# To the Bishops of Africa

- Author: [Athanasius of Alexandria](https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/authors/athanasius/)
- Latin title: *Epistula ad Afros episcopos*
- Date: ca. 369 (approximate)
- Source: J.-P. Migne, ed., Patrologiae cursus completus, Series Graeca 26 (Paris: Migne, 1857), Epistula ad Afros episcopos (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-epistula-afros/
- Passages: 9

## Letter to the Africans 1

- URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-epistula-afros/1/#p-1
- Source: PG 26:1029a–1032b
- Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-12

Summary: The synod of Egyptian bishops welcomes the Roman synod under Damasus and the Western councils that upheld Nicaea, and warns against those who appeal to the council of Ariminum instead.

### Greek text

’Ixava‘: μὲν τὰ γραφέντα παρά τε τοῦ ἀγαπητοῦ και συλλιιτουργοῦ ἡμῶν Δαμάσου, τοῦ ἐπισκόπου τῆς μεγάλης Ῥώμης, καὶτῶν σὺν αὐτῷ τοσούτων συνελθόντων ἐπισκόπωψ οὐδὲν δὲ ἦττον καὶ τὰ τῶν ἄλλων γενομένων συνόδων ἕν τε τῇ Γαλλίᾳ καὶ τῇ Ἰταλίᾳ περὶ τῆς ὑγιαινούσης πίστεως, ἢν ὁ μὲν Χριστὸς ἐχαρίσατο, οἳ δὲ ἀπόστολοι ἐκήρυξαν, καὶ οἱ Πατέρες παραδεδώκασιν οἱ δὲ τῇ Νικαίᾳ συνελθόντες ἀπὸ πάσης τῆς καθʼ ἡμᾶς οἶκουμένης.Τοσαότη γάρ γέγονε τότε σπουδὴ διὰ τὴν Ἀρειανην αἵρεσιν, ’ίνα οἳ μὲν πεπτωκότες εἷς αὐτὴν ἀνασπασθῶσιν, οἱ δὲ ἐφευρόντες ἔκδηλοι γὲνωνται. Ταύτῃ γοῦν καὶ πάλαι πᾶσι ἠ οἰκουμένη συμπεφώνηκε, καὶ νῦν δὲ πολλῶν συνόδων γενομένων, ὑπομνηνσθὲν- _ τες πάντες οἵ τε κατᾶ τὴν Δαλματίαν, καὶ Δαρδανίαν, καὶ Μακεδονίαν, Ἠπείρους τε καὶ τὴν Ἐλλάδα, Β καὶ Κρήτην, καὶ τὰς ἄλλας νήσους, Σικελίαν τε καὶ Κύπρον, καὶ Παμφυλῖαν, Anxia; re καὶ Ἰσαυρίαν, καὶ πᾶσάν τε τήν Αἴγυπτον καὶ τὰς Λιβύας, καὶ πλεῖστοι τῶν ἐν τῇ Ἀραβίᾳ ταύτην ἐπέγνωσαν καὶ ἐθαύμασάν τε τοὺς ὑπογράψαντας, ὅτι, εἴ καί τι περιελὲλειπτο παρʼ αὖτοῖς ἐκ τῆς ῥίζης τῶν ’Λρειανῶν ἄνω φύουσα πικρία, Δύξεντιόν φαμεν καὶ Οὐρσάκιον, καὶ Οὐάλεντα καὶ τοὺς τὰ αὐτὰ φρονοῦντας αὐτοῖς, διὰ τῶν γραμμάτων τούτων ἰξεκόπησαν καὶ ἀπελείφθησαν. Ἱκανά μὲν οὗν τὰ ἐν τῇ Νικαίᾳ ὁμολογηθέντα, καὶ αὐτάρκη, καθᾶ προείπομεν, πρός τε ἀνατροπὴν πάσης ἀσεόοὖς αἱρέσεως, καὶ πρὸς ἀσφάλειαν καὶ ὠφέλειαν τῆς ἐκκλησιαστικῆς διδασκαλίας. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ ἠκούσαμεν, ὅτι τινὲς, βουλόμενοι μάχεσθαι ιοδε πρὸς αὐτὴν, ὀνομάζειν ἐπιχειροῦσι σύνοδόν τινα ὡς έν Ἀριμήνῳ γενομένην, καὶ φιλονεικοῦσι ταύτην μᾶλλον ἢ ἐκείνην κρατεῖν · ἀναγκαῖον ἡγησάμεθα γράψαι καὶ ὑπομνῆσαι ὑμᾶς, ’ίνα μή ἀνέχησθε τῶν τοιούτων τοῦτο γὰρ οὐδὲν ἕτερόν ἐστιν ἢ πάλιν τῆς ’Δρειανῆς αἱρέσεως παραφυάς. Οἱ γὰρ τήν κατʼ αὖτῆς σύνοδον γενομένην παραιτούμενοι (ἔστι δέη ἐν Νικαίᾳ γενομένη), τί ἕτερον βούλονται, ἢ τα Ἀρείου κρατεῖν ; Τίνος οὗ) ἄξιοι οἱ τοιοῦτοι ἦ Ἀρειανοὶ μὲν καλεῖσθαι, τῆς αὐτῆς δὶ ἐπιτιμίας ἐκείνοις μετασχεῖν; οἳ μήτε τὸν Θεὸν ἆφοὸήθησαν λέγοντα· Μὴ μέταιρε ὅρια αἰώνια, ἃ ἔθεντο οἱ πατέρες

### English translation (Claude)

Sufficient are the writings of our beloved fellow minister Damasus, bishop of great Rome, and of the many bishops who came together with him, and no less those of the other councils held in Gaul and in Italy, concerning the sound faith, which Christ gave, the apostles preached, and the Fathers handed down, namely those who met at Nicaea from all our inhabited world. For so great was the zeal at that time on account of the Arian heresy, that those who had fallen into it might be drawn back, and those who invented it might be exposed. To this faith the whole world agreed long ago; and now too, many councils having been held, all have been reminded of it: those in Dalmatia, Dardania, Macedonia, the Epiruses and Greece, Crete and the other islands, Sicily and Cyprus, Pamphylia, Lycia and Isauria, all Egypt and the Libyas, and most of those in Arabia have recognized it, and have admired those who signed, because, if any bitterness springing up from the root of the Arians had been left among them (we mean Auxentius and Ursacius and Valens and those who think as they do), these have been cut off and left out through these letters. Sufficient, then, and self-sufficient, as we said, is what was confessed at Nicaea, both for the overthrow of every impious heresy and for the security and profit of the Church's teaching. But since we have heard that some, wishing to fight against it, attempt to name a certain council as held at Ariminum, and strive that it rather than that one should prevail, we have thought it necessary to write and remind you not to tolerate such people; for this is nothing other than a fresh offshoot of the Arian heresy. For those who reject the council held against it (that is, the one held at Nicaea), what else do they want but that the views of Arius should prevail? What, then, do such men deserve, but to be called Arians and to share the same punishment as they? They did not fear God, who says, “Do not remove the eternal boundaries which your fathers set” …

### Scripture references

- Heb 12:15: allusion, high confidence
- Prov 22:28: quotation, high confidence

### Translation notes

- The synodal letter of about ninety bishops of Egypt and Libya under Athanasius to the bishops of Africa (ca. 369–372). The Roman synod under Damasus condemned Auxentius of Milan. Several words are garbled in the OCR and translated by sense (“Sufficient” for ’Ixava‘:, “Lycia” for Anxia; re). “Bitterness springing up from the root”: Heb 12:15. “Do not remove the eternal boundaries …”: Prov 22:28; the rest of the sentence is lost in the scan (marked …).

### Citation (SBL)

Athanasius, Ep. Afr. 1 (PG 26:1029a–1032b; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-epistula-afros/1/#p-1).

## Letter to the Africans 2

- URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-epistula-afros/1/#p-2
- Source: PG 26:1032b–1032d
- Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-12

Summary: The bishops argue that the ecumenical council of Nicaea, called for good cause about Arius and Easter, outweighs the many partial councils of the Arians.

