# Defence before Constantius - Author: [Athanasius of Alexandria](https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/authors/athanasius/) - Latin title: *Apologia ad Constantium* - Date: ca. 353–357 (approximate) - Source: J.-P. Migne, ed., Patrologiae cursus completus, Series Graeca 25 (Paris: Migne, 1857), Apologia ad Constantium (reprinting the Benedictine edition of B. de Montfaucon, Paris, 1698) - Translation: Claude, from the original text, unless a passage says otherwise; each passage below gives the translator - Editions and translations: Hans-Georg Opitz et al., eds., Athanasius Werke, vol. 2 (Berlin: de Gruyter, 1935–) - Work page: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-apologia-constantium/ - Passages: 26 ## Defence before Constantius 2 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-apologia-constantium/2/#p-2 - Source: PG 25:597a–597b - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-09 Summary: Athanasius begins his defense against the charge that he set Constans against his brother Constantius, thanking the emperor for allowing him a hearing. ### Greek text Περὶ δὲ τῆς διαβολῆς τῆς κατʼ ἐμοῦ γενομένης παρὰ τῇ σῇ φιλανθρωπίᾳ διὰ τὸν εὐσεβέστατον Αὕγουστον καὶ μακαρίας μνήμης καὶ αίωνίου Κώνσταντα τόν ἀδελφόν σου (τοῦτο γὰρ οἱ ἐχθροὶ θρυλοῦσι, καὶ γράψαι τετολμήκασιν), ἱκανὰ τὰ πρῶτα δεῖξαι καὶ ταῦτα μή ἀληθῆ. Εἰ μὲν γὰρ ἄλλοι τινὲς ἦσαν οἱ τοῦτο λέγοντες, δικάσιμον ἦν τὸ πρᾶγμα, χρεία τε πολλῆς ἀποδείξεως, καὶ τῶν εἷς πρόσωπον ἐλέγχων· εἴ δὶ οὶ-τὰ πρῶτα πλάσαντες αὐτοὶ καὶ ταῦτα συνέθηκαν, πῶς οὐκ ἐξ ἐκείνων εἰκότως καὶ ταῦτα πεπλασμένα δείκνυται; Διά τοῦτο γὰρ πάλιν,κατὰ μόνας λαλοῦσι, νομίζοντες ὑφαρπάζειν δύνασθαι τὴν σὴν θεοσέβειαν. Ἀλλʼ ἐσφάλησαν οὐ γὰρ ὡς ἠθέλησαν ἤκουσας, ἀλλὰ τῆ μακροθυμίᾳ δέδωκας καὶ ἡμῖν χώραν ἀπολογεῖσθαι. Τὸ γὰρ μὴ παραυτίκα κινηθῇ. ναι, καὶ τιμωρίαν ἀπαιτῆσαι, οὐδὲν ἧν ἓτερον, ὡς δίκαιον βασιλέα, περιμεῖναι καὶ τήν τοῦ διαβληθέντος ἀπολογίαν· ᾗς ἐὰν καταξιώσῃς ἀκοῦσαι, τεθάρσηκα, ὡς καὶ ἐν τούτοις καταγνώσῃ τῶν προπετευσαμένων, καὶ μὴ φοβηθέντων τὸν Θεὸν, ἐντειλάμενον μηδὲν ψεῦδος ἀπὸ στόματος βασιλεῖ λέγεσθαι. ### English translation (Claude) As for the slander made against me before your humanity concerning the most pious Augustus of blessed and eternal memory, Constans your brother (for this is what my enemies noise abroad and have dared to write), the earlier refutations are enough to show that this too is untrue. For if it were other persons who said it, the matter would be one for trial, needing much proof and confrontation face to face; but if those who invented the first charges have also composed these, how is it not reasonably shown from those that these too are fabricated? This is why they again speak in private, thinking they can take your godliness by surprise. But they have failed; for you did not listen as they wished, but in your long-suffering have given us too an opportunity to defend ourselves. For not to be moved at once and demand punishment was nothing else than to wait, as a just king, for the defense of the one slandered; and if you deign to hear it, I am confident that in this too you will condemn those who acted rashly and did not fear God, who commanded that no lie be spoken to the king from the mouth. ### Scripture references - Prov 24:22: allusion, low confidence ### Translation notes - The opening of the Defense before Constantius (ch. 1 in NPNF² 4, an address to the emperor) is lost in the scan; the staged text begins with ch. 2. “No lie be spoken to the king”: Prov 24:22a (LXX addition). OCR debris is removed by logged corrections. ### Citation (SBL) Athanasius, Apol. Const. 2 (PG 25:597a–597b; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-apologia-constantium/2/#p-2). ## Defence before Constantius 3 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-apologia-constantium/2/#p-3 - Source: PG 25:597b–601b - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-09 Summary: Athanasius swears that he never spoke against Constantius to Constans, whom he never saw alone, and recounts his movements during his second exile. ### Greek text Αἰσχύνομαι μὲν οὗν ἀληθῶς καὶ ἀπολογούμενος περὶ τδιούτων, περὶ ὧν οὐδὲ αὐτὸν οἶμαι τὸν κατήγορον ἔτι παρόντων ἡμῶν μνημονεύσειν. Οἵδε γὰρ ἀκριβῶς, ὅτι τε αὐτὸς ψεύδεται, καὶ οὔτε ἐμάνην ἐγῶ, οὔτε τῶν φρενῶν ἐξέστηκα, τίνα κᾶν ὡς ἐνθυμηθείς τι τοιοῦτον ὑπονοηθῶ. Διὸ οὐδʼ ἂν ἄλλοις ἐρωτῶσιν ἀπεκρινάμην, ’ίνα μηδὲ ἐν τῷ χρόνῳ τῆς ἀπολογίας οἱ ἀκούοντες κρεμωμένην ἔχωσι τὴν διάνοιαψ τῇ δὲ σῇ εὐλαβείᾳ μεγάλῃ καὶ λαμπρᾷ τῇ φωνῇ ἀπολογοῦμαι, καὶ τήν χεῖρα ἐκτείνας, '6 μεμάθηκα παρὰ τοῦ Ἀποστόλου, μάρτυρα τὸν Θεὸν ἐπικαλοῦμαι ἐπὶ τὴν ἐμαυτοῦ ψυχήνσκαί, ὡς γέσ γραπται ἐν ταῖς Βασιλικαῖς ἱστορίαις· μάρτυς Κύριος, καὶ μάρτυς 6 Χριστὸς αὐτοῦ (κάμοὶ συγχώρησον εἷπεῖν), οὐδέ πώποτε περὶ τῆς σῆς εὐσεβείας κακῶς ἐμνημόνευσα παρά τῷ ἀδελφῷ σου τῷ τῆς μακαρίας μνήμης Κώνσταντι, τῷ εὐσεβεστάτῳ Αὐγούστῳ. οὐ παρώξυνα τοῦτον, ὡς οὗτοι διαβεβλήκασιν· ἀλλʼ εἷʼ ποτε καὶ εἰσελθόντων ἡμῶν πρὸς αὐτὸν ἐμνημόνευσεν αὐτὸς τῆς σῆς φιλανθρωπίας, ἐμνημόνευσε δὲ καὶ ὅτε οἱ περὶ Θάλασσον ἧλσον εἷς τήν Πιτυβίωνα, καὶ ἡμεῖς ἐν τῇ ’Δκυληίᾳ διετρίβομεν μάρτυς 6 Κύριος, ὅπως ἐμνημόνευον ἐγὼ τῆς σῆς θεοσεβείας, καὶ ταῦτα ἔλεγον, ἅπερ 6 Θεὸς ἀποκαλύψῃ τῆ σῇ, ’ἱνα καταγνῷς τῆς συκοφαντίας τῶν με διαβαλόντων παρᾶ σοί. Συγχώρησον εί·πόντι μοι ταῦτα, φιλανθρωπότατε Αὕγουστε, καὶ πολλήν μοι συγγνώμην δός. Ού γὰρ οὕτως ἦν εὐχερὴς 6 φιλόχριστος ἐκεῖνος, οὐδὲ τηλικοῦτος ἤμην ἐγὼ, ἵνα περὶ τοιούτων ἐκοινολογούμεθα, καὶ ἀδελφὸν ἀδελφῷ διέβαλλον, ἢ παρᾷ βασιλεῖ περὶ βασιλέως κακῶς μνημονεύσω. Ού μαίνομαι, βασιλεῖʼ), οὐδὲ ἐπελαθόμην τῆς θείας φωνῆς λεγούσης· Καὶ γε ἐν συνειδήσει σου βασιλέα μή καταράσῃ, καὶ ἐν ταμείοις κοιτῶνός σου μὴ καταράσῃ πλούσιον ο ὅτι πετεινὸν τοῦ ούρανοῦ ἀποίσει σου τὴν φωνῆν, καὶ 6 τὰς πτέρυγας ἀπαγγελεῖ λόγον σου. Εἰ δὲ τὰ κατιδίαν λεγόμενα καθʼ ὑμῶν τῶν βασιλέων ού κρύπτεται, πῶς οὔκ ἄπισπν εἰ παρόντος βασιλὲως, καὶ τοσούτων ἑστώτων, ἔλεγον κατὰ σοῦ ; Οὐ γὰρ μόνος ἓώρακά ποτε τὸν ἀδελφόν σου, οὐδὲ μόνῳ μοί ποτε ἐκεῖνος ὡμίλησεν· ἀλλʼ ἀεὶ μετὰ τοῦ ἐπισκόπου τῆς πόλεως ἔνθα ἧν, καὶ ἄλλων τῶν ἐκεῖ παρατυγχανόντων εἷʼσηρχόμην· κοινῇ τε αὐτὸν ἐβλέπομεν, καὶ κοινῇ πάλιν ἀνεχωροῦμεν· δύναται Φουρτουνατιανὸς 6 τῆς ’Δκυληΐας ἐπίσκοπος μαρτυρῆσαι περὶ τούτου, ἱκανός ἐστιν 6 Πατήρ ’Ὀσιος είπεῖν, καὶ Κρισπῖνος ὁτῆς Ηατάβων, καὶ Λούκιλλος 6 ἐν Βερωνὶ, καί Διονύσιος 6 ἐν Αηΐδι, καὶ Βικὲντιος 6 ἐν Καμπανίᾳ ἐπίσκοπος. Καὶ ἐπειδὴ τετελευτήκασι Μαξιμῖνος 6 Τριβἐρεως, καὶ Προτάσιος 6 τῆς Μεδιολάνου, δύναται καὶ Εὐγὲνιος 6 γενόμενος μάγιστρος μαρτυρῆσαι· αὐτὸς γὰρ εἱστήκει πρὸ τοῦ βηλοῦ, καὶ ἤκουεν ἅπερ ἠξιοῦμεν αὐτὸν, καὶ ἅπερ αὐτὸς κατηξίου λέγειν ἡμῖν. Ταῦτα τοίνυν εί καὶ ἱκανὰ πρὸς ἀπόδειξίν ἐστι, συγχώρησον ὅμως διηγήσασθαι καὶ τὸν λογισμὸν τῆς ἀποδημίας, *ίνα καὶ ἐκ τούτων καταγνῷς τῶν διαβαλλόντων ἡμᾶς … Ἐξελθὼν ἀπὸ τῆς Ἀλεξανδρείας, οὐκ εἷς τὸ στρατόπεδον τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ σου, οὐδὲ πρὸς ἄλλους τινὰς, ἢ μόνον εἷς τήν Ῥώμην ἀνῆλθον· καὶ τῇ Ἐκκλησία τὰ κατʼ ἐμαυτὸν παραθέμενος (τούτου γὰρ μόνου μοι φροντὶς ἦν), ἐσχόλαζον ταῖς συνάξεσι. Τῷ ἀδελφῷ σου οὐκ ἔγραψα, ἢ μόνον ὅτε οἱπερὶ Εὐσέβιον ἔγραψαν αὐτῷ κατʼ ἐμοῦ, καὶ ἀνάγκην ἔσχον ἔτι ὢν ἐν τῇ Ἀλεξανδρείᾳ ἀπολογήσασθαι· καὶ ὅτε, πυκτία τῶν θείων Γραφῶν κελεύσαντος αὐτοῦ μοι κατασκευάσαι, ταῦτα ποιήσας ἀπέστειλα· χρὴ γὰρ ἀπολογούμενόν με ἀληθεύειν τῇ σῇ θεοσεβείᾳ. Τριῶν τοίνυν ἐτῶν παρελθόντων, τετάρτῳ ἐνιζαυτῷ γράφει κελεύσας ἀπαντῆσαί με πρὸς αὐτόν· ἧν δὲ ἐν τῇ Μεδιολάνῳ. Ἐγὼ δὲ, διερωτῶν τὴν αἰτίαν (ού γὰρ ἐγίνωσκον, μάρτυς 6 Κύριος), ἔμαθον ὅτι ἐπίσκοπνί τινες, ἀνελθόντες, ἠξίωσαν αὐτὸν γράψαι τῇ σῇ εὐσεβείᾳ, ὥστε σύνοδον γενέσθαι. Πίστευε, βασιλεῦ, οὕτω γέγονε, καὶού ψεύδομαι. Κατελθὼν τοίνυν εἷς τήν Μεδιόλανον, εἶδον πολλὴν φιλανθρωπίαν · κατηξίωσε γὰρ ἰδεῖν με, καὶ εἰπεῖν, ὅτι ἔγραψε καὶ ἀπέστειλε πρὸς σὲ, ἀξιῶν σύνοδον γενέσθαι. Διάγοντα δέ με ἐν τῇ προειρημένῃ πόλει, μετεπέμψατο πάλιν εἷς τὰς Γαλλίας, ἐκεῖ γὰρ καὶ ὁ Πατὴρ ’Ἡσιος ἤρχετο,ίνα ἐκεῖθεν εἷς τήν Σαρδικὴν ὁδεύσωμεν. Μετὰ δὲ τὴν σύνοδον, έν τῇ Ναϊσσῷ μοι διάγοντι γράφει· καί ἀνελθὼν ἐν Ἀκυληίᾳ λοιπὸν διέτριβον, ἔνθα με τὰ γράμματα τῆς σῆς θεοσεβείας κατέλαβεν. Κάκεῖθεν κληθεὶς πάλιν παρά τοῦ μακαρίτου, καὶ ἀνελθὼν εἷς τὰς Γαλλίας, οὕτως ἦλθον παρὰ τὴν σὴν εὐσέβειαν. ### English translation (Claude) I am truly ashamed even to defend myself on such matters, which I think not even the accuser himself would mention any longer in our presence. For he knows well both that he is lying and that I was neither mad nor out of my senses, that I should be suspected of even thinking any such thing. Therefore I would not even have answered others who asked me, lest during the time of my defense my hearers should have their minds in suspense; but to your reverence I make my defense with a loud and clear voice, and stretching out my hand, as I have learned from the Apostle, I call God as witness upon my soul; and, as it is written in the histories of the Kings, the Lord is witness and his Christ is witness (permit me too to say it), that I never spoke ill of your piety before your brother of blessed memory, Constans, the most pious Augustus. I did not provoke him, as these men have slandered; but if ever, when we came in to him, he himself made mention of your humanity—and he made mention of it when Thalassus and his companions came to Pitybion and we were staying at Aquileia—the Lord is witness how I spoke of your godliness, and said such things as God will reveal to your soul, so that you may condemn the false accusation of those who have slandered me to you. Forgive me for saying this, most humane Augustus, and grant me much pardon. For that lover of Christ was not so lightminded, nor was I of such standing, that we should converse about such things, that I should slander a brother to a brother or speak ill of an emperor before an emperor. I am not mad, O emperor, nor have I forgotten the divine voice that says: “Curse not the king, not even in your thought, and in your bedchamber curse not the rich; for a bird of the air shall carry your voice, and that which has wings shall tell your word.” If, then, what is said privately against you emperors is not hidden, is it not incredible that I should have spoken against you in the presence of the emperor and so many standing by? For I never saw your brother alone, nor did he ever converse with me alone; but I always went in with the bishop of the city where he was and others who happened to be there; we saw him together and withdrew together. Fortunatian, bishop of Aquileia, can bear witness to this; father Hosius is able to tell it, and Crispinus of Patavium, Lucillus of Verona, Dionysius of Elis, and Vincent, bishop in Campania. And since Maximinus of Trier and Protasius of Milan have died, Eugenius, who was master of the offices, can bear witness; for he stood before the curtain and heard what we asked of him and what he deigned to say to us. Though this is sufficient proof, permit me nevertheless to recount the course of my travels too, so that from this as well you may condemn those who slander us … [4] When I left Alexandria, I went up not to your brother’s court nor to any others, but only to Rome; and having committed my affairs to the church (for this alone was my concern), I devoted myself to the assemblies. To your brother I did not write, except when Eusebius and his party wrote to him against me and I was obliged, while still at Alexandria, to defend myself; and when he ordered me to prepare volumes of the divine Scriptures, I made them and sent them—for I must tell the truth in my defense before your godliness. Then, three years having passed, in the fourth year he writes ordering me to come to him; he was at Milan. And I, inquiring the reason (for I did not know, the Lord is witness), learned that certain bishops had gone up and asked him to write to your piety that a synod should be held. Believe me, O emperor, so it happened, and I do not lie. So I went down to Milan and met with great kindness; for he deigned to see me and to say that he had written and sent to you asking that a synod be held. While I was staying in that city, he sent for me again to the Gauls, for father Hosius too was coming there, so that we might travel from there to Sardica. After the synod he wrote to me while I was staying at Naissus; and going up, I then stayed at Aquileia, where the letters of your godliness reached me. And being summoned again from there by the blessed one, and going up to the Gauls, so I came to your piety. ### Scripture references - 2 Cor 1:23: allusion, high confidence - 1 Sam 12:5: quotation, high confidence - Eccl 10:20: quotation, high confidence ### Translation notes - The numeral of chapter 4 was lost in the scan, with a few words before it (“…”); the chapter is marked [4]. “God as witness upon my soul”: 2 Cor 1:23. “The Lord is witness and his Christ is witness”: 1 Sam 12:5 (1 Kgdms 12:5). “Curse not the king …”: Eccl 10:20. Pitybion is Poetovio (Ptuj). The volumes of Scripture prepared for Constans are mentioned only here. ### Citation (SBL) Athanasius, Apol. Const. 3 (PG 25:597b–601b; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-apologia-constantium/2/#p-3). ## Defence before Constantius 5 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-apologia-constantium/2/#p-5 - Source: PG 25:601b–604c - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-09 Summary: Athanasius appeals to Constantius’s memory of their meetings, and turns to the charge that he wrote to the usurper Magnentius, whom he never knew and who had murdered his friends. ### Greek text Ποῖον τοίνυν τόπον, τίνα χρόνον φησὶν ὁ κα· τήγορος, έν ᾧ τοιαῦτά με εἰρηκέναι διέβαλλεν ;ἣ τίνος παρόντος έμάνην φθέγξασθαι τοιαῦτα, οἶα ὡς εἰπόντος μου κατεψεύσατο; ἢ τίς ἐστιν ὁ τούτῳ συνηγορῶν καὶ μαρτυρῶν ; ἃ γὰρ εἶδον οἱ ὀφθαλμοὶ αὐτοῦ, ταῦτα καὶ λέγειν ὀφείλει, ὡς ἡ θεία Γραφή παρήγγειλεν. Οὐδένα μὲν οὖν οὗτος εὑρήσει μάρτυρα τῶν μὴ γενομένων· ἐγὼ δὲ, ὅτι οὗ ψεύδομαι, μάρτυρα μετά τῆς ἀληθείας καὶ τὴν σὴν εὐσέβειαν ἔχω. Ἀξιῶ γὰρ, γινώσκων σε μνημονικώτατον, ἀναμνησθῆναι τῶν λόγων, ὧν ἀνέφερον τότε, ὅτε κατηξίωσας ἰδεῖν με· πρῶτον μὲν ἐν Βιμινακίῳ, δεύτερον δὲ έν Καισαρείᾳ τῆς Καππαδοκίας, καὶ τρίτον ἐν ’Δντιοχείᾳ· εἴ κᾶν τῶν περὶ Εὐσέβιον τῶν με λυπησάντων κακῶς ἐμνημόνευσα παρά σοὶ, εἰ διέβαλλόν τινας τῶν ἀδικησάντων με. El δὲ μηδὲ καθʼ ὧν ἔδει με λέγειν τούτους διέβαλον, ποίαν εἶχον μανίαν βασιλέα βασιλεῖ διαβάλλειν, καὶ ἀδελφὸν ἀδελφῷ συγκροῦσαι ; Παρακαλῶ, ἢ παρόντα με ποίησον ἐλεγχθῆναι, ἢ κατάγνωθι τῶν διαβολῶν· καὶ μίμησαι τὸν Δαβὶδ λέγοντα· Τὸν καταλαλοῦντα λάθρα τοῦ πλησίον, τοῦτον έξεδίωκον Τὸ μὶν γὰρ ὅσον εἷς αὐτοὺς ἧκε ἐφόνευσαν· στόμα γὰρ καταψευσάμενον ἀνεῖλε ψυχήν. Ἡ δὲ σὴ μακροθυμία νενίκηκε, παρασχοῦσα παρρησίαν ἀπολογίας, ’ίνα καὶ καταγνωσθῆναι δυνηθῶσιν, ὡς φιλόνεικοι καὶ συκοφάνται. Περὶ μὲν τοῦ εὐσεβεστάτου σου ἀδελφοῦ τοῦ τῆς μακαοίας μνήμης ταῦταʼ δύνασαι γὰρ. κατὰ τήν δοθεῖσάν σοι σοφίαν παρὰ Θεοῦ προλαμβάνειν τὰ πολλά ἐκ τῶν ὀλίγων τούτων, καὶ γινώσκειν τὴν πλασθεῖσαν κατηγορίαν. με, καὶ εἷς πολλὴν ἀσάφειαν ἄγει. Καὶ πίστευε, θεοφικέστατε βασιλεῦ, πολλάκις κατʼ ἐμαυτὸν λογιζόμενος ἠπίστουν, εἴ ἄρα τις ἐμάνη τοσοῦτον, ὥστε καὶ τοιαῦτα ψεύσασθαι. Ἐπειδή δὲ παρὰ τῶν ’Δρειανῶν ἐθρυλεῖτο καὶ τοῦτο, καὶ ὡς αὐτοὶ ἐπιδεδωκότες ἀντίγραφον ἐπιπολῆς έκαυχῶντο, ἐξιστάμην μειζόνως, καὶ ἀύπνους νύκτας διατελῶν, ὡς πρὸς παρόντας τοὺς κατειπόντας ἐμαχόμην· καὶ κραυγὴν ἐξ· απιναίως ἠφίειν μεγάλην, καὶ ηὐχόμην εὐθὺς, στενάζων μετά δακρύων, εὑρεῖν τάς σάς ἀκοὰς εὐμενεῖς. Ἀλλά καὶ οὕτω τῇ χάριτι τοῦ Κυρίου ταύτας εὑρὼν, πάλιν ἀπορῶ, ποίαν ἀρχὴν τῆς ἀπολογίας ποιήσομαι· ὁσάκις γάρ ἂν ἐπιβάλωμαι λέγειν, ἐμποδίζομαι διὰ τήν τοῦ πράγματος ἔκπληξιν. ’Ὀλως μὲν γάρ περὶ τοῦ μακαρίτου σου ἀδελφοῦ πρόφασις ἧν πιθανῆ τοῖς συκοφάνταις, ὅτι τε κατηξιούμεθα βλέπειν αὐτὸν, καὶ περὶ ἡμῶν ἠξίου γράφειν πρὸς την σήν ἀδελφικὴν διάθεσιν, καὶ παρόντας μὲν ἐτίμα πολλάκις, καὶ ἀπόντας δὲ μετεπέμπετοο τὸν δὲ διάβολον Μαγνέντιον, μάρτυς 6 Κύριος, καὶ μάρτυς ὁ Χριστὸς αὐτοῦ, οὔτε γινώσκω, οὔτε ὅλως ἠπιστάμην αὐτόν. Ποία τοίνυν συνήθεια τῷ μὴ γινωσκομένῳ πρὸς τὸν μὴ γινώσκοντα ; ποία με πρόφασις εἷλκε γράψαι τῷ τοιούτῳ ; Ποῖον προοίμιον τῆς ἐπιστολῆς ἔτασσον, γράφων αύτῷ ; Ὅτιʼ Τὸν τιμῶντά με, οὗ τῶν εὐεργεσιῶν οὐκ ἄν ποτε ἐπιλαθοίμην, τοῦτον φονεύσας καλῶς ἐποίησας ; καὶ ἀποδέχομαί σε τοὺς γνωρίμους ἡμῶν Χριστιανοὺς καὶ πιστοτάτους ἄνδρας ἀνελόντα ; καί ἀποδέχομαί σε σφάξαντα τοὺς έν Ῥώμῃ γνησίως ἡμᾶς ὑποδοξαμένους, τήν μακαρίαν σου θείαν τὴν ἀληθῶς Εὐτρόπιον, καὶ Ἀβουτγίριον τὸν γνήσιον ἐκεῖνον, καὶ Σπειράντιον τὸν πιστότατον, καὶ ἄλλους πολλοὺς καλούς; ### English translation (Claude) What place, then, what time does the accuser name in which he slanders me as having said such things? Or before whom was I so mad as to utter such things as he falsely claims I said? Or who is there to support him and bear witness? For what his eyes have seen, that he ought to say, as the divine Scripture enjoined. He will find no witness of things that did not happen; but I have your piety too, together with the truth, as witness that I do not lie. For I ask you, knowing you to have an excellent memory, to recall the words I spoke when you deigned to see me—first at Viminacium, second at Caesarea in Cappadocia, and third at Antioch—whether I spoke ill to you even of Eusebius and his party, who had grieved me, or slandered any of those who had wronged me. And if I did not slander even those against whom I had cause to speak, what madness possessed me to slander an emperor to an emperor and set brother against brother? I beg you, either have me confronted in person, or condemn the slanders; and imitate David, who says, “Him who secretly slanders his neighbor I drove away.” For as far as lay in them they have murdered; for “the mouth that lies slays the soul.” But your long-suffering has prevailed, granting freedom of defense, so that they may be condemned as contentious men and false accusers. So much concerning your most pious brother of blessed memory; for by the wisdom given you by God you can grasp much from these few things and recognize the fabricated accusation. [6] … me, and leads into great perplexity. And believe me, most God-loving emperor, often reasoning with myself I could not believe that anyone was so mad as to tell such lies. But when this too was noised abroad by the Arians, and they boasted of having presented a copy of a letter, I was the more astounded; I passed sleepless nights fighting as with the accusers present; I suddenly let out a great cry, and at once prayed, groaning with tears, to find your ears favorable. And having found them so by the grace of the Lord, I am again at a loss how to begin my defense; for whenever I try to speak, I am hindered by amazement at the matter. For in the case of your brother of blessed memory, the false accusers had a plausible pretext: that we were deemed worthy to see him, that he deigned to write to your brotherly affection about us, that he often honored us when present and sent for us when absent; but the devil Magnentius—the Lord is witness, and his Christ is witness—I neither know nor ever knew. What acquaintance can there be between a man not known and one who does not know him? What pretext could have drawn me to write to such a man? What opening would I have given the letter, writing to him? “You did well to murder the man who honored me, whose kindnesses I could never forget”? And, “I approve of you for killing our friends, Christians and most faithful men”? And, “I approve of you for slaughtering those who genuinely received us at Rome—your blessed aunt, Eutropia, true to her name, the noble Abuterius, the most faithful Spirantius, and many other good men”? ### Scripture references - Ps 101:5 (100:5 LXX): quotation, high confidence - Prov 25:7: allusion, low confidence ### Extrabiblical texts - Wis 1:11 (Wisdom of Solomon): quotation, high confidence ### Translation notes - The numeral of chapter 6 and the first words of the chapter were lost in the scan (“…”); the chapter is marked [6]. “What his eyes have seen”: cf. Prov 25:7 (LXX). “Him who secretly slanders …”: Ps 101:5 (100:5 LXX). “The mouth that lies slays the soul”: Wis 1:11. Magnentius killed Constans in 350; Eutropia, half-sister of Constantine, was killed at Rome in the same year. ### Citation (SBL) Athanasius, Apol. Const. 5 (PG 25:601b–604c; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-apologia-constantium/2/#p-5). ## Defence before Constantius 7 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-apologia-constantium/2/#p-7 - Source: PG 25:604c–605a - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-09 Summary: Athanasius protests that he could never have befriended Magnentius, the faithless murderer of Constans, who ended by taking his own life. ### Greek text Ἆρʼ οὐχὶ καὶ τὸ μόνον ὑποπτεύειν περὶ τούτων τὸν κατήγορον, ἐστὶ μανικόν ; Τί γάρ με πάλιν θαρῥεῖν ἔπειθεν αὐτῷ ; Ποίαν αὐτοῦ διάθεσιν ἔβλεπον ἀσφαλῆ; Ὅτι τὸν ἴδιον δεσπότην ἀνεῖλε, καὶ περὶ τοὺς ἑαυτοῦ φίλους ἄπιστος γέγονε, καὶ ὅρκους μὶν παρέβη, εἷς δὲ τὸν Θεὸν ἠσέβησε, φαρμακοὺς καὶ ἐπαοιδοὺς ἐπινοῶν κατά τῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ κρίσεως ; Ποίῳ δὲ συνειδότι χαίρειν ἓλεγον τούτῳ, οὗ ἡ μανία καὶ ἡ ὠμότης οὐκ ἐμὲ μόνον, ἀλλά καὶ πᾶσαν τὴν καθʼ ἡμᾶς οἰκουμένην ἐλύπησε ; Μεγάλην γε χάριν καὶ πολλὴν ἐκ τούτων ὤφειλον τούτῳ, ὅτι 6 μὲν μακαρίτης ἀδελφός σου τάς ἐκκλησίας ἀναθημάτων ἐπλήρωσεν, οὗτος δὲ αὐτὸν ἀποστέλλοντο πεφόνευκε. Καὶ οὕτε ταῦτα βλέπων ὁ μιαρὸς ᾐδέσθη, οὔτε τὴν δοθεῖσαν χάριν τῷ μακαρίτῃ διά τοῦ βαπτίσματος πεφόβηται· ἀλλʼ ὡς δαίμων τις ἀλάστωρ καὶ διαβολικὸς,έμάνη κατʼ αὐτοῦ. Τῷ μὲν οὖν μακαρίτῃ τοῦτο γέγονεν εἷς μαρτύριον· ἐκεῖνος δὲ λοιπὸν ὡς δέσμιος κατᾶ τὸν Κάΐν στένων καὶ τρέμων ἐδιώκετο, ’ίνα καὶ τὸν Ἰούδαν ἐν τῷ Θανάτῳ μιμησηται, δήμιος καθʼ ἑαυτοῦ γινόμενος, καὶ διπλῆν ἐποίσηται καθʼ ἐαυτοῦ τήν τιμωρίαν ἐν τῇ μετά ταῦτα κρίσει. ### English translation (Claude) Is it not madness for the accuser even to suspect such things? For what could have persuaded me to trust him? What disposition of his did I see that was safe? That he killed his own master, was faithless to his own friends, broke oaths, and was impious toward God, contriving sorcerers and enchanters against the judgment of God? With what conscience would I bid him rejoice, whose madness and cruelty grieved not only me but the whole world around us? Great and abundant thanks indeed I owed him for these things: that your brother of blessed memory filled the churches with offerings, and this man murdered him! And seeing this, the abominable man was not ashamed, nor did he fear the grace given to the blessed one through baptism; but like some avenging and devilish demon he raged against him. For the blessed one this became a martyrdom; but that man was thereafter hunted like a prisoner, groaning and trembling like Cain, so that he might imitate Judas too in his death, becoming his own executioner and bringing on himself a double punishment in the judgment hereafter. ### Scripture references - Gen 4:12: allusion, high confidence - Matt 27:5: allusion, high confidence ### Translation notes - Magnentius killed himself in 353. Cain: Gen 4:12 (LXX); Judas: Matt 27:5. OCR debris is removed by a logged correction. ### Citation (SBL) Athanasius, Apol. Const. 7 (PG 25:604c–605a; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-apologia-constantium/2/#p-7). ## Defence before Constantius 8 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-apologia-constantium/2/#p-8 - Source: PG 25:605a–608a - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-09 Summary: Athanasius challenges his accuser to say which of them loved Constans more, suggesting that the accuser projects his own disloyalty. ### Greek text Τοιοῦτῳ με φίλον ὁ διαβαλὼν ἐνόμισε γεγενῆσθαιο ἢ τάχα οὐδὲ νενόμικεν, ἀλλʼ ὡς ἐχθρὸς ἀπιθάνως ἐπλάσατο· οἶδε γὰρ ἀκριβῶς, ὅτι κατεψεύσατο. Ἐβουλόμην δὲ αὐτὸν, ὅστις ἐστὶν, ἐνταῦθα παρεῖναι,καῖ ἐπʼ αὐτῆς τῆς ἀληθείας ἐρωτῆσαι (ἓι γὰρ ὡς Θεοῦ παρόντος λαλοῦμεν, τοῦτον ὅρκον ἔχομεν ἡμεῖς οἳ Χριστιανοί) πότερος ἡμῶν ἔχαιρε, τοῦ μακαρίτου Κώνπαντος ζῶντος, καὶ τίς μᾶλλον ηὔχετο· καὶὴ πρώτη διαβολή δείκνυσι, καὶ παντὶ τοῦτο δῆλόν ἐστιν. Εἰ δὲ καὶ αὐτὸς οἶδεν ἀκριβῶς, ὅτι τῶν οὕτω διακειμένων, καὶ εἷʼ τις ἦγάπα τὸν μακαρίτηνΙ Κώνσταντα, οὐκ ἐγίγνετο φίλος τῷ κατʼ ἐκείνου γε· νομένῳο εἰ δὲ ἄλλως διέκειτο ἢ ὡς ἡμεῖς, φοβοῦμαι, μὴ ἅπερ ὁ μισῶν ἐκεῖνον ἐντεθύμηται, ταῦτα κατεψεύσατο κατʼ ἐμοῦ. σαι, καὶ ὠς λῃστὴς φονεύσῃ τοὺς ἀγαπῶντας καὶ μνημονεύοντας τοῦ μακαρίου ὧν ἐμαυτὸν οὐδενὸς εἶναι δεύτερον τίθημι. ### English translation (Claude) Such a man the slanderer thought had become my friend; or perhaps he did not even think so, but as an enemy invented it implausibly; for he knows well that he lied. I would wish him, whoever he is, to be present here, and to ask him in the presence of the truth itself (for we speak as in the presence of God; this is the oath we Christians have) which of us rejoiced while the blessed Constans lived, and who prayed for him more. The first slander shows it, and it is plain to everyone. And he himself knows well that, of those so disposed, anyone who loved the blessed Constans did not become a friend of the one who rose against him; but if he was otherwise disposed than we, I fear that what the man who hated him had in mind, this he has falsely laid against me. [9] … and like a robber murder those who love and remember the blessed one, among whom I count myself second to none. ### Translation notes - Most of ch. 9 is lost in the scan; only its last words survive, after the gap marked “…” and [9]. ### Citation (SBL) Athanasius, Apol. Const. 8 (PG 25:605a–608a; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-apologia-constantium/2/#p-8). ## Defence before Constantius 10 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-apologia-constantium/2/#p-10 - Source: PG 25:608a–608c - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-09 Summary: Athanasius recalls that at Alexandria he led the people in prayer for Constantius’s safety after Constans’s death, with officials as witnesses. ### Greek text Τοῦτο οὖν δεδιὼς φρονοῦντας ἐκείνους, καὶ οὐ μᾶλλον ηὐχόμνη περὶ τῆς σῆς φιλανθρωπίας ; καὶτὸν μὲν φονεύσαντα ἐκεῖνον ἠγάπων, είς σὲ δὲ τὸν ἀδελφὸν ὄντα, καὶ ἐκδικοῦντα τὸν ἐκείνου θάνατον ἐλυπούμην ; Ἀλλʼ ἐκείνου μὲν τῆς παρανομίας ἐμνημόνευον, τῆς δὲ σῆς εὐεργέσίας ἐπελανθανόμην, ἦν καὶ μετά θάνατον τοῦ μακαρίτου τοιαύτην ἔσεσθαι περὶ ἐμὲ, οἵα ἦν καὶ περιόντος ἐκείνου, διὰ γραμμάτων δηλῶσαι κατηξίωσας ; Ποίοις ὄμμασι τὸν ἀνδροφόνον ἒβλεπον ; Ἣ πῶς οὐχ, ὑπὲρ σῆς σωτηρίας εὐχόμενος, ἐνόμιζον καὶ τὸν μακαρίτην ἐκεῖνον ὁρᾷν; Ἀδελφοὶ γὰρ διὰ τήν φύσιν ἀλλήλων εἶσὶ κάτοπτρα. Διὰ τοῦτο καὶ σὲ βλέπων ἐν. ἐκείνῳ, οὔ ποτε ἂν διέβαλον κάκεῖνον ἐν σοὶ πάλιν ὁρῶν, οὗ ποτε ἂν ἔγραψα τῷ κατʼ ἐκείνου γενομένῳ, ἀλλὰ μᾶλλον περὶ τῆς σῆς σωτηρίας ηὐχόμην. Καὶ μάρτυρες τούτων προηγουμένως μὲν ὁ Κύριος, 6 ἐπακούσας καὶ χαρισάμενος ὁλόκληρόν ςοι τήν ἐκ προγόνων βασιλείαν· μάρτυρες δὲ καί οἱ τότε παρόντες, Φιληκτςσιμος ὁ γενόμενος δοὺξ τῆς Αἰγύπτου, καὶ Ῥουφῖνος, καὶ Στέφανος, ὧν 6 μὲν καθολικὸς, ὁ δὲ μάγιστρος ἦν ἐκεῖ· καὶ Ἀστέριος 6 κόμης, καὶ Παλλάδιοςὸ γενόμενος τοῦ παλατίου μάγιστρος, ’Δντίοχός τε καὶ Εὐάγριος οἱ ἀγεντισηρίβους. Μόνον γὰρ ἔλεγονο Εύξώμεθα,περὶ τῆς σωτηρίας τοῦ εὐσεβεστάτου Αὐγούστου Κωνσταντίου· καὶ πᾶς 6 λαὸς εὐθὺς μιᾷ φωνῇ ἐβόα· Χριστὲ, βοήθει Κωνσταντίῳ· καὶ διέμενεν οὕτως εὐχόμενος. ### English translation (Claude) Fearing that they thought this, should I not rather have prayed for your humanity? Should I love the one who murdered him, and be grieved at you, his brother, who avenged his death? Should I remember that man’s lawlessness and forget your kindness, which you deigned to declare to me by letter would be the same toward me after the death of the blessed one as it had been while he lived? With what eyes would I look on the murderer? Or how, when praying for your safety, should I not think I saw that blessed one too? For brothers by nature are mirrors of one another. Therefore, seeing you in him, I would never have slandered you; and seeing him again in you, I would never have written to the one who rose against him, but rather prayed for your safety. And witnesses of this are first the Lord, who heard and granted you the whole kingdom of your ancestors; and witnesses also those then present: Felicissimus, who was duke of Egypt, and Rufinus and Stephen, the one catholicus and the other magister there; Asterius the count, Palladius, who was master of the palace, and Antiochus and Evagrius, the agentes in rebus. For I said only, “Let us pray for the safety of the most pious Augustus Constantius”; and all the people at once cried with one voice, “Christ, help Constantius!”, and went on praying so. ### Translation notes - The agentes in rebus were imperial couriers and inspectors. OCR debris is removed by logged corrections. ### Citation (SBL) Athanasius, Apol. Const. 10 (PG 25:608a–608c; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-apologia-constantium/2/#p-10). ## Defence before Constantius 11 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-apologia-constantium/2/#p-11 - Source: PG 25:608c–609a - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-09 Summary: Athanasius denies any correspondence with Magnentius and asks that the supposed letters be examined, since forgeries are common and the secretaries on both sides can be questioned. ### Greek text Ὂτι μὲν οῦν μήτε ἔγραψά ποτε ἐκείνῳ, μήτε ἐδεξάμην ποτέ παρʼ αὐτοῦ, μάρτυρα τὸν Θεὸν, καὶ τὸν τούτου Λόγον τὸν μονογενῆ αὐτοῦ Υἱὸν τὸν Κύριονἡμῶν Ἰησοῦν Χριστὸν ἐπεκαλεσάμην ο τὸν δὲ κατειπόντα, καὶ περὶ τούτου συγχώρησον ἐρωτηθῆναι διʼ ὀλίγων, πόθεν εἷς τοῦτο παρῆλθεν ; Ἐπιστολῆς ἀντίγραφα φήσειεν ἔχειν ; τοῦτο γὰρ ἆπάκαμον οἱ Ἀρειανοὶ θρυλοῦντες. Πρῶτον μὲν οὗν κᾶν τὰ γράμματα τοῖς ἡμετέροις ὅμοια δεικνύῃ, οὔπω τε ἀσφαλὲς ἔχει· πλαστογράφοι γὰρ εἰσὶν οἵτινες καὶτὰς ὑμῶν τῶν βασιλέων χεῖρας πολλάκις ἐμιμήσαντο· καὶ οὐχ ἡ μίμησις παρέχει τοῖς γράμμασι τὸ κῦρος, ἐὰν μὴ καὶ οἱ τὰ τοιαῦτα γράφειν εἰωθότες μαρτυρωσι ταῖς ἐπιστολαῖς. Τοῦτο τοίνυν ιαὶ τούς διαβαλόντας πάλιν ἐρωτῆσαι βούλομαι, τίς 6 παρασχὼν ταῦτά ποτε, καὶ πόθεν εὑρέθη ταῦτα καὶ γὰρ κάγὼ τοὺς γράφοντας εἶχον, κάκεῖνος πάλιν τούς λαμβάνοντας παρὰ τῶν κομιζόντων καὶ ἐπιδιδόντας αὑτῷ. Ol μὲν οὗν ἡμέτεροι πάρεισι · καταξίωσον δὲ κάκείνους ’καλέσαι ο ζῇν γὰρ πάντως ἔξεστιν αὐτούς· καὶ μάθε περὶ τούτων τῶν γραμμάτων, ἐξέτασον ὡς ἀληθείας σοι συμπαρούσης· αὕτη γὰρ βασιλέων, καί μάλιστα Χριστιανῶν, ἐστὶ φυλακτήριον· μετὰ ταύτης βασιλεύειν ὑμᾶς ἐστιν ἀσφαλὲς, λεγούσης τῆς θείας Γραφῆς· Ἐλεημοσύνη καὶ ἀλήθεια, φυλακὴ βασιλεῖ, καὶ περικυκλώσει ἐν δικαιοσύνῃ τὸν θρόνον αὐτοῦ. Καὶ ταύτην προβαλὼν Ζοροβάβελ ὁ σοιρὸς νενίκηκε· καὶ πᾶς ὁ λαὸς ἐφώνησε · Μεγάλη ἠ ἀλήθεια καὶ ὑπερισχύει. ### English translation (Claude) That I never wrote to that man nor received a letter from him, I have called to witness God and his Word, his only-begotten Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. And permit the accuser to be questioned briefly about this too: whence did he come by this? Will he say he has copies of a letter? For this is what the Arians tirelessly bandy about. First, even if he shows the handwriting to be like ours, that is not yet certain; for there are forgers who have often imitated even the hands of you emperors, and imitation does not give letters validity unless those accustomed to write such things bear witness to them. I wish, then, to ask the slanderers this too: who supplied these, and where were they found? For I had my secretaries, and he too had those who received letters from the bearers and handed them to him. Ours are present; deign to summon those men too—for they are surely living—and learn about these letters; examine as with the truth beside you. For truth is the safeguard of kings, especially Christian ones; with it it is safe for you to reign, as the divine Scripture says: “Mercy and truth are a guard to a king, and they will encircle his throne in righteousness.” Putting forward this, the wise Zerubbabel prevailed, and all the people cried out, “Great is truth, and it prevails!” ### Scripture references - Prov 20:28: quotation, high confidence ### Extrabiblical texts - 1 Esd 4:41 (1 Esdras): quotation, high confidence ### Translation notes - “Mercy and truth are a guard to a king”: Prov 20:28 (LXX). Zerubbabel and “Great is truth”: 1 Esd 4:13–41. Two transposed half-lines in the scan are restored by logged corrections. ### Citation (SBL) Athanasius, Apol. Const. 