Letter 72: I know your affection for me, and your zeal for all that is good. I am exceedingly anxious to pacify my very dear son Callisthenes, and I thought that if I could associate you with me in this I might more easily achieve my object. Callisthenes is very much annoyed at the conduct of Eustochius, and he has very good ground for being so.

Dear Hesychius, I know how much you care about me and how committed you are to doing the right thing — so I'm hoping you can help me with a situation. My dear friend Callisthenes is furious with Eustochius, and honestly, he has every right to be. He says Eustochius's household treated him with outright disrespect and even physical aggression. I've been trying to talk Callisthenes down. He's already given those men and their master a good scare — I think that's enough. I'm urging him to accept that, forgive, and let the whole thing drop. If he can pair his justified anger with some mercy, he'll earn respect from people and favor from God. Here's where you come in: if you have any influence with Callisthenes, please ask him to let this go. And if you know anyone else in town who might be able to persuade him, bring them in too. Let them know this would mean a great deal to me personally. Send the deacon back as soon as this is taken care of. These people came to me for help — I'd be embarrassed if I couldn't do anything for them.

ST. BASIL OF CAESAREA To Hesychius. I know your affection for me, and your zeal for all that is good. I am exceedingly anxious to pacify my very dear son Callisthenes, and I thought that if I could associate you with me in this I might more easily achieve my object. Callisthenes is very much annoyed at the conduct of Eustochius, and he has very good ground for being so. He charges the household of Eustochius with impudence and violence against himself. I am begging him to be propitiated, satisfied with the fright which he has given the impudent fellows and their master, and to forgive, and end the quarrel. Thus two results will follow; he will win the respect of men, and praise with God, if only he will combine forbearance with threats. If you have any friendship and intimacy with him, pray ask this favour of him, and, if you know any in the town likely to be able to move him, get them to act with you, and tell them that it will be specially gratifying to me. Send back the deacon so soon as his commission is performed. After men have fled for refuge to me, I should be ashamed not to be able to be of any use to them. 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/3202072.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.