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Basil of Caesarea, Letters
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To the Cæsareans . A defence of his withdrawal, and concerning the faith .
Without address. To some friends .
To Arcadius, Imperial Treasurer .
Against Eunomius the heretic .
Without address. On the Perfection of the Life of Solitaries .
To Athanasius, father of Athanasius bishop of Ancyra .
To Athanasius, bishop of Ancyra .
To Cæsarius, brother of Gregory .
To Eusebius, bishop of Samosata .
To the Church of Neocæsarea. Consolatory .
To the Church of Ancyra. Consolatory .
To Eusebius, bishop of Samosata .
To Eusebius, bishop of Samosata .
To his Brother Gregory, concerning the difference between οὐσία and ὑπόστασις.
To Eusebius, Bishop of Samosata .
To Paregorius, the presbyter .
To Meletius, Bishop of Antioch .
To Athanasius, Bishop of Alexandria .
To the Governor of Neocæsarea .
To Athanasius, bishop of Alexandria .
To Athanasius, bishop of Alexandria .
To Meletius, bishop of Antioch .
To Athanasius, bishop of Alexandria .
Without inscription: about Therasius .
Without inscription, on behalf of Elpidius .
To Eustathius bishop of Sebastia .
To Athanasius, bishop of Alexandria .
To Athanasius, bishop of Alexandria .
That the oath ought not to be taken .
Without address on the same subject .
Without address on the subject of the exaction of taxes .
To Meletius, bishop of Antioch .
To the holy brethren the bishops of the West .
To Valerianus, Bishop of Illyricum .
To the Patrician Cæsaria , concerning Communion .
To Elias, Governor of the Province .
To Eusebius, bishop of Samosata .
To Eusebius, bishop of Samosata .
To Eusebius, Bishop of Samosata .
To the deaconesses, the daughters of Count Terentius .
To the guardian of the heirs of Julitta .
To Jovinus, Bishop of Perrha .
To Eustathius, Bishop of Sebasteia .
To Meletius, bishop of Antioch .
To Theodotus, bishop of Nicopolis .
To Pœmenius , bishop of Satala .
To Eusebius, bishop of Samosata .
To Eusebius, bishop of Samosata .
To Meletius Bishop of Antioch .
To Theodotus bishop of Nicopolis .
To Abramius, bishop of Batnæ .
To Diodorus, presbyter of Antioch .
To Eusebius, bishop of Samosata .
To Antipater, on his assuming the governorship of Cappadocia .
To Eusebius, bishop of Samosata .
To Eusebius, bishop of Samosata .
To Eusebius, bishop of Samosata .
To Amphilochius in the name of Heraclidas .
To Ascholius, bishop of Thessalonica .
Without address . In the case of a trainer
To Eupaterius and his daughter .
To Amphilochius on his consecration as Bishop .
To Eusebius, bishop of Samosata .
To Ascholius, bishop of Thessalonica .
To Eusebius, bishop of Samosata .
To Eusebius, bishop of Samosata .
To Amphilochius, Bishop of Iconium .
To the Master Sophronius, on behalf of Eunathius .
To Otreius, bishop of Melitene .
To the presbyters of Samosata .
To Eustathius, bishop of Himmeria .
To Theodotus, bishop of Beræa .
To Amphilochius, bishop of Iconium .
To Amphilochius, bishop of Iconium .
To Euphronius, bishop of Colonia Armeniæ .
To Eusebius, bishop of Samosata .
To Amphilochius, bishop of Iconium .
To Amphilochius, bishop of Iconium .
To Amphilochius, bishop of Iconium .
To the bishops of the sea coast .
To Elpidius the bishop. Consolatory .
To the notables of Neocæsarea .
To Meletius, bishop of Antioch.
To Amphilochius, bishop of Iconium.
Against Eustathius of Sebasteia .
Consolatory, to the clergy of Colonia .
To the magistrates of Colonia.
To the magistrates of Nicopolis.
To Amphilochius, bishop of Iconium.
To Amphilochius, bishop of Iconium.
To Amphilochius, in reply to certain questions.
To the same, in answer to another question.
To the same, in answer to another question.
To Eusebius, bishop of Samosata.
To the presbyters of Nicopolis .
To Eusebius, bishop of Samosata.
To the Presbyters of Nicopolis.
To Eusebius, bishop of Samosata .
To the bishops of Italy and Gaul concerning the condition and confusion of the Churches.
To Patrophilus, bishop of Ægæ .
To Amphilochius, bishop of Iconium.
Without address. Commendatory.
To Patrophilus, bishop of Ægæ.
To the monks harassed by the Arians.
To the monks Palladius and Innocent.
To Eulogius, Alexander, and Harpocration, bishops of Egypt, in exile.
To Barses, bishop of Edessa, in exile.
To the wife of Arinthæus, the General. Consolatory.
Without address. Concerning Hera.
Without address. Concerning Hera.
To the assessor in the case of monks.
