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253.1 The care which you have for the Churches of God will in part be set at rest by our most beloved and reverent brother Sanctissimus the fellow-presbyter when he relates all the love and disposition of the West towards us; but in part he will also rouse and further spur you on, by how much zeal the present affairs demand, clearly setting them before you himself. For each of the others reported to us, as it were by halves, both the opinions of the men there and the state of affairs; but he, being capable both of understanding the purpose of men and of accurately investigating the state of affairs, will tell you all things and will guide your good zeal in all things. So you have material suitable for your perfect purpose which you have always shown in your cares for the Churches of God.

254.τ TO PELAGIUS, BISHOP OF LAODICEA IN SYRIA

254.1 May the Lord grant that I myself may some day come into the sight of your true piety, and that we may make up in our presence for whatever we have omitted in our letter. For we have begun to write late and have need of much apology. But since the most beloved and reverent brother Sanctissimus the fellow-presbyter is present, he himself will relate to you all things, both our own affairs and those from the West. And over those things he will bring cheer; but by speaking of the troubles that have beset us, he will perhaps add some grief and care to those already laid up in your good heart. But it is not useless for you to be grieved, you who are able to importune the Lord. For your care will turn out for our benefit, and I know that we will obtain help from God, having the cooperation of your prayers. And if you will join in praying for our release from cares and ask for some addition to the strength of our body, the Lord will prosper us so that our desire may be fulfilled and that we may come into the sight of your seemliness.

255.τ TO VITUS, BISHOP OF CARRHAE

255.1 Would that it were possible for me to write to your reverence every single day. For since I have experienced your love, I have a great longing first, to live with you, but if not, at least to write and receive letters, so that I may both declare my own affairs and learn about your disposition. But since not all we wish is available to us, but what the Lord gives, this we ought to accept with thanksgiving; we have given thanks to the holy God for providing us an occasion for writing to your reverence in the arrival of our most beloved and reverent brother Sanctissimus the fellow-presbyter, who, having undergone much labor on the journey, will relate to you with accuracy all that he learned in the West. For these things we ought both to give thanks to the Lord and worship him, that he may also give us the same peace and that we may receive one another back with freedom. Greet from us the whole brotherhood in Christ.

256.τ TO THE MOST BELOVED AND REVERENT BROTHERS, FELLOW-PRESBYTERS ACACIUS, AETIUS, PAULUS, AND SILVANUS, AND SILVINUS AND LUCIUS, DEACONS, AND THE REST OF THE MONASTIC BRETHREN, BASIL, BISHOP

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253.1 Τὴν μέριμναν ἣν ἔχετε ὑπὲρ τῶν Ἐκκλησιῶν τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐν μέρει μὲν

διαναπαύσει ὁ ποθεινότατος καὶ εὐλαβέστατος ἡμῶν ἀδελφὸς Σαγκτήσιμος ὁ συμπρεσβύτερος διηγησάμε νος πάσης τῆς ∆ύσεως τὴν περὶ ἡμᾶς ἀγάπην τε καὶ διά θεσιν· ἐν μέρει δὲ καὶ διαναστήσει καὶ πλέον παροξυνεῖ, ὅσην σπουδὴν ἐπιζητεῖ τὰ παρόντα πράγματα ἐναργῶς ὑμῖν δι' ἑαυτοῦ παραστήσας. Καὶ γὰρ τῶν μὲν ἄλλων ἕκαστος, ὥσπερ ἐξ ἡμισείας, ἡμῖν ἀπήγγειλε καὶ τὰς γνώμας τῶν ἐκεῖσε ἀνδρῶν καὶ τὴν κατάστασιν τῶν πραγμάτων· αὐτὸς δέ, ἱκανὸς ὢν καὶ προαίρεσιν ἀνδρῶν καταμαθεῖν καὶ κατάστα σιν πραγμάτων ἀκριβῶς διερευνήσασθαι, πάντα ὑμῖν ἐρεῖ καὶ πρὸς πάντα χειραγωγήσει τὴν ἀγαθὴν σπουδὴν ὑμῶν. Ὥστε ἔχετε ὕλην πρέπουσαν τῇ τελείᾳ ὑμῶν προαιρέσει ἣν ἀεὶ ἐν ταῖς ὑπὲρ τῶν Ἐκκλησιῶν τοῦ Θεοῦ μερίμναις ἐδεί ξατε.

