Short Letters: To Jovian, to John and Antiochus, to Palladius (complete)
Greek text: PG 26.English: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), public domain (CC0). Compare: Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 2, vol. 4 (1892).
Chapter 1
1.1PG 26:813–816
Πρέπουσα θεοφιλεῖ βασιλεῖ φιλομαθὴς προαίρεσις καὶ πόθος τῶν οὐρανίων· οὕτω γὰρ ἀληθῶς καὶ τὴν καρδίαν ἕξις ἐν χειρὶ Θεοῦ Θελησάσης τοίνυν τῆς σῆς εὐσεβείας μαθεῖν παρ' ἡμῶν τὴν τῆς καθολικῆς Ἐκκλησίας πίστιν, εὐχαριστήσαντες ἐπὶ τούτοις τῷ Κυρίῳ, ἐβουλευσάμεθα μᾶλλον πάντων τὴν παρὰ τῶν Πατέρων ἐν Νικαίᾳ ὁμολογηθεῖσαν πίστιν ὑπομνῆσαι τὴν σὴν εὐσέβειαν. Ταύτην γὰρ ἀθετήσαντές τινες, ἡμῖν μὲν ποικίλως ἐπεβούλευσαν, ὅτι μὴ ἐπειθόμεθα τῇ ᾿Αρειανῇ αἱρέ: Τῷ εὐλαβεστάτῳ καὶ φιλανθρωποτάτῳ νικητῇ Αὐγούστῳ Ἰωβιανῷ ᾿Αθανάσιος καὶ οἱ λοιποὶ ἐπίσκοποι οἱ ἐλθόντες ἐκ προσώπου πάντων τῶν ἀπὸ τῆς Αἰγύπτου καὶ Θηβαΐδος καὶ Λιβυῶν ἐπισκόπων. καὶ τὴν βασιλείαν μετ' εἰρήνης πολλαῖς ἐτῶν σει· αἴτιοι δὲ γεγόνασιν αἱρέσεως καὶ σχισμάτων τῇ καθολικῇ Ἑκκλησία. Ἡ μὲν γὰρ ἀληθὴς καὶ εὐσεβὴς εἰς τὸν Κύριον πίστις φανερὰ πᾶσι καθέστηκεν, ἐκ τῶν θείων Γραφῶν γινωσκομένη τε καὶ ἀναγινωσκομένη. Ἐν ταύτῃ γὰρ καὶ οἱ ἅγιοι τελειωθέντες ἐμαρτύρησαν, καὶ νῦν ἀναλύσαντές εἰσιν ἐν Κυρίῳ· καὶ ἔμεινεν ἂν ἡ πίστις ἀβλαβὴς διὰ παντὸς εἰ μὴ πονηρία τινῶν αἱρετικῶν παραποιήσαι ταύτην ἐτόλμησεν. ῎Αρειος γάρ τις καὶ οἱ σὺν αὐτῷ διαφθεῖραι ταύτην, καὶ ἀσέβειαν κατ᾿ αὐτῆς ἐπεισαγαγεῖν ἐπεχείρησαν, φάσκοντες ἐξ οὐκ ὄντων καὶ κτίσμα καὶ ποίημα καὶ τρεπτὸν εἶναι τὸν Υἱὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ. Πολλοὺς δὲ τούτοις ἠπάτησαν τοῖς λόγοις ὥστε καὶ τοὺς δοκοῦντας εἶναί τι συναπαχθῆναι αὐτῶν τῇ βλασφημίᾳ· καίτοι φθάσαντες μὲν οἱ ἅγιοι Πατέρες ἡμῶν συνελθόντες, ὡς προείπομεν, κατὰ τὴν ἐν Νικαίᾳ σύνοδον, ἀνεθεμάτισαν · τὴν δὲ τῆς φως, ὥστε, ταύτης πανταχοῦ κηρυττομένης, ἀποσβεσθῆναι τὴν ἀναφθεῖσαν αἴρεσιν παρὰ τῶν αἱρετικῶν. Ἦν μὲν οὖν αὕτη πανταχοῦ κατὰ πᾶσαν Ἐκκλησίαν ἀδόλως γινωσκομένη τε καὶ κηρυττομένη ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ νῦν τὴν ᾿Αρειανὴν αἴρεσιν ἀνανεῶσαι βουλόμενοί τινες, ταύτην μὲν τὴν ἐν Νικαίᾳ παρὰ τῶν Πατέρων ὁμολογηθεῖσαν πίστιν ἐτόλμησαν ἀθετῆσαι, καὶ σχηματίζονται μὲν ὁμολογεῖν αὐτὴν, ταῖς δὲ ἀληθείαις ἀρνοῦνται, παρερμηνεύοντες τὸ ὁμοούσιον, καὶ αὐτοὶ βλασφημοῦντες εἰς τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον, ἐν τῷ φάσκειν αὐτοὺς κτίσμα εἶναι αὐτὸ καὶ ποίημα διὰ τοῦ Υἱοῦ γεγενῆσθαι· ἀναγκαίως, θεωρήσαντες τὴν τῆς ἐκ τοιαύτης βλασφημίας βλάβην γινομένην κατὰ τῶν λαῶν, ἐπιδοῦναι τῇ σῇ εὐλαβείᾳ τὴν ἐν Νικαίᾳ ὁμολογηθεῖσαν πίστιν ἐσπουδάσαμεν, ἵνα γνῷ σου ἡ θεοσέβεια ἃ μετὰ πάσης ἀκριβείας γέγραπται, καὶ ὅσον εἰς τὸν Κύριον ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦν Χριστὸν πίστις.
Prepousa theophilei basilei philomathēs proairesis kai pothos tōn ouraniōn; houtō gar alēthōs kai tēn kardian hexis en cheiri Theou Thelēsasēs toinyn tēs sēs eusebeias mathein par' hēmōn tēn tēs katholikēs Ekklēsias pistin, eucharistēsantes epi toutois tǭ Kyriǭ, ebouleusametha mallon pantōn tēn para tōn Paterōn en Nikaią homologētheisan pistin hypomnēsai tēn sēn eusebeian. Tautēn gar athetēsantes tines, hēmin men poikilōs epebouleusan, hoti mē epeithometha tę̄ ᾿Areianę̄ haire: Tǭ eulabestatǭ kai philanthrōpotatǭ nikētę̄ Augoustǭ Iōbianǭ ᾿Athanasios kai hoi loipoi episkopoi hoi elthontes ek prosōpou pantōn tōn apo tēs Aigyptou kai Thēbaïdos kai Libyōn episkopōn. kai tēn basileian met' eirēnēs pollais etōn sei; aitioi de gegonasin haireseōs kai schismatōn tę̄ katholikę̄ Hekklēsia. Hē men gar alēthēs kai eusebēs eis ton Kyrion pistis phanera pasi kathestēken, ek tōn theiōn Graphōn ginōskomenē te kai anaginōskomenē. En tautę̄ gar kai hoi hagioi teleiōthentes emartyrēsan, kai nyn analysantes eisin en Kyriǭ; kai emeinen an hē pistis ablabēs dia pantos ei mē ponēria tinōn hairetikōn parapoiēsai tautēn etolmēsen. ᾿Areios gar tis kai hoi syn autǭ diaphtheirai tautēn, kai asebeian kat᾿ autēs epeisagagein epecheirēsan, phaskontes ex ouk ontōn kai ktisma kai poiēma kai trepton einai ton Huion tou Theou. Pollous de toutois ēpatēsan tois logois hōste kai tous dokountas einai ti synapachthēnai autōn tę̄ blasphēmią; kaitoi phthasantes men hoi hagioi Pateres hēmōn synelthontes, hōs proeipomen, kata tēn en Nikaią synodon, anethematisan ; tēn de tēs phōs, hōste, tautēs pantachou kēryttomenēs, aposbesthēnai tēn anaphtheisan airesin para tōn hairetikōn. Ēn men oun hautē pantachou kata pasan Ekklēsian adolōs ginōskomenē te kai kēryttomenē all' epeidē nyn tēn ᾿Areianēn airesin ananeōsai boulomenoi tines, tautēn men tēn en Nikaią para tōn Paterōn homologētheisan pistin etolmēsan athetēsai, kai schēmatizontai men homologein autēn, tais de alētheiais arnountai, parermēneuontes to homoousion, kai autoi blasphēmountes eis to Pneuma to hagion, en tǭ phaskein autous ktisma einai auto kai poiēma dia tou Huiou gegenēsthai; anankaiōs, theōrēsantes tēn tēs ek toiautēs blasphēmias blabēn ginomenēn kata tōn laōn, epidounai tę̄ sę̄ eulabeią tēn en Nikaią homologētheisan pistin espoudasamen, hina gnǭ sou hē theosebeia ha meta pasēs akribeias gegraptai, kai hoson eis ton Kyrion hēmōn Iēsoun Christon pistis.
[To the most reverent and most humane victor, Jovian Augustus, Athanasius and the other bishops who have come on behalf of all the bishops of Egypt, the Thebaid, and the Libyas.] A love of learning and a longing for heavenly things befit a God-loving emperor; for so you will truly have your heart in the hand of God, … and your reign in peace for many years. Since, then, your piety wished to learn from us the faith of the catholic Church, we gave thanks to the Lord for this and resolved above all to remind your piety of the faith confessed by the Fathers at Nicaea. For some who set it aside have plotted against us in various ways, because we would not yield to the Arian heresy; and they have become the authors of heresy and schisms in the catholic Church. For the true and pious faith in the Lord has been made plain to all, being known and read from the divine Scriptures. In it the saints were perfected and bore witness, and now, having departed, they are with the Lord; and the faith would have remained unharmed for ever, had not the wickedness of certain heretics dared to falsify it. For a certain Arius and those with him tried to corrupt it and to bring impiety in against it, saying that the Son of God is from nothing, a creature, a thing made, and changeable. With these words they deceived many, so that even those who seemed to be something were carried away with their blasphemy. But our holy Fathers had already come together, as we said before, at the council of Nicaea, and anathematized it; and [confessed] in writing the [faith] of the [catholic Church], so that, as it was preached everywhere, the heresy kindled by the heretics might be quenched. This faith, then, was known and preached without guile everywhere in every church. But since now some who wish to renew the Arian heresy have dared to set aside this faith confessed by the Fathers at Nicaea—they pretend to confess it but in truth deny it, misinterpreting the “consubstantial,” and they themselves blaspheme against the Holy Spirit, saying that he is a creature and a thing made, come into being through the Son—we necessarily, seeing the harm done to the people by such blasphemy, have hastened to present to your reverence the faith confessed at Nicaea, so that your godliness may know what was written with all exactness, and … the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.
Textual problem in this passage: see the notes.
Prov 21:1 (allusion, medium confidence) · Gal 2:6 (echo, low confidence) · 2 Cor 3:2 (echo, low confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Athanasius and the Egyptian bishops answer the emperor Jovian’s request to learn the Church’s faith by commending the faith of Nicaea against the renewed Arian heresy and those who call the Holy Spirit a creature.
