# Letter to Jovian

- Author: [Apollinaris of Laodicea](https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/authors/apollinaris-of-laodicea/)
- Latin title: *Ad Iovianum*
- Date: ca. 360–390 (approximate)
- Source: Hans Lietzmann, Apollinaris von Laodicea und seine Schule: Texte und Untersuchungen (Tübingen: Mohr, 1904), 250–253 (Scan: Internet Archive (Google Books copy); OCR for this site)

- Translation: Claude, from the original text, unless a passage says otherwise; each passage below gives the translator
- Editions and translations: Hans Lietzmann, ed., Apollinaris von Laodicea und seine Schule (Tübingen: Mohr, 1904) (cited only)
- Work page: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/apollinaris-laodicea-ad-iovianum/
- Passages: 3

## Letter to Jovian 1

- URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/apollinaris-laodicea-ad-iovianum/1/#p-1
- Source: Lietzmann, 248
- Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-11-12

Summary: The eternal Son was born of Mary according to the flesh: one Son, not two, “one nature of God the Word made flesh,” worshiped with his flesh in one worship.

### Greek text

Ὁμολογοῦμεν τὸν υἱὸν τοῦ θεοῦ, τὸν πρὸ αἰώνων ἀιδίως γεννηθέντα, ἐπ’ ἐσχάτων τῶν αἰώνων διὰ τὴν ἡμετέραν σωτηρίαν ἐκ Μαρίας γεγεννῆσθαι κατὰ σάρκα, ὡς ὁ θεῖος ἀπόστολος διδάσκει λέγων “ὅτε δὲ ἦλθε τὸ πλήρωμα τοῦ χρόνου, ἐξαπέστειλεν ὁ θεὸς τὸν υἱὸν αὐτοῦ, γενόμενον ἐκ γυναικός ”᾿ καὶ εἶναι τὸν αὐτὸν υἱὸν θεοῦ καὶ θεὸν κατὰ πνεῦμα, υἱὸν δὲ ἀνθρώπου κατὰ σάρκα, οὐ δύο φύσεις τὸν ἕνα υἱόν, μίαν προσκυνητὴν καί μίαν ἀπροσκύνητον, ἀλλὰ μίαν φύσιν τοῦ θεοῦ λόγου σεσαρκωμένην καὶ προσκυνουμένην μετὰ τῆς σαρκὸς αὐτοῦ μιᾷ προσκυνήσει" οὐδὲ δύο υἱούς, ἄλλον μὲν υἱὸν θεοῦ ἀληθινὸν καὶ προσκυνούμενον, ἄλλον δὲ ἐκ Μαρίας ἄνθρώπον μὴ προσκυνούμενον, κατὰ χάριν υἱὸν θεοῦ γενόμενον, ὡς καὶ ἄνθρωποι, ἀλλὰ τὸν ἐκ θεοῦ, ὡς ἔφην, ἕνα υἱὸν θεοῦ καὶ τὸν αὐτὸν καὶ οὐκ ἄλλον καὶ ἐκ Μαρίας γεγεννῆσθαι κατὰ σάρκα ἐπ’ ἐσχάτων τῶν ἡμερῶν: ὡς ὁ ἄγγελος τῇ θεοτόκῳ Μαρίᾳ λεγούσῃ “πῶς τοῦτο ἔσται, ἐπεὶ ἄνδρα οὐ γινώσκω:” ἔλεγε “πνεῦμα ἅγιον ἐπελεύσεται ἐπὶ σέ, καὶ δύναμις ὑψίστου ἐπισκιάσει σοι᾽ διὸ καὶ τὸ γεννώμενον ἅγιον κληθήσεται υἱὸς θεοῦ”.

### English translation (Claude)

We confess that the Son of God, eternally begotten before the ages, was at the end of the ages born from Mary according to the flesh for our salvation, as the divine apostle teaches, saying, “But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of a woman”; and that the same is Son of God and God according to the Spirit, and Son of Man according to the flesh: not two natures, the one Son, one to be worshiped and one not to be worshiped, but one nature of God the Word made flesh and worshiped together with his flesh in one worship; not two sons, one the true Son of God and worshiped, and another the man from Mary, not worshiped, who became a son of God by grace, as human beings also do; but the one from God, as I said, one Son of God, the same and not another, was also born from Mary according to the flesh in the last days. So the angel, when Mary the Mother of God said, “How will this be, since I do not know a man?”, said, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the holy one who is born will be called Son of God.”

### Scripture references

- Gal 4:4: quotation, high confidence
- Luke 1:34–35: quotation, high confidence

### Translation notes

- This confession was transmitted under the name of Athanasius as addressed to the emperor Jovian; Lietzmann prints it as Apollinaris's. The phrase “one nature of God the Word made flesh” was later quoted by Cyril of Alexandria as Athanasius's. “Mother of God” renders θεοτόκος. Quotations: Gal 4:4; Luke 1:34–35.

