Letter XXIV.244    Placed before Basil’s episcopate.

To Athanasius, father of Athanasius bishop of Ancyra.245    Vide note on Letter xxv.  Nothing more is known of the elder of these two Athanasii than is to be gathered from this letter.

That one of the things hardest to achieve, if indeed it be not impossible, is to rise superior to calumny, I am myself fully persuaded, and so too, I presume, is your excellency.  Yet not to give a handle by one’s own conduct, either to inquisitive critics of society, or to mischief makers who lie in wait to catch us tripping, is not only possible, but is the special characteristic of all who order their lives wisely and according to the rule of true religion.  And do not think me so simple and credulous as to accept depreciatory remarks from any one without due investigation.  I bear in mind the admonition of the Spirit, “Thou shalt not receive a false report.”246    Ex. xxiii. 1, LXX. and marg.  But you, learned men, yourselves say that “The seen is significant of the unseen.”  I therefore beg;—(and pray do not take it ill if I seem to be speaking as though I were giving a lesson; for “God has chosen the weak” and “despised things of the world,”247    1 Cor. i. 27, 28. and often by their means brings about the salvation of such as are being saved); what I say and urge is this; that by word and deed we act with scrupulous attention to propriety, and, in accordance with the apostolic precept, “give no offence in anything.”248    2 Cor. vi. 3.  The life of one who has toiled hard in the acquisition of knowledge, who has governed cities and states, and who is jealous of the high character of his forefathers, ought to be an example of high character itself.  You ought not now to be exhibiting your disposition towards your children in word only, as you have long exhibited its ever since you became a father; you ought not only to shew that natural affection which is shewn by brutes, as you yourself have said, and as experience shews.  You ought to make your love go further, and be a love all the more personal and voluntary in that you see your children worthy of a father’s prayers.  On this point I do not need to be convinced.  The evidence of facts is enough.  One thing, however, I will say for truth’s sake, that it is not our brother Timotheus, the Chorepiscopus, who has brought me word of what is noised abroad.  For neither by word of mouth nor by letter has he ever conveyed anything in the shape of slander, be it small or great.  That I have heard something I do not deny, but it is not Timotheus who accuses you.  Yet while I hear whatever I do, at least I will follow the example of Alexander, and will keep one ear clear for the accused.249    cf. Plut., Vit. Alex.

