Letter 237: 1. I both wrote to your reverence by the vicar of Thrace, and sent other letters by one of the officers of the treasury of Philippopolis, who was starting from our country into Thrace, and begged him to take them on his departure. But the vicar never received my letter, for while I was visiting my diocese, he came into town in the evening and s...

I wrote to you through the vicar of Thrace, and I sent other letters by way of a treasury officer from Philippopolis who was heading into Thrace. But the vicar never received my letter -- he arrived in town in the evening while I was away visiting my diocese and left early the next morning before the church staff even knew he had come. The treasurer, too, was called away on urgent business and left without seeing me or taking my letters. No one else could be found. So I was stuck, unable to write and not receiving anything from you either. If I could, I would send you a daily chronicle -- so many extraordinary things keep happening. But events keep overtaking my intentions. The first and greatest of my troubles was the visit of the Vicar. Whether he is personally committed to heresy I cannot say -- I think he is completely uninterested in doctrine and has no experience with such matters, since I see him occupied day and night with entirely different business. But he is certainly a friend of the heretics, and he is as hostile toward me as he is friendly toward them. He summoned a council of disreputable men in mid-winter in Galatia. He deposed Hypsinus and installed Ecdicius in his place. He ordered my brother's removal on the accusation of a single man -- and an insignificant one at that. Then, after spending some time on military affairs, he came back to us breathing threats and violence. In a single stroke he handed the entire Church of Caesarea over to the Senate. He spent several days at Sebasteia, sorting friends from enemies -- labeling anyone in communion with me as a "senator" subject to compulsory public service, while advancing the followers of Eustathius. He ordered a second synod of bishops from Galatia and Pontus to assemble at Nyssa. They complied, met, and sent to the churches a man whose character I prefer not to describe -- but you can well imagine what sort of person would put himself at the disposal of such a conspiracy. And while I write this, the same faction has gathered yet another council in Ancyra and is preparing further measures against us. How long, O Lord?

ST. BASIL OF CAESAREA To Eusebius, bishop of Samosata. 1. I both wrote to your reverence by the vicar of Thrace, and sent other letters by one of the officers of the treasury of Philippopolis, who was starting from our country into Thrace, and begged him to take them on his departure. But the vicar never received my letter, for while I was visiting my diocese, he came into town in the evening and started early in the morning, so that the church officers did not know of his coming, and the letter remained at my house. The treasurer, too, on account of some unexpected and urgent business, set out without seeing me or taking my letters. No one else could be found; so I remained, sorry at not being able to write to you and at not receiving any letter from your reverence. Yet I was wishful, were it possible, to tell you all that happens to me day by day. So many astonishing things happen as to need a daily narrative, and you may be sure that I would have written one, unless my mind had been diverted from its purpose by the pressure of events. 2. The first and greatest of my troubles was the visit of the Vicar. As to whether he is a man really heretically minded I do not know; for I think that he is quite unversed in doctrine, and has not the slightest interest or experience in such things, for I see him day and night busy, both in body and soul, in other things. But he is certainly a friend of heretics; and he is not more friendly to them than he is ill-disposed to me. He has summoned a synod of wicked men in mid-winter in Galatia. He has deposed Hypsinus and set up Ecdicius in his place. He has ordered the removal of my brother on the accusation of one man, and that one quite insignificant. Then, after being occupied for some little time about the army, he came to us again breathing rage and slaughter, and, in one sentence, delivered all the Church of Cæsarea to the Senate. He settled for several days at Sebaste, separating friends from foes, calling those in communion with me senators, and condemning them to the public service, while he advanced the adherents of Eustathius. He has ordered a second synod of bishops of Galatia and Pontus to be assembled at Nyssa. They have submitted, have met, and have sent to the Churches a man of whose character I do not like to speak; but your reverence can well understand what sort of a man he must be who would put himself at the disposal of such counsels of men. Now, while I am thus writing, the same gang have hurried to Sebaste to unite with Eustathius, and, with him, to upset the Church of Nicopolis. For the blessed Theodotus has fallen asleep. Hitherto the Nicopolitans have bravely and stoutly resisted the vicar's first assault; for he tried to persuade them to receive Eustathius, and to accept their bishop on his appointment. But, on seeing them unwilling to yield, he is now trying, by yet more violent action, to effect the establishment of the bishop whom it has been attempted to give them. There is, moreover, said to be some rumoured expectation of a synod, by which means they mean to summon me to receive them into communion, or to be friendly with them. Such is the position of the Churches. As to my own health, I think it better to say nothing. I cannot bear not to tell the truth, and by telling the truth I shall only grieve you.

