Letter 4: What do you mean, my dear Sir, by evicting from our retreat my dear friend and nurse of philosophy, Poverty? Were she but gifted with speech, I take it you would have to appear as defendant in an action for unlawful ejectment. She might plead I chose to live with this man Basil, an admirer of Zeno, who, when he had lost everything in a shipwrec...

To Olympius What are you doing, my dear friend, by evicting from my retreat my beloved companion and nurse of philosophy — Poverty? If she could speak, I think you would have to answer for unlawful eviction. She might argue: "I chose to live with this man Basil — an admirer of Zeno, who lost everything in a shipwreck and declared with perfect composure, 'Well played, Fortune! You are reducing me to just my cloak'; a great admirer of Cleanthes, who drew water from wells to earn enough for both his living and his tutor's fees; an enormous admirer of Diogenes, who prided himself on needing nothing beyond the bare necessities and threw away his drinking bowl after watching a boy stoop to drink from cupped hands." In words like these, my dear companion Poverty might scold you — the one whose gifts have driven her from house and home. She might even add a threat: "If I catch you here again, I will show you that what came before was Sicilian or Italian luxury. I will pay you back in full from my own resources." But enough of this. I am very glad you have begun your course of treatment, and I pray it does you good. A body fit for pain-free activity would be a worthy match for so devout a soul.

ST. BASIL OF CAESAREA To Olympius. What do you mean, my dear Sir, by evicting from our retreat my dear friend and nurse of philosophy, Poverty? Were she but gifted with speech, I take it you would have to appear as defendant in an action for unlawful ejectment. She might plead I chose to live with this man Basil, an admirer of Zeno, who, when he had lost everything in a shipwreck, cried, with great fortitude, 'well done, Fortune! You are reducing me to the old cloak;' a great admirer of Cleanthes, who by drawing water from the well got enough to live on and pay his tutors' fees as well; an immense admirer of Diogenes, who prided himself on requiring no more than was absolutely necessary, and flung away his bowl after he had learned from some lad to stoop down and drink from the hollow of his hand. In some such terms as these you might be chidden by my dear mate Poverty, whom your presents have driven from house and home. She might too add a threat; if I catch you here again, I shall show that what went before was Sicilian or Italian luxury: so I shall exactly requite you out of my own store. But enough of this. I am very glad that you have already begun a course of medicine, and pray that you may be benefited by it. A condition of body fit for painless activity would well become so pious a soul.

[Πρός: Ὀλυμπίῳ] Οἷα ποιεῖς, ὦ θαυμάσιε, τὴν φίλην ἡμῖν πενίαν καὶ φιλοσοφίας τροφὸν τῆς ἐσχατιᾶς ἀπελαύνων; οἶμαι γὰρ ἄν σε καὶ ἐξούλης γραφὴν ὑπʼ αὐτῆς φεύγειν, εἴ τις αὐτῇ προσγένοιτο λόγος· ὅτι τούτῳ συνοικεῖν εἱλόμην ἐγὼ νῦν μὲν τὸν Ζήνωνα ἐπαινοῦντι, ὃς ναυαγίῳ πάντα ἀποβαλὼν οὐδὲν ἀγεννὲς ἐφθέγξατο, ἀλλʼ, εὖγε, εἶπεν, ὦ τύχη, συνελαύνεις ἡμᾶς εἰς τὸ τριβώνιον, νῦν δὲ τὸν Κλεάνθην μισθῷ ὕδωρ τοῦ φρέατος ἀπαντλοῦντα, ὅθεν αὐτός τε διέζη καὶ τοῖς διδασκάλοις μισθοὺς ὑπετέλει. τὸν δὲ Διογένην οὐδὲ ἐπαύσατό ποτε θαυμάζων τοῖς παρὰ τῆς φύσεως μόνοις ἀρκεῖσθαι φιλοτιμούμενον, ὡς καὶ τὸ κισσύβιον ἀποῤῥῖψαι, ἐπειδήπερ παρὰ παιδὸς ἐδιδάχθη κοίλαις ταῖς χερσὶν ἐπικύπτων πίνειν. ταῦτα ἄν σοι καὶ τὰ τοιαῦτα ἡ σύνοικος ἡμῖν πενία μέμψαιτο, ταῖς μεγαλοδωρεαῖς ἐξοικισθεῖσα νῦν. προσθείη δὲ καὶ ἀπειλήν τινα· ὅτι, εἴ σε ἐνταῦθα πάλιν λάβοιμι, Σικελικὴν ἢ Ἰταλιῶτιν τρυφὴν ἀποδείξω τὰ πρότερα· οὕτω σε ἀκριβῶς τοῖς παρʼ ἐμαυτῆς ἀμυνοῦμαι. Καὶ ταῦτα μὲν δὴ τοιαῦτα. ἥσθην δὲ ἀκούσας ἦρχθαί σε τῆς θεραπείας ἤδη, καὶ εὔχομαί σε ὄνασθαι αὐτῆς. πρέποι δʼ ἂν τῇ ἱερᾷ σου ψυχῇ ἄλυπος ὑπηρεσία σώματος.