Letter 289: Without address. Concerning an afflicted woman. I consider it an equal mistake, to let the guilty go unpunished, and to exceed the proper limits of punishment.

I consider it equally wrong to let the guilty go unpunished and to exceed the proper limits of punishment. Accordingly, I passed the sentence I judged appropriate: excommunication from the Church. I urged the victim not to seek revenge but to leave the redressing of her wrongs to God. Had my counsel carried any weight, it would have been followed, since the language I used was far more likely to persuade than any letter could compel. Even after hearing her account -- which contained matter grave enough -- I still held my peace. And even now I am not certain it is right for me to revisit this question. But here is what she says: "I gave up husband, children, and all the pleasures of life for one purpose alone -- the favor of God and a good reputation among men. Then one day this man, an expert since boyhood at corrupting households, forced his way into my house with his usual brazenness. Through my ignorance of his character and the timidity that comes from inexperience, I hesitated to throw him out openly. But he reached such heights of insolence that he filled the entire city with slander, and publicly attacked me by posting libelous notices on the church doors." I share her outrage. But I also recognize that justice must be measured, not driven by anger. The man has been excommunicated. If he repents, the door of restoration remains open. If he does not, God's judgment is more thorough than ours.

ST. BASIL OF CAESAREA Without address. Concerning an afflicted woman. I consider it an equal mistake, to let the guilty go unpunished, and to exceed the proper limits of punishment. I accordingly passed upon this man the sentence I considered it incumbent on me to pass — excommunication from the Church. The sufferer I exhorted not to avenge herself; but to leave to God the redressing of her wrongs. Thus if my admonitions had possessed any weight, I should then have been obeyed, for the language I employed was far more likely to ensure credit, than any letter to enforce compliance. So, even after listening to her statements that contained matter sufficiently grave, I still held my peace; and even now I am not sure that it becomes me to treat again of this same question. For, she says, I have foregone husband, children, all the enjoyments of life, for the attainment of this single object, the favour of God, and good repute among men. Yet one day the offender, an adept from boyhood in corrupting families, with the impudence habitual to him, forced an entrance into my house; and thus within the bare limits of an interview an acquaintanceship was formed. It was only owing to my ignorance of the man, and to that timidity which comes from inexperience, that I hesitated openly to turn him out of doors. Yet to such a pitch of impiety and insolence did he come, that he filled the whole city with slanders, and publicly inveighed against me by affixing to the church doors libellous placards. For this conduct, it is true, he incurred the displeasure of the law: but, nevertheless, he returned to his slanderous attacks on me. Once more the market-place was filled with his abuse, as well as the gymnasia, theatres, and houses whose congeniality of habits gained him an admittance. Nor did his very extravagance lead men to recognise those virtues wherein I was conspicuous, so universally had I been represented as being of an incontinent disposition. In these calumnies, she goes on to say, some find a delight — such is the pleasure men naturally feel in the disparagement of others; some profess to be pained, but show no sympathy; others believe the truth of these slanders; others again, having regard to the persistency of his oaths, are undecided. But sympathy I have none. And now indeed I begin to realise my loneliness, and bewail myself. I have no brother, friend, relation, no servant, bond or free, in a word, no one whatever to share my grief. And yet, I think, I am more than any one else an object of pity, in a city where the haters of wickedness are so few. They bandy violence; but violence, though they fail to see it, moves in a circle, and in time will overtake each one of them. In such and still more appealing terms she told her tale, with countless tears, and so departed. Nor did she altogether acquit me of blame; thinking that, when I ought to sympathise with her like a father, I am indifferent to her troubles, and regard the sufferings of others too philosophically. For it is not, she urged, the loss of money that you bid me disregard; nor the endurance of bodily sufferings; but a damaged reputation, an injury involving loss upon the Church at large. This is her appeal; and now I pray you, most excellent sir, consider what answer you would have me make her. The decision I have come to in my own mind is, not to surrender offenders to the magistrates; yet not to rescue those already in their custody, since it has long ago been declared by the Apostle, that the magistrates should be a terror to them in their evil-doings; for, it is said, he bears not the sword in vain. Romans 13:4 To surrender him, then, is contrary to my humanity; while to release him would be an encouragement to his violence. Perhaps, however, you will defer taking action until my arrival. I will then show you that I can effect nothing from there being none to obey me.

