Letter 281: I am mindful of the great honour I received in the encouragement you gave me, along with others, to address your excellency. I avail myself of the privilege and the enjoyment of your gracious favour. I congratulate myself upon having such a correspondent, as also upon the opportunity afforded your excellency of conferring an honour on me by your...

I am mindful of the great honor I received in the encouragement you gave me to address Your Excellency. I take full advantage of that privilege and of the enjoyment of your gracious favor. I congratulate myself on having such a correspondent, and I congratulate you on the opportunity of conferring honor on me by your reply. I ask your clemency on behalf of my good friend Helladius. I pray that he may be relieved from his duties as tax assessor, so that he can devote himself to working for the benefit of our region. You have already given a gracious preliminary consent to this request. I now renew it and ask you to send instructions to the provincial governor that Helladius may be released from this burden.

ST. BASIL OF CAESAREA To Modestus the Prefect. I am mindful of the great honour I received in the encouragement you gave me, along with others, to address your excellency. I avail myself of the privilege and the enjoyment of your gracious favour. I congratulate myself upon having such a correspondent, as also upon the opportunity afforded your excellency of conferring an honour on me by your reply. I claim your clemency on behalf of Helladius my special friend. I pray that he may be relieved from the anxieties of Tax-assessor, and so be enabled to work in the interests of our country. You have already so far given a gracious consent, that I now repeat my request, and pray you to send instructions to the governor of the Province, that Helladius may be released from this infliction.

[Πρός: Μοδέστῳ ὑπάρχῳ] Μέμνημαι τῆς μεγάλης σου τιμῆς, ὅτι μοι μετὰ τῶν ἄλλων ἔδωκας καὶ τὸ θαρσεῖν ἐπιστέλλειν σου τῇ μεγαλοφυΐᾳ. κέχρημαι τοίνυν τῇ δωρεᾷ, καὶ ἀπολαύω τῆς φιλανθρωποτάτης χάριτος, ὁμοῦ μὲν ἐμαυτὸν εὐφραίνων ἐκ τοῦ διαλέγεσθαι ἀνδρὶ τοσούτῳ, ὁμοῦ δὲ καὶ τῇ σῇ μεγαλονοίᾳ καιρὸν ἐνδιδοὺς σεμνύνειν ἡμᾶς ταῖς ἀποκρίσεσιν. ἐπεὶ δὲ ἱκέτευσα τὴν σὴν ἡμερότητα ὑπὲρ τοῦ ἑταίρου ἡμῶν Ἑλλαδίου τοῦ πρωτεύοντος, ὥστε, τῆς ἐπὶ τῇ ἐξισώσει φροντίδος αὐτὸν ἀνεθέντα, ἐν τοῖς πράγμασι τῆς πατρίδος ἡμῶν συγχωρηθῆναι μοχθεῖν, καί τινος εὐμενοῦς νεύματος ἠξιώθην, ἀνανεοῦμαι τὴν αὐτὴν πρεσβείαν, καί σε καθικετεύω καταπεμφθῆναι πρόσταγμα τῷ ἄρχοντι τῆς ἐπαρχίας συγχωρῆσαι αὐτῷ τὴν ἐνόχλησιν.