History of the Arians 3–21
Greek text: PG 25.English: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), public domain (CC0). Compare: Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 2, vol. 4 (1892).
Chapter 3
3PG 25:697a–697d
Ταῦτα καὶ νῦν δρῶσι, καὶ πάλαι πεποιήκασιν οἱ δυσσεβεῖς κατὰ τῶν ὀρθοδόξων, γνώρισμα τῆς ἑαυτῶν κακοηθείας καὶ ἀσεβείας πανταχοῦ παρά πᾶσι παρασχόντες. Ἔστω γὰρ, Ἀθανάσιον ᾐτιάσαντο, τί καὶ οἱ ἄλλοι πεποιήκασιν ἐπίσκοποι; Ποίας ἄρα προφάσεις εἶχον, ἢ ποῖος ἄρα κάκεῖ νεκρὸς Ἀρσένιος εὑρὲθη; ποῖος παρʼ αὐτοῖς Μακάριος πρεσβύτερος, καὶ ποτήριον κέκλασται ; ποῖος Μελιτιανὸς ὑπεκρίνετο ; Ἀλλʼ ὡς ἔοικεν ἐξ ἐκείνων, καὶ τά κατά Ἀθανάσιον δείκνυται ψευδῆʼ καὶ ἐξ ὧν δὲ Ἀθανασίῳ ἐπεχείρησαν, δῆλα καὶ τὰ κατʼ ἐκείνων ἐστὶ πεπλασμένα. Μέγα τι θηρίον ἐξῆλθεν ἐπὶ γῆς, ἡ αʼίρεσις αὕτηʼ οὐ γὰρ μόνον τοῖς μασι ὡς τοῖς ὀδοῦσι βλάπτει τοὺς ἀκεραίους, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὴν ἔξωθεν ἐξουσίαν ἐμισθώσατο πρὸς ἐπιβουλὴν. Καὶ τὸ παράδοξον, ὅτι, καθὰ προεῖπον, οὐδεὶς ἐκείνων κατηγορεῖταιο ἂν δὲ κατηγορηθῇ, οὐ κρίνεται, ἢ δόξας ἀκούεσθαι, δικαιοῦται κατά τῶν ἐλεγχόντων· καὶ μᾶλλον ὁ ἐλέγχων ἐπιβουλεύεται, ἢ ὁ ὑπεύθυνος ὅλως ἐντρέπεται. Πάντες οὖν οἱ παρʼ αὐτοῖς μεστοὶ ῥύπου τυγχάνουσι· καὶ οἱ παρʼ αὐτοῖς κατάσκοποι, οὗ γὰρ ἐπίσκοποι, μᾶλλόν εἰσι πάντων ῥυπαρώτεροι. Καὶ εἷʼ τις παρʼ αὐτοῖς ἐπίσκοπος θέλει γενέσθαι, οὐκ ἀκούει· Δεῖ τὸν ἐπίσκοπον ἀνεπίληπτον εἶναι· ἀλλά μόνονʼ Φρόνει κατᾶ Χριστοῦ, καὶ μή φρόντιζε περὶ τρόπων· ἀρκεῖ γὰρ ἐκεῖνό σοι πρὸς σύστασιν, καὶ πρὸς βασιλέως φιλίαν. Ταῦτα μὲν περὶ τῶν τὰ τοῦ Ἀρείου φρονούντων· οἱ δὲ τῆς ἀληθείας ζηλωταὶ, κᾶν ἅγιοι καὶ καθαροὶ φαίνωνται, καθὰ προεῖπον, ἀλλʼ ὑπεύθυνοι γίνονται, ὅταν οὗτοι θὲλωσι, καὶ ὡς ἂν αὐτοῖς δοκῇ, πρόφασιν πλασαμένοιςʼ καὶ τοῦτο ἔξεστι, καθά προεῖπον, ἐκ τῶν παρʼ αὐτῶν πραχθέντων συνιδεῖν.
Tauta kai nyn drōsi, kai palai pepoiēkasin hoi dyssebeis kata tōn orthodoxōn, gnōrisma tēs heautōn kakoētheias kai asebeias pantachou para pasi paraschontes. Estō gar, Athanasion ę̄tiasanto, ti kai hoi alloi pepoiēkasin episkopoi? Poias ara prophaseis eichon, ē poios ara kakei nekros Arsenios heurethē? poios parʼ autois Makarios presbyteros, kai potērion keklastai ? poios Melitianos hypekrineto ? Allʼ hōs eoiken ex ekeinōn, kai ta kata Athanasion deiknytai pseudēʼ kai ex hōn de Athanasiǭ epecheirēsan, dēla kai ta katʼ ekeinōn esti peplasmena. Mega ti thērion exēlthen epi gēs, hē aʼiresis hautēʼ ou gar monon tois masi hōs tois odousi blaptei tous akeraious, alla kai tēn exōthen exousian emisthōsato pros epiboulēn. Kai to paradoxon, hoti, katha proeipon, oudeis ekeinōn katēgoreitaio an de katēgorēthę̄, ou krinetai, ē doxas akouesthai, dikaioutai kata tōn elenchontōn; kai mallon ho elenchōn epibouleuetai, ē ho hypeuthynos holōs entrepetai. Pantes oun hoi parʼ autois mestoi rhypou tynchanousi; kai hoi parʼ autois kataskopoi, hou gar episkopoi, mallon eisi pantōn rhyparōteroi. Kai heiʼ tis parʼ autois episkopos thelei genesthai, ouk akouei; Dei ton episkopon anepilēpton einai; alla mononʼ Phronei kata Christou, kai mē phrontize peri tropōn; arkei gar ekeino soi pros systasin, kai pros basileōs philian. Tauta men peri tōn ta tou Areiou phronountōn; hoi de tēs alētheias zēlōtai, kan hagioi kai katharoi phainōntai, katha proeipon, allʼ hypeuthynoi ginontai, hotan houtoi thelōsi, kai hōs an autois dokę̄, prophasin plasamenoisʼ kai touto exesti, katha proeipon, ek tōn parʼ autōn prachthentōn synidein.
These things the impious do now and have done long ago against the orthodox, everywhere giving all a token of their malice and impiety. For grant that they accused Athanasius—what had the other bishops done? What pretexts had they? Or what dead Arsenius was found in their case too? What presbyter Macarius did they have, and what cup was broken? What Meletian played the part? But, as it seems, from those cases the charges against Athanasius too are shown to be false; and from what they attempted against Athanasius it is plain that the charges against those others were fabricated as well. A great beast has come forth upon the earth, this heresy; for it harms the simple not only with its words as with teeth, but has also hired outside power for its plotting. And the strange thing is that, as I said before, none of them is ever accused; or if he is accused, he is not tried; or if he seems to be heard, he is acquitted against those who convict him; and it is rather the one who convicts who is plotted against than the guilty one who is put to shame at all. All their people, then, are full of filth; and their overseers—for they are spies rather than bishops—are the filthiest of all. And if anyone among them wishes to become a bishop, he does not hear, “A bishop must be blameless,” but only, “Think against Christ, and do not trouble about morals; that is enough for your recommendation and for the emperor’s friendship.” So much for those who hold the views of Arius. But the zealots for the truth, even if they appear holy and pure, as I said before, become guilty whenever these men wish, and as it seems good to them, inventing a pretext; and this one may see, as I said, from what they have done.
1 Tim 3:2 (quotation, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Athanasius argues that the Arians’ treatment of many other bishops shows that the charges against him were invented, and contrasts their protection of the guilty with their persecution of the orthodox.
- “Spies rather than bishops” renders the wordplay κατάσκοποι / ἐπίσκοποι. “A bishop must be blameless”: 1 Tim 3:2. The polemic is translated as written.
Topics: Heresy, Church office
Cite (SBL): Athanasius, H. Ar. 3 (PG 25:697a–697d; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-historia-arianorum/3/#p-3). (abbreviation not yet checked)
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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Migne PG 25 scan text; compared in full afterwards with NPNF² 4.
Chapter 4
4PG 25:697d–700d
Εὐστάθιός τις ἦν ἐπίσκοπος τῆς Ἀντιοχείας, ἀνὴρ ὁμολογητὴς, καὶ τὴν πίστιν εὐσεβής. Οὗτος, ἐπειδὴ πολὺς ἦν ζηλῶν ὑπὲρ τῆς ἀληθείας, τήν τε ’Δρειανήν αʼίρεσιν ἐμίσει, καὶ τοὺς φρονοῦντας τὰ ἐκείνης οὐκ ἐδέχετο, διαβάλλεται Κωνσταντίνῳ τῷ βασιλεῖ, πρόφασίς τε ἐπινοεῖται, ὡς μητρὶ αὑτοῦ ποιήσας ὓβριν ο καὶ εὐθὺς ἐξόριστος αὐτός τε γίνεται, καὶ πολὺς σὺν αὐτῷ πρεσβυτέρων καὶ διακόνων ἀριθμόςο καὶ λοιπὸν οὓς οὐκ ἐδέχετο διὰ τὴν ἀσέβειαν εἰς κλῆρον, τούτους μετά τὸ ἐξορισθῆναι τὸν ἐπίσκοπον οὐ μόνον εἰσήγαγον είς τὴν Ἐκκλησίαν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοὺς πλείστους ἐπισκόπους κατέστησαν, ἶνʼ ἔχωσι συνωμότας ὲαυξῶν είς τὴν ἀσέβειαν. Ἐκ τούτων ἐστὶ Λεόντιος ὀ ἀπόκοποις, 6 νῦν ὲν Ἀντιοχείᾳ, καὶ 6 πρὸ αὑτοῦ Στέφανος, Γεώργιός τε 6 ὲν Λαοδικείᾳ, καὶ 6 γενόμενος ὲν Τριπόλει Θεοδόσιος, Εὐδόξιός τε 6 ἐν Γερμανικείᾳ. καί Εὑστάθιος 6 νῦν ἐν Σεβαστείᾳ. ’Ἆρʼ οὖν μέχρι τούτων ἕστησαν; Οὐχί · καὶ γὰρ καὶ Εὐτρόπιος 6 ὲν Ἀδριανουπόλει γενόμενος ἐπίο σκοπος, ἀνὴρ ἀγαθὸς, καὶ ὲν πᾶσι τέλειος, ἐπειδὴ πολλάκις τὸν Εὑσέβιον ἤλεγξε, τοῖς τε διοδεύουσι συνεβούλευε μὴ πείθεσθαι τοῖς ἀσεβέσιν Εὑσεβίου ῥήμασι, τά αὑτά τῷ Εὐσταθίῳ πάσχει, καὶ τῆς πόλεως καὶ τῆς Ἐκκλησίας ἐκβάλλεται ο Βασιλίνα γάρ ἦν ή πάνυ κατʼ αὐτοῦ σπουδάζουσα. Εὑφρατίων γὰρ 6 ὲν Καλαναῖς, καὶ Κυμάτιος 6 ὲν Παλτῷ, καὶ Κυμάτιος ἕτερος 6 ὲν Ταράδῳ, καὶ ό ὲν Γάζῃ ’Δσκληπᾶς, καὶ Κῦρος 6 ὲν Βεροίᾳ τῆς Συρίας, καὶ Διόδωρος 6 ἐν Ἀσία, καὶ Δομνίων ὲν Σιρμίῳ, καὶ Ἑλλάνικος 6 ὲν Τριπόλει, μόνον ἐγνώσθησαν μ·σοῦντες τὴν αἵρεσιν, καὶ τοὺς μὲν μετά προφάσεως, τοὺς δὲ χωρὶς ταύτης, βασιλικοῖς γράμμασι μεταστήσαντες, τῆς τε πόλεως ἐκβαλόντες, ἐτέρους ἀντʼ αὐτῶν, οὖς ἐγίνωσκον ἀσεβοῦντας, είς τὰς ἐκείνων Ἑκκλη σίας κατέστη σαν.
Eustathios tis ēn episkopos tēs Antiocheias, anēr homologētēs, kai tēn pistin eusebēs. Houtos, epeidē polys ēn zēlōn hyper tēs alētheias, tēn te ’Dreianēn aʼiresin emisei, kai tous phronountas ta ekeinēs ouk edecheto, diaballetai Kōnstantinǭ tǭ basilei, prophasis te epinoeitai, hōs mētri hautou poiēsas hybrin o kai euthys exoristos autos te ginetai, kai polys syn autǭ presbyterōn kai diakonōn arithmoso kai loipon hous ouk edecheto dia tēn asebeian eis klēron, toutous meta to exoristhēnai ton episkopon ou monon eisēgagon eis tēn Ekklēsian, alla kai tous pleistous episkopous katestēsan, inʼ echōsi synōmotas eauxōn eis tēn asebeian. Ek toutōn esti Leontios o apokopois, 6 nyn en Antiocheią, kai 6 pro hautou Stephanos, Geōrgios te 6 en Laodikeią, kai 6 genomenos en Tripolei Theodosios, Eudoxios te 6 en Germanikeią. kai Heustathios 6 nyn en Sebasteią. ’Arʼ oun mechri toutōn hestēsan? Ouchi ; kai gar kai Eutropios 6 en Adrianoupolei genomenos epio skopos, anēr agathos, kai en pasi teleios, epeidē pollakis ton Heusebion ēlenxe, tois te diodeuousi synebouleue mē peithesthai tois asebesin Heusebiou rhēmasi, ta hauta tǭ Eustathiǭ paschei, kai tēs poleōs kai tēs Ekklēsias ekballetai o Basilina gar ēn ē pany katʼ autou spoudazousa. Heuphratiōn gar 6 en Kalanais, kai Kymatios 6 en Paltǭ, kai Kymatios heteros 6 en Taradǭ, kai o en Gazę̄ ’Dsklēpas, kai Kyros 6 en Beroią tēs Syrias, kai Diodōros 6 en Asia, kai Domniōn en Sirmiǭ, kai Hellanikos 6 en Tripolei, monon egnōsthēsan m;sountes tēn hairesin, kai tous men meta prophaseōs, tous de chōris tautēs, basilikois grammasi metastēsantes, tēs te poleōs ekbalontes, eterous antʼ autōn, ous eginōskon asebountas, eis tas ekeinōn Hekklē sias katestē san.
