# Encyclical Letter - Author: [Athanasius of Alexandria](https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/authors/athanasius/) - Latin title: *Epistula encyclica* - Date: ca. 339 (approximate) - Source: J.-P. Migne, ed., Patrologiae cursus completus, Series Graeca 25 (Paris: Migne, 1857), Epistula encyclica (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-encyclica/ - Passages: 7 ## Encyclical Letter 1 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-epistula-encyclica/1/#p-1 - Source: PG 25:221d–225b - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-12 Summary: Athanasius compares the outrage done to the Church of Alexandria with the outrage of the Levite's concubine in Judges and calls on all bishops to be moved to act. ### Greek text Ἀ μὲν πεπόνθαμεν, δεινὰ καὶ ἀφόρητα ἐστι, καὶ tine ἐστιν ἐπαξίως αὐτῶν μνημονεῦσαι · ἵνα δὲ ταχύτερον τὸ δεινὸν τῶν συμβεβηκότων γνωσθῆνιι δυνηθῇ, καλὸν ἡγησάμην ἱστορίας ἀπὸ τῶν Γραφῶν μνημονεῦσαι· Ἀνήρ ποτε Λευῖτης, ἀδικηθεὶς εἰς τὴν γυναῖκα, καὶ τὴν ὑπερβολὴν τοῦ μύσους ἑωρακώς (Ἐβραία γὰρ ἦν ὴ γυνὴ, καὶ ἐκ τῆς Ἰούδα φυλῆς ἐτύγχανε )” καὶ καταπλαγεὶς ἐπὶ τοῖς τολμηθεῖσιν εἰς «om παρανομήμασιν ὼς ἡ θεία τῶν Κριτῶν διαγορεύει Γραφὴ, διελὼν τὴν γυναῖκα ἀπέστειλε κατὰ πᾶσαν φυλὴν τοῦ Ἰσραήλ· ἵνα μὴ είς αὐτὴν μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ εἰς πάντας κοινὸν τὸ τοιοῦτον ἀδίκημα πιστευοᾖ” καὶ τʼνα, ἐὰν μὲν συμπαθῶς σιν, ἐκδικήσωσινο ἐὰν δὲ παρίδωσιν, ὡς αὐτοὶ λοιπον ἀδικήσαντες αἰσχυνθῶσι. Καὶ of μὲν ἀποσταλέντες τὸ γεγονὸς ἀπήγγελλον· οἱ δὲ, ἀκούοντες καὶ ὁρῶντες, ἔλεγον μηδέποτε τὰ τοιαὶτα γεγενῆσθαι, ἀφʼ ἧς ἡμέρας ἀνέβησαν οἱ υἱοὶ Ἰσραὴλ ἐξ Αἰγύπτου. Πᾶσα γοῦν φυλὴ τοῦ Ἰσραὴλ κεκίνηται, καὶ πάντες ὡς αὐτοὶ παθόντες κατὰ τῶν πλημμελησὰντων συνῆλθον· καὶ τέλος.κατεπολεμήοησαν οἱ τὰ παράνομα δράσαντες, κα). ἀνάθεμα παρὰ πάντων γε· γόνασιν. Οὐ γὰρ εἰς τὴν συγγένειαν οἱ συνελθόντες ἐσκόπουν, ἀλλʼ είς τὸ πλημμεληθδν ἀπέβλεπον. Οἴδατε τὴν ἱστορίαν, ἀδελφοὶ, κα). τὰ ἑκ τῆς Γ ραφῆς ἀκριβῶς περὶ ταύτης σημαινόμενα· ἐπεξεργάσασθαι γὰρ πλείονα περὶ αὐτῆς οὐ βούλομαι, πρὸς εἰδότας γράφων, καὶ ἐπειγόμενος τὰ νῦν ἐκείνων πλείονα σημᾶναι τῇ ὑμετέρᾳ εὐλαβείᾳ. Διὰ τοῦτο γὰρ καὶ τῆς ἱστορίας ταύτης ἐμνήσθην, ἵνα, τὰ τότε τοῖς νῦν γινομένοις συμβαλόντες, καὶ γνόντες, ὡς ταῦτα νενίκηκε τὴν ἐκείνων ὠμότητα, πλεῖον ὑμεῖς ἀγανακτήσητε ἢ οἱ κατὰ τῶν τότε παρανομησάντων. Καὶ γὰρ καὶ τὰ πικρὰ τῶν διωγμῶν τὰ γενόμενα καθʼ ἡμῶν ὑπερβέβηκε· καὶ μικρὰ ἡ τοῦ Λευῖτου συμφορὰ πρὸς τὰ νῦν κατὰ τῆς Ἐκκλησίας τολμηθέντα· καὶ μᾶλλον ταῦτα οὔτε ἠκούσθη ποτὲ ὲντῇ οἰκουμένῃ, οὕτε τοιούτων τις πεπείραται κακῶν. Τότε μὲν γὰρ γυνὴ μία ἦν ἡ ἀδικηθεῖσα, καὶ εἷς Λευττης ὸ τὴν βίαν παθών · νῦν δὲ ὅλη ἡ Ἐκκλησία ὴδικήθη, καὶ τὸ ίερατεῖον ὑβρίσθη, καὶ τό γε μεῖζον, εὐσέβεια ἀπὸ ἀσεὸείας διώκεται· καὶ τότε μὲν μιᾶς γυναικὸς ἑκάστη φυλὴ μέρος ὁρῶσα κατεπλήττετο, ἄρτι δὲ ὅλης Ἐκκλησίας ὁρᾶται μέλη διηρημένν καὶ τοὺς μὲν πρὸς ὑμᾶς, τοὺς δὲ πρὸς ἄλλους ἀποσταλέντας, τὴν ὓβριν καὶ τὴν ἀδικίαν, ῆν πεπόνθασιν, ἀπαγγέλλοντας. Κινήθητε δὴ οὖν καὶ ὑμεῖς παρακαλῶ, μὴ ὡς ἡμῶν μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ὡς ὑμῶν ἀδικηθέντων, κα). ἕκαστος ὡς αὐτὸς παθὼν βοηθησάτω, ἵνα μὴ διʼ ὀλίγου ὲκκληᾶιαστικο). κανόνες, κα). ἡ τῆς ἐκκλησίας πίστις παραφθαρῇ. Κινδυνεύει γὰρ ἀμφότερα, ἐὰν μὴ ταχέως ὀ Θεὸς διʼ ὑμῶν τὰ πλημμεληθέντα διορθώσηται, καὶ ἐκδικίας ἡ Ἐκκλησία τύχῃ. Οὐ γὰρ νῦν κανόνες καὶ τύποι ταῖς Ἐκκλησίαις ἐδόθησαν, ἀλλʼ ἐκ τῶν Πατέρων ἡμῶν καλῶς καὶ βεβαίως παρεδόθησαν · οὐδὲ νῦν ἡ πίστις ἤρξατο, ἀλλʼ ἐκ τοῦ Κυρίου διὰ τῶν μαθητῶν εἷς ἡμᾶς διαβέβηκεν · Ἵνʼ οὗν μὴ τὰ ἐξ ἀρχαιων μέχρις ἡμῶν τηρηθέντα ἐν ταῖς Ἐκκλησίαις ἐν ταῖς νῦν ἡμέραις παραπόληται, καὶ τὰ πιστευθέντα ἡμῖν ζητηθῇ παρʼ ἡμῶν· κινηθητε, ἀδελφοὶ, ὡς οἰκονόμοι μυστηρίων Θεοῦ τυγχάνοντες, καὶ ταῦτα ὑφʼ ἑτέρων ἁρπαζόμενοι θεωροῦντες. Τὰ μὲν οὖν πλείονα παρά τῶν γραμματοφόρων ἀκούσεσθε· συντόμως δὲ κάγὼ σημᾶναι ἠπείχθην, ’ἱνα τῷ ὄντι γνῶτε, ὅτι οὐδέποτε τοιαῦτα γένονε κατά τῆς Ἐκκλησίας ἀφʼ ἧς ἡμέρας ἀναληφθεὶς ὁ Σωτὴρ ἐνετείλατο τοῖς μαθηταῖς λέγων· Πορευθέντες, μαθητεύσατε πάντα τὰ ἔθνη, βαπτίζοντες αὐτοὺς εἷς τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ Πατρὸς, καὶ τοῦ ὶἾοῦ, καὶ τοῦ ἁγίου Πνεύματος. ### English translation (Claude) What we have suffered is terrible and unbearable, and it is not possible to recount it worthily. But so that the dreadfulness of what has happened may be grasped more quickly, I thought it good to recall a story from the Scriptures. A Levite once was wronged in the person of his wife; and seeing the enormity of the abomination (for the woman was a Hebrew, and belonged to the tribe of Judah), and appalled at the lawless deeds dared against her, as the divine Scripture of Judges relates, he divided his wife's body and sent it throughout every tribe of Israel, so that such a wrong might be believed to concern not him alone but all in common; and so that, if they felt with him, they might avenge it, but if they overlooked it, they might be put to shame as being themselves guilty of the wrong from then on. Those who were sent reported what had happened; and those who heard and saw said that such things had never happened since the day the children of Israel came up out of Egypt. So every tribe of Israel was stirred, and all came together against the offenders as though they themselves had suffered; and in the end those who had committed the lawless deeds were defeated in war and became accursed by all. For those who assembled did not look to their kinship, but kept their