Sophia Scriptura

Letters 134–142

Theodoret of Cyrus · Letters · ca. 423-466 · Cyrrhus · 9 passages

Greek text: PG 83.English: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), public domain (CC0).

Chapter 134

134PG 83

Ἤρετό τις τὸν Σωτήρα, καὶ Νομοθέτην, καὶ Κύριον, ποία ἐντολὴ πρώτη. Ὁ δὲ ἔφησεν" « ᾿Αγαπήσέις Κύριον τὸν Θεόν σου ἐξ ὅλης τῆς ψυχῆς σον, καὶ ἐξ ὅλης τῆς καρδίας δου, καὶ ἐξ ὅλης τῆς διανοίας σου" » καὶ ἐπήγαγεν᾽ ε« Αὐτή ἐστιν ἐντολὴ πρώτη" δευτέρα δὲ ὁμοία αὐτῇ ᾿Αγαπήσεις τὸν πλησίον σὸν ὡς σεαυτόν.» Καὶ προσέθηκεν" ε« Ἐν ταύταις ταῖς δυσὶν ἐντολαῖς ὅλος ὁ νόμος καὶ οἱ προφῆται χρέμανται. » Ὁ τοίνυν ταύτας φυλάττων, δῆλον ὅτι πάντα πληροῖ τὸν νόμον κατὰ τὸν Δεσποτικὸν ὄρον " ὁ δ᾽ αὖ παραθαίνων, παντὸς τοῦ νόμου παραδάτης ἁλίσκεται. Σκοπήσωμεν τοίνυν, τοῦ συνειδότος ὀρθῶς καὶ δικαίως διχάζοντος, εἰ τὰς θείας πεπληρώχαμεν ἐντολάς. Πληροῖ δὲ τὴν μὲν πρώτην ὁ τὴν θεόσδοτον πίστιν φυλάττων ἀκήρατον, καὶ τοὺς ταύτῃ πολεμοῦντας ὡς τῆς ἀληθείας ἐχθροὺς μυσαττόμενος, καὶ μισῶν ἐκθύμως τοὺς μισοῦντας τὸν ἀγαπώμενον " τὴν δὲ δευτέραν, ὁ τὴν τοῦ πέλας θεραπείαν περὶ πλείστου ποιούμενος, καὶ μὴ μόνον ἐν ταῖς εὑπραξίαις, ἀλλὰ κὰν ταῖς δοκούσαις δυσημερίαις διατη οῶν τῆς φιλίας “τοὺς ὄρους. Οἱ δὲ τῆς μὲν οἰκείας, ὡς νομίζουσιν, ἀσφαλείας φροντίζοντες, τῶν δὲ τῆς φιλίας νόμων διὰ ταύτην ὀλιγωροῦντες, καὶ πολεμου μένους παρορῶντες τοὺς φίλους, τῆς τῶν φαύλων … ὁ ταῦτα κομίζων τὰ τρ. … καὶ παρὰ τοῖς ἔξω μερίδος. Ὁ δὲ τῶν ὅλων Δεσπότης τὰ τελεώτερα παρὰ τῶν οἰκείων ἀπαιτεῖ μαθητῶν. ε ᾿Αγαπᾶτε γὰρ, φησὶ, τοὺς ἐχθροὺς ὑμῶν. Εἰ γὰρ τοὺς ἀγαπῶντας ὑμᾶς ἀγαπᾶτε, οἵ πλέον ποιεῖτε; Ἰδοὺ καὶ οἱ ἁμαρτωλοὶ καὶ οἱ τελῶναι τοῦτο ποιοῦσιν, ν Ἡμεῖς δὲ οὐδὲ τῆς τελωνικῇῆς μεν ἀγάπης. Καὶ τί λέγω τελωνικῆς; Οὐδὲ ἧς τυγχάνουσιν οἱ ἀνδροφόνοι καὶ γόητες ἐν τοῖς δεσμωτηρίοις καραψυχῆς ἀπελαύσαμεν. Εἰ δὲ πάντες ταύτην ἐζήλωσαν τὴν ὠμότητα, οὐδὲν ἕτερον ὑπελείπετο, ἣ ζῶντας μὲν ὑπ᾽ ἐνδείας ἀναλωθῆναι, τελευτήσαντας ὃΣ μὴ τάφῳ παραδοθῆναι, ἀλλὰ κυνῶν καὶ θηρῶν γενέσθαι βοράν. ᾿Αλλ᾽ ἤρκεσαν ἡμῖν οἱ τοῦδε τοῦ βίου καταφρονοῦντες, καὶ τῶν αἰωνίων ἀγαθῶν προσδεχόμενοι τὴν ἀπόλαυσιν, οὗ παντοδαπῆς ἡμᾶς ψυχαγωγίας ἠξίωσαν. Ὁ δὲ φιλάγθρωπος ε Κύριος ἐκ τοῦ οὐραγοῦ ἢχούτισε χρίσιν. Ἡ δὲ γῆ ἐφοδήθη, καὶ ἡσύχασεν ἕν τῷ ἀναστῆναι εἰς χρίσιν τὸν Θεόν. » -- «Οἱ δὲ ἐχθροὶ αὑτοῦ ἅμα τῷ δοξασθῆναι αὐτοὺς καὶ ὑψωθῆναι, ἐκλείποντες ὡσεὶ καπνὸς ἐξέλιπον. » Ἐστηλίτευται ὃὲ τὸ τῆς καινῆς αἱρέσεως ψεῦδος, κηρύττεται δὲ προφανῶς ἡ τῶν θείων Εὐαγγελίων ἀλήθεια. Ἡμεῖς δὲ μετὰ τοῦ μακαρίου βοῶμεν Δαδίδ " ε Εὐλογητὸς ὁ Θεὸς, ὁ ποιῶν θαυμάσια μεγάλα μόγος, καὶ εὐλογητὸν τὸ ὄνομα τῆς δόξης αὐτοῦ, καὶ πληρωθήσεται τῆς δόξης αὐτοῦ πᾶσα ἡ γῇ. Γένοιτο, γένοῖτο. "