### Greek text

Διὰ τοῦτο γὰρ καὶ οίκουμενική γέγονεν ἡ ἐν Νικαίᾳ σύνοδος, τριακοσίων δέκα καὶ ὀκτὼ συνελθόντων ἐπισκόπων περὶ τῆς πίστεως διὰ τὴν Ἀρειανῆν ἀσέβειανο ἵνα μηκέτι κατᾶ μέρος προφάσει πίστεως γίνωνται. ἀλλὰ, κᾶν γένωνται, μὴ κρατῶσι. Τί γὰρ ἐκείνῃ λείπει, ’ίνα καινότερα ζητήσῃ τις ; Πλήρης ἐστὶν εὐσεβείας, ἀγαπητοί · αὕτη πᾶσαν τήν οἰκουμένην πεπλήρωκε. Ταύτην ἔγνωσαν καὶ Ἰνδοὶ, καὶ ὅσοι παρὰ τοῖς ἄλλοις βαρβάροις είσὶ Χριστιανοί. Οὐκοῦν μάταιος ὁ κάματος τοῖς κατʼ αὐτῆς πολλακις Ξπιχειρήσασιν. ’Ήδη γὰρ οἱ τοιοῦτοι δέκα καὶ πλέον που συνόδους πεποιήκασι, καθʼ ἑκάστην μεταβαλλόμενοι, καὶ τὰ μὲν ἀπὸ τῶν πρώτων ἀφαιροῦντες, τὰ δὲ ταῖς μετά ταῦτα ἐναλλάσσοντες καὶ προστιθέντες. Καὶ ὤνησαν οὐδὲν μέχρι νῦν γράφοντες, ἐξαλείφοντες, βιαζόμενοι, οὐκ εἰδότες, ὅτι Πᾶσα μὶν φυτεία, ἦν οὐκ ἕφῦτευσεν ὁ Πατὴρ ὁ οὐράνιος, ἰκριζωθήσεταυ τὸ δὲ ῥῆμα τοῦ Κυρίου τὸ διὸ τῆς οίκουμενικῆς σύνόδου ἐν τῇ Νικαίᾳ γενόμενον μὲνει εἱς τὸν αἰῶνα. ’Ἂν τε γὰρ ἀριθμὸν ἀριθμῷ τις συμβάλῃ, πλείους οἱ ἓν Νικαίᾳ τῶν κατᾶ μέρος είσὶν, ὅσον καὶ τὸ ὅλον πλεῖόν ἐστι τοῦ μέρους· ἄν τε τὸ αἴτιον τῆς ἐν Νικαίᾳ καὶ τῶν μετʼ αὐτὴν τοσούτων γενομένων συνόδων παρὰ τούτων διαγνῶναι τις ἐθέλοι, εὕροι ἂν τὴν μὶν Νικαία ἔχουσαν τὸ αἴτιον εὔλογον, τὰς δὲ ἄλλας διὰ μῖσος καὶ φιλονεικία ὲκ βίας συγκροτηθείσας. Ἣ μὲν γὶρ δια τὴν Ἀρειανὴν αʼίρεσιν καὶ διὰ τὸ Πάσχα συνήχθηο ἐπειδή οἱ ιατᾶ Συρίαν, καὶ Κιλικίαν, καὶ Μεσοποταμίαν διεφώνουν πρὸς ἡμᾶς, καὶ τῷ καιρῷ, ἐν ᾧ ποιοῦσιν οἱ Ἰουδαῖοι, ἐποίουν καὶ αὐτοί. Αλλα χαρις τῳ Κυρίῳ, ὥσπερ περὶ τῆς πίστεως, οὕτω καὶ περʼ ;ῆς ἁγίας ἑορτῆς γέγονε συμφωνία. Καὶ τοῦτο ἧν τὸ ιέτιον τῆς έν Νικαίᾳ συνόδουʼ αἱ δὲ μετά ταύτην

### English translation (Claude)

For this is why the council at Nicaea was ecumenical, three hundred and eighteen bishops having come together about the faith on account of the Arian impiety: so that partial councils should no longer be held on the pretext of the faith, or, if they were held, should not prevail. For what does that council lack, that anyone should seek something newer? It is full of piety, beloved; it has filled the whole world. The Indians have come to know it, and all the Christians among the other barbarians. Vain, then, is the toil of those who have often made attempts against it. For such men have already held ten or more councils, changing at each one, taking away some things from the first, and altering and adding in the later ones. And they have gained nothing up to now by writing, erasing, and using force, not knowing that “every plant which the heavenly Father has not planted will be rooted up,” but the word of the Lord which came through the ecumenical council at Nicaea abides for ever. For if one compares number with number, those at Nicaea are more than those of the partial councils, as much as the whole is greater than the part; and if anyone wishes to discern the cause of the council at Nicaea and of the many councils held by these men after it, he would find that the council at Nicaea had a reasonable cause, but that the others were put together by force out of hatred and contentiousness. For that one was assembled on account of the Arian heresy and on account of Easter, since those in Syria, Cilicia and Mesopotamia differed from us, and kept the feast at the time when the Jews keep it. But thanks be to the Lord, as about the faith, so too about the holy feast there came to be agreement. And this was the cause of the council at Nicaea; but those after it …

### Scripture references

- Matt 15:13: quotation, high confidence
- Isa 40:8: allusion, high confidence
- 1 Pet 1:25: allusion, medium confidence

### Translation notes

- “Every plant …”: Matt 15:13. “The word of the Lord … abides for ever”: Isa 40:8 (1 Pet 1:25), applied to the Nicene decision. The section breaks off at the foot of a column; the following lines are lost in the scan.

### Citation (SBL)

Athanasius, Ep. Afr. 2 (PG 26:1032b–1032d; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-epistula-afros/1/#p-2).

## Letter to the Africans 3

- URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-epistula-afros/1/#p-3
- Source: PG 26:1033a–1033d
- Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-12

Summary: The bishops recall that at Ariminum the Arian leaders were deposed and the orthodox majority held to Nicaea, until the emperor's pressure forced them to yield in Thrace.

### Greek text

Τούτων δὲ οὕτω δεικνυμένων, τίς ἀποδέξεται τοὺς τὴν Ἀρίμηνον ἢ ὂίλλην σύνοδον παρᾶ τήν ἰν Νικαίᾳ ὀνομάζοντας ; ἢ τίς οὐκ ἂν μισήσειε τοὺς ἆθετοῦντας μὶν τὰ τῶν Πατέρων, τὰ δὲ νεώτερα έν τῇ ’Δριμήνῳ κατᾶ φιλονεικίαν καὶ βίαν συντιθέντα προκρίνοντας ; Τίς δὲ τούτοις συνελθεῖν ἐθελήσοι τοῖς ἀνθρώποις, μηδὲ τὰ ἑαυτῶν ἀποδεχομένοις; Οἱ γὰρ έν ταῖς ἑαυτῶν δέκα που καὶ πλέον, καθά προείπαμεν, συνόδοις, ἄλλοτε ἄλλα γράφοντες, δῆλοί εἰσιν ἑκάστης αὐτοὶ κατήγοροι γινόμενοι Πάσχουσι δέ τι τοιοῦτον, οἷον καὶ οἱ τότε τῶν Ἰουδαίων προδόται πεπόνθασινσ ὡς γὰρ ἐκεῖνοι, καταλείψαντες τὴν μόνην πηγὴν τοῦ ζῶντος ὕδατος, ὤρυξαν ἑαυτοῖς λάκκους συντετριμμένους, οἳ ού δυνήσονται ὕδωρ συνέχειν, γέγραπται δὲ τοῦτο παρὰ τῷ προφήτῃ Ἱερεμίᾳ· οὕτως οὗτοι, μαχόμενοι πρὸς τὴν μίαν καὶ οἷκουμενικήν σύνοδον, ὤρυξαν ἑαυτοῖς συνόδους πολλάς· καὶ πᾶσαι κεναὶ, αἲ παρʼ αὐτοῖς ὡς δράγμα μὴ ἔχων ἱσχὺν ἐφάνησαν. Μὴ τοίνυν ἆνεχώμεθα τῶν τήν ’Λρίμηνον ἢ ἄλλην ὀνομαζόντων σύνοδον παρά τήν ἐν Νικαίᾳ γενομένην. Καὶ γὰρ καὶ αύτοὶ οἱ τήν Ἀρίμηνον ὀνομάζοντες ἐοίκασι μὴ εἷʼδέναι τὰ ἐν αὐτῇ πραχθένταο ἢ γὰρ ἂν ἐσιώπησαν. Οἴδατε γὰρ, ἀγαπητοὶ, μαθόντες καὶ ὑμεῖς παρὰ τῶν ἐλθόντων ἐξ ὑμῶν εἷς τὴν Ἀρίμηνον, ὡς Ούρσάκιος καὶ Οὐάλης, Εὐδόξιος καί Δύξέντιος, ἐκεῖ δὲ ἧν σὺν αὐτοῖς καὶ Δημόφιλος, καθῃρέθησαν, θελήσαντες ἕτερα παρᾶ τὰ ἐν Νικαίᾳ γράφειν ' ὅτε καὶ ἆπαιτηθέντες ἀναθεματίσαι τήν Ἀρειανήν αἵρεσιν, παρῃτήσαντο, καὶ μᾶλλον αὐτῆς ἤθελον εἶναι προστάται. Οἱ δὲ γε ἐπίσκοποι, o't ἀληθῶς γνήσιοι δοῦλοι τοῦ Κυρίου καὶ ὀρθῶς πιστεύοντες, ἦσαν δὲ ἐγγὺς διακόσιοι, ἔγραψαν-ἀρκεῖσθαι τῇ έν Νικαίᾳ μόνῃ, καὶ μηδὲν πλέον ἢ ἔλαττον παρʼ ἐκείνην ζητεῖν ἢ φρονεῖν. Ταῦτα καὶ Κωνσταντίῳ δεδηλώκασι, τῷ καὶ τὴν σύνοδον κελεύσαντι γενέσθαι. Ἀλλʼ οἱ ἰν τῇ ’Δριμήνῳ καθαιρεθέντες, ἀπελθόντες πρὸς Κωνστάντιον, πεποιήκασιν ὑβρισθῆναι μὲν, ἀπειλὰς δὲ γενέσθαι, μὴ ἀνακάμψειν εἷς τὰς ἰδίας παροικίας τοὺς κατʼ αὐτῶν ἀποφηναμένους, βίαν τε παθεῖν ἐν τῇ Θρᾴκῃ ἐν αύτῷ τῷ χειμῶνι· ὥστε τῶν παρʼ αὐτῶν καινοτομουμένων ἀνέχεσθαι.