eyes on the offense. You know the story, brothers, and what Scripture records about it in detail; I do not wish to elaborate on it further, since I am writing to those who know it, and I am eager to make known to your piety what is happening now, which exceeds those things. For this is why I have recalled this story: that comparing what happened then with what is happening now, and recognizing that these things have surpassed the cruelty of those, you may be more indignant than they were against the lawbreakers of that time. For what has been done against us has surpassed even the bitter deeds of the persecutions; and the Levite's calamity is small compared with what has now been dared against the Church; or rather, such things were never heard of in the world, nor has anyone experienced such evils. For then it was one woman who was wronged, and one Levite who suffered violence; but now the whole Church has been wronged, the priesthood insulted, and, what is greater, piety is persecuted by impiety. And then each tribe was appalled at seeing a part of one woman's body; but now the members of the whole Church are seen divided, and sent, some to you and some to others, reporting the outrage and injustice they have suffered. Be moved, then, I beg you, as though not we alone but you also had been wronged, and let each one help as if he himself had suffered, lest in a short time the Church's canons and the Church's faith be corrupted. For both are in danger, unless God swiftly sets right through you what has been done wrong, and the Church obtains redress. For canons and rules were not given to the churches only now, but were handed down well and securely from our fathers; nor did the faith begin only now, but it has come down to us from the Lord through his disciples. So that what has been kept in the churches from ancient times down to us may not perish in these present days, and what has been entrusted to us be required of us, be moved, brothers, since you are stewards of the mysteries of God, and you see these things being seized by others. You will hear more from the bearers of this letter; but I too have hastened to write briefly, so that you may know in truth that such things have never been done against the Church since the day when the Savior, as he was taken up, commanded his disciples, saying, “Go, make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” ### Scripture references - Judg 19:29: allusion, high confidence - Judg 19:30: allusion, high confidence - Judg 20:1: allusion, medium confidence - 1 Cor 4:1: allusion, high confidence - Matt 28:19: quotation, high confidence ### Translation notes - The story of the Levite: Judg 19–20. “Not possible to recount it worthily” renders the OCR's garbled “tine ἐστιν” by sense (probably οὐκ ἔστιν); “εἰς «om” is also garbled (probably εἰς αὐτήν, “against her”). “Stewards of the mysteries of God”: 1 Cor 4:1. The closing command: Matt 28:19. ### Citation (SBL) Athanasius, Ep. enc. 1 (PG 25:221d–225b; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-epistula-encyclica/1/#p-1). ## Encyclical Letter 2 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-epistula-encyclica/1/#p-2 - Source: PG 25:225b–228b - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-12 Summary: Athanasius tells how the prefect announced that Gregory of Cappadocia was coming from the court to replace him, against the canons and the will of the people. ### Greek text Τά μὲν ουν καθʼ ἡμῶν καὶ κατά τῆς Ἐκκλησίας παρανομηθέντα οὕτω γέγονε. Συναγόντων ἡμῶν συνήθως ἐν εἰρήνῃ, τῶν τε λαῶν εὐφραινομένων ἐπὶ ταῖς συνάξεσι, καὶ προκοπτόντων τῇ κατὰ Θεὸν πολιτείᾳ, τῶν τε συλλειτουργῶν τῶν κατʼ Ai!γυπτον, καὶ Θηβαίδα, καὶ Λιβύην, ἀγάπην καὶ έίρήνην ἐχόντων πρὸς ἀλλήλους καὶ πρὸς ἡμᾶς, ἐξαίφνης ὁ ἔπαρχος τῆς Αἰγύπτου γράμματα προτίθησι δημοσίᾳ, διατάγματος ἔχοντα τύπον, ὡς Γρηγορίου τινὸς ἐκ Καππαδοκίας εἰσερχομένου διαδόχου μου ἀπὸ τοῦ κομιτάτου. Καὶ ἡ μὲν τοιαύτη ἀκοὴ τοὺς πάντας ἐτάραξε ’ καινὸν γὰρ ἦν καὶ αρτι πρώτως ἀκουσθέν τὸ τοιοῦτον· οἳ δὲ λαοὶ καὶ μᾶλλον εἷς τὰς ἐκκλησίας συνήρχοντο· ὅτι μαλιστα συνεώρων μήτε ἑαυτοὺς, μήτε ἐπίσκοπον, μήτε πρεσβύτερον, μήτε ὅλως τινὰς μεμψαμένους ἡμᾶς ποτε. Μόνους δὲ ’Λρειανοὺς ἑώρων σὺν αύτῷ, καὶ Ἀρειανὸν αὐτὸν ἐπεγίνωσκον ὑπὸ τῶν περὶ Εὐσέβιον τοῖς Ἀρειανοῖς ἀποσταλέντα, Οἴδατε δὲ, ἀδελφοὶ, ἀεὶ τοὺς περὶ Εύσέβιον προστάτας καὶ κοινωνοὺς τῆς ἀσεβοῦς αἱρέσεως τῶν Ἀρειομανιτῶν γενομένους, καὶ διʼ αὐτῶν ἀεὶ ἡμῖν ἐπιβουλεύσαντας, καὶ τῆς εἷς τὰς Γαλλίας ἀποδημίας αἰτίους ἡμῖν γενομένους Διά ταῦτα γὰρ εἰκότως καὶ οἱ λαοὶ ἠγανάκτουν, καὶ κατεβόων, μαρτυρόμενοι τοὺς ἄλλους δικαστὰς καὶ πᾶσαν τὴν πόλιν, ὅτι μηδεμιᾶς μέμψεως ὑπὸ τῶν ἐκκλησιαστικῖυν γενομένης, ἀλλά τῶν αἱρετικῶν Ἀρειανῶν αύτά καθʼ ἡμῶν παιξάντων, καινοτομία τις καὶ παρανομία τοιαύτη κατὰ, τῆς Ἐκκλησίας γεγένηται. Ε γὰρ καὶ ὅλως ἦν τις καθʼ ἡμῶν μέμψις κρατήσασα, ἔδει μὴ Ἀρειανὸν ΗΟ), μηδὲ τῶν τὰ ’Δρείοο φρονούντων, κατὰ δὲ τοὺς ἐκκλησιαστικοὺς κανόνας, καὶ κατὰ τὸ τοῦ Παύλου ῥῆμα, συναχθέντων τῶν λαῶν, καὶ τοῦ Πνεύματος τῶν καθιστανόντων, σὺν τῇ δυνάμει τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, πάντα κοινωνικῶς ἐξετασθῆναί τε καὶ πραχθῆναι, παρόντων τῶν αἰτουμένων λαῶν καὶ κληρικῶν, καὶ μή ἔξωθεν ὑπὸ Ἀρειανῶν, ὥσπερ ἐμπορευόμενον τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ ἐπισκόπου παρά τοὺς μὴ αἰτήσαντας μηδὲ βουλομένους, μηδέ ὅλως γινώσκοντας τὸ γεγονὸς, μετὰ προστασίας καὶ βίας τῶν ἔξωθεν δικαστῶν ἐπιρῥῖψαι ἑαυτόν. Τοῦτο δὲ τοὺς μὲν ἐκκλησιαστικούς κανόνας παραλύει, τὰ δὲ ἔθνη ἀναγκάζει βλασφημεῖν καὶ ὑπονοεῖν, ὅτι μὴ κατὰ θεῖον θεσμὸν, ἀλλʼ ἐξ ἐμπορίας καὶ προστασίας αἱ καταστάσεις γ ίγνονται. ### English translation (Claude) The lawless deeds done against us and against the Church happened thus. While we were holding our assemblies as usual in peace, and the people were rejoicing in the gatherings and advancing in a godly way of life, and our fellow ministers in Egypt, the Thebaid, and Libya were in love and peace with one another and with us, suddenly the prefect of Egypt publicly posted a letter in the form of an edict, announcing that a certain Gregory from Cappadocia was coming from the court as my successor. This report troubled everyone, for such a thing was new and heard then for the first time; and the people gathered in the churches all the more, especially because they knew that neither they themselves, nor any bishop or presbyter, nor anyone at all had ever made a complaint against us. They saw that only Arians were with him, and recognized that he himself was an Arian, sent to the Arians by Eusebius and his party. For you know, brothers, that Eusebius and his party have always been patrons and partners of the impious heresy of the Ariomaniacs, and through them have always plotted against us, and were the cause of our banishment into Gaul. For these reasons the people were rightly indignant and cried out, calling the other magistrates and the whole city to witness that this innovation and lawlessness had been perpetrated against the Church although no complaint had been made by the church's members, but the heretical Arians had contrived it against us. For even if there had been some complaint against us that had prevailed, it would have been necessary, not that an Arian, or one of those who hold the views of Arius, be brought in, but that, according to the church's canons and the saying of Paul, when the people were gathered together, and the spirit of those who appoint, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, everything should be examined and done in common, in the presence of the people and clergy who were making the request; and not that one brought from outside by Arians, as if trafficking in the name of bishop, should thrust himself, with the patronage and force of outside magistrates, upon people who had not asked for him, did not want him, and did not even know what had happened. This dissolves the church's canons, and compels the heathen to blaspheme and to suspect that appointments are made not by divine ordinance but by trafficking and patronage. ### Scripture references - 1 Cor 5:4: allusion, high confidence - Rom 2:24: echo, low confidence ### Translation notes - “Be brought in” renders the garbled “ΗΟ)” of the OCR by sense. “When the people were gathered together …”: 1 Cor 5:4, applied to the choice of a bishop. Banishment into Gaul: Athanasius's first exile to Trier (335–337). Gregory of Cappadocia entered Alexandria in Lent 339. ### Citation (SBL) Athanasius, Ep. enc. 2 (PG 25:225b–228b; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-epistula-encyclica/1/#p-2). ## Encyclical Letter 3 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-epistula-encyclica/1/#p-3 - Source: PG 25:228b–229b - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-12 Summary: Athanasius describes how the prefect Philagrius let mobs loose on the churches, which were burned and profaned, and how virgins and monks were assaulted. ### Greek text Ἡ μὲν οὖν κατάστασις ἡ θαυμαστὴ Γρηγορίου ὑπὸ Ἀρειανῶν γέγονε, καὶ τοιαύτην ἔσχε τήν ἀρχήν. Ἡ δὲ εἷʼσοδος αὐτοῦ εἰς τήν Ἀλεξάνδρειαν οἷα παράνομα κατειργάσατο,Μί ἡλίκων κακῶν αἰτία γέγονεν, ἔξεστιν ὑμῖν ἐκ τῶν γραφομένων καί παρὰ τῶν ἐπιδημούντων ἐπερωτῆσαι καὶ μαθεῖν. Τῶν λαῶν δυσανασχετούντων,καὶ διὰ τοῦτο ἐν ταῖς Ἔκκλησίαις συναχθέντων ἐπε τῇ τοιαύτῃ καινοτομίᾳ, ’ίνα μή ἡ τῶν Ἀρειανῶν ἀσέβεια καταμιγῇ τῇ τῆς Ἐκκλησίας πίστει, Φιλάγριος ὁ καὶ πάλαι τήν Ἐκκλησίαν καὶ τὰς ταύτης παρθένους ἀδικήσας καὶ νῦν ἔπαρχος Αἰγύπτου τυγχάνων, παραβἆτης μὲν γενόμενος, πατριώτης δὲ ὢν τοῦ Γρηγορίου, καὶ ού σεμνὸν ἔχων τὸν τρόπον, ἀλλὰ καὶ προστάτας ἔχων τοὺς περὶ Εὐσέβιον, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο σπουδάζων κατὰ τῆς Ἐκκλησίας, πείθει τοὺς ἐθνικοὺς δήμους, τούς τε Ἰουδαίους καὶ τοὺς ἀτάκτους, ἐπαγγελίαις, ἃς καὶ ὕστερον ἐπεδίδου, καί παροξύνει, καὶ ἀθρόως αὐτοὺς μετά ξιφῶν καὶ ῥοπάλων ἀφίησι κατά τῶν λαῶν εἰς τὰς ἐκκλησίας. Καὶ τί γέγονεν ἐκ τούτων ούκέτι λοιπὸν ἅπλῶς εἰπεῖν· οὔτε γὰρ ἀξίως σημᾶναι δυνατὸν ούτε χωρὶς δακρύων καὶ θρήνων μνημονεύσειεν ἅν τις κᾶν τῶν ὀλίγων. Ποῖα γὰρ παρά τοῖς ἀρχαίοις τετραγῴδηται τοιαῦτα ; ’Ὴ τί τοιοῦτον ἐν διωγμῷ καὶ πολέμῳ γέγονέ ποτε ; Ἡ μὲν ἐκκλησία καὶ τὸ ἅγιον βαπτιστήριον πυρπολεῖται ° εύθὲως δὲ οἰμωγαὶ καὶ ὀλολοδγαί, καὶ θρῆνος ἦν κατᾶ τήν πόλιν, ἀγανακτούντων καὶ τῶν πολιτῶν ἐπὶ τοῖς γιγνομένοις καὶ καταβοώντων τοῦ ἡγεμόνος, καὶ τὴν βίαν μαρυρομένων. Παρθένοι γὰρ ἅγιαι καὶ ἀμίαντοι ἐγυμνοῦντο, καὶ ἔπασχον ἃ μή θέμις · μὴ ἀνεχόμεναι δὲ, ἐκινδύνευον · μονάζοντες κατεπατοῦντο, καὶ ἀπέθνησκον· καὶ οἱ μὲν ἐδισκεύοντο, οἱ δὲ ξίφεσι καὶ ῥοπάλοις ἀνῃροῦντο· ἄλλοι ἐτραυματίζοντο καὶ ἐτύπτοντο. Ἐπὶ δὲ τῆς ἁγίας τραπέζης ἡλίκη ἀσέβεια καὶ παρανομία γέγονενί ὄρνεα καὶ στροβί- Λους ἐθυσίαζον, εὐφημοῦντες μὲν αὐτῶν τὰ εἷʼδωλα · δυσφημοῦντες δὲ ἐν αὐταῖς ταῖς ἐκκλησίαις τὸν Κύριον καὶ Σωτῆρα ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦν Χριστὸν, τὸν Υἱὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ τοῦ ζῶντος, τὰς θείας τῶν Γραφῶν βίβλους, ἃς