Letter 218: Brother Ælianus has himself completed the business concerning which he came, and has stood in need of no aid from me. I owe him, however, double thanks, both for bringing me a letter from your reverence and for affording me an opportunity of writing to you. By him, therefore, I salute your true and unfeigned love, and beseech you to pray for me ...

Brother Aelianus handled his own business here without needing any help from me. I owe him double thanks, though: he brought me a letter from you, and he gave me an excuse to write back. Through him, then, I send my warmest greetings and beg you to pray for me more than ever. My health has suffered badly from the journey to Pontus, and my illness is almost unbearable. One thing I have been meaning to tell you for some time. I have not forgotten it out of distraction, but I want to put it clearly before you now: please send a reliable person into Lycia to find out who there holds to the true faith. A devout traveler from that region has told me that the Lycian Christians have become completely alienated from the views of the Asian party and wish to enter communion with us. If this report is accurate, they should not be neglected. If someone can go, have them inquire at Corydala for Alexander the bishop (formerly a monk); at Limyra for Diotimus; at Myra for the presbyters Tatianus, Polemo, and Macarius; at Patara for Bishop Eudemus; at Telmessus for Bishop Hilarius; and at Phelus for Bishop Lallianus. I have been told that all of these, and others besides, are sound in the faith. I am grateful to God that even some in the Asian region remain free of the heretical infection. For now, let us make personal inquiries. Once we have solid information, I intend to write a formal letter and perhaps invite one of them to meet with me. God grant that all may go well with your Church at Iconium, which is so dear to me. Through you I greet all the honored clergy and everyone associated with you.

ST. BASIL OF CAESAREA To Amphilochius, bishop of Iconium. Brother Ælianus has himself completed the business concerning which he came, and has stood in need of no aid from me. I owe him, however, double thanks, both for bringing me a letter from your reverence and for affording me an opportunity of writing to you. By him, therefore, I salute your true and unfeigned love, and beseech you to pray for me more than ever now, when I stand in such need of the aid of your prayers. My health has suffered terribly from the journey to Pontus and my sickness is unendurable. One thing I have long been anxious to make known to you. I do not mean to say that I have been so affected by any other cause as to forget it, but now I wish to put you in mind to send some good man into Lycia, to enquire who are of the right faith, for perhaps they ought not to be neglected, if indeed the report is true, which has been brought to me by a pious traveller from thence, that they have become altogether alienated from the opinion of the Asiani and wish to embrace communion with us. If any one is to go let him enquire at Corydala for Alexander, the late monk, the bishop; at Limyra for Diotimus, and at Myra for Tatianus, Polemo, and Macarius presbyters; at Patara for Eudemus, the bishop; at Telmessus for Hilarius, the bishop; at Phelus for Lallianus, the bishop. Of these and of more besides I have been informed that they are sound in the faith, and I have been grateful to God that even any in the Asian region should be clear of the heretic's pest. If, then, it be possible, let us in the meanwhile make personal enquiry about them. When we have obtained information I am for writing a letter, and am anxious to invite one of them to meet me. God grant that all may go well with that Church at Iconium, which is so dear to me. Through you I salute all the honourable clergy and all who are associated with your reverence.

[Πρός: Ἀμφιλοχίῳ, ἐπισκόπῳ Ἰκονίου.] Τὴν μὲν χρεῖαν, ἧς ἕνεκεν παρεγένετο ὁ ἀδελφὸς Αἰλιανός, κατώρθωσεν ἐφʼ ἑαυτοῦ, οὐδεμιᾶς παρʼ ἡμῶν συνεργίας προσδεηθείς· ἡμῖν δὲ διπλῆν ἔδωκε χάριν, κομίσας τε γράμματα τῆς σῆς θεοσεβείας καὶ ἀφορμὴν τῶν πρὸς σὲ γραμμάτων ἡμῖν παρασχόμενος. καὶ προσαγορεύομεν οὖν δι’ αὐτοῦ τὴν ἀληθινήν σου καὶ ἀμίμητον ἀγάπην· καὶ παρακαλοῦμεν προσεύχεσθαι περὶ ἡμῶν, νῦν, εἴπερ ποτέ, τῆς ἐκ τῶν προσευχῶν σου βοηθείας προσδεομένων. τὸ γὰρ σῶμά μου, ἐκ τῆς ὁδοῦ τῆς ἐπὶ τὸν Πόντον συντριβέν, ὑπὸ ἀρρωστίας συνέχεται οὐκ ἀνεκτῶς. ἐκεῖνο δὲ καὶ πάλαι ἐβουλόμην γνώριμον ποιῆσαι τῇ σῇ συνέσει (οὐχ ὡς ὑπʼ ἄλλης προηγουμένης αἰτίας διακρουσθεὶς ἐξελαθόμην)· νῦν δὲ ὑπομιμνήσκω, ἵνα καταξιώσῃς ἄνδρα σπουδαῖον πέμψαι εἰς τὴν Λυκίαν, κατασκέψασθαι, τίνες εἰσὶν οἱ τῆς ὀρθῆς πίστεως. δεῖ γὰρ τάχα μὴ παροφθῆναι αὐτούς, εἴπερ ἀληθῆ ἐστιν ἅ τις τῶν ἐκεῖθεν παραγενομένων πρὸς ἡμᾶς εὐλαβῶν διηγήσατο· ὅτι πάντη πρὸς τὸ Ἀσιανὸν φρόνημα ἀπηλλοτριωμένοι, ἡμᾶς καταδέχονται ἐπιγράφεσθαι κοινωνούς. εἰ δὲ μέλλει τις ἀπιέναι, ἐπιζητησάτω ἐν Κορυδάλοις Ἀλέξανδρον ἀπὸ μοναζόντων ἐπίσκοπον, καὶ ἐν Λιμύρᾳ Διάτιμον, καὶ ἐν Μύροις Τατιανὸν καὶ Πολέμωνα καὶ Μακάριον πρεσβυτέρους, ἐν Πατάροις ἐπίσκοπον Εὔδημον, ἐν Τελμεσῷ Ἱλάριον ἐπίσκοπον, ἐν Φέλῳ Λολλιανὸν ἐπίσκοπον. Τούτους καὶ ἔτι πλείους ἀνεγνώρισέ τις ἡμῖν, ὡς ὑγιαίνοντας περὶ τὴν πίστιν· καὶ πολλὴν ἔσχον χάριν τῷ Θεῷ, εἴ τινες ὅλως ἐν τῷ κλίματι τῷ Ἀσιανῷ ἔξω εἰσὶ τῆς βλάβης τῶν αἱρετικῶν. ἐὰν μὲν οὖν ᾖ δυνατόν, τέως ἄνευ γραμμάτων αὐτοὺς κατασκεψώμεθα· πεισθέντες δέ, λοιπὸν καὶ ἀποστέλλομεν ἐπιστολήν, καὶ σπουδάζομέν τινα ἐξ αὐτῶν προσκαλέσασθαι εἰς τὴν συντυχίαν ἡμῶν. γένοιτο δὲ πάντα ἐν καιρῷ περὶ τὴν ποθεινοτάτην ὑμῖν ἐκκλησίαν τὴν Ἰκονίου. πάντα τὸν τίμιον κλῆρον καὶ τοὺς συνόντας τῇ θεοσεβείᾳ σου ἀσπαζόμεθα διὰ σοῦ.