lacks boldness in his own household? 7.5 Hearing these things and still more and harsher things than these every day, some saying them perhaps out of friendship, and others attacking us even out of ill-will, how do you think we are disposed, and what sort of souls do we have, men who have purposed to serve God and who judge it the only good to look to the hopes to come? 7.6 Our lord father, then, who is very distressed at what he hears and is despairing of life itself, I somehow comfort and encourage, vouching for your decision and persuading him that you will not endure to grieve us any longer. 7.7 But as for our lady mother, if she should learn anything about your situation (for up to now we have for the time being concealed it by many devices), you can imagine that her suffering will be completely inconsolable, since she is a woman and faint-hearted, and otherwise, because of her great piety in such matters, she is unable to be moderate. 7.8 If, then, you have any regard for yourself and for us, decide on something better and safer. For certainly the things here are also sufficient for a noble way of life, for one who is not too insatiable nor immoderate in the desire for more; but also, for you to obtain a settled state, I do not see what opportunity we will wait for, if we let the present one go. 7.9 But if you are of the same mind and all things are small to you compared to your own impulse, I do not wish to say anything else unpleasant; but this much I say beforehand and solemnly testify, that one of two things is necessary: either, remaining a genuine Christian, to be ranked among the most dishonored and to act unworthily of both yourself and your hopes; 7.10 or, aspiring to honor, to be harmed in the most vital matters, partaking of the smoke, even if not of the fire. 8.T TO BASIL 8.1 I praise the preface of your letter. But what of yours is not praiseworthy? And you have been caught, just as we who have written, since we were forced into the rank of presbyter. 8.2 And yet this was not our endeavor; for we are for each other,

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Πνεύματος; 6.5 Ἤ, ἵνα τὰ μικρότερα λέγω καὶ εὐτελέστερα, τίς ἐφημερίας καὶ αὐτουργίας; τίς ξυληγίας καὶ λατομίας; τίς δὲ φυτοκομίας καὶ ὀχετηγίας; τίς δὲ τὴν πλάτανον τὴν χρυσῆν καὶ τῆς Ξέρξου τιμιωτέραν, ὑφ' ᾗ μὴ βασιλεὺς ἐκαθέζετο τεθρυμμένος, ἀλλὰ μοναστὴς τετρυχωμένος, 6.6 ἣν ἐγὼ ἐφύτευσα, Ἀπολλὼς ἐπότισεν, ἡ σὴ τιμιότης, ἀλλ' ὁ Θεὸς ηὔξησεν εἰς τιμὴν ἡμετέραν, ἵνα ὑπόμνημα σῴζηται παρ' ὑμῖν τῆς ἡμετέρας φιλοπονίας, ὥσπερ ἐν τῇ κιβωτῷ λέγεται καὶ πιστεύεται ἡ ῥάβδος Ἀαρὼν ἡ βλαστήσασα. 6.7 Ταῦτα εὔξασθαι μὲν ῥᾴστον, λαβεῖν δὲ οὐ ῥᾴδιον. Ἀλλά μοι καὶ πάρεσο καὶ σύμπνει καὶ συνεργάζου τὴν ἀρετήν, καὶ ἥν ποτε συνελέξαμεν ὠφέλειαν συντήρει διὰ τῶν προσευχῶν, ἵνα μὴ κατὰ μικρὸν ὥσπερ σκιὰ λυθῶμεν, κλινούσης ἡμέρας. 6.8 Ὡς ἔγωγέ σε πνέω μᾶλλον ἢ τὸν ἀέρα· καὶ τοῦτο ζῶ μόνον, ὃ μετὰ σοῦ γίνομαι, ἢ παρών, ἢ ἀπὼν τοῖς ἰνδάλμασι. 