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a more just standard?); but to us he is most dear, not less on account of his virtue than of his father's friendship. 38.4 Therefore, as one who would do us good by whatever benefit you bestow upon the man and as one who would honor your words, be willing to bring him to the forefront. He needs to become known through his words and to provide for himself a living from his words. What kind this is and how, he himself will present, and your eloquence and understanding will put it to the test. 39.TO SOPHRONIUS 39.1 I wish all good things for my friends. And when I say friends, I mean those who are noble and good and joined to us by virtue, since we ourselves also lay some claim to this. 39.2 Thus, having now sought what greatest favor I might bestow upon our most revered brother Amazonius (for I was exceptionally pleased with the man from the recent meeting I had with him), I thought it necessary to grant him one thing in place of all others, your friendship and protection. 39.3 For he displayed much learning in a short time, both that which was once our study, when we saw but dimly, and that which is now our study instead of that one, when we looked up to the height of virtue. 39.4 But whether we have appeared to him to be of any account in terms of virtue, he himself would know; but in return we show the best of what we have, our friends to our friend. And since we consider you to be first and foremost among them, we wish you to appear to him as such a one, as our common fatherland demands and our own desire and word wishes, promising him your care in place of all things. 40.TO BASIL 40.1 Do not be surprised if I seem to say something paradoxical and not said by anyone before. To me, you seem to have the reputation of a man who is steadfast, sure, and firm in mind, but to plan and do many things more simply than safely. 40.2 For that which is free from evil is slower to suspect evil; such is also the present case. You summoned us to the metropolis, when a council concerning a bishop was proposed; and the pretense, how specious and plausible it was! You pretended to be sick and breathing your last and to long to see us and to speak your last words, - I do not know what was to happen or what we, being present, were to contribute to the matter. 40.3 And I did set out, being greatly distressed at the matter; for what is more sublime to me than your life, or more grievous than your departure? And I let loose springs of tears and lamented aloud and perceived myself for the first time now to be in an unphilosophical state; and what part of the funeral rites did I not fulfill? 40.4 But when I perceived that bishops were running together to the city, I was checked in my haste, and I marveled, first, that you did not see what was proper nor guard against the tongues of the many, which are very quick to slander the more simple-hearted; second, that you do not suppose that the same things are fitting for you and for us, to whom word and life and all things are common, having been so joined together from the first by God; third (for let this also be said), that you considered such promotions to belong to the more reverent, and not to the more powerful and those more familiar to the multitudes. 40.5 I, therefore, on account of these things, backed water and am withdrawing. But if it seems good to you as well, let this be resolved: to flee the public disturbances and the evil suspicions. But I will see your reverence when matters have settled down and the time is right, and I will reproach you with more and heavier things.

41.TO THE CHURCH OF THE CAESAREANS 41.1 I am a small shepherd and of a little

flock the leader and one of many in the servants of the Spirit. But grace is not narrow nor circumscribed by places. 41.2 For this reason let freedom of speech be given also to the small, especially since the discussion is about common and such important matters, and to those counseling with such gray-headed wisdom, which perhaps has something wiser than the many. 41.3 You are not deliberating about small or ordinary matters, but about matters which, whether they go well or badly, necessitate that the community will also fare in one way or the other. For your discussion is about the Church, for which Christ suffered, and about the one who will present and bring it to God. 41.4