### Citation (SBL)

Apollinaris of Laodicea (attrib.), Ep. Iov. 1 (Lietzmann, 248; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apollinaris-laodicea-ad-iovianum/1).

## Letter to Jovian 2

- URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/apollinaris-laodicea-ad-iovianum/1/#p-2
- Source: Lietzmann, 249
- Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-11-12

Summary: The one Son suffered, died, and was exalted according to the flesh while remaining unchangeable, immortal, and everywhere according to the Godhead; he will come to judge.

### Greek text

ὁ τοίνυν γεννηθεὶς ἐκ τῆς παρθένου Μαρίας υἱὸς θεοῦ φύσει καὶ θεὸς ἀληθινός, καὶ οὐ χάριτι καὶ μετουσίᾳ, κατὰ σάρκα μόνον τὴν ἐκ Μαρίας ἄνθρωπος, κατὰ δὲ πνεῦμα ὁ αὐτὸς υἱὸς θεοῦ καὶ θεὸς παθὼν μὲν τὰ ἡμέτερα πάθη κατὰ σάρκα, ὡς γέγραπται “Χριστοῦ παθόντος ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν σαρκί” καὶ πάλιν “ὅς γε τοῦ ἰδίου υἱοῦ οὐκ ἐφείσατο, ἀλλ᾽ ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν πάντων παρέδωκεν αὐτόν”. ἀπαθὴς δὲ διαμείνας καὶ ἀναλλοίωτος κατὰ τὴν θεότητα, κατὰ τὸ λεγόμενον ὑπὸ τοῦ προφήτου “ἐγὼ θεὸς καὶ οὐκ ἠλλοίωμαι”. ἀποθανὼν μὲν τὸν ἥμέτερον θάνατον κατὰ σάρκα ὑπὲρ τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν ἡμῶν, ἵνα τὸν θάνατον ἀνέλῃ διὰ τοῦ ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν θανάτου, κατὰ τὸν λέγοντα ἀπόστολον “κατεπόθη ὃ θάνατος εἰς νῖκος᾽ ποῦ σου θάνατε τὸ νῖκος: ποῦ σου ἅδη τὸ κέντρον:” καὶ πάλιν “Χριστὸς ἀπέθανεν ὑπὲρ τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν ἡμῶν κατὰ τὰς γραφάς ”. ἀθάνατος δὲ καὶ ἀκράτητος τῷ θανάτῳ διαμείνας διὰ τὴν θεότητα, ὡς ἀπαθὴς τοῦ πατρὸς δύναμις, κατὰ τὸν λέγοντα Πέτρον “οὐ γὰρ ἦν, φησι, δυνατὸν κρατεῖσθαι αὐτὸν ὑπὸ τοῦ θανάτου”. ἀνελθὼν εἰς οὐρανοὺς καὶ καθήμενος ἐκ δεξιῶν τοῦ πατρὸς κατὰ τὴν ἀπὸ γῆς [εἰς οὐρανοὺς] ὑψουμένην σάρκα τοῦ λόγου, κατὰ τὸ λεγόμενον ὑπὸ τοῦ Δαβίδ “εἶπεν ὁ κύριος τῷ κυρίῳ μου" κάθου ἐκ δεξιῶν μου” καὶ ὑπ᾽ αὐτοῦ τοῦ κυρίου βεβαιούμενον καὶ τῶν ἀποστόλων᾽ κατὰ δὲ τὴν θεότητα ἀπερίληπτος πάντα τόπον περιέχων μετὰ τοῦ πατρὸς ἐξ ἀιδίου ὡς πατρικὴ καὶ ἄρρητος δύναμις, κατὰ τὸν διδάσκοντα Παῦλον “Χριστὸς θεοῦ δύναμις καὶ θεοῦ σοφία” ἐρχόμενος ὁ αὐτὸς υἱὸς θεοῦ καὶ θεός, ὡς ἐπηγγείλατο, κρῖναι ζῶντας καὶ νεκρούς, ὥς φησι ὁ ἀπόστολος “τοῦ κρίνοντος τὰ κρυπτὰ τοῦ σκότους καὶ φανεροῦντος τὰ κρυπτὰ τῶν καρδιῶν καὶ τὸν ἔπαινον καὶ τὴν μέμψιν κατ᾽’ ἀξίαν φέροντος ἑκάστῳ”.