### English translation (Claude)

Since this has been shown, who will accept those who name Ariminum or another council beside the one at Nicaea? Or who would not hate those who set aside the decisions of the Fathers and prefer the newer things put together at Ariminum through contentiousness and force? Who would wish to meet with these men, who do not accept even their own decisions? For in their own ten or more councils, as we said before, writing now one thing and now another, they plainly become the accusers of each one themselves. They suffer something like what the betrayers among the Jews of that time suffered; for as those, forsaking the one fountain of living water, dug for themselves broken cisterns that will not be able to hold water (this is written in the prophet Jeremiah), so these, fighting against the one ecumenical council, have dug for themselves many councils, and all of them have proved empty among them, like a sheaf without strength. Let us not tolerate, then, those who name Ariminum or another council beside the one held at Nicaea. Indeed even those who name Ariminum seem not to know what was done there; otherwise they would have kept silent. For you know, beloved, having learned it from those of you who went to Ariminum, how Ursacius and Valens, Eudoxius and Auxentius (and Demophilus was there with them) were deposed for wishing to write other things beside those of Nicaea; when, being required to anathematize the Arian heresy, they refused, and wished rather to be its champions. But the bishops, who were truly genuine servants of the Lord and believed rightly (they were nearly two hundred), wrote that they were content with the council of Nicaea alone, and that nothing more or less than it should be sought or held. They made this known also to Constantius, who had ordered the council to be held. But those who had been deposed at Ariminum went to Constantius and brought it about that those who had pronounced against them were insulted and threatened that they would not return to their own dioceses, and suffered violence in Thrace in the very depth of winter, so that they should tolerate the innovations made by these men.

### Scripture references

- Jer 2:13: quotation, high confidence
- Hos 8:7: allusion, medium confidence

### Translation notes

- “Forsaking the fountain of living water …”: Jer 2:13. “A sheaf without strength”: Hos 8:7 (LXX). The council of Ariminum (Rimini) in 359; the pressure in Thrace refers to the meeting at Nike.

### Citation (SBL)

Athanasius, Ep. Afr. 3 (PG 26:1033a–1033d; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-epistula-afros/1/#p-3).

## Letter to the Africans 4

- URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-epistula-afros/1/#p-4
- Source: PG 26:1033d–1036d
- Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-12

Summary: The bishops contrast Nicaea with the Arian councils that forbade speaking of God's essence or hypostasis, and show from Exodus, Jeremiah and Hebrews that hypostasis and essence mean God's very being.

### Greek text

Εἴπερ οὗν τινες τήν ’Δρίμηνον ὀνομάζουσι, δεικνύτωσαν πρῶτον τὴν καθαίρεσιν τῶν προειρημένων, καὶ ἅπερ ἔγραψαν οἱ ἐπίσκοποι, λέγοντες μηδὲν πλέον ζητεῖν τῶν ἐν Νικαίᾳ παρό τῶν Πατέρων ὁμολογηθέντων, μηδὲ ὀνομάζειν ἅλΛην σύνοδον παρʼ ἐκείνην. Ἀλλὰ ταῦτα μὶν κρύπτουσι, τὰ δὲ ἐν τῇ Θρᾴκῃ κατὰ βίαν πραχθέντα προβάλλονται· ἐξ ὧν δείκνυνται, τῆς μὲν Ἀρειανῆς αἶρὲσεως ὄντες ὑποκριταὶ, ἀλλότριοι δὲ τῆς ὑγιαινούσης πίστεως. Καῖ αὐτὴν δὲ τήν μιγάλην σύνοδον, καὶ τὰς παρʼ ἐκείνων ἄν τις ἐξετάζειν ἐκ παραλλήλου Θὲλοι, εὕροι ἂν τῶν μὶν τήν θεοσέβειαν, τῶν δὲ τήν ἀλογίαν. Οἱ ἂν Νικαιᾳ συνελθόντες οὐ καθαιρεθέντες συνῆλθον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ὡμολόγησαν τῆς οὐσίας τοῦ Πατρὸς εἶναι τὸν Υἱόν· οὗτοι δὲ καὶ ἅπαξ καὶ δεύτερον καθαιρεθέντος, καὶ τρίτον ἐν αὐτῇ τῆ ’Λριμήνῳ, γράφειν ἐτόλμησαν, μὴ χρῆναι λέγειν οὐσίαν ἢ ὑπόστασιν ἔχειν τὸν βιόν. Ἐκ δὴ τούτων σκοπεῖν ἔξεστιν, ἀδελφοὶ, ὡς οἱ μὲν ἐν Νικαίᾳ τῶν Γραριῖνι πνέουσι, λέγοντος αὐτοῦ τοῦ Θιοῦ ἐν μὲν τῇ Ἐξόδῳ· Ἐγώ εἰμι ὁ ὤν· διὰ δὲ τοῦ Ἰερεμίου* Τίς ἐστιν ἐν ἐν ὑποστήματι αὐτοῦ, καὶ εἶδε τὸν λόγον αὐτοῦ ; καὶ μετʼ ὀλίγον· Καὶ εἴ ἔστησαν ἐν τῇ ὑποστάσει μου, καὶ ἤκουσαν τῶν λόγων μου. Ἣ δὲ ὑπόστασις οὐσία ἐστὶ, καὶ δύδὶν ἄλλο σημπῑ·θό;ἐνον ἔχει ἢ αὐτὸ τὸ ὅν· ὅπερ Ἱερεμίας ὕπαρξιν ὀνομάζει λέγων· Καὶ οὐκ ἤκουσαν φωνήν ὑπάρξεως. Ἠ γὲρ ὑπὸστασις καὶ ἠ οὐσία ὕπαρξίς ἐστιν. Ἔστι γὰρ καὶ ὑπάρχει. Τοῦτο νοῶν καὶ ὸ Παῦλος, ἔγραψεν Ἑβραίοις· ’Ός ὢν ἀπαύγασμα τῆς δόξης, καὶ χαρακτὴρ τῆς ὑποστάσεως αὐτοῦ.οὗτοι δὲ οἳ δοκοῦντες εἰδέναι τὰς Γραφᾶς, καὶ ὀνομάζοντες ἑαυτοὺς εἶναι σοροὺςτ μή Θὲλοντες ὑπόστασιν λέγειν ἐπὶ Θεοῦ (τοῦτο γὰρ ἔγραψαν ἐν τῇ Ἀριμήνῳ καὶ ἐν ἄλλαις ἑαυτῶν συνόδοις), πῶς οὗ διmihi: καθῃρέθησαν, λέγοντες καὶ αὐτοὶ, ὡς ἄφρων ἐν c καρδίᾳ, ἔστι Bede; Πάλιν τε οἱ Πατέριςιέδίδαξαν ὲν τῇ Nini; μὴ εἶναι κτίσμα ἢ ποίημα τὸν Υἱὸν Λόγον, ἀναγνόντες Πάντα διʼ αὑτοῦ ἐγένιτο· καὶ, Ἐν αὖτῷ τὰ πάντα ἐκτίσθη καὶ συνέστηκεν. Οὗτοι δὶ οἱ μᾶλλον Ἀρειανοὶ ἢ Χριστιανοὶ ὅντες, ἐν ταῖς ἄλλαις ἑαυτῶν συνόδοις κτίσμα τετολμήκασιν εἰπεῖν αὐτὸν, καὶ ἕνα τῶν ποιημάτων, ὧν αὐτός ἐστιν ὁ Λόγος δημιουργὸς καὶ ποιητής, Εἰ γὰρ διʼ αὐτοῦ τὰ πάντα γέγονε, κτίσμα δὲ ἐστι καὶ αὐτός· εἴη ἃν καὶ ἑαυτὸν κτίζων. Καὶ πῶς δύναται τὸ κτιζόμενον, κτίζειν ; ἢ πῶς ὁ κτίζων κτίζεται ;

### English translation (Claude)

If, then, some name Ariminum, let them first show the deposition of those mentioned above, and what the bishops wrote, saying that nothing more should be sought than what was confessed by the Fathers at Nicaea, and that no other council should be named beside it. But these things they hide, and put forward what was done by force in Thrace; from which they are shown to be dissemblers of the Arian heresy and aliens from the sound faith. And if one wished to examine side by side the great council itself and theirs, he would find the piety of the one and the unreason of the others. Those who met at Nicaea did not meet as deposed men, and they confessed that the Son is from the essence of the Father; but these men, deposed once and a second time, and a third time at Ariminum itself, dared to write that one must not say that the Son has essence or hypostasis. From this one may consider, brothers, how those at Nicaea breathe the spirit of the Scriptures, since God himself says in Exodus, “I am he who is,” and through Jeremiah, “Who has stood in his substance and seen his word?” and a little after, “And if they had stood in my hypostasis and heard my words.” And hypostasis is essence, and has no other meaning than being itself; which Jeremiah calls existence, saying, “And they did not hear the voice of existence.” For hypostasis and essence are existence; for it is and it exists. Paul too, understanding this, wrote to the Hebrews, “who, being the radiance of his glory and the exact imprint of his hypostasis.” But these men, who seem to know the Scriptures and call themselves wise, not wishing to speak of hypostasis in God (for this they wrote at Ariminum and in their other councils), how were they not justly deposed, saying as they do, like the fool in his heart, that God is not? And again, the Fathers taught at Nicaea that the Son, the Word, is not a creature or a thing made, having read, “All things came into being through him,” and, “In him all things were created and hold together.” But these men, being Arians rather than Christians, have dared in their other councils to call him a creature and one of the things made, of which the Word himself is the creator and maker. For if all things came into being through him, and he too is a creature, he would be creating himself as well. And how can what is created create? Or how is the creator created?

### Scripture references

- Exod 3:14: quotation, high confidence
- Jer 23:18: quotation, high confidence
- Jer 23:22: quotation, high confidence
- Jer 9:10 (9:9 LXX): quotation, high confidence
- Heb 1:3: quotation, high confidence
- Rom 1:22: echo, low confidence
- Ps 14:1 (13:1 LXX): allusion, medium confidence
- John 1:3: quotation, high confidence
- Col 1:16: quotation, high confidence
- Col 1:17: quotation, high confidence

### Translation notes

- “I am he who is”: Exod 3:14 (LXX). “Who has stood in his substance (ὑπόστημα) …”: Jer 23:18; “if they had stood in my hypostasis …”: Jer 23:22 (LXX). “The voice of existence” (ὑπάρξεως): Jer 9:10 (LXX 9:9). “Hypostasis” is left untranslated; here, as in Heb 1:3, it is treated as equivalent to οὐσία, “essence”. The creed of Ariminum and Nike (359) forbade speaking of οὐσία or ὑπόστασις in God. “Like the fool in his heart, that God is not” renders the OCR's garbled “ἔστι Bede” by sense (Ps 14:1). “All things came into being through him”: John 1:3; “In him all things were created …”: Col 1:16–17.

