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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.
Letter CCXXVIII.1197 Of the same date as the preceding.
To the magistrates of Colonia.
I have received your lordships’ letter, and offered thanks to God most holy, that you, occupied as you are with affairs of state, should not put those of the Church in the second place. I am grateful to think that every one of you has shewn anxiety as though he were acting in his own private interest, nay, in defence of his own life, and that you have written to me in your distress at the removal of your very God-beloved bishop Euphronius. Nicopolis has not really stolen him from you; were she pleading her cause before a judge she might say that she was recovering what is her own. If honourably treated she will tell you, as becomes an affectionate mother, that she will share with you the Father who will give a portion of his grace to each of you: he will not suffer the one to be in any way harmed by the invasion of their adversaries, and at the same time will not deprive you, the other, of the care to which you have been accustomed. Bethink you then of the emergency of the time; apply your best intelligence to understand how good government necessitates a certain course of action; and then pardon the bishops who have adopted this course for the establishment of the Churches of our Lord Jesus Christ. Suggest to yourselves what is becoming you. Your own intelligence needs no instruction. You know how to adopt the counsels of those who love you. It is only natural that you should be unaware of many of the questions that are being agitated, because of our being situated far away in Armenia; but we who are in the midst of affairs and have our ears dinned every day on all sides with news of Churches that are being overthrown, are in deep anxiety lest the common enemy, in envy at the protracted peace of our life, should be able to sow his tares in your ground too, and Armenia, as well as other places, be given over to our adversaries to devour. For the present be still, as not refusing to allow your neighbours to share with you the use of a goodly vessel. Ere long, if the Lord allow me to come to you, you shall, if it seem necessary to you, receive yet greater consolation for what has come to pass.
ΠΟΛΙΤΕΥΟΜΕΝΟΙΣ ΚΟΛΩΝΕΙΑΣ
[1] Ἐδεξάμην τὰ γράμματα τῆς κοσμιότητος ὑμῶν καὶ ηὐχαρίστησα τῷ παναγίῳ Θεῷ, ὅτι, ἄσχολοι ὄντες περὶ τὴν μέριμναν τῶν δημοσίων, οὐκ ἐν παρέργῳ τίθεσθε τὰ τῶν Ἐκκλησιῶν, ἀλλ' ἕκαστος, ὡς ὑπὲρ ἰδίου πράγματος καὶ συνέχοντος αὐτοῦ τὴν ζωήν, οὕτως ἐμερίμνησε, καὶ ἐπεστείλατε ἡμῖν ἀνιώμενοι ἐπὶ τῷ χωρισμῷ τοῦ θεοφιλεστάτου ἐπισκόπου ὑμῶν Εὐφρονίου, ὃν οὐκ ἀφείλετο ὑμῶν ἡ Νικόπολις, ἀλλὰ δικαιολογουμένη μὲν εἴποι ἂν ὅτι τὸν οἰκεῖον ἀπέλαβε, θεραπευομένη δὲ φθέγξεται ὑμῖν φωνὴν μητρὶ φιλοστόργῳ πρέπουσαν, ὅτι κοινὸν ἕξει πρὸς ὑμᾶς τὸν πατέρα, ὃς ἐν μέρει ἑκατέροις τῆς ἑαυτοῦ μεταδώσει χάριτος, οὔτε ἐκείνους ἐάσει τι παθεῖν ἐκ τῆς τῶν ἐναντίων ἐπιδρομῆς καὶ ὑμᾶς τῆς συνήθους κηδεμονίας οὐκ ἀποστερήσει. Τοῦ τε οὖν καιροῦ τὴν χαλεπότητα λογισάμενοι καὶ τὸ τῆς οἰκονομίας ἀναγκαῖον σώφρονι γνώμῃ καταμαθόντες σύγγνωτε μὲν τοῖς ἐπισκόποις ἐπὶ ταύτην ἐλθοῦσι τὴν ὁδὸν τῆς καταστάσεως τῶν Ἐκκλησιῶν τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, παραινέσατε δὲ ἑαυτοῖς ὃ πρέπει ἀνδράσι τέλειον μὲν τὸν οἰκεῖον νοῦν κεκτημένοις, εἰδόσι δὲ καὶ τὰς παρὰ τῶν ἀγαπώντων ὑποθήκας προσίεσθαι. Ὑμᾶς μὲν γὰρ εἰκὸς πολλὰ τῶν κινουμένων ἀγνοεῖν διὰ τὸ ἐν ἐσχατιᾷ τῆς Ἀρμενίας τετάχθαι: ἡμεῖς δέ, οἱ μέσοις ἐμβεβηκότες τοῖς πράγμασι καὶ πανταχόθεν ἐφ' ἑκάστης ἡμέρας ταῖς ἀκοαῖς βαλλόμενοι τῶν καταστρεφομένων Ἐκκλησιῶν, ἐν πολλῷ ἀγῶνί ἐσμεν, μήποτε ὁ κοινὸς ἐχθρὸς τῇ μακρᾷ εἰρήνῃ τοῦ βίου ἡμῶν βασκήνας ἐπισπεῖραι δυνηθῇ τὰ ἑαυτοῦ ζιζάνια καὶ τοῖς καθ' ὑμᾶς τόποις, καὶ γένηται καὶ τὸ τῶν Ἀρμενίων μέρος κατάβρωμα τῶν ὑπεναντίων. Ἀλλὰ νῦν μὲν ἡσυχάσατε, ὥσπερ σκεύους ἀγαθοῦ χρῆσιν κοινὴν ἔχειν πρὸς τοὺς γείτονας ὑμῶν καταδεξάμενοι. Μικρὸν δὲ ὕστερον, ἂν δῷ ὁ Κύριος τὴν ἐπιδημίαν ἡμῶν, καὶ τελεωτέραν παραμυθίαν τῶν γενομένων ἐκδέξεσθε, ἐὰν τοῦτο ὑμῖν ἀναγκαῖον καταφανῇ.