Ēreto tis ton Sōtēra, kai Nomothetēn, kai Kyrion, poia entolē prōtē. Ho de ephēsen" « ᾿Agapēseis Kyrion ton Theon sou ex holēs tēs psychēs son, kai ex holēs tēs kardias dou, kai ex holēs tēs dianoias sou" » kai epēgagen᾽ e« Autē estin entolē prōtē" deutera de homoia autę̄ ᾿Agapēseis ton plēsion son hōs seauton.» Kai prosethēken" e« En tautais tais dysin entolais holos ho nomos kai hoi prophētai chremantai. » Ho toinyn tautas phylattōn, dēlon hoti panta plēroi ton nomon kata ton Despotikon oron " ho d᾽ au parathainōn, pantos tou nomou paradatēs halisketai. Skopēsōmen toinyn, tou syneidotos orthōs kai dikaiōs dichazontos, ei tas theias peplērōchamen entolas. Plēroi de tēn men prōtēn ho tēn theosdoton pistin phylattōn akēraton, kai tous tautę̄ polemountas hōs tēs alētheias echthrous mysattomenos, kai misōn ekthymōs tous misountas ton agapōmenon " tēn de deuteran, ho tēn tou pelas therapeian peri pleistou poioumenos, kai mē monon en tais heupraxiais, alla kan tais dokousais dysēmeriais diatē oōn tēs philias “tous orous. Hoi de tēs men oikeias, hōs nomizousin, asphaleias phrontizontes, tōn de tēs philias nomōn dia tautēn oligōrountes, kai polemou menous parorōntes tous philous, tēs tōn phaulōn … ho tauta komizōn ta tr. … kai para tois exō meridos. Ho de tōn holōn Despotēs ta teleōtera para tōn oikeiōn apaitei mathētōn. e ᾿Agapate gar, phēsi, tous echthrous hymōn. Ei gar tous agapōntas hymas agapate, hoi pleon poieite? Idou kai hoi hamartōloi kai hoi telōnai touto poiousin, n Hēmeis de oude tēs telōnikę̄ēs men agapēs. Kai ti legō telōnikēs? Oude hēs tynchanousin hoi androphonoi kai goētes en tois desmōtēriois karapsychēs apelausamen. Ei de pantes tautēn ezēlōsan tēn ōmotēta, ouden heteron hypeleipeto, hē zōntas men hyp᾽ endeias analōthēnai, teleutēsantas hoS mē taphǭ paradothēnai, alla kynōn kai thērōn genesthai boran. ᾿All᾽ ērkesan hēmin hoi toude tou biou kataphronountes, kai tōn aiōniōn agathōn prosdechomenoi tēn apolausin, hou pantodapēs hēmas psychagōgias ēxiōsan. Ho de philagthrōpos e Kyrios ek tou ouragou ēchoutise chrisin. Hē de gē ephodēthē, kai hēsychasen hen tǭ anastēnai eis chrisin ton Theon. » -- «Hoi de echthroi hautou hama tǭ doxasthēnai autous kai hypsōthēnai, ekleipontes hōsei kapnos exelipon. » Estēliteutai hoe to tēs kainēs haireseōs pseudos, kēryttetai de prophanōs hē tōn theiōn Euangeliōn alētheia. Hēmeis de meta tou makariou boōmen Dadid " e Eulogētos ho Theos, ho poiōn thaumasia megala mogos, kai eulogēton to onoma tēs doxēs autou, kai plērōthēsetai tēs doxēs autou pasa hē gę̄. Genoito, genoito. "