[Πρός: Ἀνεπίγραφος περὶ γυναικὸς καταπονουμένης] Ἐγὼ ἴσον ἡμάρτημα κρίνας καὶ ἀνεπιτιμήτους ἐᾷν τοὺς ἁμαρτάνοντας καὶ ὑπερβαίνειν τὸ μέτρον τῇ τιμωρίᾳ, τὴν ἐμοὶ ἐπιβάλλουσαν ἐπέθηκα δίκην τῷδε, ἐξορίσας αὐτὸν τῆς ἐκκλησιαστικῆς κοινωνίας· καὶ τοῖς ἠδικημένοις παρῄνεσα μὴ ἑαυτοὺς ἐκδικεῖν, ἀλλὰ τῷ Κυρίῳ τὴν ἀνταπόδοσιν ἐπιτρέψαι, ὥστε εἴ τι ὄφελος ἡμῶν παραγγελμάτων, τότε ἂν ἠκούσθην, πολλῷ ἀξιοπιστότερον κεχρημένος τῷ λόγῳ ἢ ὅσον ἂν δυνηθείη δυσωπῆσαι τὰ γράμματα. Ἐπεὶ δὲ ἤκουσα ῥημάτων πολλὴν ἐχόντων βαρύτητα, καὶ τότε ἡσύχασα, καὶ νῦν οὐκ οἶμαι πρέπον εἶναί μοι περὶ τῶν αὐτῶν διαλέγεσθαι. ἐγὼ γάρ, φησίν, ἀνδρὸς ὑπερεῖδον καὶ παιδοποιίας καὶ βίου. ἵνα ἑνὸς τούτου τύχοιμι, τῆς παρὰ Θεοῦ εὐδοκιμήσεως καὶ παρὰ τοῖς ἀνθρώποις τοῦ βελτίονος ἀξιοῦσθαι λόγου, ἐπειδὴ ἄνθρωπος, ἐκ παιδὸς ταῖς οἰκοφθορίαις ἐντεθραμμένος, εἰσβιασάμενός ποτε τῇ συνήθει ἑαυτοῦ ἀναιδείᾳ ἐνέπεσεν ἡμῶν τῷ οἴκῳ, καὶ μέχρι ψιλῆς συντυχίας ἐγένετο γνώριμος ἡμῖν, καὶ ἀγνοίᾳ τῶν κατʼ αὐτὸν καὶ αἰδοῖ τινι ἀπαιδεύτῳ προφανῶς αὐτὸν αἰσχυνομένη ἐλάσαι· εἰς τοσοῦτον ἐξῆλθεν ἀσεβείας καὶ ὕβρεως, ὥστε ἐμπλῆσαι μὲν τὴν πόλιν πᾶσαν τῶν κατʼ ἐμοῦ βλασφημιῶν, προγράμματι δὲ δημοσίῳ στηλιτεῦσαι ἐκτεθέντι ἐπὶ τῶν προθύρων τῆς ἐκκλησίας. ἐφʼ οἷς καὶ τυχών τινος παρὰ τῶν νόμων ἀγανακτήσεως, πάλιν ἐπανελθὼν ἀνενεώσατο τὰς αὐτοῦ βλασφημίας. πάλιν τῶν ἐμῶν λοιδοριῶν πλήρης ἡ ἀγορά, τὰ γυμνάσια, τὰ θέατρα, αἱ οἰκίαι τῶν δι’ ὁμοιότητα τοῦ βίου δεχομένων αὐτόν. καὶ μηδὲ ἐπὶ τοῖς βελτίοσι γνωρίζεσθαι, ἐν οἷς εὐπρεπὴς ἦν, ὑπῆρξέ μοι ἐκ τῶν αἰσχίστων, διὰ τὸ παρὰ πᾶσι τῇ ἀκολάστῳ γνώμῃ γενέσθαι περιφανῆ. Ἐπὶ τούτοις, φησίν, οἱ μὲν ἥδονται ταῖς βλασφημίαις, διὰ τὸ φύσει χαίρειν ταῖς λοιδορίαις τοὺς ἀνθρώπους· οἱ δὲ ἄχθεσθαι μὲν λέγουσιν, οὐ συναλγοῦσι δέ· ἄλλοι πείθονται ἀληθεῖς εἶναι τὰς λοιδορίας· ἄλλοι ἀμφίβολοί εἰσι, τῷ πλήθει τῶν ὅρκων αὐτοῦ προσέχοντες. ὁ δὲ συναλγῶν οὐκ ἔστιν· ἀλλʼ ὄντως νῦν τῆς ἐρημίας ᾐσθόμην, καὶ ἐμαυτὴν ὀδύρομαι, οὐκ ἀδελφόν, οὐ φίλον, οὐ συγγενῆ, οὐ δοῦλον, οὐκ ἐλεύθερον, οὐδένα ἀνθρώπων τὸ παράπαν ἔχουσα συναλγοῦντα· καὶ, ὡς ἔοικε, μόνην ἑαυτὴν ἐλεεινοτέραν τῆς πόλεως εὑρίσκω, ἐν ᾗ τοσαύτη σπάνις μισοπονήρων ἐστίν· οἳ τὴν εἰς ἀλλήλους γινομένην παροινίαν οὐκ οἴονται βαδίζουσαν ἐν κύκλῳ καὶ αὐτούς ποτε καταλήψεσθαι. Ταῦτα καὶ πολλῷ ἔτι πληκτικώτερα μετὰ ἀμυθήτων δακρύων πρὸς ἐμὲ διεξελθοῦσα, ἀπῆλθεν, οὐδὲ ἐμὲ τῶν μέμψεων ἐλεύθερον ἀφεῖσα, ὅτι δέον πατρικῶς αὐτῇ συναλγεῖν, ἐναδιαφορῶ κακῷ τοσούτῳ καὶ φιλοσοφῶ ἐν ἀλλοτρίοις παθήμασιν. οὐ γὰρ χρημάτων ἄφεσιν κελεύεις ὑπεριδεῖν, οὐδὲ τοὺς εἰς τὸ σῶμα πόνους συνενεγκεῖν, ἀλλʼ εἰς αὐτὴν ζημιωθῆναι τὴν ὑπόληψιν, ἧς ἡ βλάβη κοινὴ ζημία τοῦ κλήρου γίνεται. Ἐπὶ τούτοις τοῖς ῥήμασι τίνα με βούλει νῦν πρὸς αὐτὴν εἰπεῖν αὐτὸς δοκίμασον, ὦ θαυμάσιε, ἔχοντα τοιαύτην κρίσιν παρʼ ἑαυτῷ· μὴ παραδιδόναι ταῖς ἀρχαῖς τοὺς κακούργους, μὴ μέντοι μηδὲ ἐξαιρεῖσθαι παραδοθέντας· οἷς πάλαι προείρηται παρὰ τοῦ ἀποστόλου φοβεῖσθαι τὸν ἄρχοντα ἐπὶ τῷ πονηρῷ ἔργῳ· Οὐ γὰρ εἰκῆ, φησί, τὴν μάχαιραν φορεῖ. ὥσπερ οὖν τὸ παραδοῦναι οὐ φιλάνθρωπον, οὕτω καὶ τὸ ἐξαιρεῖσθαι τρέφοντός ἐστι τὴν παροινίαν. ἴσως δʼ ἂν γένοιτό τις ὑπέρθεσις τῆς εἰσόδου μέχρι τῆς ἡμῶν αὐτῶν παρουσίας· καὶ τότε δείξομεν, ὅτι οὐδὲν ἡμῶν ὄφελος, ἐκ τοῦ μὴ εἶναι τοὺς πειθομένους.