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

To Trajan.Letter CXLIX. 2488To Trajan. 2489You yourself have seen with your own eyes the distressing condition of Maximus, oncea man of high reputation, but now most of all to be pitied, formerly prefect of my country.Would that he had never been so! Many, I think, would be likely to shun provincial governorships,if their dignities are likely to issue in such an end. To a man, then, from thequickness of his intelligence, able from a few circumstances to conjecture the rest, I needhardly narrate in detail all that I have seen and all that I have heard. Perhaps, however, Ishall not seem to be telling a superfluous story if I mention that, though many and terriblethings were audaciously done against him before your coming, what went on afterwardswas such as to cause the former proceedings to be reckoned as kindness; to such an excessof outrage and injury and actually of personal cruelty did the proceedings go which wereafterwards taken against him by the person in authority. Now he is here with an escort tofill up the measure of his evil deeds unless you are willing to stretch out your strong handto protect the sufferer. In urging your goodness to an act of kindness I feel that I am undertakingan unnecessary task. Yet since I desire to be serviceable to Maximus I do beg yourlordship to add something for my sake to your natural zeal for what is right, to the end thathe may clearly perceive that my intervention on his behalf has been of service to him.2488 Placed in 373.2489 The Ben. note points out that though in all the mss. the inscription is τῷ αὐτῷ, to the same, that is toTrajan, the internal evidence points to its having been written to some one else. Trajan had had no personalknowledge of the troubles of Maximus.600