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356.1 For us to receive what you write is a joy, but to be required to write back in response to what you write is a struggle. For what could we say to such an Atticizing tongue, except that I am a disciple of fishermen, I confess and I love?

357.τ LIBANIUS TO BASIL

357.1 What has happened that Basil was displeased by the letter, the mark of philosophy? We were taught by you to jest, but still the jests are serious and, as it were, fitting for gray hair. But by friendship itself and by our common pursuits, relieve me of the despondency which the letter brought me ... differing in nothing.

358.τ LIBANIUS TO BASIL

358.1 Oh, for those times in which we were everything to one another. Now we are bitterly separated; you have each other, but I, in your place, have no one like you. And I hear that Alcimus dares the things of youth in old age and flies to Rome, having placed upon you the labor of being with the little boys. But you, being gentle in other things, will bear this not with difficulty, since you also were not displeased with us for writing before.

359.τ BASIL TO LIBANIUS

359.1 You, having enclosed all the art of the ancients in your own mind, are so silent as not even in letters to give us anything to gain. But I, if the art of Daedalus were safe, would have come to you, having made for myself the wing of Icarus. But since it is not possible to entrust wax to the sun, instead of the wings of Icarus I send you words that show our friendship. The nature of words, revealing the loves of the soul. And this is what the words are. But you may lead them wherever you wish, and having possessed such great power, you are silent. But divert also to us the springs of words from your mouth.

360.τ FROM HIS LETTER TO JULIAN THE APOSTATE

360.1 According to the blameless faith of the Christians, allotted to us from God, I confess and agree to believe in one God, Father Almighty, God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit; one God, the three I worship and glorify. I also confess the incarnate economy of the Son and the Theotokos, holy Mary, who bore Him according to the flesh. And I accept the holy Apostles, prophets, and martyrs, and I call upon them for supplication to God, that through them, that is, through their mediation, the philanthropic God may be merciful to me and that a ransom for my transgressions may be and be given; wherefore I also honor and venerate the likenesses of their icons, these being especially handed down from the holy Apostles and not forbidden, but are depicted in all our churches.

61.τ TO APOLINARIUS 3

61.1 To my master, the most revered Apolinarius, Basil. Formerly we wrote to you concerning the obscure things in the Scriptures and we rejoiced in what also

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356.1 ∆εχομένοις μὲν ἡμῖν ἃ γράφεις χαρά, ἀπαιτουμένοις δὲ πρὸς ἃ γράφεις ἀντεπιστέλλειν ἀγών. Τί γὰρ ἂν εἴποιμεν πρὸς οὕτως ἀττικίζουσαν γλῶσσαν, πλὴν ὅτι ἁλιέων εἰμὶ μαθητής, ὁμολογῶ καὶ φιλῶ;

357.τ ΛΙΒΑΝΙΟΣ ΒΑΣΙΛΕΙΩ

357.1 Τί παθὼν Βασίλειος ἐδυσχέρανεν τὸ γράμμα, τῆς φιλοσο φίας τὸ

γνώρισμα; Παίζειν παρ' ὑμῶν ἐδιδάχθημεν, ἀλλ' ὅμως τὰ παίγνια σεμνὰ καὶ οἱονεὶ πολιᾷ πρέποντα. Ἀλλὰ πρὸς τῆς φιλίας αὐτῆς καὶ τῶν κοινῶν διατριβῶν λῦσόν μοι τὴν ἀθυμίαν ἥν μοι ἔτεκεν ἡ ἐπιστολὴ ... οὐδὲν διαφέρουσα.

358.τ ΛΙΒΑΝΙΟΣ ΒΑΣΙΛΕΙΩ

358.1 Ὢ χρόνων ἐκείνων ἐν οἷς τὰ πάντα ἦμεν ἀλλήλοις. Νῦν διῳκίσμεθα

πικρῶς· ὑμεῖς μὲν ἔχοντες ἀλλήλους, ἐγὼ δὲ ἀνθ' ὑμῶν οἷοίπερ ὑμεῖς οὐδένα. Τὸν δὲ Ἄλκιμον ἀκούω τὰ νέων ἐν γήρᾳ τολμᾶν καὶ πρὸς τὴν Ῥώμην πέτεσθαι περι θέντα σοι τὸν τοῦ συνεῖναι τοῖς παιδαρίοις πόνον. Σὺ δὲ τά τε ἄλλα πρᾶός τις καὶ τοῦτο οἴσεις οὐ χαλεπῶς, ἐπεὶ καὶ ἡμῖν τοῦ γράψαι πρότερον οὐκ ἔσχες χαλεπῶς.