- In the scan OCR the address of the letter, a fragment of its heading, and part of the first sentence are printed together in the middle of the paragraph; the address is translated first, in brackets, and the heading fragment (“…synodical letter written to the emperor Jovian concerning …”) is removed. The words “and your reign in peace for many years” are displaced in the OCR and are placed where the sense requires, with words lost before them. “Your heart in the hand of God” recalls Prov 21:1. A line is lost after “anathematized it” (the surviving -φως is the end of “in writing”); the bracketed words are supplied by sense. Words are also lost in the last clause, marked “…”. This is the letter numbered 56 in NPNF² 4 (written 363).
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (fragment of the letter's heading printed into the text; garbled word in the scan OCR): οδικὴ πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα Ἰωβιανὸν γραφεῖσα περὶ τῆς → ; ἀναγΟ καίως → ἀναγκαίως.
Cite (SBL): Athanasius, Ep. brev. 1.1 (PG 26:813–816; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/athanasius-epistulae-breves/1-1). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/athanasius-epistulae-breves/1-1
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 26-27 (Bavarian State Library OCR); letters compared afterwards with NPNF2 4; the other works re-read against the Greek, as no public-domain English exists.
1.2PG 26:815–818
Γίνωσκε γάρ, θεοφιλέστατε Αυγουστε, ὅτι ταῦτα μὲν ἐξ αἰῶνός ἐστι κηρυττόμενα, ταύτην δὲ οἱ ἐν Νικαίᾳ συνελθόντες ὡμολόγησαν Πατέρες, καὶ ταύτη σύμψηφοι τυγχάνουσι πᾶσαι αἱ πανταχοῦ κατὰ τόπον Ἐκκλησίαι, αἵ τε κατὰ τὴν Σπανίαν καὶ Βρετανίαν, καὶ Γαλλίας, καὶ τῆς Ἰταλίας πάσης, καὶ Δαλματίας, Δακίας τε καὶ Μυσίας, Μακεδονίας, καὶ πάσης τῆς Ἑλλάδος, καὶ κατὰ τὴν ᾿Αφρι κὴν πᾶσαν, καὶ Σαρδανίαν, καὶ Κύπρον, καὶ Κρήτην, Παμφυλίαν τε, καὶ Λυκίαν, καὶ Ἰσαυρίαν καὶ αἱ κατ᾿ Αἴγυπτον καὶ τὰς Λιβύας καὶ Πόντον καὶ Καππαδοκίαν, καὶ αἱ πλησίον ἡμῶν καὶ αἱ κατὰ ἀνατολὰς Ἐκκλησίαι, παρὲξ ὀλίγων τῶν τὰ ᾿Αρείου φρονούντων. ῾Απάντων γὰρ τῶν προειρημένων καὶ πείρᾳ ἐγνώκαμεν τὴν γνώμην, καὶ γράμματα ἔχομεν. Καὶ οἶδας, ὦ θεοφιλέστατε Αὔγουστε ὅτι, κἂν ὀλίγοι τινὲς ἀντιλέγωσι ταύτῃ τῇ πίστει, οὐ δύνανται πρόκριμα ποιεῖν, πάσης τῆς οἰκουμένης τὴν ἀποστολικὴν πίστιν κρατούσης. Ἐκεῖνοι γὰρ, πολλῷ χρόνῳ βλαβέντες ἀπὸ τῆς ᾿Αρειανῆς αἱρέσεως, φιλονεικότερον ἀνθίστανται νῦν τῇ εὐσεβείᾳ. Καὶ ὑπὲρ τοῦ γινώσκειν τὴν σὴν εὐσέβειαν, καίτοι γινώσκουσαν, ὅμως ἐσπουδάσαμεν τὴν ἐν Νικαίᾳ πίστιν ὁμολογηθεῖσαν ὑπὸ τῶν ἐπισκόπων ὑποτάξαι. Ἔστι μὲν οὖν ἡ παρὰ τῶν Πατέρων ὁμολογηθεῖσα πίστις ἐν Νικαίᾳ αὕτη
Ginōske gar, theophilestate Augouste, hoti tauta men ex aiōnos esti kēryttomena, tautēn de hoi en Nikaią synelthontes hōmologēsan Pateres, kai tautē sympsēphoi tynchanousi pasai hai pantachou kata topon Ekklēsiai, hai te kata tēn Spanian kai Bretanian, kai Gallias, kai tēs Italias pasēs, kai Dalmatias, Dakias te kai Mysias, Makedonias, kai pasēs tēs Hellados, kai kata tēn ᾿Aphri kēn pasan, kai Sardanian, kai Kypron, kai Krētēn, Pamphylian te, kai Lykian, kai Isaurian kai hai kat᾿ Aigypton kai tas Libyas kai Ponton kai Kappadokian, kai hai plēsion hēmōn kai hai kata anatolas Ekklēsiai, parex oligōn tōn ta ᾿Areiou phronountōn. ῾Apantōn gar tōn proeirēmenōn kai peirą egnōkamen tēn gnōmēn, kai grammata echomen. Kai oidas, ō theophilestate Augouste hoti, kan oligoi tines antilegōsi tautę̄ tę̄ pistei, ou dynantai prokrima poiein, pasēs tēs oikoumenēs tēn apostolikēn pistin kratousēs. Ekeinoi gar, pollǭ chronǭ blabentes apo tēs ᾿Areianēs haireseōs, philoneikoteron anthistantai nyn tę̄ eusebeią. Kai hyper tou ginōskein tēn sēn eusebeian, kaitoi ginōskousan, homōs espoudasamen tēn en Nikaią pistin homologētheisan hypo tōn episkopōn hypotaxai. Esti men oun hē para tōn Paterōn homologētheisa pistis en Nikaią hautē
For know, most God-loving Augustus, that this [faith] has been preached from of old; the Fathers who met at Nicaea confessed it, and all the churches everywhere in every place agree with it: those in Spain and Britain and the Gauls, and in all Italy, Dalmatia, Dacia, Moesia, Macedonia, and all Greece, and in all Africa, Sardinia, Cyprus, Crete, Pamphylia, Lycia, and Isauria, and those in Egypt and the Libyas, Pontus and Cappadocia, and those near us and the churches in the East, except for a few who think the things of Arius. For we have learned the opinion of all those named above by experience, and we have letters from them. And you know, most God-loving Augustus, that even if a few speak against this faith, they cannot prejudge the matter, since the whole inhabited world holds the apostolic faith. For those men, harmed for a long time by the Arian heresy, now resist piety all the more contentiously. And so that your piety may know it—although you know it already—we have nevertheless hastened to subjoin the faith confessed by the bishops at Nicaea. This, then, is the faith confessed by the Fathers at Nicaea:
Textual problem in this passage: see the notes.
