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From here, with frequent losses occurring, they decided to petition the emperor so that they might find some relief from their troubles. And they chose eighty ecclesiastics for this, whose leaders were Urbasus and Theodorus and Menedemus. And when they arrived in Nicomedia, they approached Valens and gave him a document, having written down their situation. But he, becoming exceedingly angry, did not make it clear how angry he was, but secretly ordered the prefect to arrest and kill them. But the prefect, fearing that the populace would revolt at so many pious men who had done no wrong being unreasonably put to death, pretended to condemn them to exile overseas. And sending them for this purpose, he embarked them on a ship, as they endured suffering these things not ignobly. And when, while sailing, they came to the middle of the gulf called Astacius, the sailors, having set the vessel on fire, as they had been ordered, withdrew by jumping into the boat in tow, but the ship, driven by a favorable wind as far as Dacidiza (this is a place on the coast of Bithynia), lasted for the voyage out; and at the same time it reached the land, it broke apart, burned up with the men themselves. But Valens, leaving Nicomedia, made his way to Antioch. In the meantime, visiting Cappadocia, which he was accustomed to do, he was zealous to harm the orthodox and to hand over the churches there to those who held the opinions of Arius. He thought he would easily accomplish this because Basil had fallen into grief with Eusebius, who was then overseeing the church of the Caesareans, due to some disagreement; for which reason he withdrew to Pontus and was with the monks philosophizing there. But the populace, and especially the most powerful and wisest, held Eusebius in suspicion, and as one who had been the cause of the flight of a man most esteemed in life and speech, they planned to leave him and to assemble by themselves. But he, in order not to wear down the church on his own account, which was not lacking in disturbances because of the insurrections of the heretics, kept quiet in the monasteries by Pontus. And the absence of Basil and the people's hatred toward Eusebius made the emperor and the bishops around him (for those of the Arian heresy were always with him) more eager for the undertaking. But it turned out contrary to their expectation. For as soon as it was announced that they were marching on Cappadocia, Basil, leaving Pontus, came voluntarily to Caesarea, and having made a truce with Eusebius, was well-disposed; and he defended the church in a timely manner with his