11 (PG 25:608c–609a; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-apologia-constantium/2/#p-11). ## Defence before Constantius 12 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-apologia-constantium/2/#p-12 - Source: PG 25:609a–609d - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-09 Summary: Athanasius appeals to God to incline the emperor to the truth, and asks Constantius to question the accusers, whose faces will betray them. ### Greek text Ei. μὲν οὖν παρʼ ἄλλοις ’ἥμην διαβληθεὶς, τὴν σὴν εὐσέβειαν ἐπεκαλούμην, ὡς ὁ Ἀπόστολος ἐπεκαλέσατο τότε τὸν Καίσαρα, καὶ πέπαυται τῶν ἐχθρῶν ἡ κατʼ αὐτοῦ ἐπιβουλή · ἐπειδὴ δὲ παρὰ σοὶ τετολμήκασι κατειπεῖν, τίνα ἀπὸ σοῦ ἐπικαλέσομαις τὸν Πατέρα τοῦ λέγοντος, Ἐγώ εἰμι ἡ ἀλήθεια, ’ίνα σου την καρδίαν εἰς εὐμένειαν κλίνῃ. Δέσποτα παντοκράτορ, βασιλεῦ τῶν αἰώνων, ὁ Πατὴρ τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, σὺ διά τοῦ σοῦ Λόγου τὴν βασιλείαν ταύτην τῷ σῷ θεράποντι Κωνσταντίῳ δέδωκας· σὺ λάμψον εἰς την καρδίαν αύτοῦ, ἵνα, γνοὺς τὴν καθʼ ἡμῶν συκοφαντίαν, εὐμενῶς μὲν αὖ· τὸς δέξηται τὴν ἀπολογίαν· πάντας δὲ ποιήσῃ γνῶναι, ὅτι αἱ ἀκοαὶ αὐτοῦ ἠσφαλίσθησαν ἐν ἀληθείᾳ. Καὶ κατᾶ τὸ γεγραμμένον · Μόνα βασιλεῖ δεκτὰ χείλη δίκαιά ἐστιν. Οὕτω γὰρ καὶ κατορθοῦσθαι τὸν θρόνον τῆς βασιλείας διὰ Σολομῶντος λεχθῆναι πεποίηκας. Οὐκοῦν ὅλως ἐρώτησον, μαθέτωσαν οἱ κατειρηκότες, ὅτι σοι μέλει περὶ τῆς ἀληθείας μαη θεῖν. Καὶ εἰ μὴ τῳ χρώματι τοῦ προσώπου δείξουσι τὴν συκοφαντίαν· τοῦτο γὰρ τοῦ συνειδότος ἓλεγχός ἐστι, καὶ γέγραπται· Καρδίας εὐφραινομένης πρόσωπον θάλλει· ἐν δὲ λύπαις οὔσης σκυθρωπάζει. Οὕτω τοὺς μὲν ἐπιβουλεύσαντας τῷ Ἰωσὴφ ἡ συνείδησις ’ἤλεγξε · τοῦ δὲ Λάβαν ἡ κατὰ τοῦ Ἰακὼβ πονηρία ἐκ τοῦ προσώπου δέδεικται. Ὁρᾷς γοῦν ἐκείνων μὲν τήν ὑποψίαν, φευγόντων καὶ κρυπτομένων, ἡμῶν δὲ τήν ἐλευθερίαν ἀπολογουμένων. Ού γὰρ περὶ κτημάτων νῦν ἡ κρίσις, ἀλλὰ περὶ δόξης τῆς Ἐκκλησίας, Ὁ λίθῳ κρουόμενος ζητεῖ τὸν ἷατρόνʼ τῶν δὲ λίθων ὀξύτερα τὰ ἐκ τῆς διαβολῆς ἐστι πλήγματα· Ῥόπαλόν ἐστιν ἡ διαβολὴ, καὶ μάχαιρα, καὶ τόξευμα ἀκιδωτὸν, ὡς εἶπε Σολομών · καὶ ταῦτα μόνη ἡ ἀλήθεια ἰᾶσθαι δύναται ταύτης δὲ παρορωμένης, αὐξάνει δεινότερον τὰ τραύματα. ### English translation (Claude) If, then, I had been slandered before others, I would have appealed to your piety, as the Apostle then appealed to Caesar, and the plot of his enemies against him ceased. But since they have dared to accuse me before you, to whom shall I appeal from you? To the Father of him who says, “I am the truth,” that he may incline your heart to kindness. O Lord Almighty, King of the ages, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, you through your Word have given this kingdom to your servant Constantius; shine into his heart, that, knowing the false accusation against us, he may receive our defense kindly, and make all know that his ears are kept safe in truth; and, as it is written, “Righteous lips alone are acceptable to a king.” For so you caused it to be said through Solomon that the throne of the kingdom is established. So then question them, and let the accusers learn that you care to learn the truth. And see whether they do not show the false accusation by the color of their face; for this is a proof of the conscience, and it is written: “When the heart rejoices the face blooms; but when it is in sorrow it is downcast.” So conscience convicted those who plotted against Joseph, and Laban’s wickedness against Jacob was shown from his face. You see, then, their suspiciousness, as they flee and hide, and our freedom as we make our defense. For the trial now is not about possessions but about the glory of the Church. He who is struck by a stone seeks the physician; but the blows of slander are sharper than stones. “Slander is a club, a sword, and a sharp arrow,” as Solomon said; and truth alone can heal these; but if it is disregarded, the wounds grow worse. ### Scripture references - Acts 25:11: allusion, high confidence - John 14:6: quotation, high confidence - Prov 16:13: quotation, high confidence - Prov 15:13: quotation, high confidence - Gen 31:2: allusion, medium confidence - Prov 25:18: quotation, high confidence ### Translation notes - Paul’s appeal to Caesar: Acts 25:11. “I am the truth”: John 14:6. “Righteous lips …”: Prov 16:13 (LXX); the throne established: Prov 16:12. “When the heart rejoices …”: Prov 15:13. Laban’s face: Gen 31:2. “Slander is a club …”: Prov 25:18. Two interleaved half-lines in the scan are restored by logged corrections. ### Citation (SBL) Athanasius, Apol. Const. 12 (PG 25:609a–609d; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-apologia-constantium/2/#p-12). ## Defence before Constantius 13 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-apologia-constantium/2/#p-13 - Source: PG 25:609d–612b - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-09 Summary: Athanasius asks the emperor to examine the alleged letters, which no secretary on either side will acknowledge, since they are forgeries. ### Greek text Διὰ ταῦτα πάντα τὰ πανταχοῦ τῶν Ἐκκλησιῶν τετάρακται, Καὶ προφάσεις μὲν ἐπενόησαν, ἐπίσκοποι δὲ τηλικοῦτοι καὶ πολυετεῖς ἐξωρίσθησαν, διὰ τὴν πρὸς ἐμὲ κοινωνίαν. Καὶ εἰ μὲν μέχρι τοσούτου τοῦτο ἐγίγνετο, προσδοκία τις ἦν ἀγαθή φιλάνθρωπος γὰρ εἷ· τίνα δὲ μη καὶ μετὰ ταῦτα διαβῇ τὸ κακὸν, κρατείτω ἡ ἀλήθεια παρὰ σοί. καί μή ἀφῇς ὑπόνοιαν κατά πάσης Ἐκκλησίας γενέσθαι, ὡς τοιαῦτα βουλευομένων καὶ γραφόντων τῶν Χριστιανῶν, καὶ μάλιστα τῶν ἐπισκόπων. Ἠ εἰ μή βούλει ’κ ἀνακρ-Ϊνειν, δίκαιον καὶ ἡμᾶς πιστεύεσθαι μᾶλλον άπολογουμὲνους τους διαβάλλοντας. Οὗτοι μὲν γὰρ, ὡς ἑχίιροῖ, πονηρεύονται, ἡμεῖς δὲ ἀγωνιῶντες τὰς ἀποδείξεις παρέχομεν. Ἀλλὰ θαυμάζω, πῶς ἡμεῖς μὲν μετʼ εὐλαβείας φθεγγόμεθα, ἐκεῖνοι δὲ τοσαύτην ἔσχον ἀναισχυντίαν, ὡς καὶ ψεύσασθαι βασιλεῖ. Ἀλλʼ ἐξέτασον διά τὴν ἀλήθειαν, καί ὡσπερ γέγραπται, ἐρευνῶν ἐρεύνης-ον παρόντων ἡμῶν, πόθεν ταῦτα λέγουσιν, ἢ πόθεν ηὑρέθη τὰ γράμματα. Ἀλλʼ οὔτε τῶν ἡμετέρων τις ἐλεγγθήσεται, οὔτε τῶν ἐκείνου φήσειὲ τις ’ πέπλασται γάρ. Καὶ πλέον οὐδὲν τάχα προσήκει ζητεῖν, οὐδὲ γάρ βούλονται, ’ίνα μὴ καὶ ὁ ταυτας γράψας ἐξ ἀνάγκης εὑρεθῇ. Ἴσασι γάρ αὐτὸν οἱ διάβολοι μόνοι, καὶ ἄλλος οὐδείς. ### English translation (Claude) For these reasons the churches everywhere have been thrown into turmoil. They invented pretexts, and bishops of such standing and of many years were exiled because of their communion with me. If this had gone only so far, there would be some good hope, for you are humane; but lest the evil go further, let truth prevail with you, and do not allow a suspicion to arise against the whole Church, as though Christians, and especially bishops, plotted and wrote such things. Or, if you do not wish to examine the matter, it is just that we who make our defense should be believed rather than those who slander. For they act wickedly as enemies, while we, in anguish, provide the proofs. But I marvel how we speak with reverence, while they had such shamelessness as even to lie to the emperor. But examine for the sake of truth, and, as it is written, search diligently in our presence, whence they say these things and whence the letters were found. But neither will anyone of ours be convicted, nor will anyone of his say so; for it is fabricated. And perhaps it is not fitting to inquire further, nor do they wish it, lest the one who wrote these letters be found by necessity. For the devils alone know him, and no one else. ### Scripture references - Deut 13:14: echo, low confidence ### Translation notes - “Search diligently”: cf. Deut 13:14 (13:15 LXX). OCR debris is removed by logged corrections. ### Citation (SBL) Athanasius, Apol. Const. 13 (PG 25:609d–612b; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-apologia-constantium/2/#p-13). ## Defence before Constantius 14 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-apologia-constantium/2/#p-14 - Source: PG 25:612b–616a - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-09 Summary: Athanasius answers the charge of using the great church before its dedication: the Easter crowds were too large for the small churches, and his predecessors and others had done the same. ### Greek text Ἐπειδὴ δὲ καὶ περὶ τῆς μεγάλης ἐκκλησίας κατειρήκασιν, ὡς συνάξεως ἐκεῖ γενομένης πρὶν αὐτὴν τελειωθῆναι, φέρε καὶ περὶ τούτου πάλιν ἀπολογήσομαι εὐσεβείᾳ · εἷς ταῦτα γάρ ἡμᾶς ἕλκουσιν οἱ φιλέχθρως διακείμενοι πρὸς ἡμᾶς. Ναὶ γέγονεν, ὁμολογώ ' καὶ γάρ καὶ τά πρῶτα λέγων οὐκ ἐψευσάμην, καὶ τοῦτο νῦν οὐκ ἀρνήσομαι. Ἀλλʼ ἄλλως πάλιν ὡς αυτοὶ κατειρτςκασίν ἐστι τὸ πρᾶγμα. Καί μοι συγχώρησον εἶπεῖν, οὐκ ἐγκαινίων ἡμέραν ἔπετελὲσαμεν, θεοσεβέστατε Δῧγουστε· τοῦτο γὰρ ἀθέμιτον -ιζν ἀληθῶς πρὸ τῆς σῆς προστάξεως ποιῆσαι* οὐδὲ ἐκ παρασκευῆς εἷς τοῦτο παρήλθομεν· οὔδε ἐπίσκοπος τις οὐδὲ ἄλλος κληρικὸς εἰς τοῦτο κεκληται, ἔλειπε δὲ πολλὰ καὶ τῷ ἔργῳ. Ἀλλʼ οὐδὲ ἐκ παραγγελίας γέγονεν συναξις, ’ἱνα πρόφασιν εὕρωσιν οὗτοι τοῦ κατειπεῖν. Ἀλλά τὸ γενόμενον … πάντες· ἄκουσον δὲ ὅμως σαυτοῦ ἐπιεικείᾳ καὶ μακροῦυμίᾳ. Ἑορτή μὲν γάρ ἦν τὸ Πάσχα, ὁ δὲ λαός πάνυ πολὺς καὶ τοσοῦτος ἦν, ὅσον ἂν εὔξαιντο κατὰ πόλιν εἶναι Χριστιανῶν φιλὸχθιστοι βασιλεῖς. Τῶν τοίνυν ἐκκλησιῶν ὀλίγων καί· βραχυτάτων οὐσῶν, θόρυβος ἦν οὐκ ὀλίγος, ἀξιούντων ἐν τῇ μεγάλῃ ἐκκλησίᾳ συνελθεῖν, κάκεῖ πάντας εὔχεσθαι ὑπὲρ τῆς σῆς σωτηρίας, ὅπερ καὶ γέγονεν. Ἀλλʼ ἐμοῦ παρακαλοῦντος τὲως ἐπισγεῖν, καὶ ὅπως δήποτε μετὰ θλίψεως ἐν ταῖς ἄλλαις ἐκκλησίαις συναχθῆναι, οὐχ ὑπήκουσαν, αλλʼ ἕτοιμοι γεγόνασιν ἐξελθεῖν τήν πόλιν, εἷς τοὺς ἐρήμους τόπους ἐν ἡλίῳ συνελθεῖν, βέλτιον ἡγούμενοι κάματον ἐνεγκεῖν ὀδοῦ, μετὰ λύπης τὴν ἑορτὴν ποιῆσαι. … πάλιν μάρτυρα δέξαι την ἀληθειαν · ὅτι συνάξεσι τῆς Τεσσαρακοστῆς, διὰ τό τῶν τόπων στενὸν καὶ τὸ πολῦ πλῆθος τῶν λαῶν, πλεῖστα παιδία, καὶ ούκ ὀλίγαι νεώτεραι γυναῖκες, πλεῖσταί τε γραῖὸες, καὶ οὐκ ὀλίγοι νεανίσκοι θλιβέντες ἀπηνέχΟησαν εἰς τοὺς οἷʼκουςο καὶ τοῦ Θεοῦ παρασχόντος, τέθνηκε μὲν οὐδείςʼ πάντες δὲ ἐγύγγυσαν, καὶ ἠξίωσαν διὰ τὴν μεγάλην ἐκκλησίαν. Εἰ δὲ καὶ ἐν ταῖς προεὸρτοις τοιαύτη γέγονε θλίψις, τί ἂν ἐγεγόνει ἐν αὐτῇ τῇ ἑορτῇ ; Πάντως πάντα ἔοι τούτων χακεπώτερα. Ἀλλʼ ούκ ἔπρεπεν ἀντὶ χαρᾶς λύπην, τῖ τῆς έορτῆς κλαυθμὸν ἀντʼ εὐφροσύνης πένθος, αν ν τοῖς λαοῖς γενέσθαι· εἰδὼς καὶ μάλιστα τύπον ἔχειν τῶν Πατέρων. Ὁ γὰρ μακαρίτης Ἀλέξανδρος, στενῶν ὄντων τῶν ἄλλων τόπων, καὶ οἰκοδομῶν τήν τότε μείζονα νομιζομένην ἐκκλησίαν τὴν καλουμένην θεωνᾶν συνῆγεν ἐκεῖ διὰ τὸ πλῆθος, καὶ συνάγων οὐκ ἡμέλει τῆς οἰκοδομῆς. Τοῦτο καὶ ἐν Τριβέροις, καὶ ἐν Ἀκυληίᾳ γενόμενον ἑώρακα · κάκεῖ γαρ ἐν ταῖς ἑορταῖς διὰ τὸ πλῆθος, ἔτι τῶν τόπων οἰκοδομουμένων, συνῆγον ἐκεῖ ' καὶ ούχ εὗρον τοιοῦτον κατήγορον. Ἀλλὰ καὶ ὁ μακαρίτης σου ἀδελφὸς, ἐν Ἀκυληίᾳ, τοιαύτης ούσης συνάξειυς, συνήχθη. Οὕτω κάγὼ πεποίηκα, καὶ γέγονεν ούκ ἐγκαίνια, ἀλλὰ σύναξις εὐχῆς. Σὺ μὲν οὖν, εὖ οἶδα, ὅτι, φιλό- Θεος ὢν, τῶν μὲν λαῶν ἀποδέχῃ τὴν προθυμίαν, καὶ συγγινώσκεις ἐμοὶ, μὴ κωλύσαντι τοσούτου λαοῦ τὰς εὐχάς. καὶ πῶς ἦν βέλτιον κατὰ μέρος καὶ διῃρημένοις τὸν λαὸν μετʼ ἒπικινὸυνου συνοχῆς, ἢ ὄντος ἤδη τόπου τοῦ δυναμένου δέξασθαι πάντας, ἐν αύτῷ συνελθεῖν καὶ μίαν καὶ τὴν αὐτὴν μετὰ συμφωνίας τῶν λαῶν γενέσθαι τήν φωνήν ; Τοῦτο βέλτιον ἦνʼ τοῦτο γὰρ καὶ τὴν ὁμοψυχίαν ἐδείκνυε τοῦ πλήοοος· οὕτω καὶ ταχέως 6 Θεὸς ἐπακούει. Ei. γὰρ κατὰ τήν αὐτοῦ τοῦ Σωτῆρος ἐπαγγελίαν, ὢν δύο συμφωνήσαιεν περὶ παντὸς, οὗ ἂν αίτήσωνται, γενήσεται αὐτοῖς· τί ἐὰν τοσούτων λαῶν συνελθόντων μία γενηται φωνὴ, λεγόντων τῷ Θεῷ τὸ ’Δμήν ; Τίς γοῦν οὐκ. ἐθαύμασε ; Τίς οὐκ ἐμακάρισε σε, . _ βλέπων τὸν τοσοῦτον λαὸν ἐν tu συνελθόντα τόπῳ; im; ἔχαιρον οἱ λαοὶ βλέποντες ἀλλήλους τὸ πρότερον ἐν ὃιτξρημὲνοις συνερχόμενοι τόποις ; Τοῦτο πάντας τλῧφροίνεςκαῐ μόνον τὸν διαβαλόντα ἐλύπησε. ### English translation (Claude) Since they have also made accusations about the great church, that a synaxis was held there before it was completed, come, I will make my defense about this too to your piety; for those hostile to us drag us even to this. Yes, it happened, I confess; for as I did not lie in saying the former things, so now I will not deny this. But the matter is otherwise than they have alleged. Permit me to say, most God-fearing Augustus, we did not celebrate a day of dedication; for it would truly have been unlawful to do so before your order; nor did we come to it by premeditation; no bishop or other cleric was invited to it, and much was still lacking in the work. Nor was the synaxis held by announcement, so as to give these men a pretext for accusation. But what happened … all …; yet hear it with your gentleness and long-suffering. It was the feast of the Pascha, and the people were very many—as many as Christ-loving emperors might pray to have as Christians in their cities. Since the churches were few and very small, there was no small uproar, as they asked to assemble in the great church and all pray there for your safety, which indeed happened. For when I urged them to wait for a while and to assemble in the other churches, however uncomfortably, they would not listen, but were ready to go out of the city and assemble in desert places in the sun, thinking it better to bear the toil of a journey than to keep the feast in grief. … [15] Again accept the truth as witness: at the assemblies in Lent, because of the narrowness of the places and the great multitude of the people, very many children, not a few young women, very many old women, and not a few young men were crushed and carried home; and by God’s providence no one died; but all murmured, and asked for the great church. And if even in the days before the feast there was such crushing, what would have happened at the feast itself? Surely all would have been far worse. But it was not fitting that the people should have grief instead of joy, weeping instead of the feast, mourning instead of gladness—especially since I knew we had the example of the Fathers. For the blessed Alexander, when the other places were narrow and he was building the church then thought the greater, called that of Theonas, held services there because of the multitude, and while holding them did not neglect the building. This I saw done at Trier and at Aquileia too; for there also, at the feasts, because of the multitude, they held services in places still being built; and they found no such accuser. Indeed your brother of blessed memory, when such a synaxis was held at Aquileia, attended it. So I too did; and it was not a dedication but an assembly for prayer. You, then, I know well, being a lover of God, accept the people’s zeal and pardon me for not preventing the prayers of so great a people. [16] … And how was it better that the people should be divided into parts, with dangerous crowding, than that, since there was already a place able to receive all, they should come together in it and there should be one and the same voice of the people in harmony? This was better; for this showed the unanimity of the multitude, and so God quickly hears. For if, according to the Savior’s own promise, if two agree about anything they ask, it will be done for them, what if, when so many people have assembled, there is one voice, saying to God the Amen? Who then did not marvel? Who did not call you blessed, seeing so great a people assembled in one place? How the people rejoiced, seeing one another, who formerly assembled in separate places! This gladdened all, and grieved only the slanderer. ### Scripture references - Matt 18:19: quotation, high confidence ### Translation notes - The numerals of chapters 15 and 16 were lost in the scan; they are marked [15] and [16]; the opening of ch. 16 appears to be lost in the scan (“…”). The great church is the Caesareum, then being converted into a church. “If two agree …”: Matt 18:19. Words are lost in the scan where marked “…”; garbled lines are reassembled by logged corrections. ### Citation (SBL) Athanasius, Apol. Const. 