254.τ ΠΕΛΑΓΙΩ ΕΠΙΣΚΟΠΩ ΛΑΟ∆ΙΚΕΙΑΣ ΣΥΡΙΑΣ

254.1 Παράσχοι ὁ Κύριός ποτε καὶ αὐτῷ μοι εἰς ὄψιν ἐλθεῖν τῇ ἀληθινῇ σου

θεοσεβείᾳ, καὶ ὅσα ἐνελείπομεν τῷ γράμματι, ταῦτα ἀναπληρῶσαι ἡμᾶς τῇ παρουσίᾳ. Ὀψὲ γὰρ τοῦ γρά φειν ἠρξάμεθα καὶ πολλῆς ἡμῖν τῆς ἀπολογίας χρεία. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ πάρεστιν ὁ ποθεινότατος καὶ εὐλαβέστατος ἀδελφὸς Σαγκτήσιμος ὁ συμπρεσβύτερος, αὐτὸς πάντα διη γήσεταί σοι τά τε ἡμέτερα καὶ τὰ ἀπὸ τῆς ∆ύσεως. Καὶ ἐπ' ἐκείνοις μὲν εὐφρανεῖ· τὰς δὲ ἡμᾶς κατασχούσας ταραχὰς εἰπὼν ἴσως προσθήσει τινὰ λύπην καὶ φροντίδα τοῖς ἤδη ἐναποκειμένοις τῇ ἀγαθῇ σου καρδίᾳ. Οὐ μὴν ἄχρηστον τὸ λυπεῖσθαι ὑμᾶς τοὺς δυναμένους δυσωπεῖν τὸν Κύριον. Εἰς δέον γὰρ ἡμῖν ἀποβήσεται ἡ ὑμετέρα μέριμνα, καὶ οἶδα ὅτι τευξόμεθα τῆς παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ ἀντιλήψεως ἔχοντες τὴν παρὰ τῶν προσευχῶν ὑμῶν συνεργίαν. Ἐὰν δὲ συνεύξῃ ἡμῖν ἀπαλλαγὴν τῶν φροντίδων καὶ προσθήκην τινὰ τῇ δυνάμει τοῦ σώματος ἡμῶν αἰτήσῃ, κατευοδώσει ἡμᾶς Κύριος πρὸς τὸ τὴν ἐπιθυμίαν ἡμῖν ἐκπληρωθῆναι καὶ εἰς ὄψιν ἐλθεῖν τῇ κοσμιότητί σου.

255.τ ΒΙΤΩ ΕΠΙΣΚΟΠΩ ΚΑΡΡΩΝ

255.1 Εἴθε ἦν μοι δυνατὸν καὶ καθ' ἑκάστην ἡμέραν ἐπιστέλλειν τῇ εὐλαβείᾳ

σου. Ἀφ' οὗ γὰρ εἰς πεῖραν ἦλθον τῆς ἀγάπης σου, πολὺν ἔχω τὸν πόθον μάλιστα μὲν τοῦ συνδιάγειν σοι, εἰ δὲ μή, ἐπιστέλλειν γοῦν καὶ δέχεσθαι γράμματα, ἵνα ἔχω καὶ σημαίνειν τὰ κατ' ἐμαυτὸν καὶ μανθάνειν τὰ περὶ τῆς διαθέσεώς σου. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ οὐχ ὅσα βουλόμεθα ὑπάρχει ἡμῖν, ἀλλ' ὅσα ὁ Κύριος δίδωσι, ταῦτα ὀφείλομεν δέχεσθαι μετ' εὐχαριστίας· ηὐχαριστήσαμεν τῷ ἁγίῳ Θεῷ παρασχο μένῳ ἡμῖν ὑπόθεσιν γραμμάτων πρὸς τὴν εὐλάβειάν σου τὴν ἄφιξιν τοῦ ποθεινοτάτου καὶ εὐλαβεστάτου ἀδελφοῦ ἡμῶν Σαγκτησίμου τοῦ συμπρεσβυτέρου, ὃς πολὺν ὑποστὰς ἐν τῇ ὁδοιπορίᾳ τὸν κόπον πάντα διηγήσεταί σοι μετ' ἀκρι βείας ὅσα κατέλαβεν ἐν τῇ ∆ύσει. Ὑπὲρ ὧν καὶ εὐχαριστεῖν ὀφείλομεν τῷ Κυρίῳ καὶ προσκυνεῖν αὐτόν, ἵνα δῷ καὶ ἡμῖν τὴν αὐτὴν εἰρήνην καὶ ἀπολάβωμεν ἀλλήλους μετ' ἐλευθε ρίας. Πᾶσαν τὴν ἐν Χριστῷ ἀδελφότητα ἄσπασαι παρ' ἡμῶν.

256.τ ΤΟΙΣ ΠΟΘΕΙΝΟΤΑΤΟΙΣ ΚΑΙ ΕΥΛΑΒΕΣΤΑΤΟΙΣ Α∆ΕΛΦΟΙΣ

ΣΥΜΠΡΕΣΒΥΤΕΡΟΙΣ ΑΚΑΚΙΩ ΑΕΤΙΩ ΠΑΥΛΩ ΚΑΙ ΣΙΛΟΥΑΝΩ ΚΑΙ ΣΙΛΟΥΙΝΩ ΚΑΙ ΛΟΥΚΙΩ ∆ΙΑΚΟΝΟΙΣ ΚΑΙ ΛΟΙΠΟΙΣ ΜΟΝΑΖΟΥΣΙΝ Α∆ΕΛΦΟΙΣ ΒΑΣΙΛΕΙΟΣ ΕΠΙΣΚΟΠΟΣ