To Theoctistus, bishop of Beroea.

Someone asked the Saviour, Lawgiver, and Lord which commandment is first. He said: 'You shall love the Lord your God with all your soul and with all your heart and with all your mind'; and he went on: 'This is the first commandment; and a second is like it: You shall love your neighbour as yourself.' And he added: 'On these two commandments hang the whole law and the prophets.' Whoever keeps these, then, clearly fulfils the whole law by the Lord's definition, while whoever transgresses them is convicted of transgressing the whole law. Let us examine, then, with our conscience judging rightly and justly, whether we have fulfilled the divine commandments. The first is fulfilled by one who keeps the God-given faith pure, abhors those who war against it as enemies of the truth, and hates with all his heart those who hate the One he loves; the second by one who makes the care of his neighbour his chief concern, and keeps the bounds of friendship not only in good fortune but also in what seems misfortune. But those who look after their own safety, as they think, and for its sake slight the laws of friendship and overlook their friends when they are under attack … of the party of the base … even among those outside. But the Master of the universe requires more perfect things of his own disciples: 'Love your enemies. For if you love those who love you, what more do you do? Even sinners and tax collectors do this.' Yet we have not met even with a tax collector's love. And why do I say a tax collector's? We have not enjoyed even the relief that murderers and sorcerers receive in prison. If everyone had copied this cruelty, nothing would have been left for us but to waste away from want while alive and, when dead, not to be committed to a tomb but to become food for dogs and wild beasts. But those who despise this life and await the enjoyment of eternal goods were enough for us; they thought us worthy of every kind of comfort. And the humane Lord 'from heaven made judgment heard; the earth feared and was still when God arose to judgment.' 'And his enemies, as soon as they were glorified and exalted, vanished; like smoke they vanished.' The lie of the new heresy has been exposed, and the truth of the divine Gospels is openly proclaimed. We cry out with the blessed David: 'Blessed be God, who alone does great wonders; and blessed be the name of his glory, and the whole earth shall be filled with his glory. So be it, so be it.'

Matt 22:36–40 (quotation, high confidence) · Jas 2:10 (echo, low confidence) · Ps 139:21 (138:21 LXX) (echo, low confidence) · Matt 5:44 (quotation, high confidence) · Matt 5:46–47 (quotation, high confidence) · Luke 6:32 (allusion, medium confidence) · Ps 76:8–9 (75:9-Ps LXX) (quotation, high confidence) · Ps 37:20 (36:20 LXX) (quotation, high confidence) · Ps 72:18–19 (71:18-Ps LXX) (quotation, high confidence)

Notes and citation

Summary: Theodoret reproaches Bishop Theoctistus of Beroea for failing the duty of love to a friend under attack, and gives thanks that God has now exposed the new heresy.

  • Migne Letter 134.
  • A passage is lost in the OCR after 'when they are under attack'; the words that survive ('of the party of the base', 'the one carrying this', 'even among those outside') do not make a sentence. Marked '…'.
  • The second Psalm quotation ('his enemies … vanished') is Ps 37:20 (LXX 36:20), with 'his enemies' for the Psalter's 'the enemies of the Lord'. Ps 76:8–9 is LXX 75:9–10; Ps 72:18–19 is LXX 71:18–19.
  • 'The new heresy': the one-nature teaching Theodoret opposed; translated as written.

Notes on the original text

  • Digital text corrected (OCR debris from Migne's Latin column; OCR debris from Migne's Latin column and a column letter; column letter; marginal reference and Migne's footnote number; some Greek is lost here): ἰδὲ. 40. ᾿ (ϑ6) → … ; Νολρ. εἰόὶ, → … ; ὅλων Α ρμεγίδοιοτΑ οχίρί!. « Δεσπότης. → ὅλων Δεσπότης; Κύριος Β ἐκ → Κύριος ἐκ.

