THE LOEB CLASSICAL LIBRARY EDITED BV T. E. PAGE, LITT.D. E. CAPPS, PH.D., LL.D. W. H. D. ROUSE, litt.d. SAINT BASIL THE LETTERS SAINJ BASIL THE LETTERS WITH AN ENGLISH TRANSLATION BY ROY J. DEFERRARI, Ph.D. OF THE CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY OF AMERICA IN FOUR VOLUMES II nM^S 2) LONDON : WILLIAM HEINEMANN NEW YORK : G. P. PUTNAM'S SONS MCMXXVIII Printed in Great Britain BR (at)' PREFATORY NOTE St. Basil's letters in the present volume include numbers LIX to CLXXXV, and in nearly every ease are of great human interest. Highly technical letters, as, for example, on the Trinity or on the Canons, do not appear. All of the letters included here, with the exception of numbers LXIV and CII, appear in the MS. known as Coislinianus 237 (sig. = E). No letter of this volume, however, appears in any of the other MSS. collated by the author, i.e. Parisinus 506 (A), Parisinus 763 S (B), Parisinus 967 (C), Parisinus 1021 S (D), and Parisinus 1020 S (F). The last- named MS. (F), noted in the Benedictine edition as Harlaeanus, has since the time of that edition been greatly curtailed, a large portion at the end having been destroyed. This accounts for the appearance of readings from that MS. as noted by the Bene- dictine editors, and not as my own collations. Other important or interesting readings from the edition of the Benedictines have also been included in the critical apparatus. One probably important fact has been noted in the process of this work : the Benedictine editors frequently quoted readings as found only in the earlier editions (^editi antiqui), and apparently without any MS. authority, but our collation of E has shown most of these readings to exist also in that MS. PREFATORY NOTE I am greatly indebted to the members of my Greek seminar of the years 1925-26 and 1926-27, with whom many of these letters were made an object of special study, for much assistance in bring- ing this second volume to a completion. In a special manner, I wish to acknowledge my indebted- ness also to Mr. Martin R. McGuire, Instructor in Greek and Latin of the Catholic University of America. Roy J. Deferrari. 'NOTE ON LETTER VIII Although the question of the authenticity of Letter VIII had been raised at times, and Abbe Bessieres had called attention to a rather weak manuscript tradition for it in the Basilian corpus, no one had given the matter any serious attention. It remained for Robert Melcher in an article entitled "Der 8 Brief des hi. Basilius, ein Werk des Evagrius " Pontikus (^Mi'msterische Beilrage zur Theologie, Heft 1, 192.3),i to treat the subject for the first time in a definitive manner. The Very Reverend Melcher not only demonstrates convincingly that the letter does not belong to St. Basil, but makes a strong case for assigning it to Evagrius and for dating it toward the end of the fourth century. He approaches his problem from the strictly philological and historical point of view, and especially from the view-point of theological content. ^ I regret that this important monograph did not come to my attention until Vol. I was well through press. CONTENTS PAGE PREFATORY NOTE V LETTER LIX. TO GREGORY, HIS UNCLE 3 LX. TO GREGORY, HIS UNCLE 11 LXI. TO ATHANASIUS, BISHOP OF ALEXANDRIA . 