There was one Eustathius, bishop of Antioch, a confessor and pious in the faith. Because he was very zealous for the truth, hated the Arian heresy, and would not receive those who held its views, he is slandered to the emperor Constantine, and a pretext is devised, that he had insulted the emperor’s mother; and at once he is exiled, and with him a great number of presbyters and deacons. Then those whom he had refused to admit to the clergy because of their impiety, once the bishop had been exiled, they not only brought into the Church, but made most of them bishops, so that they might have confederates in their impiety. Of these are Leontius the eunuch, now at Antioch, and Stephen before him, George at Laodicea, Theodosius who was at Tripolis, Eudoxius at Germanicia, and Eustathius, now at Sebastia. [5] Did they then stop here? No. For Eutropius too, who was bishop of Adrianople, a good man and perfect in all things, because he often refuted Eusebius and advised those passing through not to trust the impious words of Eusebius, suffers the same as Eustathius and is cast out of the city and the church; for it was Basilina who was very zealous against him. Euphration of Balanea, Cymatius of Paltus, another Cymatius of Antaradus, Asclepas of Gaza, Cyrus of Beroea in Syria, Diodorus in Asia, Domnion of Sirmium, and Hellanicus of Tripolis—these were known only to hate the heresy; and some on a pretext, others without one, they removed by imperial letters and drove out of their cities, and appointed in their churches others whom they knew to be impious.
Notes and citation
Summary: Athanasius lists Eustathius of Antioch, Eutropius of Adrianople, and other bishops deposed on pretexts and replaced by Arians.
- The numeral of chapter 5 stands in the scan inside this staged section; it is marked [5]. The emperor’s mother is Helena. Basilina was the mother of the future emperor Julian. “Antaradus” renders Ταράδῳ (uncertain). OCR debris is removed by logged corrections.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR debris; chapter numeral (chapter 5) left in the running text): Σεβαστείᾳ 5. → Σεβαστείᾳ.; Σιρμίῳ (ιι). → Σιρμίῳ,.
Topics: Church office, Persecution, Heresy
Cite (SBL): Athanasius, H. Ar. 4 (PG 25:697d–700d; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-historia-arianorum/3/#p-4). (abbreviation not yet checked)
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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Migne PG 25 scan text; compared in full afterwards with NPNF² 4.
Chapter 6
6PG 25:700d–701a
Καὶ περὶ Μαρκέλλου τοῦ τῆς Γαλατίας ἑπισκόπου, περιττὸν ἴσως ἐστὶ λέγειν· πάντες γάρ ἔγνωσαν ὠς πρότερον ἐγκαλούμενοι παρʼ αὑτοῦ οἱ περὶ Εὑσέβιον ἀσεβείας, ἀντενεκάλεσαν αὐτῷ καὶ αὐτοὶ, καὶ πεποιήκασιν ἐξορισθῆναι τὸν γέροντα. Καὶ αὐτὸς μὲν, ἀνελθὼν είς τὴν Ῥώμην, ἀπελογήσατο. καὶ ἀπαιτούμενος παρʼ αὐτῶν, δέδωκεν ἔγγραφον τὴν ἐαυτοῦ πίστιν, ἢν καὶ ἡ κατὰ Σαρδικῆν σύνοδος ἀπεδέξατο · οἱ δέ περῖ Εὑσέβιον οὔτε ἀπελογήσαντορῧτε, ἐλεγχόμενοι ἐξ ὦν ἔγραψαν ἀσεβεῖς, ἐνετράπησαν, ἀλλὰ καὶ μᾶλλον ἐθρασύνοντο κατὰ πάντων· εἶχον γὰρ τῆν πρὸς βασιλέα παρὰ τῶν γυναικῶν σύστασιν, καὶ πᾶσιν ἦσαν φοβεροί.
Kai peri Markellou tou tēs Galatias hepiskopou, peritton isōs esti legein; pantes gar egnōsan ōs proteron enkaloumenoi parʼ hautou hoi peri Heusebion asebeias, antenekalesan autǭ kai autoi, kai pepoiēkasin exoristhēnai ton geronta. Kai autos men, anelthōn eis tēn Rhōmēn, apelogēsato. kai apaitoumenos parʼ autōn, dedōken engraphon tēn eautou pistin, ēn kai hē kata Sardikēn synodos apedexato ; hoi de peri Heusebion oute apelogēsantorÿte, elenchomenoi ex ōn egrapsan asebeis, enetrapēsan, alla kai mallon ethrasynonto kata pantōn; eichon gar tēn pros basilea para tōn gynaikōn systasin, kai pasin ēsan phoberoi.
About Marcellus, the bishop of Galatia, it is perhaps superfluous to speak; for all know how Eusebius and his party, having first been accused of impiety by him, brought countercharges against him and had the old man exiled. He went up to Rome and made his defense; and when they demanded it, he gave his faith in writing, which the synod of Sardica also accepted. But Eusebius and his party neither made a defense nor were put to shame when convicted of impiety from what they had written, but became bolder against all; for they had recommendation to the emperor through the women, and were feared by all.
Notes and citation
Summary: Athanasius recalls how the Eusebians, accused of impiety by Marcellus of Ancyra, had him exiled, though Rome and Sardica accepted his faith.
Topics: Heresy
Cite (SBL): Athanasius, H. Ar. 6 (PG 25:700d–701a; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-historia-arianorum/3/#p-6). (abbreviation not yet checked)
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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Migne PG 25 scan text; compared in full afterwards with NPNF² 4.
Chapter 7
7PG 25:701a–704b
Περὶ δέ Παύλου τοῦ τῆς Κωνσταντίνου πόλεως ἐπισκόπου, νομίζω μηδένα ἀγνοεῖν· ὅσῳ γὰρ ἐπιφανής ἡ πόλις, τοσούτῳ καὶ τὸ γενόμενον οὑ κέκρυπται. Καὶ κατᾶ τούτου τοίνυν πρόφασις ἐπλάσθη. Καὶ γὰρ ὁ κατηγορήσας αὑτοῦ Μακεδόνιος, ὁ νῦν ἐπίσκοπος ἀντʼ αὑτοῦ γενόμενος, παρόντων ἡμῶν κατᾶ τὴν κατηγορίαν, κεκτινώνηκεν αὑτῷ, καὶ πρεσβύτερος ἧν ὑπʼ αὑτὸν τὸν Παῦλον. Καὶ ὅμως, ἐπειδὴ Εὐσέβιος ἐπωφθαλμία, θέλων ἁρπάσαι τὴν ἐπισκοπὴν τῆς πόλεως (οὕτω γὰρ καὶ ἀπὸ Βηρυτοῦ εἰς τῆν Νικομήδειαν μετῆλθεν), ἔμεινεν ἡ πρόφασις κατᾶ Παύλου, καὶ οὑκ ἠμέλησαν τῆς ἐπιβουλῆς, ἀλλʼ ἔμειναν διαβάλλοντες. Καὶ τὸ μέν πρῶτον εἰς τὸν Πόντον ἐξ· ωρίσθη παρὰ Κωνσταντίου· τὸ δέ δεύτερον παρᾶ Κωνσταντίου, διθεὶς ἁλύσεσι σιδηραῖς, εἷς Σίγγαρα τῆς Μεσοποταμίας ἐξωρίσθη, καί ἐκεῖθεν εἰς τήν Ἔμισαν μετηνέχθη, καὶ τὸ τέταρτον εἷς Κούκουσον τῆς Καππαδοκίας περὶ τὰ ἔρημα τοῦ Ταύρου· ἔνθα καὶ ὡς o'l συνόντες ἀπήγγειλαν, ἀποπνιγεὶς παρʼ αύτῶν, ἐτελεύτησε. Τοῦτο μέντοι δράσαντες, ούκ ᾐσχύνθησαν καὶ μετὰ θάνατον, οἱ μηδὲν ἀληθεύοντες, πλασασθαι πάλιν πρόφασιν, ὠς ἀπὸ νόσου τελευτήσαντος αὑτοῦ, καίτοι τοῦτο γινωσκόντων πάντων τῶν κατοικούντων τὸν τόπον ἐκεῖνον. Καὶ γὰρ καὶ Φιλάγριος, βικάριος ὢν τότε τῶν τόπων ἐκείνων, καὶ πάντα τὰ ἐκείνων ὑποκρινόμενος ὡς ἃν αὑτοὶ θέλωσιν, ὅμως ἐπὶ τούτῳ θαυμάζων, καὶ λυπηθεὶς ἴσως, ὅτι μὴ αὑτὸς, ἀλλʼ ἓτερος εἰργάσατο τὸ κακὸν, ἀπήγγειλε πολλοῖς τε ἄλλοις καὶ γνωρίμοις ἡμῶν, καὶ τῷ ἐπισκόπῳ Σεραπίωνι, ὡς Παῦλος ἀποκλεισθεὶς παρʼ ἐκείνων εἰς τόπον τινὰ βραχύτατον καὶ σκοτεινὸν, ἀφείθη λιμῷ διαφθαρῆναι εἶτα μεθʼ ἡμέρας ἓξ, ὡς εἰσελθόντες εῦρον αὑτὸν ἔτι πνέοντα, λοιπὸν ἐπελθόντες ἀπέπνιξαν τὸν ἄνθρωπον· καὶ οὕτω τέλος ἔσχε τοῦ βίου τούτου. Τοῦδέ τοιούτου θανάτου διάκονον ἔλεγον γεγενῆσθαι Φίλιππον τὸν γενόμενον ἔπαρχον. Ἀλλʼ οὑδέ τοῦτο παρεῖδεν ἠ θεία δίκη· οὑδέ γὰρ παρῆλθεν ἐνιαυτὸς, καὶ μετὰ πολλῆς ἀτιμίας καθῃρέθη τῆς ἀρχῆς ὁ Φίλιππος, οὕτῶς ὡς ἰδιώτην γενομενον, ὑφ. ὧν οὐκ ἤθελε καταπαίζεσθαι. Πάνυ γοῦν καὶ αύτὸς λυπούμενος, καὶ κατά τὸν Κάϊν στένων καὶ τρέμων, καὶ καθʼ ἡμέραν προσδοκῶν τὸν ἀναιροῦντα ἔξω τῆς ἑαυτοῦ πατρίδος καὶ αὐτὸς καὶ τῶν ίδίων, ὥσπερ ἐκ· πλαγεὶς, ἐπεὶ μή οὕτως ἤθελεν, ἀπέθανε. Πλήν ὅτι καὶ κατά νεκρῶν ού φείδονται, καθʼ ὧν καὶ ζώων ἐπλάσαντο προφάσεις · οὕτω γὰρ ἑαυτοὺς πρὸς πάντας φοεεροὺς ἐπιδεικνύειν ἐσπούδασαν, καὶ ζῶντας μὲν ἐξορίζουσιν, ἀποθανόντας δὲ οὐκ ἐλεοῦσιν ' ἀλλά καὶ τότε μόνοι παρὰ πάντας τοὺς ἀνθρώπους μισοῦσι τοὺς ἀπελθόντας, καὶ τοῖς οἰκείοις αὐτῶν ἐπιβουλεύεουσιν, οἱ τῷ ὄντι ἀπάνθρωποι καὶ μισόκαλοι, καὶ πλέον ἐχθρῶν τὸν τρόπον ἄγριον ἔχοντες, διὰ τὴν ἑαυτῶν ἀσέβειαν, οἱ μὴ ἐξ ἀληθείας, ἀλλʼ ἐκ πε-
Peri de Paulou tou tēs Kōnstantinou poleōs episkopou, nomizō mēdena agnoein; hosǭ gar epiphanēs hē polis, tosoutǭ kai to genomenon hou kekryptai. Kai kata toutou toinyn prophasis eplasthē. Kai gar ho katēgorēsas hautou Makedonios, ho nyn episkopos antʼ hautou genomenos, parontōn hēmōn kata tēn katēgorian, kektinōnēken hautǭ, kai presbyteros hēn hypʼ hauton ton Paulon. Kai homōs, epeidē Eusebios epōphthalmia, thelōn harpasai tēn episkopēn tēs poleōs (houtō gar kai apo Bērytou eis tēn Nikomēdeian metēlthen), emeinen hē prophasis kata Paulou, kai houk ēmelēsan tēs epiboulēs, allʼ emeinan diaballontes. Kai to men prōton eis ton Ponton ex; ōristhē para Kōnstantiou; to de deuteron para Kōnstantiou, ditheis halysesi sidērais, heis Singara tēs Mesopotamias exōristhē, kai ekeithen eis tēn Emisan metēnechthē, kai to tetarton heis Koukouson tēs Kappadokias peri ta erēma tou Taurou; entha kai hōs o'l synontes apēngeilan, apopnigeis parʼ autōn, eteleutēse. Touto mentoi drasantes, ouk ę̄schynthēsan kai meta thanaton, hoi mēden alētheuontes, plasasthai palin prophasin, ōs apo nosou teleutēsantos hautou, kaitoi touto ginōskontōn pantōn tōn katoikountōn ton topon ekeinon. Kai gar kai Philagrios, bikarios ōn tote tōn topōn ekeinōn, kai panta ta ekeinōn hypokrinomenos hōs han hautoi thelōsin, homōs epi toutǭ thaumazōn, kai lypētheis isōs, hoti mē hautos, allʼ heteros eirgasato to kakon, apēngeile pollois te allois kai gnōrimois hēmōn, kai tǭ episkopǭ Serapiōni, hōs Paulos apokleistheis parʼ ekeinōn eis topon tina brachytaton kai skoteinon, apheithē limǭ diaphtharēnai eita methʼ hēmeras hex, hōs eiselthontes euron hauton eti pneonta, loipon epelthontes apepnixan ton anthrōpon; kai houtō telos esche tou biou toutou. Toude toioutou thanatou diakonon elegon gegenēsthai Philippon ton genomenon eparchon. Allʼ houde touto pareiden ē theia dikē; houde gar parēlthen eniautos, kai meta pollēs atimias kathę̄rethē tēs archēs ho Philippos, houtōs hōs idiōtēn genomenon, hyph. hōn ouk ēthele katapaizesthai. Pany goun kai autos lypoumenos, kai kata ton Kaïn stenōn kai tremōn, kai kathʼ hēmeran prosdokōn ton anairounta exō tēs heautou patridos kai autos kai tōn idiōn, hōsper ek; plageis, epei mē houtōs ēthelen, apethane. Plēn hoti kai kata nekrōn ou pheidontai, kathʼ hōn kai zōōn eplasanto prophaseis ; houtō gar heautous pros pantas phoeerous epideiknyein espoudasan, kai zōntas men exorizousin, apothanontas de ouk eleousin ' alla kai tote monoi para pantas tous anthrōpous misousi tous apelthontas, kai tois oikeiois autōn epibouleueousin, hoi tǭ onti apanthrōpoi kai misokaloi, kai pleon echthrōn ton tropon agrion echontes, dia tēn heautōn asebeian, hoi mē ex alētheias, allʼ ek pe-
As for Paul, bishop of Constantinople, I think no one is unaware; for the more famous the city, the less hidden is what happened. Against him too a pretext was invented. For Macedonius, who accused him and has now become bishop in his place, communicated with him in our presence while the accusation was going on, and was a presbyter under Paul himself. And yet, since Eusebius cast covetous eyes on the see of that city, wishing to seize it (for so he had also moved from Berytus to Nicomedia), the pretext against Paul remained; they did not neglect the plot but went on slandering him. First he was exiled to Pontus by Constantine; second, by Constantius, he was bound with iron chains and exiled to Singara in Mesopotamia, and from there transferred to Emesa; and the fourth time to Cucusus in Cappadocia, near the deserts of the Taurus, where, as those who were with him reported, he was strangled by them and died. Having done this, these men, who never tell the truth, were not ashamed even after his death to invent another pretext, that he had died of illness, although all who live in that place know the truth. For even Philagrius, who was then vicar of those parts and played the part in all their affairs as they wished, nevertheless marveled at this—grieved perhaps that not he but another had done the evil—and reported to many others, including friends of ours and Bishop Serapion, that Paul had been shut up by them in a very small and dark place and left to perish of hunger; then after six days, when they went in and found him still breathing, they set upon the man and strangled him; and so he ended his life. They said that the agent of this death was Philip, who had been prefect. But divine justice did not overlook this either; for not a year passed before Philip was deprived of his office with great dishonor, so that, having become a private person, he was mocked by those by whom he least wished to be. Greatly grieved himself, groaning and trembling like Cain, and daily expecting someone to kill him, away from his own country and his family, as one struck with terror, he died, not as he would have wished. Yet they do not spare even the dead, against whom they invented pretexts while they lived; for they have been eager to show themselves fearsome to all in this way: they exile the living and have no pity on the dead; but even then, alone of all men, they hate the departed and plot against their families—truly inhuman haters of good, more savage in character than enemies because of their impiety, men who not from truth but from …
Textual problem in this passage: see the notes.