ΑΘΑΝΑΣΙῼ, Τῼ ΠΑΤΡΙ ΑΘΑΝΑΣΙΟΥ ΤΟΥ ΕΠΙΣΚΟΠΟΥ

[1] Ὅτι μὲν κρείττονα εἶναι διαβολῶν ἀνθρώπου βίον τῶν χαλεπωτάτων ἐστίν, ἵνα μὴ τῶν ἀδυνάτων εἴπω, αὐτός τε πέπεισμαι καὶ τὴν σὴν χρηστότητα νομίζω μὴ ἀμφιβάλλειν. Τὸ μέντοι μηδεμίαν παρέχειν ἐξ ἑαυτῶν λαβήν, μήτε τοῖς ἀκριβῶς ἐπιτηροῦσι τὰ πράγματα, μήτε τοῖς κατ' ἐπήρειαν ἐφεδρεύουσιν ἡμῶν τοῖς ὀλισθήμασι, τοῦτο δὲ καὶ δυνατὸν καὶ ἴδιον τῶν συνετῶς καὶ κατὰ τὸν τῆς εὐσεβείας σκοπὸν τὸν ἑαυτῶν βίον διεξαγόντων. Ἡμᾶς δὲ μὴ οὕτως εὐκόλους οἴου, μηδὲ εὐπαραγώγους εἶναι, ὥστε ἀνεξετάστως τὰς παρὰ τῶν τυχόντων προσίεσθαι καταρρήσεις. Μεμνήμεθα γὰρ τοῦ πνευματικοῦ παραγγέλματος μὴ χρῆναι προσδέχεσθαι ἀκοὴν ματαίαν παρεγγυῶντος. Πλὴν ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ ὑμεῖς αὐτοί φατε, οἱ περὶ τοὺς λόγους ἐσπουδακότες, τὰ φαινόμενα τῶν ἀφανῶν εἶναι σημεῖα, τοῦτο ἀξιοῦμεν (καὶ μὴ βαρέως δέξῃ εἴ τι ἐν διδασκαλίας εἴδει λεχθήσεται παρ' ἡμῶν: τὰ γὰρ ἀσθενῆ τοῦ κόσμου καὶ τὰ ἐξουθενημένα ἐξελέξατο ὁ Θεός, καὶ δι' αὐτῶν πολλάκις οἰκονομεῖ τὴν σωτηρίαν τῶν σωζομένων): ὅ γε μὴν λέγω καὶ παραγγέλλω, ἐκεῖνό ἐστι: πάντα μὲν λόγον, πᾶσαν δὲ πρᾶξιν καθήκουσαν περιεσκεμμένως ἐπιτελεῖσθαι, καὶ κατὰ τὸ ἀποστολικὸν παράγγελμα μηδεμίαν ἐν μηδενὶ διδόναι προσκοπήν. Πρέπον γὰρ εἶναι τίθεμαι, ἀνδρὸς πολλὰ μὲν ἐπὶ μαθήσει λόγων ἱδρώσαντος, ἐθνῶν δὲ καὶ πόλεων ἀρχὰς διευθύναντος καὶ πρὸς μεγάλην προγόνων ἀρετὴν τὸν ζῆλον ἔχοντος, τὸν βίον προκεῖσθαι εἰς ὑπόδειγμα ἀρετῆς. Τὴν μέντοι περὶ τὰ τέκνα διάθεσιν οὐχὶ λόγῳ νῦν ὀφείλεις δεικνύναι, ὅς γε πάλαι ἔδειξας, ἀφ' οὗ πατὴρ ἐγένου, οὐ μόνον τῇ φυσικῇ στοργῇ κεχρημένος ἣν καὶ τὰ ἄλογα παρέχεται τοῖς ἐκγόνοις, ὡς αὐτός τε εἶπας καὶ ἡ πεῖρα δείκνυσιν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐπιτείνειν δηλονότι τὴν ἀγάπην ἐκ προαιρέσεως, ὅσῳ ὁρᾷς τοιαῦτα ὄντα οἷα ἄξια εἶναι πατρικῶν προσευχῶν. Ὥστε οὐχ ἡμᾶς δεῖ περὶ τούτων πείθεσθαι, ἀρκοῦσα γὰρ ἡ ἐξ αὐτῶν τῶν γινομένων ἐστὶ μαρτυρία. Ἐκεῖνό γε μὴν οὐκ ἄκαιρον προσθεῖναι τῆς ἀληθείας ἕνεκεν, ὅτι οὐχ ὁ ἀδελφὸς Τιμόθεός ἐστιν, ὁ χωρεπίσκοπος, ὁ ἀνενεγκὼν ἡμῖν τὰ θρυληθέντα. Οὔτε γὰρ ἐν συντυχίᾳ, οὔτε διὰ γράμματος φαίνεται μικρόν τι ἢ μεῖζον διαβολῆς ἐχόμενον περὶ σοῦ φθεγξάμενος. Ὥστε ἀκηκοέναι μέν τι οὐκ ἀρνούμεθα: οὐ μὴν Τιμόθεον εἶναι τὸν τὰς διαβολάς σοι κατασκευάζοντα. Ἀκούοντες δὲ πάντως, εἰ μή τι ἄλλο, τὸ γοῦν τοῦ Ἀλεξάνδρου ποιήσομεν, τὴν ἑτέραν τῶν ἀκοῶν ἀκεραίαν ταμιευσόμεθα τῷ διαβαλλομένῳ.