[Πρός: Εὐσεβίῳ, ἐπισκόπῳ Σαμοσάτων.] Ἐγὼ καὶ διὰ τοῦ βικαρίου τῆς Θρᾴκης ἐπέστειλα τῇ θεοσεβείᾳ σου, καὶ διά τινος πραιποσίτου τῶν κατὰ Φιλιππούπολιν θησαυρῶν ἐκ τῆς ἡμετέρας ἐπὶ τὴν Θρᾴκην διαβαίνοντος ἔγραψα ἑτέρας ἐπιστολάς, καὶ παρεκάλεσα αὐτὸν ἀνελέσθαι, ὅταν ἀπαίρῃ. ἀλλʼ οὔτε ὁ βικάριος ὑπεδέξατο ἡμῶν τὰ γράμματα. περιοδευόντων γὰρ ἡμῶν τὴν παροικίαν, ἐπιστὰς τῇ πόλει ἑσπέρας, ὄρθρου βαθέος πάλιν ἀπήλασεν· ὥστε τοὺς οἰκονόμους λαθεῖν τῆς ἐκκλησίας τὴν τοῦ ἀνδρὸς ἐπιδημίαν, καὶ οὕτω μεῖναι παρʼ ἡμῖν τὰ γράμματα. ὁ δὲ πραιπόσιτος τάχα, ἀβουλήτου τινὸς αὐτὸν περιστάσεως κατασχούσης, ἐξώρμησε, μήτε τὰς ἐπιστολὰς ἀνελόμενος, μήτε ἡμᾶς θεασάμενος. ἄλλου δὲ οὐδενὸς ἦν ἐπιτυχεῖν. ὅθεν ἐμείναμεν λυπούμενοι, ὅτι μήτε ἐπιστέλλειν ἡμῖν ἔξεστι, μήτε δέχεσθαι παρὰ τῆς σῆς θεοσεβείας γράμματα. καίτοιτγε ἐβουλόμην, εἴ μοι ἦν δυνατόν, τὰ ἐφʼ ἑκάστης ἡμέρας συμπίπτοντα ἡμῖν διαγγέλλειν σοι. οὕτω γὰρ πολλὰ καὶ παράδοξά ἐστι τὰ πράγματα, ὥστε ἱστορίας ἐφημερίδος χρῄζειν, ἣν καὶ συνέταξα, εὖ ἴσθι, εἰ μὴ τῇ συνεχείᾳ τῶν προσπιπτόντων τοὺς λογισμοὺς εἶχον τῶν προκειμένων ἐκκρουομένους. Ἐπεδήμησεν ἡμῖν βικάριος, τὸ πρῶτον καὶ μέγιστον τῶν ἡμετέρων κακῶν. ἅνθρωπος εἰ μὲν καὶ αἱρετικὸς τὸ φρόνημα, οὐκ ἐπίσταμαι (οἶμαι γὰρ αὐτὸν παντὸς ἄπειρον εἶναι λόγου, καὶ μηδὲ ἔχειν τινὰ σπουδὴν μηδὲ μελέτην περὶ τὰ τοιαῦτα. ἐν ἄλλοις γὰρ αὐτὸν ὁρῶ τῇ ψυχῇ καὶ τῇ σαρκὶ νύκτωρ καὶ μεθʼ ἡμέραν ἐνασχολούμενον), πλὴν ἀλλὰ φιλαιρετικός· καὶ οὐ πλέον ἐκείνους φιλῶν ἢ πρὸς ἡμᾶς ἀπεχθῶς ἔχων. συνεκρότησε μὲν γὰρ σύνοδον ἀθετούντων ἐν μέσῳ τῷ χειμῶνι ἐπὶ τῆς Γαλατίας· καὶ ἐξέβαλε μὲν