Gen 4:12 (allusion, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Athanasius recounts the repeated exiles of Paul of Constantinople and his murder at Cucusus, and the death in disgrace of the prefect Philip who arranged it.
- Paul was strangled at Cucusus about 350. “First … by Constantine”: the scan reads Κωνσταντίου twice; the first exile was under Constantine. The account of the third exile appears to be missing before “the fourth time”. “Groaning and trembling like Cain”: Gen 4:12 (LXX). The end of the chapter is lost in the scan (“…”).
Topics: Persecution, Martyrdom
Cite (SBL): Athanasius, H. Ar. 7 (PG 25:701a–704b; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-historia-arianorum/3/#p-7). (abbreviation not yet checked)
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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Migne PG 25 scan text; compared in full afterwards with NPNF² 4.
Chapter 8
8PG 25:704b–704c
Ταῦτα συνορῶντες οἱ τρεῖς ἀδελφοὶ, Κωνσταν.. τῖνος, Κωνστάντιος, καὶ Κώνστας, ἐποίησαν πάντας μετὰ θάνατον τοῦ πατρὸς ἐπανελθεῖν εἰς τὴν πατρίδα καὶ τήν Ἐκκλησίαν · γράψαντες περὶ μὲν τῶν ἄλλων ἰδία τῇ ἑκάστου Ἐκκλησία· περί δὲ Ἀθανασίου ταῦτα, ἃ πάλιν τὴν μὲν τοῦ πράγματος βίαν δείκνυσι, τὴν δέ τῶν περὶ Εύσέβιον ἀνδροφόνον προαίρεσιν έλέγχει. ’Δντίγραφονκ ῌωνσταντίνου Καίσαρος τῷ _ λαῷ τῆςξ κάθολικῆς Ἐκκλησίας πόλεως τῶν Ἀλεῖξανδρέων. Οὐδὲ τήν τῆς ὑμετέρας ἱερᾶς ἐννοίας διαπεφευγέναι γνῶσιν οἶμαι, διὰ τοῦτο Ἀθανάσιον τὸν τοῦ προσκυνητοῦ νόμου ὑποφήτην. (Ἐγράφη ὀπίσω εἴς τὸν δε λόγον ἀπαραλλάκτως.) Τὰ μὲν οὗν γραφέντα ταῦταʼ τῆς δὲ συσκευῆς αύτῶν τίς ἕτερος ἀξιόπιστος τούτου μάρτυς ἂν γένοιτο: ταῦτα γὰρ εἰδὼς, οὕτω καὶ αὐτὸς ἔγραψεν.
Tauta synorōntes hoi treis adelphoi, Kōnstan.. tinos, Kōnstantios, kai Kōnstas, epoiēsan pantas meta thanaton tou patros epanelthein eis tēn patrida kai tēn Ekklēsian ; grapsantes peri men tōn allōn idia tę̄ hekastou Ekklēsia; peri de Athanasiou tauta, ha palin tēn men tou pragmatos bian deiknysi, tēn de tōn peri Eusebion androphonon proairesin elenchei. ’Dntigraphonk Ę̄ōnstantinou Kaisaros tǭ _ laǭ tēsx katholikēs Ekklēsias poleōs tōn Aleixandreōn. Oude tēn tēs hymeteras hieras ennoias diapepheugenai gnōsin oimai, dia touto Athanasion ton tou proskynētou nomou hypophētēn. (Egraphē opisō eis ton de logon aparallaktōs.) Ta men houn graphenta tautaʼ tēs de syskeuēs autōn tis heteros axiopistos toutou martys an genoito: tauta gar eidōs, houtō kai autos egrapsen.
Seeing this, the three brothers, Constantine, Constantius, and Constans, caused all to return after their father’s death to their homelands and their churches, writing about the others separately to each one’s church, and about Athanasius as follows—which again shows the violence of the affair and convicts the murderous purpose of Eusebius and his party. Copy of the letter of Constantine Caesar to the people of the catholic Church of the city of the Alexandrians: “I think it has not escaped the knowledge of your holy mind that Athanasius, the interpreter of the venerable law …” (It is written above, in the Defense, without change.) This, then, is what was written; and what more trustworthy witness of their plot could there be than he? For he knew these things when he wrote as he did.
Notes and citation
Summary: Athanasius recalls that after Constantine’s death his sons restored the exiled bishops, citing the letter of Constantine II already given in his Defense.
- The letter is quoted in full in the Defense against the Arians 87; the bracketed remark is the editor’s cross-reference as printed.
Cite (SBL): Athanasius, H. Ar. 8 (PG 25:704b–704c; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-historia-arianorum/3/#p-8). (abbreviation not yet checked)
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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Migne PG 25 scan text; compared in full afterwards with NPNF² 4.
Chapter 9
9PG 25:704c–705a
Οἱ μέννοι περὶ Εὐσέβιον, βλέποντες ἐλαττουμένην αὐτῶν τήν αʼίρεσιν, γθάφουσιν εἷς Ῥώμην, γράφουσι δὲ καὶ τοῖς βασιλεῦσι Κωνσταντίνῳ καὶ Κώνσταντι κατᾶ Ἀθανασίου. Ὡς δὲκαὶ o't παρᾶ ’Δθανασίου ἀποσταλέντες διήλεγξαν τὰ παρʼ ἐκείνων γραφέντα, παρᾶ μὲν τῶν βασιλέων ἐνετράπησαν. Ὀ δὲ ἐπίσκοπος Ῥώμης Ἰούλιος ἔγραψε χρῆναι γενέσθαι σύνοδον, ἔνθα ἂν ἐθελήσωμεν, ’ίνα ἃ μὲν κατηγοροῦσι δείξωσι, περὶ δὲ ὧν κατηγοροῦνταικαὶ αὐτοὶ, θαρροῦντες ἀπολογήσωνται. Τοῦτο γὰρ καὶ οἱ παρʼ αὐτῶν ἀποσταλέντες πρεσβύτεροι, βλέποντες ἑαυτοὺς ἐλεγχομένους, ἠξίωσαν γενέσθαι. Τούτων τοίνυν γενομένων, ὁρῶντες ἑαυτοὺς οἱ πρὸς πάντα τυγχάνοντες inomoc μή περιγινομένους έν ἐκκλησιαστικῇ κρίσει, προσέρχονται μόνῳ Κωνσταντίῳ, καὶ λοιπὸν ἀποδύρονται, ὡς πρὸς τὸν τῆς αἱρέσεως προστάτην, Φεῖσαι, λέγοντες, τῆς αἱρέσεως· ὁρᾷς πάντας ἀποστάντας ἀφʼ ἡμῶν ὀλίγοι λοιπὸν ἀπελείφθημεν. ’Ἄρξαι διώκειν, ἐπεὶ καὶ παρά τῶν ὀλίγων ἀφιέμεθα, καὶ μένομεν ἔρημοι. Οὓς γὰρ ἐβιασάμεθα, τούτων ἐξ· ορισθέντων, τούτους ἐπανελθόντες ἔπεισαν πάλιν φρονεῖν καθʼ ἡμῶν. Γράψον οὖν κατᾶ πάντων, καὶ πέμψον Φιλάγριον δεύτερον ἔπαρχον τῆς Αἰγύπτου · αύτὸς γὰρ ἐπιτηδείως δύναται διώκειν, ἤδη μὲν τῇ πειρᾳ δείξας, μάλιστα δὲ καὶ παραβάτης ὥν. Πέμψον δὲ καὶ Γρηγόριον ἐπίσκοπον εἷς Ἀλεξάνδρειαν · καὶ οὗτος γάρ δύναται συστῆσαι τὴν ἡμετέραν αἳρεσιν.
Hoi mennoi peri Eusebion, blepontes elattoumenēn autōn tēn aʼiresin, gthaphousin heis Rhōmēn, graphousi de kai tois basileusi Kōnstantinǭ kai Kōnstanti kata Athanasiou. Hōs dekai o't para ’Dthanasiou apostalentes diēlenxan ta parʼ ekeinōn graphenta, para men tōn basileōn enetrapēsan. O de episkopos Rhōmēs Ioulios egrapse chrēnai genesthai synodon, entha an ethelēsōmen, ’ina ha men katēgorousi deixōsi, peri de hōn katēgorountaikai autoi, tharrountes apologēsōntai. Touto gar kai hoi parʼ autōn apostalentes presbyteroi, blepontes heautous elenchomenous, ēxiōsan genesthai. Toutōn toinyn genomenōn, horōntes heautous hoi pros panta tynchanontes inomoc mē periginomenous en ekklēsiastikę̄ krisei, proserchontai monǭ Kōnstantiǭ, kai loipon apodyrontai, hōs pros ton tēs haireseōs prostatēn, Pheisai, legontes, tēs haireseōs; horąs pantas apostantas aphʼ hēmōn oligoi loipon apeleiphthēmen. ’Arxai diōkein, epei kai para tōn oligōn aphiemetha, kai menomen erēmoi. Hous gar ebiasametha, toutōn ex; oristhentōn, toutous epanelthontes epeisan palin phronein kathʼ hēmōn. Grapson oun kata pantōn, kai pempson Philagrion deuteron eparchon tēs Aigyptou ; autos gar epitēdeiōs dynatai diōkein, ēdē men tę̄ peirą deixas, malista de kai parabatēs hōn. Pempson de kai Grēgorion episkopon heis Alexandreian ; kai houtos gar dynatai systēsai tēn hēmeteran hairesin.
But Eusebius and his party, seeing their heresy diminishing, write to Rome, and write also to the emperors Constantine and Constans against Athanasius. But when those sent by Athanasius refuted what they had written, they were put to shame by the emperors; and Julius, the bishop of Rome, wrote that a synod should be held wherever we wished, so that they might prove their accusations, and we too might confidently defend ourselves against the charges they made. For the presbyters they had sent, seeing themselves refuted, had asked for this. When this happened, these men, ready for anything, seeing that they would not prevail in an ecclesiastical trial, go to Constantius alone and lament to him as to the patron of the heresy: “Spare the heresy,” they say. “You see that all have fallen away from us; only a few of us are left. Begin to persecute, for we are being abandoned even by the few and left desolate. For those whom we forced, when these men were in exile, they have persuaded on their return to think against us again. Write, then, against all, and send Philagrius a second time as prefect of Egypt; for he is able to persecute fittingly, having already shown it by experience, especially as he is an apostate. Send Gregory too as bishop to Alexandria; for he too is able to establish our heresy.”
Notes and citation
Summary: Athanasius describes how the Eusebians, failing before the emperors and Julius, turned to Constantius and urged him to persecute and to send Philagrius and Gregory to Egypt.
- The speech of the Eusebians to Constantius is Athanasius’s satirical reconstruction and is translated as written.
Topics: Persecution, Heresy
Cite (SBL): Athanasius, H. Ar. 9 (PG 25:704c–705a; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-historia-arianorum/3/#p-9). (abbreviation not yet checked)
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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Migne PG 25 scan text; compared in full afterwards with NPNF² 4.
Chapter 10
10PG 25:705a–705b
Γράφει τοίνυν τότε Κωνστάντιος, πάντας δὲ διώκει, καὶ πέμπει Φιλάγριον ἔπαρχον, καὶ ’Δρσάκιόν τινα εὐνοῦχον · πέμπει δέ καὶ Γρηγόριον μετά στρατιωτικῆς ἐξουσίας. Καὶ τοιαῦτα γέγονεν, οἷα καὶ πρότερον. Συναγαγόντες γάρ πλῆθος βουκόλων καὶ ποιμένων, ἄλλων τε ἀγοραίων καὶ ἀσελγῶν νεωτέρων, μετά ξιφῶν καὶ ῥοπάλων, ἐπῆλθον ἀθρόως τῇ ἐκκλησίᾳ τῆ καλουμένῃ Κυρίνου · καὶ τοὺς μὲν ἀπέκτειναν, τοὺς δὲ κατεπάτησαν, ἄλλους τε πληγαῖς κατακόψαντες εἰς δεσμωτήριον ἐνέβαλον, καὶ ἐξώριζον · πολλὰς τε γυναῖκας κατασύροντες, εἷλκον εἷς τὸ δικαστήριον δημοσίᾳ, καὶ τῶν τριχῶν ἕλκοντες ὕβριζον · ἄλλους ἐδημευον, ἄλλων ἄρτους ἀφῃροῦντο, διʼ οὐδὲν ἕτερον, ἢ ’ίνα τοῖς ’Δρειανοῖς προσθῶνται, καὶ Γρηγόριον δέξωνται τὸν ἀπὸ βασιλέως ἀποσταλέντα.
Graphei toinyn tote Kōnstantios, pantas de diōkei, kai pempei Philagrion eparchon, kai ’Drsakion tina eunouchon ; pempei de kai Grēgorion meta stratiōtikēs exousias. Kai toiauta gegonen, hoia kai proteron. Synagagontes gar plēthos boukolōn kai poimenōn, allōn te agoraiōn kai aselgōn neōterōn, meta xiphōn kai rhopalōn, epēlthon athroōs tę̄ ekklēsią tē kaloumenę̄ Kyrinou ; kai tous men apekteinan, tous de katepatēsan, allous te plēgais katakopsantes eis desmōtērion enebalon, kai exōrizon ; pollas te gynaikas katasyrontes, heilkon heis to dikastērion dēmosią, kai tōn trichōn helkontes hybrizon ; allous edēmeuon, allōn artous aphę̄rounto, diʼ ouden heteron, ē ’ina tois ’Dreianois prosthōntai, kai Grēgorion dexōntai ton apo basileōs apostalenta.