14 (PG 25:612b–616a; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-apologia-constantium/2/#p-14). ## Defence before Constantius 17 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-apologia-constantium/2/#p-17 - Source: PG 25:616b–620a - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-09 Summary: Athanasius answers the objection that prayer should not have been held in the unfinished church, citing the returning exiles who worshiped at the site before the temple was rebuilt, and invites the emperor to dedicate it. ### Greek text Τὴν γοῦν ἑτέραν καὶ ὑπολειπομένην ἀντιλογίαν αὐτοῦ βούλομαι προλαβεῖν. Ὁ μὶν γὰρ κατειρηκώς φησιν· Ούπω τετελείωτο τὸ ἔργον, καὶ οὐκ ἐχρῆν εὐχὰς γενέσθαι· ὁ ὁὶ Κύριος εἶπε. Σὺ δὲ, ὅταν προσεύχῃ, εἴσελθε εἷς τὸ ταμεῖόν σου, καὶ ἀπόκλεισον τὰς θύρας. Τί τοίνυν φήσειεν 6 κατήγορος ; Μᾶλλον δὲ τί ἃν εἷᾎτοιεν οὶ φρόνιμοι καὶ … Χριστιανοί; Τούτους γὰρ ἐρώτησον, βασιλεῦ· ’ἐπειδῆ γέγραπται περὶ μὲν ἐκείνων, ὅτι :0 μωρὸς μωρά λαλήσειʼ περὶ δὲ τούτων Παρὰ παντὸς φρονίμου συμβουλίαν λάμβανε. Τῶν ἐκκλησιῶν στενῶν οὐσῶν, καὶ τῶν λαῶν τοσούτων ὄντων, καὶ βουλομένων εἷς τὰς ἐρήμους ἀπελθεῖν, τί ποιεῖν ἐχρῆν ; Ἡ μὲν γὰρ ἔρημος ἄοορος, καὶ τῶν βουλομένων δίοδὸς ἐστιν, ὁ ’δὲ Κυριακὸς τόπος καὶ τετείχισται καὶ τεθύρωται, καὶ τήν διαφορὰν τῶν … καὶ τῶν βεβήλων δείκνυσιν. Ἄρα, βασιλεύ, ού μετὰ τῆς σῆς εὐσεβείας πᾶς ὁστισοῦν φρόνιμος ἐπινεύει τούτῳ; Ἴσασι γὰρ, ὅτι ὧδε μὲν νόμιμος εὐχὴ, ἐκεῖ δὲ ἀταξίας … μὴ ὄντων, μόνοι τὴν ἐρημίαν ἓν ιδῖκοῖεν οἱ εύχόμενοι, ὥσπερ ἦν 6 Ἰσραήλ· ἀλλὰ κάκείνοις τῆς σκηνῆς γενομένης περιώριστο λοιπὸν τῆς εὐχῆς ὁ τόπος. Ὦ Δέσποτα καὶ ἀληθῶς βασιλεύ τῶν … Χριστέ, Υἱὲ τοῦ Θεοῦ μονογενὲς, Λόγε … τοῦ Πατρὸς, ὁ λαὸς ηὔξατο, καὶ διὰ σοῦ τὸν σὸν Πατέρα τὸν ἐπὶ πάντων Θεὸν …, περῖ τῆς σωτηρίας τοῦ σού θεράποντος τοῦ εὐσεβεστάτου Κωνσταντίου, … κατηγοροῦμαι. Ἀλλὰ τῇ σῇ ἀγαθὼ-τρι χάρις, δτι δίὰ τοῦτο καὶ ἐν τοῖς σοῖς νόμοις διαβέβλη μαι. Μειζόνως γὰρ ἂν διεβλήθην, καὶ ἦν ἀληθῶς ἔγκλημα, εἷ ὃν ( ᾠκοδόμησε τόπον 6 βασιλεὺς παρηρχόμεθα, καὶ ἔρημον ἐζητοῦμεν εἷς εὐχήν. Πῶς ἃν 6 κατήγορος ἐφλυάρησε τότεῐ πῶς ἂν ἧν πιθανὸς λέγων · Ἐξουθένησέ σου τὸν τόπον · παρᾶ γνώμην ἐστὶν αὐτοῦ τὸ γινόμενονο ἐγέλασε παρερχόμενος· ἔδειξε τὴν ἔρημον πληροῦσαν τοῦ τόπου την χρείαν ι θέλοντα-ς εὔξασθαι λαοὺς κεκώλυκε. Ταῦτα ἤθελεν εἰπεῖνʼ, ταῦτα ἐζήτει· καὶ μὴ εὑρὼν ἄχθεται, καὶ λοιπὸν λόγους πλάττει. Ταῦτα γὰρ εί ἐλεγεν, ἐδυσώπει κάμέο ὥσπερ νῦν ἀδικεῖ, τὸν διαβόλου τρόπον ἀναλαβὼν, καὶ παρατηρούμενος τοὺς προσευχομένους· διὸ καὶ ἐσφάλη παραγνοὺς τὸ 106 Δανιήλ · ἐνόμισε γὰρ 6 ἀμαθής, ὅτι καὶ ἐπὶ σοῦ τὰ τῶν Βαβυλωνίων κρατεῖ, καὶ οὐκ ἔγνω, ὅτι φίλος εἴ 106 μακαρίου Δανιήλι· καὶ τὸν αὐτὸν αὐτῷ Θεὸν προσκυνεῖς, καὶ ού κωλύεις, ἀλλὰ θέλεις πάντας εὔχεσθαι, εἰδὼς, ὅτι πάντων ἐστὶν εὐχὴ, σώζεσθαί σε καὶ βασιλεύειν ἐν εἰρήνῃ διαπαντός. Ἐγὼ μὲν οὖν καὶ ταῦτα πρὸς τὸν κατειπόντα ἀποδύρομαι ’ σὺ δὲ, θεοφιλέστατε Αὕγουστε, ζήσειας πολλαῖς ἐτῶν περιόδοις, καὶ τὰ ἐγκαίνια ἐπιτελέσειας. Αἱ γὰρ γενόμεναι παρᾶ πάντων περὶ τῆς σῆς σωτηρίας εὐχαὶ οὐχ ἐμποδίζουσι τὴν τῶν ἐγκαινίων πανήγυριν. Μὴ τοῦτο ψευδέσθωσαν οἱ ἀμαθεῖς ’ ἀλλὰ παρὰ μὲν τῶν Πατέρων μαθέτωσαν, ἀναγνώτωσαν δὲ καὶ τὰς Γραφάς· μᾶλλον δὲ παρᾶ σοῦ μαθέτωσαν, φιλολόγος γὰρ εἴ, ὅτι καὶ Ἰησοῦς ὁ 106 Ἰωσεδὲκ 6 ἱερεὺς, καὶ οἱ ἀδελφοὶ αὐτοῦ, καὶ Ζοροβάβελ 6 Σαλαθιὴλ ὁ σοφὸς, καὶιἜσδρας 6 ἱερεὺς καὶ 106 νόμου γραμματεὺς, 106 ἱεροῦ μετὰ τήν αἰχμαλωσίαν οἰκοδομουμένου, καὶ ἐνστάσης τῆς Σκηνοπηγίας (ἑορτή δὲ ἧν αὕτη καὶ πανήγυρις καὶ εὐχή μεγάλη ἐν τῷ Ἰσραὴλ), συνήγαγον τὸν λαὸν ὁμοθυμαδὸν εἷς τὸ εὐρύχωρον 106 πρώτου πυλῶνος 106 πρὸς τῇ ἀνατολῇ, καὶ τὸ θυσιαστήριον 106 Θεοῦ ἡτοίμασαν, κάκεῖ προσήνεγκαν, κάκεῖ τὴν ἑορτὴν ἐπετέλεσαν. Καὶ λοιπὸν οὕτως τὰς κατά Σάββατον καὶ νουμηνίαν προσέφερον θυσίας, καὶ οἱ λαοὶ τὰς εὐχὰς αὐτῶν ἀνέφερον. Καὶ φανερῶς φησιν ἡ Γραφὴ, ὅτι ταῦτα ἐγίγνετο, καὶ 6 ναὸς 106 Θεοῦοὕπω ᾠκοδόμητο · ἀλλὰ μᾶλλον τούτων οὕτως εὐχομένων 6 οἶκος προέκοπτεν 6 οἰκοδομούμενος καὶ οὔτε διὰ τὴν προσδοκίαν τῶν ἐγκαινίων ἐκωλύθησαν αἱ εὐχαὶ, οὔτε διὰ τὰς γενομένας συνόδους τῶν εὐχῶν ἐμπεπόδισται τὰ ἐγκαίνιαο ἀλλὰ καὶ 6 λαὸς οὕτως ηὔχετο· καὶ ὅτε τετέλεστο πᾶς ὁ οἶκος ἐποίησαν τὰ ἐγκαίνια, καὶ προσήνεγκαν εἷς τὸν ἐγκαινισμὸν, καὶ πάντες ἐώρτασαν ἐπὶ τῇ τελεσιουργίᾳ. Τοῦτο δὲ πάλιν καὶ 6 μακαρίτης Ἀλέξανδρος καὶ οἱ ἄλλοι Πατέρες πεποιήκασι· συναγαγόντες γὰρ καὶ τελειώσαντες τὸ ἔργον, ηὐχαρίστησαν τῷ Κυρίῳ, ἐγκαίνια ἐπιτελεσαντες. Τοῦτο καὶ σε ποιεῖν πρέπει, φιλομαθέστατε βασιλεῦ · ἕτοιμος γὰρ ὁ τόπος προαγνισθεὶς ταῖς προγενομέναις εὐχαῖς, ζητῶν παρουσίαν τῆς σῆς εὐσεβείας· τοῦτο γὰρ αὐτῷ λείπει πρὸς τὸν τέλειον κόσμον. Τοῦτο μὲν οὖν πληρώσειας, καὶ τὴν εὐχὴν ἀποδοίης τῷ Κυρίῳ, ᾧ καὶτὸν οἶκον πεποίηκας · τοῦτο γὰρ πάντων ἐστὶν εὐχή. ### English translation (Claude) I wish to anticipate his other, remaining objection. For the accuser says: “The work had not yet been completed, and prayers ought not to have been held there; and the Lord said, ‘But you, when you pray, go into your room and shut the doors.’” What, then, would the accuser say? Or rather, what would wise and … Christians say? Ask them, O emperor; for it is written of those, “The fool will speak foolishness,” but of these, “Take counsel from everyone who is wise.” When the churches were narrow and the people so many, and they wished to go out into the deserts, what ought to have been done? For the desert has no doors and is a thoroughfare for anyone who wishes, but the Lord’s place is walled and has doors, and shows the difference between … and the profane. Does not every wise man, O emperor, together with your piety, assent to this? For they know that here prayer is lawful, but there … disorder … unless there were no places, and those praying had only the desert, as Israel had; but for them too, once the tabernacle had been made, the place of prayer was thereafter defined. O Lord and truly King of …, Christ, only-begotten Son of God, Word of the Father: since … the people prayed, and through you to your Father, God over all, for the safety of your servant, the most pious Constantius, … I am accused. But thanks be to your goodness that it is for this that I have been slandered, even in your laws! For I would have been slandered more, and it would truly have been a charge, if we had passed by the place the emperor built and sought a desert for prayer. How the accuser would then have babbled! How plausible he would have been, saying: “He despised your place; what is done is against his will; he laughed as he passed by; he showed the desert supplying the need for the place; he prevented the people who wished to pray.” This is what he wished to say, this he sought; and not finding it he is vexed and so invents words. For if he had said this, he would have put me to shame; as it is, he does wrong, taking up the devil’s way and spying on those who pray; and so he failed, ignoring the case of Daniel. For the ignorant man thought that with you too the ways of the Babylonians prevail, and did not know that you are a friend of the blessed Daniel and worship the same God as he, and do not hinder but wish all to pray, knowing that the prayer of all is that you may be kept safe and reign in peace always. [18] I, then, lament this too against the accuser; but you, most God-loving Augustus, may you live through many cycles of years and celebrate the dedication. For the prayers made by all for your safety do not hinder the festival of the dedication. Let the ignorant not lie about this, but let them learn from the Fathers and read the Scriptures—or rather let them learn from you, for you are a lover of learning—that Jeshua son of Jozadak the priest and his brothers, and the wise Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, and Ezra the priest and scribe of the law, when the temple was being built after the captivity and the feast of Tabernacles came round (this was a feast and festival and great prayer in Israel), gathered the people with one accord into the open space of the first gate toward the east, prepared the altar of God, and there offered and there kept the feast. And thereafter they offered the sacrifices of the sabbaths and new moons, and the people offered their prayers. And the Scripture says plainly that these things were done when the temple of God was not yet built; rather, while they prayed thus, the house being built made progress; and neither were the prayers hindered by expectation of the dedication, nor was the dedication hindered by the assemblies for prayer; but the people prayed so, and when the whole house was finished they celebrated the dedication, made offerings for the dedication, and all kept festival at its completion. This again the blessed Alexander and the other Fathers did: they held assemblies, and when they had completed the work they gave thanks to the Lord, celebrating a dedication. This it befits you too to do, most learned emperor; for the place is ready, sanctified beforehand by the prayers already offered, and seeking the presence of your piety; for this alone it lacks for its perfect adornment. May you fulfill this, and pay your vow to the Lord, for whom you have built the house; for this is the prayer of all. ### Scripture references - Matt 6:6: quotation, high confidence - Isa 32:6: quotation, medium confidence - Ezra 3:2: allusion, high confidence ### Extrabiblical texts - Tob 4:18 (Tobit): quotation, high confidence - 1 Esd 5:47 (1 Esdras): allusion, high confidence ### Translation notes - The numeral of chapter 18 stands in the scan inside this staged section; it is marked [18]. “Go into your room”: Matt 6:6. “The fool will speak foolishness”: Isa 32:6. “Take counsel from everyone who is wise”: Tob 4:18. Daniel praying: Dan 6. The returning exiles: Ezra 3:1–6 and 1 Esd 5:47–55 (“the open space of the first gate toward the east” is 1 Esd 5:47). Several phrases in the first half are garbled in the scan and marked “…”; the OCR repeatedly reads the article τοῦ as “106”, which is left as printed and translated as τοῦ. Other debris is removed by logged corrections. ### Citation (SBL) Athanasius, Apol. Const. 17 (PG 25:616b–620a; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-apologia-constantium/2/#p-17). ## Defence before Constantius 19 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-apologia-constantium/2/#p-19 - Source: PG 25:620a–620d - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-09 Summary: Athanasius answers the charge that he defied an imperial order to leave Alexandria, explaining that the letter brought by Montanus answered a request he had never made. ### Greek text Δὸς δὴ, καὶ τὴν ἄλλην ἴδωμεν διαβολὴν, καὶ συγχώρησον ἀπολογήσασθαι καὶ περὶ αὐτῆς. Τετολμήκασι γὰρ καὶ τοῦτο διαβάλλειν, ὡς ἀντιστάντος ἐμοῦ τοῖς σοῖς προστάγμασιν, ὥστε μή ἐξελθεῖν τὴν ἐκκλησίαν. Ἐκείνους μὲν οὖν θαυμάζω μὴ ἀποκάμνοντας ταῖς συκοφαντίαις· ἐγὼ δὲ ὅμως οὐδὲ οὕτως ἀποκάμνω, χαίρω δὲ μᾶλλον ἀπολογούμενος. Ὀσῳ γὰρ ἀπολογίαι πολλαὶ, τοσούτῳ καὶ πλέον ἐκεῖ· νοι δύνανται καταγινώσκεσθαι. Οὐκ ἀντέστην προστάγματι τῆς σῆς εὐσεβείας, μὴ γὲνοιτοί οὐ γὰρ τηλικοῦτος ἤμην, ’ίνα καὶ λογιστῇ πόλεως ἀντιστῶ, μήτιγε τηλικούτῳ βασιλεῖ, καὶ περὶ τούτου τοσούτων πλείστων παρʼ ἐμοῦ λόγων · πᾶσα γὰρ ἡ πό·λις μοι μαρτυρεῖ. Συγχώρησον δὲ ὅμως καὶ τοῦτο πάλιν ἐξ ἀρχῆς διηγήσασθαι τὸ πρᾶγμα· καὶ γὰρ ἀκούσας, θαυμάσεις, εὖ οἷδʼ ὅτι, τῶν ἐχθρῶν τήν εὐχέρειαν. Μοντάνος ὁ Παλατινὸς ἦλθε κομίζων ἐπιστολὴν, ὡς ἐμοῦ γράψαντος, ’ἕνα εἰς τὴν Ἰταλίαν ἔλθω θ καὶ ἃ νομίζω λείπειν τοῖς ἐκκλησίαστικοῖς, ταῦτα πληρωθῆναι δυνηθῇ. Τῇ μὶν οὖν σῇ εὐσεβείᾳ χάρις, ὅτι κατηξίωσεν, ὡς ἐμοῦ γράψαντος, ἐπίνεῦσαι, καὶ τῆς ὁδοῦ πρόνοιαν πεποίηκεν ὑπὲρ τοῦ ταύτην ἐλθεῖν, καὶ ἀκμητὶ διανῦσαί με· τοὺς δὲ ψευσαμένους τὰς σὰς ἀκοὰς τεθαύμακα πάλιν μὴ φοβηθέντάς, δτι τὸ ψεῦδος ἴδιόν ἐστι τοῦ διαβόλου, καὶ οἱ ψευδόμενοι ἀλλότριοίεῖσιτοῦ λέγοντος· Ἐγώ εἲμι ἡ ἀλήθεια. Οὐ γὰρ ἔγραψα, οὐδὲ τοιαύτην ἐπιστολὴν εὑρεῖν ὁ κατήγορος δυνήσεται. Εἰ καὶ ἔδει με γράφειν καθημὲραν, τίνα τήν ἀγαθήν σου πρόσοψιν θεωρῶ ο ἀλλʼ οὕτε τὰς Ἐκκλησίας καταλιμπάνειν ὅσιον, οὐδὲ διʼ ὄχλου τῇ σῇ εὐσεβείᾳ γίνεσθαι δίκαιον ἦν · μάλιστα ὅτι καὶ ἀπόντων ἡμῶν ἐπινεύεις ταῖς ἐκκλησιαστικαῖς ἀξιώσεσιν. Ἃ μὲν οὖν ἐκέλευσε Μοντάνος, κέλευσον ἀναγνῶναί μεʼ ἐστι γὰρ ταῦτα... ### English translation (Claude) Come now, let us look at the other slander too, and permit me to make my defense concerning it. For they have dared to slander this too, that I resisted your orders, so as not to leave the church. I marvel that they do not grow weary of false accusations; yet I do not grow weary even so, but rather rejoice in making my defense; for the more defenses there are, the more those men can be condemned. I did not resist the order of your piety—God forbid! For I was not of such standing as to resist even the curator of a city, let alone so great an emperor; and there is no need for many words from me about this, for the whole city bears me witness. Permit me nevertheless to recount this matter too from the beginning; for when you hear it you will marvel, I know well, at the recklessness of my enemies. Montanus the palatine came bringing a letter, as though I had written asking to come to Italy, so that what I thought lacking in church affairs might be supplied. Thanks be to your piety, that it deigned to agree, as though I had written, and made provision for the journey so that I might come and complete it without fatigue; but I marveled again at those who lied to your ears, not fearing that falsehood is proper to the devil and that liars are strangers to him who says, “I am the truth.” For I did not write, nor will the accuser be able to find such a letter. Even if I ought to write every day, so as to behold your gracious countenance, yet it was neither holy to leave the churches, nor right to be a burden to your piety, especially since even in our absence you assent to church requests. What Montanus ordered, command me to read; it is this … ### Scripture references - John 14:6: quotation, high confidence ### Translation notes - Montanus came in 353. “I am the truth”: John 14:6. The text of Montanus’s order is not given in the scan (“…”). ### Citation (SBL) Athanasius, Apol. Const. 19 (PG 25:620a–620d; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-apologia-constantium/2/#p-19). ## Defence before Constantius 20 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-apologia-constantium/20/#p-20 - Source: PG 25:620d–621b - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-09 Summary: Athanasius asks who gave the accusers the supposed letter and urges the emperor to reject slanderers as David did, not to heed them as Saul and Ahab did. ### Greek text Πόθεν δὲ ἀρά καὶ ταύτην τήν ἐπιστολὴν εὗρον οἱ κατειρηκότες; ἐβουλόμην παρʼ αὐτῶν ἀκοῦσαι, τίς αὐτοῖς καὶ ταύτην ἐπιδέδωκε. Ποίησον αὐτοὺς ἀποκρίνασθαὶ. Δυνήσῃ γὰρ ἐκ τούτου μαθεῖν, ὅτι καὶ ταύτην ἔπλασαν, ὥσπερ κάκείνην ἐθρύλησαν περὶ τοῦ δυσωνύμου Μαγνεντῖου. Καταγνωσθέντες δὲ καὶ πει ρὶ τῖούτσς, εἷς ποίαν ἀρα μετά ταῦτα πάλιν ἕλκουσιν ἡμᾶς ἀπολογίαν; Τοῦτο γὰρ μεμελετήκασι, καὶ ταύτην ἔχουσιν, ὡς ὁρῶ, σπουδὴν, πάντα κινεῖν καῖ θοριʼ m' Ἓν ‘.‘.‘ νʼ ’ηιῖ ρυὄεῖν. Tot/1 λέγοντες πολλα παρʼ»ξκκουτί 7‘3} ποτε καθʼ ·ἣς;,(ῖ,ινʼ αν,λᾷ τους τοιοέτους καὶ ατεληῖςθεεσθχι ιι Υ 1 'I θʼ ν Ι η ηʼ V καῖ μισειν δικαιον εστιν, οτι, οῖει εῖσι, ττγολτολς 7.7: μʼ. ι--κηι- _ δ ' ' ν ι ς ν ε υ ρ κ, μμ, 7..Νι 7,ιγ τους ακουοντας αυτων υπτ)Ι.Ίμ.01νο“)Ίὶ, ΆΊᾎ ‘20:}. ςευτι {\r η κ '\ fi\\ ς ι ε γε γ I "._‘ δύνασθαι τας ὃιαῧοᾙις ἷσγ·3ειν καὶ παρα σοί, ’Ἰτχυτε γάρ ποτε ἡ τοῦ Ain-2.7. κατα τῶν ἱερέων του Ηενῦʼ ἀλλʼ ὁ ἀκούσας Σαοὺλ ἦν ο ἄδικος. ἰεζαῖ Ἰεζέὶίλε). δὲ διαδαλοῦσα ἠδυνήθη {flaui/1: τον θεοσξῖξστχτον Ναβουθαῖ]:- ἀλλὰ καὶ iii/Axii} ο πονγιτῦς καὶ ἀπο _\ χῖ) ἶ, ε ο ε r ρ \x ι ο l"\ ν στατης ς) ακουων. (γ) οε αγιτκετατος _\:r.u Ι, ου ρη (ιγ,ν 1 ι \ ' ν η, τήν ειναί σε προσήκει, και παντες ευχονται, λς τοιούτους οὔτε προσῖεται, ἀλλὰ καὶ ὡς iuxtim-.1: κ ινας ἀπεστρέʼἑὶτν), λέγων Ἰόν ὶέἰῖῖίκςῖβηίιυνῗῑ λάθρα to“) πλησίον αυτοῦ, τουτον Ξξὶδῖννῖνῖυν. Ἐφυλαττε γὰρ τὴν λέγουσαν ἐντολήν ’ Η) παραδέξῃ ἀκοὴν χααταῖαν. Mai-nua ξε καὶ τα τοζτων ἐστῖ παρὰ σοί· ᾔτησας γαρ, ὡς ὁ Σολομὼν, καὶ σθ) παρα Κυρίου, καὶ silv/sivi: πῖστευε, το ςένατνιον λόγον καὶ ψευδῆ μακρὰν ἀπὸ σου γε γ γενεσθαι προσἥκειν. ### English translation (Claude) Where, then, did the accusers find this letter too? I would like to hear from them who gave it to them. Make them answer; for you will be able to learn from this that they fabricated this one too, as they bandied about that other one concerning the infamous Magnentius. And when they are condemned in this too, to what defense will they drag us afterwards? For this is what they have practiced, and this, as I see, is their zeal: to stir up and disturb everything … saying many things … such men … it is right to … and to hate, because, being such as they are, … those who listen to them … to be able to make their slanders prevail even with you. For the slander of Doeg once prevailed against the priests of God; but it was Saul, the unjust, who listened. Jezebel too, by her slander, was able to destroy the most God-fearing Naboth; but it was Ahab, the wicked and apostate, who listened. But David, the most holy—whom it befits you to imitate, and all pray that you may—did not admit such men, but even turned away from them as …, saying, “Him who secretly slanders his neighbor, him I drove away.” For he kept the commandment that says, “You shall not receive a vain report.” … these things too are with you; for you asked, like Solomon, from the Lord …; believe that it is fitting that vain and lying words be far from you. ### Scripture references - 1 Sam 22:9: allusion, medium confidence - 1 Kgs 21:1: allusion, medium confidence - Ps 101:5 (100:5 LXX): quotation, high confidence - Exod 23:1: quotation, high confidence - Prov 30:8: allusion, medium confidence ### Translation notes - Most of the middle of this section is badly garbled in the scan; only the legible phrases are translated, and gaps are marked “…”. Doeg: 1 Sam 22; Naboth: 1 Kgs 21. “Him who secretly slanders …”: Ps 101:5 (100:5 LXX). “You shall not receive a vain report”: Exod 23:1. Solomon’s request: 1 Kgs 3:9. Lying words far away: Prov 30:8. ### Citation (SBL) Athanasius, Apol. Const. 