7.Τ ΚΑΙΣΑΡΙΩΙ 7.1 Ἱκανῶς ἠρυθριάσαμεν ἐπὶ σοί· τὸ γὰρ ὅτι καὶ ἐλυπήθημεν, τί χρὴ γράφειν τῷ γε πάντων μάλιστα πεπεισμένῳ; 7.2 Ἵνα γὰρ μὴ τὰ ἡμέτερα λέγωμεν, μηδὲ ὅσης ἀθυμίας ἐνέπλησεν ἡμᾶς ἡ περὶ σὲ φήμη, δὸς δὲ εἰπεῖν καὶ δέους, ἐβουλόμην, εἴ πως οἷόν τε ἦν, παρεῖναί σε τοῖς τῶν ἄλλων λόγοις, οἰκείων τε ὁμοίως καὶ ξένων, τῶν ὁπωσοῦν γνωρίμων ἡμῖν, ἀλλ' οὖν Χριστιανῶν, οὓς περὶ σοῦ τε καὶ ἡμῶν λέγουσιν, οὐχ ὁ μέν, ὁ δ' οὔ, ἀλλὰ πάντες ἑξῆς ὁμοίως, ἐπειδὴ καὶ προθυ μότερον ἐν τοῖς ἀλλοτρίοις ἢ τοῖς οἰκείοις φιλοσοφοῦσιν ἄνθρωποι. 7.3 Ὥσπερ γὰρ ἄλλη τις μελέτη γέγονεν αὑτοῖς ταῦτα τὰ ῥήματα. Νῦν μὲν υἱὸν ἑπισκόπου στρα τεύεσθαι, νῦν δὲ ὀρέγεσθαι τῆς ἔξωθεν δυναστείας καὶ δόξης, νῦν δὲ ἡττᾶσθαι χρημάτων (ὁπότε κοινὸν ἀνῆπται πῦρ καὶ τὸν περὶ ψυχῆς δρόμον τρέχουσιν ἄνθρωποι)· ἀλλ' οὐχὶ μίαν ἡγεῖσθαι καὶ δόξαν καὶ ἀσφάλειαν καὶ εὐπορίαν τὸ γενναίως ἵστασθαι πρὸς τὸν καιρὸν καὶ ὅτι πορρωτάτω ποιεῖν ἑαυτὸν παντὸς ἅγους τε καὶ μιάσματος. 7.4 Πῶς δ' ἂν ἄλλον νουθετήσειεν ὁ ἐπίσκοπος μὴ παρασυρῆναι τῷ καιρῷ μηδὲ τοῖς εἰδώλοις συναναφύ ρεσθαι; Πῶς δ' ἂν τοῖς ἄλλο τι πλημμελοῦσιν ἐπιτιμήσειεν, αὐτὸς ἐφ' ἑστίας παρρησίαν οὐκ ἔχων; 7.5 Ταῦτα καθ' ἑκάστην ἀκούοντες ἡμᾶς τὴν ἡμέραν καὶ ἔτι πλείω τούτων καὶ χαλεπώτερα, τῶν μὲν διὰ φιλίαν λεγόντων ἴσως, τῶν δὲ καὶ διὰ δυσμένειαν ἐπιτιθεμένων, πῶς οἴει διακεῖσθαι καὶ τίνας ἔχειν ψυχὰς ἀνθρώπους τῷ Θεῷ προθεμένους δουλεύειν καὶ πρὸς τὰς μελλούσας ὁρᾶν ἐλπίδας μόνον ἀγαθὸν κρίνοντας; 7.6 Τὸν μὲν οὖν κύριον τὸν πατέρα ἡμῶν πάνυ δυσφοροῦντα πρὸς τὴν ἀκοὴν καὶ πρὸς τὸν βίον αὐτὸν ἀπαγορεύοντα, ὁπωσοῦν αὐτὸς παραμυθοῦμαι καὶ ψυχαγωγῶ τὴν σὴν ἐγγυώμενος γνώμην καὶ πείθων ὅτι οὐχ ὑπομενεῖς ἔτι πλεῖον λυπεῖν ἡμᾶς. 7.7 Τὴν δὲ κυρίαν τὴν μητέρα, εἰ πύθοιτό τι τῶν κατὰ σὲ (μέχρι γὰρ τοῦ νῦν τέως ἀπεκρυψάμεθα πολλαῖς ἐπινοίαις), οἴου καὶ παντελῶς ἀπαραμύθητον ἕξειν τὸ πάθος, ὡς γυναῖκά τε οὖσαν μικρόψυχον καὶ ἄλλως διὰ τὸ λίαν εὐλαβὲς περὶ τὰ τοιαῦτα μετριάζειν οὐ δυναμένην. 7.8 Εἰ μὲν οὖν τινα καὶ σεαυτοῦ καὶ ἡμῶν ποιῇ λόγον, βούλευσαί τι βέλτιον καὶ ἀσφαλέστερον. Πάντως γὰρ καὶ τὰ ἐνταῦθα πρὸς ἐλευθέριον διαγωγὴν αὐτάρκη, τῷ γε μὴ λίαν ἀπλήστῳ μηδ' ἀμέτρῳ περὶ τὴν ἐπιθυμίαν τοῦ πλείονος ἀλλὰ καὶ τοῦ καταστάσεώς σε τυχεῖν οὐχ ὁρῶ τίνα καιρὸν ἀναμε νοῦμεν, τὸν νῦν ἐάσαντες. 7.9 Εἰ δὲ τῆς αὐτῆς ἔχῃ γνώμης καὶ μικρὰ πάντα σοι πρὸς τὴν ἰδίαν ὁρμήν, ἄλλο μὲν εἰπεῖν οὐδὲν βούλομαι δυσχερές· τοσοῦτον δὲ προλέγω καὶ διαμαρτύρομαι, ὅτι δυοῖν ἀνάγκη θάτερον, ἢ γνήσιον μένοντα Χριστιανὸν τὴν ἀτιμοτάτην αὐτοῦ τετάχθαι καὶ πράττειν ἀναξίως καὶ σεαυτοῦ καὶ τῶν ἐλπίδων· 7.10 ἢ τῆς τιμῆς ἐφιέμενον περὶ τὰ καιριώτερα βλάπτεσθαι, τοῦ καπνοῦ γε μετέχοντα, εἰ καὶ μὴ τοῦ πυρός. 8.Τ ΒΑΣΙΛΕΙΩΙ 8.1 Ἐπαινῶ σου τῆς ἐπιστολῆς τὸ προοίμιον. Τί δὲ τῶν σῶν οὐκ ἐπαινετόν; Καὶ σὺ ἑάλως ὥσπερ καὶ ἡμεῖς γεγραφότες, ἐπειδή γε εἰς τὸν πρεσβυτέρου βαθμὸν ἐβιάσθημεν. 8.2 Καίτοι γε οὐ τοῦτο ἡμῖν ἐσπουδάζετο· ἀλλήλοις γάρ ἐσμεν,