Letter 256: News has reached me of the severe persecution carried on against you, and how directly after Easter the men who fast for strife and debate Isaiah 58:4 attacked your homes, and gave your labours to the flames, preparing for you indeed a house in the heavens, not made with hands, 2 Corinthians 5:1 but for themselves laying up in store the fire whi...

To my beloved and reverend brothers -- the presbyters Acacius, Aetius, Paulus, and Silvanus; the deacons Silvinus and Lucius; and the rest of the brothers among the monks -- Basil, bishop, sends greetings. News has reached me of the severe persecution you have suffered, and how immediately after Easter men who "fast for strife and debate" attacked your homes and consigned your work to the flames. They have been building you a house in the heavens, not made with hands, while storing up for themselves the very fire they used against you. When I heard this, I groaned -- not for you, God forbid, but for the men so sunk in wickedness that they could carry their evil to such lengths. I expected you to come at once to the refuge I had prepared for you. I hoped the Lord would give me refreshment amid my own troubles by letting me welcome you and receive on my own worn-out body some share of the noble sweat you are shedding for the truth's sake, and so have a part in the prizes the Judge of truth has laid up for you. But that thought did not enter your minds, and you did not expect any help from me. So I have been looking for chances to write to you instead -- hoping, like a spectator cheering on wrestlers in the arena, to give you some encouragement by letter in your good fight. I could not find you, and few of our people travel in your direction. Now the Lord has brought us the beloved brother Sanctissimus the presbyter, through whom I can greet you and urge you: do not slacken in your struggle. Stand firm. The crowns are being prepared.

ST. BASIL OF CAESAREA To the very well beloved and reverend brethren the presbyters Acacius, Aetius, Paulus, and Silvanus; the deacons Silvinus and Lucius, and the rest of the brethren the monks, Basil, the bishop. News has reached me of the severe persecution carried on against you, and how directly after Easter the men who fast for strife and debate Isaiah 58:4 attacked your homes, and gave your labours to the flames, preparing for you indeed a house in the heavens, not made with hands, 2 Corinthians 5:1 but for themselves laying up in store the fire which they had used to your hurt. I no sooner heard of this than I groaned over what had happened; pitying not you, my brethren, (God forbid!) but the men who are so sunk in wickedness as to carry their evil deeds to such an extent. I expected you all to hurry at once to the refuge prepared for you in my humble self; and I hoped that the Lord would give me refreshment in the midst of my continual troubles in embracing you, and in receiving on this inactive body of mine the noble sweat which you are dropping for the truth's sake, and so having some share in the prizes laid up for you by the Judge of truth. But this did not enter into your minds, and you did not even expect any relief at my hands. I was therefore at least anxious to find frequent opportunities of writing to you, to the end that like those who cheer on combatants in the arena, I might myself by letter give you some encouragement in your good fight. For two reasons, however, I have not found this easy. In the first place, I did not know where you were residing. And, secondly, but few of our people travel in your direction. Now the Lord has brought us the very well beloved and reverend brother Sanctissimus, the presbyter. By him I am able to salute you, and I beseech you to pray for me, rejoicing and exulting that your reward is great in heaven, Matthew 5:12 and that you have freedom with the Lord to cease not day and night calling on Him to put an end to this storm of the Churches; to grant the shepherds to their flocks, and that the Church may return to her proper dignity. I am persuaded that if a voice be found to move our good God, He will not make His mercy afar off, but will now with the temptation make a way to escape, that you may be able to bear it. 1 Corinthians 10:13 Salute all the brethren in Christ in any name.