20 (PG 25:620d–621b; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-apologia-constantium/20/#p-20). ## Defence before Constantius 21 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-apologia-constantium/20/#p-21 - Source: PG 25:621b–624b - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-09 Summary: Athanasius explains that he did not disobey Montanus, who carried no order, nor Diogenius and Syrianus, who could produce none, while he held the emperor’s letter assuring him he would not be disturbed. ### Greek text Δια τοῦτο τοίνυν κάγὼ, ἐπειδῖΙ ἐκ δῖαίολ-ῑλς ἐπιστολὴ, καὶ οὐκ εἷγεν ουδὲ τοῦ ἐλθεῖν πρόσταξιν, ἔγνων, ὅτι πισοαῖρεσις ουκ τῆς σῆς ευσῖοείας ἒν,- Οεῖν ἡμᾶς παρὰ σε. Το γὰρ μὴ κε),;υσαι παντως Ξ),- Θεῗν, ἀλλὰ καὶ γράψαι ρ ἢ ν I ι \ ι ως εμου γραυσντηις, 7.9.: (εελοντος διορθώσασθαι τα δοκοῦντα λεῖπεν), καῖτοι μηδενὸς λεγοντος, φανερὸν ἦν παρα γνώμην εἶναι τὴς σῆς ’ἡμερότητος τὴν κομισθεῖσαν ἐπιστολαί-ι. ’ἱΐηυτο πάντες ἔγνωσαν τοῦτο καὶ γραρων ἐδήλωσεν καὶ οἷ- 33 Μοντάνος, δτι οὗ τὸ ἐλθεῖν παρῃτούμην, ἐι)..λά τὸ ὡς εμοῦ γράψαντος ἐλθεῖν ἀπρεπὲς ἡγοῦςικτμ, Ἵνα μὴ καὶ ἐν τούτῳ πρόφασιν εὕρωσιν οἳ συκοωὶνται παλιν, ὡς ὀχληροῦ γενομένου μου σῇ (μοῖείλεῖα. Ἀμέλει παρεσκευασάμην, καὶ τουτο οἰδεν αὖτῗλς, Ἵνα, ἐὰν γράψαι καταξιώσῃῆ εὐθὺς ἐξέλω-ι), καὶ "Liliσω τῇ προθυμίᾳ τὸ προσταχθὲν.τῦ γὰρ ἓίιαινοοκίιν ἀντειπεῖν τοιούτῳ σου προστάγματι. Μὴ “ponto-1177.; τοίνυν ὅντως τῆς σῆς εὐσεβείας, πῶς ἀντέστην μὴ ν κελευσθείς ; Ἢ πῶς λέγουσιν, οὐκ ἐπεῖσωην, καῖτοι προστάξεως μὴ οὔσης ; πῶς ου συκοεαντία καὶ τοῦτο τῶν ἐχθρῶν πλαττόντων τὸ μή γενόμενον ri); γενομενον ; Φοβοῦμαι μὴ καὶ νῦν, ἀπολογουμένου μου, θρυλγςσωσιν ὡς μὴ ἀξιώσαντος ἀπολογήσασθαι· οὕτως ἐγὼ μὲν εὐχερής εἶμι παρʼ αὐτοῖς εἷς τὸ κατηγορεῖσθαι παρʼ αὐτῶν· αὐτοὶ δε ταχεῖς εἷς το comem-.319; καὶ καταφρονεῖν τῆς Γραξῆς λεγοῦσῃς· Μὴ ἀγάπα καταλαλεῖν, ’ίνα μὴ ἐξαρθῇς. … οὔτε ὡς προστάξεως οὔσης ἐνετείλατό μοι· ἀλλὰ καὶ ὅτε Συριανὸς ὁ στρατηλάτης εἷʼσὴλθενκεῖς τήν Ἀλεξάνδρειαν, ἐπειδὴ παρὰ τῶν Ἀρειανῶν ἐθρυλεῖτό τινα, καὶ ἅπερ ἐβούλοντο, ἐπηγγέλλοντο γίνεσθαι, ἠρώτων εἰ γράμματα ἔχει περὶ ὧν θρυλοῦσι· γράμματα γὰρ ἀπῄτουν, ὁμολογῶ, τῆς προστάξεως. Ἐπειδή δὲ μή ἔχειν ἔλεγεν, ἠξίουν κᾶν αὐτὸν Συριανὸν, ἢ τὸν ἔπαρχον τῆς Αἰγύπτου Μάξιμον γράψαι μοι περὶ τούτου. Τοῦτο δὲ οὕτως ἀπῄτουν, ἐπειδὴ γάρψασά μοι ἦν ἡ cn) φιλανθρωπία, ὥστε παρὰ μηδενός με ταράττεσθαι, μηδὲ ἀνέχεσθαι τῶν θελόντων ἡμᾶς πτοεῖνβιλλὰ μένειν έν ταῖς ἐκκλησίαις ἀμερίμνως. Ol μὲν οὖν κομίσαντες τὴν τοιαύτην ἐπιστολήν εἶσι Παλλάδιος, ὁ γενόμενος τοῦ παλατίου μάγιστρος, καὶ ’Δστέριος ὁ γενόμενος δοὺξ ’Δρμενίας. Τὸ δὲ ἀντίγραφον τῆς ἐπιπολῆς συγχώρησον ἀναγνῶναί με ἔστι γὰρ τοῦτο· ### English translation (Claude) For this reason, then, I too, since the letter came from slander and did not contain an order even to come, knew that it was not the intention of your piety that we should come to you. For not to order us to come at all, but to write as though I had written, wishing to correct what seemed lacking—though no one had said so—made it plain that the letter that was brought was contrary to the mind of your clemency. All knew this; and Montanus too made it plain in writing that I did not decline to come, but thought it unbecoming to come as though I had written, lest in this too the false accusers should find a pretext again, as though I had become troublesome to your piety. Indeed I prepared myself—and he knows this too—so that, if you deigned to write, I might set out at once and fulfill the command with eagerness; for I am not so mad as to contradict such an order of yours. Since, then, there was in fact no order of your piety, how did I resist when I was not ordered? Or how do they say “he did not obey,” when there was no command? How is this too not a false accusation of enemies who invent what did not happen as having happened? I fear that even now, as I make my defense, they will bandy about that I did not deign to make a defense; so ready am I, in their eyes, to be accused by them, and so quick are they to accuse, and to despise the Scripture that says, “Do not love to slander, lest you be removed.” [22] … nor did he give me any order as though there were a command; and when Syrianus the general entered Alexandria, since certain things were being bandied about by the Arians, and they announced that what they wished would come about, I asked whether he had letters about what they were noising abroad; for I asked, I confess, for letters containing a command. And when he said he had none, I asked that at least Syrianus himself, or Maximus the prefect of Egypt, should write to me about it. I demanded this because your humanity had written to me that I should be troubled by no one, nor put up with those who wished to frighten us, but remain in the churches without anxiety. Those who brought this letter were Palladius, who was master of the palace, and Asterius, who was duke of Armenia. Permit me to read the copy of the letter; it is this: ### Scripture references - Prov 20:13: quotation, high confidence ### Translation notes - The numeral and the opening lines of chapter 22 (on the arrival of Diogenius) are lost in the scan; it is marked [22] and the gap “…”. “Do not love to slander …”: Prov 20:13 (LXX). Several words in the first part are garbled in the scan and translated by sense. ### Citation (SBL) Athanasius, Apol. Const. 21 (PG 25:621b–624b; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-apologia-constantium/20/#p-21). ## Defence before Constantius 23 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-apologia-constantium/20/#p-23 - Source: PG 25:624b–624c - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-09 Summary: The text of Constantius’s letter assuring Athanasius after the death of Constans that he would remain bishop of Alexandria. ### Greek text Ἀντίγραφον ἐπιστολῆς οὕτως ἔχον. Κωνστάντιος Νικητὴς Αὔγουστος Ἀθανασίῳ. Εὕχεσθαί με ἀεὶ ὥστε πάντα αἶʼσια ἀποβαίνειν τῷ ποτε ἀδελφῷ ἐμῷ Κωνστάντι, οὐδὲ τὴν σὴν ὑπερέβη σύνεσιν. Ὃντινα ἐπειδή ἐξ ἀπάτης ἀτοπωτάτων ἀνῃρῆσθαι ἔγνων, πόσῃ εἷʼμὶπεριβληθεὶς στυγνότητι, εὐχερῶς ἡ ὑμετέρα φρόνησις δυνήσεται κρίνειν. Καὶ ἐπειδή τινές εἰσιν, οἵτινες ἐν τῷ παρόντι καιρῷ τῷ οὕτω δακρυτικῷ δράματι καταπτοεῖν σε πειράζουσι, διὰ τοῦτο τὰ παρόντα ταῦτα γράμματα πρὸς τὴν σὴν τιμιότητα στεῖλαι ἔκρινα· προτρέπων σε τίνα, ὥσπερ πρέπει ἐπισκόπῳ, εἰς τὴν κεχρεωστημένην θρησκείαν συντρέχειν διδάξειας τὸν δῆμον, καὶ μετʼ αὐτοῦ κατᾶ τὸ ἔθος ταῖς εὐχαῖς σχολάσειαςίὴμῖν γὰρ τοῦτο ἀρέσκει τὸ, σὲ κατὰ τὴν ἡμετέραν βούλησιν, έν παντῖ καιρῷ ἐν τῷ σῷ τόπῳ, ἐπίσκοπον εἶναι βουλόμεθα. Καὶ ἄλλῃ χειρί· Ἠ Θεότης φυλάξειέ σε πολλοῖς ἐνιαυτοῖς, Πάτερ προσφιλέστατε. ### English translation (Claude) Copy of the letter, as follows: “Constantius Victor Augustus to Athanasius. That I always prayed that everything should turn out favorably for my late brother Constans has not escaped your understanding. How great a gloom enveloped me when I learned that he had been killed through the treachery of most wicked men, your prudence can easily judge. And since there are some who at this present time, in so lamentable a drama, are trying to frighten you, I have decided to send this present letter to your honor, urging you, as befits a bishop, to teach the people to hasten to the religion that is due, and to devote yourself with them to prayers as is customary; for this pleases us, that you, according to our will, should be bishop in your place at all times.” And in another hand: “May the Godhead preserve you for many years, most beloved father.” ### Translation notes - The same letter is given in a slightly different Greek version in the History of the Arians 24. ### Citation (SBL) Athanasius, Apol. Const. 23 (PG 25:624b–624c; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-apologia-constantium/20/#p-23). ## Defence before Constantius 24 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-apologia-constantium/20/#p-24 - Source: PG 25:624c–625b - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-09 Summary: Athanasius recounts that Syrianus, unable to show any written order, swore before the people and officials that he would refer the matter to the emperor and not disturb the churches. ### Greek text Περὶ ταύτης,έκεῖνοι μὶν καὶ τοῖς δικασταῖς εἰρήκασιν· ἐγὼ δὲ ταύτην τήν ἐπιστολὴν ἔχων, ἂρʼ οὐκ εἷʼκότως ἀπῄτουν γράμματα, καὶ οὗ προσεῖχον προφάσεσιν ἁπλῶς ; Ἐκεῖνοι δὲ μὴ δεικνύοντες πρόσταγμα τῆς σῆς εὐσεβείας, οὐκ ἄντικρυς ἐναντία ταύτης τῆς ἐπιστολῆς ἔπραττον ; Ἐγὼ δὲ, ὅτι γράμματα οὐ παρεῖχον, οὐκ ἀκολούθως ἡγούμην ἐκτὸς αὐτῶν εἶναι τὰς φάσεις· τοῖς τοιούτοις γὰρ μὴ προσέχειν με προσέταττεν ἡ ἐπιστολή τῆς σῆς φιλανθρωπίας. Δικαίως οὖν τοῦτο ἐποίουν, θεοφιλέστατε Αύγουστε, τίνα, ὥσπερ ἔχων ἐπιστολὰς εἰσῆλθον εἷς τὴν πατρίδα, οὕτως ἔχων πρόσταξιν ἀπʼ αὐτῆς ἐξέλθω· καὶ μὴ ὡς φυγὼν τήν Ἐκκλησίαν, ὑπεύθυνός ποτε γένωμαι, ἀλλʼ ὡς κελευσθεὶς ἔχω πρόφασιν τῆς αναχωρήσεως. Τοῦτο καὶ οἱ λαοὶ πάντες μετὰ τῶν πρεσβυτερων, καὶ ηλεῖστον δὲ τῆς πόλεως μέρος μετʼ αὖ· τῶν, ’ίνα μή λέγω πλέον, ἀπελθόντες πρὸς Συριανὸν, ἠξίουν · ἐκεῖ δὲ καὶ ὁ ἔπαρχος τῆς Αἰγύπτου Μάξιμος. Ἠ δὲ ἀξίωσις ἦν ἢ γράψαι καὶ ἀποστεῖλαί μοι, ἢ μηκέτι διοχλεῖν ταῖς Ἐκκλησίαις, ἕως ἂν αὐτοὶ οἳ λαοὲ περὶ τούτου πρεσβεύωνται παρὰ σοί. Ἐπὶ πολὺ τοίνυν αὐτῶν ἀξιούντων, συνιδὼν Συριανὸς τὸ εύλογον, διεβεβαιώσατο μαρτυρόμενος τήν σὴν σωτηρίαν, καὶ ἐπὶ τούτῳ παρ-ῆν τότε καὶ Ἰλάριος, μηκέτι μὲν διοχλεῖν, ἀναφέρειν δὲ ἐπὶ τὴν σὴν θεοσέβειαν. Τοῦτο οἶδεν ἡ τάξις τοῦ δουκὸς, καὶ ἡ τάξις τοῖʼ) ἐπάρχου τῆς Αἰγύπτου. Καὶ ὁ πρύτανις δὲ τῆς πόλεως ἔχει τὰς φωνὰς, καὶ δύνασαι μαθεῖν, ὅτι οὔτε ἐγὼ, οὔτε τις ἕτερος ἀντιλέγων ἦν τῇ σῇ προστάξει. ### English translation (Claude) Concerning this letter they said things to the magistrates too; but I, having this letter, was I not right to ask for letters and not to heed mere pretexts? And were not they, showing no order of your piety, acting directly contrary to this letter? And I, since they did not produce letters, thought it consistent that their statements were not of your intention; for the letter of your humanity ordered me not to heed such men. I acted rightly, then, most God-loving Augustus, so that, as I entered my homeland with letters, so I might leave it with an order, and might never be held guilty as having deserted the Church, but, as one ordered, might have a reason for withdrawing. This all the people too, with the presbyters, and the greatest part of the city with them—not to say more—went to Syrianus and asked; Maximus the prefect of Egypt was there too. The request was that he either write and send to me, or no longer trouble the churches until the people themselves sent an embassy to you about it. When they had asked for a long time, Syrianus, seeing the reasonableness of it, affirmed, swearing by your safety—Hilary too was present then—that he would no longer trouble them, but would refer the matter to your godliness. The office of the duke knows this, and the office of the prefect of Egypt; the prytanis of the city has the record of what was said; and you can learn that neither I nor anyone else was opposing your order. ### Translation notes - The prytanis was the chief magistrate of Alexandria. ### Citation (SBL) Athanasius, Apol. Const. 24 (PG 25:624c–625b; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-apologia-constantium/20/#p-24). ## Defence before Constantius 25 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-apologia-constantium/20/#p-25 - Source: PG 25:625b–628a - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-09 Summary: Athanasius tells how Syrianus, twenty-three days after his promise, attacked the church by night with soldiers and the Arians, and how he withdrew only after the people had left. ### Greek text Πάντες δὲ ἠξίουν γράμματα δειχθῆναι τῆς σῆς εὐσεβείας. Καὶ φάσις μὲν γὰρ μόνη παρά βασιλέως τήν αὐτὴν ἔχει δύναμιν τοῖς γραφομένοις, ὅταν μάλιστα ταύτην ὁ κομίζων θαρρῇ καὶ γραφῇ προσταχθέν· ἐπειδή δ”ε οὔτε φανερῶς ἔλεγον εἶναι πρόσταγμα, οὔτε, ὅπερ ἠξίουν, ἐγγράφως ἐπέστελλον, ἀλλʼ ὡς ἀφʼ ἑαυτῶν πάντα πράττοντες ἦσαν · ὁμολογῶ, καὶ τοῦτο λέγω μετὰ παρῥησίας, ὕποπτος ἐγενόμην εἷς αὐτούς. Πολλοὶ γὰρ -Ῑσαν οἱ πε ὶ ’τ Ἀμε ε ‘ νʼ, ρ αυιοδς Ικυιοιθοι, τοδτοις τε συνήσθιεν, καὶ μετὰ τούτων ἐβουλεύοντο · καὶ ούδὶν μὲν μετά παρρησίας ἔπραττον, ἐνέδρας δὲ καὶ δόλους ἐπιχειρεῖν ἐμελέτων κατʼ ἐμοῦ. Καὶ οὐ· ὃὶν μὲν ὡς βασιλέως προστάξαντος ἐποίουν, ὡς δὲ παρʼ ἐχθρῶν ἀξιούμενοι. ἤλεγγον ἑαυτούς. Τοῦτο γάρ με καὶ μᾶλλον ἆπαιτεῖτ γράμματα παρʼ αὐτῶν ἠνάγκαζ,ν, ἐπειδὴ καὶ ὕποπτα ἦν ἅπερ ἐπεχείρουν καὶ ἐσκέπτοντο · καὶ ὅτι ἀπρεπὲς ἦν, μετὰ τοσούτων γραμμάτων εἰσελθόντα με, χωρὶς γραμμάτων ἀναχωρῆσαι τῆς Ἐκκλησίας, Συριανοῦ τοίνυν ἐπαγγειλαμένου, συνήγοντο πάντες ἐν ταῖς ἐκκλησίαις μετὰ χαρᾶς καὶ ἀμεριμνίας. Ἀλλὰ μετὰ κʼ καὶ γʼ ἡμέρας τῆς ἐπαγγελίας ἐπέρχεται μετὰ στρατιωτῶν τῇ ἐκκλησίᾳ, καὶ ἡμεῖς μὲν ηὐχόμεθα συνήθως · οὕτω γᾶρ ἑωράκασιν οἱ εἰσελθόντες, ἐπειδὴ παννυχὶς ἦν ἐσομένης συνάξεως. Τοιαῦτα δὲ γέγονε τῇ νυκτὶ ἐκείνῃ, οἷα ἤθελον καὶ ἐπηγγέλλοντο, πρὶν γενέσθαι, οἱ Ἀρειανοί- αὐτοὺς γὰρ ἔχων μεθʼ ἑαυτοῦ ἦλθεν ὁ στρατηλάτης· καὶ αὐτοὶ ἦσαν οἱ ἔξαρχοι καὶ σύμβουλοι τῆς τοιαύτης ἐφόδου. Καὶ τοῦτο cli-it ἄπιστον, θεοφιλέστατε Αὕγουστε · ού γὰρἔλαθον, ἀλλᾶ πανταχοῦ κεκήρυκται. Ἐγὼ τοίνυν θεωρῶν τήν ἔφοδον, παρακαλέσας πρότερον ἀναχωρῆσαι ν τοὺς λαοὺς, τότε κάγὼ μετʼ αὐτοὺς, τοῦ Θεοῦ καλύπτοντος καὶ ὁδηγοῦντος (καὶ τοῦτο γὰρ οἱ τότε μοι συνόντες ἑωράκασιν), ἀνεχώρησα καὶ ἐξ ἐκείνου κατʼ ἐμαυτὸν ἔμεινα, ἔχων παρρησίαν καὶ ἀπολογίαν προηγουμένως μὲν πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν, ἔπειτα δὲ καὶ πρὸς τὴν σὴν εὐσέβειαν, ὅτι οὐκ ἔφυγον καταλείψας τοὺς λαοὺς, ἀλλὰ μάρτυρα τῆς διώξεως ἔχω τὴν ἔφοδον τοῦ στρατηλάτου· ὃ μάλιστα καὶ παντες ἐθαύμασαν. Ἔδει γὰρ ἢ μὴ ἐπαγγείλασθαι, ἢ ἐπαγγειλάμενον μὴ ψεύσασθαι. ### English translation (Claude) All asked that letters of your piety be shown. For an oral statement from the emperor alone has the same force as what is written, especially when the bearer is confident of it and it is put in writing as ordered; but since they neither said openly that there was an order nor sent in writing what was asked, but were acting as if everything were on their own account, I confess—and I say it boldly—I became suspicious of them. For there were many … around them, with whom he ate and with whom they took counsel; and they did nothing openly, but planned to attempt ambushes and treachery against me. And they did nothing as though the emperor had ordered it, but convicted themselves of acting at the request of enemies. This compelled me all the more to demand letters from them, since what they attempted and planned was suspicious; and because it was unseemly that I, who had entered with so many letters, should withdraw from the Church without letters. So, Syrianus having given his promise, all assembled in the churches with joy and without anxiety. But twenty-three days after the promise he comes upon the church with soldiers, while we were praying as usual—for so those who entered saw, since there was a night vigil, a synaxis being due. And such things happened that night as the Arians wished and had announced before they happened; for the general came having them with him, and they were the leaders and advisers of such an attack. And this is not incredible, most God-loving Augustus; for they did not escape notice, but it has been proclaimed everywhere. So I, seeing the attack, first urged the people to withdraw, and then I too withdrew after them, God covering and guiding me (for those then with me saw this too); and from then on I have remained by myself, having boldness and a defense first toward God and then toward your piety, that I did not flee leaving the people, but have the general’s attack as witness of the persecution—at which especially all marveled. For he ought either not to have promised, or, having promised, not to have lied. ### Translation notes - The attack took place on the night of 8–9 February 356. A few words are garbled in the scan (“many … around them”). Two doubled and scattered lines at the end are reassembled by logged corrections. ### Citation (SBL) Athanasius, Apol. Const. 25 (PG 25:625b–628a; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-apologia-constantium/20/#p-25). ## Defence before Constantius 26 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-apologia-constantium/20/#p-26 - Source: PG 25:628a–628c - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-09 Summary: Athanasius explains that he asked for a written order because a bishop may not desert his flock without cause, and promises not to return to Alexandria without the emperor’s leave. ### Greek text Τί τοίνυν οὕτως ἐβουλεύοντο, ἦ διὰ τί μετὰ κ,, λ. - κ ι Ι ““ Ᾰ”’“ δόλου ἐνεδρεύειν ἐπεχείρουν, ἐξὸν καὶ κελεῦσαι, . - Χ“ “ ιʼ, καί vsi'baz; Βασιλέως vita ποόσταῖις λεκαλην ξʼ ει ιι ι ΝΚ ι ι I δ ί ί /~. ο σ y, ι κ ι ι...