Notes and citation
Summary: The bishops assure Jovian that the Nicene faith is held by the churches throughout the empire, apart from a few Arian sympathizers, and introduce the creed.
- A block of Migne’s variant readings (ὅτι αὕτη μὲν ἐξ αἰῶνος κηρυττομένη … αἱ κατὰ τὴν ᾿Αφρικὴν πᾶσαι,) printed inside the word Ἀφρικήν is removed. The section ends with “This, then, is the faith … at Nicaea,” which introduces the creed in the next section.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (Migne's variant readings printed inside a word; word split at a line break): πά σης → πάσης; ὅτι αὕτη μὲν ἐξ αἰῶνος κηρυττομένη. Γαλλίας, καὶ αἱ τῆς Ἰταλίας πάσης, καὶ Καμπανίας, Δαλματίας τε καὶ Μυσίας... καὶ αἱ κατὰ τὴν ᾿Αφρικὴν πᾶσαι, → ; ὁμο λογηθεῖσα → ὁμολογηθεῖσα.
Cite (SBL): Athanasius, Ep. brev. 1.2 (PG 26:815–818; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/athanasius-epistulae-breves/1-2). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/athanasius-epistulae-breves/1-2
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 26-27 (Bavarian State Library OCR); letters compared afterwards with NPNF2 4; the other works re-read against the Greek, as no public-domain English exists.
1.3PG 26:817–818
Πιστεύομεν εἰς ἕνα Θεὸν, Πατέρα παντοκράτορα, πάντων ὁρατῶν τε καὶ ἀοράτων ποιητήν· καὶ εἰς τὸν ἕνα Κύριον Ἰησοῦν Χριστὸν, τὸν Υἱὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ, γεννηθέντα ἐκ τοῦ Πατρὸς μονογενῆ, τουτἐστιν ἐκ τῆς οὐσίας τοῦ Πατρὸς, Θεὸν ἐκ Θεοῦ, φῶς ἐκ φωτὸς, Θεὸν ἀληθινὸν ἐκ Θεοῦ ἀληθινοῦ, γεννηθέντα, οὐ ποιηθέντα, ὁμοούσιον τῷ Πατρὶ, δι' οὗ τὰ πάντα ἐγένετο, τά τε ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ καὶ τὰ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς· τὸν δι᾽ ἡμᾶς τοὺς ἀνθρώπους καὶ διὰ τὴν ἡμεἐνανθρωπήσαντα, παθόντα, καὶ ἀναστάντα τῇ τρίτῃ ἡμέρᾳ, καὶ ἀνελθόντα εἰς τοὺς οὐρανοὺς, ἐρχόμενον κρίναι ζῶντας καὶ νεκρούς· καὶ εἰς τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον. Τοὺς δὲ λέγοντας, ἦν ποτε, ὅτε οὐκ ἦν, καὶ, Πρὶν γενηθῆναι, οὐκ ἦν, καὶ ὅτι Ἐξ οὐκ ὄντων ἐγένετο, ἢ ἐξ ἑτέρας ὑποστάσεως ἢ οὐσίας φάσκοντας εἶναι, ἢ κτιστὸν, ἢ τρεπτὸν, ἢ ἀλλοιωτὸν τὸν Υἱὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ, τούτους ἀναθεματίζει ἡ καθολικὴ καὶ ἀποστολικὴ Ἐκκλησία
Pisteuomen eis hena Theon, Patera pantokratora, pantōn horatōn te kai aoratōn poiētēn; kai eis ton hena Kyrion Iēsoun Christon, ton Huion tou Theou, gennēthenta ek tou Patros monogenē, toutestin ek tēs ousias tou Patros, Theon ek Theou, phōs ek phōtos, Theon alēthinon ek Theou alēthinou, gennēthenta, ou poiēthenta, homoousion tǭ Patri, di' hou ta panta egeneto, ta te en tǭ ouranǭ kai ta epi tēs gēs; ton di᾽ hēmas tous anthrōpous kai dia tēn hēmeenanthrōpēsanta, pathonta, kai anastanta tę̄ tritę̄ hēmerą, kai anelthonta eis tous ouranous, erchomenon krinai zōntas kai nekrous; kai eis to Pneuma to hagion. Tous de legontas, ēn pote, hote ouk ēn, kai, Prin genēthēnai, ouk ēn, kai hoti Ex ouk ontōn egeneto, ē ex heteras hypostaseōs ē ousias phaskontas einai, ē ktiston, ē trepton, ē alloiōton ton Huion tou Theou, toutous anathematizei hē katholikē kai apostolikē Ekklēsia
“We believe in one God, the Father almighty, maker of all things visible and invisible; and in the one Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, begotten from the Father, only-begotten, that is, from the essence of the Father, God from God, light from light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, consubstantial with the Father, through whom all things came to be, those in heaven and those on earth; who for us men and for our [salvation came down and was made flesh], became man, suffered, rose on the third day, ascended into the heavens, and is coming to judge the living and the dead; and in the Holy Spirit. Those who say, ‘There was once when he was not,’ and, ‘Before he was begotten he was not,’ and that ‘He came to be from nothing,’ or who assert that the Son of God is from another hypostasis or essence, or created, or changeable, or alterable—these the catholic and apostolic Church anathematizes.”
