Letter 208: You have been long silent, though you have very great power of speech, and are well trained in the art of conversation and of exhibiting yourself by your eloquence. Possibly it is Neocæsarea which is the cause of your not writing to me. I suppose I must take it as a kindness if those who are there do not remember me, for, as I am informed by tho...

You have been silent for a long time, though you have great power of speech and are well trained in the art of conversation and in displaying your eloquence. Perhaps it is Neocaesarea that is keeping you from writing to me. I suppose I should count it a kindness if the people there simply do not mention me at all -- for according to those who report what they hear, the mentions are not kind. You, however, used to be one of those who were disliked on my account, not one of those who dislike me on account of others. I hope that description still fits you, and that wherever you are you will write to me and think well of me -- if you care at all for what is fair and right. It is certainly fair that those who first showed affection should be repaid in kind.

ST. BASIL OF CAESAREA To Eulancius. You have been long silent, though you have very great power of speech, and are well trained in the art of conversation and of exhibiting yourself by your eloquence. Possibly it is Neocæsarea which is the cause of your not writing to me. I suppose I must take it as a kindness if those who are there do not remember me, for, as I am informed by those who report what they hear, the mention made of me is not kind. You, however, used to be one of those who were disliked for my sake, not one of those who dislike me for the sake of others. I hope this description will continue to fit you, that wherever you are you will write to me, and will have kindly thoughts of me, if you care at all for what is fair and right. It is certainly fair that those who have been first to show affection should be paid in their own coin.

[Πρός: Εὐλαγκίῳ.] Μακρὸν ἀπεσιώπησας χρόνον, καὶ ταῦτα λαλίστατος ὤν, καὶ μελέτην τοῦτο καὶ τέχνην ποιησάμενος ἀεί τι λαλεῖν καὶ σεαυτὸν δεικνύναι διὰ τῶν λόγων. ἀλλʼ ἔοικεν ἡ Νεοκαισάρεια αἰτία εἶναί σοι τῆς πρὸς ἡμᾶς σιωπῆς. καὶ ἐοίκαμεν ἀντὶ χάριτος δέχεσθαι τὸ μὴ μνημονεύεσθαι παρὰ τοῖς αὐτοῦ· ἐπειδὴ ἡμῖν ἡ μνήμη οὐκ ἀγαθή ἐστιν, ὡς ὁ τῶν ἀκουόντων λόγος. ἀλλὰ σὺ πάλαι τῶν μισουμένων ἦσθα δι’ ἡμᾶς, οὐ τῶν δι’ ἑτέρους ἡμᾶς μισεῖν ἀνεχομένων. ὁ αὐτὸς τοίνυν ἔσο, καὶ ἐπιστέλλων οὗπερ ἂν ᾖς, καὶ μεμνημένος ἡμῶν τὰ εἰκότα, εἴ τί σοι μέλει τοῦ δικαίου. δίκαιον δήπου τῆς ἀγάπης τοῖς ἴσοις ἀμείβεσθαι τοὺς ὑπάρξαντας.