### Citation (SBL)

Athanasius, Ep. Afr. 4 (PG 26:1033d–1036d; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-epistula-afros/1/#p-4).

## Letter to the Africans 5

- URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-epistula-afros/1/#p-5
- Source: PG 26:1036d–1040d
- Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-12

Summary: The bishops explain how the council of Nicaea came to write “from the essence” and “of the same essence” because the Arians could twist every scriptural phrase, and cite earlier bishops and Eusebius of Caesarea for the term.

### Greek text

Ἀλλʼ οὐδὲ οὕτως αἰσχύνονται, τοιαῦτα λέγοντας, ἐφʼ οἷς μιστητοί καὶ παρὰ πᾶσίν εἰσιν, ὀνομάζοντες μὲν ἁπλῶς Ἀρίμηνον, δεικνύμενοι δὲ καὶ ἐν ιύτῇ καθαιρεθέντες. Καὶ αὐτὸ δὲ τὸ ἐν Νικαίᾳ γεγραμμέῑνον ὁμοούσιον εἶναι τὸν Υἱὸν τῷ Πατρὶ, οὗ χάριν προσποιοῦνται μάχεσθαι πρὸς τὴν σύνοδον, καὶ περιβομβοῦσιν, ὡς κώνωπες, πανταχοῦ περὶ τῆς λέ· ξεως, ἢ ὡς ἀγνοοῦντες προσκόπτουσιν εἰς αὐτὸ, ὡς οἱ προσκόπτοντες εἰς τὸν τεθέντα λίθον ἐν Σιὼν προσκόμματος· ἢ γινώσκουσι μέν, διὰ τοῦτο δὲ μάχονται καὶ συνεχῶς γογγύζουσιν, ὅτι κατά τῆς αἱρέσεώς ἐστιν αὐτῶν ἀληθῶς αὕτη καὶ ἀκριβὴς ἀπόφασις. Ού γὰρ αἱ λέξεις αὐτοὺς λυποῦσιν, ἀλλʼ ἡ ἐν αὐτῇ γενομένη κατάγρισις αὐτῶν. Καὶ τούυων δὲ πάλιν αἶʼτιοι γεγόνασιν αὐτοὶ, καὶ εἰ τοῦτο κρύπτειν αὐτοὶ θέλουσι, καίτοι γινώσκοντες, ἀλλʼ ἡμᾶς ἀκόλουθον εἰπεῖν·ίνα καὶ ἐκ τούτων ἡ μετὰ ἀληθείας ἀκρίβεια τῆς μεγάλης συνόδου δειχθῇ. Τῶν γὰρ συνεελθόντων ἐπισκόπων βουλομένων τὰς μὶν παρὰ τῶν Ἀρειανων έφευρεθείσας τῆς ἀσεβείας λέξεις ἀνελεῖνʼ τὸ Ἐξ οὐκ ὄντων· καὶ τὸ λέγειν κτίσμα καὶ ποίημα τὸν Υἱόν· καὶ, Ἠν ποτε, ὅτε οὐκ ἦν· καὶ ὅτι τρεπτῆς ἐστι φύσεως* τὰ δὲ τῶν Γραφῶν ὁμολογουμένας γράψαιο ὅτι τε ἐκ τοῦ Θεοῦ τῆ φύσει μονογενής ἐστιν 6 Λόγος, δύναμις, σοφία μόνη τοῦ Πατρὸς, Θεὸς ἀληθινὸς, ὡς εἶπεν 6 Ἰωάννηςʼ καὶ ὡς ἔγραψεν 6 Παῦλος, ἀπαύγασμα τῆς δόξης, καὶ χαρακτήρ τῆς τοῦ ΙΙατρὸς ὑποστάσεως· οἱ περὶ Εὖσέβιον, ὑπὸ τῆς ἰδίας κακοδοξίας ἑλκόμενοι, διελάλουν ἀλλήλοις· Συνθώμεθαʼ καὶ γὰρ καὶ ἡμεῖς ἐκ τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐσμεν· εἷς γὰρ Θεὸς, ἐξ οὗ τὰ πάντα· καὶ, Τὰ ἀρ-, χαῖα παρῆλθεν, ἰδοὺ γέγονε τὰ πάντα καινά. Τὰ δὲ πάντα ἐκ τοῦ Θεοῦ. Ἐλογίζοντο δὲ καὶ τὸ έν τῷ Ποιμένι γραφέν· Πρῶτον πάντων πίστευσον, 8τι εἷς ἐστιν 6 Θεὸς, 6 τὰ πάντα κτίσας καὶ καταρτίσας, καὶ ποιήσας ἐκ τοῦ μὴ ὄντος εἰς τὸ εἶναι, ’Λλλ οἱ ἐπίσκοποι, θεωρήσαντες τὴν πανουργίαν ἐκείνων, καὶ τὴν τῆς ί ἀσεβείας κακοτεχνίαν, λευκότερον εἰρήκασι τὸ ἐκ τοῦ Θεοῦ, καὶ ἔγραψαν, έκ τῆς οὐσίας τοῦ Θεοῦ εἰναι τὸν Υίὸν· ’ίνα τὰ μὶν κτίσματα, διὰ τὸ μὴ ἀφʼ έαυτῶν χωρὶς αἰτίου εἶναι, ἀλλὰ ἀρχὴν ἔχειν τοῦ γενέσθαι, λέγηται ἐκ τοῦ Θεοῦ· ὁ δὲ Υἱὸς μόνος ἴδιος τῆς τοῦ Πατρὸς οὐσίας· τοῦτο γὰρ ἴδιον μονογενοῦς καὶ ἀληθινοῦ Λόγου πρὸς Πατέρα. Καὶ περὶ μὶν τοῦ γεγράφθαι ἐκ τῆς οὐσίας ἡ πρόφασις αὕτη. Πάλιν δὲ τῶν ἑπισκόπων ἰρωτώντων τοὺς δοκοῦντας ὀλίγους, εἶʼπερ λέγοιεν, τὸν Υἱὸν οὐ κτίσμα, ἀλλὰ δύναμιν, σοφίαν μόνην τοῦ Πατρὸς, καὶ εἰκόνα ἀίδιον, ἀπαράλλακτον κατᾶ πάντα τοῦ Πατρὸς, καὶ Θεὸν ἀληθινὸν, κατελήφθησαν οῖ περί Εὗσέβιον διανεύοντες ἀλλήλοις, ὅτι καὶ ταῦτα φθάνει καὶ εἰς ἡμᾶς· καὶ γὰρ καὶ ἡμεῖς καὶ εἰκὼν καὶ δόξα Θεοῦ λεγόμεθα, καὶ περὶ ἡμῶν εἶρηταν Ἀεὶ γὰρ ἡμεῖς οἱ ζῶντες. Καὶ δυνάμεις πολλαί tier Καὶ ἐξῆλθε μὲν πᾶσα ἡ δύναμις Κυρίου ἐκ γῆς Αἰγύπτου. Ἠ δὶ κάμπη καὶ ἠ άκρές λέγεται δόναμις μεγάλη. Καὶ, Κύριος τῶν δυνάμεων μεθʼ ἡμῶν, ἀντιλήπτωρ ἡμῶν ὁ Θεὸς Ἰακώβ. Ἀλλὰ τὸ (Stilicho: εἶναι τοῦ Θεοῦ ἔχομεν, οὐχ ἁπλῶς, ἀλλʼ ὅτι καὶ ἀδελφοὺς ἡμᾶς ἐκάλεσεν. Εἴ καὶΔΘεὸν ἀληθινὸν λέγουσι τὸν Υἱὸν, οὐ λυπεῖ ἡμᾶς· γενόμενος γὰρ, ἀληθινός ἑστιν. Αὕτη τῶν ’Δρειανῶν ἡ ἐφθαρμὲνη διάνοια. ἶΑλιλὰ καί ἐνταῦθα οἱ ὶπῐσκοποι, θεωρήσαντες ἐκείνων τὸ δόλιον, συνήγαγον ἐκ τῶν rpiteti τὸ ἀπαύγασμα, τήν τε πηγήν καὶ τὸν ποταμὸν, καί τὸν χαρακτῆρα πρὸς τὴν ὑπόστασιν, καὶ τὸ, Ἑν τῷ φωτί σου ὀψόμεθα, φῶςίκαὶ τὸ, Ἐγὼ καὶ ὁ Πατὴρ ἓν ἐσμεν. Καὶ λευκότερον λοιπὸν καὶ-συντόμως 57pm"ψαν ομοοῦσιον τῷ Πατρὶ τὸν risv ' τὰ γὰρ τζροειρημένα πάντα ταύτην ἔχει τὴν σημασίανίΚαί ὁ γογγυσμὸςῌαιξτῶν, ὅτι ἄγραφοι εἰσιν αἱ λέξεις, ὲλὲγχεται παρʼ αὐτῶν μάταιος, ἐξ ἀγράφων ἀσεβτξamre;- ἄγραφα δὲ τὸ, Ἐξ οὐκ ὄντων, καὶ τὸ, Ἦν ποτε, ὅτε οὐκ ἦν· αἰτιῶνται, ὅτι ἐξ ἀγράφων μετʼ εὐσεβείας νοουμένων λέξεων κατεκρίθησαν. Δότοί ’μὲν ὡς ἐκ κοπρίας ὄντες, ἐλάλησαν ἀληθῶς ἀπὸ γῆςζ οἱ ξε ἐπίσκοποι, οὐχ ἑαυτοῖς εὑρόντες τὰς λέξεις, ἀλλʼ ἐκ Πατὲρων ἔχοντες τήν μαρτυρίαν, οὕτως ἔγραί (φανςΕπίσκοποι γὰρ ἀρχαῖοι πρὸ ἑτῶν ἐγγύς ’που ἑκατὸν τριάκοντα τῆς μεγάλης Ῥώμης καὶ ἡμετερας πόλεως γράφοντες ᾐτιάσαντο τοὺς ποίτλμα λέγοντας τὸν Υἱὸν καὶ μὴ ὁμοούσιον 7τῷ Πατρίο καὶ τοῦτο ἐγίνωσκεν Εὐσέβιος ό γενόμενος ἐπίσκοπος τῆς ίαισαρείας, πρότερον μὲν,συντρέχων τῇ Ἀρειανιῖζ αἱρέσει, ὕστερον δὶ ὑπογράψας ἐν αὐτῇ τῇ ἐν Χικαία συνόδῳ, ἔγραψε τοῖς ἰδίοις διαβεβαιούμενος, ὅτι καί τῶν παλαιῶν τινας λογίους καὶ ἐπιφανεῖς ἐπισκόπους καί συγγραφέας, ἔγνωμεν ἐπὶ τῆς ’τοῦ [ἰατρὸς καί Υἶοῦ θεότητος τῷ τοῦ ὁμοουσίόυ χρησαμένους ὀνόματι.

