Bad Advertisement?
Are you a Christian?
Online Store:Visit Our Store
| Basil to Gregory.
PREVIOUS SECTION - NEXT SECTION - HELP 
Letter CLXIX.2559
| 2559 Placed in 374,
on the misconduct of Glycerius, a deacon. |
Basil to Gregory.2560
| 2560
Tillemont says either of Nyssa or Nazianzus. In the
ms. Coisl. I. it is preceded by lxxi.,
unquestionably addressed to Gregory of Nazianzus, and inscribed
“to the same.” In the Codex Harl. it
is inscribed Γρηγορί& 251·
ἑταίρῳ. Garnier,
however (Vit. S. Bas. xxxi. § iv.) allows that there are
arguments in favor of Gregory of Nyssa. Probably it is the
elder Gregory who is addressed. See Prolegomena. |
You have undertaken a kindly
and charitable task in getting together the captive troop of the
insolent Glycerius (at present I must so write), and, so far as in you
lay, covering our common shame. It is only right that your
reverence should undo this dishonour with a full knowledge of the facts
about him.
This grave and venerable Glycerius of yours was
ordained by me deacon of the church of Venesa2561
| 2561 Or
Veësa, or Synnasa; the mss.
vary. | to serve the presbyter, and look after
the work of the Church, for, though the fellow is in other respects
intractable, he is naturally clever at manual labour. No
sooner was he appointed than he neglected his work, as though there
had been absolutely nothing to do. But, of his own private
power and authority, he got together some wretched virgins, some of
whom came to him of their own accord (you know how young people are
prone to anything of this kind), and others were unwillingly
forced to accept him as leader of their company. Then he
assumed the style and title of patriarch, and began all of a sudden
to play the man of dignity. He had not attained to this on any
reasonable or pious ground; his only object was to get a means of
livelihood, just as some men start one trade and some another.
He has all but upset the whole Church, scorning his own presbyter, a
man venerable both by character and age; scorning his chorepiscopus,
and myself, as of no account at all, continually filling the town
and all the clergy with disorder and disturbance. And now, on
being mildly rebuked by me and his chorepiscopus, that he may not
treat us with contempt (for he was trying to stir the younger men to
like insubordination), he is meditating conduct most audacious and
inhuman. After robbing as many of the virgins as he could, he
has made off by night. I am sure all this will have seemed
very sad to you. Think of the time too. The feast was
being held there, and, as was natural, large numbers of people were
gathered together. He, however, on his side, brought out his
own troop, who followed young men and danced round them, causing all
well-disposed persons to be most distressed, while loose chatterers
laughed aloud. And even this was not enough, enormous as was
the scandal. I am told that even the parents of the virgins,
finding their bereavement unendurable, wishful to bring home the
scattered company, and falling with not unnatural sighs and tears at
their daughters’ feet, have been insulted and outraged by this
excellent young man and his troop of bandits. I am sure your
reverence will think all this intolerable. The ridicule of it
attaches to us all alike. First of all, order him to come back
with the virgins. He might find some mercy, if he were to come
back with a letter from you. If you do not adopt this course,
at least send the virgins back to their mother the Church. If
this cannot be done, at all events do not allow any violence to be
done to those that are willing to return, but get them to return to
me. Otherwise I call God and man to witness that all this is
ill done, and a breach of the law of the Church. The best
course would be for Glycerius to come back with a letter,2562
| 2562 ἐπιστολῆς is
read in the version of this letter appearing in the works of Greg.
Naz., and Combefis is no doubt right in thinking that it makes
better sense than ἐπιστήμης,
the reading of the chief mss.
here. | and in a becoming and proper frame of
mind; if not, let him be deprived of his ministry.2563
| 2563
cf. Prolegomena, and Ramsay’s Church and Roman
Empire, Cap. xviii. | E.C.F. INDEX & SEARCH
|
