These Letters are placed in this order by the Ben. Editors as being written, if genuine, before Basil’s episcopate.  Maran (Vita S. Bas. Cap. ii.) is puzzled at Basil’s assertion in xli. that he learned the Bible with Julian, and points out that at Athens they devoted themselves to profane literature.  But this may have allowed intervals for other work.  In 344, when Basil was at Cæsarea, Julian was relegated by Constantius to the neighbouring fortress of Macellum, and there, with his elder half-brother Gallus, spent six years in compulsory retirement.  Sozomen tells us that the brothers studied the Scripture and became Readers (Soz. v. 2; Amm. Marc. xv. 2, 7).  Their seclusion, in which they were reduced to the society of their own household (Greg. Naz., Or. iii., Julian, Ad. Ath. 271 c.), may not have been so complete as to prevent all intercourse with a harmless schoolboy like Basil.  “Malgré l’authorité de dom Maran, nous croyons avec Tillemont, Dupont et M. Albert de Broglie, que cette lettre a été réellement adressée par Julien, non a un homonyme de St. Basile mais à St. Basile lui-même.”  Étude historique et littéraire sur St. Basile.  Fialon.