Letter 60: Formerly I was glad to see my brother. Why not, since he is my brother and such a brother? Now I have received him on his coming to visit me with the same feelings, and have lost none of my affection.

To Gregory, My Uncle. Formerly I was glad to see your letters arrive, because they brought news of your good health and a measure of that wisdom I so badly need. But your most recent letter brought neither comfort nor counsel — only a sharp rebuke, and one that I confess I do not entirely understand. If I have offended you, tell me plainly how, and I will make amends. If others have filled your ears with stories about me, I ask you to weigh their words carefully before accepting them. You know how readily people in our position attract calumny, and how eagerly the malicious carry tales between friends in hope of creating a breach. For my part, my conscience is clear — at least on the point you seem to be raising. I have done nothing to diminish you, nothing to claim authority that rightly belongs to you, nothing to undermine your standing. If anything, I have gone further than most would in publicly deferring to your judgment. But if even that has not satisfied you, I hardly know what more to offer except continued respect and the patient hope that time will vindicate my sincerity. Write to me again, uncle — but this time with something I can work with. An accusation I can answer; a vague displeasure, I cannot.

ST. BASIL OF CAESAREA To Gregory his uncle. Formerly I was glad to see my brother. Why not, since he is my brother and such a brother? Now I have received him on his coming to visit me with the same feelings, and have lost none of my affection. God forbid that I should ever so feel as to forget the ties of nature and be at war with those who are near and dear to me. I have found his presence a comfort in my bodily sickness and the other troubles of my soul, and I have been especially delighted at the letter which he has brought me from your excellency. For a long time I have been hoping that it would come, for this only reason, that I need not add to my life any doleful episode of quarrel between kith and kin, sure to give pleasure to foes and sorrow to friends, and to be displeasing to God, Who has laid down perfect love as the distinctive characteristic of His disciples. So I reply, as I am indeed bound, with an earnest request for your prayers for me, and your care for me in all things, as your relative. Since I, from want of information, cannot clearly understand the meaning of what is going on, I have judged it right to accept the truth of the account which you are so good as to give me. It is for you of your wisdom to settle the rest, our meeting with one another, the fitting time and a convenient place. If your reverence really does not disdain to come down to my lowliness and to have speech with me, whether you wish the interview to take place in the presence of others or in private, I shall make no objection, for I have once for all made up my mind to submit to you in love, and to carry out, without exception, what your reverence enjoins on me for the glory of God. I have not laid my reverend brother under the necessity of reporting anything to you by word of mouth, because on the former occasion what he said was not borne out by facts.

[Πρός: Γρηγορίῳ θείῳ] Καὶ πρότερον ἡδέως εἶδον τὸν ἀδελφόν μου. τί γὰρ οὐκ ἔμελλον, ἀδελφόν τε ὄντα ἐμαυτοῦ, καὶ τοιοῦτον; καὶ νῦν τῇ αὐτῇ διαθέσει προσεδεξάμην ἐπιδημήσαντα, μηδέν τι τῆς ἐμαυτοῦ στοργῆς παρατρέψας. μηδὲ γὰρ γένοιτό τι τοιοῦτο παθεῖν μηδέν, ὅ με τῆς φύσεως ἐπιλαθέσθαι καὶ ἐκπολεμωθῆναι πρὸς τοὺς οἰκείους ποιήσει. ἀλλὰ καὶ τῶν τοῦ σώματος ἀρρωστημάτων, καὶ τῶν ἄλλων ἀλγεινῶν τῆς ψυχῆς, παραμυθίαν ἡγησάμην εἶναι τὴν τοῦ ἀνδρὸς παρουσίαν· τοῖς τε παρὰ τῆς τιμιότητός σου δι’ αὐτοῦ κομισθεῖσι γράμμασιν ὑπερήσθην· ἃ καὶ ἐκ πολλοῦ μοι ἐπεθύμουν ἐλθεῖν, οὐκ ἄλλου τινὸς ἕνεκεν ἢ τοῦ μὴ καὶ ἡμᾶς τι σκυθρωπὸν διήγημα τῷ βίῳ προσθεῖναι, ὡς ἄρα τις εἴη τοῖς οἰκειοτάτοις πρὸς ἀλλήλους διάστασις, ἡδονὴν μὲν ἐχθροῖς παρασκευάζουσα, φίλοις δὲ συμφοράν, ἀπαρέσκουσα δὲ Θεῷ, τῷ ἐν τῇ τελείᾳ ἀγάπῃ τὸν χαρακτῆρα τῶν ἑαυτοῦ μαθητῶν θεμένῳ. διὸ καὶ ἀντιφθέγγομαι ἀναγκαίως εὔχεσθαι σε ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν παρακαλῶν, καὶ τὰ ἄλλα κήδεσθαι ἡμῶν ὡς οἰκείων. Τὸν δὲ νοῦν τῶν γινομένων ἐπειδὴ αὐτοὶ ὑπὸ ἀμαθείας συνιέναι οὐκ ἔχομεν, ἐκεῖνον ἐκρίναμεν ἀληθῆ εἶναι νομίζειν, ὃν ἂν αὐτὸς ἡμῖν ἐξηγήσασθαι καταξιώσῃς. ἀνάγκη δὲ καὶ τὰ λειπόμενα παρὰ τῆς σῆς μεγαλονοίας ὁρισθῆναι, τὴν συντυχίαν ἡμῶν τὴν πρὸς ἀλλήλους, καὶ καιρὸν τὸν πρέποντα, καὶ τόπον ἐπιτήδειον. εἴπερ οὖν ὅλως ἀνέχεται καταβῆναι πρὸς τὴν ταπείνωσιν ἡμῶν ἡ σεμνότης σου, καὶ λόγου τινὸς μεταδοῦναι ἡμῖν, εἴτε μετʼ ἄλλων, εἴτε κατὰ σεαυτὸν βούλει γενέσθαι τὴν συντυχίαν, ὑπακουσόμεθα, τοῦτο ἅπαξ ἑαυτοῖς συμβουλεύσαντες, δουλεύειν σοι ἐν ἀγάπῃ καὶ ποιεῖν ἐκ παντὸς τρόπου τὰ εἰς δόξαν Θεοῦ παρὰ τῆς εὐλαβείας σου ἡμῖν ἐπιτασσόμενα. Τὸν δὲ αἰδεσιμώτατον ἀδελφὸν οὐδὲν ἠναγκάσαμεν ἀπὸ γλώττης εἰπεῖν ἡμῖν· διότι οὔτε πρότερον μεμαρτυρημένον εἶχε τὸν λόγον ὑπὸ τῶν ἔργων.