### English translation (Claude)

But not even so are they ashamed of saying such things, for which they are hated by all, naming Ariminum without qualification, though they are shown to have been deposed at it. And as for the very statement written at Nicaea, that the Son is of the same essence with the Father, on account of which they pretend to fight against the council and buzz about everywhere over the word like gnats: either in ignorance they stumble at it, like those who stumble at the stone of stumbling laid in Zion; or they know it, and fight and murmur continually for this reason, that it is truly the exact verdict against their heresy. For it is not the words that grieve them, but the condemnation of them pronounced in it. Of this, again, they themselves were the cause; and even if they wish to hide it, though they know it, it is fitting for us to tell it, so that from this too the exactness, joined with truth, of the great council may be shown. When the bishops who had come together wished to remove the expressions of impiety invented by the Arians (“from nothing,” and calling the Son a creature and a thing made, and “there was once when he was not,” and that he is of changeable nature), and to write the acknowledged words of the Scriptures, that the Word is by nature only-begotten from God, the power, the only wisdom of the Father, true God, as John said, and, as Paul wrote, radiance of the glory and exact imprint of the Father's hypostasis, Eusebius and his party, drawn by their own heterodoxy, said to one another, “Let us agree; for we too are from God; for ‘there is one God, from whom are all things,’ and ‘the old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new,’ and ‘all things are from God.’” They also took into account what is written in the Shepherd: “First of all believe that God is one, who created and set in order all things, and made them out of what was not into being.” But the bishops, seeing their craft and the evil art of their impiety, expressed “from God” more plainly, and wrote that the Son is from the essence of God; so that the creatures, because they are not from themselves without a cause but have a beginning of coming into being, might be said to be from God, but the Son alone proper to the Father's essence; for this is proper to an only-begotten and true Word in relation to the Father. This is the reason why “from the essence” was written. Again, when the bishops asked those few who seemed to dissent whether they would say that the Son is not a creature but the power, the only wisdom of the Father, and eternal image, in every respect unvarying from the Father, and true God, Eusebius and his party were caught signaling to one another that these things too apply to us: “For we too are called image and glory of God; and of us it is said, ‘For we who live are always …’; and there are many powers: ‘And all the power of the Lord went out from the land of Egypt’; and the caterpillar and the locust are called a great power; and, ‘The Lord of powers is with us; the God of Jacob is our helper.’ For we hold that we are God's own, and not simply so, but in that he has even called us brothers. And if they say that the Son is true God, it does not grieve us; for having come into being, he is true.” [6] Such was the corrupt mind of the Arians. But here too the bishops, seeing their deceit, gathered from the Scriptures the radiance, the fountain and the river, the imprint in relation to the hypostasis, and “In your light we shall see light,” and “I and the Father are one.” And then they wrote more plainly and briefly that the Son is of the same essence with the Father; for all that was said before has this meaning. And their murmuring, that the expressions are unscriptural, is shown by themselves to be vain, since they were impious with unscriptural expressions (for “from nothing” and “there was once when he was not” are unscriptural), and yet complain that they were condemned by unscriptural expressions piously understood. They indeed, as from a dunghill, truly spoke from the earth; but the bishops, not having invented the expressions for themselves, but having the testimony from the Fathers, wrote as they did. For ancient bishops, about a hundred and thirty years before, of great Rome and of our city, wrote blaming those who called the Son a thing made and not of the same essence with the Father. And Eusebius, who became bishop of Caesarea, knew this: having at first run with the Arian heresy, but afterwards signed at the very council of Nicaea, he wrote to his own people assuring them that “we know that some of the ancients too, learned and distinguished bishops and writers, used the term homoousios with regard to the Godhead of the Father and the Son.”

### Scripture references

- Rom 9:33: allusion, high confidence
- Isa 28:16: allusion, medium confidence
- 1 Cor 1:24: allusion, high confidence
- 1 John 5:20: allusion, high confidence
- Heb 1:3: allusion, high confidence
- 1 Cor 8:6: quotation, high confidence
- 2 Cor 5:17: quotation, high confidence
- 2 Cor 5:18: quotation, high confidence
- 1 Cor 11:7: allusion, high confidence
- 2 Cor 4:11: quotation, high confidence
- Exod 12:41: quotation, high confidence
- Joel 2:25: allusion, high confidence
- Ps 46:7 (45:8 LXX): quotation, high confidence
- Heb 2:11: allusion, medium confidence
- Ps 36:9 (35:10 LXX): quotation, high confidence
- John 10:30: quotation, high confidence
- Ps 113:7: echo, low confidence

### Extrabiblical texts

- Herm. Mand. 1.1 (Shepherd of Hermas: Mandates): quotation, high confidence

### Translation notes

- This staged section contains chapters 5 and 6: the numeral of chapter 6 is lost in the scan; “[6]” marks where it begins. “We hold that we are God's own” renders a garbled phrase of the OCR (“Ἀλλὰ τὸ (Stilicho: εἶναι τοῦ Θεοῦ ἔχομεν”) by sense. The same account is given in On the Decrees of Nicaea 19–20. ὁμοούσιος “of the same essence” (homoousios). “The stone of stumbling laid in Zion”: Rom 9:33 (Isa 28:16). “There is one God, from whom are all things”: 1 Cor 8:6; “the old things have passed away …”: 2 Cor 5:17; “all things are from God”: 2 Cor 5:18. The Shepherd: Hermas, Mandate 1.1. “Image and glory of God”: 1 Cor 11:7. “We who live are always …”: 2 Cor 4:11. “All the power of the Lord went out …”: Exod 12:41. The caterpillar and locust: Joel 2:25. “The Lord of powers is with us …”: Ps 46:7 (LXX 45:8). Brothers: Heb 2:11. “In your light …”: Ps 36:9 (LXX 35:10). “I and the Father are one”: John 10:30. “From a dunghill”: an echo of Ps 113:7. The ancient bishops of Rome and Alexandria: Dionysius of Rome and Dionysius of Alexandria (ca. 260). Eusebius's letter to his church at Caesarea after Nicaea is preserved by Athanasius at the end of On the Decrees. Several garbled words in the OCR are translated by sense.

### Citation (SBL)

Athanasius, Ep. Afr. 5 (PG 26:1036d–1040d; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-epistula-afros/1/#p-5).

## Letter to the Africans 7

- URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-epistula-afros/1/#p-7
- Source: PG 26:1040d–1041b
- Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-12

Summary: The bishops argue that the Son's oneness with the Father cannot be a likeness of virtue and will, as the Arians say, for that belongs to changeable creatures, but must be a likeness of essence.

