Letter XCV.600    Placed in 372.

To Eusebius, bishop of Samosata.

I had written some while since to your reverence about our meeting one another and other subjects, but I was disappointed at my letter not reaching your excellency, for after the blessed deacon Theophrastus had taken charge of the letter, on my setting out on an unavoidable journey, he did not convey it to your reverence, because he was seized by the sickness of which he died.  Hence it happened that I was so late in writing, that, the time being now so exceedingly short, I did not look for there being much use in this letter.  The godly bishop Meletius and Theodotus had strongly urged me to visit them, representing that a meeting would be a proof of affection, and being wishful of remedying the troubles which are at present a cause of anxiety.601    Theodotus of Nicopolis was distressed at Basil’s being in communion with Eustathius.  They had appointed, as a time for our meeting, the middle of the approaching month of June, and for the place, Phargamus, a spot famous for martyr’s glory and for the large number of people attending the synod there every year.  Directly I returned and heard of the death of the blessed deacon, and that my letter was lying useless at home, I felt that I must not be idle, because thirty-three days were still remaining up to the appointed time, and so I hurriedly sent the letter to the very reverend Eustathius, my fellow minister, with the object of its being sent on by him to your reverence and of getting an answer without delay.  If, then, it is possible and agreeable to you to come, I will come too.  If not, I, God willing, will pay the debt of meeting due from last year:  unless haply some hindrance for my sins comes in the way again, in which case I must put off my meeting with the bishops to another time.

ΕΥΣΕΒΙῼ ΕΠΙΣΚΟΠῼ ΣΑΜΟΣΑΤΩΝ

[1] Πάλαι ἐπιστείλας τῇ θεοσεβείᾳ σου ἄλλων τέ τινων ἕνεκεν καὶ τοῦ συντυχεῖν ἡμᾶς ἀλλήλοις, διήμαρτον τῆς ἐλπίδος, οὐκ ἀφικομένων τῶν γραμμάτων εἰς τὰς χεῖρας τῆς σῆς τιμιότητος, τοῦ μακαρίου διακόνου Θεοφράστου δεξαμένου μὲν τὰ γράμματα ἡμῶν ἐπί τινα περιοδίαν ἀναγκαίως ἀποδημούντων, μὴ διαπεμψαμένου δὲ τῇ θεοσεβείᾳ σου, τῷ προκαταληφθῆναι τῇ ἀρρωστίᾳ ὑφ' ἧς ἐτελεύτησεν. Ὅθεν τοσοῦτον ὕστερος ἦλθον τοῦ καιροῦ πρὸς τὸ γράφειν ὥστε μηδὲ ὄφελός τι ἐλπίζειν ἐκ τῆς ἐπιστολῆς ἔσεσθαι ταύτης, εἰς στενὸν παντελῶς κατακλεισθέντος τοῦ χρόνου. Ὁ γάρ τοι θεοφιλέστατος ἐπίσκοπος Μελέτιος καὶ Θεόδοτος ἐπέταξαν ἡμῖν πρὸς αὐτοὺς διαβῆναι, ἀγάπης τε ἐπίδειγμα τὴν συντυχίαν ποιούμενοι καί τινα καὶ διόρθωσιν γενέσθαι τῶν νῦν παραλυπούντων βουλόμενοι. Ἀπέδειξάν τε ἡμῖν χρόνον μὲν τῆς συντυχίας τὰ μέσα τοῦ προσιόντος μηνὸς Ἰουνίου, τόπον δὲ Φαργαμοῦν τὸ χωρίον ἐπίσημον μαρτύρων περιφανείᾳ καὶ πολυανθρωπίᾳ συνόδου τῆς κατὰ ἔτος ἕκαστον παρ' αὐτοῖς τελουμένης. Ἐπεὶ δὲ ἔδει με, μετὰ τὴν ἐπάνοδον μαθόντα τὴν κοίμησιν τοῦ μακαρίου διακόνου καὶ τὰς ἐπιστολὰς ἀργὰς παρ' ἡμῖν κειμένας, μὴ ἡσυχάσαι, διὰ τὸ ἔτι ἡμέρας ἡμῖν τριάκοντα καὶ τρεῖς ἐπὶ τὴν προθεσμίαν ὑπολελεῖφθαι, ἀπέστειλα κατὰ σπουδὴν τῷ αἰδεσιμωτάτῳ ἀδελφῷ Εὐσταθίῳ τῷ συλλειτουργῷ ἡμῶν τὰ γράμματα ταῦτα, ὥστε δι' αὐτοῦ παραπεμφθῆναί σου τῇ σεμνότητι καὶ πάλιν ἐν τάχει ἀνακομισθῆναι ἡμῖν τὰς ἀποκρίσεις. Εἰ μὲν γὰρ δυνατὸν ἢ ἄλλως ἀρέσκον σοι παραγενέσθαι, καὶ αὐτοὶ παρεσόμεθα: εἰ δὲ μή, αὐτοὶ μέν, ἂν ὁ Θεὸς θέλῃ, τὸ περυσινὸν ἀποτίσομεν χρέος τῆς συντυχίας, ἐὰν μή τι πάλιν ἐπιγένηται ἡμῖν ἐξ ἁμαρτιῶν κώλυμα, τὴν δὲ τῶν ἐπισκόπων ἔντευξιν εἰς ἕτερον χρόνον ὑπερθησόμεθα.