εὕρισκον ἐν τῇ ἐκκλησίᾳ, κατέκαιον. Εἷς δὲ τὰ ἅγιον βαπτιστήριον, φεῦ τῆς τόλμης l οἱ Κυριοκτόνοι Ἰουδαῖοι καὶ οἳ ἄθεοι ἐθνικοι ἀφυλάκτως εἰσερχόμενοι, τοιαῦτα αἰσχρὰ διεπράττοντο καὶ ἐλάλουν γυμνοῦντες ἑαυτοὺς, ὡς αἰσχύνεσθαι καὶ λέγειν αὐτά. Καί τινες ἀσεβεῖς ἄνδρες, τὰ πικρά - τῶν διωγμῶν μιμούμενοι, παρθένων καὶ ἐγκρατῶν κρατοῦντες τὰς χεῖρας εἷλκον· καὶ διασύροντες, ἐβιάζοντο βλασφημεῖν, καί ἀρνεῖσθαι τὸν Κύριον τουν. ### English translation (Claude) Such, then, was the remarkable appointment of Gregory by Arians, and such was its beginning. What lawless deeds his entry into Alexandria brought about, and how many evils it caused, you may learn by inquiring from what is written and from those who are staying among you. When the people were distressed at such an innovation, and for this reason gathered in the churches, so that the impiety of the Arians might not be mixed into the faith of the Church, Philagrius, who long ago wronged the Church and its virgins and is now prefect of Egypt, an apostate and a fellow countryman of Gregory, a man of no decent character who moreover has Eusebius and his party as patrons and is therefore zealous against the Church, won over the heathen mobs, the Jews and the disorderly, with promises which he afterward made good, and stirred them up, and let them loose in a body with swords and clubs against the people in the churches. What happened as a result it is no longer possible to tell simply; for it cannot be described worthily, nor could anyone recall even a few of the things without tears and lamentations. What tragedies of the ancients have told of such things? Or what such thing has ever happened in persecution or in war? The church and the holy baptistery were set on fire; at once there were groans and shrieks and lamentation throughout the city, the citizens too being indignant at what was happening, crying out against the governor and protesting against the violence. For holy and undefiled virgins were stripped naked and suffered what is not lawful to speak of; and if they resisted, they were in danger of their lives. Monks were trampled underfoot and died; some were hurled down, others were killed with swords and clubs; others were wounded and beaten. And at the holy table what impiety and lawlessness was committed! They sacrificed birds and pine cones, praising their idols and blaspheming, in the very churches, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, the Son of the living God; and the divine books of the Scriptures which they found in the church they burned. Into the holy baptistery itself (alas for the audacity!) the Jews, slayers of the Lord, and the godless heathen went in without restraint, and stripping themselves did and said such shameful things that one is ashamed even to tell them. And certain impious men, imitating the bitter deeds of the persecutions, seized virgins and ascetics by the hands and dragged them off, and, mauling them, tried to force them to blaspheme and to deny the Lord … ### Scripture references - Matt 16:16: echo, low confidence ### Translation notes - The words “the Jews, slayers of the Lord” are Athanasius's own polemic, translated as written. Philagrius was prefect of Egypt (again) in 338–340. The section ends with a stray “τουν” and breaks off; the rest of the sentence (the ill-treatment of those who refused) is lost in the scan. ### Citation (SBL) Athanasius, Ep. enc. 3 (PG 25:228b–229b; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-epistula-encyclica/1/#p-3). ## Encyclical Letter 4 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-epistula-encyclica/1/#p-4 - Source: PG 25:229c–232b - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-12 Summary: Athanasius describes the plunder of the church, the scourging and imprisonment of clergy, virgins and laity during Lent, and Gregory's role in it. ### Greek text Καὶ πρὸς τούτοις ἠ θαυμαστή καὶ λαμπρά εἷʼσοδος Γρηγορίου τοῦ Ἀρειανοῦ, ἡδομένη τοῖς τοιούτοις κακοῖς, ὥσπερ ἔπαθλον καὶ μισθὸν τῆς τοιαύτης παρανόμου νίκης παρέχουσα τοῖς ἐθνικοῖς καὶ τοῖς Ἰουδαίοις, καὶ τοῖς τὰ τοιαῦτα καθʼ ἡμῶν ἐργασαμένοις εἷς πρέδαν δέδωκε τήν ἐκκλησίαν. Καὶ τῆς τοιαύτης παρανομίας καὶ ἀταξίας κί”πσυγχωρηθείσης τὰ πολέμων λοιπὸν χείρονα, καὶ λῃστῶν ὠμότερα ἐγίνετο. Οἳ μὲν γὰρ τὰ ἀπαντῶν- ’τα διήρπαζον· οἱ δὲ τὰς ἀποκειμένας τινῶν παραθήκας διῃροῦντο· τὸν οἶνον πολὺν ὄντα ἢ ἔπινον ἢ ἐξεκένουν ἢ ἀπέφερον· τὸ ἀποκείμενον ἔλαιον ἥρπαζον· τὰς θύρας καὶ τοὺς καγκέλλους ὡς σκῦλα ἕκαστος ἐλάμβανε τὰς λυχνίας παραυτά ἐν τῷ τοιχίῳ ἀπετίθεσαν, τοὺς κηριόλους τῆς ἐκκλησίας τοῖς εἰδώλοις ἀνῆπτον· καί ὅλως ἁρπαγὴ καὶ θάνατος ἦν ἐν τῇ ἐκκλησίᾳ· καί οὐκ ᾐδοῦντο οἱ δυσσεβεῖς Ἀρειανοὶ τούτων γιγνομὲνων ἀλλʼ ἔτι χείρονα καὶ ὠμότερα προσετίθσυν· πρεσβύτεροι γὰρ καὶ λαῖκοὶ ἐξὲσθησαν, παρθένοι ἀπομαφοριζόμεναι άπήγοντοῇείςτὸ βῆμα τοῦ ἡγεμόνος, καί είς τήν φυλακῆν ἐβάλλοντο ἄλλοι ἐδημεύθησαν, ἐμαστίχθησανʼ οἱ ἄρτοι τῶν λειτουργῶν καὶ τῶν παρθένων ἐκωλύθησαν. Ταῦτα δὲ ἐγίγνετο ἐν αὐτῇ τῇ ἁγίᾳ Τεσσαρακοστῇ περὶ τὸ Πάσχα, ὅτε οἱ μὲν ἀδελφοὶ ἐνήπευον, ὁ δὲ Θαυμαστὸς Γρηγόριος, τὸν Καϊάφα τρόπον ἀναλαβὼν, μετὰ Πιλάτου τοῦ ἡγεμόνος κατᾶ τῶν είς Χριστὸν εὐσεβούντων ἐνεπαροίνει. Ἐν Παρασκευῇ γοῦν εἰσερχόμενος εἷς μίαν τῶν ἐκκλησιῶν μετά τοῦ ἡγεμόνος καὶ τῶν ἐθνικῶν δή· μων, ὡς ἀποστρεφομένους εἶδε τοὺς λαοὺς τήν βιαίαν εἴσοδον αὐτοῦ, ἐποίησε τὸν ὠμότατον ἡγεμόνα ἐν μιᾷ ὥρᾳ τριάκοντα καὶ τέσσαρας παρθέ- ’ νους, καὶ ὑπάνδρους, καὶ εὐγενεῖς ἄνδρας μαστίξαι δημοσίᾳ, καὶ εἷς τὸ δεσμωτήριον ἐμβαλεῖνʼ ἐν οἷς μίαν