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greater; but the educational value of our words is in both maxims and doctrines, wherever it may yield. And just as in a noble offspring, the father is always manifest in the words; no less than parents are, for the most part, in physical features. Such, then, is our case. 52.4 May you give us in return both the writing itself and the benefit from what we write. For we can neither ask nor demand a better reward than this, one more profitable to those who ask or more fitting for the one who provides. 53.T TO THE SAME 53.1 Having always preferred the great Basil to myself, even if the opposite seemed true to him, I now prefer him no less for the sake of truth than for friendship. For this reason, having placed his letters first, I place mine after. 53.2 For I desire that we be joined to each other everywhere, and at the same time I offer a model to others of moderation and deference. 54.T TO THE SAME 54.1 To be laconic is not, as you think, to write a few syllables, but a few syllables about many things. Thus I call Homer very concise and Antimachus wordy. How? By judging the length by the substance, not by the letters. 55.T TO THE SAME 55.1 You flee those who pursue you, perhaps according to the laws of love, in order to make yourself more precious. Come now, then, and make up to us for the loss of a long time. And if anything there detains you, you will leave us again, so that you may be more august, being longed for again. 56.T TO THECLA 56.1 I received your small addition to the letter as if it were a long epistle. For you are mine and I am yours, the Spirit having so joined us. 56.2 Knowing this, both pray for us and be confident about all things, as you will find no one more genuine than us nor more willing to share in your affairs, even if neither long acquaintance nor experience has yet taught this. 56.3 And concerning the grievous things, what should I write, except that I wish you, considering this an opportunity for the highest philosophy, to persevere in your sufferings and thus to contend against those who grieve you, since otherwise it is neither possible nor holy? 57.T TO THE SAME 57.1 In the year that has passed, a severe frost has come upon the fatherland and has checked the buds of the vines that were already opening for birth; and those that remained barren have produced parched and unwatered bowls. 57.2 Why then were we moved to describe for you in tragic tones the barrenness of the plants? So that you might become for us, according to Solomon, both a 20flowering vine20 and a fruitful branch, not by making a cluster of grapes blossom, but by pressing out from the clusters the dew for the thirsty. 