### Greek text

Τί οὖν ἔτι τήν Ἀρίμηνον ὀνομάζουσιν, ἐν ᾗ-καθῃρὲθησαν ; Τί παραιτοῦνται τὴν ἐν Νικαίᾳ σύνοδον, ἐν καὶ οἱ Πατὲρες αὐτῶν ὑπέγραψαν-, καὶ ὡμοΛόγησαν ἐκ τῆς οὐσίας καὶ ὁμοούσιον εἶναι τὸν Υἱὸν τῷ Πατρί ; τί περιτρέχουσιν ; οὐ γὰρ πρὸς μόνους τοὺς ἐν Νικαίᾳ ἐπισκόπους συνελθόντας, ἀλλὰ γὰρ καὶ πρὸς τοὺς ἑαυτῶν μεγάλους ἇπισκόπους, καὶ πρὸς τοὺς ἰδίους λοιπὸν μάχονται. Τίνων οὖν εἶσι ληρονόμοι καὶ διάδοχοι ;πῶς δύνανται λέγειν Πατέρας τούτους, ῶν οὐκ ἀποδέχονται τὴν ὁμολογίαι τὴν καλῶς καὶ ἀποστολικῶς γραφεῖναν; Ἐπεὶ, εἲ νομίζουσιν ἀντιλέγειν δύνασθαι, εʼίπάτωσιρν, μᾶλλον δὲ ἀποκρινάσθωσαν, *ίνα καὶ ἑαυτοῖς περιπίπτοντες ἕλεγχθῶσιν, εί πιστεύουσι λέγοντι τῷ Υἱῷ· Ἐγὼ καὶ ἁ Πατὴρ ἓν ἐσμεν· καὶ, Ὀ ἑωρακὼς ἐμὲ ἑώρακε τὸν Πατέρας Ναί, εἷʼποιεν ἂν, ἐπειδὴ γέγραπται, πιστεύομεν, Ἀλλὰ καὶ Πῶς ἓν εἶσι, καὶ πῶς 6 ἓωρακὼς τὸν Υἱὸν ἑώρακε καὶ τὸν Πατέρα, ἐὰν έρωτηθῶσιν εἵπεῖν, πάντως που φήσουσι, Διʼ ὁμοιότητα · εἷ μὴ τέλεον συμπεπτώκασι τοῖς ἀδελφὰ φρονοῦσιν αὐτοῖς, καὶ λεγομένοις ’Λνομοίοις. Ἀλλʼ ἐὰν πάλιν ἔρωτηθῶσι, Πῶς ὅμοιος ; ἀποθρασυνόμενοι φήσουσιν ’ ’Δρετῇ τελείᾳ καὶ συμφωνίᾳ τὸ αὑτὸ θέλειν τῷ Πατρὶ, καὶ μή θέλειν ὅπερ 6 Πατὴρ οὐ θέλει. ’.ἧλλᾶ μαθέτωσανβτι ἕξ ἀρετῆς καὶ τοῦ θέλειν ὁμοιο ούμενος τῷ Θεῷ, ἔχει μὶν καὶ τοῦ τρέπεσθαι τήν προαίρεσιν · οὐκ ἔστι δὶ οὕτως ὁ Λόγος, εἰ μή ἄρα ἐκ μέρους καὶ καθʼ ἡμᾶς ὅμοιος, ὅτι μὴ καὶ κατʼ οὗ· σίαν ὅμοιός ἐστι. Ταῦτα δὲ ἷδια ἡμῶν τῶν γενητῶν καὶ κτιστὴν ἑχόντων τὴν φύσιν. Καὶ γὰρ καὶ ἡμεῖς, καίτοι μὴ δυνάμενοι ὅμοιοι κατʼ οὐσίαν τον Θεοῦ γενέσθοὶί, ὅμως, ἐξ ἀρετῆς βελτιούμενοι, μιμούμεθα τὸν Θεὸν, χαρισαμένου καὶ τοῦτο τοῦ Κυρίου, καὶ λέγοντος ' Γίνεσθε οἰκτίρμονες, ὡς 6' Πατὴρ ὑμῶν οῗκτίρμων ἔστί. Γίνεσθε τέλειοι, ὡς 6,Πατὴρ ὑμῶν 6 οὐράνιος τέλειός ἔστι. Τρεπτὰ δὲ τὰ γενητὰ. οὐκ ἄν τις ἀρνήσαιτο, ἀγγέλων μὶν παραβάντων, τοῦ δέ ’Δδὰμ παρακούσαντος, καὶ πάντων δεομένων τῆς τοῦ Λόγου χάριτος. Τρεπτὸν δὲ ἀτρέπτου ὄντος τοῦ Θεοῦ οὐκ ἄν εἷή ὅμοιον ὥσπερ οὗδὶ τὸ κτισθὲν τοῦ κτίσαντος. Δίά τοῦτο περῖ μέν ἡμῶν σκοπῶν ὁ ἅγιος ἔλεγεν · Ὁ Θεὸς, τίς ὁμοιωθήσεται σοι; καὶ, Τίς ὅμοιός σοι ἐν θεοῖς, Κύριε; θεοὺς λέγων, τοὺς κτισθέντας μέν, μετόχους δὲ γενομένους τοῦ Λόγου, ὡς αὐτὸς εἶπεν Εί ἑκείνους θεοὺς εἶπε, πρὸς οὓς 6 Λόγος τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐγένετο. Τὰ δὲ μετέχοντα οὐκ ἂν εἴη τὰ αὐτᾶ οὐδὲ ὅμοια τοῦ μετεχομένου. Περὶ ἑαυτοῦ γοῦν ἔλεγενο Ἐγὼ καὶ 6 Πατήρ ἓν ἐσμεν, ὠς τῶν γενητῶν μὴ ὅντων οὕτωςʼ Ἐπεὶ ἆποκρίνάσθωσαν οἱ τήν Ἀρίμηνον προτείνοντες, εἶ κτιστή οὐσία δύναται εἰπεῖν "A βλέπω τὸν Πατέρα ποιοῦντα, ταῦτα κάγὼ ποιῶ. Ποιούμενα γὰρ ἐστι τὰ γενητὰ, καὶ οὗ ποιοῦντα ο εἷ δὲ μή γε, καί ἑαυτὰ ἐποίησαν. Ἀμέλει εἷʼ, ὡς λέγουσι, κτίσμα ἐστὶν ὁ Υἱὸς, καὶ ποιεῖ αὐτὸν 6 Πατὴρ, πάντως ἂν ἐποίησε καὶ έαυτὸν 6 Υἱὸς, δυνάμενος ποιεῖν ἃ ποιεῖ 6 Πατὴρ, ὡς εἶπεν αὐτός ’ ἀλλʼ ἄτοπον καὶ λίαν ἀσύστατόν ἐστι τὸ τοιοῦτον ° ποιεῖν γὰρ ἑαυτὸν οὐδεὶς δύναται.

### English translation (Claude)

Why then do they still name Ariminum, at which they were deposed? Why do they reject the council at Nicaea, at which their own Fathers signed and confessed that the Son is from the essence and of the same essence with the Father? Why do they run about? For they are fighting not only against the bishops who met at Nicaea, but also against their own great bishops, and indeed against their own people. Whose heirs and successors, then, are they? How can they call these men Fathers, whose confession, written well and apostolically, they do not accept? For if they think they can contradict it, let them speak, or rather let them answer, so that, falling foul of themselves, they may be refuted: whether they believe the Son when he says, “I and the Father are one,” and, “He who has seen me has seen the Father.” “Yes,” they would say, “since it is written, we believe.” But if they are asked to say how they are one, and how he who has seen the Son has seen the Father too, they will surely say, “By likeness,” unless they have fallen in completely with those who think like them, the so-called Anomoeans. But if they are asked again, “How is he like?”, they will boldly say, “By perfect virtue and agreement, in willing the same as the Father and not willing what the Father does not will.” But let them learn that one who is made like God by virtue and by will also has the choice to change; but the Word is not so, unless indeed he is like only in part and as we are, because he is not like in essence. These things are proper to us, who are originate and have a created nature. For we too, though we cannot become like God in essence, nevertheless, improving by virtue, imitate God, the Lord granting us this too and saying, “Be merciful, as your Father is merciful,” “Be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” That originate things are changeable no one would deny, since angels transgressed and Adam disobeyed, and all need the grace of the Word. But what is changeable would not be like God, who is unchangeable, just as what is created is not like the creator. This is why the holy one, considering us, said, “O God, who shall be likened to you?” and, “Who is like you among the gods, O Lord?”, calling gods those who were created but became partakers of the Word, as he himself said, “If he called them gods to whom the word of God came.” And things that partake would not be the same as, or like, what is partaken of. Of himself, then, he said, “I and the Father are one,” since originate things are not so. For let those who put forward Ariminum answer whether a created essence can say, “What I see the Father doing, these things I also do.” For originate things are made, not makers; otherwise they would have made themselves too. Indeed, if, as they say, the Son is a creature and the Father makes him, the Son would surely have made himself too, being able to do what the Father does, as he himself said; but such a thing is absurd and quite incoherent; for no one can make himself.

### Scripture references

- John 10:30: quotation, high confidence
- John 14:9: quotation, high confidence
- Luke 6:36: quotation, high confidence
- Matt 5:48: quotation, high confidence
- Ps 83:1 (82:2 LXX): quotation, high confidence
- Exod 15:11: quotation, high confidence
- Ps 86:8: quotation, medium confidence
- John 10:35: quotation, high confidence
- John 5:19: quotation, high confidence

### Translation notes

- The Anomoeans held the Son to be unlike the Father. “I and the Father are one”: John 10:30; “He who has seen me …”: John 14:9. “Be merciful …”: Luke 6:36; “Be perfect …”: Matt 5:48. “O God, who shall be likened to you?”: Ps 83:1 (LXX 82:2). “Who is like you among the gods, O Lord?”: Exod 15:11 (Ps 86:8). “If he called them gods …”: John 10:35. “What I see the Father doing …”: John 5:19. γενητά “originate things”.

### Citation (SBL)

Athanasius, Ep. Afr. 7 (PG 26:1040d–1041b; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-epistula-afros/1/#p-7).

## Letter to the Africans 8

- URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-epistula-afros/1/#p-8
- Source: PG 26:1041b–1044c
- Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-12

Summary: The bishops argue that the Son has all that the Father has by essence, not by virtue, since God is simple and without qualities, and that he is therefore of the same essence with the Father.

