Letter 147: Up to this time I used to think Homer a fable, when I read the second part of his poem, in which he narrates the adventures of Ulysses. But the calamity which has befallen the most excellent Maximus has led me to look on what I used to think fabulous and incredible, as exceedingly probable. Maximus was governor of no insignificant people, just a...

To Aburgius, I used to think Homer was exaggerating in the *Odyssey* — all those wild adventures of Ulysses seemed like pure fiction. But what's happened to our friend Maximus has made me reconsider. It's all suddenly very plausible. Maximus governed a significant province, much like Ulysses ruled the Cephallenians [inhabitants of the Ionian islands off western Greece]. Ulysses was wealthy and came home with nothing. Maximus has been reduced to such poverty that he may arrive home in borrowed clothes. Perhaps his misfortune came from provoking his own Laestrygonians [man-eating giants in the *Odyssey*], or running afoul of some Scylla [the sea monster who lurked in a strait, disguising savage cruelty beneath a deceptively mild appearance]. Whatever the case, he's barely managed to swim free of the disaster. He's asked me to write to you on his behalf. Here is what he needs: first, that you speak up about what's happened to him — don't let his situation go unnoticed, but bring it to the attention of the authorities. He hopes this will give him some defense against the false accusations that have been manufactured against him. And even if no remedy comes, at least the malice of the person behind this — who has shown a truly staggering level of hostility — will be exposed publicly. When someone has been wronged, it's no small comfort to have the wickedness of their enemies brought into the open.

ST. BASIL OF CAESAREA To Aburgius. Up to this time I used to think Homer a fable, when I read the second part of his poem, in which he narrates the adventures of Ulysses. But the calamity which has befallen the most excellent Maximus has led me to look on what I used to think fabulous and incredible, as exceedingly probable. Maximus was governor of no insignificant people, just as Ulysses was chief of the Cephallenians. Ulysses had great wealth, and returned stripped of everything. To such straits has calamity reduced Maximus, that he may have to present himself at home in borrowed rags. And perhaps he has suffered all this because he has irritated some Læstrygones against him, and has fallen in with some Scylla, hiding a dog's fierceness and fury under a woman's form. Since then he has barely been able to swim out of this inextricable whirlpool. He supplicates you by my means for humanity's sake to grieve for his undeserved misfortunes and not be silent about his needs, but make them known to the authorities. He hopes thus that he may find some aid against the slanders which have been got up against him: and if not, that at all events the intention of the enemy who has shown such an intoxication of hostility against him may be made public. When a man has been wronged it is a considerable comfort to him if the wickedness of his enemies can be made plain. About this page Source. Translated by Blomfield Jackson. From Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Second Series, Vol. 8. Edited by Philip Schaff and Henry Wace. (Buffalo, NY: Christian Literature Publishing Co., 1895.) Revised and edited for New Advent by Kevin Knight. <https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/3202147.htm>. Contact information. The editor of New Advent is Kevin Knight. My email address is feedback732 at newadvent.org. (To help fight spam, this address might change occasionally.) Regrettably, I can't reply to every letter, but I greatly appreciate your feedback — especially notifications about typographical errors and inappropriate ads.