NPNF2-08. Basil: Letters and Select Works - Holy Bible Institute

Julian to Basil.Letter XL. 2053Julian to Basil.While showing up to the present time the gentleness and benevolence which have beennatural to me from my boyhood, I have reduced all who dwell beneath the sun to obedience.For lo! every tribe of barbarians to the shores of ocean has come to lay its gifts before myfeet. So too the Sagadares who dwell beyond the Danube, wondrous with their bright tattooing,and hardly like human beings, so wild and strange are they, now grovel at my feet,and pledge themselves to obey all the behests my sovereignty imposes on them. I have afurther object. I must as soon as possible march to Persia and rout and make a tributary ofthat Sapor, descendant of Darius. I mean too to devastate the country of the Indians andthe Saracens until they all acknowledge my superiority and become my tributaries. You,however, profess a wisdom above and beyond these things; you call yourself clad with piety,but your clothing is really impudence and everywhere you slander me as one unworthy ofthe imperial dignity. Do you not know that I am the grandson of the illustrious Constantius?2054 I know this of you, and yet I do not change the old feelings which I had to you, andyou to me in the days when we were both young. 2055 But of my merciful will I commandthat a thousand pounds of gold be sent me from you, when I pass by Cæsarea; for I am stillon the march, and with all possible dispatch am hurrying to the Persian campaign. If yourefuse I am prepared to destroy Cæsarea, to overthrow the buildings that have long adornedit; to erect in their place temples and statues; and so to induce all men to submit to the Emperorof the Romans and not exalt themselves. Wherefore I charge you to send me withoutfail by the hands of some trusty messenger the stipulated gold, after duly counting andweighing it, and sealing it with your ring. In this way I may show mercy to you for yourerrors, if you acknowledge, however late, that no excuses will avail. I have learned to know,and to condemn, what once I read. 20562053 If genuine, which is exceedingly doubtful, this letter would be placed in the June or July of 362.2054 i.e. of Constantius Chlorus. Vide pedigree prefixed to Theodoret in this edition, p. 32. Julian was theyoungest son of Julius Constantius, half-brother of Constantine the Great.2055 The fact of the early acquaintance of Basil and Julian does not rest wholly on the authority of thisdoubtful letter. cf. Greg. Naz., Orat. iv.2056 A strong argument against the genuineness of this letter is the silence of Gregory of Nazianzus as to thisdemand on Basil (Or. v. 39). For Julian’s treatment of Cæsarea, vide Sozomen v. 4. Maran (Vita S. Bas. viii.)remarks that when Julian approached Cæsarea Basil was in his Pontic retreat. On the punning conclusion, videnote on Letter xli. (ἃ ἀνέγνων ἔγνων καὶ κατέγνων.)435