### Greek text

Πάλιν δὲ εἰπάτωσαν, εἷ δύναται τὰ γενητὰ εἰπεῖν· Πάντα, ὅσα ἔχει ὁ Πατὴρ, ἐμά ἐστιν; Ἑχει δὶ τὸ τὸ κτίζειν, τὸ δημιουργεῖν, τὸ ἇΐδιον, τὸ εἶναι παντοκράτωρ, τὸ ἄτρεπτον. Τὰ δὲ γενητὰ οὐ δύναται ἔχειν τὸ δημιουργιῖν · κτιστὰ γάρ ἔστιν · οὐδὲ τὸ ἀίδιον ο ἀργὴν γὰρ ἔχει τοῦ εἶναι ο οὐδέ τὸ παντοκράτωρ καὶ ἄτρεπτον· κρατούμενα γὰρ καὶ τρεπτῆς φύσεώς ἐστιν, ὥσπερ αἱ Γραφαὶ λέγουσιν. Οὐκοῦν εἷ ταῦτα τοῦ Υἱοῦ ἐστιν, οὐκ ἐξ ἀρετῆς, ὡς εἷʼπομεν, ἀλλὰ τῆς οὐσίας αὐτοῦ ιστι δηλονότι, ὡς εἶπεν ἡ σύνοδος οὐκ ἐξ ἄλλης οὐσίας ἐστὶν, ἀλλᾶ τῆς τοῦ Πατρὸς, ἧς ἐστι καὶ ταῦτα ἴδια τὸ δὲ τῆς τοῦ Πατρὸς οὐσίας ἴδιον, καὶ ἐξ αὐτῆς γέννημα, τί ἂν εἷή, ἢ πῶς ἄν τις ἀνομάσειεν αὐτὸ, ἢ ὁμοεύσιον; ἃ γὰρ βλέπει τις ἐν τῷ Πατρὶ, ταῦτα βλέπει καὶ έν τῷ Υἱῷ · Υὶῷ δὲ οὐκ ἐκ μετουσίας, ἀλλὰ κατʼ οὐσίαν. Καὶ τοῦτό ἐστὶν ’ Ἐγὼ καὶ 6 Πατὴρ ἓν ἔσμεν, καὶ Ο έμὶ ἑωρακὼς ἑώρακε τὸν Πατέρα. Ἄλλως τε καὶ ἐκ τούτου πάλιν καλὸν δεικύναι τὴν ἀφροσύνην αὐτῶν ο εἴ ἐξ ἀρετῆς ἕπεται τὸ θέλειν καὶ τὸ μὴ θέλειν, καὶ τρόπων βελτίωσις, ὅμοιος καθʼ ὑμᾶς 6 Υἱός ἔστι τῷ Πατρί· ταῦτα δὲ ποιότητος ἴδια δηλονότι σύνθετον τὸν Θεὸν,έκ ποιότητος καὶ ουσίας λέγετε, Καὶ τὶς ὑμῶν ἀνέξεται ταῦτα λεγόντων · οὐ γὰρ σύνθεροςὸ Θεὸς 6 τὰ πάντα εἰς τὸ είναισυντεθεικὼς, οὐδὲ τοιοῦτος, οἷά ἐστι τὰ παρʼ αὐτοῦ διὰ τοῦ Λόγου γενόμενα, μὴ γενοιτοί Ἀπλῆ γάρ ἐστιν οὐσία, ἐν οὐκ ἔνι ποιότης, οὐδὲ, ὡς εἶπεν 6 Ἰάκωβος, Παραλλαγή τις ἢ τροπῆς ἀποσκίασμα. Οὐκοῦν εί δείκνυται οὐκ ἐξ ἀρετῆς · οὐ γὰρ ’ποιότης ἐν τῷ Θεῷ, οὐτε έν τῷ ιʼἱῷ · δηλονότι τῆς οὐσίας ἴδιος ἂν εἷή · καὶ τοῦτο πάντως ὁμολογήσετε, εί μὴ τέλεον τὸ νοεῖν ἀπώλετο ἐν ὑμῖν Τὸ δὲ ἴδιον. καὶ ταύτὸν τῇ τοῦ Θεοῦ οὐσίᾳ καὶ ἐξ αὐτῆς γέννημα φύσει τυγχάνον τί ἃν εἴη, ἢ πάλιν καὶ κατὰ τοῦτο ὁμοούσιον τῷ γεννήσαντι ςτοῦτο γὰρ Υἱοῢ πρὸς Πατέρα γνώρισμα. Καὶ 6 μὴ τοῦτο λέγων, οὐ φρονεῖ φύσει καὶ ἀληθῶς ιʼἱὸν εἶναι τὸν Λόγον.

### English translation (Claude)

Again, let them say whether originate things can say, “All that the Father has is mine.” He has creating, fashioning, eternity, being almighty, unchangeableness. But originate things cannot have the power to fashion, for they are created; nor eternity, for they have a beginning of being; nor being almighty and unchangeable, for they are ruled and of changeable nature, as the Scriptures say. If, then, these things belong to the Son, they are plainly not his from virtue, as we said, but from his essence; as the council said, he is not from another essence but from the Father's, to which these things too are proper. And what is proper to the Father's essence and an offspring from it, what would it be, or how would one name it, but of the same essence? For what one sees in the Father, this one sees also in the Son, and in the Son not by participation but in essence. And this is the meaning of “I and the Father are one,” and “He who has seen me has seen the Father.” Besides, it is good to show their folly from this too: if willing and not willing, and improvement of conduct, come from virtue, and according to you the Son is like the Father in this way, and these are properties of quality, then plainly you are saying that God is composite, of quality and essence. And who will bear with you when you say this? For God, who has composed all things into being, is not composite, nor is he such as the things made by him through the Word are; God forbid! For he is a simple essence, in which there is no quality, nor, as James said, “any variation or shadow of turning.” If, then, it is shown that the Son is not like from virtue (for there is no quality in God, nor in the Son), plainly he would be proper to the essence; and this you will certainly confess, unless your understanding has perished entirely. And what is proper to, and the same as, the essence of God, and is by nature an offspring from it, what would it be but, in this respect too, of the same essence with the one who begot it? For this is the distinguishing mark of a Son in relation to a Father. And he who does not say this does not hold that the Word is Son by nature and in truth.

### Scripture references

- John 16:15: quotation, high confidence
- John 10:30: quotation, high confidence
- John 14:9: quotation, high confidence
- Jas 1:17: quotation, high confidence

### Translation notes

- “All that the Father has is mine”: John 16:15. “I and the Father are one”: John 10:30; “He who has seen me …”: John 14:9. “Any variation or shadow of turning”: Jas 1:17. The OCR reads “ὅμοιος καθʼ ὑμᾶς” (“according to you”), addressing the Arians directly.

### Citation (SBL)

Athanasius, Ep. Afr. 8 (PG 26:1041b–1044c; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-epistula-afros/1/#p-8).

## Letter to the Africans 9

- URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-epistula-afros/1/#p-9
- Source: PG 26:1044d–1048b
- Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-12

Summary: The bishops explain that “of the same essence” means what the Nicene anathemas mean, that the Son is no creature, and urge the Africans to reject every council but Nicaea.

### Greek text

Οὕτω νοήσαντες οἳ Πατέρες, ἔγραψαν ὁμοούσιον εἶνα τὰν Υἱὸν τῷ Πατρὶ, καὶ ἀνεθεμάτισαν τοὺς λέγοντας ἐξ ἑτέρας ὑποστάσεως εἷναι τὸν Υἱὸν ο οὐχ ἑαυτοῖς πλασάμενοι λέξεις, ἀλλὰ καὶ αὐτοῖ ἀπὸ τῶν πρὸ αὐτῶν Πατέρων μαθόντες, καθάπερ εἴπομεν. Τούτων δὲ οὕτω δεικνυμένων, περιττή αὐτῶν ἡ Ἀρίμηνος, περιττὴ καὶ ἡ ἄλλη παρʼ αὐτῶν ὀνομαζομένη περὶ πίστεως σύνοδος. ’Λρκεῖ γὰρ ἡ ἐν Νικαίᾳ τύμφωνος οὖσα καὶ τοῖς ἀρχαίοις ἐπισκοποις, ἐνῇ καὶ οἱ Πατέρες αὐτῶν ὑπέγραψαν, οὓς αἷδεῖσνθαι τούτους ἔπρεπεν, τίνα μή πάντα μᾶλλον ἢ Χριστιανοὶ νομισθῶσιν. Εἰ δὲ καὶ μετὰ τοσαῦτα, μετὰ καὶ τήν μαρτυρίαν τῶν ἀρχαίων ιπισκόπων, καὶ μετὰ τήν ὑπογραφὴν τῶν ἰδίων Πατέρων, προσποιοῦνται, ὡς ἀγνοοῦντες, τὴν λέξιν φοβεῖσθαι, τοῦ ὁμοουσίου, εἶπάτωσαν καὶ φρονείτωσαν ἁπλούστερον μὶν καὶ άληθῶς τὸν Υἱὸν φύσει Υἱὸν, ἀναθεματισάτωσαν δὲ, ὡς παρήγγειλεν ἡ σύνοδος, τοὺς λέγοντας κτίσμα, ἢ ποίημα, ἢ ἐξ οὐκ ὅντων, ἢ, Ἦν ποτε ὅτε οὐκ ἦν 6 Υἱὸς τοῦ Θεοῦ· καί ὅτι τρεπτὸς καὶ ἀλλοίωτός ἐστι, καὶ ἐξ ἑτέρας ὑποστάσεως· καὶ οὕτω φευγέτωσαν ἀπὸ τῆς ’Δρειανῆς αἱρέσεως· καὶ θαρροῦμεν, ὅτι γνησίως ταῦτα άναθεματίζοντες ὁμολογοῦσιν εὐθὺς, ἐκ τῆς οὐσίας καὶ ὁμοούσιον εἶναι τὸν Υἱὸν τῷ Πατρί. Διὰ τοῦτο γάρ καὶ οἱ Πατέρες, εἰρηκότες ὁμοούσιον εἶναι τὸν Υἱὸν, ἐπήγαγον εὐθύς· Τοὺς δὲ,λέγοντας κτίσμα, ἢ ποίημα, ἢ ἐξ οὐκ ὄντων, ἢ, Ἦν ποτε, ὅτε οὐκ ἦν, ἀναθεματίζει ἠ Καθολική Ἐκκλησία· τίνα διὰ τούτων γνωρίσωσιν, ὅτι ταῦτα σημαίνει τὸ ὁμοοὐσιον. Καὶ ἡ τοῦ ὁμοουσίου δύναμις γινώσκεται ἐκ τοῦ μὴ εἶναι κτίσμα ἢ ποίημα τὸν Υἱόν· καὶ ὅτι 6 λέγων ὁμοούσιον οὐ φρονεῖ κτίσμα εἶναι τόν Λόγον· καὶ 6 ἀναθεματίζων τά προειρημένα ὁμοούσιον ἅμα φρονεῖ εἶναι τὸν Υἱὸν τῳ Πὰτρί· καὶ ·ὁ ὁμοούσιον λέο γων γνήσιον καὶ ἀληθινὸν λέγει τὸν Υἱὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ. Καὶ 6 Γνήσιον λέγων νοεῖ τό· Ἐγὼ καὶ 6 Πατὴρ ’ἐν ἐσμεν· καὶ, Ὁ ἑωρακὼς ἐμὲ ἑώρακε τὸν Πατέρα. μενοι σώζεσθαι, παρακαλοῦμεν μὴ ἀνέχεσθαι, καθὰ προείπομεν, τῶν προβαλλομένων ὄχλον συνόδων προφάσει πίστεως, τὴν ἐν Ἀριμήνῳ, τὴν ἐν Σιρμῖῳ, τήν ἐν τῇ Ἰσαυρίᾳ,τὴν ἰν τῇ Θρᾴκῃ, τὰς ἔν Κωνσταντινουπόλει, τὰς ἐν ’Δντιοχείᾳ πολλὰς καὶ ἀτάκτους. Ἀλλὰ μόνον κρατείτω ἐν ὑμῖν ἡ ἐν Νικαίᾳ παρὰ τῶν Πατέρων ὁμολογηθεῖσα πίστιςʼ ἐν καὶ πάντες καὶ τῶν νῦν μαχομένων πρὸς αὐτὴν παρῆσαν Ιίατὲρες, καθᾶ προείπομεν, καὶ ὑπέγραψαν· ’ίνα καὶ περὶ ἡμῶν ὁ Ἀπόστολος εἷʼπῃ· Ἐπαινῶ δὲ ὑμᾶς, ὅτι πάντα μου μέμνησθε, καὶ καθὼς παρέδωκα ὑμῖν τὰς παραδόσεις, οὕτω πατὲχετε.

