Basil the Great was born ca. 330 CE at Caesarea in Cappadocia into a family noted for piety. He was at Constantinople and Athens for several years as a student with Gregory of Nazianzus and was much influenced by Origen. For a short time he held a chair of rhetoric at Caesarea, and was then baptized. He visited monasteries in Egypt and Palestine and sought out the most famous hermits in Syria and elsewhere to learn how to lead a pious and ascetic life; but he decided that communal monastic life and work were best. About 360 he founded in Pontus a convent to which his sister and widowed mother belonged. Ordained a presbyter in 365, in 370 he succeeded Eusebius in the archbishopric of Caesarea, which included authority over all Pontus. He died in 379. Even today his reform of monastic life in the east is the basis of modern Greek and Slavonic monasteries.
The Loeb Classical Library edition of Basil's Letters is in four volumes.
Table of Contents
- prefatory note ix
-
Letters
- 186. to antipater, the governor 3
- 187. antipater to basil 5
- 188. to amphilochius, on the canons 5
- 189. to eustathius, chief physician 49
- 190. to amphilochius, bishop of iconium 71
- 191. to amphilochius, bishop of iconium 79
- 192. to sophronius 83
- 193. to meletius, chief physician 83
- 194. to zoilus 85
- 195. to euphronius, bishop of colonia in armenia 87
- 196. to aburgius 89
- 197. to amrose, bishop of milan 91
- 198. to eusebius, bishop of samosata 99
- 199. to amphilochius, on the canons 103
- 200. to amphilochius, bishop of iconium 135
- 201. to amphilochius, bishop of iconium 139
- 202. to amphilochius, bishop of iconium 141
- 203. to the maritime bishops 141
- 204. to the neocaesareans 155
- 205. to elpidius, bishop 175
- 206. to elpidius, bishop 177
- 207. to the clergy at neocaesarea 181
- 208. to eulancius 193
- 209. in self-defence 195
- 210. to the learned in neocaesarea 195
- 211. to olympius 217
- 212. to hilarius 217
- 213. with reference to a pious man 223
- 214. to count terentius 227
- 215. to dorotheus, presbyter 237
- 216. to meletius, bishop of antioch 239
- 217. to amphilochius, on the canons 241
- 218. to amphilochius, bishop of iconium 267
- 219. to the clergy of samosata 271
- 220. to the people of beroea 275
- 221. to the people of beroea 279
- 222. to the chalcidians 283
- 223. against eustathius of sebaste 287
- 224. to the presbyter genethlius 313
- 225. to demosthenes 321
- 226. to the ascetics under him 327
- 227. to the clergy of colonia 343
- 228. to the magistrates of colonia 349
- 229. to the clergy of nicopolis 353
- 230. to the magistrates of nicopolis 357
- 231. to amphilochius, bishop of iconium 359
- 232. to amphilochius, bishop of iconium 363
- 233. to amphilochius 365
- 234. to the same 371
- 235. to the same 377
- 236. to the same 387
- 237. to eusebius, bishop of samosata 407
- 238. to the presbyters of nicopolis 411
- 239. to eusebius, bishop of samosata 415
- 240. to the presbyters of nicopolis 421
- 241. to eusebius, bishop of samosata 427
- 242. to the westerners 429
- 243. to the bishops of italy and gaul 435
- 244. to patrophilus, bishop of the church at aegae 449
- 245. to theophilus, the bishop 473
- 246. to the nicopolitans 477
- 247. to the nicopolitans 477
- 248. to amphilochius, bishop of iconium 479
- Index of Proper Names 484
- Volume I LCL 190
- Volume II LCL 215
- Volume IV LCL 270
Bibiliographic reference
Basil. Letters, Volume III: Letters 186-248. Translated by Roy J. Deferrari. Loeb Classical Library 243. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1930.
