E00777: Basil of Caesarea, in his Letter 248 of 376, to Amphilochios of Ikonion/Iconium, mentions the death of the priest *Asklepios (S00950) who denied communion to the Arians and was beaten. Basil regards him as a martyr. Written in Greek at Kaisareia/Caesarea of Cappadocia (central Asia Minor).
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posted on 2015-10-13, 00:00 authored by erizosBasil of Caesarea, Letters (CPG 2900), Letter 248
ΑΜΦΙΛΟΧΙῼ ΕΠΙΣΚΟΠῼ ΙΚΟΝΙΟΥ
Ὅταν μὲν πρὸς τὴν ἡμετέραν αὐτῶν ἐπιθυμίαν ἀπίδωμεν, ἀχθόμεθα τοσοῦτον διῳκισμένοι τῆς εὐλαβείας σου· ὅταν δὲ πρὸς τὸ εἰρηνικὸν τῆς σαυτοῦ διαγωγῆς, εὐχαριστοῦμεν τῷ Κυρίῳ, τῷ ἐξελομένῳ τὴν εὐλάβειάν σου ἀπὸ τοῦ ἐμπρησμοῦ τούτου ὃς πλέον ἐπενείματο τὴν καθ’ ἡμᾶς παροικίαν. Ἔδωκε γὰρ ἡμῖν κατὰ τὰ ἔργα ἡμῶν ὁ Δικαιοκρίτης ἄγγελον Σατὰν ἱκανῶς ἡμᾶς κατακονδυλίζοντα καὶ σφοδρῶς μὲν ἐκδικοῦντα τὴν αἵρεσιν, μέχρι τοσούτου δὲ τὸν πρὸς ἡμᾶς ἐξαγαγόντα πόλεμον ὥστε μηδὲ αἵματος φείσασθαι τῶν εἰς Θεὸν πεπιστευκότων. Πάντως γὰρ οὐκ ἔλαθέ σου τὴν ἀγάπην ὅτι Ἀσκλήπιός τις διὰ τὸ μὴ ἑλέσθαι τὴν πρὸς τὸν Δωὴκ κοινωνίαν τυπτόμενος παρ’ αὐτῶν ταῖς πληγαῖς ἐναπέθανεν, μᾶλλον δὲ διὰ τῶν πληγῶν εἰς τὴν ζωὴν μετετέθη. Ἀκόλουθα δὲ ἐκείνῳ πάντα οἴου γίνεσθαι τὰ λοιπά· διωγμοὺς πρεσβυτέρων καὶ διδασκάλων, τὰ ἄλλα ὅσα ἂν ποιήσειαν ἄνθρωποι τῇ ἐκ τῆς ἀρχῆς δυναστείᾳ πρὸς τὸ ἑαυτῶν βούλημα κεχρημένοι. (.......)
'To Amphilochius, Bishop of Iconium
Whenever we regard our own yearning we are annoyed for living so far away from your Piety, but whenever we regard the peacefulness of your life, we give thanks to the Lord for having removed your Piety from this conflagration which has been increasingly consuming the district in our charge. For the just Judge in accordance with our works has given us “an angel of Satan” (2 Corinthians 12.7), who sufficiently buffets us and vehemently defends the heresy; and he carries on the war against us to such a degree that he does not even spare the blood of those who have placed their trust in God. For surely it has not escaped your Charity that a certain Asklēpios, for not having chosen communion with Doeg (1 Samuel, 21, 22), was struck by them and died of the blows, or rather by means of the blows was translated to life. And realize that consistent with this are all the rest of their actions: persecutions of presbyters and teachers, and all other such things as men might do who make use of the power of government in accordance with their will. (........)'
Text: Courtonne, vol. 3 (1966), 86-87.
Translation: Deferrari, vol. 3, p. 478-483 (modified).
ΑΜΦΙΛΟΧΙῼ ΕΠΙΣΚΟΠῼ ΙΚΟΝΙΟΥ
Ὅταν μὲν πρὸς τὴν ἡμετέραν αὐτῶν ἐπιθυμίαν ἀπίδωμεν, ἀχθόμεθα τοσοῦτον διῳκισμένοι τῆς εὐλαβείας σου· ὅταν δὲ πρὸς τὸ εἰρηνικὸν τῆς σαυτοῦ διαγωγῆς, εὐχαριστοῦμεν τῷ Κυρίῳ, τῷ ἐξελομένῳ τὴν εὐλάβειάν σου ἀπὸ τοῦ ἐμπρησμοῦ τούτου ὃς πλέον ἐπενείματο τὴν καθ’ ἡμᾶς παροικίαν. Ἔδωκε γὰρ ἡμῖν κατὰ τὰ ἔργα ἡμῶν ὁ Δικαιοκρίτης ἄγγελον Σατὰν ἱκανῶς ἡμᾶς κατακονδυλίζοντα καὶ σφοδρῶς μὲν ἐκδικοῦντα τὴν αἵρεσιν, μέχρι τοσούτου δὲ τὸν πρὸς ἡμᾶς ἐξαγαγόντα πόλεμον ὥστε μηδὲ αἵματος φείσασθαι τῶν εἰς Θεὸν πεπιστευκότων. Πάντως γὰρ οὐκ ἔλαθέ σου τὴν ἀγάπην ὅτι Ἀσκλήπιός τις διὰ τὸ μὴ ἑλέσθαι τὴν πρὸς τὸν Δωὴκ κοινωνίαν τυπτόμενος παρ’ αὐτῶν ταῖς πληγαῖς ἐναπέθανεν, μᾶλλον δὲ διὰ τῶν πληγῶν εἰς τὴν ζωὴν μετετέθη. Ἀκόλουθα δὲ ἐκείνῳ πάντα οἴου γίνεσθαι τὰ λοιπά· διωγμοὺς πρεσβυτέρων καὶ διδασκάλων, τὰ ἄλλα ὅσα ἂν ποιήσειαν ἄνθρωποι τῇ ἐκ τῆς ἀρχῆς δυναστείᾳ πρὸς τὸ ἑαυτῶν βούλημα κεχρημένοι. (.......)
'To Amphilochius, Bishop of Iconium
Whenever we regard our own yearning we are annoyed for living so far away from your Piety, but whenever we regard the peacefulness of your life, we give thanks to the Lord for having removed your Piety from this conflagration which has been increasingly consuming the district in our charge. For the just Judge in accordance with our works has given us “an angel of Satan” (2 Corinthians 12.7), who sufficiently buffets us and vehemently defends the heresy; and he carries on the war against us to such a degree that he does not even spare the blood of those who have placed their trust in God. For surely it has not escaped your Charity that a certain Asklēpios, for not having chosen communion with Doeg (1 Samuel, 21, 22), was struck by them and died of the blows, or rather by means of the blows was translated to life. And realize that consistent with this are all the rest of their actions: persecutions of presbyters and teachers, and all other such things as men might do who make use of the power of government in accordance with their will. (........)'
Text: Courtonne, vol. 3 (1966), 86-87.
Translation: Deferrari, vol. 3, p. 478-483 (modified).
History
Evidence ID
E00777Saint Name
Asklēpios, martyred priest in Caesarea of Cappadocia, ob. c. 375 : S00950Saint Name in Source
ἈσκληπιόςRelated Saint Records
Type of Evidence
Literary - LettersLanguage
- Greek