[Πρός: Τοῖς ποθεινοτάτοις καὶ εὐλαβεστάτοις ἀδελφοῖς] συμπρεσβυτέροις Ἀκακίῳ, Ἀετίῳ, Παύλῳ καὶ Σιλουάνῳ, καὶ Σιλουίνῳ καὶ Λουκίῳ διακόνοις, καὶ λοιποῖς μονάζουσιν ἀδελφοῖς, Βασίλειος ἐπίσκοπος. Ἐγὼ ἀκούσας τὸν βαρὺν ἐκεῖνον διωγμὸν ἐπαναστάντα ὑμῖν, καὶ ὅτι εὐθέως μετὰ τὸ πάσχα οἱ εἰς κρίσεις καὶ μάχας νηστεύσαντες ἐπελθόντες ὑμῶν ταῖς σκηναῖς, πυρὶ παρέδωκαν τοὺς πόνους ὑμῶν, ὑμῖν μὲν τὴν ἐν οὐρανοῖς οἰκίαν τὴν ἀχειροποίητον εὐτρεπίζοντες, ἑαυτοῖς δὲ τὸ πῦρ θησαυρίζοντες, ᾧ εἰς τὴν καθʼ ὑμῶν ἐχρήσαντο βλάβην, ἐστέναξα μὲν ἐπὶ τῷ συμβάντι, οὐχ ὑμῖν συναλγῶν, ἀδελφοί, μὴ γένοιτο ϲ ἀλλὰ τοῖς οὕτω καταβαπτισθεῖσιν ὑπὸ τῆς κακίας, ὥστε μέχρι τοσούτου τὴν ἑαυτῶν πονηρίαν ἐκτεῖναι. προσεδόκησα δὲ εὐθέως ἐφʼ ἑτοίμην καταφυγὴν τὴν ἡμετέραν ταπείνωσιν πάντας ὑμᾶς δραμεῖσθαι· καὶ ἐν ἐλπίδι εἶχον ὅτι δώσει μοι ὁ Κύριος ἀνάπνευσιν τῶν συνεχῶν ὀδυνῶν ἐκ τοῦ περιπτύξασθαι ὑμᾶς, καὶ τὸν καλὸν ἱδρῶτα, ὃν ὑπὲρ τῆς ἀληθείας στάζετε, τῷ ἀργῷ τούτῳ σώματι ὑποδεξάμενος, ἕξειν τινὰ κοινωνίαν τῶν ἀποκειμένων ὑμῖν ἄθλων παρὰ τοῦ κριτοῦ τῆς ἀληθείας. ἀλλʼ ἐπειδὴ τοῦτο μὲν οὐδʼ εἰς ἔννοιαν ὑμῖν ἦλθεν, οὐδὲ προσεδοκήσατέ τινα ἀνάπαυσιν ἕξειν παρʼ ἡμῶν, ἐπεθύμουν ὑποθέσεις γοῦν εὑρίσκειν συνεχεῖς τῶν πρὸς ὑμᾶς γραμμάτων, ἵνʼ ὥσπερ οἱ τοῖς ἀγωνιζομένοις ὑποφθεγγόμενοι, καὶ αὐτός τινα ὑμῖν διὰ γραμμάτων εἰς προτροπὴν τῆς ἀγαθῆς ὑμῶν ἀθλήσεως ἐνεβόησα. ἐγένετο δὲ ἡμῖν οὐδὲ τοῦτο ῥᾴδιον διὰ δύο προφάσεις· μίαν μέν, ὅτι οὐκ ᾔδειμεν ὅπου διάγετε, ἑτέραν δέ, ὅτι οὐδὲ πολλοί εἰσιν οἱ παρʼ ἡμῶν πρὸς ὑμᾶς ἀπαίροντες. Ἀλλὰ νῦν ὁ Κύριος ἤγαγεν ἡμῖν τὸν ποθεινότατον καὶ εὐλαβέστατον ἀδελφὸν Σαγκτίσσιμον τὸν συμπρεσβύτερον, δι’ οὗ καὶ προσφθεγγόμεθα ὑμῶν τὴν ἀγάπην καὶ παρακαλοῦμεν προσεύχεσθαι ὑμᾶς ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν, χαίροντας καὶ ἀγαλλιωμένους ὅτι ὁ μισθὸς ὑμῶν πολὺς ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς, καὶ ὡς ἔχοντας παρρησίαν πρὸς τὸν Κύριον μὴ ἀνεῖναι νυκτὸς καὶ ἡμέρας βοῶντας πρὸς αὐτόν, ὑπὲρ τοῦ παύσασθαι μὲν τὸν σάλον τῶν ἐκκλησιῶν τοῦτον, ἀποδοθῆναι δὲ τοῖς λαοῖς τοὺς ποιμένας, ἐπανελθεῖν δὲ τὴν Ἐκκλησίαν εἰς τὸ οἰκεῖον αὐτῆς ἀξίωμα. πέπεισμαι γὰρ ὅτι, ἐὰν εὑρεθῇ φωνὴ δυσωποῦσα τὸν ἀγαθόν, οὐκ εἰς μακρὰν ποιήσει τὰ ἐλέη αὐτοῦ, ἀλλὰ παρέξει ἡμῖν λοιπὸν σὺν τῷ πειρασμῷ καὶ τὴν ἔκβασιν, τοῦ δύνασθαι ὑπενεγκεῖν. πᾶσαν τὴν ἐν Χριστῷ ἀδελφότητα ἀσπάσασθε ἐξ ἡμῶν.