Letters, Volume IV, Letters CCXLIX-CCCLXVIII (Loeb Classical Library)

THE XOEB CLASSICAL LIBRARY FOUNDED BY JAMES LOEB,

LL.D.

EDITED BY T. E.

E.

CAPPS,

PAGE,

PH.D., LL.D.

C.H.,

W.

MTT.D.

H. D.

SAINT BASIL THE LETTERS IV

ROUSE,

litt.d.

SAINT BASIL, THE LETTERS WITH AN ENGLISH TRANSLATION BY

ROY

J.

DEFERRARI,

Ph.D.

OF THE CATHOLIC ITNIVERSITY OF AMERICA

ADDRESS TO YOUNG MEN ON READING GREEK LITERATURE WITH AN ENGLISH TRANSLATION BY

ROY JOSEPH DEFERRARI AND

MARTIN

R. P.

McGUIRE

OF THE CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY OF AMERICA

IN

FOUR VOLUMES IV

LONDON

WILLIAM HEINEMANN LTD CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS

HARVARD UNIVERSITY PRESS MCMXXXIV

t ^e Gr.

Printed in Oreat Britain

PREFATORY NOTE The present volume marks the fourth and last of the collected Letters of St. Basil in the Loeb Classical Library and includes Letters CCXLIX to CCCLXVIIL Of these, the last two are here added to the corpus of Basil's letters for the first time. Furthermore, many of the later letters of this volume appear here with an English translation for the first time. Most of the dubia and spuria are included in volume, and wherever possible I have attempted to summarize the best scholarly opinion regarding their authenticity and to add such new evidence as I have been able to find. this

The text of this fourth volume has been treated exactly as that of the second and third volumes. Letters CCXLIX to CCCLVI, exclusive of Letter CCCII, appear in the MS. known as Coisslinianus 237 (sig. E), and do not occur in any of the other MSS. Letters CCCII and CCCLVII to collated by me.

=

CCCLXVIII appear

in

no MS. collated by me.

Accordingly, as in the preceding two volumes, the readings from E are my own, all others have been taken over from the Benedictine and Migne editions, and the sigla used in these editions, though often unique, have been kept in all cases. As hitherto, by editi antiqui I mean all editions prior to the Benedictine

;

by

editi all

existing editions.

PREFATORY NOTE For assistance in bringing the present volume to completion I wish to thank the members of my Greek Seminar during the academic years of 192829 and 1929-30. I wish to thank also Sister M. J. Annette of the Sisters of Mercy of Hartford, Connecticut, for very valuable assistance in preparing the MS. for the printer. At the completion of my entire task of four volumes, it would be ungrateful indeed did I not mention the unceasing patience and scholarly contributions throughout of Professor Edward Capps, one of the editors of the Loeb Classical Library.

Roy

$^

J.

Deferrari.

CONTENTS PAGE

LETTER

CCXLIX.

WITHOUT ADDRESS, WITH KEFERENCK TO A

CCL.

PIOUS MAN TO PATROPHILUS, BISHOP OF THE CHURCH OF

AEGAE CCLI. CCLII.

3

TO THE PEOPLE OF EVAESAR

9

TO THE BISHOPS OF THE DIOCESE OF THE 19

PONTUS CCLIII.

3

.... PELAGIUS, BISHOP OF SYRIAN LAODICEA. .... BISHOP OF CHARRAE

TO THE PRESBYTERS OF ANTIOCH

CCLIV. TO

21

23 25

CCLV. TO VITUS, CCLVI. TO

OUR MOST BELOVED AND REVEREND BROTHERS AND FELLOW-PRESBYTERS, ACACIUS, AETIUS, PAULUS AND SILVANUS, AND TO THE DEACONS 8ILVINUS AND LUCIUS, AND TO THE BEST OF OUR BROTHER MONKS, FROM BASIL, 27

BISHOP CCLVII. TO MONKS HARASSED BY THE ARIANS CCLVIII. TO BISHOP EPIPHANIUS CCLIX. TO

31

.

.

35

THE MONKS, PALLADIUS AND INNOCENT

.

47

49

CCLX. TO BISHOP OPTIMUS CCLXI. TO

73

CCLXII. TO

85

CCLXIII.

THE PEOPLE AT SOZOPOLIS THE MONK URBICIUS TO THE WESTERNERS

CCLXIV. TO BARSES, EXILE

89

BISHOP OF EDESSA, WHILE IN 101

CCLXV. TO EULOGIUS, ALEXANDER, AND HARPOCRATION, EXILED BISHOPS OF EGYPT CCLXVI. TO PETER, BISHOP OF

ALEXANDRIA

.

.

.

105

.

.

.