Topics: Ethics

Cite (SBL): Theodoret, Ep. 134 (PG 83; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-epistulae/134). (abbreviation not yet checked)

Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-epistulae/134

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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 83 (archive.org OCR); compared afterwards with Blomfield Jackson's translation in NPNF² 3 (1892).

Chapter 135

135PG 83

Ἐπειδὴ τῆς παλαιᾶς ἡμᾶς ἀνέμνησας ἱστορίας, καὶ τῶν Σύρων ἔφης τὸν βασιλέα, τῶν τοῦ Ἰσραὴλ αὶ βασιλέων τὸ φιλάνθρωπον λογισάμενον, ἱχέτου σχῆμα λαδεῖν, καὶ μὴ διαμαρτεῖν τῆς αἰτήσεως " ἀναμνήσθητι, δέσποτα, καὶ τῆς θείας ὀργῇς. Τὸν γὰρ ᾿Αχαὰδ τῷ ἐλέῳ χρησάμενον πανωλεθρίᾳ παρέδωκε, καὶ διὰ τοῦ Προφήτου τὴν ψῆφον ἐξήνεγκεν. « Ἔσται γὰρ, φησὶν, ἡ ψυχή σου ἀντὶ τῆς ψυχῆς αὐτοῦ, καὶ ὁ λαός σου ἀντὶ τοῦ λαοῦ αὐτοῦ.» Ἡμεῖς δὲ κελευόμεθα διὰ τούτων χρίσει χεραννύναι τὸν ἔλεον, ὡς οὐ παντὸς ἐλέου ἀρέσχοντος τὸν τῶν ὅλων Κύριον. Διαφερόντως ὃὲ λογισμοῦ δεῖται σώφρονος ἧ παροῦσα ὑπόθεσις. Περὶ γὰρ θείων ἀγωνιζόμεθα δογμάτων, ἐν οἷς ἔχομεν τὴν τῆς σωτηρίας ἐλπίδα. Πολλὴν δὲ ὅμως ἔστιν ἰδεῖν κἀν τούτοις ἀνθρώπων διαφοράν. Οἱ μὲν γὰρ ἀληθῶς τὴν κοινὴν νοσοῦσιν ἀσέδειαν, οἱ δὲ ἀδιαφόρως καὶ ταῦτα καὶ τὰ τούτοις ἐναντία προσφέρουσιν. “Ἕτεροι δὲ τὴν ἀλήθειαν ἐπιστάμενοι, ταύτην μὲν ἐν τοῖς τῆς ψυχῆς καταχρύπτουσι τὰμείοις, τὰ δὲ δυσσεδῇ μετὰ τῶν ἄλλων χηρύτταυσιν. “Αλλοι δὲ τοῦ φθόνου τὸ πάθος δεξάμενοι, τὸ οἰκεῖον ἔχθος ἀφορμὴν τοῦ κατὰ τῆς ἀληθείας πολέμον πεποίηνται, καὶ πᾶσαν κατὰ τῶν τῆς ἀληθείας κηρύκων εἰσφέρουσι κακοήθειαν, Εἰσὶ δὲ οἵ τῶν μὲν ἀποστολικῶν δόγμάτων ἀσπάζονται τὴν ἀλήθειαν, τὴν δὲ τῶν κρατούντων δείσαντες δυναστείαν, δημοσιεῦσαι ταύτην πεφρίχασι" καὶ στένουσι μὲν καὶ ὀδύρονται τῶν κακῶν τὴν φορὰν, σύνεισι δὲ ὅμως τοῖς … τὰς τρικυμίας ἐγείρουσι. Ταύτης τῆς συμμορίας τὴν σὴν εἶναι θεοσέδειαν ὁριζόμεθα. Ὑγιαίνειν μὲν γὰρ αὑτὴν ἐν τοῖς θείοις δόγμασι πεπιστεύκαμεν, καὶ τὴν περὶ ἡμᾶς διασώζειν ἀγάπην νομίζομεν, διὰ μόνην δὲ: δειλίαν συμπεριφέρεσθαι τῷ χαιρῷ. Οὗ δὴ χάριν, οὐδενὶ τῶν ἄλλων ἐπιστέλλοντες, τῇ σῇ φιλοθεῖᾳ καὶ γράφομεν, -καὶ παρ' αὐτῆς δεχόμεθα τὰ τράμματα" τὸν μὲν σκοπὸν εἰδότες, «ἢ “δὲ δειλίᾳ συγγνώμην οὕτω πως νέμοντες. Ὁ δὲ φιλάνθρωπος Κύριος καὶ τὰς τῆς δειλείας παντελῶς νῦν ἀπέκοψεν ἀφορμὰς, τὴν μὲν χαινοτομηθεῖσαν δείξας ἀσέθδειαν, τὴν δὲ τῶν Εὐαγγελίων γυμνὴν ἐπιδείξας ἀλήθειαν. Ἡμεῖς δὲ οὔτε ταῖς θριξὶν ἰσαρίθμων ἡμῖν γενομένων στομάτων, ὑμνῆσαι κατ᾿ ἀξίαν τὸν φιλάνθρωδ τον δυνάμεθα Κύριον, ὅτι τὰ παρ᾽ ἡμῶν κηρυττόμενα, καὶ τοὺς ἐναντιωτάτους προφανῶς -κηρύττειν ἠνάγκασεν. Ἠκούσαμεν γὰρ ὡς καὶ τῆς σῆς φιλοθεῖας ὁ σύνοικος, γνοὺς τοὺς ἕν ταῖς μεγάλαις πόλεσι γεγενημένους ἀναθεματισμοὺς, ἐπαύσατο μὲν τὴν λοξὴν τῶν χαρχίνων πορείαν μιμούμενος, ἐδάδιυσε δὲ τὴν εὐθεῖαν περὶ δογμάτων διαλεχθεὶς ἕν τινι πανηγύρει. Χρὴ δὲ μὴ τοῖς χαιροῖς προσαρμόττειν τοὺς λόγους, ἀλλ᾽ ἀκλινῇ τῆς ἀληθείας τὸν -κανόνα διασώζειν ἀεί,

