Basil of Caesarea, Letters
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To Eustathius the Philosopher.
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 bishops of the Pontic Diocese.
To the monks harassed by the Arians.
To the monks Palladius and Innocent.
To Barses, bishop of Edessa, in exile.
To Eulogius, Alexander, and Harpocration, bishops of Egypt, in exile.
To Petrus, bishop of Alexandria.
To Barses, bishop of Edessa, in exile.
To the wife of Arinthæus, the General. Consolatory.
Without Address. Concerning Raptus.
To Sophronius the magister officiorum.
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 CLI.763
To Eustathius the Physician.764
If my letters are of any good, lose no time in writing to me and in rousing me to write. We are unquestionably made more cheerful when we read the letters of wise men who love the Lord. It is for you to say, who read it, whether you find anything worth attention in what I write. Were it not for the multitude of my engagements, I should not debar myself from the pleasure of writing frequently. Pray do you, whose cares are fewer, soothe me by your letters. Wells, it is said, are the better for being used. The exhortations which you derive from your profession are apparently beside the point, for it is not I who am applying the knife; it is men whose day is done, who are falling upon themselves.765 The phrase of the Stoics runs, “since things do not happen as we like, we like what happens;” but I cannot make my mind fall in with what is happening. That some men should do what they do not like because they cannot help it, I have no objection. You doctors do not cauterise a sick man, or make him suffer pain in some other way, because you like it; but you often adopt this treatment in obedience to the necessity of the case. Mariners do not willingly throw their cargo overboard; but in order to escape shipwreck they put up with the loss, preferring a life of penury to death. Be sure that I look with sorrow and with many groans upon the separation of those who are holding themselves aloof. But yet I endure it. To lovers of the truth nothing can be put before God and hope in Him.766
ΕΥΣΤΑΘΙῼ ΑΡΧΙΑΤΡῼ
[1] Εἴ τι ὄφελος ἡμετέρων γραμμάτων, μηδένα χρόνον διαλείπῃς ἐπιστέλλων ἡμῖν καὶ διεγείρων ἡμᾶς πρὸς τὸ γράφειν. Αὐτοὶ μὲν γὰρ προδήλως ἡδίους γινόμεθα ἐντυγχάνοντες ἐπιστολαῖς συνετῶν ἀνδρῶν ἀγαπώντων τὸν Κύριον. Εἰ δὲ καὶ αὐτοί τι ἄξιον σπουδῆς εὑρίσκετε παρ' ἡμῖν, ὑμέτερον εἰδέναι τῶν ἐντυγχανόντων. Εἰ μὲν οὖν μὴ ὑπὸ τοῦ πλήθους τῶν ἀσχολιῶν ἀπηγόμεθα, οὐκ ἂν τῆς ἐκ τοῦ γράφειν συνεχῶς εὐφροσύνης ἀπειχόμεθα. Ὑμεῖς δέ, οἷς ἐλάττους αἱ φροντίδες, ὁσάκις ἂν οἷόν τε ᾖ, κινεῖτε ἡμᾶς τοῖς γράμμασι. Καὶ γὰρ τὰ φρέατά φασιν ἀντλούμενα βελτίω γίνεσθαι. Ἐοίκασι δέ σου αἱ ἐξ ἰατρικῆς παραινέσεις εἰς πάρεργον χωρεῖν, οὐχ ἡμῶν ἐναγόντων τὸν σίδηρον, ἀλλ' ἑαυτοῖς ἐκπιπτόντων τῶν ἀπαχρειουμένων. Ὁ μὲν οὖν τοῦ Στωϊκοῦ λόγος: «Ἐπειδή, φησί, μὴ γίνεται τὰ πράγματα ὡς βουλόμεθα, ὡς ἂν γίνηται βουλώμεθα.» Ἐγὼ δὲ τοῖς μὲν πράγμασι τὴν γνώμην συμμετατίθεσθαι οὐ καταδέχομαι, τὸ δὲ ἀβουλήτως τινὰ ποιεῖν τῶν ἀναγκαίων οὐκ ἀποδοκιμάζω. Οὔτε γὰρ ὑμῖν τοῖς ἰατροῖς τὸ κάειν τὸν ἄρρωστον ἢ ἄλλως ποιεῖν ἀλγεῖν βουλητόν, ἀλλ' οὖν καταδέχεσθε πολλάκις τῇ δυσχερείᾳ τοῦ πάθους ἑπόμενοι. Οὔτε οἱ πλέοντες ἑκουσίως ἐκβάλλουσι τὰ ἀγώγιμα, ἀλλ', ὥστε διαφυγεῖν τὰ ναυάγια, ὑφίστανται τὴν ἐκβολὴν τὸν ἐν πενίᾳ βίον τοῦ ἀποθανεῖν προτιμῶντες. Ὥστε καὶ ἡμᾶς οἴου ἀλγεινῶς μὲν καὶ μετὰ μυρίων ὀδυρμῶν φέρειν τὸν χωρισμὸν τῶν ἀφισταμένων, φέρειν δ' οὖν ὅμως, ἐπειδὴ τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ τῆς ἐπ' αὐτὸν ἐλπίδος οὐδὲν τοῖς ἀληθείας ἐρασταῖς προτιμότερον.