Letter 195: Colonia, which the Lord has placed under your authority, is far out of the way of ordinary routes. The consequence is that, although I am frequently writing to the rest of the brethren in Armenia Minor, I hesitate to write to your reverence, because I have no expectation of finding any one to convey my letter. Now, however, that I am hoping eith...

Colonia, which the Lord has placed under your authority, lies well off the ordinary routes. The result is that, although I frequently write to the other bishops in Armenia Minor, I hesitate to write to your reverence because I never expect to find anyone going your way with a letter. Now, however, since I am hoping either for your visit in person or that one of the bishops I have written to will forward this letter to you, I write to greet you. I want you to know that I am still alive -- and at the same time I urge you to pray for me. Ask the Lord to ease my afflictions and lift the heavy weight of pain that now presses on my heart like a cloud. I will have this relief if he will only grant a swift restoration to those godly bishops who are now being punished for their faithfulness to true religion by being scattered across the world.

ST. BASIL OF CAESAREA To Euphronius, bishop of Colonia Armeniæ. Colonia, which the Lord has placed under your authority, is far out of the way of ordinary routes. The consequence is that, although I am frequently writing to the rest of the brethren in Armenia Minor, I hesitate to write to your reverence, because I have no expectation of finding any one to convey my letter. Now, however, that I am hoping either for your presence, or that my letter will be sent on to you by some of the bishops to whom I have written, I thus write and salute you by letter. I wish to tell you that I seem to be still alive, and at the same time to exhort you to pray for me, that the Lord may lessen my afflictions, and lift from me the heavy load of pain which now presses like a cloud upon my heart. I shall have this relief if He will only grant a quick restoration to those godly bishops who are now punished for their faithfulness to true religion by being scattered all abroad.

[Πρός: Εὐφρονίῳ, ἐπισκόπῳ Κολωνείας Ἀρμενίας.] Διὰ τὸ μακρὰν ἀπῳκίσθαι τῶν ὁδευομένων τοπων τὴν Κολώνειαν, ἣν ὁ Κύριος ἔδωκεν ὑπὸ σοὶ διιθύνεσθαι, πολλάκις κἂν τοῖς ἄλλοις ἀδελφοῖς ἐπιστέλλωμεν τοῖς κατὰ τὴν μικρὰν Ἀρμενίαν, ὀκνηρῶς πέμπομεν γράμματα πρὸς τὴν εὐλάβειάν σου, μηδένα ἐλπίζοντες εἶναι τὸν μέχρις ἐκείνων διακομίζοντα. ἀλλὰ νῦν ἢ αὐτόν σε παρέσεσθαι προσδοκῶντες, ἢ διαπεμφθήσεσθαι τὴν ἐπιστολὴν παρὰ τῶν ἐπισκόπων οἷς ἐπεστείλαμεν, καὶ γράφομεν τῇ εὐλαβείᾳ σου, καὶ προσαγορεύομέν σε διὰ τοῦ γράμματος, ὁμοῦ μὲν σημαίνοντες ὅτι δοκοῦμεν ἔτι εἶναι ὑπὲρ τῆς γῆς, ὁμοῦ δὲ παρακαλοῦντες προσεύχεσθαι ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν, ἵνα ὁ Κύριος ἐλαττώσῃ τὰς θλίψεις, καὶ τὸ πολὺ τοῦτο βάρος τῆς ὀδύνης τῆς νῦν ἐπικειμένης ταῖς καρδίαις ἡμῶν, οἷόν τι νέφος, ἀφʼ ἡμῶν ἀπαγάγῃ. ἔσται δὲ τοῦτο ἐὰν ταχεῖαν δῷ τὴν ἐπάνοδον τοῖς θεοφιλεστάτοις ἐπισκόποις, οἳ νῦν εἰσιν ἐν τῇ διασπορᾷ, δίκας διδόντες ὑπὲρ τῆς εὐσεβείας.