Letter 68: I wished to detain the reverend brother Dorotheus, the deacon, so long at my side, with the object of keeping him until the end of the negociations, and so by him acquainting your excellency with every detail. But day after day went by; the delay was becoming protracted; now, the moment that some plan, so far as is possible in my difficulties, h...

To Meletius, bishop of Antioch [leader of the pro-Nicene Christian faction in Antioch, then in exile under Arian-sympathizing Emperor Valens]. I wanted to keep our brother Dorotheus the deacon here with me until negotiations wrapped up, so he could bring you a full update. But the delays kept stretching on, and now that I've finally come up with a plan — as best I can given my circumstances — I'm sending him to you. He'll report everything in person and deliver my written proposal. If it seems useful to you, I hope you'll push it forward. Here's the short version: we've decided it's best for Dorotheus to travel to Rome [the Western church was largely pro-Nicene and had more political freedom than the Eastern bishops under Valens] to persuade some of the Italian bishops to come visit us by sea — taking a route that avoids anyone who might obstruct them. My reasoning: the people who have the emperor's ear are neither willing nor able to speak to him about the exiled bishops [pro-Nicene leaders banished by the Arian-leaning Emperor Valens]. They consider it a win just that nothing worse is happening to the churches. So we need outside help. If this plan looks sound to you, please draft the letters and talking points for Dorotheus — who to approach, what arguments to make. And to give your dispatches more weight, add the names of everyone who shares our position, even those who aren't physically present to sign. Things here are uncertain. Euippius [an Arian-leaning bishop] has arrived but hasn't shown his hand yet. He and his allies from the Armenian Tetrapolis [a group of four cities in Lesser Armenia] and Cilicia [a region in southeastern Asia Minor, modern southern Turkey] are threatening to call a noisy assembly.

ST. BASIL OF CAESAREA To Meletius, bishop of Antioch. I wished to detain the reverend brother Dorotheus, the deacon, so long at my side, with the object of keeping him until the end of the negociations, and so by him acquainting your excellency with every detail. But day after day went by; the delay was becoming protracted; now, the moment that some plan, so far as is possible in my difficulties, has occurred to me concerning the course to be taken, I send him to approach your holiness, to make a personal report to you on all the circumstances, and show you my memorandum, to the end that, if what has occurred to me seems to you to be likely to be of service, your excellency may urge on its accomplishment. To be brief, the opinion has prevailed that it is best for this our brother Dorotheus to travel to Rome, to move some of the Italians to undertake a voyage by sea to visit us, that they may avoid all who would put difficulties in their way. My reason for this course is that I see that those, who are all powerful with the Emperor, are neither willing nor able to make any suggestion to him about the exiled, but only count it so much to the good that they see no worse thing befalling the Churches. If, then, my plan seems good also to your prudence, you will be good enough both to indite letters and dictate memoranda as to the points on which he must enlarge, and as to whom he had better address himself. And so that your dispatches may have weight and authority, you will add all those who share your sentiments, even though they are not on the spot. Here all is uncertain; Euippius has arrived, but so far has made no sign. However, he and those who think with him from the Armenian Tetrapolis and Cilicia are threatening a tumultuous meeting.

[Πρός: Μελετίῳ, ἐπισκόπῳ Ἀντιοχείας] Τέως μὲν ἐβουλήθημεν κατασχεῖν παρʼ ἑαυτοῖς τὸν εὐλαβέστατον ἀδελφὸν Δωρόθεον τὸν συνδιάκονον, ὥστε, ἐπὶ τῷ τέλει τῶν πραγμάτων ἀποπεμψάμενοι, γνωρίσαι δι’ αὐτοῦ ἕκαστα τῶν πεπραγμένων τῇ τιμιότητί σου. ἐπεὶ δὲ ἡμέραν ἐξ ἡμέρας ὑπερτιθέμενοι εἰς πολὺ τοῦ χρόνου παρετάθημεν, καὶ ἅμα, ὡς ἐν ἀπόροις, βουλή τις ἡμῖν ἐνέπεσε περὶ τῶν πρακτέων, ἀπεστείλαμεν τὸν προειρημένον ἄνδρα καταλαβεῖν ὑμῶν τὴν ὁσιότητα, καὶ δι’ ἑαυτοῦ τε ἀνενεγκεῖν ἕκαστα, καὶ τὸ ὑπομνηστικὸν ἡμῶν ἐπιδεῖξαι, ἵνα, εἰ φανείη χρησίμως ἔχειν τὰ παρʼ ἡμῶν ἐννοηθέντα, εἰς ἔργον ἐλθεῖν παρὰ τὴς ὑμετέρας τελειότητος σπουδασθείη. Ὡς δὲ συντόμως εἰπεῖν, γνώμη ἐκράτησεν ἐπὶ τὴν Ῥώμην διαβῆναι τὸν αὐτὸν τοῦτον ἀδελφὸν ἡμῶν Δωρόθεον, διαναστῆσαί τινας τῶν ἀπὸ τῆς Ἰταλίας, πρὸς τὴν ἐπίσκεψιν ἡμῶν θαλάσσῃ χρησαμένους, ἵνα τοὺς ἐμποδίζοντας διαφύγωσι. τοὺς γὰρ παραδυναστεύοντας τοῖς κρατοῦσιν εἶδον μηδὲν βουλομένους μήτε δυναμένους ὑπομιμνήσκειν αὐτὸν περὶ τῶν ἐκβεβλημένων, ἀλλὰ τὸ μή τι χεῖρον ἰδεῖν ἐν ταῖς ἐκκλησίαις γινόμενον κέρδος τιθεμένους. εἰ οὖν καὶ τῇ σῇ φρονήσει χρήσιμον εἶναι τὸ βούλευμα παρασταίη, καταξιώσεις καὶ ἐπιστολὰς τυπῶσαι, καὶ ὑπομνηστικὰ ὑπαγορεῦσαι περὶ ὧν χρὴ διαλεχθῆναι αὐτὸν καὶ πρὸς τίνας. ὥστε δὲ ἔχειν ἀξιοπιστίαν τινὰ τὰ γράμματα, συμπαραλήψῃ πάντως τοὺς ὁμογνώμονας, κἂν μὴ παρῶσι. τὰ δʼ ἐνταῦθα ἔτι ἐστὶν ἐν ἀδήλῳ, τοῦ Εὐϊππίου παραγενομένου μέν, μηδὲν δὲ τέως ἐκφήναντος. ἀπειλοῦσι μέντοι καὶ συνδρομήν τινα ὁμογνωμόνων αὐτοῖς ἔκ τε τῆς Ἀρμενίας τῆς Τετραπόλεως, καὶ ἐκ τῆς Κιλικίας.