359.τ ΒΑΣΙΛΕΙΟΣ ΛΙΒΑΝΙΩ

359.1 Σὺ μὲν ὅλην τὴν τῶν παλαιῶν τέχνην ἐν τῇ σαυτοῦ κατα κλείσας

διανοίᾳ τοσοῦτον σιγᾷς ὡς μηδ' ἐν ἐπιστολαῖς ἡμῖν διδόναι τι κερδαίνειν. Ἐγὼ δέ, εἴπερ ἦν ἀσφαλὲς ἡ τοῦ ∆αιδάλου τέχνη, ἦλθον ἂν παρὰ σοὶ ποιησάμενος Ἰκάρου πτερόν. Ἀλλ' ὅμως ἐπειδὴ οὐκ ἔστι πιστεῦσαι ἡλίῳ κηρόν, ἀντὶ τῶν Ἰκάρου πτερῶν ἐπιστέλλω σοι λόγους δεικνύντας τὴν ἡμετέραν φιλίαν. Φύσις δὲ λόγων μηνύουσα τοὺς κατὰ ψυχὴν ἔρωτας. Καὶ ταῦτα μὲν οἱ λόγοι. Σὺ δὲ αὐτοὺς ἄγοις ὅπου βούλει, καὶ τηλικοῦτον κράτος κεκτημένος σιωπᾷς. Ἀλλὰ μετάστησον καὶ ἐφ' ἡμᾶς τὰς ἀπὸ τοῦ στόματός σου τῶν λόγων πηγάς.

360.τ ΕΚ ΤΗΣ ΕΠΙΣΤΟΛΗΣ ΑΥΤΟΥ ΠΡΟΣ ΙΟΥΛΙΑΝΟΝ ΤΟΝ ΠΑΡΑΒΑΤΗΝ

360.1 Κατὰ τὴν θεόθεν ἐπικεκληρωμένην ἡμῖν ἀμώμητον πίστιν τῶν

χριστιανῶν ὁμολογῶ καὶ συντίθημι πιστεύειν εἰς ἕνα Θεὸν Πατέρα παντοκράτορα, Θεὸν τὸν Πατέρα, Θεὸν τὸν Υἱόν, Θεὸν τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ Ἅγιον· ἕνα Θεόν, τὰ τρία προσκυνῶ καὶ δοξάζω. Ὁμολογῶ δὲ καὶ τὴν τοῦ Υἱοῦ ἔνσαρκον οἰκονομίαν καὶ Θεοτόκον τὴν κατὰ σάρκα τεκοῦσαν αὐτὸν ἁγίαν Μαρίαν. ∆έχομαι δὲ καὶ τοὺς ἁγίους Ἀποστόλους, προφήτας καὶ μάρτυρας, καὶ εἰς τὴν πρὸς Θεὸν ἱκεσίαν τούτους ἐπικαλοῦμαι, τοῦ δι' αὐτῶν, ἤγουν διὰ τῆς μεσι τείας αὐτῶν, ἵλεών μοι γενέσθαι τὸν φιλάνθρωπον Θεὸν καὶ λύτρον μοι τῶν πταισμάτων γενέσθαι καὶ δοθῆναι· ὅθεν καὶ τοὺς χαρακτῆρας τῶν εἰκόνων αὐτῶν τιμῶ καὶ προσκυνῶ, κατ' ἐξαίρετον τούτων παραδεδομένων ἐκ τῶν ἁγίων Ἀπο στόλων καὶ οὐκ ἀπηγορευμένων, ἀλλ' ἐν πάσαις ταῖς ἐκκλησίαις ἡμῶν τούτων ἀνιστορουμένων.

61.τ ΑΠΟΛΙΝΑΡΙΩ 3

61.1 Τῷ δεσπότῃ μου τῷ αἰδεσιμωτάτῳ Ἀπολιναρίῳ Βασί λειος. Πρότερον

μέν σοι περὶ τῶν ἐν ταῖς Γραφαῖς ἀσαφῶν ἐπεστέλλομεν καὶ ηὐφραινόμεθα οἷς τε