### English translation (Claude)

He, then, who was born from the Virgin Mary is Son of God by nature and true God, not by grace and participation; he is man only according to the flesh from Mary, but according to the Spirit the same is Son of God and God. He suffered our sufferings according to the flesh, as it is written, “Christ having suffered for us in the flesh,” and again, “He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all”; but he remained free from suffering and unchangeable according to the Godhead, according to the word of the prophet, “I am God, and I have not changed.” He died our death according to the flesh for our sins, so that he might destroy death through his death for us, according to the apostle who says, “Death is swallowed up in victory. Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O Hades, is your sting?” and again, “Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures.” But he remained immortal and not held fast by death because of the Godhead, as the Father's power, which cannot suffer, according to Peter, who says, “For it was not possible,” he says, “for him to be held by death.” He went up into heaven and sits at the right hand of the Father according to the Word's flesh raised up from earth, according to what was said by David, “The Lord said to my Lord, ‘Sit at my right hand,’” and confirmed by the Lord himself and by the apostles; but according to the Godhead he is uncontained, encompassing every place with the Father from eternity, as the Father's ineffable power, according to Paul, who teaches, “Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.” The same Son of God and God is coming, as he promised, to judge the living and the dead, as the apostle says, “who judges the hidden things of darkness and discloses the hidden things of the hearts, and brings praise and blame to each as each deserves.”

### Scripture references

- 1 Pet 4:1: quotation, high confidence
- Rom 8:32: quotation, high confidence
- Mal 3:6: quotation, high confidence
- 1 Cor 15:54–55: quotation, high confidence
- 1 Cor 15:3: quotation, high confidence
- Acts 2:24: quotation, high confidence
- Ps 110:1 (109:1 LXX): quotation, high confidence
- 1 Cor 1:24: quotation, high confidence
- 1 Cor 4:5: quotation, medium confidence

### Translation notes

- Quotations: 1 Pet 4:1; Rom 8:32; Mal 3:6; 1 Cor 15:54–55; 15:3; Acts 2:24; Ps 110:1 (109:1 LXX); 1 Cor 1:24; the last is a free combination of 1 Cor 4:5. The editor (Lietzmann) brackets “into heaven” after “from earth” as an addition; it is left out here.

### Citation (SBL)

Apollinaris of Laodicea (attrib.), Ep. Iov. 2 (Lietzmann, 249; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apollinaris-laodicea-ad-iovianum/2).

## Letter to Jovian 3

- URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/apollinaris-laodicea-ad-iovianum/1/#p-3
- Source: Lietzmann, 251
- Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-11-12

Summary: Anathemas against two sons, heavenly flesh, a changed or suffering Godhead, and refusal to worship Christ's flesh.

### Greek text

Εἰ δέ τις παρὰ ταῦτα ἐκ τῶν θείων γραφῶν διδάσκει, ἕτερον λέγων τὸν υἱὸν τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ ἕτερον τὸν ἐκ Μαρίας ἄνθρωπον, κατὰ χάριν υἱοποιηθέντα ὡς ἡμεῖς" ὡς εἶναι δύο υἱούς, ἕνα κατὰ φύσιν υἱὸν θεοῦ, τὸν ἐκ θεοῦ, καὶ ἕνα κατὰ χάριν, τὸν ἐκ Μαρίας ἄνθρωπον᾽ ἢ εἴ τις τὴν τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν σάρκα ἄνωθεν λέγει καὶ μὴ ἐκ τῆς παρθένου Μαρίας ἢ τραπεῖσαν τὴν θεότητα εἰς σάρκα ἢ συγχυθεῖσαν ἢ ἀλλοιωθεῖσαν, ἢ παθητὴν τὴν τοῦ υἱοῦ θεότητα. ἢ ἀπροσκύνητον τὴν τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν σάρκα ὡς ἀνθρώπου, καὶ μὴ προσκυνητὴν ὡς κυρίου καὶ θεοῦ σάρκα, τοῦτον ἀναθεματίζει ἣ καθολικὴ ἐκκλησία πειθομένη τῷ [θείῳ] ἀποστόλῳ λέγοντι “εἴ τις ὑμᾶς εὐαγγελίζεται παρὰ ὃ παρελάβετε, ἀνάθεμα ἔστω”.

### English translation (Claude)

If anyone teaches from the divine Scriptures contrary to these things, saying that the Son of God is one and the man from Mary another, made a son by grace as we are, so that there are two sons, one Son of God by nature, the one from God, and one by grace, the man from Mary; or if anyone says that our Lord's flesh is from above and not from the Virgin Mary, or that the Godhead was turned into flesh, or confused, or altered, or that the Son's Godhead can suffer, or that our Lord's flesh is not to be worshiped, as being a man's, and is not to be worshiped as the flesh of the Lord and God: the catholic church anathematizes him, obeying the apostle who says, “If anyone preaches to you a gospel contrary to what you received, let him be accursed.”

### Scripture references

- Gal 1:9: quotation, high confidence

### Translation notes

- Quotation: Gal 1:9. The editor (Lietzmann) brackets θείῳ (“divine”) before “apostle” as an addition; it is left out here.

### Citation (SBL)

Apollinaris of Laodicea (attrib.), Ep. Iov. 3 (Lietzmann, 251; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/apollinaris-laodicea-ad-iovianum/3).