Without address. Excommunicatory.
Without address. Concerning an afflicted woman.
To Timotheus the Chorepiscopus .
Letters CCCXVI., CCCXVII., CCCXVIII., CCCXIX.
Letters CCCXVI., CCCXVII., CCCXVIII., CCCXIX.
Letters CCCXVI., CCCXVII., CCCXVIII., CCCXIX.
Letters CCCXVI., CCCXVII., CCCXVIII., CCCXIX.
Letters CCCXXX., CCCXXXI., CCCXXXII., CCCXXXIII.
Letters CCCXXX., CCCXXXI., CCCXXXII., CCCXXXIII.
Letters CCCXXX., CCCXXXI., CCCXXXII., CCCXXXIII.
Letters CCCXXX., CCCXXXI., CCCXXXII., CCCXXXIII.
Of the Holy Trinity, the Incarnation, the invocation of Saints, and their Images.
Letter LXII.489 Placed about 371.
To the Church of Parnassus.490 A town in Northern Cappadocia, on the right bank of the Halys, on or near a hill whence it was named, on the road between Ancyra and Archelais. The letter appears to Maran (Vita S. Bas. xvi.) to have been written before the encouragement given to the Arians by the visit of Valens in 372. The result of Basil’s appeal to the Parnassenes was the election of an orthodox bishop, expelled by the Arians in 375, and named Hypsis or Hypsinus. cf. Letter ccxxxvii., where Ecdicius is said to have succeeded Hypsis; and ccxxxviii., where Ecdicius is called Παρνασσηνός.
Following an ancient custom, which has obtained for many years, and at the same time shewing you love in God, which is the fruit of the Spirit, I now, my pious friends, address this letter to you. I feel with you at once in your grief at the event which has befallen you, and in your anxiety at the matter which you have in hand. Concerning all these troubles I can only say, that an occasion is given us to look to the injunctions of the Apostle, and not to sorrow “even as others which have no hope.”491 1 Thess. iv. 13. I do not mean that we should be insensible to the loss we have suffered, but that we should not succumb to our sorrow, while we count the Pastor happy in his end. He has died in a ripe old age, and has found his rest in the great honour given him by his Lord.
As to the future I have this recommendation to give you. You must now lay aside all mourning; you must come to yourselves; you must rise to the necessary management of the Church; to the end that the holy God may give heed to His own little flock, and may grant you a shepherd in accordance with His own will, who may wisely feed you.
Τῌ ΕΚΚΛΗΣΙᾼ ΠΑΡΝΑΣΣΟΥ ΠΑΡΑΜΥΘΗΤΙΚΗ
[1] Καὶ ἔθει ἑπόμενοι παλαιῷ ἐκ μακρᾶς τῆς ἀκολουθίας κεκρατηκότι καὶ τὸν καρπὸν τοῦ Πνεύματος, τὴν κατὰ Θεὸν ἀγάπην, ὑμῖν ἐπιδεικνύμενοι, διὰ τοῦ γράμματος τὴν εὐλάβειαν ὑμῶν ἐπισκεπτόμεθα, κοινωνοῦντες ὑμῖν τῆς τε ἐπὶ τῷ συμβάντι λύπης καὶ τῆς φροντίδος τῶν ἐν χερσίν. Ὑπὲρ μὲν οὖν τῶν λυπηρῶν τοσοῦτον λέγομεν ὅτι καιρὸς ἡμῖν ἀποβλέψαι πρὸς τὰ τοῦ Ἀποστόλου παραγγέλματα καὶ μὴ λυπεῖσθαι »Ὡς καὶ οἱ λοιποί, οἱ μὴ ἔχοντες ἐλπίδα«, οὐ μὴν οὐδ' ἀπαθῶς ἔχειν πρὸς τὸ συμβάν, ἀλλὰ τῆς μὲν ζημίας αἰσθάνεσθαι, ὑπὸ δὲ τῆς λύπης μὴ καταπίπτειν, τὸν μὲν ποιμένα τοῦ τέλους μακαρίζοντας, ὡς ἐν γήρει πίονι τὴν ζωὴν καταλύσαντα καὶ ταῖς μεγίσταις παρὰ τοῦ Κυρίου τιμαῖς ἐναναπαυσάμενον. Περὶ δὲ τῶν λοιπῶν ἐκεῖνα παραινεῖν ἔχομεν, ὅτι προσήκει, πᾶσαν ἀποθεμένους κατήφειαν, ἑαυτῶν γενέσθαι καὶ πρὸς τὴν ἀναγκαίαν πρόνοιαν τῆς Ἐκκλησίας διαναστῆναι, ὅπως ἂν ὁ ἅγιος Θεὸς ἐπιμεληθῇ τοῦ ἰδίου ποιμνίου, καὶ παράσχοιτο ὑμῖν ποιμένα κατὰ τὸ αὐτοῦ θέλημα, ποιμαίνοντα ὑμᾶς μετ' ἐπιστήμης.