Then Constantius writes, persecutes everyone, and sends Philagrius as prefect, and one Arsacius, a eunuch; he sends Gregory too with military force. And the same things happened as before. For they gathered a crowd of herdsmen and shepherds and other market loafers and dissolute young men, with swords and clubs, and attacked in a body the church called that of Quirinus; some they killed, others they trampled underfoot, others they beat with blows, threw into prison, and exiled; many women they dragged publicly to the court and outraged, dragging them by the hair; some they had their property confiscated, others deprived of their bread—for no other reason than that they might join the Arians and accept Gregory, who had been sent by the emperor.
Notes and citation
Summary: Athanasius describes the violent installation of Gregory at Alexandria with the help of soldiers and a hired mob.
- “Their bread”: the allowance of bread distributed through the church. The church of Quirinus was one of the churches of Alexandria.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (column letter inside a hyphenated word): νεω- Β τέρων → νεωτέρων.
Topics: Persecution
Cite (SBL): Athanasius, H. Ar. 10 (PG 25:705a–705b; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-historia-arianorum/3/#p-10). (abbreviation not yet checked)
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Chapter 11
11PG 25:705b
Ἀθανάσιος μὶν οὖν, πρὶν γενέσθαι ταῦτα, καὶ μόνον ἀκούσας, ἔπλευσεν εἷς τὴν Ῥώμην, εἰδώς τε τὸν θυμὸν τῶν αἱρετικῶν, καὶ Ἵνα, ὡς ἤρεσεν, ἡ σύνοδος γένηται ὁ δὲ Ἰούλιος γράιρει καὶ πέμπει πρεσβυτέρους, Ἐλπίδιον καὶ Φιλόξενον, ὁρίσας καὶ προθεσμίαν, ἳνα ἢ ἔλθωσιν, ἢ γινώσκοιεν ἑαυτοὺς ὑπόπτους εἶναι κατὰ πάντα. Ἀλλʼ οι περὶ Εύσέβιον, ώς μόνον ἥκουσαν ἐκκλησιαστικήν ἔσεσθαὶ κρίσιν, ἐν ᾖκόμης οὐ παραγίγνεται, ού στρατιῶται πρὸ τῶν θυρῶν, ού βασιλικῷ προστάγματι τὰ τῆς συνόδου τελειοῦται (ἐν τούτοις γὰρ ἀεὶ κατὰ τῶν ἐπισκόπων ἴσχυσαν, καὶ ἄνευ τούτων ούδόλως λαλῆσαι θαῤῥοῦσιν), οὕτω κανέπτηξαν, ὡς τοὺς μὲν πρεσβυτέρους κατασχεῖν καὶ μετὰ τὴν προθεσμίαν, πλάσασθαι δὲ πρόφασιν ἀπρεπῆ, ὃτι μὴ δυνάμεθα νῦν ἐλθεῖν διὰ τοὺς παρὰ Περῶν γιγνομένους πολέμους. Τοῦτο δὲ οὐκ ἦν ἀληθὲς, ἀλλὰ φόβος τοῦ συνειδότος. Τί γὰρ κοινὸν πόλεμος πρὸς ἐπισκόπους; Ἤδιατί μὴ δυνάμενοι διὰ τοὺς Πέρσας είς Ῥώμην ἐλθεῖν, καίτοι μακρὰν ἀπέχουσαν, καὶ πέραν θαλάττης οὖσαν, τοὺς τῆς Ἀνατολῆς τόπους καὶ τοὺς ἐγγὺς ἐκείνων περιηρχοντο ὡς λέοντες, ζητοῦντες τίς αὐτοῖς ἐναντιοῦται, τίνα διαβάλλοντες ἐξορίσωσιν ;
Athanasios min oun, prin genesthai tauta, kai monon akousas, epleusen heis tēn Rhōmēn, eidōs te ton thymon tōn hairetikōn, kai Hina, hōs ēresen, hē synodos genētai ho de Ioulios grairei kai pempei presbyterous, Elpidion kai Philoxenon, horisas kai prothesmian, hina ē elthōsin, ē ginōskoien heautous hypoptous einai kata panta. Allʼ oi peri Eusebion, ōs monon hēkousan ekklēsiastikēn esesthai krisin, en ę̄komēs ou paragignetai, ou stratiōtai pro tōn thyrōn, ou basilikǭ prostagmati ta tēs synodou teleioutai (en toutois gar aei kata tōn episkopōn ischysan, kai aneu toutōn oudolōs lalēsai tharrhousin), houtō kaneptēxan, hōs tous men presbyterous kataschein kai meta tēn prothesmian, plasasthai de prophasin aprepē, hoti mē dynametha nyn elthein dia tous para Perōn gignomenous polemous. Touto de ouk ēn alēthes, alla phobos tou syneidotos. Ti gar koinon polemos pros episkopous? Ēdiati mē dynamenoi dia tous Persas eis Rhōmēn elthein, kaitoi makran apechousan, kai peran thalattēs ousan, tous tēs Anatolēs topous kai tous engys ekeinōn periērchonto hōs leontes, zētountes tis autois enantioutai, tina diaballontes exorisōsin ?
Athanasius, then, before these things happened, on merely hearing of them, sailed to Rome, knowing the fury of the heretics, and so that the synod might be held as had been agreed. Julius writes and sends presbyters, Elpidius and Philoxenus, also fixing a date, so that they might either come or know that they were suspect in everything. But Eusebius and his party, as soon as they heard that there was to be an ecclesiastical trial—at which no count is present, no soldiers stand before the doors, and the proceedings of the synod are not completed by imperial command (for by these things they have always prevailed against the bishops, and without them they do not dare to speak at all)—cowered so that they detained the presbyters even beyond the appointed date and invented an unseemly pretext: “We cannot come now because of the wars caused by the Persians.” This was not true, but the fear of conscience. For what has war to do with bishops? Or why, if they could not come to Rome because of the Persians, though it is far away and across the sea, did they go round the places of the East and those near them like lions, seeking who opposed them, whom they might slander and exile?
1 Pet 5:8 (echo, medium confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Athanasius tells how the Eusebians, invited to a church trial at Rome without counts or soldiers, excused themselves on the pretext of the Persian war.
- “Like lions, seeking …”: cf. 1 Pet 5:8.
Cite (SBL): Athanasius, H. Ar. 11 (PG 25:705b; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-historia-arianorum/3/#p-11). (abbreviation not yet checked)
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Chapter 12
12PG 25:705b–708b
Ἀμέλει, τούς πρεσβυτέρους ἀπολύσαντες ἐπὶ τῇ ἀπιθάνῳ ταύτῃ προφάσει, συνελάλουν ἀλλήλοις · Ἐπεὶ μὴ δυνάμεθα ἐκκλησιάστικῇ κρίσει κρατεῖν, τὴν συνήθη τόλμαν ἐπιδειξώμεθα. Γράφουσι τοίνυν Φιλαγρίῳ, καὶ ποιοῦσιν αὐτὸν μετά Γρηγορίου κατʼ ὀλίγον ἐξελθεῖν εἷς τὴν Αἴγυπτον, καὶ λοιπὸν ἐπίσκοποι μαστίζονται καὶ έδεσμοῦντο πικρῶς. Σαραπάμμωνα γοῦν ἐπίσκοπον ὁμολογητήν ἐξορίζουσι, Ποτάμμωνα δὲ ἐπίσκοπον ὁμολογητὴν, ἀπολέσαντα καὶ αὐτὸν τὸν ὀφθαλμὸν ἐν τῷ διωγμῷ, οὕτω κατέκοψαν ταῖς καταυχενίοις πληγαῖς, ὡς μὴ πρότερον παύσασθαι πρὶν ἂν νομισθῆναι τὸν ἄνθρωπον νεκρὸν. Οὕτω γοῦν ἐρρίφη, καὶ μόγις μετὰ ὥρας θεραπευόμενος καὶ διαρῥιπιζόμενος ἀνέπνευσε, τοῦ Θεοῦ δεδωκότος τὸ ζῇν · ἀλλά μετά χρόνον ὀλίγον ἐκ τοῖʼ) πόνου τῶν πληγῶν ἀπέθανεν, ἔχων ἐν Χριστῷ τὸ καύχημα δευτέρου μαρτυρίου. Πόσοι τε ἄλλοι μονάζοντες ἐμαστίζοντο, καθεζομένου Γρηγορίου μετᾶ Βαλακίου, τοῦ λεγομὲτου δουκός ί πόσοι ἐπίσκοποι ἐκόπτοντο ! πόσαι παρθένοι ἐτύπτοντο ί
Amelei, tous presbyterous apolysantes epi tę̄ apithanǭ tautę̄ prophasei, synelaloun allēlois ; Epei mē dynametha ekklēsiastikę̄ krisei kratein, tēn synēthē tolman epideixōmetha. Graphousi toinyn Philagriǭ, kai poiousin auton meta Grēgoriou katʼ oligon exelthein heis tēn Aigypton, kai loipon episkopoi mastizontai kai edesmounto pikrōs. Sarapammōna goun episkopon homologētēn exorizousi, Potammōna de episkopon homologētēn, apolesanta kai auton ton ophthalmon en tǭ diōgmǭ, houtō katekopsan tais kataucheniois plēgais, hōs mē proteron pausasthai prin an nomisthēnai ton anthrōpon nekron. Houtō goun erriphē, kai mogis meta hōras therapeuomenos kai diarrhipizomenos anepneuse, tou Theou dedōkotos to zę̄n ; alla meta chronon oligon ek toiʼ) ponou tōn plēgōn apethanen, echōn en Christǭ to kauchēma deuterou martyriou. Posoi te alloi monazontes emastizonto, kathezomenou Grēgoriou meta Balakiou, tou legometou doukos i posoi episkopoi ekoptonto ! posai parthenoi etyptonto i
At any rate, having dismissed the presbyters with this implausible pretext, they said to one another, “Since we cannot prevail in an ecclesiastical trial, let us show our usual audacity.” They write, then, to Philagrius and make him go out with Gregory, after a little while, into Egypt; and then bishops are scourged and cruelly put in chains. Sarapammon, a bishop and confessor, they exile; Potammon, a bishop and confessor, who had lost an eye in the persecution, they so beat with blows on the neck that they did not stop until the man was thought dead. So he was thrown aside, and with difficulty, after some hours of care and fanning, he revived, God granting him life; but a short time afterwards he died from the pain of the blows, having in Christ the glory of a second martyrdom. And how many monks were scourged while Gregory sat with Balacius, the so-called duke! How many bishops were beaten! How many virgins were struck!
Notes and citation
Summary: Athanasius describes the scourging and imprisonment of Egyptian bishops, monks, and virgins under Gregory and the duke Balacius, including the death of the confessor Potammon.
- Potammon, bishop of Heraclea, had lost an eye in the persecution under Maximinus and was present at Nicaea.
Topics: Persecution, Martyrdom
Cite (SBL): Athanasius, H. Ar. 12 (PG 25:705b–708b; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-historia-arianorum/3/#p-12). (abbreviation not yet checked)
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Chapter 13
13PG 25:708b
Εἶτα ὁ ἄθλιος Γρηγόριος μετά ταῦταήπαρεκάλει πάντας κοινωνεῖν αὐτῷ · καίτοι εί κοινωνίαν ἠξίους παρʼ αὐτῶν ἔχειν, οὐκἦσαν ἄξιοι πληγῶν · εί δὲ ὡς φαύλους ἔκοπτες, τί ὡς ἁγίους παρεκάλεις ; Ἀλλʼ οὐδὲν ἧν αὐτῷ ποοκείμενον, ἢ τὰ τῶν ἀποστειλάντων πληρῶσαι, καὶ τὴν αιρεσιν συστῆσαι. Διά τοῦτο καὶ ἀνδροφόνος γέγονε καὶ δήμιος, καὶ ὑβριστὴς, καὶ δόλιος, καὶ βέβηλος, καὶ τὸ ὅλον Χριστομάχος ὁ ἀνόητος. Τήν γοῦν τοῦ ἐπισκόπου θείαν οὕτως ἐδίωξεν, ὡς μηδὲ ἀποθανοῦσαν ἀφεῖναι ταφῆναι ' καὶ τοῦτʼ ἂν ἐγεγόνει, καὶ ἄταφος έρῥίφη, εἰ μὴ οἱ ὑποδεξάμενοι αὐτὴν ὡς ἴδιον νεκρὸν ἐξήνεγκαν ο οὕτω καὶ ἐν τούτοις εἶχεν ἀνόσιον τὸν τρόπον. Καὶ γὰρ καὶ χηρῶν καὶ ἄλλων ἀνεξόδων λαβόντων ἐλεημοσύνην, ἐκέλευε τὰ δεδομένα διαρπάζεσθαι, καὶ τά ἀγγεῖα ἐν οἷς ἔφερον τὸ ἔλαιον καὶ τδν οἶνον, κατεάγασθαι, ’ίνα μὴ μόνον λαβὼν ἀσεβήσῃ, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἔργοις ἀτιμάζῃ τὸν Κύριον, ἀκουσόμενος ὅσον οὐδέπω παρʼ αὐτοῦ Ἐφόσον ἠτίμασας τούτους, ἐμὲ ἠτίμασας.
Eita ho athlios Grēgorios meta tautaēparekalei pantas koinōnein autǭ ; kaitoi ei koinōnian ēxious parʼ autōn echein, oukēsan axioi plēgōn ; ei de hōs phaulous ekoptes, ti hōs hagious parekaleis ? Allʼ ouden hēn autǭ pookeimenon, ē ta tōn aposteilantōn plērōsai, kai tēn airesin systēsai. Dia touto kai androphonos gegone kai dēmios, kai hybristēs, kai dolios, kai bebēlos, kai to holon Christomachos ho anoētos. Tēn goun tou episkopou theian houtōs ediōxen, hōs mēde apothanousan apheinai taphēnai ' kai toutʼ an egegonei, kai ataphos errhiphē, ei mē hoi hypodexamenoi autēn hōs idion nekron exēnenkan o houtō kai en toutois eichen anosion ton tropon. Kai gar kai chērōn kai allōn anexodōn labontōn eleēmosynēn, ekeleue ta dedomena diarpazesthai, kai ta angeia en hois epheron to elaion kai tdn oinon, kateagasthai, ’ina mē monon labōn asebēsę̄, alla kai ergois atimazę̄ ton Kyrion, akousomenos hoson oudepō parʼ autou Ephoson ētimasas toutous, eme ētimasas.