Epeidē tēs palaias hēmas anemnēsas historias, kai tōn Syrōn ephēs ton basilea, tōn tou Israēl ai basileōn to philanthrōpon logisamenon, hichetou schēma ladein, kai mē diamartein tēs aitēseōs " anamnēsthēti, despota, kai tēs theias orgę̄s. Ton gar ᾿Achaad tǭ eleǭ chrēsamenon panōlethrią paredōke, kai dia tou Prophētou tēn psēphon exēnenken. « Estai gar, phēsin, hē psychē sou anti tēs psychēs autou, kai ho laos sou anti tou laou autou.» Hēmeis de keleuometha dia toutōn chrisei cherannynai ton eleon, hōs ou pantos eleou areschontos ton tōn holōn Kyrion. Diapherontōs hoe logismou deitai sōphronos hē parousa hypothesis. Peri gar theiōn agōnizometha dogmatōn, en hois echomen tēn tēs sōtērias elpida. Pollēn de homōs estin idein kan toutois anthrōpōn diaphoran. Hoi men gar alēthōs tēn koinēn nosousin asedeian, hoi de adiaphorōs kai tauta kai ta toutois enantia prospherousin. “Heteroi de tēn alētheian epistamenoi, tautēn men en tois tēs psychēs katachryptousi tameiois, ta de dyssedę̄ meta tōn allōn chēryttausin. “Alloi de tou phthonou to pathos dexamenoi, to oikeion echthos aphormēn tou kata tēs alētheias polemon pepoiēntai, kai pasan kata tōn tēs alētheias kērykōn eispherousi kakoētheian, Eisi de hoi tōn men apostolikōn dogmatōn aspazontai tēn alētheian, tēn de tōn kratountōn deisantes dynasteian, dēmosieusai tautēn pephrichasi" kai stenousi men kai odyrontai tōn kakōn tēn phoran, syneisi de homōs tois … tas trikymias egeirousi. Tautēs tēs symmorias tēn sēn einai theosedeian horizometha. Hygiainein men gar hautēn en tois theiois dogmasi pepisteukamen, kai tēn peri hēmas diasōzein agapēn nomizomen, dia monēn de: deilian symperipheresthai tǭ chairǭ. Hou dē charin, oudeni tōn allōn epistellontes, tę̄ sę̄ philotheią kai graphomen, -kai par' autēs dechometha ta trammata" ton men skopon eidotes, «ē “de deilią syngnōmēn houtō pōs nemontes. Ho de philanthrōpos Kyrios kai tas tēs deileias pantelōs nyn apekopsen aphormas, tēn men chainotomētheisan deixas asethdeian, tēn de tōn Euangeliōn gymnēn epideixas alētheian. Hēmeis de oute tais thrixin isarithmōn hēmin genomenōn stomatōn, hymnēsai kat᾿ axian ton philanthrōd ton dynametha Kyrion, hoti ta par᾽ hēmōn kēryttomena, kai tous enantiōtatous prophanōs -kēryttein ēnankasen. Ēkousamen gar hōs kai tēs sēs philotheias ho synoikos, gnous tous hen tais megalais polesi gegenēmenous anathematismous, epausato men tēn loxēn tōn charchinōn poreian mimoumenos, edadiyse de tēn eutheian peri dogmatōn dialechtheis hen tini panēgyrei. Chrē de mē tois chairois prosarmottein tous logous, all᾽ aklinę̄ tēs alētheias ton -kanona diasōzein aei,