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στάθμη δικαιοτέρα;)· ἡμῖν δ' εἰς τὰ μάλιστα φίλον, οὐχ ἧττον διὰ τὴν ἀρετὴν ἢ τὴν πατρικὴν φιλίαν. 38.4 Ὡς οὖν ἡμᾶς εὖ ποιήσων ὅ τι ἂν τὸν ἄνδρα εὐεργετήσῃς καὶ λόγους τιμήσων τοὺς σούς, ἀγαγεῖν αὐτὸν εἰς τὰ ἔμπροσθεν θέλησον. ∆εῖται δ' ἀπὸ λόγων γνωρισθῆναι καὶ βίον ἑαυτῷ πορίσασθαι τὸν ἐκ λόγων. Ὅντινα δὲ τοῦτον καὶ πῶς, αὐτὸς παραστήσει, δοκιμάσει δ' ἡ σὴ λογιότης καὶ σύνεσις. 39.Τ ΣΩΦΡΟΝΙΩΙ 39.1 Πάντα τοῖς φίλοις βούλομαι δεξιά. Φίλους δ' ὅταν εἴπω, τοὺς καλοὺς λέγω καὶ ἀγαθοὺς καὶ κατ' ἀρετὴν ἡμῖν συναπτομένους, ἐπειδή τι καὶ αὐτοὶ ταύτης μετα ποιούμεθα. 39.2 Ταῦτά τοι καὶ νῦν ζητήσας τί μέγιστον ἂν χαρισαίμην τῷ αἰδεσιμωτάτῳ ἀδελφῷ ἡμῶν Ἀμαζονίῳ (καὶ γὰρ ἥσθην τῷ ἀνδρὶ διαφερόντως ἐκ τῆς ἔναγχός μοι γεγενημένης πρὸς αὐτὸν συνουσίας), ἓν ἀντὶ πάντων αὐτῷ χαρίσασθαι δεῖν ᾠήθην, τὴν σὴν φιλίαν καὶ προσ τασίαν. 39.3 Ὁ μὲν γὰρ πολλὴν ἐν βραχεῖ τὴν παίδευσιν ἐπεδείξατο, τήν τε σπουδασθεῖσαν ἡμῖν ποτε, ὅτε μικρὸν διεβλέπομεν, καὶ τὴν νῦν ἀντ' ἐκείνης σπουδαζομένην, ὅτε πρὸς τὸ τῆς ἀρετῆς ὕψος ἐβλέψαμεν. 39.4 Ἡμεῖς δ' εἰ μέν τι καὶ κατ' ἀρετὴν ἐφάνημεν ὄντες αὐτῷ, αὐτὸς ἂν εἰδείη· τὸ δ' οὖν κάλλιστον ὧν ἔχομεν ἀντεπιδεικνύ μεθα, τῷ φίλῳ τοὺς φίλους· ὧν σε πρῶτον καὶ γνήσιον εἶναι τιθέμενοι, τοιοῦτον αὐτῷ φανῆναι βουλόμεθα, οἷον ἥ τε κοινὴ πατρὶς ἀπαιτεῖ καὶ ὁ ἡμέτερος βούλεται πόθος καὶ λόγος, ἀντὶ πάντων αὐτῷ τὴν σὴν κηδεμονίαν ὑποσ χομένων. 40.Τ ΒΑΣΙΛΕΙΩΙ 40.1 Μὴ θαυμάσῃς, ἐάν τι παράδοξον λέγειν δόξω καὶ μὴ πρότερόν τισιν εἰρημένον. Ἐμοὶ δοκεῖς σὺ δόξαν μὲν ἔχειν ἀνδρὸς βεβηκότος καὶ ἀσφαλοῦς καὶ στερροῦ τὴν διάνοιαν, πολλὰ δὲ βουλεύεσθαι καὶ πράττειν ἁπλούστερον ἢ ἀσφαλέστερον. 40.2 Τὸ γὰρ κακίας ἐλεύθερον, καὶ ὑφορᾶσθαι κακίαν ἀργότερον· οἷόν τι καὶ τὸ νῦν παρόν. Ἐκάλεσας ἡμᾶς ἐπὶ τὴν μητρόπολιν, περὶ ἐπισκόπου βουλῆς προκειμένης· καὶ τὸ πλάσμα, ὡς εὐπρεπές τε καὶ πιθανόν· ἀρρωστεῖν ἔδοξας καὶ ἀναπνεῖν τὰ τελευταῖα καὶ ποθεῖν ἰδεῖν τε ἡμᾶς καὶ τὰ ἐξόδια φθέγξασθαι, -οὐκ οἶδα ἵνα τί γένηται καὶ τί παρόντες τῷ πράγματι συντε λέσωμεν. 40.3 Ἐγὼ δὲ ὥρμησα μέν, τῷ πράγματι περιαλ γήσας· τί γὰρ ἐμοὶ τῆς σῆς ζωῆς ὑψηλότερον ἢ καὶ τῆς ἐκδημίας ἀνιαρότερον; καὶ δακρύων ἀφῆκα πηγὰς καὶ ἀνῴμωξα καὶ ᾐσθόμην ἐμαυτοῦ νῦν πρῶτον ἀφιλοσόφως διακειμένου· καὶ τί γὰρ οὐ τῶν ἐπιταφίων ἐπλήρωσα; 40.4 Ἐπεὶ δ' ᾐσθόμην ἐπισκόπους συντρέχειν ἐπὶ τὴν πόλιν, ἀνεκόπην μὲν τῆς ὁρμῆς, ἐθαύμασα δὲ πρῶτον μὲν εἰ μὴ συνεῖδες τὸ εὔσχημον μηδὲ τὰς τῶν πολλῶν ἐφυλάξω γλώσσας, αἳ τάχιστα τοῖς ἀκεραιοτέροις ἐπηρεά ζουσι· δεύτερον δέ, εἰ μὴ ταὐτά σοί τε καὶ ἡμῖν πρέπειν ὑπολαμβάνεις, οἷς καὶ λόγος καὶ βίος καὶ τὰ πάντα κοινά, οὕτως ἐκ Θεοῦ τὰ πρῶτα συναρμοσθεῖσι· τρίτον (ἔστω γὰρ καὶ τοῦτο εἰπεῖν), εἰ τῶν εὐλαβεστέρων ἐνόμισας εἶναι τὰς τοιαύτας προβολάς, ἀλλὰ μὴ τῶν δυνατωτέρων καὶ τοῖς πλήθεσιν οἰκειοτέρων. 40.5 Ἐγὼ μὲν οὖν διὰ ταῦτα πρύμναν ἐκρουσάμην καὶ ἀναδύομαι. Σοὶ δὲ εἰ δοκεῖ καὶ αὐτῷ, τοῦτο δεδόχθω φυγεῖν τοὺς ἐν μέσῳ θορύβους καὶ τὰς πονηρὰς ὑπονοίας. Τὴν δὲ σὴν εὐλά βειαν τηνικαῦτα ὄψομαι ἡνίκ' ἂν τά τε πράγματα καταστῇ καὶ καιρὸς ᾖ, καὶ ὀνειδίσω γε πλείονα καὶ βαρύτερα.