Textual problem in this passage: see the notes.
John 1:14 (allusion, medium confidence) · John 1:3 (allusion, medium confidence) · 2 Tim 4:1 (allusion, medium confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: The bishops quote the creed of Nicaea with its anathemas against the Arian formulas.
- A line of the creed is lost in the scan OCR after “for our”; the bracketed words are supplied from the creed of Nicaea as given elsewhere by Athanasius. The anathemas condemn the Arian formulas as the creed states them.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR slip; word split at a line break): ὧν ποτε → ἦν ποτε; φάσκον τας → φάσκοντας.
Topics: Trinity, Christology, Heresy
Cite (SBL): Athanasius, Ep. brev. 1.3 (PG 26:817–818; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/athanasius-epistulae-breves/1-3). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/athanasius-epistulae-breves/1-3
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 26-27 (Bavarian State Library OCR); letters compared afterwards with NPNF2 4; the other works re-read against the Greek, as no public-domain English exists.
1.4PG 26:817–820
Ταύτῃ τῇ πίστει, Αὔγουστε, πάντας ἐπιμένειν ἀναγκαῖον, ὡς θείᾳ καὶ ἀποστολικῇ, καὶ μηδένα μετακινεῖν αὐτὴν πιθανολογίαις καὶ λογομαχίαις, ὅπερ πεποιήκασιν οἱ ᾿Αρειομανῖται ἐξ οὐκ ὄντων τὸν Υἱὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ λέγοντες, καὶ ὅτι ἦν ποτε ὅτε οὐκ ἦν, καὶ κτιστὸς, καὶ ποιητὸς, καὶ τρεπτός ἐστι. Διὰ τοῦτο γὰρ, καθὰ προείπομεν, καὶ ἡ ἐν Νικαίᾳ σύνοδος ἀνεθεμάτισε τὴν τοιαύτην αἴρεσιν, τὴν δὲ τῆς ἀληθείας πίστιν ὡμολόγησεν. Οὐ γὰρ ἁπλῶς ὅμοιον εἰρήκασι τὸν Υἱὸν τῷ Πατρὶ, ἵνα μὴ ἁπλῶς ὅμοιος Θεῷ, ἀλλ' ἐκ Θεοῦ Θεὸς ἀληθινὸς πιστεύηται· ἀλλ᾽ ὁμοούσιος ἔγραψαν, ὅπερ ἴδιον ἦν γνησίου καὶ ἀληθινοῦ Υἱοῦ, ἀληθινοῦ καὶ φύσει τοῦ Πατρός. ᾿Αλλ' οὐδὲ ἀπηλλοτρίωσαν τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον ἀπὸ τοῦ Πατρὸς καὶ τοῦ Υἱοῦ, ἀλλὰ μᾶλλον συνεδόξασαν αὐτὸ τῷ Πατρὶ καὶ τῷ Υἱῷ ἐν τῇ μιᾷ τῆς ἁγίας Τριάδος πίστει, διὰ τὸ καὶ μίαν εἶναι ἐν τῇ ἁγίᾳ Τριάδι θεότητα.
Tautę̄ tę̄ pistei, Augouste, pantas epimenein anankaion, hōs theią kai apostolikę̄, kai mēdena metakinein autēn pithanologiais kai logomachiais, hoper pepoiēkasin hoi ᾿Areiomanitai ex ouk ontōn ton Huion tou Theou legontes, kai hoti ēn pote hote ouk ēn, kai ktistos, kai poiētos, kai treptos esti. Dia touto gar, katha proeipomen, kai hē en Nikaią synodos anethematise tēn toiautēn airesin, tēn de tēs alētheias pistin hōmologēsen. Ou gar haplōs homoion eirēkasi ton Huion tǭ Patri, hina mē haplōs homoios Theǭ, all' ek Theou Theos alēthinos pisteuētai; all᾽ homoousios egrapsan, hoper idion ēn gnēsiou kai alēthinou Huiou, alēthinou kai physei tou Patros. ᾿All' oude apēllotriōsan to Pneuma to hagion apo tou Patros kai tou Huiou, alla mallon synedoxasan auto tǭ Patri kai tǭ Huiǭ en tę̄ mią tēs hagias Triados pistei, dia to kai mian einai en tę̄ hagią Triadi theotēta.
In this faith, Augustus, all must necessarily abide, as divine and apostolic, and no one must shift it by persuasive arguments and disputes about words, as the Ariomaniacs have done, saying that the Son of God is from nothing, that there was once when he was not, and that he is created, made, and changeable. For this reason, as we said before, the council at Nicaea anathematized this heresy and confessed the faith of the truth. For they did not say simply that the Son is like the Father, lest he be believed simply like God rather than true God from God; but they wrote “consubstantial,” which is proper to a genuine and true Son, true and by nature from the Father. Nor did they estrange the Holy Spirit from the Father and the Son, but rather glorified him together with the Father and the Son in the one faith of the holy Trinity, because there is also one Godhead in the holy Trinity.
Textual problem in this passage: see the notes.
1 Tim 6:4 (echo, low confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: The bishops urge Jovian to hold to the Nicene faith, explaining that “consubstantial” marks the Son as true Son by nature and that the Spirit is glorified with Father and Son in the one Godhead.