παρθένον φιλολογοῦσαν, καὶ τὸ ψαλτήριον ἔτι κατέχουσαν ἐν ταῖς χερσὶ, μαστιχθῆναι πεποίηκε δη- ### English translation (Claude) And in addition to this, the remarkable and splendid entry of Gregory the Arian, delighting in such evils, as though offering a prize and reward for so lawless a victory to the heathen and the Jews and to those who had done such things against us, gave the church to them as plunder. And once such lawlessness and disorder had been permitted, things worse than wars and more savage than the deeds of robbers took place. Some plundered whatever they came upon; others divided among themselves the deposits that some had stored there; the wine, of which there was much, they either drank or poured out or carried off; they seized the oil that was stored there; each took the doors and the chancel railings as spoils; the lampstands they at once set aside in the wall, and the church's candles they lit to their idols; in short, there was plunder and death in the church. And the impious Arians, when these things happened, were not ashamed, but added still worse and crueler deeds: presbyters and laymen had their flesh torn; virgins, stripped of their veils, were led away to the governor's tribunal and thrown into prison; others had their property confiscated and were scourged; the bread allowance of the ministers and the virgins was withheld. And these things were done during the holy Forty Days themselves, around Easter, when the brothers were fasting, while the remarkable Gregory, taking on the manner of Caiaphas, raged drunkenly, together with Pilate the governor, against those who worship devoutly in Christ. On the Friday, at any rate, entering one of the churches with the governor and the heathen mobs, when he saw the people turning away from his violent entry, he made the most cruel governor in one hour publicly scourge thirty-four virgins, married women, and men of good birth, and throw them into prison; among them he had one virgin, who was devoted to study and was still holding the psalter in her hands, scourged publicly … ### Translation notes - The section breaks off mid-word (δη-, probably δημοσίᾳ, “publicly”) at the foot of a column; the following lines are lost in the scan. Comparing Gregory with Caiaphas and the governor with Pilate is Athanasius's own polemic. “Set aside in the wall” is literal; the sense of ἐν τῷ τοιχίῳ ἀπετίθεσαν is uncertain. ### Citation (SBL) Athanasius, Ep. enc. 4 (PG 25:229c–232b; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-epistula-encyclica/1/#p-4). ## Encyclical Letter 5 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-epistula-encyclica/1/#p-5 - Source: PG 25:232b–233c - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-12 Summary: Athanasius explains why he withdrew from the city, and describes how the churches were handed to Gregory, the faithful coerced, and a decree sent against him to Constantius. ### Greek text Τούτων γενομένων, οὐχ ἡσύχαζον, οὐδὲ εἷς τὰ ἑξῆς· ἀλλʼ ἐβουλεύοντο καὶ ἐν τῇ ἄλλῃ ἐκκλησίᾳ, ἔνθα μάλιστα ἐγὼ ἐν ταῖς ἡμέραις ἐκείναις ᾤκουν, τὰ αύτά τοῖς προτέροις ποιῆσαι· ἐσπούδαζον δέ τὴν μανίαν ἑαυτῶν καὶ εἷς αὐτὴν τὴν ἐκκλησίαν · ἐπεκτεῖναι, ἵνα με θηρεύσαντες ἀνέλωσινηὍ καὶ ἔπαθον ἂν, εί μὴ. ἡ τοῦ Χριστοῦ χάρις ἐβοήθησεν, ἵνα μόνον ἐκφυγὼν ὑπαγορεῦσαι κᾶν τὰ ὀλίγα δυνηθῶ. Ἐγὼ γὰρ, θεωρῶν αὐτοὺς ἔσχατα λυσσῶντας, λογισάμενος ἵνα μήτε ἡ ἐκκλησία βλαβῇ, καὶ αἱ ἐν αύτῇ παρθένοι πάθωσι, καὶ θάνατοι πάλιν γένωνται, καὶ δεύτερον οἱ λαοιὶ ὑβρισθῶσιν, ὑπέκλεψα ἐμαυτὸν τῶν λαῶν, μνησθεὶς τοῦ Σωτῆρος λέγοντος· Ἐὰν ὑμὰς διώκω σιν εἰς τήνδε τὴν πόλιν, φεύγετε είς τὴν ἑτέραν ᾜδειν γὰρ αὐτοὺς ἀφʼ ὧν ἔπραξαν εἰς τήν ἑτέραν ἐκκλησίαν κακῶν, μηδὲν τῶν δεινῶν καὶ κατὰ τῆς ἄλλης παραιτουμένουςʼ ὅπου γε ούδὶ αὐτὴν τὴν Κυριακήν τῆς ἁγίας ἑορτῆς ᾐδέσθησαν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐν αὐτῇ τοὺς τῆς ἐκκλησίας ἀνθρώπους είς φυλακην καθεῖρξαν · ὅτε ὁ μὲν Κύριος τοὺς πάντας ἐκ τῶν τοῦ θανάτου δεσμῶν ἠλευθέρωσεν, ὁ δὲ Γρηγόριος καὶ οἱ σὺν αὐτῷ, ὥσπερ ἀντιμαχόμενοι τῷ Σωτῆρι, καὶ θαρροῦντες τῇ τοῦ ἡγεμόνος προστασίᾳ, τήν ἐλευθέριον ἡμέραν τοῖς τοῦ Χριστοῦ δούλοις πένθος πεποιήκασιν Οἱ μὶν γὰρ ’Έλληνες ηύφραίνοντο δυσωπούμενοι τὴν ἡμέρανο 6 δὲ Γρηγόριος, ἴσως ἐντολὰς πληρῶν τῶν περὶ Εύσέβιον, πενθεῖν ἠνάγκαζε τοὺς Χριστιανοὺς τῇ κακώσει τῶν δεσμῶν. Δια ταύτης τοίνυν τῆς βίας 6 ἡγεμὼν ἥρπασε τὰς ἐκκλησίας, καὶ ἁρπάσας, Γρηγορίῳ καὶ τοῖς Ἀρειομανίταις παραδέδωκε. Καὶ οἱ μὲν ἐκκήρυκτοι παρʼ ἡμῶν διά τήν ἆσέβειαν γενόμενοι, ἐγκαυχῶνται τῇ ἁρπαγῇ τῶν ἐκκλησιῶν 6 δὲ τοῦ Θεοῦ λαὸς καὶ οἱ κληρικοὶ τῆς καθολικῆς Ἐκκλησίας βιάζονται ἢ κοινωνεῖν τῇ ἀσεβείᾳ τῶν αἱρετικῶν Ἀρειανῶν, ἢ μὴ εἷσέρχεσθαι εἰςτὰς ἐκκλησίας. Καὶ γάρ καὶ τοῖς ναυκλήροις καὶ τοῖς ἄλλοις τοῖς τὴν θάλατταν πλέουσιν οὐκ ὀλίγην βίαν καὶ ἀναγκην ἐπέθηκεν 6 Γρηγόριος, διά τοῦ ἡγεμόνος βασανίζων καὶ μαστίζων, ἄλλους δὲ καὶ δεσμεύων καὶ εἷς τὸ δεσμωτήριον ἐμβάλλων ’ίνα δε … μηδὲ ἀντιλέγωσι τῇ παρανομίᾳ αὐτοῦ, ἀλλά καὶ γράμματα παρʼ αὐτοῦ λαμβάνωσι· Καὶ ’ἕνα μὴ ἄχρι τούτων ἀρκεσθῇ, ἀλλά καὶ τοῦ αʼίματος ἡμῶν ἐμφορηθῇ, πεποίηκε τὸν ὠμότατον καί συνεργὸν αὐτοῦ ἡγεμόνα ψήφισμα ὡς ἐκ προσώπου τοῦ λαοῦ κατʼ ἐμοῦ γράψαι τῷ εύσεβεστάτῳ βασιλεῖ Κωνσταντίῳ, ἐπίφθονα ῥή ματα περιέχον, ἀφʼ οὗ μὴ μόνον ἔστι φυγεῖν, ἀλλὰ καὶ μυρίους θανάτους προσδοκᾷν. Καὶ 6 μὲν τὸ ψήφισμα γράψας ἐστί παραβάτης ἐκ Χριστιανῶν, καὶ εἷʼδωλα ἀναισχύντως προσκυνῶνο οἱ δὲ ὑπογράψαντές εἰσιν ἐθνικοὶ καὶ νεωκόροι τῶν εἰδώλων, καὶ σὺν αύτοῖς ’Δρειανοί. Καὶ ’ἕνα μὴ πολὺς ἐν τῷ γράφειν γένωμαι, διωγμός ἐστιν