- ... - ι ι ιΙε.’“ παρςῖησίαν. Ἀλλά τὸ βούλεσθαι λαθεῖν λευκοτέραν ε- ν ι ο - ι - -· ί Χ-ὶ ἐποίει την ὑποψίαν τοῦ μὴ ἔχειν αὐτοὺς πρόσταγμα. 1‘, ’χι πʼ ς ι λ λ 1 -ο Ι ΙΓἽῨῨὟ Τί δὲ ἄτοπον ἀπῄτουν, βασιλΞῦ (palatinum; Πῶς οὐκ . ι ’ Ῐ 7 *,- εῧλογον ἐπισκὸπῳ την τοιαύτην ἀξίωσιν ἄν τις εἶʼποι, γκ ι I ι γκ · ι ι η κ ’ ρʼ α. ς ιμʼ,ι Nn, οιοας, αναγνους ταν Ιραφας, ἡλικον εστι οη εγκληε ' ι Ι μα καταλιμπάνειν ἐπίσκοπον την ἐκκλησίαν, καὶ 3 κ -ο ἀμελεῖν τῶν τοῦ Θεοῦ ποιμνίιιιν. Ποιμένων γὰρ ἀπ- r ι · ·“ ί , ι ι ι ουσία πρόφασιν iuriam τοῖς λύκοις παρέχει κατᾶ τῆς η I‘. -— -~ ’λλ · Ι Ι ι _..----.,, "0...,1‘... [νισι. ι. Ξιγέλης. Τοὖτο δὲ ἐζήτουν οἳ Ἀρειανοὶ, καί οἳ ἄλ) αγελης. Τοῦτο δὲ ἐζήτουν οἳ Ἀρειανοὶ, καί οἳ ἄλλοι πάντες αἱρετικοὲ, ’ίνα ἡμῶν ἀπουσίᾳ χώραν εὕρω- · ". | Ι σιν απατᾷν τους λαοὺς εἷς ἀσέβειαν, Εἰ τοίνυν ’ἱέμην φυγὼν, ποίαν ἀπολογίαν εἶχον ποιρᾶ τοῖς ἀληθινοῖς η ν γʼ, κ '\'\ κʼ· ι-. -l ι. ς 1" επισκοποις, μαλλον ΟΞ παρα τίς) πεπιστευκοτι την αγε- ‘ υ-- κ,. . - "Iv ληνς Ἔστι δε οὗτος ὁ κρίνων πᾶσαν την γῆν, ὁ ἀλη- n κ ο ‘ ' · \ ρ ε \r ν Ι ~ I 3 ι ι ’ν 7 γʼ Οινος παμοασιλευς και Ιχυριος ἡμων Ιησους Expa- ε ς υτ ι ν η --ι -- -Α - . -- Ι ', “F' στὸς, ὁ Υἱὸς τοῦ Θεοῦ. Πῶς οὐκ ἀν τις εὐλόγως τὴν 1 vx ν κ ~ - - ’ ε 1 ν.- υ 9 \ ι νγ Ιγζκῖ '3' αμελειαν των λαων εις εμε μετηνεγκε; Πως οε ουκ ἢκ Ί Ι ι .. - ι ι ’ "" ἂν ἐπέμψατο καὶ σὴ εὐσέβεια δικαίως λέγουσα, Διὰ ., κη, --- τί, μετα γραμμάτων εἰσελθὼν, χωρὶς γραμμάτων ν υ ι ·“ ν ι 1. ι - II'”I"""‘"“' ἀναχιορεῖς, καέ κατέλειψας τοὺς λαούς Πῶς δῖε καί αὐτὸς ὁ λαὸς εἶκὸτως ἐν ἡμέρᾳ κρίσεως τήν ἑαυτῶν Ι, I‘ "fl" ’ 9 1 ’τ Ι ἐ 9' “iw-‘2' αμίλὶίχν εριῖίψπν είς eiu-3, λεγοντες, Ο επισκεπτομενος ἡμᾶς ἔφυγε, καὶ ἡμελγίθημεν, οὐκ ὄντος τοῦ ὑπομιμνήσκοντος Εἰ ταῦτα ἔλεγον, τί ἂν ἀπεκρινάμην; Τοιαύτην γὰρ μέμψιν ἔσχον διὰ τοῦ Ἰεζεχιὴλ , ση- ' Ιο καὶ οἱ ποιμένες τῶν παλαιῶν. Τοῦτο γινώσκων καὶ ὁ μακάριος ἀπόστολος Παῦλος ἑκάστῳ ἡμῶν διὰ τοῦ μαοητοῦ παρήγγειλε, λέγων ' Μή ἀμέλει τοῦ ἐν σοὶ χαρίσματος, ὃ ἐδόθη σοι, μετα ἐπιθέσεως τῶν χειρῶν τοῦ πρεσβυτερίου. Τοῦτο κάγὼ φοβούμενος 1 ι I ’ οὐκ ’ἤθελον φυγεῖν, ἀλλὰ πρόσταξιν ἔχειν, εἶίπερ ἦν n νη ~ -ι -·· · - ν με ι α Ι βούλημα τῆς σῆς εὐσεβείας. Ἀλλʼ οὔτε ἔλαβον ὅπερ ΊΣ Ι Ἰ l ις ς ι γι, ιῦλόγως ἀπῄτουν, ἀλλὰ καὶ νῦν μάτην κατηγορήοην \ ι ‘I ι - - . - -ι ι ι ι παρὰ σοί· οὔτε γὰρ ἀντέστην ρροστοὶγματι τῆς σῆς 9 ί) l · ι ν - ιι ιι ’ εὐσεβείας, οὔτε νῦν εἷς Ἀλεξάνδρειαν εἰσελθεῖν πειράσω, ἕως ἡ φιλανθρωπία τοῦτο βούληται. ν ι ν ’κι “-- νʼ Γ η, -.-ς., μ, ταωηυμυληιυ. ἰυυῑυ ρυυΛηται ιιι). αἱ τοῦτο δὲ προλαβὼν εἶʼρηκα, ἳνα μηδὲ περὶ τοῦτο πάλιν οἱ συκοφάνται πρόφασιν εὕρωσι κατειπεῖν ἡμῶν. ### English translation (Claude) Why, then, did they plan thus, or why did they try to lie in wait with treachery, when they could have given an order and …? The emperor’s order gives … boldness. But their wish to be hidden made the suspicion plainer that they had no order. What unreasonable thing did I ask, O emperor? How would anyone not say that such a request was reasonable for a bishop? For you know, having read the Scriptures, how great a charge it is for a bishop to abandon the church and neglect the flock of God. For the absence of the shepherds gives the wolves an opportunity against the flock. And this is what the Arians and all the other heretics were seeking, that in our absence they might find room to deceive the people into impiety. If, then, I had fled, what defense would I have had before the true bishops, or rather before him who entrusted the flock to me? He is the judge of all the earth, the true King of all, our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God. How would anyone not reasonably have laid the neglect of the people to my charge? How would your piety too not justly have blamed me, saying, “Why, having entered with letters, do you withdraw without letters and leave the people?” How would the people themselves not reasonably, on the day of judgment, lay their neglect to my charge, saying, “He who had the oversight of us fled, and we were neglected, with no one to remind us”? If they said this, what would I have answered? For such a reproach the shepherds of old also received through Ezekiel. Knowing this, the blessed apostle Paul too charged each of us through his disciple, saying, “Do not neglect the gift that is in you, which was given you with the laying on of the hands of the presbytery.” Fearing this, I did not wish to flee, but to have an order, if it was the will of your piety. But I did not receive what I reasonably asked, and now I am accused before you in vain; for neither did I resist the order of your piety, nor will I now try to enter Alexandria until your humanity wishes it. This I have said in anticipation, lest the false accusers find a pretext to accuse us on this point too. ### Scripture references - Gen 18:25: echo, medium confidence - Ezek 34:2: allusion, high confidence - 1 Tim 4:14: quotation, high confidence - Acts 20:29: echo, medium confidence ### Translation notes - The first part of this section is badly garbled in the scan; it is translated by sense, with gaps marked “…”. “The judge of all the earth”: Gen 18:25. The shepherds rebuked through Ezekiel: Ezek 34:2–10. “Do not neglect the gift …”: 1 Tim 4:14. Wolves and the flock: cf. Acts 20:29. ### Citation (SBL) Athanasius, Apol. Const. 26 (PG 25:628a–628c; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-apologia-constantium/20/#p-26). ## Defence before Constantius 27 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-apologia-constantium/20/#p-27 - Source: PG 25:629a–629b - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-09 Summary: Athanasius tells how, on his way to the emperor, he learned of the exile of Liberius, Hosius, and other Western bishops, and of the persecution of the Egyptian bishops and of the faithful praying near the cemetery of Alexandria. ### Greek text Ταῦτα συνορῶν, ού κατεγίνωσκον ἀλλά καὶ ταύτην ἔχων τήν ἀπολογίαν, ἠπειγόμην πρὸς την σήν εὐσέβειαν, εἰδὼς τὴν σὴν φιλανθρωπίαν, διὰ μνήμης τε ἔχων τὰς σας ἀψευδεῖς ὑποσχέσεις, καὶ οαρέὡν, ὅτι, κατὰ τὸ γεγραμμένον ἐν ταῖς θείαις Παροιμίαις· Παρὰ φιλανθρώπῳ βασιλεῖ Παρὰ φιλανθρώπῳ δεκτοί εἰσιν οἰ δίκαιοι λογισμοί. Ἤδη δέ τῆς ὁδοῦ μου ἐπιβάντος, καὶ την ἔρημον ἐξελθόντος, ἀκοή τις γέγονεν ἐξαίφνης ·ἥτις ἄπιστος μέν εἶναι κατά τήν ἀρχὴν ἐδόκει, μετὰ δὲ ταῦτα ἀληθὴς ἐδείχθη. Ἐθρυλεῖτο γὰρ πανταχοῦ, ὅτι Λιβέριος ὁ τῆς Ῥώμης ἐπίσκοπος, καὶ ὁ τῶν Σπανιῶν Ὅσιος ὁ μέγας, Παυλῖνός τε ὁ τῶν Γαλλιῶν, καῖ Διονύσιος καὶ Εὐσέβιος οἱ τῆς Ἰταλίας, Λουκίιρερός τε απὸ Σαρδινίας, καὶ ἄλλοι τινες ἐπίσκοποι, καὶ πρεσβύτεροι, καὶ διάκονοι, οὗτοι μὲν ἐξωρίσθησαν, Οὐικέντιος δὲ ὁ τῆς Καπύης, καὶ Φουρτουνατιανὸς ὁ τῆς Ἀκυληίας Ἡρέμιὸς τε ὁ τῆς Θεσσαλονίκης, καὶ πάντες οἱ κατα τήν Δύσιν ἐπίσκοποι, βίαν οὐ την τυχοῦσαν, ἀλλα καὶ πλείστην ἀνάγκην καὶ δεινάς ὕβρεις πεπόνθασιν, κ ἕως ἐπαγγείλωντάι μὴ κοινωνεῖν ἡμῖν. Εἶτα, θαυμαζόντων ἡμῶν καὶ διαπορούντων ἐπὶ τούτοις, ἰδοὺ πάλιν ἑτέρα τις κατέλαβεν ἁκοή περὶτῶν κατʼ Αἶγυπτον καὶ τὰς Λιβύας ὅτι οἱ μέν ἐπίσκοποι ἐγγὺς ἐνενήκοντα ἐδιώχθησαν, αἱ δὲ Ἐκκλησίαι τοῖς ὁμολογοῦσι τὰ Ἀρείου παρεδόθησαν · καὶ ἐξωρίσθησαν μὲν δέκα καὶ ἕξ, τῶν δὲ ἄλλων οἱ μὲν ἐφυγαδεύθησαν, οἱ δὲ ἠναγκάσθησαν ὑποκρίνασθαι. Τοσοῦτος γάρ ἐλέγετο διωγμὸς ἐκεῖ, ὡς, ἐν ’Δλεξανδρείᾳ εὐχομένων τῶν ἀδελφῶν έν τῷ Πάσχα καὶ ταῖς κυριακαῖς ἐν ἐρήμῳ τόπῳ πλησίον τοῦ κοιμητηρίου, τὸν στρατηλάτην μετὰ πλήθους στρατιωτῶν πλεῖον τρισχιλίων, ὅπλα καὶ ξίφη γυμνά καὶ βέλη φερόντων, ἐπελθεῖν κατὰ τῶν Χριστιανῶν, καὶ λοιπὸν τοιαῦτα γενέσθαι, οἷα ἂν γένοιτο ἐκ τοιαύτης ἐπιδρομῆς, κατά γυναικῶν καὶ παίδων, οὐδέν πλέον ποιούντων ἢ εὐχομένων τῷ Θεῷ. Διηγεῖσθαι δὲ αὐτὰ νῦν ἴσως ἀπρεπὲς, μή ἄρα καὶ μόνον τούτων ἡ μνήμη δάκρυα πᾶσι κινήσῃ. Καὶ γάρ τοσαύτη ἦν ἡ ὠμότης, ὡς παρθένους μὲν γυμνοῦσθαι, τῶν δε ἀπο- Θανόντων ἐν τῶν πληγῶν μηδὲ τά σώματα παραυτά δοθῆναι εἰς ταφὴν, ἀλλʼ ἔξω ῥιπτεῖσθαι τοῖς κυσὶν, ἕως μετά πολλῆς ζημίας κεκρυμμένως κλέψωσιν οἱ οἰκεῖοι τὰ τῶν ἰδίων σώματα, καὶ πολὺς κάματος γένηται τοῦ μηδένα γνῶναι περὶ τούτων. ### English translation (Claude) Considering this, I did not condemn myself; but having this defense, I was hastening to your piety, knowing your humanity, keeping in memory your truthful promises, and confident that, as it is written in the divine Proverbs, “With a humane king righteous reasonings are acceptable.” But when I had already set out on my journey and gone out into the desert, suddenly a report came, which at first seemed incredible, but afterwards proved true. For it was noised abroad everywhere that Liberius, bishop of Rome, the great Hosius of the Spains, Paulinus of the Gauls, Dionysius and Eusebius of Italy, Lucifer of Sardinia, and certain other bishops, presbyters, and deacons had been exiled; and that Vincent of Capua, Fortunatian of Aquileia, Heremius of Thessalonica, and all the bishops of the West had suffered no ordinary violence, but very great compulsion and terrible outrages, until they promised not to communicate with us. Then, while we were amazed and perplexed at this, see, another report reached us about Egypt and the Libyas: that nearly ninety bishops had been persecuted and the churches handed over to those who profess the views of Arius; that sixteen had been exiled, and of the others some had been put to flight and others compelled to dissemble. For so great a persecution was said to be there that, when the brothers in Alexandria were praying at Easter and on the Lord’s days in a desert place near the cemetery, the general came upon the Christians with a multitude of more than three thousand soldiers bearing arms, drawn swords, and missiles, and such things happened as would happen from such an attack, against women and children who were doing nothing but praying to God. To recount them now is perhaps unfitting, lest even the memory of them move all to tears. For so great was the cruelty that virgins were stripped, and the bodies of those who died from the blows were not given up at once for burial, but thrown out to the dogs, until their relatives at great cost stole the bodies of their own secretly, taking great pains that no one should know of it. ### Scripture references - Prov 16:13: allusion, low confidence ### Translation notes - “With a humane king …”: cf. Prov 16:13 (LXX); the quotation is doubled in the scan. Two lines scattered and interleaved by the OCR are reassembled by logged corrections. ### Citation (SBL) Athanasius, Apol. Const. 27 (PG 25:629a–629b; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-apologia-constantium/20/#p-27). ## Defence before Constantius 28 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-apologia-constantium/20/#p-28 - Source: PG 25:629d–632b - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-09 Summary: Athanasius tells how, once the true bishops were removed, the Arians sold bishoprics to the wealthy, even to pagans and catechumens, and exiled the monks and ascetics Alexander had made bishops. ### Greek text Τὰ δὲ ἄλλα τὰ γενόμενα ἴσως μὲν ἄ μισθήσεται, καί πάντας ἐκπλήξει διὰ τήν ὑπερβολήν τοῦ μύσους. ’Δναγκαῖον δὲ ὅμως εἰπεῖν, ’ίνα σή φιλόχριστος σπουδή καὶ θεοσέβεια μάθῃ, ὡς αἱ καθʼ ἡμῶν διαβολαὶ καὶ συκοφαντίαι διʼ οὐδὲν ἕτερον γεγόνασιν ἢ ’ίνα ἡμᾶς μὲν ἐκβάλωσι τῶν Ἐκκλησιῶν, τήν δὲ ἰδίαν ἀσέβειαν ἀντεισενεγκεῖν δυνηθῶσι. Τῶν γᾶρ ἀληθινῶν καὶ πολυετῶν ἐπισκόπων τῶν μὲν ἐξ· ορισθέντων, τῶν δὲ φυγαδευθέντων, ἐθνικοὶ λοιπὸν, κατηχούμενοι, καὶ οἱ τὰ πρῶτα τῆς βουλῆς ἔχοντες, καὶ οἱ ἐν πλούτῳ διαβόητοι ἀντὶ Χριστιανῶν εὐσεβῆ πίστιν παραγγέλλονται παρὰ τῶν Ἀρειανῶν ὁμιλήσωσι. Καὶ οὐκέτι μὲν, ὡς παρήγγειλεν ὁ Ἀπόστολος, εἷʼ τίς ἐστιν ἀνεπίληπτος, ἐζητεῖτο· ὡς δὶὸ ἀσεβέστατος Ὶεροβοᾶμ πεποίηκεν, ὁ πλεῖον διδοὺς χρυσίον ὠνομάσθη ἐπίσκοπος. Καὶ οὐ διέφερεν αὖ· τοῖς, εἷ κᾶν ἐθνικὸς ἐτύγχανε, μόνον εἶ χρυσίον παρεἶχε. Καὶ οἱ μὲν ἀπὸ Ἀλεξάνδρου ἐπίσκοποι, μονάζοντες καὶ ἀσκηταὶ, ἐξωρίσθησαν, οἱ δὲ σοφοὶ περὶ τὰς διαβολὰς διέφθειραν, τὸ ὅσον ἐπʼ αὐτοῖς, τήν ἀποπολικῆν διάταξιν, καὶ τὰς ἐκκλησίας ἀποπολικῆν διάταξιν, καὶ ἐμίαναν, Μεγάλαι γε ἐκέρδησαν αὐτῶν αἱ συκοφαντίαι,“ίνα αὐτοῖς παρανομεῖν, καὶ τοιαῦτα πράττειν ἐν τοῖς σοῖς καιροῖς · ὥστε κατʼ αὐτῶν εἶναι τὸ γεγραμμέεον · Οὐαὶ διʼ οὒς τὸ ἕνομά μου βλασφημεῖται ἐν τοῖς ἔθνεσιν. ### English translation (Claude) The other things that happened will perhaps be loathsome, and will astonish everyone by the excess of their abomination. Yet it is necessary to tell them, so that your Christ-loving zeal and godliness may learn that the slanders and false accusations against us were made for no other purpose than to drive us out of the churches and to bring in their own impiety in our place. For when the true bishops of many years had been, some exiled and some put to flight, pagans thereafter, catechumens, those who hold the first places in the council, and men notorious for their wealth, are appointed by the Arians, instead of Christians, to teach the holy faith. No longer was it asked, as the Apostle commanded, whether a man was blameless; but, as the most impious Jeroboam did, he who gave more gold was named bishop. And it made no difference to them even if he happened to be a pagan, provided only that he supplied gold. And the bishops ordained by Alexander, monks and ascetics, were exiled; while these men, clever at slander, corrupted, as far as lay in them, the apostolic order, and defiled the churches. Great indeed is the gain their false accusations have won, that they may break the law and do such things in your times; so that against them stands what is written: “Woe to those through whom my name is blasphemed among the Gentiles.” ### Scripture references - 1 Tim 3:2: allusion, high confidence - 1 Kgs 13:33: allusion, medium confidence - Isa 52:5: quotation, medium confidence - Rom 2:24: allusion, medium confidence ### Translation notes - “Blameless”: 1 Tim 3:2. Jeroboam consecrating whoever wished as priest: 1 Kgs 13:33. The closing quotation combines Isa 52:5 and Rom 2:24. The phrase “the apostolic order” is printed twice in the scan; it is translated once. ### Citation (SBL) Athanasius, Apol. Const. 28 (PG 25:629d–632b; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-apologia-constantium/20/#p-28). ## Defence before Constantius 29 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-apologia-constantium/20/#p-29 - Source: PG 25:632b–632c - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-09 Summary: Athanasius tells how, still on his way to the emperor, he heard that Constantius had written to the rulers of Axum to have Frumentius sent away and himself hunted down. ### Greek text Τοιούτων οὖν ὅντων τῶν θρυλουμένων, καὶ τῶν πραγμάτων ἅνω καὶ κάτω πάντων ἀνατετραμμένων, ὅμως οὐκ ἀπέστην ἐγὼ τῆς προθυμίας, ἀλλὰ πάλιν εἰχόμην τῆς ὁδοῦ πρὸς τὴν σὴν εὐσέβειαν · καὶ τοῦτο μᾶλλον σπουδαιότερον ἔπραττον, …, ὅτι παρὰ γνώμην μὲν τῆς σῆς εὐσεβείας ἐπράττετο ταῦτα· εἰ μάθοι δὲ ἡ σὴ φιλανθρωπία τὰ γενόμενα, κωλύσει τοῦ λοιποῦ γενέσθαι· μή γὰρ εἶναι θεοσεβοῦς βασιλέως θέλειν ἐξορίζεσθαι ἐπισκόπους, καὶ γυμνοῦσθαι παρθένονς, ἤ ὅλως τὰς ἐκκλησίας τωράττεσθαι. Ἀλλά τοιαῦτα λογιζομένους ἡμᾶς καὶ σπεύδοντας ἐν ταῖς ὁδοῖς, ἰδοὺ πάλιν τρίτη τις κατέλαβεν ἀκοὴ, ὅτι γέγραπται τοῖς ἐν Δύξούμει τυράννοις, ὥστε Φρουμέντιον τὸν ἐπίσκοπον τῆς Αὐξούμεως ἐκεῖθεν ἀχθῆναι, καὶ έμὶ μὶν μέχρι τῆς βαρβάρων ζητεῖσθαι, καὶ εἷς τὰ λεγόμενα Κομεντάρια τῶν ἐπάρχων παραπέμπεσθαι, τοὺς δὲ λαοὺς καὶ τοὺς κληρικοδς πάντας ἀναγκάζεσθαι κοινωνεῖν τῇ ’Δρειανῇ αἱρέσει· ἐὰν δὲ μή ὑπακούσωσιν, ἀποθνήσκειν τοὺς τοιούτους. Καὶ ὅτι οὐ λόγῳ μόνον ἐθρυλεῖτο ταῦτα, ἀλλὰ δὲ αὐτοῖς ἔργοις ἐδείκνυτο · ἐπειδή συνεχώρησεν ἡ εινῆ φιλανθρωπία, ἰδοὺ καὶ ἡ ἐπιστολή · ταύτην γὰρ ἐκεῖνοι συνεχῶς ἀνεγίνωσκον, ἀπειλοῦντες ἑκάστῳ θάνατον. ### English translation (Claude) Though such reports were circulating and all things were turned upside down, I did not give up my resolve, but again held to the road to your piety; and I did this the more earnestly, …, that these things were being done against the mind of your piety, and that if your humanity learned what had happened, it would prevent its happening any more. For it is not the part of a God-fearing emperor to wish bishops to be exiled, virgins to be stripped, or the churches to be troubled at all. But while we were reasoning thus and hastening on our way, see, a third report overtook us: that letters had been written to the rulers in Axum, that Frumentius, the bishop of Axum, should be brought from there, and that I should be sought out even as far as the land of the barbarians and handed over to the so-called Commentaries of the prefects, and that all the people and the clergy should be compelled to communicate with the Arian heresy, and that if they did not obey, such should be put to death. And that these things were not merely bandied about in word but shown in actual deeds—since your humanity has permitted it, here is the letter; for they read it continually, threatening each with death. ### Translation notes - A word after “more earnestly” is lost in the scan (perhaps “trusting”); it is marked “…”. The “Commentaries” of the prefects were the official records of the prefects’ courts. Frumentius had been consecrated bishop of Axum (Ethiopia) by Athanasius. ### Citation (SBL) Athanasius, Apol. Const. 