On the Councils of Ariminum and Seleucia 55
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 55
55PG 26:789d–793d
Μετά τὸ. γράψαι μετὰ περὶ τῶν συνόδων, ἔγνων γράψαντα τὸν ἀσεβέστατον Κωνστάντιον πρὸς τοὺς ἐν Ἀρίμήνῳ μείναντας ἐπισκόπουςο καὶ σπουδὴν ἔσχον λαβεῖν τὰ ἀντίγραφα παρά γνησίωθ ἀδελφῶν, καὶ ἀποστεῖλαι ὑμῖν, καὶ τὰ παρά τῶν ἐπι- · σκόπων ἀντιγραφένταοτίνα γνῶτε τοῦ μὲν βασιλέως τὴν ἀσεβῆ πανουργίαν, τῶν δὲ ἐπισκόπων τὸ ἑδραῖον xui ἀκλινὶς τῆς πρὸς τὴν ἀλήθειαν γνώμης. Ἑρμηνεία τῆς ἐπιπολῆς. Α Κωνστάντιος Νικητης καὶ Θριαμβευτῆς Αὔγουστος πᾶσιν ἐπισκόποις τοῖς ἐν Ἀριμήνῳ συνελθοῦσιν. ’Λεὶ μὲν προηγουμένην ἡμᾶς ἔχειν φροντίδα περὶτοῦ θειου καὶ προσκυνητοῦ νόμου, οὐδὲ ἡ ὑμετέρα χρηστότης ἀγνοεῖο ἀλλά νῦν τοὺς παρὰ τῆς συν. έσεως ὑμῶν ἀποσταλέντας εἷʼκοσιν ἐπισκόπους, ἀναδεξαμένους τήν παρʼ ὑμῶν πρεσβείαν, τέως οὐκ ἠδυνήθημεν αὐτοὺς ἰδεῖν. Ἀναγκαία γάρ τις ἡμᾶς ἤπειγεν ἡ πρὸς τοὺς βαρβάρους ὁδός· καὶ, ὡς οἷʼδατε, πρέπει τὴν ψυχὴν, καθαρὰν οὖσαν ἀπὸ πάσης φροντίδος, τά περὶ τοῦ θείου νόμου διαγυμνάζειν. Τοιγαροῦν τοὺς ἐπισκόπους ἐκελεύσαμεν ἐν τῇ Ἀδριανουπόλει ἐκδέξασθαι τήν ἡμετέραν ἐπάνοδον, ἵνα, ἐπειδᾶν πάντα καλως διατεθῇ τὰ δημόσια, τότε tomwa ἅπερ ἂν ὑποβάλωσιν, ἀκοῦσαι καὶ δοκιμάσαι δυνηθῶμεν. Τῇ μέντοι στερρότητι ὑμῶν μὴ βαρὺ φαινέσθω, ὥστε ἐκδέξασθαι τὴν αὐτῶν ἐπάνο· δον, *ίνα ἐπειδὰν ἐπανέλθωσι κομίζοντες ὑμῖν τὰς ἡμετέρας ἀποκρίσεις, δυνηθῆτε εἰς πέρας ἀγαγεῖν τὰ πρὸς τὴν λυσιτέλειαν ἀνήκοντα τῇ καθολικῇ Ἐκκλησίᾳ. Ταῦτα ἐδέξαντο οἱ ἐπίσκοποι, ἐπαγομένων τριῶν Ἀντίγραφον τῶν ἐπισκόπων. Τὰ γράμματα τῆς σῆς φιλανθρωπίας ἐδεξάμεθα, κύριε θεοφιλέστατε βασιλεῦ, τὰ περιέχοντα διὰ τήν δημοσίων ἀνάγκην τέως μὴ δεδυνῆσθαί σε τοὺς -ἡμετέρους πρέσβεις θεωρῆσαι· ἡμᾶς τε κελεύεις ἐκ· δέξασθαι τήν αὐτῶν ἐπάνοδον, ἓως ἂν τὰ παρʼ ἡμῶν ὁρισθέντα ἀκολούθως τοῖς προγόνοις ἡμῶν ἐπιγνῷ παρʼ αὐτῶν ἡ σὴ εὐσέβεια. Ἀλλά καὶ νῦν διὰ τούτων τῶν γραμμάτων ὁμοὶογοῦμεν, καὶ διαβεβαιούμεθα, μηδαμῶς ἡμᾶς ἀναχωρεῖν τῆς ἡμετέραςπροθέσεως· τοῦτο γὰρ καὶ τοῖς πρεσβεὖσιν ἡμῶν ἐνετειλάμεθα. Ἀξιοῦμεν τοίνυν ὅπως γαληναίᾳ τῇ προσόψει τά τε νῦν γράμματα τῆς ἡμετέρας μετριότητος κελεύσῃς ἀναγνωσθῆναι. Ἀλλὰ γὰρ κάκεῖνα, a διὰ τῶν πρεσβέων ἡμῶν ἐνετειλάμεθα, ἡδέως ὑποδέξῃ. Ἐκεῖνο μέντοι συνορᾷ μεθʼ ἡμῶν καὶ ἡ σὴ ἡμερότης, ὅση νῦν ἐστι λύπη καὶ κατήφεια, ὅτι ἐντοῖς σοῖς μακαριωτάτοις καιροῖς τοσαῦται Ἐκκλησίαι χωρὶς ἐπισκόπων εἷʼσίο καὶ 8ιά τοῦτο πάλιν τήν σὴν φιλανθρωπίαν ἀξιοῦμεν, κύριε θεοφιλέστατε βασιλεῦ, ὅπως πρὸ τῆς τραχύτητος τῶν χειμώνων, εἷʼπερ ἀρέσειε τῇ σῇ εὐσεβείᾳ, κελεύσῃς ἡμᾶς εἲς τὰς ἡμετέρας Ἐκ-, κλησίας ἐπανελθεῖν, ὑπὲρ τοῦ δύνασθαι ἡμᾶς τῷ παντοκράτορι Θεῷ, καὶ τῷ Δεσπότῃ καὶ Σωτῆρι ἡμᾶ Χριστῷ, τῷ 1ἷῷ αὐτοῦ τῷ μονογενεῖ, ὑπὲρ τῆ σῆς βασιλείας, τὰς ἐθίμους εὐχὰς μετὰ τῶν λαῶ