To Romulus, bishop.

Since you have reminded us of the ancient history, and said that the king of the Syrians, reckoning on the humanity of the kings of Israel, took the posture of a suppliant and did not fail in his request, remember, master, the divine anger as well. For Ahab, who showed that mercy, God gave over to utter destruction, and pronounced the sentence through the prophet: 'Your life shall be in place of his life, and your people in place of his people.' By this we are commanded to mix mercy with judgment, since not every mercy pleases the Lord of the universe. The present matter in particular needs sober reckoning. For we are contending for divine doctrines, in which we hold the hope of salvation. Yet even in these one can see great differences among people. Some truly suffer from the common impiety; others offer, with no distinction, both these teachings and their opposites. Others know the truth but hide it in the inner chambers of the soul, and preach impious things along with the rest. Others again, seized by the passion of envy, have made their private enmity a pretext for war against the truth, and bring every kind of malice against the heralds of the truth. And there are those who embrace the truth of the apostolic doctrines but, fearing the power of those in authority, shudder to make it public; they groan and lament the course of the evils, yet keep company with those who raise … the storms. To this company we judge your godliness to belong. For we trust that you are sound in the divine doctrines, and we think that you keep your love for us, but that from cowardice alone you go along with the times. For this reason, though we write to none of the others, we both write to your God-loving self and receive letters from you, knowing your purpose and in some such way granting pardon to your cowardice. But the humane Lord has now cut away entirely the grounds for cowardice, exposing the impiety that was newly invented and displaying the naked truth of the Gospels. Even if we had as many mouths as hairs, we could not praise the humane Lord as he deserves, because he has compelled even the bitterest opponents to proclaim openly what we preach. For we have heard that your God-loving self's neighbour, learning of the anathemas pronounced in the great cities, has stopped imitating the crooked walk of crabs and walked straight, when he discussed the doctrines at a festival. But one must not fit one's words to the times; one must always keep the rule of truth unbending.

1 Kgs 20:31–34 (allusion, high confidence) · 1 Kgs 20:42 (quotation, high confidence) · Jas 2:13 (echo, low confidence) · Ps 40:12 (39:13 LXX) (echo, low confidence)

Notes and citation

Summary: Theodoret answers Bishop Romulus's plea for mercy with the warning of Ahab's misplaced mercy, describes the kinds of people in the doctrinal conflict, and gently rebukes Romulus for going along with the times out of fear.

  • Migne Letter 135 (the scan's numeral reads 139; the sequence and NPNF² 3 give 135).
  • The king of the Syrians is Ben-hadad, spared by Ahab (1 Kgs 20:31–42, LXX 3 Kgdms 21); the sentence quoted is 1 Kgs 20:42.
  • A word is lost before 'the storms' in the OCR (marked '…').
  • 'Neighbour' renders σύνοικος, here apparently a bishop living near Romulus (identity uncertain).
  • 'The impiety newly invented': the one-nature teaching Theodoret opposed; translated as written.

Notes on the original text

  • Digital text corrected (OCR debris from Migne's Latin column inside ὀδύ-ρονται; OCR debris from Migne's Latin column; a word of the Greek may be lost): ὁδύ- Νδ ηΐ, ταὶ ΄υυ οἔ οἴυπι δου δ΄. ν --- εἸπ οἱ τ Ομ 5 ἐς τυ] ίανὶ!, οἵ δα δ η(ἰἀ1 ἰπ οἱ πὰ πὶ οἱ ἰηὁ χχ, "49. Α ρονται → ὀδύρονται; Ϊ πὶ βου θαπα5, οἱ. δὰ ἰνοῦ γὸἐητὰς → … τὰς.