- A block of Migne’s variant readings and marginal text (καὶ αἱ κατὰ ἀνατολὰς Ἐκκλησίαι … Πολλῷ γὰρ χρόνῳ,) printed into the middle of a sentence is removed. “Ariomaniacs” renders Athanasius’s polemical name for the Arians. “Disputes about words” recalls 1 Tim 6:4.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (Migne's variant readings and marginal text printed into the text): καὶ αἱ κατὰ ἀνατολὰς Ἐκκλησίαι. καὶ καὶ τὰς κατὰ ἀνατολὴν Ἐκκλησίας. Μox κριμα ποιεῖν πάσῃ τῇ οἰκουμένη. Πολλῷ γὰρ χρόνῳ, → .
Cite (SBL): Athanasius, Ep. brev. 1.4 (PG 26:817–820; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/athanasius-epistulae-breves/1-4). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/athanasius-epistulae-breves/1-4
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 26-27 (Bavarian State Library OCR); letters compared afterwards with NPNF2 4; the other works re-read against the Greek, as no public-domain English exists.
Chapter 2
2.0PG 26:1165–1166
᾿Αθανάσιος Ἰωάννῃ καὶ ᾿Αντιόχῳ, τοῖς ἀγαπητοῖς υἱοῖς και συμπρεσβυτέροις, ἐν Κυρίῳ χαίρειν.
᾿Athanasios Iōannę̄ kai ᾿Antiochǭ, tois agapētois huiois kai sympresbyterois, en Kyriǭ chairein.
Athanasius to John and Antiochus, his beloved sons and fellow presbyters, greeting in the Lord.
Notes and citation
Summary: The address of Athanasius’s letter to the presbyters John and Antiochus.
Cite (SBL): Athanasius, Ep. brev. 2.0 (PG 26:1165–1166; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/athanasius-epistulae-breves/2-0). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/athanasius-epistulae-breves/2-0
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 26-27 (Bavarian State Library OCR); letters compared afterwards with NPNF2 4; the other works re-read against the Greek, as no public-domain English exists.
2.1PG 26:1165–1168
Ἐχάρην δεξάμενος ὑμῶν καὶ νῦν ἐπιστολὴν, ὅτι μάλιστα ἀπὸ Ἱεροσολύμων ἐγράψατε· καὶ χάριν ὑμῖν ἔχω, ὅτι ἐδηλώσατε περὶ τῶν ἀδελφῶν, τῶν ἐκεῖ συναγομένων, καὶ περὶ τῶν βουλομένων προφάσει ζητημάτων ταράττειν τοὺς ἀκεραίους. ᾿Ἀλλὰ περὶ μὲν τούτων παραγγελλέτω ὁ ᾿Απόστολος, Μὴ προσέχειν τοῖς τοὺς ἀδελφούς. Προσαγορεύουσιν ὑμᾶς οἱ σὺν ἐμοί. καινὸν καὶ ἀκούειν. Ὑμεῖς δὲ, ἔχοντες τὸν θεμέλιον ἀσφαλῇ, ὅς ἐστιν Ἰησοῦς ὁ Χριστὸς, ὁ Κύριος ἡμῶν, καὶ τὴν τῶν Πατέρων περὶ τῆς ἀληθείας ὁμολογίαν, τοὺς πλέον τι ταύτης ἢ ἔλαττον λαλεῖν θέλοντας ἀποστρέφεσθε καὶ μᾶλλον τῆς τῶν ἀδελφῶν ὠφελείας γίνεσθε, εἰς τὸ φοβεῖσθαι τὸν Θεὸν, καὶ τὰς ἐντολὰς τηρεῖν· ἵνα καὶ ἐκ τῆς διδασκαλίας τῶν Πατέρων, καὶ ἐκ τῆς τῶν ἐντολῶν τηρήσεως δυνηθῶσιν εὐάρεστοι τῷ Κυρίῳ φανῆναι ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ τῆς κρίσεως. Πάνυ δὲ τεθαύμακα τὴν θρασύτητα τῶν τολμώντων λαλεῖν κατὰ τοῦ ἀγαπητοῦ ἡμῶν, τοῦ ἀληθῶς Θεοῦ δούλου Βασιλείου τοῦ ἐπισκόπου. Ἐκ γὰρ τῆς τοιαύτης φλυαρίας ἐλέγχεσθαι δυνήσονται, ὡς οὐδὲ τῶν Ἐῤῥῶσθαι ὑμᾶς ἐν Κυρίῳ εὔχομαι, ἀγαπητοὶ καὶ ποθεινότατοι υἱοί.
Echarēn dexamenos hymōn kai nyn epistolēn, hoti malista apo Hierosolymōn egrapsate; kai charin hymin echō, hoti edēlōsate peri tōn adelphōn, tōn ekei synagomenōn, kai peri tōn boulomenōn prophasei zētēmatōn tarattein tous akeraious. ᾿Alla peri men toutōn parangelletō ho ᾿Apostolos, Mē prosechein tois tous adelphous. Prosagoreuousin hymas hoi syn emoi. kainon kai akouein. Hymeis de, echontes ton themelion asphalę̄, hos estin Iēsous ho Christos, ho Kyrios hēmōn, kai tēn tōn Paterōn peri tēs alētheias homologian, tous pleon ti tautēs ē elatton lalein thelontas apostrephesthe kai mallon tēs tōn adelphōn ōpheleias ginesthe, eis to phobeisthai ton Theon, kai tas entolas tērein; hina kai ek tēs didaskalias tōn Paterōn, kai ek tēs tōn entolōn tērēseōs dynēthōsin euarestoi tǭ Kyriǭ phanēnai en tę̄ hēmerą tēs kriseōs. Pany de tethaumaka tēn thrasytēta tōn tolmōntōn lalein kata tou agapētou hēmōn, tou alēthōs Theou doulou Basileiou tou episkopou. Ek gar tēs toiautēs phlyarias elenchesthai dynēsontai, hōs oude tōn Errhōsthai hymas en Kyriǭ euchomai, agapētoi kai potheinotatoi huioi.
