E00822: Basil of Caesarea, in his Letter 204 of 375, to the people of Neokaisareia/Neocaesarea in Pontus (northern Asia Minor), refers to *Gregory the Miracle-Worker (bishop of Neocaesarea, S00687) as the founder of the local ecclesiastical tradition, whose doctrines he (Basil) was taught by his own grandmother, Makrina the Elder. Written in Greek at Kaisareia/Caesarea of Cappadocia (central Asia Minor).
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posted on 2015-10-30, 00:00 authored by erizosBasil of Caesarea, Letters (CPG 2900), Letter 204
ΤΟΙΣ ΝΕΟΚΑΙΣΑΡΕΥΣΙΝ
(………………)
(2.) Δεύτερον δὲ ὅτι, εἴ τι μέγα συμβάλλεται πρὸς συνάφειαν καὶ τὸ τῶν αὐτῶν μετασχεῖν διδασκάλων, οἱ αὐτοὶ ὑμῖν τε εἰσὶ καὶ ἡμῖν διδάσκαλοί τε τῶν μυστηρίων τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ πατέρες πνευματικοί, οἱ ἐξ ἀρχῆς τὴν Ἐκκλησίαν τὴν ὑμετέραν θεμελιώσαντες. Γρηγόριον λέγω τὸν πάνυ καὶ ὅσοι ἐφεξῆς ἐκείνῳ τῆς παρ’ ὑμῖν ἐπισκοπῆς τὸν θρόνον διαδεξάμενοι, ἄλλος ἐπ’ ἄλλῳ, ὥσπερ τινὲς ἀστέρες ἐπανατέλλοντες κατὰ τῶν αὐτῶν ἰχνῶν ἐπέβησαν, ὥστε διάγνωστα καταλιπεῖν τῆς κατ’ οὐρανὸν πολιτείας τὰ σημεῖα τοῖς βουλομένοις.
(……………)
(6.) Πίστεως δὲ τῆς ἡμετέρας τίς ἂν καὶ γένοιτο ἐναργεστέρα ἀπόδειξις ἢ ὅτι τραφέντες ἡμεῖς ὑπὸ τήθῃ μακαρίᾳ γυναικὶ παρ’ ὑμῶν ὡρμημένῃ; Μακρίναν λέγω τὴν περιβόητον, παρ’ ἧς ἐδιδάχθημεν τὰ τοῦ μακαριωτάτου Γρηγορίου ῥήματα ὅσα πρὸς αὐτὴν ἀκολουθίᾳ μνήμης διασωθέντα αὐτή τε ἐφύλασσε καὶ ἡμᾶς ἔτι νηπίους ὄντας ἔπλαττε καὶ ἐμόρφου τοῖς τῆς εὐσεβείας δόγμασιν.
‘To the people of Neokaisareia
(…………)
And, secondly, if sharing the same teachers contributes at all greatly to union, both you and we have not only the same teachers of God’s mysteries, but also the same spiritual fathers who from the beginning have laid the foundations of your church. I mean the great Gregory and all who, having succeeded in turn to his chair in your episcopate, one following the other like rising stars, have so walked in the same footsteps as to leave the marks of his heavenly administration visible to any who wish to see them.
(………)
And what indeed could be a clearer proof of our faith than that we were brought up by our grandmother, a blessed woman who came from amongst you? I mean the illustrious Makrina, by whom we were taught the sayings of the most blessed Gregory (as many as she herself retained, preserved to her time in unbroken memory), and who moulded and formed us while still young in the doctrines of piety.’
Text: Courtonne, vol. 2, p. 172-181.
Translation: Deferrari, vol. 3, p. 157, 169.
ΤΟΙΣ ΝΕΟΚΑΙΣΑΡΕΥΣΙΝ
(………………)
(2.) Δεύτερον δὲ ὅτι, εἴ τι μέγα συμβάλλεται πρὸς συνάφειαν καὶ τὸ τῶν αὐτῶν μετασχεῖν διδασκάλων, οἱ αὐτοὶ ὑμῖν τε εἰσὶ καὶ ἡμῖν διδάσκαλοί τε τῶν μυστηρίων τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ πατέρες πνευματικοί, οἱ ἐξ ἀρχῆς τὴν Ἐκκλησίαν τὴν ὑμετέραν θεμελιώσαντες. Γρηγόριον λέγω τὸν πάνυ καὶ ὅσοι ἐφεξῆς ἐκείνῳ τῆς παρ’ ὑμῖν ἐπισκοπῆς τὸν θρόνον διαδεξάμενοι, ἄλλος ἐπ’ ἄλλῳ, ὥσπερ τινὲς ἀστέρες ἐπανατέλλοντες κατὰ τῶν αὐτῶν ἰχνῶν ἐπέβησαν, ὥστε διάγνωστα καταλιπεῖν τῆς κατ’ οὐρανὸν πολιτείας τὰ σημεῖα τοῖς βουλομένοις.
(……………)
(6.) Πίστεως δὲ τῆς ἡμετέρας τίς ἂν καὶ γένοιτο ἐναργεστέρα ἀπόδειξις ἢ ὅτι τραφέντες ἡμεῖς ὑπὸ τήθῃ μακαρίᾳ γυναικὶ παρ’ ὑμῶν ὡρμημένῃ; Μακρίναν λέγω τὴν περιβόητον, παρ’ ἧς ἐδιδάχθημεν τὰ τοῦ μακαριωτάτου Γρηγορίου ῥήματα ὅσα πρὸς αὐτὴν ἀκολουθίᾳ μνήμης διασωθέντα αὐτή τε ἐφύλασσε καὶ ἡμᾶς ἔτι νηπίους ὄντας ἔπλαττε καὶ ἐμόρφου τοῖς τῆς εὐσεβείας δόγμασιν.
‘To the people of Neokaisareia
(…………)
And, secondly, if sharing the same teachers contributes at all greatly to union, both you and we have not only the same teachers of God’s mysteries, but also the same spiritual fathers who from the beginning have laid the foundations of your church. I mean the great Gregory and all who, having succeeded in turn to his chair in your episcopate, one following the other like rising stars, have so walked in the same footsteps as to leave the marks of his heavenly administration visible to any who wish to see them.
(………)
And what indeed could be a clearer proof of our faith than that we were brought up by our grandmother, a blessed woman who came from amongst you? I mean the illustrious Makrina, by whom we were taught the sayings of the most blessed Gregory (as many as she herself retained, preserved to her time in unbroken memory), and who moulded and formed us while still young in the doctrines of piety.’
Text: Courtonne, vol. 2, p. 172-181.
Translation: Deferrari, vol. 3, p. 157, 169.
History
Evidence ID
E00822Saint Name
Gregory the Miracle-Worker (Taumatourgos), bishop and missionary in Pontus : S00687Saint Name in Source
ΓρηγόριοςRelated Saint Records
Type of Evidence
Literary - LettersLanguage
- Greek