Cite (SBL): Theodoret, Ep. 135 (PG 83; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-epistulae/135). (abbreviation not yet checked)

Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-epistulae/135

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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 83 (archive.org OCR); compared afterwards with Blomfield Jackson's translation in NPNF² 3 (1892).

Chapter 136

136PG 83

Λίαν ἤλγησα τὴν συμόᾶσαν ὑμῖν ἀθυμίαν μεμὰθηκώς. Πῶς γὰρ οὐκ ἔμελλον τοῦτο πείσεσθαι, τὰ ὑμέτερα οἰκειούμενος, καὶ τῆς ἀποστολικῇς μεμνημένος νομοθεσίας, ἢ οὐ μόνον καίρειν μετὰ χαιρόντων, ἀλλὰ «καὶ κλαίειν μετὰ κλαιόντων παρεγγνᾷ; Καὶ αὐτὸ δέ γε τὸ πάθης ἱκανὸν εἰς συμπάθειαν κσὶ τοὺς δυσμενεστάτους ἑλκύσαι. Τί γὰρ οὕτως ἀνιαρὸν, ὡς ὁμοζύγου στερηθῆναι, ἐννόμως μὲν ἑλκυσάσης τὸν τοῦ γάμου ζυγὸν, τῷ δὲ συνοίχῳ θυμήρη τὸν βίον ἐργασαμένης, καὶ τῆς οἰκίας τὰς φροντίδας μερ'σαμένης, καὶ τὸ μὲν -ἕνδον οἰχουρησάσης, τὰ δ᾽ ἄλλα πάντα συγχυδερνῃσάσῃς " καὶ τὸ συνοίσειν μόλλον εἰσηγησαμένης, καὶ ταῖς τοῦ ἀνδρὸς ὑποθημοσύναις εἰξάσης; Τὸ δὲ καὶ σὺν ταύτῃ τὸν ἐξ αὐτῇς φύντα, καὶ ἐπιμελῶς ἐχτραφόντα, καὶ λόγοις ἐναὐτῷ τῷ ἦρι τῆς ἡλικίας, ἰούλων λοιπὸν χαθερπόντων, παραδοῦναι τῷ τάφῳ, ποίας ἀχθηδόνος ὑπερδολὴν καταλείπει; Εἰ μὲν οὖν εἰς αὐτὴν ἀποθλέψαιμεν μόνην τοῦ πάθους τὴν φύσιν, οὐδεμίαν ψυχαγωγίαν εἰσδέχεται. Εἰ δὲ τὸ θνητὸν τοῦ γένους εἰς νοῦν λάθοιμεν καὶ τὴν θείαν ψῆφον τὴν κατὰ τοῦ γένους ἐξενεχθεῖσαν, καὶ πρὸς τούτοις τὸ τοῦ πάθους κοινὸν (πλήρης γὰρ τῶν τοιούτων παθημάτων ὁ ϑίος)" οἴσομεν γενναίως τὸ γεγονὸς, καὶ τὰς τῆς ἀθυμίας ἀποχρουσόμεθα προσθολὰς, καὶ τὴν θαυχεν, ὁ Κύριος ἀφείλετο, ὡς τῷ Κυρίῳ ἔδοξεν, οὕτως καὶ ἐγένετο εἴη τὸ ὄνομα Κυρίου εὐλογημένον εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας. » Ἡμεῖς δὲ καὶ πλείους ἔχομεν εἰς παραψυχὴν ἀφορμάς. Τὰς γὰρ τῆς ἀναστάσεως ἐλπίδας ἐναργῶς ἐδεξάμεθα, καὶ τὴν τῶ τεθνεώτων τοῦ Δεσπότου ὗπνον κεκληκότος τὸν θάνατον. Εἰ δὲ πιστεύομεν, ὡσπεροῦν πιστεύομεν, ταῖς τοῦ Σωτῆρος φωναῖς, οὐ δεῖ θρηνεῖν τοὺς κοιμηθέντας, κἂν μακχρότερος ἢ τοῦ εἰωθότος ὃ ὕπνος. ᾿Αλλὰ προσδέχεσθαι μὲν χρὴ τὴν ἀνάστασιν " εἰδένα! δὲ ὡς σοφὸς ὧν τῶν ὅλων ὁ Πρύτανις, καὶ οὐ τὰ παρόντα μόγον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὰ μέλλοντα γινώσκων σαφῶς, πρὸς τὸ συμφέρον ἰθύνει τὰ πράγματα. Τοῦτο δὴ καὶ σοφός τις εἰδὼς, περὶ τοιούτων θανάτων φιλοσοφεῖ, καί φησιν " « Ἥρπάγη πρὶν ἡ κακία ἀλλάξῃ σύνεσιν αὐτοῦ.» Παραχωρήσωμεν τοίνυν, παρακαλῶ, τῷ σοφῷ τοῦ παντὸς Κυδερνήτῃ, καὶ στέρξωμεν τὰ οἰκονομούμενα, ὁποῖά ποτ᾽ ἂν ἧ, κἂν θυμήρη, κἂν λυπηρά. Σύμφορα γὰρ ταῦτα καὶ λυσιτελῇ, καὶ φιλοσοφίας