Meta to. grapsai meta peri tōn synodōn, egnōn grapsanta ton asebestaton Kōnstantion pros tous en Arimēnǭ meinantas episkopouso kai spoudēn eschon labein ta antigrapha para gnēsiōth adelphōn, kai aposteilai hymin, kai ta para tōn epi- ; skopōn antigraphentaotina gnōte tou men basileōs tēn asebē panourgian, tōn de episkopōn to hedraion xui aklinis tēs pros tēn alētheian gnōmēs. Hermēneia tēs epipolēs. A Kōnstantios Nikētēs kai Thriambeutēs Augoustos pasin episkopois tois en Arimēnǭ synelthousin. ’Lei men proēgoumenēn hēmas echein phrontida peritou theiou kai proskynētou nomou, oude hē hymetera chrēstotēs agnoeio alla nyn tous para tēs syn. eseōs hymōn apostalentas heiʼkosin episkopous, anadexamenous tēn parʼ hymōn presbeian, teōs ouk ēdynēthēmen autous idein. Anankaia gar tis hēmas ēpeigen hē pros tous barbarous hodos; kai, hōs hoiʼdate, prepei tēn psychēn, katharan ousan apo pasēs phrontidos, ta peri tou theiou nomou diagymnazein. Toigaroun tous episkopous ekeleusamen en tę̄ Adrianoupolei ekdexasthai tēn hēmeteran epanodon, hina, epeidan panta kalōs diatethę̄ ta dēmosia, tote tomwa haper an hypobalōsin, akousai kai dokimasai dynēthōmen. Tę̄ mentoi sterrotēti hymōn mē bary phainesthō, hōste ekdexasthai tēn autōn epano; don, *ina epeidan epanelthōsi komizontes hymin tas hēmeteras apokriseis, dynēthēte eis peras agagein ta pros tēn lysiteleian anēkonta tę̄ katholikę̄ Ekklēsią. Tauta edexanto hoi episkopoi, epagomenōn triōn Antigraphon tōn episkopōn. Ta grammata tēs sēs philanthrōpias edexametha, kyrie theophilestate basileu, ta periechonta dia tēn dēmosiōn anankēn teōs mē dedynēsthai se tous -hēmeterous presbeis theōrēsai; hēmas te keleueis ek; dexasthai tēn autōn epanodon, heōs an ta parʼ hēmōn horisthenta akolouthōs tois progonois hēmōn epignǭ parʼ autōn hē sē eusebeia. Alla kai nyn dia toutōn tōn grammatōn homoiogoumen, kai diabebaioumetha, mēdamōs hēmas anachōrein tēs hēmeterasprotheseōs; touto gar kai tois presbeusin hēmōn eneteilametha. Axioumen toinyn hopōs galēnaią tę̄ prosopsei ta te nyn grammata tēs hēmeteras metriotētos keleusę̄s anagnōsthēnai. Alla gar kakeina, a dia tōn presbeōn hēmōn eneteilametha, hēdeōs hypodexę̄. Ekeino mentoi synorą methʼ hēmōn kai hē sē hēmerotēs, hosē nyn esti lypē kai katēpheia, hoti entois sois makariōtatois kairois tosautai Ekklēsiai chōris episkopōn heiʼsio kai 8ia touto palin tēn sēn philanthrōpian axioumen, kyrie theophilestate basileu, hopōs pro tēs trachytētos tōn cheimōnōn, heiʼper areseie tę̄ sę̄ eusebeią, keleusę̄s hēmas eis tas hēmeteras Ek-, klēsias epanelthein, hyper tou dynasthai hēmas tǭ pantokratori Theǭ, kai tǭ Despotę̄ kai Sōtēri hēma Christǭ, tǭ 1hiǭ autou tǭ monogenei, hyper tē sēs basileias, tas ethimous euchas meta tōn laō
After writing about the councils, I learned that the most impious Constantius had written to the bishops who remained at Ariminum; and I took pains to obtain copies from genuine brothers and to send them to you, together with what the bishops wrote in reply, so that you may know both the impious craftiness of the emperor and the steadfastness and unswerving firmness of the bishops’ mind toward the truth. Translation of the letter. “Constantius, Victor and Triumpher, Augustus, to all the bishops assembled