Then, after this, the wretched Gregory urged all to communicate with him. Yet if you asked to have communion with them, they did not deserve blows; and if you beat them as wicked, why did you urge them as saints? But he had no purpose but to fulfill the wishes of those who sent him and to establish the heresy. For this reason the fool became a murderer and an executioner, insolent, deceitful, profane—in a word, a Christ-fighter. He so persecuted the bishop’s aunt that he would not allow her even to be buried when she died; and this would have happened, and she would have been thrown out unburied, had not those who had taken her in carried her out as their own dead. So unholy was his character even in such things. Moreover, when widows and other helpless people had received alms, he ordered what had been given to be seized, and the vessels in which they carried the oil and the wine to be broken, so that he might not only be impious in taking it, but also dishonor the Lord by his deeds—he who would very soon hear from him, “Inasmuch as you dishonored these, you dishonored me.”
Matt 25:45 (allusion, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Athanasius describes Gregory’s cruelty: forcing communion, refusing burial to Athanasius’s aunt, and seizing alms given to widows and the poor.
- “Inasmuch as you dishonored these …”: an adaptation of Matt 25:40, 45.
Topics: Persecution
Cite (SBL): Athanasius, H. Ar. 13 (PG 25:708b; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-historia-arianorum/3/#p-13). (abbreviation not yet checked)
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Chapter 14
14PG 25:708b–709a
Πολλά τε ἕτερα ἐποίει, ἃ καὶ λόγου φράσιν ὑπεραίρει, καὶ ἀκούσας τις ἄπιστα νομίσειε. Ταῦτα δὲ διὰ τοῦθʼ οὕτως ἔπραττεν, ἐπεὶ μήτε ἐκκλησιαστικῷ κανόνί τήν κατάστασιν εἶχε, μήτε ἀποστολικῇ παραδόσει κληθεὶς ἧν ἐπίσκοπος · ἀλλʼ ἐκ παλατίω μετὰ στρατιωτικῆς ἐξουσίας καὶ φαντασίας ἀπέσταλτο, ὥσπερ ἀρχὴν κοσμικὴν ἐγκεχειρισμένος. Διὰ τοῦτο καὶ ἀρχόντων μᾶλλον ηὔχετο φίλος εἶναι ἢ ἐπισκόπων καὶ μοναζόντων. Ei’ ποτε οὖν καὶ ὁ Πατὴρ Ἀντώνιος ἐκ του ὅρους ἔγραφεν, ὥσπερ βδέλυγμα ἁμαρτωλῷ θεοσέβεια, οὕτως ἐβδελύσσετο τὰ τοῦ ἁγίου γράμματα. Εἴ ποτε δὲ βασιλεὺς, ἢ στρατηλάτης, ἢ ἄλλος δικαστὴς ἐπέστελλεν, οὕτω περιχαρὴς ἐγίγνετο, ὡς οἱ ἐν ταῖς Ηαροιμίαις, καθὼς σχετλιάζων ἔλεγεν ὁ λόγος · Ὢ οἱ ἐγκαταλείποντες ὁδοὺς εὐθείας, οἱ εὐφραινόμενοι ἐπὶ κακοῖς, καὶ χαίροντες ἐπῖ διαστροφῇ κακῶν. Ἃμέλει τοὺς μέν ταῦτα κομίζοντας ἐτίμα χρήμασιν · Ἀντωνίου δὲ ποτε γράψαντος, πεποίηκε τὸν δοῦκα Βαλάκιον καταπτῦσαι τῆς ἐπιπολῆς, καὶ ταύτην ἀποῤῥίῴαι. Ἀλλʼ ού παρεῖδεν ἡ θεία δίκη ° μετʼ οὗ πολὺ γὰρ τὸν λεγόμενον δοῦκα ἐπικαθήμενον ἵππῳ, καὶ ἀπερχόμενον είς τὴν πρώτην μονὴν, ἐπιστραφεὶς ὁ ἵππος, καὶ δακὼν εἰς τὸν μηρὸν, κατέβαλε, καὶ τριῶν ἡμερῶν ἀπέθανεν.
Polla te hetera epoiei, ha kai logou phrasin hyperairei, kai akousas tis apista nomiseie. Tauta de dia touthʼ houtōs epratten, epei mēte ekklēsiastikǭ kanoni tēn katastasin eiche, mēte apostolikę̄ paradosei klētheis hēn episkopos ; allʼ ek palatiō meta stratiōtikēs exousias kai phantasias apestalto, hōsper archēn kosmikēn enkecheirismenos. Dia touto kai archontōn mallon ēucheto philos einai ē episkopōn kai monazontōn. Ei’ pote oun kai ho Patēr Antōnios ek tou horous egraphen, hōsper bdelygma hamartōlǭ theosebeia, houtōs ebdelysseto ta tou hagiou grammata. Ei pote de basileus, ē stratēlatēs, ē allos dikastēs epestellen, houtō pericharēs egigneto, hōs hoi en tais Ēaroimiais, kathōs schetliazōn elegen ho logos ; Ō hoi enkataleipontes hodous eutheias, hoi euphrainomenoi epi kakois, kai chairontes epi diastrophę̄ kakōn. Hamelei tous men tauta komizontas etima chrēmasin ; Antōniou de pote grapsantos, pepoiēke ton douka Balakion kataptysai tēs epipolēs, kai tautēn aporrhiǭai. Allʼ ou pareiden hē theia dikē ° metʼ hou poly gar ton legomenon douka epikathēmenon hippǭ, kai aperchomenon eis tēn prōtēn monēn, epistrapheis ho hippos, kai dakōn eis ton mēron, katebale, kai triōn hēmerōn apethanen.
And he did many other things that surpass the power of words, and that anyone hearing of them would think incredible. He acted so because he had his appointment neither by ecclesiastical canon, nor had he been called to be bishop by apostolic tradition, but had been sent from the palace with military force and pomp, as one entrusted with a secular office. For this reason he wished to be the friend of magistrates rather than of bishops and monks. If ever father Antony wrote from the mountain, then, as godliness is an abomination to a sinner, so he abhorred the holy man’s letters. But if ever the emperor, or a general, or another magistrate wrote, he was as overjoyed as those in the Proverbs, as the word says reproachfully: “O you who forsake straight paths, who delight in evil and rejoice in the perverseness of the wicked.” At any rate he honored those who brought such letters with money; but once, when Antony wrote, he made the duke Balacius spit on the letter and throw it away. But divine justice did not overlook it; for not long after, as the so-called duke was mounted on a horse and going to the first halting place, the horse turned, bit him on the thigh, and threw him down, and within three days he died.
Prov 2:13 (quotation, high confidence) · Prov 2:14 (quotation, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Athanasius contrasts Gregory’s scorn for the letters of Antony with his delight in letters from officials, and tells how the duke Balacius died after insulting Antony’s letter.
- “Godliness is an abomination to a sinner”: Sir 1:25. The Proverbs quotation: Prov 2:13–14. The same story of Balacius is told in the Life of Antony 86.
Extrabiblical texts: Sir 1:25 (Sirach [in RC, EO, ETH canons]; allusion); Athanasius, V. Ant. 86 (Life of Antony; echo)
Topics: Church office
Cite (SBL): Athanasius, H. Ar. 14 (PG 25:708b–709a; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-historia-arianorum/3/#p-14). (abbreviation not yet checked)
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Chapter 15
15PG 25:709a–712b
Ἐκεῖνοι μὲν οὗν οὕτως ἔπραττον κατα παντων · ἐν δὲ τῇ Ῥώμῃ, συνελθόντες ἐπίσκοποί που πεντήκοντα, τοὺς μὲν περὶ Εύσέβιον, ὡς ὑπόπτους καὶ φοβηθέντας ἐλθεῖν, οὐκ ἀπεδέξαντο, ἀλλᾶ καὶ τὰ γραφέντα παρʼ αὐτῶν ἠκύρωσαν ’ ἡμᾶς δὲ ἀπεδέξαντο, καὶ τὴν πρὸς ἡμᾶς κοινωνίαν ἠγάπησαν. Ἕως δὲταῦτα ἐγίγνετο, ἦλθεν εἷς γνῶσιν τοῦ βασιλέως Κώνσταντος, τε ἐν Ῥώμῃ γενομένη σύνοδος, καὶ τὰ ἐν τῇ Ἀλεξανδρείᾳ, καὶ πάσῃ τῇ Ἀνατολῇ κατὰ τῶν Ἐκκλησιῶν γεγενημένα· καὶ γράφει τῷ ἀδελφῷ Κωνσταντίῳ, καὶ λοιπὸν ἀμφοτέροις ἀρέσκει σύνοδον γενέσθαι, καὶ διαγνωσθῆναι τὰ πράγματα, ἷνʼ οἳ μὲν ἀδικηθέντες μηκέτι πάσχωσιν, οἱ δὲ ἀδικοῦντες μηκέτι τοιαῦτα τολμᾷ δύνωνται. Συνέρχονται τοίνυν ἀπό τε τῆς Ἀνατολῆς καὶ τῆς Δύσεως ἐν τῇ Σαρδῶν πόλει πλέον ἢ ἔλαττον po’ τὸν ἀριθμὸν ἐπίσκοποι. Καὶ οἱ μὲν ἀπὸ τῆς Δύσεως μόνοι ἦσαν ἐπίσκοποι, ἔχοντες Πατέρα τὸν Ὅσιον · οἱ δὲ ἀπὸ τῆς ’Δνατολῆς ἐπήγοντο μεθʼ ἑαυτῶν παιδαγωγοὺς καὶ συνηγόρους, Μουσουνιανὸν κόμητα, καὶ Ἡεύχιον τὸν Καστρησιον, διʼ οὓς καὶ προθύμως ἧλτον,νομίζοντες μεθʼ ἐξουσίας αὐτῶν πάλιν πάντα πράττεσθαι. Οὕτω γὰρ ἀεὶ διὰ τούτων φοδερους ἑαυτοὺς ἐδείκνυον οἷς ἐβούλοντο. καὶ ἐπεβούλευον οἷς ἂν αὐτοῖς ἐδόκει. Ὠς δὲ ἀπαντήσαντες ἑωράκασιν ἐκκλησιαστικὴν δίκην μόνην,γενομένην χωρὶς κόμιτος καὶ στρατιωτῶν, ὡς ἑωράκασι τοὺς ἀφʼ ἑκάστης Ἐκκλησίας καὶ πόλεως κατηγόρους, καὶ τούς κατʼ αύτῶν ἐλέγχους · ὡς ἑωράκασιν ’Ἀρειον καὶ Ἀστέριον, τιμίοτς ἐπισκόπους, ἀνελθόντας μὲν σὺν αὐτοῖς, ἀποδημήσαντας δέ ἀπʼ αὐτῶν, καὶ ἐλθόντας μεθʼ ἡμῶν, διηγουμένους τε τὴν πανουργίαν ἐκείνων, ὡς ὕποπτοι εἶεν ἐν τοῖς πράγμασι, καὶ φοβοῦνται κρίσιν γενέσθαι, μὴ ἐλεγχθῶσι παρʼ ἡμῶν μὲν συκοφάνται, παρά δὲ τῶν ἐπλάσαντο κατηγόρων, ὡς αὐτοὶ πάντα ὑποβαλόντες, καὶ τὰ τοιαῦτα μηχανησάταῦτα συνορῶντες, καίτοι μετά σπουδῆς ἐλμενοι θόντες, νομίσαντες μηδὲ ἡμᾶς ἀπαντᾷν ὠς φοβουμένους ’ ὡς ἑωράκασι καὶ τὴν ἡμῶν προθυμίαν, ἀποκλείουσιν έαυτοὺς ἐν τῶ παλατίῳ γὰρ ᾢκουν. ἰαὶ λοιπὸν ἀλλήλοις συνελάλουν: ’Ἠλθομεν ἐπʼ ἀλ- .οις, καὶ ἄλλα βλέπομεν ἀπηντήσαμεν μετὰ κομήἷχουσιν οἱπερὶ Ἀθανάσιον τὰ έν τῷ Μαρεώτῃ ὑποματα, ἐξ ὧν αὐτὸς μὲν καθαρίζεται,ἡμεῖς δὲ μεν ; πλασώμεθα προφάσεις, καὶ ἀπέλθωμεν, μὴ μένοντες κατακριθῶμεν· Βέλτιον φεύγοντας ἐρυθριᾷν, Ξ ἐλεγχθέντας συκοφάντας καταισχύνεσθαι. Ἐὰν φύγωμεν, δυνάμεθὰ πως κᾶν τῆς αἱρέσεως προίστασθαι · ἐὰν δὲ καὶ φεύγοντας ἡμᾶς καταἱφιέντα ἡμᾶς ὑπὸ τῶν λαῶν ἐκβάλλεσθαι ἀπὸ τῶν Ἐκκλησιῶν.
Ekeinoi men houn houtōs epratton kata pantōn ; en de tę̄ Rhōmę̄, synelthontes episkopoi pou pentēkonta, tous men peri Eusebion, hōs hypoptous kai phobēthentas elthein, ouk apedexanto, alla kai ta graphenta parʼ autōn ēkyrōsan ’ hēmas de apedexanto, kai tēn pros hēmas koinōnian ēgapēsan. Heōs detauta egigneto, ēlthen heis gnōsin tou basileōs Kōnstantos, te en Rhōmę̄ genomenē synodos, kai ta en tę̄ Alexandreią, kai pasę̄ tę̄ Anatolę̄ kata tōn Ekklēsiōn gegenēmena; kai graphei tǭ adelphǭ Kōnstantiǭ, kai loipon amphoterois areskei synodon genesthai, kai diagnōsthēnai ta pragmata, hinʼ hoi men adikēthentes mēketi paschōsin, hoi de adikountes mēketi toiauta tolmą dynōntai. Synerchontai toinyn apo te tēs Anatolēs kai tēs Dyseōs en tę̄ Sardōn polei pleon ē elatton po’ ton arithmon episkopoi. Kai hoi men apo tēs Dyseōs monoi ēsan episkopoi, echontes Patera ton Hosion ; hoi de apo tēs ’Dnatolēs epēgonto methʼ heautōn paidagōgous kai synēgorous, Mousounianon komēta, kai Hēeuchion ton Kastrēsion, diʼ hous kai prothymōs hēlton,nomizontes methʼ exousias autōn palin panta prattesthai. Houtō gar aei dia toutōn phoderous heautous edeiknyon hois eboulonto. kai epebouleuon hois an autois edokei. Ōs de apantēsantes heōrakasin ekklēsiastikēn dikēn monēn,genomenēn chōris komitos kai stratiōtōn, hōs heōrakasi tous aphʼ hekastēs Ekklēsias kai poleōs katēgorous, kai tous katʼ autōn elenchous ; hōs heōrakasin ’Areion kai Asterion, timiots episkopous, anelthontas men syn autois, apodēmēsantas de apʼ autōn, kai elthontas methʼ hēmōn, diēgoumenous te tēn panourgian ekeinōn, hōs hypoptoi eien en tois pragmasi, kai phobountai krisin genesthai, mē elenchthōsi parʼ hēmōn men sykophantai, para de tōn eplasanto katēgorōn, hōs autoi panta hypobalontes, kai ta toiauta mēchanēsatauta synorōntes, kaitoi meta spoudēs elmenoi thontes, nomisantes mēde hēmas apantąn ōs phoboumenous ’ hōs heōrakasi kai tēn hēmōn prothymian, apokleiousin eautous en tō palatiǭ gar ǭkoun. iai loipon allēlois synelaloun: ’Ēlthomen epʼ al- .ois, kai alla blepomen apēntēsamen meta komēichousin hoiperi Athanasion ta en tǭ Mareōtę̄ hypomata, ex hōn autos men katharizetai,hēmeis de men ? plasōmetha prophaseis, kai apelthōmen, mē menontes katakrithōmen; Beltion pheugontas erythriąn, X elenchthentas sykophantas kataischynesthai. Ean phygōmen, dynametha pōs kan tēs haireseōs proistasthai ; ean de kai pheugontas hēmas kataiphienta hēmas hypo tōn laōn ekballesthai apo tōn Ekklēsiōn.