words. And Valens, having failed in his endeavor, withdrew at that time without success, together with the bishops with him. But after a time, coming again to Cappadocia, he finds Basil entrusted with the churches here after the death of Eusebius. And planning to drive him out also, he unwillingly refrained from the plot. For at the same time as the attempt, it is said that on the following night his wife fell into terrors and Galates, the only son he had, died of a swift disease. And it seemed to all that God, having become the avenger of the plots against Basil, destroyed the child for the harm of his parents. And Valens also suspected these things. Indeed, after his son died he no longer troubled him, but while he was still alive and, being ill, was about to die, he sent to him, beseeching him to pray for the one who was sick. For as soon as he arrived in Caesarea, the prefect, summoning Basil, ordered him to adopt the emperor's opinions; and he threatened death if he disobeyed. But he said that it would be of great value to him, and he would give the greatest thanks if he would release him with all speed from these bonds of the body †saying† him. And when the prefect ordered him to deliberate for that day and the following night, and not to leap rashly into obvious danger, but to be present on the next day and make his opinion clear, "For me," he said, "there is no need for deliberation; for I will be the same on the next day also; for being a creature, I will not endure to worship one who is similar and God

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ἐνθένδε συχνῶς συμβαινούσαις ζημίαις, ἔγνωσαν δεηθῆναι τοῦ βασιλέως ὅπως τινὰ τῶν δεινῶν εὕροιεν ἀπαλ6.14.2 λαγήν. καὶ ἐκκλησιαστικοὺς ὀγδοήκοντα ἄνδρας ἐπὶ τοῦτο εἵλοντο, ὧν ἡγοῦντο Οὔρβασος καὶ Θεόδωρος καὶ Μενέδημος. ὡς δὲ εἰς Νικομήδειαν ἀφίκοντο, προσελθόντες Οὐάλεντι βιβλίον ἐπέδοσαν τὰ κατ' αὐτοὺς ἐγγράψαντες. ὁ δὲ σφόδρα θυμωθείς, ὅσον μὲν ὠργίσθη οὐκ ἐγένετο δῆλος, λάθρα δὲ τῷ ὑπάρ6.14.3 χῳ προσέταξε συλλαβεῖν αὐτοὺς καὶ ἀνελεῖν. ὁ δὲ ὕπαρχος δείσας, μὴ στασιάσῃ τὸ πλῆθος τοσούτων εὐλαβῶν ἀνδρῶν καὶ μηδὲν ἠδικηκότων παραλόγως ἀναιρουμένων, πλάττεται καταδικάζειν αὐτῶν ὑπερορίαν φυγήν. ὡς ἐπὶ τοῦτο δὲ πέμπων αὐτοὺς εἰς πλοῖον ἐνεβίβασεν οὐκ ἀγεννῶς τάδε παθεῖν 6.14.4 ὑπομένοντας. ἐπεὶ δὲ πλέοντες κατὰ μέσον τοῦ ᾿Αστακίου καλουμένου κόλπου ἐγένοντο, οἱ μὲν ναῦται πυρὶ τὸ σκάφος ὑφάψαντες, ὡς ἦν αὐτοῖς προστεταγμένον, ἀπεχώρουν εἰς τὸ ἐφόλκιον μεταπηδήσαντες, ἡ δὲ ναῦς ὑπὸ ἐπιφόρου ἀνέμου ἐλαυνομένη ἄχρι ∆ακιδίζης (χωρίον δὲ τοῦτο τῆς παραλίου Βιθυνίας) διήρκεσε πρὸς τὸν ἔκπλουν· ἅμα δὲ τῇ γῇ προσέσχε καὶ διελύθη σὺν αὐτοῖς ἀνδράσι καταφλεχθεῖσα. 