57.3 And who are the thirsty? Those who are building the wall around the meeting-place. I, not having mountain-wine to give them to drink, have resorted to your right hand rich in grapes, so that you might bid your streams to flow upon us from a river-land. 57.4 For by doing this quickly you will heal many dry mouths, and you will gladden first and most of all me, the Atticist praiser. 58.T TO BASIL 58.1 I have considered you from the beginning and still consider you a guide in life and a teacher of doctrines and everything one might call good; and if there is any other praiser of your qualities, it is surely either with me or after me. To such an extent have I been overcome by your piety and so purely am I yours. And it is nothing wonderful; for where there is more association, there is more experience; and where experience is more abundant, the testimony is more complete. 58.2 And if there is any other benefit for me in living, it is your friendship and company. I feel thus about these things, and may I continue to feel so. But what I now write, I write not willingly, yet I write it nonetheless. And be not at all vexed with me; or I myself shall be greatly vexed, if I am not believed to be speaking and writing these things to you out of goodwill. 58.3 Many have condemned us as not being strong in the faith, as many as make our affairs common knowledge—and they do well. And some openly charge us with impiety, others with cowardice; impiety, those who believe we are not even sound in faith; cowardice, those who blame our reticence. And what need is there to mention the affairs of others? But what recently happened, this I will relate to you. 58.4 There was a banquet and not a few of the

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μεῖζον· τῶν δ' ἡμετέρων λόγων τὸ παιδευτικὸν ἔν τε γνώμαις καὶ δόγμασιν, ὅπη παρείκοι. Καὶ καθάπερ εὐγενεῖ τόκῳ, τοῖς λόγοις ὁ πατὴρ ἀεὶ συνεμφαίνεται· οὐχ ἧττον ἢ τοῖς σωματικοῖς ὡς τὰ πολλὰ χαρακτῆρσιν οἱ φύσαντες. Τὸ μὲν οὖν ἡμέτερον τοιοῦτον. 52.4 Σὺ δ' ἡμῖν ἀντιδοίης αὐτό τε τὸ γράφειν καὶ τὴν ἐξ ὧν γράφομεν ὠφέλειαν. Τούτου γὰρ ἀμείνω μισθὸν οὔτ' αἰτεῖν οὔτ' ἀπαιτεῖν ἔχομεν ἢ τοῖς αἰτοῦσι λυσιτελέστερον ἢ τῷ παρέχοντι πρεπωδέστερον. 53.Τ ΤΩΙ ΑΥΤΩΙ 53.1 Ἀεὶ προτιμήσας ἐμαυτοῦ τὸν μέγαν Βασίλειον, εἰ κἀκείνῳ τοὐναντίον ἐδόκει, καὶ νῦν προτιμῶ οὐχ ἧττον διὰ τὴν ἀλήθειαν ἢ τὴν φιλίαν. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο προθεὶς τὰς ἐκείνου ἐπιστολάς, τὰς ἐμὰς ὑποτίθημι. 53.2 Καὶ γὰρ ἐπιθυμῶ πανταχοῦ συνεζεῦχθαι ἡμᾶς ἀλλήλοις, καὶ ἅμα τύπον παρέχων τοῖς ἄλλοις τοῦ μετρίου καὶ τῆς ὑφέσεως. 54.Τ ΤΩΙ ΑΥΤΩΙ 54.1 Τὸ λακωνίζειν οὐ τοῦτό ἐστιν, ὅπερ οἴει, ὀλίγας συλλα βὰς γράφειν, ἀλλὰ περὶ πλείστων ὀλίγας. Οὕτως ἐγὼ καὶ βραχυλογώτατον Ὅμηρον λέγω καὶ πολὺν τὸν Ἀντίμαχον. Πῶς; τοῖς πράγμασι κρίνων τὸ μῆκος, ἀλλ' οὐ τοῖς γράμμασι. 