Letter 117: For many reasons I know that I am a debtor to your reverence, and now the anxiety in which I find myself necessarily puts me in the way of services of this kind, although my advisers are mere chance comers, and not like yourself joined to me by many and different ties. There is no need to bring the past under review. I may say that I was the cau...

I owe you a great deal, and I know it. Right now, the trouble I'm in makes me lean on people for help — even people I barely know, let alone someone like you, who's connected to me in so many ways. I won't rehash the whole story. The short version: I brought this on myself by stepping away from the disciplined life that was actually keeping me grounded. [Basil likely refers to his time in monastic retreat, which he left to re-enter public life.] Predictably, trouble followed, and I fell into temptation. I mention this only so I don't make the same mistake twice. But looking ahead, I want to reassure you: by God's grace, this will work out. What I'm doing is perfectly legal, and several friends of mine at the imperial court are willing to help. I'm having a petition drafted — similar to the one already submitted to the Vicar [the vicarius, a senior Roman provincial governor] — and unless there's some delay, I should have my discharge soon. I'll send you the official document as soon as it's in hand. I'm confident that my own resolve matters more here than any imperial decree. If I hold firm to the highest way of living, then with God's help, my commitment to chastity will stand unshaken. One more thing: the brother you entrusted to me — I've taken to him. He's become a close friend. I hope he proves worthy of God and of the good things you've said about him.

ST. BASIL OF CAESAREA Without address. For many reasons I know that I am a debtor to your reverence, and now the anxiety in which I find myself necessarily puts me in the way of services of this kind, although my advisers are mere chance comers, and not like yourself joined to me by many and different ties. There is no need to bring the past under review. I may say that I was the cause of my own difficulties, by determining to leave that good discipline which alone leads to salvation. The result was that in this trouble I soon fell into temptation. What happened has seemed worthy of mention, so that I may not again fall into similar distress. As to the future, I wish to give full assurance to your reverence, that, by God's grace, all will go well, since the proceeding is lawful, and there is no difficulty about it, as many of my friends about the court are ready to help me. I shall therefore have a petition drawn up, similar to the form presented to the Vicar; and, if no delay intervene, I shall promptly get my discharge, and shall be sure to give you relief by sending you the formal document. I feel sure that in this my own convictions have more force than the imperial orders. If I show this fixed and firm in the highest life, by God's aid the keeping of my chastity will be inviolable and sure. I have been pleased to see the brother entrusted to me by you, and hold him among my intimate friends. I trust he may prove worthy of God and of your good word.

[Πρός: Ἀνεπίγραφος, ἐπὶ ἀσκήσει] Ἐγὼ καὶ ἄλλως ὀφείλεσθαι τῇ ὑμετέρᾳ τιμιότητι ἐμαυτὸν νομίζω, καὶ τὸ νῦν δὲ τοῦτο φρόντισμα, ἐν ᾧ ἐσμέν, ἀναγκαίως ἡμᾶς ὑπευθύνους ταῖς τῶν τοιούτων πραγμάτων ὑπηρεσίαις καθίστησι, κἂν οἱ τυχόντες ὦσιν οἱ ἐπιτάττοντες, μὴ ὅτι ὑμεῖς οἱ πολλοῖς δικαίοις καὶ ἄλλοις πρὸς ἡμᾶς συναπτόμενοι. τὰ μὲν οὖν παρελθόντα εἰς ἐξέτασιν ἀγαγεῖν οὐκ ἀναγκαῖον· ἐπεὶ ἐνῆν εἰπεῖν, ὅτι ἡμεῖς ἐγενόμεθα ἑαυτοῖς τῶν ταράχων αἴτιοι, τῆς ἀγαθῆς ἐκείνης ἀσκήσεως καὶ μόνης ἀγούσης πρὸς σωτηρίαν φιλονεικήσαντες ἀποστῆναι· διὸ τάχα καὶ τῷ ταράχῳ τούτῳ εἰς πειρασμὸν παρεδόθημεν. Ἀλλʼ ἐκεῖνα μὲν γέγονε καὶ ὑπομνήσεως ἠξιώθη, ὥστε μὴ δεύτερον ἡμᾶς τοῖς ὁμοίοις περιπεσεῖν. τὰ δὲ ἐφεξῆς, πάνυ βούλομαι πληροφορεῖσθαί σου τὴν εὐλάβειαν, ὅτι τοῦ Θεοῦ συγχωροῦντος ῥᾷστα ἡμῖν προσχωρήσει, τοῦ πράγματος καὶ ἐννόμου ὄντος καὶ οὐδὲν ἔχοντος βαρύ, καὶ τῶν φίλων ἡμῶν πολλῶν ἑτοίμως χαριζομένων, ὄντων ἐν τῷ στρατοπέδῳ. τυπωθήσεται οὖν παρʼ ἡμῶν δέησις, κατὰ τὴν ὁμοιότητα τοῦ προσδοθέντος λιβέλλου τῷ βικαρίῳ, ἐν ᾗ ἐὰν μή τις γένηται παρολκή, εὐθέως ἀποπεμψόμεθα τὴν ἐκ τοῦ γράμματος ἄδειαν παρεχόμενοι. πέπεισμαι δὲ ἐν τοιούτοις μεῖζον τῶν βασιλικῶν προσταγμάτων τὴν προαίρεσιν ἡμῶν ἰσχύειν, ἣν ἐὰν ἄτρεπτον καὶ ἀκλινῆ ἐκ τοῦ κατὰ τὴν ἀκμὴν βίου ἐπιδειξώμεθα, ἀνεπιχείρητος ἡμῖν καὶ ἄσυλος διὰ τῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ βοηθείας τῆς παρθενίας ἡ φυλακὴ εἴη. Τὸν δὲ ἐγχειρισθέντα ἡμῖν παρὰ σοῦ ἀδελφὸν καὶ ἐθεασάμεθα ἡδέως, καὶ ἔχομεν ἐν τοῖς γνωρίμοις, εὐχόμενοι ἄξιον εἶναι τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ τῆς σῆς μαρτυρίας.