41.Τ ΤΗΙ ΕΚΚΛΗΣΙΑΙ ΚΑΙΣΑΡΕΩΝ 41.1 Εἰμὶ μὲν ποιμὴν ὀλίγος καὶ μικροῦ

ποιμνίου προεσ τηκὼς καὶ πολλοστὸς ἐν ὑπηρέταις τοῦ Πνεύματος. Ἡ χάρις δ' οὐ στενὴ οὐδὲ τόποις περιγραπτός. 41.2 ∆ιὰ τοῦτο δεδόσθω καὶ τοῖς μικροῖς παρρησία, ἄλλως τε καὶ περὶ κοινῶν καὶ τηλικούτων ὄντος τοῦ λόγου, καὶ μετὰ τοσαύτης βουλευομένοις τῆς πολιᾶς, ἣ τυχὸν ἔχει τι καὶ τῶν πολλῶν συνετώτερον. 41.3 Οὐ περὶ μικρῶν οὐδὲ τῶν τυχόντων βουλεύεσθε, ἀλλ' ὧν ἢ εὖ ἢ κακῶς ἐχόντων ἀνάγκη καὶ τὸ κοινὸν ἢ οὕτως ἢ ἐκείνως ἔχειν. Περὶ γὰρ Ἐκκλησίας ὑμῖν ὁ λόγος, ὑπὲρ ἧς Χριστὸς ἔπαθεν, καὶ τοῦ ταύτην Θεῷ παραστήσοντος καὶ προσά ξοντος. 41.4