13 LXII. CONSOLATION TO THE CHURCH OF PARNASSUS 17 LXIII. TO THE GOVERNOR OF NEOCAESAREA ... 19 LXIV. TO HESYCHIUS 21 LXV. TO ATARBIUS 23 LXA'I. TO ATHANASIUS, BISHOP OF ALEXANDRIA . 27 LXVII. TO ATHANASIUS, BISHOP OF ALEXANDRIA . 33 LXVIII. TO MELETIUS, BISHOP OF ANTIOCH ... 37 LXIX. TO ATHANASIUS, BISHOP OF ALEXANDRIA . 39 LXX. WITHOUT ADDRESS, CONCERNING A SYNOD . 49 LXXI. BASIL TO GREGORY 53 LXXII. TO HESYCHIUS 59 LXXIII. TO CALLISTHENES 61 LXXIV, TO MARTINIANUS 07 LXXV. TO ABURGIUS 79 LXXVI. TO SOPHRONIUS, THE MASTER 81 LXXVII. WITHOUT ADDRESS, ABOUT THERASIUS . 83 LXXVIII. WITHOUT ADDRESS, IN BEHALF OF ELPIDIUS 85 I,XXIX. TO EUSTATHIUS, BISHOP OF REBASTE ... 87 LXXX. TO ATHANASIUS, BISHOP OF ALEXANDRIA . 89 vii CONTENTS LETTER PACE LXXXI. TO BISHOP INXOCENT 91 LXXXII. TO ATUAXASIUS, BISHOP OF AI.KXAXDIIIA . 97 LXXXIII. TO A CENSITOR 101 LXXXIV. TO THE GOVERNOR 103 LXXXV. ABOUT THERE BEING NO NECESSITY OF TAKING THE OATH 109 LXXXVI. TO THE GOVERNOR 113 LXXXVII. WITHOUT ADDRESS, ON THE SAME SUBJECT . 115 LXXXVIII. WITHOUT ADDRESS, FOR A TAX-COLLECTOR . 117 LXXXIX. TO MELETIUS, BISHOP OF ANTIOCH . 119 XC. TO THE MOST HOLY BRETHREN AND BISHOPS OF THE WEST 123 XCI. TO VALERIAN, BISHOP OF THE ILLYRIANS . 129 XCII. TO THE ITALIANS AND GAULS 133 XCIII. TO THE PATRICIAN CAESARIA, ON COMMUNION 145 XCIV. TO ELIAS, GOVERNOR OF THE PROVINCE . 149 XCV. TO EUSEBIUS, BISHOP OF SAMOSATA . 155 XCVI. TO SOPHRONIUS, MASTER 157 XCVII. TO THE SENATE OF TYANA 161 XCVIII. TO EUSEBIUS, BISHOP OF SAMOSATA . 165 XCIX. TO COUNT TERENTIUS 171 C. TO EUSEBIUS, BISHOP OF SAMOSATA . 183 CI. CONSOLATORY 187 CII. TO THE CITIZENS OF SATALA . , . 191 cm. TO THE PEOPLE OF SATALA 193 CIV. TO THE PREFECT MODESTUS 195 CV. TO THE DEACONESSES, DAUGHTERS OF COUNT TERENTIUS 199 CVI. TO A SOLDIER 201 CVII. TO THE WIDOW, JULITTA 203 CVIII. TO THE GUARDIAN OF THE HEIRS OF JULIT'J'A 205 CIX. TO COUNT HELLADIUS 209 viii CONTENTS LETTER PAGE ex. TO THE PREFECT MODESTUS 211 CXI. TO THE PREFECT MODESTI'S 213 CXII. TO AXDROXICUS, GENERAL , 215 CXIII, TO THE PRESBYTERS AT TARSUS 221 ex IV. TO CYRIACUS AND HIS FOLLOWERS AT TARSUS 225 cxv. TO THE HERETIC SIMPLICIA 229 CXVI. TO FIRMIXUS 233 CXVII. WITHOUT INSCRIPTION', ON ASCETICISM 235 CXVIII. TO JOVINUS, BISHOP OF PERRHA . 239 C5IX. TO EUSTATHIUS, BISHOP OF SEBASTE 241 CXX, TO MELETIUS, BISHOP OF ANTIOCH 245 CXXI. TO THEODOTUS, BISHOP OF NICOPOLIS 249 CXXII. TO POEMENIUS, BISHOP OF SATALA 251 cxxiii. TO URBICIUS, A MONK .... 255 CXXIV. T0» THEODORUS 257 cxxv. A TRANSCRIPT OF FAITH DICTATED BY THE MOST HOLY BASIL, TO WHICH EUSTATHIUS, THE BISHOP OF SEBASTE, SUBSCRIBED 259 CXXVI. TO ATARRIUS 271 CXXVII. TO EUSEBIUS, BISHOP OF SAMOSATA . 275 CXXVIII. TO EUSEBIUS, BISHOP OF SAMOSATA . 277 CXXIX. TO MELETIUS, BISHOP OF ANTIOCH 283 cxxx. TO THEODOTUS, BISHOP OF NICOPOLIS 291 CXXXI. TO OLYMPIUS 297 CXXXII. TO ABRAMIUS, BISHOP OF BATNAE 301 CXXXIII. TO PETER, BISHOP OF ALEXANDRIA . 303 cxxx IV. TO THE PRESBYTER PAEON I US . 