τὸν Ὕψιν, ἀντικατέστησε δὲ τὸν Ἐκδίκιον. ἀγώγιμον δὲ προσέταξε γενέσθαι τὸν ἀδελφὸν τὸν ἐμόν, ὑπὸ ἑνὸς ἀνθρώπου, καὶ τούτου ἀσήμου, αἰτιαθέντα. εἶτα μικρὸν ἀσχοληθεὶς περὶ τὸ στρατόπεδον, πάλιν ἡμῖν ἐπῆλθε θυμοῦ καὶ φόνου πνέων, καὶ πάντας μὲν μιᾷ φωνῇ τοὺς ἱερατικοὺς τῆς ἐν Καισαρείᾳ ἐκκλησίας παρέδωκε τῇ βουλῇ· ἐν δὲ Σεβαστείᾳ ἐκαθέσθη πολλὰς ἡμέρας φυλοκρινῶν, καὶ τοὺς μὲν ἡμῖν κοινωνοῦντας βουλευτὰς ὀνομάζων, καὶ καταδικάζων τῇ ὑπηρεσίᾳ τῶν δημοσίων, τοὺς δὲ τῷ Εὐσταθίῳ προσκειμένους ταῖς μεγίσταις τιμαῖς περιέπων. Πάλιν σύνοδον περὶ Νύσσαν Γαλατῶν καὶ Ποντικῶν συγκροτηθῆναι προσέταξεν. οἱ δὲ ὑπήκουσαν, καὶ συνδραμόντες ἔπεμψάν τινα ταῖς ἐκκλησίαις, ὃν οὐκ ἂν ἑλοίμην ἐγὼ εἰπεῖν ὁποῖος, εἰκάζειν δὲ ἔξεστι τῇ σῇ φρονήσει ποταπὸν εἰκὸς εἶναι τὸν τοιαύταις προαιρέσεσιν ἀνθρώπων ὑπηρετούμενον. καὶ νῦν ὅτε ταῦτα ἐπέστελλον τὸ αὐτὸ τοῦτο σύνταγμα ἐπὶ τὴν Σεβάστειαν ὥρμησε, τῷ τε Εὐσταθίῳ συναφθῆναι, καὶ μετʼ αὐτοῦ τὰ τῶν Νικοπολιτῶν καταστρέψασθαι. ὁ γὰρ μακάριος Θεόδοτος κεκοίμηται. καὶ τέως μὲν τὰς πρώτας τοῦ βικαρίου προσβολὰς γενναίως καὶ καρτερῶς ἀπεκρούσαντο· πείθειν γὰρ αὐτοὺς ἐπειρᾶτο δέξασθαι τὸν Εὐστάθιον, καὶ δι’ αὐτοῦ λαβεῖν τὸν ἐπίσκοπον· ὡς δὲ εἶδεν αὐτοὺς ἑκόντας οὐκ ἐνδιδόντας, νῦν πειρᾶται βιαιοτέρᾳ χειρὶ ἐγκαταστῆσαι τὸν διδόμενον. ὑποθρυλλεῖται δέ τις καὶ συνόδου προσδοκία, καθʼ ἣν προαιροῦνται καλέσαντες ἡμᾶς ἢ λαβεῖν κοινωνούς, ἢ χρήσασθαι τῇ συνηθείᾳ. τὰ μὲν οὖν τῶν ἐκκλησιῶν τοιαῦτα. ἐγὼ δὲ αὐτὸς ὅπως διάκειμαι κατὰ τὸ σῶμα σιωπᾷν ἡγοῦμαι βέλτιον εἶναι ἢ γράφειν, διότι τὰ μὲν ἀληθῆ λέγων λυπήσω, ψεύσασθαι δὲ οὐκ ἀνέχομαι.