55.Τ ΤΩΙ ΑΥΤΩΙ 55.1 Φεύγεις διώκοντας ἴσως νόμοις ἐρωτικοῖς, ἵνα σεαυτὸν ποιῇς τιμιώτερον. Ἧκε οὖν καὶ νῦν τὴν τοῦ μακροῦ χρόνου ζημίαν ἀναπλήρωσον ἡμῖν. Καὶ εἴ τί σε τῶν αὐτόθι κατέχοι, πάλιν ἀφήσεις ἡμᾶς, ὡς ἂν σεμνότερος ᾖς πάλιν ποθούμε νος. 56.Τ ΘΕΚΛΗΙ 56.1 Τὴν σμικράν σου προσθήκην τοῦ γράμματος, ὡς μεγάλην ἐπιστολὴν ἐδεξάμην. Ἐμοὶ γὰρ ὑμεῖς καὶ ὑμῶν ἐγώ, τοῦ Πνεύματος οὕτως ἡμᾶς ἁρμόσαντος. 56.2 Τοῦτο εἰδότες, καὶ εὔχεσθέ τε ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν καὶ περὶ πάντων θαρρεῖτε, ὡς οὐδένας γνησιωτέρους ἡμῶν εὑρήσοντες οὐδὲ μᾶλλον τὰ ὑμέτερα κοινουμένους, εἰ καὶ μήπω μήτε συνήθεια πολλὴ μήτε πεῖρα τοῦτο ἐδίδαξε. 56.3 Περὶ δὲ τῶν λυπηρῶν τί χρὴ γράφειν, ἢ ὅτι βούλομαι τῆς ἄκρας φιλοσοφίας καιρὸν τοῦτον νομίσαντας ἐγκαρτερεῖν τοῖς πάθεσι καὶ οὕτως ἀγωνίζεσθαι πρὸς τοὺς λυποῦντας, ἐπειδή γε ἄλλως οὔτε δυνατὸν οὔτε ὅσιον; 57.Τ ΤΗΙ ΑΥΤΗΙ 57.1 Τὸ παριππεῦσαν ἔτος κρυμὸς γέγονε τῇ πατρίδι βαρὺς καὶ τὰς βλεφαρίδας τῶν ἀμπέλων τὰς ἤδη πρὸς ὠδῖνας λυομένας ἀνέκοψεν· αἱ δὲ ἀπομείνασαι στεῖραι αὐχμηρὰς καὶ ἀβρόχους τὰς φιάλας ἐξειργάσαντο. 57.2 Τί δή ποτ' οὖν σοι τὴν τῶν φυτῶν ἀκαρπίαν ἐκτραγῳ δῆσαι προήχθημεν; Ἵνα γένῃ ἡμῖν, κατὰ τὸν Σολομῶντα, καὶ αὐτὴ 20ἄμπελος κυπρίζουσα20 καὶ κατάκαρπος κλη ματίς, οὐ βότρυν ἐξανθήσασα, ἀλλὰ τῶν βοτρύων ἐκθλίψασα τοῖς διψῶσι τὴν δρόσον. 57.3 Τίνες δέ εἰσιν οἱ διψῶντες; οἱ τὸν περίβολον τῆς συνόδου τειχίζοντες. Τούτους ὀρεινῷ μεθύσματι ποτίζειν οὐκ ἔχων ἐγώ, ἐπὶ τὴν πολυστάφυλόν σου κεχώρηκα δεξιάν, ἵν' ἡμῖν ἐκ ποταμίας τοὺς σοὺς κελεύσῃς ἐπιρρεῦσαι κρούνους. 57.4 Τοῦτο γὰρ τάχος ποιήσασα πολλῶν μὲν στόματα ξηρὰ θεραπεύ σεις, εὐφρανεῖς δὲ πρῶτον ὡς ἔνι μάλιστα καὶ τὸν Ἀττικιστὴν ἐπαίτην ἐμέ. 58.Τ ΒΑΣΙΛΕΙΩΙ 58.1 Ἐγώ σε καὶ βίου καθηγητὴν καὶ δογμάτων διδάσ καλον καὶ πᾶν ὅ τι ἂν εἴποι τις τῶν καλῶν ἐθέμην τε ἀπ' ἀρχῆς καὶ νῦν τίθεμαι· καὶ εἴ τις ἄλλος ἐπαινέτης τῶν σῶν, ἢ μετ' ἐμοῦ πάντως ἢ μετ' ἐμέ· τοσοῦτον ἥττημαί σου τῆς εὐλαβείας καὶ οὕτω καθαρῶς εἰμι σός. Καὶ θαυ μαστὸν οὐδέν· οὗ γὰρ πλείων ἡ συνουσία, πλείων καὶ ἡ πεῖρα· οὗ δὲ ἡ πεῖρα δαψιλεστέρα, καὶ ἡ μαρτυρία τελεω τέρα. 58.2 Καὶ εἴ τι ἄλλο μοι τοῦ ζῆν ὄφελος, ἡ σὴ φιλία καὶ συνουσία. Ἔχω μὲν οὕτω περὶ τούτων, καὶ ἔχοιμι· ἃ δὲ νῦν γράφω, γράφω μὲν οὐχ ἑκών, γράφω δὲ ὅμως. Καί μοι μηδὲν ἀχθεσθῇς· ἢ λίαν αὐτὸς ἀχθεσθήσομαι, εἰ μὴ κατ' εὔνοιαν ταῦτα λέγειν τε καὶ γράφειν πρὸς σὲ πιστευοίμην. 58.3 Πολλοὶ κατεγνώκασιν ἡμῶν ὡς περὶ τὴν πίστιν οὐκ ἰσχυρῶν, ὅσοι κοινοποιοῦσι τὰ ἡμέτερα καλῶς ποιοῦντες. Καὶ οἱ μὲν ἀσέβειαν ἐγκαλοῦσι φανερῶς, οἱ δὲ δειλίαν· ἀσέβειαν μέν, οἱ μηδὲ ὑγιῶς ἔχειν πιστεύοντες, δειλίαν δέ, οἱ τὴν ὑποστολὴν αἰτιώμενοι. Καὶ τὰ μὲν τῶν ἄλλων τί χρὴ καὶ λέγειν; Ὃ δ' οὖν νεωστὶ συνέβη, τοῦτό σοι διηγήσομαι. 58.4 Συμπόσιον ἦν καὶ τοῦ συμποσίου μετεῖχον οὐκ ὀλίγοι τῶν