### English translation (Claude)

So understanding, the Fathers wrote that the Son is of the same essence with the Father, and anathematized those who say that the Son is from another hypostasis; not fashioning expressions for themselves, but having themselves learned from the Fathers before them, as we said. Since this has been shown, their Ariminum is superfluous, and superfluous too is the other council about the faith that they name. For the council at Nicaea is sufficient, being in agreement also with the ancient bishops, and at it their own Fathers also signed, whom these men ought to respect, lest they be thought to be anything rather than Christians. But if, even after so much, after the testimony of the ancient bishops and after the signature of their own Fathers, they pretend, as if ignorant, to fear the term homoousios, let them say and hold more simply that the Son is truly Son by nature, and let them anathematize, as the council commanded, those who say that the Son of God is a creature, or a thing made, or from nothing, or that “there was once when he was not,” and that he is changeable and alterable, and from another hypostasis; and so let them flee from the Arian heresy. And we are confident that, if they genuinely anathematize these things, they at once confess that the Son is from the essence and of the same essence with the Father. For this is why the Fathers too, having said that the Son is of the same essence, added at once: “But those who say he is a creature, or a thing made, or from nothing, or ‘there was once when he was not,’ the catholic Church anathematizes,” so that through this they might make known that this is what “of the same essence” signifies. And the force of “of the same essence” is known from the fact that the Son is not a creature or a thing made; and he who says “of the same essence” does not think the Word a creature; and he who anathematizes what was said above at the same time thinks that the Son is of the same essence with the Father; and he who says “of the same essence” calls the Son of God genuine and true; and he who says “genuine” understands, “I and the Father are one,” and, “He who has seen me has seen the Father.” [10] … praying that it may be preserved, we exhort you not to tolerate, as we said before, those who put forward a crowd of councils on the pretext of the faith: that at Ariminum, that at Sirmium, that in Isauria, that in Thrace, those at Constantinople, those at Antioch, many and disorderly. But let only the faith confessed by the Fathers at Nicaea prevail among you, at which all were present, even the Fathers of those who now fight against it, as we said before, and signed; so that the Apostle may say of us too, “I praise you because you remember me in everything, and hold fast the traditions just as I delivered them to you.”

### Scripture references

- John 10:30: quotation, high confidence
- John 14:9: quotation, high confidence
- 1 Cor 11:2: quotation, high confidence

### Translation notes

- This staged section contains chapters 9 and 10: most of chapter 10 is lost in the scan, which runs on from “has seen the Father” to the end of a sentence about the peace of the Church being preserved (marked [10] …); the lost part dealt with Auxentius of Milan and the letter to Damasus. The anathema quoted is that of the creed of Nicaea (325). The councils named: Ariminum and Sirmium (357–359), Seleucia in Isauria (359), Nike in Thrace (359), Constantinople (360), and the several councils of Antioch. “I and the Father are one”: John 10:30; “He who has seen me …”: John 14:9. “I praise you …”: 1 Cor 11:2.

### Citation (SBL)

Athanasius, Ep. Afr. 9 (PG 26:1044d–1048b; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-epistula-afros/1/#p-9).

## Letter to the Africans 11

- URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-epistula-afros/1/#p-11
- Source: PG 26:1048b–1048d
- Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-12

Summary: The bishops close by noting that the Nicene creed also confesses the Holy Spirit, so that the faith is in the holy Trinity, into which Christians are baptized.

### Greek text

Αὕτη γὰρ ἡ ἐν Νικαίᾳ σύνοδος, ἀληθῶς στηλογραφία κατᾶ πάσης αἱρέσεώς ἐστιν. Αὕτη καὶ τοὺς βλασφημοῦντας είς τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον, καὶ λέγοντας αὐτὸ κτίσμα, ἀνατρεπει. Είρηκότες γὰρ οἱ Πατὲρες περὶ τῆς εἷς τὸν mw πίστεως, ἐπήγαγον εὐθύς* Πιστεύομεν καὶ εἷς τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον, ἵνα, τελείαν καὶ πλήρη τήν εἰς τὴν ἁγίαν Τριάδα πίστιν ὁμολογήσαντες, τὸν χαρακτῆρα τῆς ἐν Χριστῷ πίστεως, καὶ τήν διδασκαλίαν τῆς Καθολικῆς Ἐκκλησίας ἐν τούτῳ γνωρίσωσι. Δῆλον γὰρ καὶ παρʼ ὑμῖν καὶ παρὰ πᾶσι καθέστηκε· καὶ οὐδεὶς ἂν Χριστιανῶν ἆμφίβολον εἷς τοῦτο σχοίη τὴν διάνοιαν, ὡς οὐκ ἔστιν ἡμῶν ἡ πίστις εἷς τήν κτίσιν, ἀλλʼ εἷς ἕνα Θεὸν Πατέρα παντοκράτορα, πάντων ὁρατῶν τε καί ἀοράτων ποιητήν· καὶ εἰς ἕνα Κύριον Ἰησοῦν Χριστὸν, τόν ne» αὑτοῦ τὸν μονογενῆ καὶ εἰς ’ὲν Πνεῦμα ἅγιον· ἕνα Θεὸν τὸν ἰν τῇ ἁγίᾳ καὶ τελείᾳ Τριάδι γινωσκόο μενον· εἷς ἣν καὶ βαπτιζόμενοι, καὶ ἐν ταύτῃ συναπτόμεναι τῇ θεότητι, πιστεύομεν κα) κληρονομῆσαι i βασιλείαν οὐρανῶν ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ τῷ Κυρίῳ ἡμῶν, … Ἀμήν. Ἐρρῶσθαι ὑμᾶς καὶ μνημονεύειν ἡμῶν ἐν Κυρίῳ εὔχομαι, ἀγαπητοὶ καὶ ποθεινότατοι.

### English translation (Claude)

For this council at Nicaea is truly a monument inscribed against every heresy. It also overthrows those who blaspheme against the Holy Spirit and call him a creature. For the Fathers, having spoken of faith in the Son, added at once, “We believe also in the Holy Spirit,” so that, having confessed the faith in the holy Trinity perfect and complete, they might make known in this the character of faith in Christ and the teaching of the catholic Church. For it is plain both to you and to all, and no Christian would be of doubtful mind on this, that our faith is not in the creation, but in one God, the Father almighty, maker of all things visible and invisible; and in one Lord Jesus Christ, his only-begotten Son; and in one Holy Spirit: one God known in the holy and perfect Trinity; into whom we are baptized, and, being joined in it to the Godhead, we believe that we shall also inherit the kingdom of heaven in Christ Jesus our Lord, … Amen. I pray for your health and that you remember us in the Lord, beloved and most longed-for.

### Translation notes

- “We believe also in the Holy Spirit”: the last article of the creed of Nicaea (325). The doxology before “Amen” is garbled in the scan (marked …), and the end of the page is OCR junk with two damaged copies of the closing greeting; the junk was removed by a logged correction and the greeting kept once.

### Citation (SBL)

Athanasius, Ep. Afr. 11 (PG 26:1048b–1048d; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-epistula-afros/1/#p-11).