Antipater, on assuming governorship of Cappadocia

Antipater was the Roman provincial governor (consularis) of Cappadocia in the early 370s AD, during the episcopate of Basil of Caesarea. A cultivated pagan of senatorial standing and reputed for his learning and rhetorical taste, he corresponded with Basil on assuming office; the bishop wrote to congratulate him, to seek his goodwill toward the Cappadocian church and its people, and on at least one occasion sent him pickled vegetables with a witty letter (Basil, Letters 137, 186-187). The exchange illustrates the close, often friendly working relationship between Basil and the imperial officials who governed his province, and the persistence of classical letter-writing culture across the religious divide of the fourth century. He is attested chiefly through this correspondence and is to be distinguished from other late-antique figures of the same common name.