I was glad to receive your letter now too, especially because you wrote from Jerusalem; and I thank you for informing me about the brothers who assemble there and about those who wish, on the pretext of questions, to trouble the simple. But concerning these, let the Apostle give the command, “not to pay attention to …” … [to tell] something new and to hear it. But you, having the sure foundation, which is Jesus the Christ our Lord, and the confession of the Fathers concerning the truth, turn away from those who wish to say anything more or less than it, and rather devote yourselves to the benefit of the brothers, that they may fear God and keep his commandments; so that from the teaching of the Fathers and from the keeping of the commandments they may be able to appear pleasing to the Lord on the day of judgment. I have been greatly astonished at the boldness of those who dare to speak against our beloved Basil the bishop, truly a servant of God. For by such foolish talk they can be proved not even [to love] the … [Greet] the brothers. Those with me greet you. I pray that you may be well in the Lord, beloved and most dearly longed-for sons.
Textual problem in this passage: see the notes.
Acts 17:21 (allusion, medium confidence) · 1 Cor 3:11 (allusion, high confidence) · Eccl 12:13 (allusion, medium confidence) · 1 Tim 6:4 (echo, low confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Athanasius encourages two presbyters in Jerusalem to hold to the Fathers’ confession, avoid novelties, and reject those who slander Bishop Basil.
- Lines are lost in the scan OCR after the Apostle’s command “not to pay attention to” and after “not even.” The closing greetings (“the brothers. Those with me greet you”) are displaced in the OCR into the middle of the letter and are placed at the end; the last line was restored from the raw OCR. “Something new … to hear it” recalls Acts 17:21. The Basil defended here is Basil of Caesarea. NPNF² 4 numbers this Letter 62.
Topics: Heresy
Cite (SBL): Athanasius, Ep. brev. 2.1 (PG 26:1165–1168; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/athanasius-epistulae-breves/2-1). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/athanasius-epistulae-breves/2-1
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 26-27 (Bavarian State Library OCR); letters compared afterwards with NPNF2 4; the other works re-read against the Greek, as no public-domain English exists.
Chapter 3
3.0PG 26:1167–1168
᾿Αγαπητῷ υἱῷ Παλλαδίῳ πρεσβυτέρῳ ᾿Αθανάσιος ὁ ἐπίσκοπος, ἐν Κυρίῳ χαίρειν.
᾿Agapētǭ huiǭ Palladiǭ presbyterǭ ᾿Athanasios ho episkopos, en Kyriǭ chairein.
To his beloved son Palladius the presbyter, Athanasius the bishop, greeting in the Lord.
Notes and citation
Summary: The address of Athanasius’s letter to the presbyter Palladius.
Cite (SBL): Athanasius, Ep. brev. 3.0 (PG 26:1167–1168; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/athanasius-epistulae-breves/3-0). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/athanasius-epistulae-breves/3-0
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 26-27 (Bavarian State Library OCR); letters compared afterwards with NPNF2 4; the other works re-read against the Greek, as no public-domain English exists.
3.1PG 26:1167–1170
Καὶ τὴν παρὰ σοῦ μόνου γραφεῖσαν ἐπιστολὴν δεξάμενος, ἐχάρην, μάλιστα ὅτι συνήθως ἔπνεες ὀρθοδοξίας. Καὶ τὴν αἰτίαν δὲ ἣν μετὰ τοῦ ἀγαπητοῦ ἡμῶν Ἰνοκεντίου διάγεις, οὐ πρῶτον νῦν, ἀλλ᾽ ἔκπαλαι μαθὼν, ἀπεδεξάμην σου τὴν εὐλάβειαν. Οὕτω τοίνυν πράττων, γράφε καὶ γνώριζε ἡμῖν, πῶς ἐκεῖ οἱ ἀδελφοὶ καὶ πῶς οἱ ἐχθροὶ τῆς ἀληθείας περὶ ἡμῶν διανοοῦνται. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ καὶ περὶ τῶν μοναζόντων τῶν ἐν Καισαρείᾳ ἐδήλωσας· ἔμαθον δὲ παρὰ τοῦ ἀγαπητοῦ ἡμῶν Διανίου, ὡς λυπουμένων καὶ ἀνθισταμένων αὐτῶν τῷ ἀγαπητῷ ἡμῶν Βασιλείῳ τῷ ἐπισκόπῳ· σὲ μὲν ἀπεδεξάμην δηλώσαντα, αὐτοῖς δὲ τὰ πρέποντα δεδήλωκα · ἵν᾿ ὡς τέκνα ὑπακούωσι πατρὶ, καὶ μὴ ἀντιλέγωσιν, οἷς αὐτὸς δοκιμάζει. Εἰ μὲν γὰρ ὕποπτος ἦν περὶ τὴν ἀλήθειαν, καλῶς ἐμάχοντο· εἰ δὲ τεθαῤῥήκασι, τεθαῤῥήκαμεν δὲ καὶ πάντες ἡμεῖς, ὡς καύχημα τῆς Ἐκκλησίας ἐστὶν, ἀγωνιζόμενος μᾶλλον ὑπὲρ τῆς ἀληθείας, καὶ διδάσκων τοὺς δεομένους· οὐ χρὴ πρὸς τὸν τοιοῦτον μάχεσθαι, ἀλλὰ καὶ μᾶλλον ἀποδέχεσθαι τὴν ἀγαθὴν αὐτοῦ συνείδησιν. Ἐξ ὧν γὰρ διηγήσατο ὁ ἀγαπητὸς Διάνιος, μάτην φαίνονται ἀσθενοῦσιν ἀσθενὴς γίνεται, ἵνα τοὺς ἀσθενεῖς κερδήσῃ· οἱ δὲ ἀγαπητοὶ ἡμῶν, ἀποβλέποντες εἰς τὸν σκοπὸν τῆς ἀληθείας αὐτοῦ, καὶ τὴν οἰκονομίαν, δοξαζέτωσαν τὸν Κύριον, τὸν δεδωκότα τῇ Καππαδοκίᾳ τοιοῦτον ἐπίσκοπον, οἷον καὶ ἑκάστη χώρα ἔχειν εὔχεται. Καὶ σὺ οὖν, ἀγαπητέ, θέλησον αὐτοῖς δηλῶσαι, ἵνα, ὡς ἔγραψα, πεισθῶσι. Τοῦτο γὰρ καὶ αὐτοὺς συνίστησιν εὐγνώμονας πρὸς πατέρα· τοῦτο καὶ […] εἰρήνην ταῖς Ἐκκλησίαις διαφυλάξει. […] σε ἐν Κυρίῳ εὔχομαι, ἀγαπητὲ υἱέ.