29 (PG 25:632b–632c; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-apologia-constantium/20/#p-29). ## Defence before Constantius 30 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-apologia-constantium/20/#p-30 - Source: PG 25:632c–636b - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-09 Summary: Constantius’s letter to the Alexandrians praises them for accepting George as bishop and denounces Athanasius, threatening his followers with death. ### Greek text Ἀντίγραφον ἐπιπολῆς Νικητής Κωνστάντιος Μέγιστος Σεβαστὸς Ἀλεξανδρεῦσιν. Ἠ μὶν πόλις τὸ πάτριον σχῆμα φυλάττουσα, και τῆς τῶν οἰκιστῶν ἀρετῆς μεμνημένη, πειθηνίαν εαυτήν συνήθως καὶ νῦν παρέσχηκεν· ἡμεῖς δὲ,εἱ μὴ καὶ τὸν Ἀλέξανδρον ἀποκρύψαιμεν εὐνοίᾳ τῇ περὶ τήν πόλιν τὴν ὑμετέραν, οὐ τὰ τυχόντα πλημμελεῖν συνεισόμεθα. Ὠς μὲν γὰρ σωφροσύνης ἴδιον, κοσμίαν ἑαυτῷ διὰ πάντων ἄγειν* βασιλείας δὲ τῆς ἀρετῆς (δότε δὲ εἰπεῖν) τῆς ὑμετέρας πρὸ ἁπάντων ἀσπάζεσΟαι ο πρώτους μὲν σοφίας ἐξηγητάς καταστάντας, πρώτους δέ Θεὸν τὸν συνιέντας, οἳ καὶ τῶν ἐξηγητῶν τοῦς ἄκρους εʼίλεσΟε, καὶ την ἡμετέραν ψῆφον ἐστέρξατε, τὸν μὲν, ἀπατεῶνα καὶ φένακα ἑκόντες δικαίως ἀποστραφέντες, τοῖς δὲ σεμνοῖς καὶ παντὸς ἐπέκεινα Θαύματος δεόντως προσθέμενοι. Καίτοι τίς ἀγνοεῖ καὶ τῶν τάς ἐσχατιάς οἰκούντων την ἐπὶ τοῖς πραχθεῖσι φιλοτιμίαν ; οἷς ούκ ἴσμεν καὶ τί δεῖ παραβάλλεσθαι ὧν συμβἐβηκεν. Ἐτύρλωττον μὲν γάρ οἱ πλεῖστοι τῶν κατά τὴν πόλιν· ἐπεκράτει δε ἀνὴρ βαράθρων ἀπὸ ἐσχάτων ὁρμώμενος, ὥσπερ ἐν σκότῳ τοὺς τῆς ἀληθείας ἐφιεμένους πρὸς τὸ ψεῦδος ἀπατῶν, λόγον μὲν ἔγκαρπον οὐδέποτε παρασχόμενος, τερθρείας δὲ καὶ τηνάλλως τὰς ψυχὰς λι)μαινόμενος· οἱ μὲν κόλακες ἐβόων καὶ ἐκρότουν, δὲ πλεῖστοι τῶν ἀφελεστέρων, πρὸς τὸ τούτων ἔζων σύνθημα· τὰ δὲ πράγματα κατά ῥοῦν ἐφέρετο ὥσπερ ἐν κατακλυσμῷ, πάντων ἄρδην ὀλιγωρουμένων. Ἡγεῖτο δὲ ἀνὴρ τοῦ πλήθους (πῶς ἂν ἀληθέστερον αὐτὸ εἷʼπομι ; ) οὐδὲν τῶν βαναύσων διαφέρων, τοῦτο μόνον τῇ πόλει συναράμενος, τὸ μὴ κατά βαράθρων ωσαι τοὺς ἐν αὐτῇ. Ἀλλʼ ὁ γενναῖος καὶ λαμπρὸς οὐδὲ κρίσιν ἔμεινε κατʼ αὐτοῦ, φυγὴν ἐν δίκῃ καταγνούς· ὡς ἔστι γε καὶ ὑπὲρ τῶν βαρβάρων ὑφελέσθαι, μή τινας αὐτῶν δυσσεβεῖν ἀναπείσῃ, καθάπερ ἐν δράματι πρὸς τοὺς πρώτους ἐντυγχάνοντας ὀλοφυρόμενος. Τούτῳ μὶν οὖν μακράν χαίρειν εἰρήσεταιι ὑμᾶς δέ με χρὴ μετʼ ὀλίγων τάττειν, μᾶλλον δὲ μόνους πρὸ τῶν ἄλλων σεμνύνειν, οἷς τοσοῦτον ἀρετῆς καὶ νοῦ περίεστιν, ὅσον αἱ πράξεις κηρύττουσι, μικροῦ πᾶσαν τὴν οὖσαν ὑμνούμεναι. Εὖγε τῆς σωφροσύνηςί Εἰ γὰρ ἀγγέλων ἀκροασαίμην τοσούτων καὶ δεύτερον διεξιόντων τά ὑμέτερα καὶ σεμνυνόντων, ὦ καὶ τοὺς πρότερον ἀποκρύψαντες φιλοτιμίᾳ, καὶτοῖς νῦν τε καὶ ὕστεσον παράδειγμα καλὸν ἐσόμενοι· μόνοι τε καὶ τοῖς ἔθεσι λόγων καὶ ἔργων ἡγεμόνα τὸν τελειότατον τῶν ὄντων ἑλόμενοι, καὶ οὐδὲ πρὸς βραχὺ διστάσαντες, ἀλλʼ ἀνδρείως μεταθέμενοι καὶ τοῖς ἄλλοις προσθέμενοι, ἀπὸ τῶν χαμαὶ τούτων καὶ περιγείων πρὸς τά κατουράνια ἐπειχθέντες, ξεναγοῦντος ἐπʼ αὐτά τοῦ σεμνοτάτου Γεωργίου, ἀνδρὸς τοιαῦτα παντὸς μᾶλλον ἡκριβωκότος· διʼ ὃν καὶ κατά τὸν ὕστερον βίον, μετὰ καλῆς ἐλπίδος διάξετε, καὶ τὸν ἐν τῷ παρόντι μετά ῥᾳστώνης βιώσεσθε. Εἷή δὲ κοινῇ πάντας τοὺς κατά τὴν πόλιν, ὥσπερ ἱερᾶς ἀγκύρας, τῆς τούτου φωνῆς ἐξηρτῆσθαι, ’ίνα μὴ τομῶν ἢ καύσεων δεηθῶμεν, κατὰ τῶν τὰς ψυχάς λελωβημένων· οἷς ὅτι μάλιστα παραινοῦμεν ἀφίστασθαι τῆς Ἀθανασίου σπουδῆς, καὶ μηδὲ μεμνῆσθαι τῆς περιττῆς ἐκείνης ἀδολεσχίας,ἧ λήσουσι τοῖς ἐσχάτοις ἔνοχοι ὄντες κινδύνοις, ὢν οὐκ ἴσμεν εἷʼ τις τῶν πάνυ δεινῶν ἐξαιρήσεται τοὺς στασιάζοντας. Καὶ γὰρ ἄτοπον τὸν μὲν ὄλεθρον Ἀθανάσιον γῆν πρὸ γῆς ἀπεληλᾶσθαι, καὶ τοῖς αἰσχίστοις ἁλόντα, ὥς ποτε ἂν ἐκεῖνος τήν ἀξίαν ἐκτίσειε, καὶ εἷ δέκατόν τις τοῦ ζῇν προσαφέληται τοὺς δὲ ἐκείνου κόλακας ναὶ θεσραπευτᾶς ἀγύρτας τινὰς, καὶ τοιούτους ἀνθρώπους, οίους ὀνομάζειν αἰσχύνη, περιορᾷν σφαδάζοντας, οὓς πάλαι τεθνάναι διηγόρευται τοῖς δικασταῖς. Καὶ ἴσως οὐδέπω τεθνήξονται, ἢν μὴ, τῶν φθασάντων ἀποστάντες πλημμελημάτων, ὀψέ ποτε μεταθῶνται ὧν ὁ μοχθηρότατος Ἀθανάσιος ἡγεῖτο, καὶ τῇ κοινῇ πολιτείᾳ λυμαινόμενος, καὶ τοῖς ἁγιωτάτοις δυσσεβεῖς καὶ ἐναγεῖς προσάγων τὰς χεῖρας. ### English translation (Claude) Copy of a letter. “Constantius Victor Maximus Augustus to the Alexandrians. Your city, keeping its ancestral character and mindful of the virtue of its founders, has as usual shown itself obedient even now; and we, unless we were to surpass even Alexander in goodwill toward your city, would be conscious of no small fault. For as it is the mark of self-control to conduct oneself with decorum in all things, so it is the mark of royalty—grant me to say it—to embrace your virtue before all, who were the first to stand forth as interpreters of wisdom and the first to understand God, who chose the best of teachers and welcomed our decision, rightly and willingly turning away from that impostor and cheat, and fittingly attaching yourselves to men who are venerable and beyond all admiration. And who, even among those who live at the ends of the earth, does not know the zeal shown in what has been done? With which we know not what can be compared of all that has happened. For most of those in the city were blinded, and a man prevailed who had sprung from the lowest depths, leading those who desired the truth into falsehood as in darkness, never offering a fruitful word, but corrupting souls with juggling tricks and idle talk. The flatterers shouted and applauded, and most of the simpler folk lived by their watchword; and affairs were swept along by the current as in a flood, everything being utterly neglected. A man led the multitude—how could I say it more truly?—no different from the base mechanics, who helped the city in this alone, that he did not cast its inhabitants down into the pit. But the noble and illustrious man did not even await judgment against him, condemning himself justly to flight; so that it would be well to remove him even beyond the barbarians, lest he persuade some of them to impiety, lamenting as in a play to the first he meets. To him, then, we shall bid a long farewell. But you I must rank with few others, or rather honor alone above the rest, who have so much virtue and understanding as your deeds proclaim, which are sung of through almost all the world. Bravo for your self-control! For I would gladly hear many messengers recounting your deeds a second time and extolling them: you who have surpassed even those before you in zeal, and will be a fair example to those now and hereafter; you who alone in your customs have chosen as leader of your words and deeds the most perfect of beings, without hesitating even a little, but manfully changing sides and attaching yourselves to the others, have hastened from these lowly things on the ground to the heavenly, with the most venerable George as your guide to them, a man who has studied such things more exactly than anyone; through whom you will pass the life to come with good hope, and live the present one in ease. May all in the city together hang upon his words as upon a sacred anchor, so that we may not need surgery or cautery against those whose souls are maimed. To them we especially urge that they withdraw from Athanasius’s party and not even remember that superfluous babbling of his; or they will find before they know it that they are liable to the extremest dangers, from which we do not know that anyone, however clever, will rescue the seditious. For it is absurd that the pestilent Athanasius should be driven from land to land, convicted of the most shameful crimes, for which he would not pay the worthy penalty even if one killed him ten times over, while his flatterers and attendants, certain mountebanks and men of a kind it is shameful to name, are allowed to rave, men whom the judges long ago declared to be put to death. And perhaps they will not yet die, if, desisting from their former offenses, they at last change sides from those whom the most wicked Athanasius led, who both injured the commonwealth and laid impious and polluted hands on the most holy things.” ### Translation notes - The letter is given as Athanasius quotes it; its abuse of him is the emperor’s. Several phrases of the scan are corrupt and translated by sense (“unless we were to surpass even Alexander”; “we know not what can be compared”). “The others” to whom the Alexandrians are said to have attached themselves is obscure in the Greek. George of Cappadocia was installed as bishop of Alexandria by the Arian party in 357. ### Citation (SBL) Athanasius, Apol. Const. 30 (PG 25:632c–636b; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-apologia-constantium/20/#p-30). ## Defence before Constantius 31 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-apologia-constantium/20/#p-31 - Source: PG 25:636b–640a - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-09 Summary: After quoting Constantius’s letter ordering the rulers of Axum to send Frumentius to George for examination, Athanasius explains that he turned back into the desert, fleeing not from cowardice but as Christ commanded, to keep his persecutors from bloodguilt. ### Greek text ’Ἄ δὲ καί, Φρουμεντίου χάριν τοῦ ἐπισκόπου τῆς Αὐξούμεως γέγραπται τοῖς ἐκεῖ τυράννοις, Ἔχει δὲ ταῦτα Νικητὴς Κωνστάντιος Μέγιστος Σεβαστὸς Ἀϊζανᾷ καί Σαζανᾷ· Πάνυ διὰ φροντίδος καὶ διὰ σπουδῆς τῆς μεγίστης ἡμῖν ἐστιν ἡ τοῦ κρείττονος γνῶσις. Δεῖ γὰρ οἶμαι τὸ κοινὸν τῶν ἀνθρώπων γένος τῆς ίῖτης έν τοῖς τοιούτοις ἀξιοῦσθαι κηδεμονίας, ὡς ἂν μέχρι τῆς ἐλπίδος τὸν βίον διάγοιεν, τὰ τοιαῦτα περὶτοῦ Θεοῦ γινώσκοντες, καὶ μηδὲν διαφωνοῦντες περί τήν τοῦ δικαίου καὶ ἀληθοῦς ἐξέτασιν. Τῆς αὐτῆς τοίνυν προνοίας ἀξιοῦντες ὑμᾶς, καὶ τῶν ἴσων Ῥωμαίοις μεταδιδόντες, ἓν τι μετʼ αὐτῶν δόγμα κρατεῖν ἐν ταῖς Ἐκκλησίαις κελεύομεν. Οὐκοῦν Φρουμέντιον τὸν ἐπίσκοπον ἐκπέμπετε τήν ταχίστην εἷς Αἴγυπτον παρὰ τὸν σεμνότατον Γεώργιον τὸν ἐπίσκοπον καὶ τοὺς ἄλλους τοὺς κατʼ Δίʼγυπτον, οἳ τοῦ χειροτονεῖν καὶ κρίνειν τὰ τοιαῦτα κύριοι μᾶλλόν εἰσιν. Ἴστε γὰρ δήπου καὶ μέμνησθε, εἷ μὴ λίαν τὰ παρᾶ πᾶσιν ὁμολογούμενα μόνοι ἀγνοεῖν προσποιεῖσθε, ὅτι τὸν Φρουμέντιον τοῦτον εἷς ταύτην τήν τάξιν τοῦ βίου κατέστησεν Ἀθανάσιος, μυρίοις ἔνοχος ὢν κακοῖςʼ ’ὸς οὐδὲν τῶν ἐπιφερομένων ἐγκλημάτων αὐτῷ δικαίως ἔσχεν ἐπιλύσασθαι, αὐτίκα τῆς μὲν καθέδρας ἐκπέπτωκε, καὶ τοῦ βίου τοῦ πάντη διαμαρτὼν ἀλᾶται, ἀπʼ ἄλλης εἷς ἀλλην γῆν μετανιστάμενος, ὥσπερ ἐκ τούτου τὸ κακὸς εἶναι διαφευξόμενος. Εἰ μὲν οὗν ἑτοίμως ὑπακούσειεν ὁ Φρουμέντιος, εὐθύνας τῆς ὅλης καταστάσεως δώσων, δῆλος ἔσται παρά πάντων ῖῷ τῆς Ἐκκλησίας νόμῳ καὶ τῇ κρατούσῃ πίστει κατʼ οὐδὲν διαφωνῶν· κριθείς τε καὶ δοὺς πεῖραν ἑαυτοῦ τοῦ παντὸς βίου, καὶ λόγον τούτου παρασχόμενος παρὰ τῶν τὰ τοιαῦτα κρινόντων. ’Καὶ καταστήσεται παρʼ αὐτῶν, εἴ μέλλοι τῷ ὄντι κατὰ τὸ δίκαιον ἐπίσκοπος εἶναι δοκεῖν. Ei δὲ ἀναβάλλοιτο καὶ φεύγοι τὴν κρίσιν, εὔδηλον δήπουθεν, ὅτι τοῖς Ἀθανασίου τοῦ πονηροτάτου λόγοις ἠγμένος … περὶ τὸ θεῖον, οὕτω προῃρημένος ὡς ἐκεῖνος, ὃς ἐδείχθη πονηρὸς ὤν. Καὶ δέος μὴ, διαβὰς εἰς Αὐξοῦμιν, διαφθείρῃ τοὺς παρʼ ὑμῖν, λόγους ἐναγεῖς καὶ δυσσεβεῖς παρεχόμενος, μὴ μόνον τὰς … συγχέων καὶ θορυβῶν, καὶ βλασφημῶν εἰς τὸν …, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοῖς κατὰ τὸ ἔθνος ἐκ τούτων ἀνατροπὴν καὶ ἀνάστασιν παντελῆ προξενῶν. Ἴσμεν δὲ, ὅτι, προσμαθών τι καὶ μέγα καὶ κοινὸν ὄφελος ἐκ τῆς τοῦ σεμνοτάτου Γεωργίου συνουσίας ἀπονάμενος, καὶ τῶν λοιπῶν, ὅσοι τὰ τοιαῦτα παιδεύειν ἄκρως ἴσασι, πάντα τὰ τῶν ἐκκλησιαστικῶν εἰς ἄκρον ἠκριβωκὼς, τὴν αὐτὴν ἐπανήξει. Ὁ Θεὸς ὑμᾶς διαφυλάττοι, ἀδελφοὶ τιμιώτατοι. Ταῦτα ἁκούων ἐγὼ, καὶ σχεδον βλέπων ὧν οἱ ἀπαγγέλλοντες ὠδύροντο, ὁμολογιυ, πάλιν εἰς τὴν ἔρημον ὑπέστρεψα, τοῦτο λογισάμενος, ὅπερ καὶ σὴ θεοσέβεια συνορᾷ· ὅτι, εἶ ζητουμεθα, ’ἕνα εὗρε- Οὲντες παραπεμφθῶμεν πρὸς τους ἐπάρχους, κωλυσίς ἐστι τοῦ μή παρα τὴν σήν φλανθρωπίαν ελθεῖν. Καὶ εἰ οἱ μὴ θελήσαντες ὑπογράψαι καθʼ ἡμῶν, τοιαῦτα καὶ τοσαῦτα πεπόνθασιν, οῗ τε μὴ θέλοντες τῶν λαϊκὼν κοινωνεῖν τοῖς ’Λρειανοῖς ἐκελεύσθησαν ἀποθνήσκειν ουκ ἁμρίῧολον, ὅτι πάντως ἐπινοήθήσονται παρα τὼν συκονραντῶν καινότεροι καὶ μυρῖοι θάνατοι κατʼ ἐμοῦ· καὶ μετά θάνατον κινήσουσι λοιπὸν οἷς βούλονται καὶ α βούλονται πράγματα οῖ ἐγθροὶ, ιζμευδομενοι καθʼ ’ἡμῶν μειζόνως, ως μήκὲτι ἐγοντες τους ἐλέγχοντας αὐτους. Οὐ γὰρ τὴν σὴν εὐσέβειαν δεδιὼς ἕρευγον (οῖδα γάρ σου τήν ανεξικακίαν καὶ τήν φιλανθρωπίαν), ἀλλʼ ὁρῶν ἐκ των γινομένων τὸν θυμὸν τῶν ἐγθρῶν, καὶ λογιζόμενος, ὅτι Ο φοβούμενοι μήποτε ἐλεγχθῶσιν ἐρʼ οἷς ἔπραξαν παρὰ γνώμην τῆς σῆς καλοκαγαθίας, πάντα πράξουσιν ὥστε καὶ ἀποκτεῖναι. Ἰδοὺ γάρ ἡ μὲν σή φιλανθρωπία μόνον ἔξω τῶν πολεων καὶ τῆς ἐπαρχίας προσἐταξεν ἐκβάλλεσθαι τους ἐπισκόπους · οἱ δὲ θαυμαστοὶ, πλέον τι τῆς … προστάξεως τολμωντες, ὑπὲρ τρεῖς ἐπαρχίας εἷς ἐρήμους καὶ ἀήθεις καὶ φοβεροὺς τόπους ἐξώρισαν γέροντας ἀνθρώπους καὶ πολυετεῖς ἐπισκόπους. 0". μὲν γὰρ ἀπὸ τῆς … εἰς τὴν μεγάλην Ὄασιν, οἱ δὲ ἀπὸ τῆς Θηβαίδος εἰς τὴν Ἀμμωνιακ-ᾑν τῆς Λιβυης ἀπεστάλησαν, Καῖ οὐ δεδιὼς πάλιν ἀποθανεῖν, ἐρυγον· μὴ δειλίας ἐμοῦ τις αὐτῶν καταγινωσκὲτιοʼ ἀλλʼ ὅτι καὶ τοῦ Σωτῆρος ἐστι παράγγελμα, διωκομένους μεν ἡμᾶς φεύγειν, ζητουμένους δὲ κρύπτεσθαι, καῖ μὴ εἷς προῦπτον κίνδυνον ἑαυτοὺς ἐκδιδόναι, μηδὲ φαινομένους πλέον ἐκκαίειν τον θυμὸν τῶν διωκόντων. Ἴσον γάρ ἐστι τὸ ερονευειν ἐαυτὸν, καὶ διδοναι πάλιν ἐαυτὸν τοῖς ἐχθροῖς εἷς τὸ φονευειν. Τὸ δὲ φεύγειν, ὡς παρήγγειλεν ὁ Σωτήρ, γινώσκειν ἐστὶ τὸν καιρὸν, καὶ ἀλήθὼς κήδεσθαι τῶν διωκόντων, ’ἕνα μή, καὶ μέχρις αἳματος φθάσαντες, ὑπεύθυνοι γένωνται τῷ· Οὐ φονεύσεις· εἰ και τα μαλιστα και το παθειν ἡμᾶς διαβάλλοντες βούλονται. “Α γαρ καὶ νῦν πάλιν πεποιήκασι, δείκνυσιν αὐτῶν ταύτην εἶναι τὴν σπουδὴν, καὶ μιαιφόνον τὴν προαίρεσιν. Ἀκούσας δὲ, εὗ οἷδʼ ὅτι, θεοφιλέστατε Αὕγουστε, θαυμάσεις· καὶ γὰρ ἄξιον ἀληθῶς ἐκπλήξεως τὸ τόλμημα. Ἠλίκον δʼ ἐστὶ τοῦτο, ἄκουσον έν βραχεῖ λόγῳ. ### English translation (Claude) And what was written to the rulers there concerning Frumentius, the bishop of Axum, is as follows: “Constantius Victor Maximus Augustus to Aizanas and Sazanas. It is altogether a matter of care and of the greatest concern to us that the knowledge of the Supreme Being be advanced. For I think the whole race of men deserves equal care in such matters, so that they may pass their lives in hope, knowing such things about God and differing in nothing in the inquiry into what is just and true. Counting you, therefore, worthy of the same providence, and giving you a share equal with the Romans, we command that one doctrine together with them prevail in the churches. Send, therefore, Frumentius the bishop with all speed into Egypt to the most venerable George the bishop and the other bishops of Egypt, who have the chief authority to ordain and judge such matters. For you surely know and remember—unless you alone pretend to be ignorant of what is acknowledged by all—that this Frumentius was advanced to this rank of life by Athanasius, a man guilty of countless crimes; who, being unable to clear himself justly of any of the charges brought against him, at once fell from his see, and, utterly destitute, wanders from one land to another, as if by this he could escape being wicked. If, then, Frumentius readily obeys and is ready to give account of the whole of his appointment, he will be shown to all to differ in nothing from the law of the Church and the prevailing faith; and having been judged and given proof of his whole life, and rendered an account of it to those who judge such things, he will be appointed by them, if he truly deserves to be considered a bishop rightly. But if he puts it off and flees the judgment, it will surely be evident that, led by the words of the most wicked Athanasius, he is … in regard to divine things, having chosen as that man did, who was shown to be wicked. And there is fear lest, crossing into Axum, he corrupt those among you, offering accursed and impious words, not only confusing and disturbing the …, and blaspheming against the …, but also bringing about the overthrow and complete upheaval of the whole nation. We know, however, that having learned something and gained great and common profit from his converse