Letter 274: That my friendship and affection for the very reverend brother Hera began when I was quite a boy, and has, by God's grace, continued up to my old age, no one knows better than yourself. For the Lord granted me the affection of your excellency at about the same time that He allowed me to become acquainted with Hera. He now needs your patronage, a...
Basil of Caesarea→Himerius, master|c. 373 AD|basil caesarea
friendship
Travel & mobility; Personal friendship
My friendship and affection for the reverend brother Hera began when I was a boy and has, by God's grace, continued into my old age -- as no one knows better than you, since the Lord granted me your friendship at about the same time He brought Hera into my life.
He now needs your patronage, and I beg you earnestly, for the sake of our long friendship and the necessity that now presses upon us: make his cause your own. Let him need no other protector, so that he may return to me having accomplished everything he is praying for. To the many kindnesses I have already received from you, I would then be able to add one more -- and I could not ask for a favor more important to me or more closely touching my own interests.
ST. BASIL OF CAESAREA
To Himerius, the master.
That my friendship and affection for the very reverend brother Hera began when I was quite a boy, and has, by God's grace, continued up to my old age, no one knows better than yourself. For the Lord granted me the affection of your excellency at about the same time that He allowed me to become acquainted with Hera. He now needs your patronage, and I therefore beseech and supplicate you to do a favour for the sake of our old affection, and to heed the necessity under which we now lie. I beg you to make his cause your own, that he may need no other protection, but may return to me, successful in all that he is praying for. Then to the many kindnesses which I have received at your hands I shall be able to add yet this one more. I could not claim any favour more important to myself, or one more nearly touching my own interests.
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Source. Translated by Blomfield Jackson. From Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Second Series, Vol. 8. Edited by Philip Schaff and Henry Wace. (Buffalo, NY: Christian Literature Publishing Co., 1895.) Revised and edited for New Advent by Kevin Knight. <https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/3202274.htm>.
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My friendship and affection for the reverend brother Hera began when I was a boy and has, by God's grace, continued into my old age -- as no one knows better than you, since the Lord granted me your friendship at about the same time He brought Hera into my life.
He now needs your patronage, and I beg you earnestly, for the sake of our long friendship and the necessity that now presses upon us: make his cause your own. Let him need no other protector, so that he may return to me having accomplished everything he is praying for. To the many kindnesses I have already received from you, I would then be able to add one more -- and I could not ask for a favor more important to me or more closely touching my own interests.
Modern English rendering for readability. See the 19th-century translation or original Latin/Greek for scholarly use.