They, then, acted thus against all; but at Rome about fifty bishops assembled, and they rejected Eusebius and his party as suspect and afraid to come, and even declared what they had written invalid; but they received us and gladly embraced communion with us. While this was happening, the synod held at Rome, and the things done against the churches at Alexandria and throughout the East, came to the knowledge of the emperor Constans; and he writes to his brother Constantius, and it pleased them both that a synod should be held and the matters examined, so that those who had been wronged might suffer no more, and those who did wrong might no longer be able to dare such things. So there assembled from both East and West at the city of Sardica bishops numbering about one hundred and seventy, more or less. Those from the West were bishops only, having Hosius as their father; but those from the East brought with them tutors and advocates, Musonianus the count and Hesychius the castrensis, on whose account they came eagerly, thinking that everything would again be done by their authority. For by such men they always made themselves fearsome to whom they wished, and plotted against whom they pleased. But when they arrived and saw an ecclesiastical trial alone, held without count or soldiers; when they saw the accusers from every church and city, and the proofs against them; when they saw Arius and Asterius, honored bishops, who had come up with them but had departed from them and come over to us, and were relating their villainy—how they were suspect in their dealings and afraid that a trial would take place, lest they be convicted as false accusers by us, and by those whom they had put up as accusers as the ones who had suggested everything and contrived such things—seeing this, though they had come with eagerness, thinking that we would not appear for fear, when they saw our readiness, they shut themselves up in the palace (for they were lodging there), and then said to one another, “We came for one thing and we see another; we arrived with counts, and … Athanasius and his party have the minutes of the Mareotis, by which he is cleared and we are … Let us invent pretexts and depart, lest by staying we be condemned. It is better to blush as fugitives than to be put to shame as convicted false accusers. If we flee, we can somehow still lead the heresy; but if they condemn us even as we flee … that we are driven out of the churches by the people.”
Textual problem in this passage: see the notes.
Notes and citation
Summary: Athanasius describes the Council of Sardica, where the Eastern bishops, finding a church trial without officials and their accusers present, shut themselves in the palace and resolved to flee.
- “Arius and Asterius” are the bishops of Palestine and Arabia who left the Eastern party (cf. Defense against the Arians 48, which names the first Macarius); this Arius is not the heresiarch. The last part of the section is scrambled in the scan: lines are interleaved and some are lost, so the Eastern bishops’ words are translated by sense and the gaps marked “…”.
Topics: Church office
Cite (SBL): Athanasius, H. Ar. 15 (PG 25:709a–712b; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-historia-arianorum/3/#p-15). (abbreviation not yet checked)
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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Migne PG 25 scan text; compared in full afterwards with NPNF² 4.
Chapter 16
16PG 25:712b–712c
Τοιαῦτα μὲν οὗν ἐκεῖνοι διελογίζοντο ’Ὀσιος δὲ καί οἱ ἄλλοι πάντες ἐπίσκοποι πυκνότερον αὐτοῖς ἐσήμαινον τὴν προθυμίαν τῶν περὶ ’Δθανάσιον, καὶ ὡς ἕτοιμοι πρὸς ἀπολογίαν εἰσὶν, ἐπαγγελλόμενοι διελέγχειν ὗμᾶο συκοφάντας ’ ἔλεγόν τε · Εἰ φοβεῖσθε τὴν κρίσιν, τί ἀπηντᾶτε; ἔδει γὰρ ἢ μὴ ἐλθεῖν, ἢ ἐλθόντας μὴ φεύγειν. Ἐκεῖνοι ταῦτα ἀκούοντες, καὶ μᾶλλον καταπλήξαντες, ἀπρεπεστέρᾳ τῆς ἐν Ἀντιοχείᾳ προφάσεως ἄλλῃ προφάσει χρησάμενοι, ὡς βασιλέως αὐτοῖς ἐπινίκια κατά Περσῶν γράψαντος, ἐπεχείρησαν φεύγειν. Καὶ ταύτην τὴν πρόφασιν οὐκ αἰδεσθέντες ἔπεμψαν διʼ Εύσταθίου πρεσβυτέρου τῆς κατὰ Σαρδικήν Ἐκκλησίας. Ἀλλʼ οὐδὲ οὕτως αὐτοῖς ἡ φυγὴ καταθυμίως ἀπέβη εὐθὺς γὰρ ἡ ἁγία σύνοδος, ἧς προήγορος ἦν ὁ μέγας Ὃσιος, ἔγραψεν αὐτοῖς φανερῶς · ἢ ἀπαντήσατε ἀπολογησόμενοι πρὸς τὰς ἐπιφερομένας καθʼ ύμῶν κατηγορίας, καὶ ἃς εἰργάσασθε συκοφαντίας, ἤ γινώσκετε, ὅτι ὑμᾶς μὲν ὡς ὑπευθύνους ἡ σύνοδος κατακρίνει ’ τοὺς δὲ περὶ Ἀθανάσιον ἐλευθέρους καὶ καθαροὺς ἀπὸ πάσης αἰτίας ἀποφαίνεται. Ἐκεῖνοι τοίνυν ὑπὸ φόβου τοῦ συνειδότος ἠλαύνοντο μᾶλλον, ἢ τοῖς γράμμασιν ἐπείθοντο ο καὶ γὰρ τοὺς ἀδικηθέντας παρʼ αὐτῶν ὁρῶντες, οὐδὲ πρὸς τούς λέγοντας ἐπεστρέφοντο, ἀλλʼ ὀξύτερον ἔφευγον.
Toiauta men houn ekeinoi dielogizonto ’Osios de kai hoi alloi pantes episkopoi pyknoteron autois esēmainon tēn prothymian tōn peri ’Dthanasion, kai hōs hetoimoi pros apologian eisin, epangellomenoi dielenchein hymao sykophantas ’ elegon te ; Ei phobeisthe tēn krisin, ti apēntate? edei gar ē mē elthein, ē elthontas mē pheugein. Ekeinoi tauta akouontes, kai mallon kataplēxantes, aprepesterą tēs en Antiocheią prophaseōs allę̄ prophasei chrēsamenoi, hōs basileōs autois epinikia kata Persōn grapsantos, epecheirēsan pheugein. Kai tautēn tēn prophasin ouk aidesthentes epempsan diʼ Eustathiou presbyterou tēs kata Sardikēn Ekklēsias. Allʼ oude houtōs autois hē phygē katathymiōs apebē euthys gar hē hagia synodos, hēs proēgoros ēn ho megas Hosios, egrapsen autois phanerōs ; ē apantēsate apologēsomenoi pros tas epipheromenas kathʼ ymōn katēgorias, kai has eirgasasthe sykophantias, ē ginōskete, hoti hymas men hōs hypeuthynous hē synodos katakrinei ’ tous de peri Athanasion eleutherous kai katharous apo pasēs aitias apophainetai. Ekeinoi toinyn hypo phobou tou syneidotos ēlaunonto mallon, ē tois grammasin epeithonto o kai gar tous adikēthentas parʼ autōn horōntes, oude pros tous legontas epestrephonto, allʼ oxyteron epheugon.
Such were their deliberations. But Hosius and all the other bishops frequently informed them of the readiness of Athanasius and his companions, and that they were prepared to make their defense, promising to prove them false accusers; and they said, “If you fear the trial, why did you come? You ought either not to have come, or, having come, not to flee.” On hearing this they were still more dismayed, and using another pretext, more unseemly than the one at Antioch—that the emperor had written to them about his victory over the Persians—they attempted to flee. And they were not ashamed to send this pretext by Eustathius, a presbyter of the church at Sardica. But not even so did their flight turn out as they wished; for at once the holy synod, whose spokesman was the great Hosius, wrote to them plainly: “Either come and make your defense against the charges brought against you and the false accusations you have made, or know that the synod condemns you as guilty and declares Athanasius and his companions free and clean of every charge.” But they were driven by the fear of their conscience rather than persuaded by the letter; for seeing those whom they had wronged, they did not even turn toward those who spoke, but fled all the faster.
Notes and citation
Summary: The Eastern bishops fled Sardica on the pretext of a victory announcement from the emperor, ignoring the synod’s summons to defend themselves.
Cite (SBL): Athanasius, H. Ar. 16 (PG 25:712b–712c; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-historia-arianorum/3/#p-16). (abbreviation not yet checked)
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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Migne PG 25 scan text; compared in full afterwards with NPNF² 4.
Chapter 17
17PG 25:712c–713b
Ἐκείνων μὲν οὖν οὕτως αἰσχρῶς καὶ ἀπρεπῶς γέγονεν ἡ φυγή ’ ἡ δὲ ἁγία σύνοδος ἠ ἀπὸ λεʼ καὶ πλέον ἐπαρχιῶν συναχθεῖσα, ἐπιγνοῦσα τὴν τῶν Ἀρειανῶν κακοήθειαν, ἐδέξατο τοὺς περὶ ’Δθανάσιον εἰς ἀπολογίαν περὶ ὧν πεπόνθασι, κάκεῖνοι κατηγῶ ρησαν ο καὶ οὕτως ἀπολογησαμένους, ἅπερ ἐν τοῖς ἔμπροσθεν εἰρήκαμεν, ἀπεδέξατο, καὶ ὑπερεθαύμασεν, ὥστε αὐτοὺς τε καὶ τήν κοινωνίαν αὐτῶν ἀγαπῆσαι, καὶ γράψαι πανταχοῦ, γράψαι τε καὶ εἰς τὴν ἑκάστου παροικίαν, καὶ μάλιστα εἰς ’Δλεξάνδρειαν καὶ τὴν Αἴγυπτον, καὶ εἰς τὰς Λιβύας, Ἀθανάσιον μὶν καὶ τούς σόν αύτῷ καθαροὺς καὶ πάσης μέμψεως ἐκτὸς εἶναι, τοὺς δὲ κατʼ αὐτῶν γενομένους συκοφάντας, κακούργους, καὶ πάντα μᾶλλον ἢ Χριστιανοὺς τυγχάνειν. ’Δπέλυσαν γοῦν αύτούς μετʼ εἰρήνης καθεῖλον δε Στέφανον καὶ Μηνόφαντον, Ἀκάκιον καὶ Γεώργιον τὸν ἰν Λαοδικείᾳ, Ούρσάκιον, καὶ Οὐάλεντα, καὶ Θεόδωρον καὶ Νάρκισσον · Γρηγόριον γὰρ τὸν ἀπὸ βασιλέως εἷς ’Δλεξοὶνδρειαν ἀποσταλέντα οὕτως ἀπεκήρυξαν, ὡς μηδὲ ὅλως ἐπίσκοπον γενόμενον, μηδὲ ὀφείλοντα Χριστιανὸν ὀνομάζεσθαι · ἠκύρωσαν γοῦν καὶ ἃς ἔδοξε καταστάσεις ποιεῖσθαι, προστάξαντες μηδὲ αὐτας ὅλως έν Ἐκκλησία ὀνομάζεσθαι διὰ τὸ καινὸν τῆς παρανομίας. Οὕτω μὶν οὖν Ἀθανάσιος καὶ οἱ σὺν αύτῷ ἀπελύθησαν μετʼ εἰρήνης. Τά τε γράμματα ἐν τῷ τέλει γέ, γραπται διὰ τὸ μῆκος τῆς ἐπιπολῆς · καὶ ἡ σύνοδος διαλέλυται.
Ekeinōn men oun houtōs aischrōs kai aprepōs gegonen hē phygē ’ hē de hagia synodos ē apo leʼ kai pleon eparchiōn synachtheisa, epignousa tēn tōn Areianōn kakoētheian, edexato tous peri ’Dthanasion eis apologian peri hōn peponthasi, kakeinoi katēgō rēsan o kai houtōs apologēsamenous, haper en tois emprosthen eirēkamen, apedexato, kai hyperethaumasen, hōste autous te kai tēn koinōnian autōn agapēsai, kai grapsai pantachou, grapsai te kai eis tēn hekastou paroikian, kai malista eis ’Dlexandreian kai tēn Aigypton, kai eis tas Libyas, Athanasion min kai tous son autǭ katharous kai pasēs mempseōs ektos einai, tous de katʼ autōn genomenous sykophantas, kakourgous, kai panta mallon ē Christianous tynchanein. ’Dpelysan goun autous metʼ eirēnēs katheilon de Stephanon kai Mēnophanton, Akakion kai Geōrgion ton in Laodikeią, Oursakion, kai Oualenta, kai Theodōron kai Narkisson ; Grēgorion gar ton apo basileōs heis ’Dlexoindreian apostalenta houtōs apekēryxan, hōs mēde holōs episkopon genomenon, mēde opheilonta Christianon onomazesthai ; ēkyrōsan goun kai has edoxe katastaseis poieisthai, prostaxantes mēde autas holōs en Ekklēsia onomazesthai dia to kainon tēs paranomias. Houtō min oun Athanasios kai hoi syn autǭ apelythēsan metʼ eirēnēs. Ta te grammata en tǭ telei ge, graptai dia to mēkos tēs epipolēs ; kai hē synodos dialelytai.
So shameful and unseemly was their flight. The holy synod, assembled from thirty-five provinces and more, recognizing the malice of the Arians, admitted Athanasius and his companions to make their defense concerning what they had suffered and what those men had charged; and when they had defended themselves, as we have related above, it accepted them and admired them greatly, so that it embraced them and communion with them, and wrote everywhere, and to the diocese of each, especially to Alexandria and Egypt and the Libyas, that Athanasius and those with him were clean and beyond all blame, while those who had acted against them were false accusers, evildoers, and anything rather than Christians. So it dismissed them in peace, and deposed Stephen and Menophantus, Acacius and George of Laodicea, Ursacius, Valens, Theodore, and Narcissus. As for Gregory, who had been sent by the emperor to Alexandria, they denounced him as never having been a bishop at all and not deserving even to be called a Christian; they also annulled the appointments he had seemed to make, ordering that these should not even be named in the Church, because of the novelty of the lawlessness. So Athanasius and those with him were dismissed in peace. The letters are written at the end, because of the length of the letter; and the synod was dissolved.
