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Basil of Caesarea, Letters
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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 monks harassed by the Arians.
To the monks Palladius and Innocent.
To Eulogius, Alexander, and Harpocration, bishops of Egypt, in exile.
To Barses, bishop of Edessa, in exile.
To the wife of Arinthæus, the General. Consolatory.
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.
Letters CCCLXI. and CCCLXIII., to Apollinarius, and Letters CCCLXII. and CCCLXIV., from Apollinarius to Basil, are condemned as indubitably spurious, not only on internal evidence, but also on the ground of Basil’s asseveration that he had never written but once to Apollinarius, and that “as layman to layman.”1557 Ep. ccxxiv. § 2. Ep. ccxxiv. § 2. Ep. ccxxiv. § 2. Ep. ccxxiv. § 2. Ep. ccxxiv. § 2. Letter CCCLXV., “to the great emperor Theodosius,” on an inundation in Cappadocia, is also condemned by the Ben. Ed. as spurious, and contains nothing of ecclesiastical or theological interest. Tillemont however (vol. v., p. 739) thought its style not unworthy of a young man and a rhetorician, and conjectures the Theodosius to whom it is addressed to be not the great emperor, but some magistrate of Cappadocia.
ΑΠΟΛΙΝΑΡΙῼ
[1] Τῷ δεσπότῃ μου τῷ αἰδεσιμωτάτῳ Ἀπολιναρίῳ Βασίλειος. Πρότερον μέν σοι περὶ τῶν ἐν ταῖς Γραφαῖς ἀσαφῶν ἐπεστέλλομεν καὶ ηὐφραινόμεθα οἷς τε ἔπεμπες καὶ οἷς ὑπισχνοῦ. Νῦν δὲ μείζων ἡμῖν ὑπὲρ μειζόνων ἡ φροντὶς προσελήλυθεν, εἰς ἣν οὐδένα ἕτερον ἔχομεν ἐν τοῖς νῦν ἀνθρώποις τοιοῦτον κοινωνὸν καὶ προστάτην ἐπικαλέσασθαι ὁποῖόν σε καὶ ἐν γνώσει καὶ ἐν λόγῳ ἀκριβῆ τε ὁμοῦ καὶ εὐπρόσιτον ὁ Θεὸς ἡμῖν ἐδωρήσατο. Ἐπεὶ οὖν οἱ πάντα φύροντες καὶ λόγων καὶ ζητημάτων τὴν οἰκουμένην ἐμπλήσαντες τὸ τῆς οὐσίας ὄνομα ὡς ἀλλότριον τῶν θείων λογίων ἐξέβαλον, καταξίωσον ἡμῖν σημᾶναι ὅπως τε οἱ Πατέρες αὐτῷ ἐχρήσαντο καὶ εἰ μηδαμοῦ εὗρες ἐν τῇ Γραφῇ κείμενον. Τὸν γὰρ ἐπιούσιον ἄρτον καὶ τὸν λαὸν τὸν περιούσιον καὶ εἴ τι τοιοῦτον ὡς οὐδὲν ἔχοντα κοινὸν διαπτύουσιν. Ἔπειτα μέντοι καὶ περὶ αὐτοῦ τοῦ ὁμοουσίου (οὗ ἕνεκεν ἡγοῦμαι ταῦτα κατασκευάζειν αὐτοὺς βαθέως τὴν οὐσίαν διαβάλλοντας ὑπὲρ τοῦ μηδεμίαν χώραν τῷ ὁμοουσίῳ καταλιπεῖν) διαλαβεῖν ἡμῖν πλατύτερον βουλήθητι τίνα τὴν διάνοιαν ἔχει καὶ πῶς ἂν ὑγιῶς λέγοιτο ἐφ' ὧν οὔτε γένος κοινὸν ὑπερκείμενον θεωρεῖται οὔτε ὑλικὸν ὑποκείμενον προϋπάρχον, οὐκ ἀπομερισμὸς τοῦ προτέρου εἰς τὸ δεύτερον. Πῶς οὖν χρὴ λέγειν ὁμοούσιον τὸν Υἱὸν τῷ Πατρὶ εἰς μηδεμίαν ἔννοιαν τῶν εἰρημένων καταπίπτοντας θέλησον ἡμῖν πλατύτερον διαρθρῶσαι. Ἡμεῖς μὲν γὰρ ὑπειλήφαμεν: ὅπερ ἂν εἶναι καθ' ὑπόθεσιν ἡ τοῦ Πατρὸς οὐσία ληφθῇ, τοῦτο εἶναι πάντως ἀναγκαῖον καὶ τὴν τοῦ Υἱοῦ λαμβάνεσθαι. Ὥστε εἰ φῶς νοητόν, ἀΐδιον, ἀγέννητον τὴν τοῦ Πατρὸς οὐσίαν τις λέγοι, φῶς νοητόν, ἀΐδιον, γεννητὸν καὶ τὴν τοῦ Μονογενοῦς οὐσίαν ἐρεῖ. Πρὸς δὲ τὴν τοιαύτην ἔννοιαν δοκεῖ μοι ἡ τοῦ ἀπαραλλάκτως ὁμοίου φωνὴ μᾶλλον ἤπερ ἡ τοῦ ὁμοουσίου ἁρμόττειν. Φῶς γὰρ φωτὶ μηδεμίαν ἐν τῷ μᾶλλον καὶ ἧττον τὴν διαφορὰν ἔχον ταὐτὸν μὲν οὐκ εἶναι, διότι ἐν ἰδίᾳ περιγραφῇ τῆς οὐσίας ἐστὶν ἑκάτερον, ὅμοιον δὲ κατ' οὐσίαν ἀκριβῶς καὶ ἀπαραλλάκτως ὀρθῶς ἂν οἶμαι λέγεσθαι. Εἴτε οὖν ταύτας χρὴ διαλέγεσθαι τὰς ἐννοίας εἴτε ἑτέρας μείζους ἀντιλαβεῖν, ὡς σοφὸς ἰατρὸς (καὶ γὰρ ἐξεφήναμέν σοι τὰ ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ) τὸ μὲν ἀρρωστοῦν ἴασαι, τὸ δὲ σαθρὸν ὑποστήριξον, παντὶ δὲ τρόπῳ βεβαίωσον ἡμᾶς. Τοὺς μετὰ τῆς εὐλαβείας σου ἀδελφοὺς ἀσπάζομαι καὶ ἀξιῶ μετὰ σοῦ εὔχεσθαι ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν, ἵνα σωθῶμεν. Ὁ ἑταῖρος Γρηγόριος τὸν μετὰ τῶν γονέων ἑλόμενος βίον αὐτοῖς σύνεστιν. Ὑγιαίνων ἐπὶ πλεῖστον φυλαχθείης ἡμῖν ὠφελῶν ἡμᾶς καὶ ταῖς εὐχαῖς καὶ τῇ γνώσει.