at Ariminum. That our foremost care has always been for the divine and venerable law, not even your goodness is unaware; but the twenty bishops sent by your prudence, who undertook your embassy, we have not yet been able to see. For a necessary journey against the barbarians pressed upon us; and, as you know, it is fitting that the soul, being pure of every care, should treat of the matters of the divine law. We have therefore ordered the bishops to await our return at Adrianople, so that, when all public affairs have been well arranged, we may then be able to hear and examine whatever they put before us. Let it not seem burdensome to your firmness to await their return, so that, when they come back bringing you our answers, you may be able to bring to completion what pertains to the benefit of the catholic church.” The bishops received this, three men bringing it. Copy of the bishops’ letter. “We have received the letter of your clemency, most God-beloved lord emperor, stating that because of the necessity of public affairs you have not yet been able to see our envoys, and ordering us to await their return until your piety learns from them what we have defined in accordance with our forebears. But now too by this letter we confess and affirm that we will in no way depart from our purpose; for this is what we enjoined our envoys too. We ask, therefore, that with a calm countenance you order both the present letter of our modesty to be read, and that you also graciously receive what we enjoined through our envoys. This, however, your gentleness sees with us, how great is the grief and sadness now, that in your most blessed times so many churches are without bishops. And for this reason we again ask your clemency, most God-beloved lord emperor, that before the harshness of the winters, if it please your piety, you order us to return to our churches, so that we may be able to offer to God Almighty, and to our Master and Savior Christ, his only-begotten Son, for your empire, the customary prayers with the peoples …”
Notes and citation
Summary: A postscript gives Constantius’s letter delaying the Ariminum envoys and the bishops’ reply refusing to change their decision and asking to return to their churches.
- Letter of Constantius to the Council of Ariminum (359) and the bishops’ reply, quoted in Greek translation. The reply breaks off in the scan (μετὰ τῶν λαῶ…), followed by a stray marginal reference to Socrates; the end is lost (“…”).
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (marginal source reference and misplaced words at a gap in the scan): λαῶ Socrat., Ἰησοῦ Χριστῷ. → λαῶ.
Topics: Heresy
Cite (SBL): Athanasius, Syn. 55 (PG 26:789d–793d; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-synodis/55/#p-55). (abbreviation not yet checked)
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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Migne PG 25–26 scan text; compared in full afterwards with NPNF² 4.