Letter 208: You have been long silent, though you have very great power of speech, and are well trained in the art of conversation and of exhibiting yourself by your eloquence. Possibly it is Neocæsarea which is the cause of your not writing to me. I suppose I must take it as a kindness if those who are there do not remember me, for, as I am informed by tho...

From: Basil, Bishop of Caesarea To: Eulancius Date: ~369 AD Context: Basil writes to a man in Neocaesarea who used to be his supporter, gently chiding him for his silence and hoping the hostile atmosphere there has not turned him. You have been silent for a long time, though you have great power of speech and are well trained in the art of conversation and in displaying your eloquence. Perhaps it is Neocaesarea that is keeping you from writing to me. I suppose I should count it a kindness if the people there simply do not mention me at all -- for according to those who report what they hear, the mentions are not kind. You, however, used to be one of those who were disliked on my account, not one of those who dislike me on account of others. I hope that description still fits you, and that wherever you are you will write to me and think well of me -- if you care at all for what is fair and right. It is certainly fair that those who first showed affection should be repaid in kind.

ST. BASIL OF CAESAREA To Eulancius. You have been long silent, though you have very great power of speech, and are well trained in the art of conversation and of exhibiting yourself by your eloquence. Possibly it is Neocæsarea which is the cause of your not writing to me. I suppose I must take it as a kindness if those who are there do not remember me, for, as I am informed by those who report what they hear, the mention made of me is not kind. You, however, used to be one of those who were disliked for my sake, not one of those who dislike me for the sake of others. I hope this description will continue to fit you, that wherever you are you will write to me, and will have kindly thoughts of me, if you care at all for what is fair and right. It is certainly fair that those who have been first to show affection should be paid in their own coin. 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/3202208.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.