E00817: Basil of Caesarea, in his Letter 176 of 374, invites Amphilochios, bishop of Ikonion/Iconium, to visit Kaisareia/Caesarea of Cappadocia (both central Asia Minor), in order to attend local festivals of unnamed martyrs, held on 2 and 5 September. Written in Greek at Kaisareia.

Basil of Caesarea, Letters (CPG 2900), Letter 176

ΑΜΦΙΛΟΧΙῼ ΕΠΙΣΚΟΠῼ ΙΚΟΝΙΟΥ

Παράσχοι ὁ ἅγιος Θεὸς ἐρρωμένῳ σοι τὸ σῶμα καὶ ἀπὸ πάσης ἀσχολίας ἀνειμένῳ καὶ πάντα πράττοντι κατὰ νοῦν τὴν ἐπιστολὴν ἡμῶν ταύτην εἰς χεῖρας ἐλθεῖν, ἵνα μὴ ἄπρακτος ἡμῶν ἡ παράκλησις γένηται ἣν παρακαλοῦμεν νῦν ἐπιφανῆναί σε ἡμῶν τῇ πόλει ἐπὶ τῷ σεμνοτέραν γενέσθαι τὴν πανήγυριν ἣν δι’ ἔτους ἄγειν ἐπὶ τοῖς μάρτυσιν ἔθος ἐστὶν ἡμῶν τῇ Ἐκκλησίᾳ. Πέπεισο γάρ, τιμιώτατέ μοι καὶ ποθεινότατε ὡς ἀληθῶς, ὅτι, πολλῶν εἰς πεῖραν ἐλθὼν ὁ παρ’ ἡμῖν λαός, τῆς οὐδενὸς οὕτως ἀντέχεται ἐπιτυχίας ὡς τῆς σῆς παρουσίας, τοιοῦτον κέντρον ἀγάπης ἐκ τῆς μικρᾶς ἐκείνης συντυχίας ἐναφῆκας. Ἵνα οὖν καὶ ὁ Κύριος δοξασθῇ καὶ λαοὶ εὐφρανθῶσι καὶ τιμηθῶσι μάρτυρες καὶ ἡμεῖς οἱ γέροντες τῆς ὀφειλομένης ἡμῖν παρὰ τέκνου γνησίου τύχωμεν θεραπείας, καταξίωσον ἀόκνως μέχρις ἡμῶν διαβῆναι καὶ προλαβεῖν τὰς ἡμέρας τῆς συνόδου, ὥστε ἐπὶ σχολῆς ἡμᾶς ἀλλήλοις συγγενέσθαι καὶ συμπαρακληθῆναι διὰ τῆς κοινωνίας τῶν πνευματικῶν χαρισμάτων. Ἔστι δὲ ἡ ἡμέρα τῇ πέμπτῃ τοῦ Σεπτεμβρίου. Διὸ παρακαλοῦμεν πρὸ τριῶν ἡμερῶν ἐπιστῆναι, ἵνα καὶ τοῦ πτωχοτροφείου τὴν μνήμην μεγάλην ποιήσῃς τῇ παρουσίᾳ. Ἐρρωμένος καὶ εὔθυμος ἐν Κυρίῳ ὑπερευχόμενός μου διαφυλαχθείης μοι καὶ τῇ τοῦ Θεοῦ Ἐκκλησίᾳ χάριτι τοῦ Κυρίου.


‘To Amphilochios, Bishop of Ikonion

May the holy God grant that this letter of ours come into your hands, finding you strong in body, free from all occupation, and faring in all respects according to your wish, in order that our invitation may not be in vain, which we now extend to you to visit our city, for the purpose of rendering more impressive the festival which it is the custom of our church to celebrate annually in honour of the martyrs. For be assured, my most honoured and truly cherished brother, that although our people have had experience of many visitors, they insist upon the visit of no one so urgently as they do upon your coming; so potent was the barb of love which you implanted in them on the occasion of the former brief visit. In order, therefore, that the Lord may be glorified, the people made happy, the martyrs honoured, and we old men receive the deference due to us from a true son, deign to come to us without hesitation, and to anticipate the days of the festival, so that we may converse at leisure with each other and be mutually consoled through the sharing of spiritual gifts. The day is the fifth of September. Accordingly we urge you to arrive three days beforehand, in order that you may also make great by your presence the festival of the house of the poor. In good health and joyful in the Lord, praying for me, may you be preserved to me and to the Church of God by the grace of the Lord.’

Text: Courtonne, vol. 2, 112-113.
Translation: Deferrari, vol. 2, p. 478-483 (modified).