Notes and citation
Summary: The synod of Sardica cleared Athanasius, deposed the leaders of the Arian party, and declared Gregory’s episcopate and appointments void.
- “The letters are written at the end” refers to the synodal letters, which are given in the Defense against the Arians 36–50.
Topics: Church office
Cite (SBL): Athanasius, H. Ar. 17 (PG 25:712c–713b; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-historia-arianorum/3/#p-17). (abbreviation not yet checked)
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Chapter 18
18PG 25:713b–713c
Οἱ δὲ καθαιρεθέντες, δέον καὶ οὕτως ἠρεμεῖν, οἱ δὲκαὶ μετά τὴν οὕτως αἰσχρὰν φυγὴν κατελθόντες, τοιαῦτα ἔδρασαν, ὡς ἐκ τούτων μικρὰς αὐτῶν τὰς προτέρας δειχθῆναι πράξεις. Ἐπειδή γὰρ ούκ ἠθέλησαν αὐτοῖς οἱ ἐν Ἀδριανουπόλει κοινωνῆσαι, ὡς (PUγοῢσιν ἀπὸ τῆς συνόδου καὶ ὑπευθύνοις γενομένοις, ἀνήνεγκαν βασιλεῖ Κωνσταντίῳ, καὶ πεποιήκασιν ἀπὸ τῆς ἐκεῖ καλουμένης Φάβρικος δέκα λαῖκῶν ἀποτμηθῆναι τὰς κεφαλὰς, ὑπουργοῦντος αὐτοῖς καὶ είς τοῦτο Φιλαγρίου, πάλιν ἐκεῖ κόμητος γενομένου. Καὶ τούτων τὰ μνήματα πρὸ τῆς πόλεώς ἐστιν, ἅπερ παρερχόμενοι καὶ ἡμεῖς ἑωράκαμεν. Εἶτα ὥσπερ κατορθώσαντες, ὅτι διὰ τοῦτʼ ἔφυγον, ’ίνα μή ἐλεγχῶσι συκοφάνται, ἅπερ ἐβούλοντο, ταῦτα καὶ βασιλεὺς ἐκέλευε. Πεποιήκασι γοῦν καὶ ἀπὸ τῆς Ἀλεξανδρείας εἷς τήν Ἀρμενίαν ἐξορισθῆναι πρεσβυτέρους δύο, καὶ διακόνους τρεῖς · καὶ ’Ἄρειον μὲν καὶ Ἀστέριον, τὸν μὶν ἀπὸ Πετρῶν τῆς Παλαιστίνης, τὸν δὲ ἀπὸ τῆς Ἀραβίας, ἐπισκόπους, τοὺς ἀποπηδήσαντας ἀπʼ αὐτῶν, οὐ μόνον ἐξώρισαν εἰς τήν ἄνω Διβύην, ἀλλᾶ καὶ ὕβρεων μετασχεῖν αὐτοὺς πεποιήκασιν.
Hoi de kathairethentes, deon kai houtōs ēremein, hoi dekai meta tēn houtōs aischran phygēn katelthontes, toiauta edrasan, hōs ek toutōn mikras autōn tas proteras deichthēnai praxeis. Epeidē gar ouk ēthelēsan autois hoi en Adrianoupolei koinōnēsai, hōs (PUgoÿsin apo tēs synodou kai hypeuthynois genomenois, anēnenkan basilei Kōnstantiǭ, kai pepoiēkasin apo tēs ekei kaloumenēs Phabrikos deka laikōn apotmēthēnai tas kephalas, hypourgountos autois kai eis touto Philagriou, palin ekei komētos genomenou. Kai toutōn ta mnēmata pro tēs poleōs estin, haper parerchomenoi kai hēmeis heōrakamen. Eita hōsper katorthōsantes, hoti dia toutʼ ephygon, ’ina mē elenchōsi sykophantai, haper eboulonto, tauta kai basileus ekeleue. Pepoiēkasi goun kai apo tēs Alexandreias heis tēn Armenian exoristhēnai presbyterous dyo, kai diakonous treis ; kai ’Areion men kai Asterion, ton min apo Petrōn tēs Palaistinēs, ton de apo tēs Arabias, episkopous, tous apopēdēsantas apʼ autōn, ou monon exōrisan eis tēn anō Dibyēn, alla kai hybreōn metaschein autous pepoiēkasin.
But the deposed, who ought even so to have kept quiet, after their so shameful flight came back and did such things that their earlier acts appeared small by comparison. For since the people of Adrianople would not communicate with them, as fugitives from the synod and men found guilty, they reported to the emperor Constantius and had ten laymen from the place there called the Fabrica beheaded, with Philagrius, who had again become count there, serving them in this too. Their tombs are before the city; we ourselves saw them as we passed by. Then, as though they had succeeded—though they fled precisely so that they might not be convicted as false accusers—whatever they wished the emperor ordered. So they had two presbyters and three deacons from Alexandria exiled to Armenia; and Arius and Asterius, bishops—the one of Petra in Palestine, the other of Arabia—who had left them, they not only exiled to Upper Libya, but caused them to suffer insults as well.
Notes and citation
Summary: Athanasius recounts the reprisals after Sardica: ten laymen beheaded at Adrianople and clergy and bishops exiled.
- The Fabrica was the imperial arms factory at Adrianople. OCR debris is removed by a logged correction.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR debris): τὰς... -__.. -.-.η....υς προτέρας → τὰς προτέρας.
Topics: Persecution, Martyrdom
Cite (SBL): Athanasius, H. Ar. 18 (PG 25:713b–713c; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-historia-arianorum/3/#p-18). (abbreviation not yet checked)
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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Migne PG 25 scan text; compared in full afterwards with NPNF² 4.
Chapter 19
19PG 25:713c–716b
Λούκιον δὲ τὸν τῆς Ἀδριανουπόλεως ἐπίσκοπον, ἐπειδὴ ἔβλεπον πολλῇ τῇ κατʼ αὐτῶν παρῥησίᾳ χρώμενον, καὶ ἐλέγχοντα αὐτῶν τὴν ἀσέβειαν, πεποιήκασι πάλιν, ὥσπερ καὶ πρότερον, ἁλύσεσι σιδηραῖς δεθῆναι τὸν τράχηλον καὶ τὰς χεῖρας, καὶ οὕτως ἐξώρισαν, ἔνθα καὶ ένελεύτησεν, ὡς ἐκεῖνοι γινώσκουσι ι Καὶ Διόδωρον μὲν ἐπίσκοπον ἐκτοπίζουσιν. Ὀλύμπιον δὲ τὸν ἀπὸ Δίνων, Θεόδουλον τὸν ἀπὸ τῆς Τραϊανουπόλεως, ἀμφοτέρους ἀπὸ τῆς Θρᾴκης ἐπισκόπους, ἀγαθοὺς καὶ ὀρθοδόξους ἄνδρας, ἐπειδὴ ἑωράκασι μισοῦντας τὴν αἳρεσιν, διἔβαλον, τὸ πρῶτον μὲν οἱ περὶ Εὐσέβιον, καὶ ἔγραψε βασιλεύς Κωνστάντιος, τὸ δεύτερον δὲ ὑπέμνησαν οὗτοι. Ἠν δὲ τὰ γραφέντα μή μόνον ἐκβάλλεσθαι τῶν πόλεων καὶ τῶν Ἐκκλησιῶν αὐτοὺς, ἀλλὰ καὶ κεφαλικὴν διδόναι δίκην, εἴ που εὑρεθεῖεν οὗτοι, Τοῦτο δὲ εἰ καὶ θαυμαστὸν, ἀλλʼ οὐκ ἀλλότριον τῆς προαιρέσεωςναύτῶν. ὡς γὰρ μαθόντες τὸ τοιοῦτον ἀπὸ τῶν περὶ Εὐσέβιον, καὶ ὥσπερ κληρονόμοι τῆς ἀσεβείας καὶ τῆς προαιρέσεως αὐτῶν τυγχάνῠντες, ἠθέλησαν, ὡς οἶ πατέρες αὐτῶν ἐν τῇ Θρᾴκῃ, οὕτω καὶ οὗτοι ἐν τῇ Ἀλεξανδρείᾳ φοβεροὺς ἐαυτοὺς δεῖξαι καὶ ποιοῦσι γραφῆναι, ὥστε τοὺς λιμένας καὶ τὰς εἰσόδους τῶν πόλεων τηρεῖσθαι, μήπως διά τήν ἀπὸ τῆς συνόδου συγχώρησιν ἐπανέλθωσιν εἷς τὰς Ἐκκλησίας. Ποιοῦσι δὲ γραφῆναι καὶ τοῖς [ἐν] ’Δλεξανδρείᾳ δικασταῖς, περὶ Ἀθανασίου καὶ πρεσβυτέρων τινῶν ἐξ ὀνόματος, ἵνα, εἴτε ἐπίσκοπος, εἴτε τις ἐξ ἐκείνων εὑρεθείη τῆς πόλεως ἢ τῶν ὅρων αὐτῆς ἐπιβὰς, τῷ δικαστῇ τῶν εὑρισκομένων τιὶς κεφαλὰς ἀποτέμνειν. Οὕτως ἡ Ἰουδαϊκή νέα αἵρεσις ού μόνον ἀρνεῖται τὸν Κύριον, ἀλλά καὶ φονεύειν μεμάθηκεν.
Loukion de ton tēs Adrianoupoleōs episkopon, epeidē eblepon pollę̄ tę̄ katʼ autōn parrhēsią chrōmenon, kai elenchonta autōn tēn asebeian, pepoiēkasi palin, hōsper kai proteron, halysesi sidērais dethēnai ton trachēlon kai tas cheiras, kai houtōs exōrisan, entha kai eneleutēsen, hōs ekeinoi ginōskousi i Kai Diodōron men episkopon ektopizousin. Olympion de ton apo Dinōn, Theodoulon ton apo tēs Traïanoupoleōs, amphoterous apo tēs Thrąkēs episkopous, agathous kai orthodoxous andras, epeidē heōrakasi misountas tēn hairesin, diebalon, to prōton men hoi peri Eusebion, kai egrapse basileus Kōnstantios, to deuteron de hypemnēsan houtoi. Ēn de ta graphenta mē monon ekballesthai tōn poleōn kai tōn Ekklēsiōn autous, alla kai kephalikēn didonai dikēn, ei pou heuretheien houtoi, Touto de ei kai thaumaston, allʼ ouk allotrion tēs proaireseōsnautōn. hōs gar mathontes to toiouton apo tōn peri Eusebion, kai hōsper klēronomoi tēs asebeias kai tēs proaireseōs autōn tynchanyntes, ēthelēsan, hōs oi pateres autōn en tę̄ Thrąkę̄, houtō kai houtoi en tę̄ Alexandreią phoberous eautous deixai kai poiousi graphēnai, hōste tous limenas kai tas eisodous tōn poleōn tēreisthai, mēpōs dia tēn apo tēs synodou synchōrēsin epanelthōsin heis tas Ekklēsias. Poiousi de graphēnai kai tois [en] ’Dlexandreią dikastais, peri Athanasiou kai presbyterōn tinōn ex onomatos, hina, eite episkopos, eite tis ex ekeinōn heuretheiē tēs poleōs ē tōn horōn autēs epibas, tǭ dikastę̄ tōn heuriskomenōn tiis kephalas apotemnein. Houtōs hē Ioudaïkē nea hairesis ou monon arneitai ton Kyrion, alla kai phoneuein memathēken.
Lucius, bishop of Adrianople, since they saw him speaking against them with great boldness and exposing their impiety, they again, as before, had bound with iron chains on his neck and hands, and so exiled him to the place where he died, as they know. Diodorus, a bishop, they banish. Olympius of Aenus and Theodulus of Trajanopolis, both bishops of Thrace, good and orthodox men, since they saw that they hated the heresy, they slandered: first Eusebius and his party did so, and the emperor Constantius wrote; and the second time these men reminded him. What was written was that they should not only be driven out of their cities and churches, but suffer capital punishment wherever they were found. This, though astonishing, is not foreign to their purpose. For, as men who learned such things from Eusebius and his party and are heirs of their impiety and their purpose, they wished, as their fathers had in Thrace, so in Alexandria to show themselves fearsome; and they have it written that the harbors and the gates of the cities be watched, lest by the permission of the synod they return to their churches. They also have it written to the magistrates at Alexandria concerning Athanasius and certain presbyters by name, that, whether the bishop or any one of them be found setting foot in the city or its territory, the magistrate should cut off the heads of those found. Thus this new Jewish heresy not only denies the Lord, but has learned to murder.
Notes and citation
Summary: Athanasius describes the chaining and exile of Lucius of Adrianople, death sentences against Thracian bishops, and orders to behead Athanasius and his presbyters if they returned to Alexandria.
- Calling Arianism a “new Jewish heresy” is Athanasius’s polemic (he compares its denial of Christ’s Godhead to Jewish unbelief); it is translated as written. Latin-letter OCR slips are corrected by logged corrections.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR misreading in Latin letters): sicce ἐπίσκοπος → εἴτε ἐπίσκοπος; sifts τις → εἴτε τις.
Topics: Persecution, Heresy
Cite (SBL): Athanasius, H. Ar. 19 (PG 25:713c–716b; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-historia-arianorum/3/#p-19). (abbreviation not yet checked)
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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Migne PG 25 scan text; compared in full afterwards with NPNF² 4.