119 vii

'

CONTENTS PAOE

LETTER

WHILE

CCLXVII. TO BARSES, BISHOP OF EDESSA,

IN

EXILE

127

WHILE IN EXILE WIFE OF ARINTHAEUS,

CCLXVIII. TO EUSEBIUS,

THE

CCLXIX. TO

GENERAL, IN CONSOLATION

.

.

.

.

.

.

THE

CCLXX. WITHOUT ADDRESS, CONCERNING RAPE CCLXXI. TO

MY COMRADE

TION OF CYRIACUS THE PRESBYTER

CCLXXIV.

CCLXXV. CCLXXVI. CCLXXVII. COLXXVIII. CCIiXXIX.

CCLXXX. CCLXXXI.

.135 .

.

.

....

THE MASTER WITHOUT ADDRESS, ABOUT HERA TO HIMERIUS, THE MASTER WITHOUT ADDRESS, ABOUT HERA TO THE ELDER HAKMATIUS TO THE LEARNED MAXIMUS TO VALERIAN TO THE PREFECT MODESTUS TO THE PREFECT MODESTUS TO THE PREFECT MODESTUS

.

.

.

143

147 153

163 .

.

.

155 157 159

163 165 167 169

OOLXXXII. TO A BISHOP CCLXXXIII. TO A

141

EUSEBIUS, IN RECOMMENDA-

CCLXXII. TO SOPHRONIUS, CCLXXIII.

.131

169

WIDOW

171

CCLXXXIV. TO A CBN8IT0R, REGARDING MONKS

.

.

173

COLXXXV. WITHOUT ADDRESS, FOR THE PROTKOTION OF

THE CHURCH CCLXXX VI. TO A PRISON SUPERINTENDENT CCLXXXVII. WITHOUT ADDRESS, REGARDING AVENGERS CCLXXXVIII. WITHOUT ADDRESS, REGARDING AVENGERS CCLXXXIX. WITHOUT ADDRESS, RFOAPDTNO A WOMAN

....

IN SORE DISTRESS

00X01 1, viii

to'

PALLADIUS

177 ^_7^

181 \

481

COXC. TO NECTARIU8 CCXCI. TO TIMOTHEUS,

175

187

THE CHOBEPISCOPUS

,

193 197

CONTENTS PAGE

LETTER

CCXCIV. TO FESTUS

CCXCV. TO CCXCVI. TO

199

JULIAN

CCXCIII. TO

AND MAGNUS

203

MONKS A WIDOW

^'20/

"211

A WIDOW WITHOUT ADDRESS, CONCERNING A DEVOUT

CCXCVII. TO COXCVIII.

MAN AN ASSESSOR OF TAXES

CCXCIX. TO CCC.

CCCI. CCCII. CCCIII,

215

TO MAXIMUS, CONSOLATORY

WHO HAS

.....

TO THE WIFE OF BRISO, CONSOLATORY

.

TO THE COMES PRIVATARUM

CCCIV, TO

CCCV.

V21.5

TO THE FATHER OF A STUDENT DIED, CONSOLATORY

225 231

237

WITHOUT ADDRESS, CONCERNING CERTAIN VIRTUOUS MEN

237

....

CCCVIII.

THE GOVERNOR OF SEBASTE WITHOUT ADDRESS WITHOUT ADDRESS, CONCERNING PROTEC-

CCCIX.

WITHOUT ADDRESS, CONCERNING A NEEDY

CCCX,

WITHOUT ADDRESS, IN BEHALF OF RELA-

245

PERSON TIVES

247

.

A SUPERIOR

CCCXI. TO

239 241

245

TION

249

AN ASSESSOR OF TAXES AN ASSESSOR OF TAXES CCCXIV, WITHOUT ADDRESS, CONCERNING A SERVANT CCCXV. WITHOUT ADDRESS, IN BEHALF OF A RELACCCXII. TO

CCCXIII. TO

TIVE CCCXVI.

"^ '-5iJ^

235

ABURGIUS

CCCVI. TO CCCVII.

213

.

.

249 251

253 255

WITHOUT ADDRESS, IN BEHALF OF ONE AFFLICTED

257 ix

CONTENTS LETTER

CCCXVII.

PAGE

WITHOUT ADDRESS, IN BEHALF OF A NEEDY PEESON

CCCXVIII. BELONGING TO BASIL,

257

WITHOUT ADDRESS,

IN BEHALF OF A COMPATRIOT

.

.

.

BEHALF OF A STRANGER . CCCXX, WITHOUT ADDRESS, CONCERNING A SALU-

CCCXIX. LIKEWISE, IN

TATION

259

261 263

OCCXXI. TO THECLA

265

WITHOUT ADDRESS, CONCERNING SPENDING EASTER WITH A FRIEND CCCXXIII. TO PHILAGRIUS ARCENUS CCCXXIV. TO PASINICUS, A PHYSICIAN OCOXXV. TO MAGNINIANUS CCCXXVI. WITHOUT ADDRESS, CONVEYING AN ADMONCCCXXII.