6.15.1 Οὐάλης δὲ καταλιπὼν τὴν Νικομήδειαν ἐπὶ τὴν ᾿Αντιόχειαν τὴν ὁδὸν ἐποιεῖτο. ἐν τούτῳ δὲ Καππαδόκαις ἐνδημήσας, ὅπερ εἰώθει ποιεῖν, ἐσπούδαζε κακοῦν τοὺς ὀρθόφρονας καὶ τὰς ἐνθάδε ἐκκλησίας παραδιδόναι τοῖς τὰ 6.15.2 ᾿Αρείου φρονοῦσι. ῥᾳδίως δὲ τοῦτο κατορθώσειν ᾤετο ἐκ τοῦ ἐκ διαφορᾶς τινος εἰς λύπην καταστῆναι Βασίλειον Εὐσεβίῳ τῷ τότε ἐπιτροπεύοντι τὴν Καισαρέων ἐκκλησίαν· διὸ καὶ πρὸς τὸν Πόντον ὑπεχώρησε καὶ τοῖς 6.15.3 ἐνθάδε φιλοσοφοῦσι μοναχοῖς συνῆν. τὸ δὲ πλῆθος καὶ μάλιστα οἱ κράτιστοι καὶ σοφώτεροι ἐν ὑπονοίᾳ τὸν Εὐσέβιον εἶχον, καὶ ὡς φυγῆς αἴτιον γενόμενον ἀνδρὸς εὐδοκιμωτάτου ἐν τῷ βιοῦν καὶ λέγειν, ἀπολιπεῖν αὐτὸν 6.15.4 ἐβουλεύοντο καὶ καθ' ἑαυτοὺς ἐκκλησιάζειν. ἀλλ' ὁ μὲν ἵνα μὴ καὶ τὸ καθ' ἑαυτὸν ἐπιτρίψῃ τὴν ἐκκλησίαν, οὐκ ἐνδεᾶ θορύβων διὰ τὰς ἐπαναστάσεις τῶν ἑτεροδόξων, ἐν τοῖς παρὰ τὸν Πόντον φροντιστηρίοις ἡσυχίαν ἦγεν. βασιλέα δὲ καὶ τοὺς ἀμφ' αὐτὸν ἐπισκόπους (ἀεὶ γὰρ αὐτῷ συνῆσαν τῆς ᾿Αρείου αἱρέσεως) προθυμοτέρους εἰς τὴν ἐπιχείρησιν ἐποίει ἡ Βασιλείου ἀπουσία καὶ τὸ περὶ Εὐσέβιον τοῦ λαοῦ μῖσος. ἀπέβη δὲ παρὰ γνώμην 6.15.5 αὐτοῖς. ἅμα γὰρ ἠγγέλθησαν ἐπὶ Καππαδόκαις ἐλαύνειν, καταλιπὼν τὸν Πόντον Βασίλειος ἐθελοντὴς εἰς Καισάρειαν ἧκε, καὶ Εὐσεβίῳ σπεισάμενος εὔνους ἦν· τῇ δὲ ἐκκλησίᾳ εἰς καιρὸν τοῖς λόγοις ἐπήμυνεν. ὁ δὲ Οὐάλης ἀποτυχὼν τῆς σπουδῆς ἄπρακτος ἅμα τοῖς σὺν αὐτῷ ἐπισκόποις ἀπεχώρησε τότε. 6.16.1 Μετὰ δὲ χρόνον πάλιν εἰς Καππαδοκίαν ἐλθὼν καταλαμβάνει Βασίλειον τὰς τῇδε ἐκκλησίας ἐπιτραπέντα μετὰ τὴν Εὐσεβίου τελευτήν. βουλευόμενος 6.16.2 δὲ καὶ αὐτὸν ἐξελάσαι οὐχ ἑκὼν ἀπέσχετο τῆς ἐπιβουλῆς. ἅμα γὰρ τῇ ἐπιχειρήσει λέγεται τῆς ἐχομένης νυκτὸς τὴν αὐτοῦ γαμετὴν περιπεσεῖν δείμασι καὶ Γαλάτην, τὸν υἱὸν ὃν μόνον εἶχε, ταχείᾳ νόσῳ ἀποθανεῖν. ἐδόκει δὲ πᾶσι τιμωρὸν γενόμενον τὸν θεὸν τῶν κατὰ Βασιλείου βεβουλευμένων, ἐπὶ κακώσει 6.16.3 τῶν τεκόντων ἀπολέσαι τὸν παῖδα. ταῦτα δὲ καὶ Οὐάλης ὑπελάμβανεν. ἀμέλει ἀποθανόντος μὲν τοῦ υἱέος οὐκέτι αὐτὸν ἠνώχλησεν, ἐν ᾧ δὲ περιῆν καὶ κακῶς ἔχων ἔμελλε τελευτᾶν, πέπομφε πρὸς αὐτὸν ἀντιβολῶν ὑπὲρ 6.16.4 τοῦ κάμνοντος εὔξασθαι. ἅμα γὰρ ἀφίκετο εἰς Καισάρειαν, μετακαλεσάμενος ὁ ὕπαρχος τὸν Βασίλειον ἐκέλευσε τὰ βασιλέως φρονεῖν· ἀπειθοῦντι δὲ ἠπείλησε θάνατον. τὸν δὲ φάναι πολλοῦ ἄξιον αὐτῷ ἔσεσθαι, καὶ μεγίστην δώσειν χάριν ὡς ἐν τάχει τουτωνὶ τῶν δεσμῶν τοῦ σώματος †λέγων† 6.16.5 αὐτὸν ἀπαλλάξειεν. ἐπεὶ δὲ τὴν τότε ἡμέραν καὶ τὴν ἑξῆς νύκτα ἐκέλευσεν αὐτὸν ὁ ὕπαρχος βουλεύσασθαι καὶ μὴ ἀπερισκέπτως εἰς προῦπτον ἅλασθαι κίνδυνον, εἰς δὲ τὴν ὑστεραίαν παρεῖναι καὶ τὴν ἑαυτοῦ γνώμην δήλην ποιεῖν, «ἐμοὶ μέν», ἔφη, «οὐ δεῖ βουλῆς· αὐτὸς γὰρ ἔσομαι καὶ τῇ ὑστεραίᾳ· κτίσμα γὰρ ὢν οὐκ ἀνέξομαι τὸν ὅμοιον προσκυνεῖν καὶ θεὸν 6.16.6