305 cxxxv, TO DIODORUS, PRESBYTER OF ANTIOCH 307 CXXXVI. TO EUSEBIUS, BISHOP OF SAMOSATA - 313 CXXXVII. TO ANTIPATER 317 CXXXVIII. TO EUSEBIUS, BISHOP OF SAMOSATA . 319 exxxix. TC THE ALEXANDRIANS . 325 ix CONTENTS LETIER PAGE CXL. TO THE CHUKCH OF ANTIOCU 333 CXLI. TO EUSEBIUS, BISHOP OF SAMOSATA . 339 CXLII. TO THE prefects' ACCOUNTANT .... 345 CXLIII. TO THE OTHER ACCOUNTANT 347 CXLIV. TO THE PREFECTS* OFFICER 349 CXLV. TO EUSEBIUS, BISHOP OF SAMOSATA . 349 CXLVI. TO ANTIOCHUS 351 CXLVII. TO ABURGIUS 353 CXLVIII. TO TRAJAN 355 CXLIX. TO TRAJAN 359 CL. TO AMPHILOCHIUS, AS IF FROM HERACLEIDAS 361 CLI. TO EUSTATHIUS, A PHYSICIAN 371 CLII. TO VICTOR, THE GENERAL 375 CLIII. TO VICTOR, THE EX-CONSUL 377 CLIV. TO ASCHOLIUS, BISHOP OF THESSALONICA . 377 CLV. WITHOUT ADDRESS. ON THE CASE OF A TRAINER 381 CLVI. TO EVAGRIUS, THE PRESBYTER .... 385 CLVII. TO ANTIOCHUS 391 CLVIII. TO ANTIOCHUS 393 CLIX. TO EUPATERIUS AND HIS DAUGHTER . 393 CLX. TO DIODORUS 399 CLXr. TO AMPHILOCHIUS, ON HIS CONSECRATION AS BISHOP 411 CLXII. TO EUSEBIUS, BISHOP OF SAMOSATA . 417 CLXIII. TO COUNT JOVINUS 419 CLXIV. TO ASCHOLIUS, BISHOP OF THESSALONICA . 421 CLXV. TO ASCHOLIUS, BISHOP OF THESSALONICA . 429 CLXVI. TO EUSEBIUS, BISHOP OF SAMOSATA . 431 CLXVII. TO EUSEBIUS, BISHOP OF SAMOSATA . 435 CLXVIII. TO THE PRESBYTER ANTIOCHUS, EUSEBIUS* NEPHEW WHO WAS WITH HIM IN EXILE . 437 X CONTENTS LETTER PAGE CLXIX. BASIL TO GREGORY 439 CLXX. TO GLYCERIUS 443 CLXXI. TO GREGORY 445 CLXXII. TO SOPHRONIUS, BISHOP 445 CLXXIII. TO THEODORA, A CAXOXESS 449 CLXXIV. TO A WIDOW 453 CLXXV. TO COUNT MAGNENIANUS 457 CLXXVI, TO AMPHILOCHIUS, BISHOP OF ICONIUM . 459 CLXXVII. TO SOPHRONIUS, MASTER 461 CLXXVIII. TO ABURGIUS 463 CLXXIX. TO ARINTHAEUS 465 CLXXX. TO SOPHRONIUS, THE MASTER, IN BEHALF OF EUMATHIUS 467 CLXXXI. TO OTREIUS OF MELETINE 469 CLXXXII. TO THE PRESBYTERS OF SAMOSATA . 469 CLXXXIII. TO THE SENATE OF SAMOSATA 471 CLXXXIV, TO EUSTATHIUS, BISHOP OF HIMMERIA . 473 CLXXXV, TO THEODOTUS, BISHOP OF BERRHOEA . 475 MAP—ASIA MINOR UNDER THE ROMANS . ... At end XI COLLECTED LETTERS OF SAINT BASIL VOL. 11, TOY EN AnOIS nATPOS HMQN BASIAEIOY EniSTOAAI LIX TprjyopLQ) Oetw 'EiaiooTTijaa. /jLtj koX ae\ aKOTrijaojxai, Kal ave- ^o/xai em TrXelov rrjv Sv(T(f)opo)rdTr]v ^i]fiiav rrj<; crtcoTT^? Kvpcoaai Kar ip-avTOv ^ p.r]T€ avTO<; eVt- cTTeXXwv, fii'jTe ukovcov TrpoacpOeyyOfievov ; iycio p,ev yap p^XP'' '^^^ irapovTO'; eyKapTep'^aa'i tu) (TKvOpcoTro) Tovro) B6yp,aTi, ijyovpai Trpeireiv Kup-ol TO, Tov IT po(f)')]Tov Xeyeiv on ^KKaprepijaa o)? fj TiKTOucra, del pev iiridvp^cov rj avvTvxla^ 7] Xoycov,^ del Se drrorvyxdvoov Bia rd<i dp,apTi,a<; rd^ epavTOu. ov yap 8rj dWrjv rivd alriav e^o) T0t9 yivop,evoi<i imvoecv,^ nXi'jV ye Si] rod ^ Paulo post Harl. to avra rif TrpocprjTr]. * \6yov E, ^ eiVetc duo MSS. * Written at about the same time as the preceding letter, in 371. The subject matter is likewise the same as that of Letter LVIII. Basil's uncle Gregory, bishop of an unknown see, was in sympathy with the disafJected bishops of Basil's province. Gregory of Nyssa, in an effort to bring about a reconciliation between his uncle and brother, went so far as to forge more than one letter in the name of the uncle.