ITION CCCXXVII.

267

269 271

275 275

WITHOUT ADDRESS, CONVEYING AN EXHOKTATION

277

CCCXXVIII. TO HYPERECHIUS

279

CCCXXIX. TO PHALERIUS

279

CCCXXX, WITHOUT ADDRESS

281

CCCXXXI. WITHOUT ADDRESS CCCXXXII.

ANOTHER LETTER WITHOUT ADDRESS

CCOXXXIII. TO A SCRIBE

231 .

.

281

283

CCCXXXIV. TO A CALLIGRAPHIST

283

CCCXXXV. BASIL TO LIBANIUS

285

CCCXXXVI. LIBANIUS TO BASIL

287

CCCXXXVII. BASIL TO LIBANIUS

293

CCCXXXVIII. LIBANIUS TO BASIL

295

X

CCCXXXIX. BASIL TO LIBANIUS

297

CCCXL. LIBANIUS TO BASIL

301

OCOXLI. LIBANIUS TO BASIL

303

CONTENTS LETTER

PACE

CCCXLII. BASIL TO LIBANIUS

305

CCCXLIII. LIBANIUS TO BASIL

307

CCCXLIV. BASIL TO LIBANIUS

307

COOXLV. LIBANIUS TO BASIL

309

CCCXLVI. LIBANIUS TO BASIL

313

CCCXLVII. LIBANIUS TO BASIL

315

CCCXLVIII. BASIL TO LIBANIUS

315

CCCXLIX. LIBANIUS TO BASIL

317

CCCL. BASIL TO LIBANIUS

319

CCCLI. BASIL TO LIBANIUS

319

LIBANIUS TO BASIL

321

TO LIBANIUS

323

CCCLII.

CCCLIII. BASIL

CCCLIT. LIBANIUS TO BASIL

323

CCCLV. LIBANIUS TO BASIL

325

CCCLVL BASIL TO LIBANIUS

327

CCCLVII. LIBANIUS TO BASIL

327

CCCLVIII. LIBANIUS TO BASIL

327

CCCLIX. BASIL TO LIBANIUS

329

CCCLX.

PROM HIS LETTER TO JULIAN THE APOSTATE

329

CCCLXI. TO APOLLINARIUS

331

CCCLXII. APOLLINARIUS TO BASIL

337

CCCLXIII. TO APOLLINARIUS

341

CCCLXIV. APOLLINARIUS TO BASIL

CCCLXV. BASIL TO DOSIUS CCCLXVI. BASIL

TO

THE

THEO347

URBIOIUS,

A MONK,

TINENCE

THE GREAT CCCLXVIII. BASIL THE GREAT TO GREGORY APPENDIX CCCLXVII. TO BASIL

343

GREAT EMPEROR

ON CON:"':

i^ 355

....

357

359

xi

CONTENTS PACE

ST.

ADDRESS TO YOUNG MEN ON HOW THEY MIGHT DERIVE BENEFIT FROM GREEK LITERATURE BASIL'S

.

.

.

.... ......

INDEX OF REFEEBNCES TO SCRIPTURE INDEX OF PROPER NAMES INDEX OF REFERENCES TO GREEK AND LATIN LITERATURE

\

363'

437 445 458

THE BASII^LIBANIUS CORRESPONDENCE (Letters

CCCXXXV

to CGCLIX)

LiBANius was the greatest of the pagan rhetoricians of the fourth century. Basil was for a short period one of his pupils and Libanius is said to have possessed great admiration for the extraordinary intelligence and virtue of the young Christian. Twenty-five letters, CCCXXXV to CCCLIX, in the Benedictine edition of Basil's letters have been ascribed to a correspondence between these two men. The authenticity of this correspondence, however, has been the subject of much dispute. The general status of the question to-day may be summarized as follows : Letters CCGXXXVI to CCCXLIII, and Letters CCCXLV and CCCLVIII, are authentic because of their position in the manuscript tradition and because of the historical informaLetters CCGXLIV and tion contained therein; CCGXLVI are authentic because of their position next to Letter CCCXLV in the Aa family, and because of the relation of Letter CCCXLI V to Letter CCCXLIII; Letters CCCXLVII to CCGLVI are spurious in spite of the mention of the speech of Libanius in several of them, since they are ignored in the best manuscripts both of Basil and Libanius, ;

xiii

THE BASII^LIBANIUS CORRESPONDENCE and since their content and style are quite unworthy Letters CCCLVII and CCCLIX of the two men ;

spurious or at least very doubtful, because they are lacking in all the Basilian manuscripts and no positive reason exists for considering them

are

authentic. The entire question, however, needs to be studied anew, especially in the light of our new knowledge of the manuscript tradition and of our better understanding of St. Basil's language. The following works will give the reader a history of the controversy and a detailed presentation of

the status of the question

:

Pauly-Wissowa Realencyclopaedie, Art. " Libanios," Vol. XII, 2523-2526. " La Tradition manuscrite de Bessieres, Abbe J. la Correspondance de Saint Basile " in The Journal of Theological Studies, XXI (1919), 1 ff. Pub. separately. Oxford, 1923. :

:

De

Paola, F. S. Basilio e Libanio, saggio critico. Altari, 1909. " Uber die Unachtheit des BriefKrabinger, J. :

:

wechsels des Basilius des Grossen und des Libanios " in Bulletin der Kbnigl. Akademie der Wissenschaft zu Munchen, 1850, 265-286. Laube, A. De Liter arum Libanii et Basilii commercio. :

Diss. Maas, P.

Breslau, 1913. " Zu den Beziehungen

zwischen Kir chenvatern und Sophisten " in Sitzungsbericht der Berliner Akad. der Wissenschaft, 1912 I. XLIII, 988-999; II. XLIX, 1112-1126. In Berl. Ph. Woch., 33 (1913), 1470-1472. " Zum Briefwechsel zwischen Markowski, H. :

:

:

xiv

THE BASIL-LIBANIUS CORRESPONDENCE und Libanios " in Berl. Ph. Woch., 33 (1913), 1150-1152. " De literarum Libanii et Basili Pasquali, G. commercio " in Stud. Ital. Filol. Class., 3 (1923), 129-136. In Berl. Ph. Woch., 34 (1914), 1508Basileios

:

1519. Schaefer, J. Basilius des Grossen Beziehungen zum Ahendlande. Miinster i. W., 1909. " Die Briefe des Libanius zeitlich Seeck, C. geordnet " in Texte und Untersuckungen, 30 N.F. 15, 1906-30-34; 468-471. In Rhein. Mus., 73 (1920), 84-101. Tillemont Memoires pour servir a I'histoire ecclesiastique des six premiers siecles, IX, 628—691. Paris, 1714. :

:

:

COLLECTED LETTERS OF SAINT BASIL

VOL. IV.

TOY EN AriOIS nATP02 HMON BA2IAEIOY Eni2TOAAI CCXLIX 'Av€Triypa(f)0€^7]LXo}, iiria-KOTrw t^9 iv Alyeal^ €KKXrjaia e7T€aTd\p,evo)v nrapd rrj

*

avTtp

'

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Vaticanus.

editi antiqui. '

14

irpoeXOovTe'?

'

dX\r]

*

ivapiOfiuffOai

*

aiidivrdai E.

*

4Svvf)tiriaav

ovxl K.

Med.

E.

/xev ev

LETTER CCLI that this brings him glory among the people at Antioch. And as to those whom they summoned last year from Galatia, with the idea that through them they could obtain the full liberty of the episcopacy, they are of such a character as even they know who have lived but a short time with them but as for me, may the Lord not grant me at any time so much leisure that I may recount their deeds And yet they, escorted by their most honoured

body-guard and

fellow-initiates,

have passed through

their entire country, receiving the honours attentions of the bishops ; and they have

and been

conducted

ostentatiously into the city, holding assemblies with full authority. For the laity has been given over to them the altar has been given over. Now when these men, having proceeded as far as Nicopolis, were able to accomplish nothing that they had promised, how they came back and how they were looked on during their return journey, those who were present know. So clear it is that they always do everything they do with a view to their own advantage. But if they say that they have repented, let them give proof in writing of their repentance, and of their anathematization of the Creed of Constantinople,^ and of their separation from the heretics, and let them not deceive the more untainted. So much in characterization of their ;

actions.

But we, beloved brethren, small and lowly as are, yet always the same by the grace of God, have never been affected by the vicissitudes in events. Our Creed is not one at Seleucia, and

we

^

Not the Constantinopolitan

in use to-day.

revision of the Nicene Cf. the earlier portion of this letter.

Creed

15

COLLECTED LETTERS OF SAINT BASIL dXkrj Be iv K.o)vcrTavrivov7r6\€i, koI koX iv Aafi^frdKO) dWij, koI eVt Kal 77 vvv 7repi

ravra o^eiXopbev

rji/^apiar^aafiev vTroOecriv

rjpXv

evXd^eidv aov,

Be)(^ea6ai,

fxer

dyiw

©ew

ypajxfjbdrwv

irpo^

rat

iroOeivordrov Kol evKa^eardrov dBe\(^ov rjfi&v XayKriaraifiov rov avfXTrpea-^vrepov, 09 ttoXvv inro