with the most venerable George and the others who are most skilled in teaching such things, and having studied all ecclesiastical matters exactly, he will return to the same place. May God preserve you, most honored brothers.” [32] Hearing this, and almost seeing what those who reported it lamented, I confess I turned back again into the desert, reasoning, as your godliness also perceives, that if we were sought out in order to be found and sent to the prefects, that would prevent me from coming to your humanity. And if those who would not sign against us suffered such and so many things, and those of the laity who would not communicate with the Arians were ordered to be put to death, there is no doubt that newer and countless deaths would certainly be devised against me by the false accusers; and after my death the enemies would stir up whatever matters they wished, against whomever they wished, lying against us the more, as having no longer anyone to refute them. For I did not flee from fear of your godliness—for I know your forbearance and your humanity—but seeing from what was happening the rage of my enemies, and reasoning that, fearing lest they be convicted for what they had done against the mind of your goodness, they would do anything, even to killing. For see: your humanity ordered only that the bishops be expelled from the cities and the province; but these admirable men, daring something beyond your order, exiled aged men and bishops of many years beyond three provinces into deserts, unfamiliar and fearful places. For some were sent from … to the Great Oasis, and others from the Thebaid to the Ammoniaca of Libya. And again, it was not from fear of death that I fled; let none of them condemn me for cowardice; but because it is the Savior’s command that when persecuted we should flee, when sought we should hide, and not throw ourselves into manifest danger, nor by appearing inflame the more the rage of the persecutors. For it is the same thing to kill oneself and to give oneself up to the enemies to be killed. To flee, as the Savior commanded, is to know the time, and truly to care for the persecutors, lest, going as far as blood, they become guilty against the commandment “You shall not murder,” even though they especially wish us to suffer, slandering us. For what they have now done again shows that this is their zeal and their bloodthirsty purpose. When you hear it, I know well, most God-loving Augustus, you will marvel; for the audacity truly deserves amazement. How great it is, hear in a few words. ### Scripture references - Exod 20:13: quotation, medium confidence - Matt 10:23: allusion, high confidence ### Translation notes - Aizanas (Ezana) and Sazanas were the rulers of Axum. A passage near the end of the letter is badly garbled in the scan; legible words are reassembled by a logged correction and the rest marked “…”. The numeral of chapter 32 stands in the text inside this staged section and is marked [32]. The place from which some bishops were sent to the Great Oasis is unreadable in the scan (“…”). “You shall not murder”: Exod 20:13; the Greek letters are garbled in the scan and the reading is a conjecture from what survives. Flight in persecution: Matt 10:23; Athanasius develops this in his Defense of His Flight. ### Citation (SBL) Athanasius, Apol. Const. 31 (PG 25:636b–640a; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-apologia-constantium/20/#p-31). ## Defence before Constantius 33 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-apologia-constantium/33/#p-33 - Source: PG 25:640a–640d - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-09 Summary: Athanasius describes how the Arians, with the judges’ help, stripped and tortured consecrated virgins, outdoing Pilate’s cruelty, and blamed it on the emperor. ### Greek text Ὀ τοῦ Θεοῦ Υἱὸς ὁ Κύριος καὶ Σωτὴρ ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦς Χριστὸς, ἅνθρωπνς γενόμενος διʼ ἡμᾶς, καὶ καταργήσας τὸν θάνατον, ἐλευθερώσας τε τὸ γένος ήμῶν ἀπὸ τῆς δουλείας τῆς φθορᾶς, ἐχαρίσατο πρὸς τοῖς ἄλλοις πᾶσι καὶ είκόνα τῆς τῶν ἀγγέλων ἁγιότητος ἔχειν ἡμᾶς ἐπὶ γῆς τὴν παρθενίαν. Τὰς γοῦν ταύτην ἐχούσας τὴν ἀρετὴν νύμφας τοῦ Χριστοῦ καλεῖν εἷʼωθεν ἡ καθολικὴ Ἐκκλησία. Ταύτας δὲ Ἕλληνες ὁρωντες, ὡς ναὸν οὔσας τοῦ Λόγου θαυμοὶζουσι παρʼ οὐδενὶ γὰρ ἀληθῶς τοῦτο τὸ σεμνὸν καὶ οὐράνιον ἐπάγγελμα κατορθοῦται ἢ παρὰ, μόνοις ἡμῖν τοῖς Χριστιανοῖς, Μάλιστα γὰρ καὶ τοῦτο μέγα τεκμήριόν ἐστι τοῦ παρʼ ἡμῖν εἶναι τὴν ὅντως καὶ ἀληθῆ θεοσέβειαν. Ταύτας πρὸ τῶν ἄλλων καὶ ὁ τῆς μακσρίας μνήμης ὁ εύσεβέστατός σου πατὴρ Κωνσταντῖνος ὁ Αὔγουστος ἐτίμα* ταύτας καὶ ἡ σὴ εύσέβεια γράφουσα πολλάκις τιμίας καὶ ἁγίας ὠνόμασεν. Ἀλλά νῦν οἳ. θαυμαστοὶ Ἀρειανοὶ οἱ καὶ ἡμᾶς διαβάλλοντες, διʼ οὓς καὶ πλεῖστοι τῶν ἐπισκόπων ἐπεβουλεύθησαν, ὑπουργοὺς ἔχοντες καὶ ὑπακούοντας αὐτοὺς τοὺς δικαστάς, ταύτας γυμνώσαντες, ἐποίησαν ἐπὶ τῶν καλουμένων έρμηταρίων κρεμασθῆναι, καὶ τοσοῦτον αὐτῶν τρίτον ἔξεσαν τὰς πλευρὰς, ὅσον οὐδὲ οἱ ἀληθῶς κακοῦργοι πώποτε πεπόνθασι. Πιλᾶτος μὶν οὖν, καθικετεύων τοῖς τότε Ἰουδαίοις, λόγχῃ μίαν πλευρὰν τοῦ Σωτῆρος ἔνυξεν· οὗτοι δὲ καὶ την μανίαν Πιλάτου νενικήκασιν, ὅτι μὴ μίαν, ἀλλʼ ἀμφοτέρας ἔξεσαν τὰ γὰρ μέλη τῶν παρθένων ἐξαιρέτως ἴδια τοῦ Σωτῆρός ἐστι. Πάντες μὶν οὖν, καὶἶ μόνον ἀπαγγελλόντων τινῶν, φρίττουσιν ἐπὶ,τῇ τοιαύτῃ ἀκοῇ · μόνοι δὲ οὗτοι οὐ μόνον οὐκ ἐφοβήθησαν γυμνοῦντες καὶ ξέοντες ἄχραντα μέλη, ἆ μόνῳ τῷ Σωτῆρι ἡμῶν τῷ Χριστῷ ἀνατεθείκασιν αἱ παρθένοι, ἀλλά καὶ τό γε χείριστον, ὀνειδιζόμενοι παρᾶ πάντων διὰ τὴν τοσαύτην ὠμότητα, ἀντὶ τοῦ ἐρυθριᾷν, προφασίζονται τοῦτο πρόσταγμα τῆς σῆς εὐσεβείας εἶναι ο οὕτως εἶσὶ πρὸς πάντα τολμηροὶ καὶ τήν προαίρεσιν πονηροί. Οὐδὲ γὰρ οὐδὲ ἐν τοῖς γενομένοις διωγμοῖς τοιοῦτον ἠκούσθη πραχθέν. Εἰ δὲ καὶ ἐγεγόνει ποτὲ τοιοῦτον, ἀλλʼ οὐκ ἔπρεπεν ἐπὶ σοῦ Χριστιανοῦ ὄντος οὔτε τὴν παρθενίαν τοσαύτην ὕβριν καὶ ἀτιμίαν παθεῖν, οὔτε τούτους τὴν ἑαυτῶν ὠμότητα εἷς τήν σήν εὐσέβειαν ἐπιρῥίπτειν· μόνοις γὰρ αἱρετικοῖς οἰκεῖον τὸ τοιοῦτον κακὸν, ἀσεβεῖν εἰς τὸν Υἱὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ,καὶ πλημμελεῖν κατὰ τῶν ἁγίων αὐτοῦ παρθένων. ### English translation (Claude) The Son of God, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, having become man for our sake, and having abolished death and set our race free from the bondage of corruption, granted us, besides all else, to have on earth in virginity an image of the holiness of the angels. Those, then, who have this virtue the catholic Church is accustomed to call brides of Christ. And the pagans, seeing them, admire them as temples of the Word; for truly this solemn and heavenly profession is achieved nowhere but among us Christians alone; and this especially is a great proof that the real and true godliness is among us. These your most pious father of blessed memory, Constantine Augustus, honored above others; these your piety too, in writing, has often called honorable and holy. But now the admirable Arians, who slander us too, and through whom very many bishops have been plotted against, having the judges themselves as their servants and obedient to them, stripped these virgins and had them hung on the so-called hermetaria, and tore their sides three times, so much as not even real criminals have ever suffered. Pilate, then, to gratify the Jews of that time, pierced one side of the Savior with a spear; but these men have surpassed even the madness of Pilate, in that they tore not one but both sides; for the members of virgins belong especially to the Savior. All shudder at hearing such a thing, even when only some report it; but these men alone not only did not fear to strip and tear undefiled members which virgins have dedicated to our Savior Christ alone, but, worst of all, when reproached by all for such cruelty, instead of blushing they allege that it is an order of your piety; so daring are they in everything, and so wicked in purpose. For nothing of the kind was heard to have been done even in the persecutions. And even if such a thing had ever happened, it was not fitting under you, who are a Christian, either that virginity should suffer such outrage and dishonor or that these men should throw their own cruelty on your piety; for such evil belongs to heretics alone: to be impious toward the Son of God and to sin against his holy virgins. ### Scripture references - Rom 8:21: allusion, high confidence - John 19:34: allusion, high confidence ### Translation notes - The hermetaria were apparently wooden frames or posts used for torture; the word is rare and its exact sense uncertain. “Three times” (τρίτον) is as printed; it may be a corruption. “The bondage of corruption”: Rom 8:21. The Gospel names a soldier as the one who pierced Christ’s side (John 19:34); Athanasius attributes the act to Pilate as the one responsible. ### Citation (SBL) Athanasius, Apol. Const. 33 (PG 25:640a–640d; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-apologia-constantium/33/#p-33). ## Defence before Constantius 34 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-apologia-constantium/33/#p-34 - Source: PG 25:640d–641b - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-09 Summary: Athanasius justifies his concealment by Scripture, arguing that appearing before the emperor’s judges would only have let the Arians kill him and lay the blame on the emperor. ### Greek text Τοιούτων δὲ πάλιν καὶ τοσούτων γενομένων παρὰ τῶν Ἀρειανῶν, οὐκ ἐσφάλην ἄρα πεισθεὶς τῇ θείᾳ Γραφῇ λεγούσῃο Ἀλλʼ ἀποκρύβηθι μικρὸν ὅσον ὅσον, ἕως παρέλθῃὴ ὀργὴ Κυρίου. Καὶ αὕτη γάρ μοι πάλιν πρόφασις γέγονε τῆς ἀναχωρήσεως, θεοφιλέστατε Αὕγουστε, καὶ οὐ παρῃτησάμην οὗτε εἷς τήν ἔρημον ἀπελθεῖν, οὔτε, εἷ ἀνάγκη γένοιτο, διὰ σαργάνης ἀπὸ τείχους χαλασθῆναι. Πάντα γάρ ὑπέμεινα, καὶ Θηρίοις συνῴκησα, καὶ ὑμᾶς περιελθεῖν, ἐκδεχόμενος τούτων τῶν λόγων καιρὸν, καὶ θαρῥῶν, ὅτι οἱ μὲν διαβάλλοντες καταγνωσθήσονται, ἡ δὲ σὴ φιλανθρωπία δειχθήσεται.ᾯ μακάριε καὶ θεοφιλέστατε Δῦγουστε, τί ἐβούλου; ἐλθεῖν με φλεγμαινόκτων καὶ ζητούντων ἀποκτεῖναι τῶν συκοφαντούντων ἡμᾶς, ἢ κατά τὸ γεγραμμένον, ἀπεκρυβῆναι μικρὸν, ’ίνα ἐν τῷ τοσούτῳ διαστήματι οἱ μὲν συκοφάνται καταγνωσθῶσιν αἱρετικοὶ, ἡ δὲ σὴ φιλανθρωπία δειχθήσεταις Τί δὲ, ὦ βασιλεῦ, ἐβούλου με ὀφθῆναι τοῖς σοῖς δικασταῖς, ἵνα, εί καὶ σὺ μέχρι μόνης ἀπειλῆς ἔγραψας, ἐκεῖνοι μή νοοῦντες τήν σὴν διάνοιαν, ἔχοντες δὲ τοὺς Ἀρειανοὺς παροξύνοντας αὐτοὺς, ἐκ τῶν σου γραμμάτων ἀποκτείνωσι, καὶ είς σὲ τὸν φόνον ἀναθῶνται διά τά γράμματας Οὐκ ἔπρεπεν οὔτε ἐμὲ αὐτομολεῖν, καὶ εἰς αʼίματα ἐμαυτδν ἀποδιδόναι, οὔτε σε φιλόχριστον ὅντα βασιλέα ἐπὶ φόνοις Χριστιανῶν, καὶ ταῦτα ἐπισκόπων, ἐπιγράφεσθαι. ### English translation (Claude) Since, then, such and so many things were done again by the Arians, was I not right to obey the divine Scripture that says, “Hide yourself for a little while, until the wrath of the Lord passes by”? For this too was a reason for my withdrawal, most God-loving Augustus; and I did not refuse either to go away into the desert or, if need arose, to be let down from the wall in a basket. For I endured everything, and lived among wild beasts, … awaiting the time for these words, and confident that the false accusers would be condemned and your humanity would be shown. O blessed and most God-loving Augustus, what did you want? That I should come while my false accusers were inflamed and seeking to kill me, or, as it is written, that I should hide a little, so that in the meantime the false accusers might be condemned as heretics and your humanity be shown? What, O emperor, did you want? That I should appear before your judges, so that, even if you wrote only as a threat, they, not understanding your intention, but having the Arians to incite them, might kill me on the strength of your letters and lay the murder on you because of the letters? It was not fitting either for me to desert to my enemies and give myself up to bloodshed, or for you, a Christ-loving emperor, to have the murders of Christians, and these bishops, written against your name. ### Scripture references - Isa 26:20: quotation, high confidence - 2 Cor 11:33: allusion, high confidence - Acts 9:25: allusion, medium confidence ### Translation notes - “Hide yourself for a little while …”: Isa 26:20. Let down from the wall in a basket: 2 Cor 11:33 (Acts 9:25). The words after “lived among wild beasts” (καὶ ὑμᾶς περιελθεῖν) are corrupt in the scan and left untranslated (“…”). ### Citation (SBL) Athanasius, Apol. Const. 34 (PG 25:640d–641b; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-apologia-constantium/33/#p-34). ## Defence before Constantius 35 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-apologia-constantium/33/#p-35 - Source: PG 25:641b–641d - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-09 Summary: Athanasius concludes by asking Constantius to accept his defense and restore the exiled bishops and clergy, so that he may give a good account to Christ at the judgment. ### Greek text Οὐκοῦν βέλτιον γέγονε τὸ κρυβῆναι, καὶ τοῦ· τον ἐκδέξασθαι τὸν καιρόν. Ναὶ οἶδα, ὅτι καὶ σὺ γινώσκων τὰς θείας Γραφάς, ἐπινεύεις, καὶ ἀποδέχῃ με τοῦτο πράξαντα. Ἰδοὺ γοῦν, τῶν παροξυνόντων πεπαυμένων, πέφηνεν ἡ σή θεοσεβὴς ἀνεξικακία, καὶ δέδεικται πᾶσιν, ὅτι μηδέ τὴν ἀρχὴν ἐδίωκες σὺ τοὺς Χριστιανοὺς · ἀλλʼ ἐκεῖνοι ἦσαν οἱ τὰς ἐκκλησίας ἐρημώσαντες, τίνα τὴν ἰδίαν ἀσέβειαν ἐπισπείρωσι πανταχοῦ, διʼ καὶ ἡμεῖς, εἰ μὴ ἦμεν φυγόντες, πάλαι ἄν ἐπεβουλεύθημεν παρʼ αὐτῶν. 0i γὰρ τοιαύτας διαβολάς εἰπεῖν κατʼ ἐμοῦ μὴ παραιτησάμενοι παρά τηλικούτῳ Αὐγούστῳ, οἱ τοιαῦτα κατʼ ἐπισκόπων καί παρθένων ἐπιχειρήσαντες, εὔδηλον ὡς καὶ τὸν ἡμῶν θάνατον ἐθήρευον. Ἀλλά χάρις τῷ Κυρίῳ τῷ τήν βασιλεὶαν σοι δεδωκότι ο πάντες γὰρ ἐπιστώσαντο περί τε τῆς σῆς φιλανθρωπίας καὶ τῆς ἐκείνων πονηρίας, ἧς ἕνεκα καὶ κατά τήν ἀρχὴν ἔφυγον, ’ίνα ταῦτα ἐγὼ μέν τοι προσφωνήσω, σὺ δὲ εὕρῃς τίνα φιλανθρωπεύσῃ. Παρακαλῶ τοίνυν, ἐπειδὴ καὶ γέγραπταιο Ἀπόκρισις ὑποπίπτουσα ἀποστρέφει ὀργήν · καί,Δεκτοὶ βασιλεῖ λογισμοὶ δίκαιοι ' δεξάμενος καὶ ταύτην τήν ἀπολογίαν, ἀπόδος ταῖς πατρίσι καὶ ταῖς Ἐκκλησίαις πάντας τοὺς ἐπισκόπους καὶτοὺς ἄλλους κληρικοὺς,ίνα τῶν μὲν διαβαλλόντων ἡ πονηρία δειχθῇ, σὺ δὲ καὶ νῦν καὶ ἐν ἡμέρᾳ κρίσεως ἔχῃς παρρησίαν εἷʼπεῖν τῷ Κυρίῳ καὶ Σωτῆρι ἡμῶν καὶ παμβασιλεῖ Ἰησοῦ Χριστῷʼ Οὐδένα τῶν σῶν ἀπώλεσαʼ ἀλλʼ o't μέν ἐπιβουλεύσαντες πᾶσιν οὗτοί εἰσιν · ἐγὼ δέ ἐπὶ μῖεν τοῖς τετελευτηκόσι, καὶ ταῖς ξεσθείσαις παρθένοις, τοῖς τε ἄλλοις τοῖς κατὰ τῶν Χριστιανῶν γενομένοις ἠχθέσθην · τοὺς δὲ ἐξορισθέντας ἐπανήγαγον καὶ ἀποδέδωκα ταῖς ἰδίαις Ἐκκλησίαις. ### English translation (Claude) It was better, then, to hide and to await this time. Yes, I know that you too, knowing the divine Scriptures, assent and approve of my having done this. See, at any rate: now that those who incited you have ceased, your godly forbearance has appeared, and it has been shown to all that you were not persecuting the Christians at all; but it was they who laid the churches waste, that they might sow their own impiety everywhere; on account of which we too, had we not fled, would long ago have been plotted against by them. For those who did not shrink from making such slanders against me before so great an Augustus, who attempted such things against bishops and virgins, were plainly hunting for our death too. But thanks be to the Lord who has given you the kingdom; for all are convinced both of your humanity and of their wickedness, on account of which I fled at the beginning, so that I might address this to you and you might find someone to show humanity to. I beg you, therefore, since it is written, “A submissive answer turns away wrath,” and, “Righteous reasonings are acceptable to a king”: receive this defense too, and restore all the bishops and the other clergy to their homelands and their churches, so that the wickedness of the slanderers may be shown, and you may have boldness, both now and in the day of judgment, to say to our Lord and Savior and King of all, Jesus Christ: “I have lost none of yours; but these are the ones who plotted against all; and I was grieved at those who died, and at the virgins who were torn, and at the other things done against the Christians; and I have brought back the exiles and restored them to their own churches.” ### Scripture references - Prov 15:1: quotation, high confidence - Prov 16:13: quotation, high confidence - John 18:9: echo, medium confidence ### Translation notes - “A submissive answer …”: Prov 15:1 (LXX). “Righteous reasonings …”: Prov 16:13 (LXX). “I have lost none of yours”: cf. John 18:9. ### Citation (SBL) Athanasius, Apol. Const. 35 (PG 25:641b–641d; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-apologia-constantium/33/#p-35).