ἐνταῦθα, καὶ διωγμὸς οἷος ούδέποτε γέγονε κατά τῆς Ἐκκλησίας. Ὅλως μὲν γάρ ἓν τῷ πρὸ τούτου διωγμῷ κᾶν φεύγων τις προσὠμότης καὶ τήν Βαβυλωνίαν ἀθεότητα μεμίμηται. τΩς γάρ οἱ τότε κατᾶ τοῦ Δανιὴλ, οὕτω καὶ 6 θαυμαστὸς Γρηγόριος νῦν νοὺς ἐν ταῖς οἰκίαις προσευχομένους διαβάλλει τῷ ἡγεμόνι, καὶ τοὺς λειτουργοὺς μετὰ πάσης ὕβρεως παρατηρεῖται, ὡς ἐκ τῆς τοσαύτης βίας πολλούς μὲν ἀβαπτίστους κινδυνεύειν, πολλοὺς δὲ χωρὶς τῶν ἐπισκεπτομένων νοσεῖν καὶ ὀδύρεσθαι, πικροτέραν τῆς νόσου τήν τοιαύτην συμφορὰν ἡγουμένους. Τῶν γὰρ λειτουργῶν νῆς Ἐκκλη- ### English translation (Claude) When this had happened, they did not keep quiet, not even afterwards, but planned to do the same as before in the other church too, where I was mostly living in those days; and they were eager to extend their madness into that very church, in order to hunt me down and kill me. And I would have suffered this, had not the grace of Christ helped me, so that I escaped, if only to be able to dictate even these few things. For seeing them raging to the utmost, and reckoning that the church must not be harmed, nor the virgins in it suffer, nor deaths occur again, nor the people be outraged a second time, I withdrew myself from the people, remembering the Savior who said, “If they persecute you in this city, flee to the other.” For I knew, from the evils they had done to the other church, that they would shrink from none of the horrors against this one too; since they did not respect even the Lord's Day of the holy feast, but on it too shut up the church's people in prison: on the day when the Lord set all free from the bonds of death, Gregory and those with him, as if fighting against the Savior and emboldened by the governor's patronage, turned the day of freedom into mourning for the servants of Christ. For the pagans rejoiced, since the day vexes them; but Gregory, perhaps carrying out the commands of Eusebius and his party, compelled the Christians to mourn through the affliction of bonds. By such violence, then, the governor seized the churches, and having seized them, handed them over to Gregory and the Ariomaniacs. And those who had been excommunicated by us because of their impiety boast in the seizure of the churches, while the people of God and the clergy of the catholic Church are forced either to share in the impiety of the heretical Arians or not to enter the churches. For Gregory has also put no small force and compulsion on the shipmasters and the others who sail the sea, through the governor torturing and scourging some, and binding others and throwing them into prison, so that … they may not oppose his lawlessness but may even accept letters from him. And not content with this, but to glut himself with our blood as well, he made the most cruel governor, his accomplice, write a decree against me, as if in the name of the people, to the most pious Emperor Constantius, containing invidious words, so that one must not only flee but expect countless deaths. And the one who wrote the decree is an apostate from the Christians, who shamelessly worships idols; and those who signed it are heathen and temple-keepers of the idols, and Arians with them. And not to be lengthy in writing: there is persecution here, and a persecution such as has never been against the Church. For in the persecution before this, one who fled could at least … cruelty, and has imitated the godlessness of Babylon. For as the men of that time did against Daniel, so the remarkable Gregory now denounces to the governor those who pray in their houses, and watches the ministers with every insult, so that through such violence many are in danger of dying unbaptized, and many are sick without anyone to visit them, and lament, considering such a calamity bitterer than the sickness. For the ministers of the Church … ### Scripture references - Matt 10:23: quotation, high confidence - Dan 6:11: allusion, high confidence ### Translation notes - A line of the scan is unreadable after “prison” (marked …); a passage is lost after “one who fled could at least”, where the OCR runs straight into “…cruelty, and has imitated the godlessness of Babylon” (also marked …); and the section breaks off at the foot of a column (“For the ministers of the Church …”). “If they persecute you …”: Matt 10:23. Daniel denounced for praying in his house: Dan 6:10–13. “Since the day vexes them” renders δυσωπούμενοι τὴν ἡμέραν; the sense is uncertain. ### Citation (SBL) Athanasius, Ep. enc. 5 (PG 25:232b–233c; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-epistula-encyclica/1/#p-5). ## Encyclical Letter 6 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-epistula-encyclica/1/#p-6 - Source: PG 25:233c–236d - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-12 Summary: Athanasius says Gregory was sent by the Eusebians to the Arians, as Pistus had been, and urges the bishops to treat the wrong done to Alexandria as done to them all. ### Greek text Ἀρειανὸς οὖν ἐστιν ὁ Γρηγόριος καὶ τοῖς Ἀρειανοῖς ἀποσταλείς· ού γάρ τις αὐτὸν ᾐτήσατο πλὴν μόνων αὐτῶν· καὶ διὰ τοῦτο ὡς μίσθωτὸς καὶ ὡς ,π ὶλλότριος, δεινά καὶ, πικρᾶ τοῖς τῆς καθολικῗκ Ἐκκλησίας λαοῖς, ὡς ούκ οὖσιν ἰδίοις, διὰ τοῦ ἡγεμόνος κατεργάζεται. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ Πιστὸν ὅνπερ πρότερον οἱ περὶ Εύσέβιον τοῖς Ἀρειανοῖς κατέστησαν, μετὰ τὸ γράψαι ἡμᾶς περὶ αὐτοῦ, πάντες ὑμεῖς οἱ τῆς καθολικῆς Ἑκκλησίας ἐπίσκοποι ἐπίστασθε, ὡς διὰ τήν ἀσέβειαν εἰκότως αὐτὸν ἀναθεματίσατε καὶ ἇπεκηρύξατε τούτου ἕνεκα Γρηγόριον νῦν τὸν αύτόν τοῖς Ἀρειανοῖς ἀπέστειλαν. Εἶτα, τίνα μή καὶ δεύτερον αἰσχύνην ὀφλήσωσι, γραφόντων ἡμῶν πάλιν κατʼ αὐτῶν, διὰ τοῦτο τῇ ἔξωθεν βίᾳ καθʼ ἡμῶν ἐχρήσαντο, ἵνα, τῶν ἐκκλησιῶν περικρατήσαντες, δόξωσιν ἐκφεύγειν τὴν τῶν Ἀρειανῶν ὑπόνοιαν. Ἀλλʼ ἐσφάλησαν καί ἐν τούτῳ· οὐδεὶς γὰρ τῶν τῆς Ἐκκλησίας ἀνθρώπων ἐστὶ μετʼ αὐτῶν, εἰ μή μόνοι οἱ αἱρετικοὶ, καὶ οἱ διʼ αἰτίας ἐκβληθέντες, καὶ ίδσοι διὰ τήν ἀνάγκην τοῦ ἡγεμόνος ὑποκρίνονται. Τοῦτο δὲ τῶν περί Εὐσέβιόν ἐστι τὸ δραματούργημα· ταῦτα οἱ περὶ Εύσέβιον ἔκπαλαι μὶν ἐμελέτων καὶ συνετίθουν· νῦν δὲ καὶ ’ἰσχυσαν πρᾶξαι διὰ τὰς διαβολὰς, ἃς διέβαλον ἡμᾶς βασιλεῖ. Ἀμέλει οὐδὲ οὕτως ἡσυχάζουσιν, ἀλλὰ καὶ οὕτως ἡμᾶς ἀποκτεῖναι ζητοῦσι, καὶ τοῖς γνωρίμοις ἡμῶν φοβεροὺς ἑαυτοὺς δεικνύουσιν, ὥστε πάντας φυγαδεύεσθαι καὶ θάνατον παρʼ αὐτῶν προσδοκᾶν. Ἀλλʼ ού διὰ ταῦτα καὶ ὑμᾶς αύτῶν,τήν παρανομίαν καταπτῆξαι χρὴ, ἀλλὰ μᾶλλον καὶ ἐκδικῆσαι, καί ἀγανακτῆσαι κατᾶ τῶν οὕτως καινοτομηθέντων καθʼ ἡμῶν. Εἰ γὰρ, πάσχοντος μέλους ἑνὸς, συμπασχει πάντα τα μέλη, καὶ κατὰ τὸν μακάριον Ἀπόστολον, κλαίειν μετὰ κλαιόντων δεῖ· πασχούσης τῆς τηλικαύτης Ἐκκλησίας, ἕκαστος, ὡς αὐτός πάσχων, ἐκδικείτω τὸ πρᾶγμα. Κοινὸς γὰρ ἐστιν ὁ Σωτὴρ, ·ὁ ὁπʼ αὐτῶν βλασφημούμενος, καὶ πάντων εἰσὶν οἱ κανόνες, οἳ ὑπʼ αὐτῶν παραλυόμενοι. ’Δρα γὰρ εἰ, καθεζομένων ὑμῶν ἐν τῇ ἐκκλησιᾳ, καὶ συναγομένων τῶν λαῶν χωρίς τινος μέμψεως, εἷʼ τις ἐξαίφνης διὰ προστάγματος διάδοχος ἐληλύθει καθʼ ἐνὸς ὐμῶν,καὶ τοιαῦτα ἐγεγόνει καθʼ ὑμῶν, οὐκ ἂν ἠγανακτήσατε ; οὐκ ἃν ἠξιώσατε ἐκδικηθῆναι ; Διά τοῦτο ἀγανακτῆσαι ὑμᾶς δίκαιόν ἐστιν, ἵνα μὴ, ### English translation (Claude) Gregory, then, is an Arian, and was sent to the Arians; for no one asked for him except them alone. And so, as a hireling and a stranger, he works terrible and bitter things through the governor upon the people of the catholic Church, since they are not his own. For since Pistus, whom Eusebius and his party had earlier appointed for the Arians, after we had written about him (all of you bishops of the catholic Church know how you rightly anathematized and excommunicated him for his impiety), for this reason they have now sent Gregory to the Arians in the same way. Then, so that they might not incur shame a second time, if we wrote against them again, they used outside violence against us, so that, having taken control of the churches, they might seem to escape the suspicion of Arianism. But in this too they failed; for no one of the Church's people is with them, except the heretics alone, and those expelled for cause, and those who pretend because of the governor's compulsion. This is the drama staged by Eusebius and his party; these things Eusebius and his party long ago rehearsed and put together, and now they have been able to carry them out because of the slanders with which they slandered us to the emperor. Indeed, even so they do not keep quiet, but even so seek to kill us, and show themselves fearsome to our acquaintances, so that all are fleeing and expecting death from them. But you must not cower before their lawlessness for this reason, but rather avenge it, and be indignant at the innovations so made against us. For if, when one member suffers, all the members suffer with it, and according to the blessed Apostle we must weep with those who weep, then, when so great a Church suffers, let each one avenge the matter as though he were suffering himself. For the Savior, who is blasphemed by them, is common to all, and the canons, which are being dissolved by them, belong to all. For consider: if, while you were seated in your church and the people were assembling without any complaint, someone suddenly came by imperial command as successor against one of you, and such things were done against you, would you not be indignant? Would you not demand to be avenged? Therefore it is right for you to be indignant, so that … ### Scripture references - John 10:12: echo, medium confidence - 1 Cor 12:26: quotation, high confidence - Rom 12:15: quotation, high confidence ### Translation notes - The section breaks off at the foot of a column (“so that …”); the following lines are lost in the scan. “Hireling”: an echo of John 10:12. “When one member suffers …”: 1 Cor 12:26; “weep with those who weep”: Rom 12:15. ### Citation (SBL) Athanasius, Ep. enc. 6 (PG 25:233c–236d; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-epistula-encyclica/1/#p-6). ## Encyclical Letter 7 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-epistula-encyclica/1/#p-7 - Source: PG 25:236d–240d - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-12 Summary: Athanasius asks the bishops to reject any letters from Gregory or the Eusebians, to condemn them, and to write back in support of the Church of Alexandria. ### Greek text Τὰ μὲν οὖν κατᾶ τοὺς Ἀρειομανίτας σʼίδατε, ἀγαπητοίʼ πολλάκις γὰρ αὐτῶν τὴν ἀσέβειαν ἰδίᾳ καὶ κοινῇ πάντες ἀπεκηρύξατεʼ οἷίδατε δὲ καί τοὺς περὶ Εὖσέῦιον, ὡς προεῖπον, τῆς αὐτῆς ἐκείνοις ὄντας αἱρέσεως, διʼ ἣν καί πάλαι ἡμῖν ἐπεβούλευσαν. Τὰ δὲ νῦν διʼ αὐτοὺς καὶ ὑπʼ αὐτῶν γενόμενα πικρότερα πολέμων, ἐδήλωσα ὑμῖν, τίνα, κατά την ἐξ ἀρχῆς ἱστορίαν μισοπόνηρον ζῆλον ἀναλαβόντες, ἐξάρητε τοὺς τὰ τοιαῦτα πονηρά ἐργασαμένους κατά τῆς Ἐκκλησίας. Εἰ γὰρ καὶ πέρυσιν οἱ κατὰ Ῥώμην ἀδελφοὶ, μήπω τούτων γενομένων, ἀλλʼ ἕνεκα τῶν πρώτων, σύνοδον ἔγραψαν γενέσθαι, ’ίνα κάκεῖνα ἐκδικηθῇ· ἥνπερ εὐλαβούμενοι οἱ περῖ Εὖσέβιον, ττροῦλαβον διαταράξαιτην Ἐκκλησίαν, καὶ ἡθέληφαν ἡμᾶς ἀνελεῖν, ἳνα λοιπὸν ἐπʼ ἀδείας πράττωσιν ἂ βούλονται, καὶ μὴ ἔχωσι τόν ἐλέγχοντα· πόσῳ μᾶλλον ἐπὶ τοῖς τηλικούτοις παρανομή μασιν ἀγανακτῆσαι ὀφείλετε, καὶ καταψηφίσασθαι αὐτῶν, ὅσῳ καὶ ταῦτα τοῖς προτέροις προσέθηκαν ; Παρακαλῶ, μὴ παρίδητε τα τηλικαῦτα, μηδὲ ἐπιτρέψητε την περιβόητον Ἀλεξανδρέων Ἐκκλησίαν ὑπὸ αἱρετικῶν καταπατηθῆναι. Λιά ταῦτα γὰρ εἶʼκότως καὶ οἱ λαοὶ καὶ οἱ λειτουργοὶ καθʼ ἑαυτούς εἰσι, διὰ μὲν τάς τοῦ ἐπάρχου ιβίας σιωπῶντες,,διὰ δὲ τὴν ἀσέβειαν τῶν Ἀρειομανιτῶν ἐκτρεπόμενοι. Ἐάν τοίνυν γράφῃ πρὸς ὑμᾶς Γρηγόριος, ἢ ἄλλος τις περὶ αὐτοῦ, μὴ δέξησθε, ἀδελφοί, τὰ γράμματα αὐτοῦ, ἀλλᾶ σχίσατε, καὶ δυσωπήσατε τοὺς κομίζοντας, ὡς ἀσεβείας καὶ πονηρίας ὅντας διακόνους. Ἐὰν δὲ καὶ τόπον εἰρηνικὸν τολμήσῃ γράφειν, μηδὲ ταῦτα ὃέχησθε· τῷ γὰρ φόβῳ τοῦ ἡγεμόνος οἱ δεχόμενοι κομίζουσι δια τὰς πολλάς αὐτοῦ βίας. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ εἰκὸς καὶ τοὺς περί Εὐσέβιον γράφειν ὑμῖν περὶ αὐτοῦ, διὰ τοῦτο προϋπομνῆσαι ὑμᾶς ἐσπούδασα,ίνα καὶ ἐν τούτῳ τὸ ἀπροσωπόληπτον κ τοῦ Θεοῦ μιμησάμενοι, ἐκδιώξητε τοὺς πέρʼ αὐτῶνθ ὅτι ἐν τοιούτῳ καιρῷ διωγμοὺς, καὶ φθορὰς παρθένων, καὶ θανάτους, καὶ ἁρπαγὰς τῶν ἐν ταῖς ἐκκλησίαις, και πυρκαϊὰν,καὶ βλασφημίας ἐν ταῖς ἐκκλησίαις, ἕνεκεν τῶν Ἀρειομανιτῶν κατεσκεύασαν ὑπὸ ἐθνικῶν καὶ Ἰουδαίων γενέσθαι. Οὐκ ἂν δὲ ὁ ἀσεβὴς καὶ μεμηνὼς Γρηγόριος ἀρνήσηται ἑαυτὸν εἶναι Ἀρειανὸν, ἔχων ἔλεγχον τὸν ὑπογράφοντα αὐτοῦ τὰ γράμματα. Ἀμμὼν γάρ οὗτος ὁ ὑπογράφων, ἔκπαλαι μὲν ὑπὸ τοῦ μακαρίτου Ἀλεξάνδρου τοῦ πρὸ ἐμοῦ ἐπισκόπου ἐπὶ πολλοῖς κακοῖς καὶ ἐπὶ ἀσεβείᾳ ἐξεβλήθη τῆς Ἐκκλησίας. Πάντων οὖν ἕνεκεν καὶ ἀντιγράψαι ἡμῖν θελήσατε, καὶ καταγνῶναι τῶν ἀσεβῶν,,ἵνα καὶ νῦν οἱ μὲν λειτουργοὶ, οἱ ἐνταῦθα, καὶ οἳ λαοὶ, τὴν ὀρθοδοξίαν καὶ μισοπονηρίαν ὑμῶν ὁρῶντες, εὐφραίνωνταιτῇ εἷς Χριστὸν ὁμοψύχῳ ὑμῶν πίστει, οἱ δὲ τοιαῦτα κατά τῆς Ἐκκλησίας παρανομήσαντες, μεταπτιιδευθέντες ἐκ τῶν ὑμῶν γραμμάτων, κᾶν ὀψὲ ποτε δυνηθῶσι μεταγνῶναι. … τήν παρʼ ὶμῖν ἀδελφότητα. Oi σὺν ἐμοὶ πάντες ἀδελφοἶ τροσαγορεύουσιν ὑμᾶς. Ἐῥρωμένους καὶ μνημονεύοντας ὑμῶν ὁ Κύριος ὑμᾶς διαφυλάξειε, κύριοι ### English translation (Claude) You know, beloved, the doings of the Ariomaniacs; for you have all often condemned their impiety, individually and together; and you know too that Eusebius and his party, as I said before, are of the same heresy as they, and for its sake they plotted against us long ago. What has now been done because of them and by them, more bitter than wars, I have made known to you, so that, taking up a zeal that hates evil, after the example of the story told at the beginning, you may cut off those who have done such evils against the Church. For if last year the brothers at Rome, before these things had happened but on account of the earlier ones, wrote that a council should be held so that those too might be avenged (and Eusebius and his party, fearing it, hastened to throw the Church into confusion beforehand and wished to kill us, so that from then on they might do what they wished with impunity and have no one to refute them), how much more ought you to be indignant at such great lawless deeds and to condemn them, since they have added these to the former? I beseech you, do not overlook such great things, and do not allow the renowned Church of the Alexandrians to be trampled underfoot by heretics. For this reason the people and the ministers, naturally, stay apart, silent because of the prefect's violence and turning away because of the impiety of the Ariomaniacs. If, then, Gregory writes to you, or anyone else on his behalf, do not receive his letters, brothers, but tear them up, and put to shame those who bring them, as ministers of impiety and wickedness. And if he dares to write in a peaceful tone, do not receive even that; for those who carry the letters carry them out of fear of the governor, because of his many acts of violence. And since it is likely that Eusebius and his party too will write to you about him, I have hastened to remind you beforehand, so that in this too, imitating the impartiality of God, you may drive out those sent from them, because at such a time, for the sake of the Ariomaniacs, they contrived that persecutions, violations of virgins, deaths, plundering of the churches' goods, burning, and blasphemies in the churches should be carried out by heathen and Jews. And the impious and frenzied Gregory cannot deny that he is an Arian, since the one who writes his letters is proof of it. For this Ammon who writes them was long ago expelled from the Church by the blessed Alexander, bishop before me, for many evil deeds and for impiety. On all these accounts, then, be pleased to write back to us and condemn the impious, so that now the ministers here and the people, seeing your orthodoxy and your hatred of evil, may rejoice in your unanimous faith in Christ, and those who committed such lawless deeds against the Church, being corrected by your letters, may be able to repent, even if late. … the brotherhood among you. All the brothers with me greet you. Farewell, and remember us; may the Lord keep you, my lords … ### Scripture references - Rom 2:11: echo, low confidence ### Translation notes - The council requested by the Romans: Julius of Rome's synod, held at Rome in 340–341. The OCR word before “the brotherhood among you” is garbled (“possin-11's”), probably a form of “greet” (προσείπατε); it is marked …. “Imitating the impartiality of God”: an echo of Rom 2:11. The letter is dated to 339. ### Citation (SBL) Athanasius, Ep. enc. 7 (PG 25:236d–240d; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-epistula-encyclica/1/#p-7).