Chapter 20
20PG 25:716b–717b
Θύδε οὕτω δὲ ἠρέμουν, ἀλλʼ ὥσρερ ὁ πατήρ τῆς αἱρέσεως αὐτῶν περιέρχεται ὡς λέων, ζητῶν τίνα καταπίῃ, οῧτως οὗτοι δημοσίου δρόμου τήν ἐξουσίαν λαβόντες καὶ περιερχόμενοι, ὃν ἂν ηὕρισκον ὀνειδίζοντα τούτοις τήν φυγὴν, καὶ μισοῦντα τὴν Ἀρειανὴν αʼίρεσιν, τούτους ἐμάστιζον, ἐδέσμευον, ἐποίουν ’ἐξορίξεσθαι-τῆς ἰδίας πατρίδος ί φοβερούς τε ἑαυτοὺς οὕτως ἐποίουν, ὡς πολλοὺς μὲν ὑποκριτὰς ποιῆσαι, πολλοὺς δὲ εἰς ἐρημίας φεύγειν, ἢ τούτοις βούλεσθαι κᾶν ὅλως συντυγχάνειν. Τοιαῦτα ἦν αὐτῶν μετά τὴν φυγὴν τῆς μανίας τὰ τολμήματα. Καὶ γὰρ καὶ δρῶσιν ἄλλο τι καινὸν, ὅπερ τῆς μὲν αἱρέσεως αὐτῶν ἐστι κατάλληλον, οὔπω δὲ πρότερον ἠκούσθη, ἀλλʼ οὐδὲ τάχα γενήσεταί ποτε οὐδὲ παρὰ τοῖς ἀσελγεστέροις τῶν Ἑλλήνων, μήτιγε παρὰ Χριστιανοῖς. Τῆς γὰρ ἁγίας συνόδου πρεσβευτὰς ἀποστειλάσης ἐπισκόπους, Βικέντιον μὲν τὸν ἀπὸ Καπύης (ἔστι δὲ αὕτη μητρόπολις τῆς Καμπανίας), Εὐφράτην δὲ τὸν ἀπὸ Ἀγριππίνης (ἔστι δὲ καὶ αὕτη μητρόπολις τῆς ἅνω Γαλλίας), ἵνα, ὡς ἠ σύνοδος ἔκρινε, συγχωρήσῃ βασιλεύς εἷς τὰς ἐκκλησίας τοὺς ἐπισκόπους ἐπανελθεῖν, ἐπειδή καὶ αύτὺς ἐξέβαλε ’ γράψαντός τε καὶ τοῦ εὐσεβεστάτου Κώνπαντος τῷ ἀδελφῷ αὐτοῦ, καὶ συστήσαντος τοὺς ἐπισκόπους οἱ θαυμαστοὶ καὶ πρὸς πάντα τολμηροὶ, ὡς ἑωράκασιν αὐτοὺς ἐπὶ τῆς Ἀντιοχείας, βουλεύονται μὶν κοιινδ, μόνος δὲ Στέφανος ἀναδέχεται τὸ δράμα, ὡς ἐπιτηδείως ἔχων περὶ τά τοιαῦτα. δίισθοῦνται τοίνυν πόρνην δημοσίαν ἐν αύταῖς ταῖς ἡμέραις τοῦ ἁγιωτάτου Πάσχα, καὶ γυμνώσαντες ταύτην ἐπαφιᾶσι νυκτὸς Εὐφράτῃ τῷ ἐπισκόπῳ. Καὶ ἡ μενπόρνη τὸ πρῶτον, νομίσασα νεώτερον εἶναι τὸν καλέσαντα, · ὡς δέ ῥιφεῖσα παρʼ ἐκείνων, προθύμως ἠκολούθει εἶδε κοιμώμενον τὸν ἄνθρωπον, καὶ μή εἰδότα τὸ γιγνόμενον, εἶτα ὡς κατενόησε καὶ εἶδε πρεσβύτου πρόσωπον, καὶ ἐπισκόπου κατάστασιν, εὐθὺς ἀναβοήσασα τήν βίαν ἐβόα. Ἐκεῖνοί τε ἠξίουν σιωπᾷν, καὶ καταψεύδεσθαι τοῦ ἐπισκόπου. Ἡμέρας τοίνυν γενομένης, διατεθρύλητο τὸ πρᾶγμα, καὶ πᾶσα ἡ πόλις συνέτρεχεν · o'i τε ἀπὸ τοῦ παλατίου ἐκινοῦντο, θαυμάζοντες τὸ θρυλούμενον, καὶ ἀξιοῦντες μὴ σιωπηθῆναι τοῦτο. Γέγονε τοίνυν κρίσις, καὶ ὁ μὲν ἐταιροτρόφος ἤλεγξε τοὺς ἐλθόντας ἐπὶ τήν πόρνην, ἐκεῖνοι δὲ τὸν Στέφανον · ἦσαν γὰρ αὐτοῦ κληρικοί. Ὀ μὲν οὖν Στέφανος καθαιρεῖται, καὶ γίγνεται ἀντʼ αὐτοῦ Λεόντιος ὁ ἀπόκοπος, ’ίνα μόντν” μὴ λείπῃ τῇ ’Δρειανῇ αἱρέσει προστάτης.
Thyde houtō de ēremoun, allʼ hōsrer ho patēr tēs haireseōs autōn perierchetai hōs leōn, zētōn tina katapię̄, oÿtōs houtoi dēmosiou dromou tēn exousian labontes kai perierchomenoi, hon an hēuriskon oneidizonta toutois tēn phygēn, kai misounta tēn Areianēn aʼiresin, toutous emastizon, edesmeuon, epoioun ’exorixesthai-tēs idias patridos i phoberous te heautous houtōs epoioun, hōs pollous men hypokritas poiēsai, pollous de eis erēmias pheugein, ē toutois boulesthai kan holōs syntynchanein. Toiauta ēn autōn meta tēn phygēn tēs manias ta tolmēmata. Kai gar kai drōsin allo ti kainon, hoper tēs men haireseōs autōn esti katallēlon, oupō de proteron ēkousthē, allʼ oude tacha genēsetai pote oude para tois aselgesterois tōn Hellēnōn, mētige para Christianois. Tēs gar hagias synodou presbeutas aposteilasēs episkopous, Bikention men ton apo Kapyēs (esti de hautē mētropolis tēs Kampanias), Euphratēn de ton apo Agrippinēs (esti de kai hautē mētropolis tēs hanō Gallias), hina, hōs ē synodos ekrine, synchōrēsę̄ basileus heis tas ekklēsias tous episkopous epanelthein, epeidē kai autys exebale ’ grapsantos te kai tou eusebestatou Kōnpantos tǭ adelphǭ autou, kai systēsantos tous episkopous hoi thaumastoi kai pros panta tolmēroi, hōs heōrakasin autous epi tēs Antiocheias, bouleuontai min koiind, monos de Stephanos anadechetai to drama, hōs epitēdeiōs echōn peri ta toiauta. diisthountai toinyn pornēn dēmosian en autais tais hēmerais tou hagiōtatou Pascha, kai gymnōsantes tautēn epaphiasi nyktos Euphratę̄ tǭ episkopǭ. Kai hē menpornē to prōton, nomisasa neōteron einai ton kalesanta, ; hōs de rhipheisa parʼ ekeinōn, prothymōs ēkolouthei eide koimōmenon ton anthrōpon, kai mē eidota to gignomenon, eita hōs katenoēse kai eide presbytou prosōpon, kai episkopou katastasin, euthys anaboēsasa tēn bian eboa. Ekeinoi te ēxioun siōpąn, kai katapseudesthai tou episkopou. Hēmeras toinyn genomenēs, diatethrylēto to pragma, kai pasa hē polis synetrechen ; o'i te apo tou palatiou ekinounto, thaumazontes to thryloumenon, kai axiountes mē siōpēthēnai touto. Gegone toinyn krisis, kai ho men etairotrophos ēlenxe tous elthontas epi tēn pornēn, ekeinoi de ton Stephanon ; ēsan gar autou klērikoi. O men oun Stephanos kathaireitai, kai gignetai antʼ autou Leontios ho apokopos, ’ina montn” mē leipę̄ tę̄ ’Dreianę̄ hairesei prostatēs.
Nor even so were they quiet; but as the father of their heresy goes about like a lion seeking whom he may devour, so these men, having obtained the use of the public post and going about, whomever they found reproaching them with their flight and hating the Arian heresy they scourged, put in chains, and had exiled from their own country; and they made themselves so fearsome that they turned many into hypocrites, and many fled into the deserts rather than meet them at all. Such were the audacious deeds of their madness after their flight. And they did something else new, in keeping with their heresy, never heard of before, and perhaps never to happen even among the more dissolute of the pagans, let alone among Christians. When the holy synod sent as envoys the bishops Vincent of Capua (the metropolis of Campania) and Euphrates of Agrippina (the metropolis of Upper Gaul), so that, as the synod had decided, the emperor might allow the bishops to return to their churches, since it was he who had expelled them—the most pious Constans too had written to his brother and commended the bishops—these admirable men, bold for anything, when they saw them at Antioch, took counsel together, and Stephen alone undertook the drama, as being well suited to such things. They hire a public prostitute during the very days of the most holy Pascha, strip her, and send her in by night to Euphrates the bishop. The prostitute at first, thinking that the one who had called her was a young man, followed eagerly; but when, thrown in by them, she saw the man asleep and unaware of what was happening, and then, looking closely, saw the face of an old man and the bearing of a bishop, she at once cried out and shouted that she was being forced. They urged her to keep quiet and to bring a false charge against the bishop. When day came, the matter was noised abroad and the whole city ran together; those of the palace too were stirred, marveling at the report and demanding that it not be hushed up. So there was a trial: the brothel-keeper exposed those who had come for the prostitute, and they exposed Stephen, for they were his clerics. So Stephen is deposed, and Leontius the eunuch is made bishop in his place, only so that the Arian heresy might not lack a champion.
1 Pet 5:8 (allusion, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Athanasius tells how Stephen of Antioch tried to discredit the envoys of Sardica by sending a prostitute into Bishop Euphrates’s room at Easter, and was deposed when the plot was exposed.
- “Goes about like a lion seeking whom he may devour”: 1 Pet 5:8. Agrippina is Cologne. The event took place at Easter 344. The order of a few phrases in the scan is disturbed and a doubled phrase is removed by logged corrections.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR misreading in Latin letters and digits; phrase doubled by the OCR): d351tpi'péau'co'u → ἀδελφῷ αὐτοῦ; ἐπαφιᾶσι γυμνώσαντες ταύτην νυκτὸς → ἐπαφιᾶσι νυκτὸς.
Topics: Church office
Cite (SBL): Athanasius, H. Ar. 20 (PG 25:716b–717b; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-historia-arianorum/3/#p-20). (abbreviation not yet checked)
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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Migne PG 25 scan text; compared in full afterwards with NPNF² 4.
Chapter 21
21PG 25:717b–717d
Ο δὲ βασιλεὺς Κωνστάντισς ὀλίγον τι κατανυγεὶς, εἷς ἑαυτὸν ἦλθε · λογισάμενός τε, ἐξ ὧν ἐδρασαν τῷ Εὐφράτῃ, ὅτι καὶ τά κατά τῶν ἄλλων ἐπιχειρήματα τοιαύτά ἐστι, τοὺς μέν ἐξορισθέντας ἀπὸ τῆς ’Δτλεξανδρείας εἷς τὴν Ἀρμενίαν πρεσβυτέρους καὶ διακόνους, εὐθὺς ἀπολυθῆναι κελεύει, Γράφει τε εἷς Ἀλεξάνδρειαν φανερῶς, μηκέτι διώκεσθαι τούς μετὰ Ἀθανασίου κληρικούς τε καὶ λαούς, Εἶτα μετά μῆνάς που δέκα τελευτήσαντος Γρηγορίου, μεταπέμπεται καὶ Ἀθανάσιον μετὰ πάσης τιμῆς, οὐχ ἅπαξ, ούδέ δεύτερον, ἀλλά καὶ τρίτον γράψας αὐτῷ μὲν φιλικά, διʼ ὧν θαρρεῖν καὶ ἐλθεῖν προέτρεπε. Πέμπει τε πρεσβύτερον καὶ διάκονον, ’ίνʼ ἔτι μᾶλλον θαρῥῶν ἐπανέλθοι, Ἐνόμιζε γάρ διὰ τὸν φόβον τῶν πρότερον γενομένων ὀλιγωρεῖν με περὶ τὴν ἐπάνοδον. Γράφει δέ καὶ τῷ ἀδελφῷ ἑαυτοῦ Κώνσταντι, ἵνα καὶ αὐτὸς ἐπανελθεῖν με προτρέψηται. Διεβεβαιοῦτο γὰρ ἐνιαυτὸν ὅλον ἐκδέχεσθαι τὸν Ἀθανάσιον, καὶ οὐκ ἄν ποτε ἐπιτρέψαι γενέσθαι τινα καινοτομίαν, ἢ καὶ κατάστασιν, φυλάττων ’Δθανασίῳ τῷ ἐπισκόπῳ τὰς Ἐκκλησίας.
O de basileus Kōnstantiss oligon ti katanygeis, heis heauton ēlthe ; logisamenos te, ex hōn edrasan tǭ Euphratę̄, hoti kai ta kata tōn allōn epicheirēmata toiauta esti, tous men exoristhentas apo tēs ’Dtlexandreias heis tēn Armenian presbyterous kai diakonous, euthys apolythēnai keleuei, Graphei te heis Alexandreian phanerōs, mēketi diōkesthai tous meta Athanasiou klērikous te kai laous, Eita meta mēnas pou deka teleutēsantos Grēgoriou, metapempetai kai Athanasion meta pasēs timēs, ouch hapax, oude deuteron, alla kai triton grapsas autǭ men philika, diʼ hōn tharrein kai elthein proetrepe. Pempei te presbyteron kai diakonon, ’inʼ eti mallon tharrhōn epanelthoi, Enomize gar dia ton phobon tōn proteron genomenōn oligōrein me peri tēn epanodon. Graphei de kai tǭ adelphǭ heautou Kōnstanti, hina kai autos epanelthein me protrepsētai. Diebebaiouto gar eniauton holon ekdechesthai ton Athanasion, kai ouk an pote epitrepsai genesthai tina kainotomian, ē kai katastasin, phylattōn ’Dthanasiǭ tǭ episkopǭ tas Ekklēsias.
The emperor Constantius, somewhat pricked in conscience, came to himself; and reasoning from what they had done to Euphrates that their attempts against the others too were of the same kind, he orders the presbyters and deacons exiled from Alexandria to Armenia to be released at once. He writes openly to Alexandria that the clergy and people who were with Athanasius should no longer be persecuted. Then, when about ten months later Gregory died, he sends for Athanasius with all honor, writing to him not once nor twice but three times friendly letters, in which he urged him to take courage and come. He sends a presbyter and a deacon too, so that he might return with still more confidence; for he thought that I was neglecting to return because of fear of what had happened before. He writes also to his brother Constans, so that he too might urge me to return. For he affirmed that he had been waiting a whole year for Athanasius, and would never permit any innovation or appointment, keeping the churches for Bishop Athanasius.
Notes and citation
Summary: After the Euphrates scandal Constantius released the exiled clergy and, after Gregory’s death, repeatedly invited Athanasius to return.
- Gregory died in 345. Athanasius moves here from the third person to the first (“I”), as in the Greek.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR misreading in Latin letters): Κώνστανti, 'iva → Κώνσταντι, ἵνα.
Cite (SBL): Athanasius, H. Ar. 21 (PG 25:717b–717d; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-historia-arianorum/3/#p-21). (abbreviation not yet checked)
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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Migne PG 25 scan text; compared in full afterwards with NPNF² 4.