This work was used by Gregory of Nyssa without naming its author, which is suggestive of that person's controversial standing at the time. Gregory tried in fact to rework it theologically and to remove some of its unorthodoxy. Sometime after it came to be attributed to Basil of Caesarea, although it has none of his theological caution. We know a bit more about the addressee, Letoius, to whom Gregory also wrote. He belonged to the circle of Libanius the Rhetor, as did Amphilochius of Iconium – who was also associated with Messalianism. Burgsmüller concludes that the work was written on the Syrian border in the last third of the fourth century. She tells us that the theme is that virginity is worthy of the utmost praise in those who have been wounded by heavenly love. The constant striving of the virgin should be to engage with her Bridegroom in the purest light. A view of humanity as capable of reaching a vision of God is implied. The soteriology is ‘naïve’ and the author was more concerned, as was Macarius, to help people to an inner meeting with God. There should be no pressure to be ascetic. Talk of mystical eunuchs keeping mystical Sabbaths also brings him close to Macarius' view. This Ps-Basil, unlike Gregory, does not get into the doctrine of how God can be described in ‘virginal’ categories. This is purely a practical work and more stamped by pagan thought. Sometimes it reads almost like natural science. The author was philosophically trained and demands this of his audience. Stoic concepts of apatheia and paideia are rarely far from the surface. Accordingly there is a strong conception of body and soul as forming a psychosomatic unity, even if the soul is closer to God by nature. As a spiritualist he denies physical castration, but affirms a spiritual one, in order to take on the angelic life. The lack of concern for communal and social setting sets the work apart from Nyssa. There are some interesting apparent novelties, such as the somewhat unique high evaluation of womankind: being female is not a lack but a gift. Romantic love is not despised; the concrete thematisation of sexuality is remarkable. One needs to maintain, against Foucault's over-simplified account, the variety of early Christian ascesis. It should be admitted however that it is strange to think of virginity as the first commandment. The influence of this work shows that it was not suspect theologically: in the Middle Ages its treatment of ‘being in love’ was very popular. Rather, it was the prudishness of the modern age up to recent times that led to a decline in its popularity. To be appreciated is his use of biblical picture language with ethical implications, such at that of the kenosis hymn: Christ suffers with us and is an example. With its full introduction and clear Greek text with facing German translation, this is a worthwhile and very readable work that helps us to sketch more carefully the image of Messalianism and its relationship to ‘Cappadocian’ thought.