Kai tēn para sou monou grapheisan epistolēn dexamenos, echarēn, malista hoti synēthōs epnees orthodoxias. Kai tēn aitian de hēn meta tou agapētou hēmōn Inokentiou diageis, ou prōton nyn, all᾽ ekpalai mathōn, apedexamēn sou tēn eulabeian. Houtō toinyn prattōn, graphe kai gnōrize hēmin, pōs ekei hoi adelphoi kai pōs hoi echthroi tēs alētheias peri hēmōn dianoountai. Epeidē de kai peri tōn monazontōn tōn en Kaisareią edēlōsas; emathon de para tou agapētou hēmōn Dianiou, hōs lypoumenōn kai anthistamenōn autōn tǭ agapētǭ hēmōn Basileiǭ tǭ episkopǭ; se men apedexamēn dēlōsanta, autois de ta preponta dedēlōka ; hin᾿ hōs tekna hypakouōsi patri, kai mē antilegōsin, hois autos dokimazei. Ei men gar hypoptos ēn peri tēn alētheian, kalōs emachonto; ei de tetharrhēkasi, tetharrhēkamen de kai pantes hēmeis, hōs kauchēma tēs Ekklēsias estin, agōnizomenos mallon hyper tēs alētheias, kai didaskōn tous deomenous; ou chrē pros ton toiouton machesthai, alla kai mallon apodechesthai tēn agathēn autou syneidēsin. Ex hōn gar diēgēsato ho agapētos Dianios, matēn phainontai asthenousin asthenēs ginetai, hina tous astheneis kerdēsę̄; hoi de agapētoi hēmōn, apoblepontes eis ton skopon tēs alētheias autou, kai tēn oikonomian, doxazetōsan ton Kyrion, ton dedōkota tę̄ Kappadokią toiouton episkopon, hoion kai hekastē chōra echein euchetai. Kai sy oun, agapēte, thelēson autois dēlōsai, hina, hōs egrapsa, peisthōsi. Touto gar kai autous synistēsin eugnōmonas pros patera; touto kai […] eirēnēn tais Ekklēsiais diaphylaxei. […] se en Kyriǭ euchomai, agapēte huie.
I was glad to receive the letter written by you alone, especially because, as usual, it breathed orthodoxy. And as for the reason for which you are living with our beloved Innocent, I learned it not now for the first time but long ago, and I approved your reverence. Continue, then, to act so, and write and let us know how the brothers there are, and how the enemies of the truth think about us. And since you have also told me about the monks in Caesarea—and I learned from our beloved Dianius that they are aggrieved and are opposing our beloved Basil the bishop—I have welcomed your report, and I have told them what is fitting: that as children they should obey their father and not contradict what he himself approves. For if he were suspect concerning the truth, they would do well to fight; but if they are confident—and we are all confident—that he is a boast of the Church, contending rather for the truth and teaching those who need it, they ought not to fight against such a man, but rather welcome his good conscience. For from what our beloved Dianius has related, they seem to be [troubled] in vain … “to the weak he becomes weak, so as to win the weak.” But let our beloved ones, looking to the aim of his truth and to his economy, glorify the Lord, who has given Cappadocia such a bishop as every region prays to have. And you, beloved, be willing to tell them so, that they may be persuaded as I have written. For this both commends them as grateful toward their father and will preserve peace for the churches. […] I pray [that you are well] in the Lord, beloved son.
Textual problem in this passage: see the notes.
1 Cor 9:22 (quotation, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Athanasius asks the presbyter Palladius to persuade the monks of Caesarea to stop opposing Bishop Basil, whose orthodoxy he vouches for and whose cautious “economy” serves the weak.
- A line is lost in the scan OCR before the adapted quotation of 1 Cor 9:22. The monks’ complaint probably concerned Basil’s reserve in calling the Holy Spirit God, which Athanasius here calls his “economy.” The edition’s brackets […] mark lost lines near the end. Innocent and Dianius are not otherwise identified in the letter. NPNF² 4 numbers this Letter 63.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR slip; stray mark in the scan OCR): ἐρθοδοξίας → ὀρθοδοξίας; Θῦτω → Οὕτω; πῶς ( ἐκεῖ → πῶς ἐκεῖ.
Topics: Church office
Cite (SBL): Athanasius, Ep. brev. 3.1 (PG 26:1167–1170; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/athanasius-epistulae-breves/3-1). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/athanasius-epistulae-breves/3-1
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-athanasius-epistulae-breves-3-1) · Report an error
Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 26-27 (Bavarian State Library OCR); letters compared afterwards with NPNF2 4; the other works re-read against the Greek, as no public-domain English exists.