Lian ēlgēsa tēn symoasan hymin athymian memathēkōs. Pōs gar ouk emellon touto peisesthai, ta hymetera oikeioumenos, kai tēs apostolikę̄s memnēmenos nomothesias, ē ou monon kairein meta chairontōn, alla «kai klaiein meta klaiontōn parengną? Kai auto de ge to pathēs hikanon eis sympatheian ksi tous dysmenestatous helkysai. Ti gar houtōs aniaron, hōs homozygou sterēthēnai, ennomōs men helkysasēs ton tou gamou zygon, tǭ de synoichǭ thymērē ton bion ergasamenēs, kai tēs oikias tas phrontidas mer'samenēs, kai to men -hendon oichourēsasēs, ta d᾽ alla panta synchydernę̄sasę̄s " kai to synoisein mollon eisēgēsamenēs, kai tais tou andros hypothēmosynais eixasēs? To de kai syn tautę̄ ton ex autę̄s phynta, kai epimelōs echtraphonta, kai logois enautǭ tǭ ēri tēs hēlikias, ioulōn loipon chatherpontōn, paradounai tǭ taphǭ, poias achthēdonos hyperdolēn kataleipei? Ei men oun eis autēn apothlepsaimen monēn tou pathous tēn physin, oudemian psychagōgian eisdechetai. Ei de to thnēton tou genous eis noun lathoimen kai tēn theian psēphon tēn kata tou genous exenechtheisan, kai pros toutois to tou pathous koinon (plērēs gar tōn toioutōn pathēmatōn ho ϑios)" oisomen gennaiōs to gegonos, kai tas tēs athymias apochrousometha prostholas, kai tēn thauchen, ho Kyrios apheileto, hōs tǭ Kyriǭ edoxen, houtōs kai egeneto eiē to onoma Kyriou eulogēmenon eis tous aiōnas. » Hēmeis de kai pleious echomen eis parapsychēn aphormas. Tas gar tēs anastaseōs elpidas enargōs edexametha, kai tēn tō tethneōtōn tou Despotou hypnon keklēkotos ton thanaton. Ei de pisteuomen, hōsperoun pisteuomen, tais tou Sōtēros phōnais, ou dei thrēnein tous koimēthentas, kan makchroteros ē tou eiōthotos ho hypnos. ᾿Alla prosdechesthai men chrē tēn anastasin " eidena! de hōs sophos hōn tōn holōn ho Prytanis, kai ou ta paronta mogon, alla kai ta mellonta ginōskōn saphōs, pros to sympheron ithynei ta pragmata. Touto dē kai sophos tis eidōs, peri toioutōn thanatōn philosophei, kai phēsin " « Hērpagē prin hē kakia allaxę̄ synesin autou.» Parachōrēsōmen toinyn, parakalō, tǭ sophǭ tou pantos Kydernētę̄, kai sterxōmen ta oikonomoumena, hopoia pot᾽ an hē, kan thymērē, kan lypēra. Symphora gar tauta kai lysitelę̄, kai philosophias

To Cyrus, magistrianus.

I was deeply grieved to learn of the despondency that has come upon you. How could I not feel this, when I make your affairs my own and remember the apostolic precept, which bids us not only to rejoice with those who rejoice but also to weep with those who weep? And the suffering itself is enough to draw even the most hostile to sympathy. For what is so painful as to be deprived of a wife who lawfully drew the yoke of marriage with her husband, made his life pleasant, shared the cares of the household, kept the home within and helped steer everything else, advised what was more profitable, and yielded to her husband's counsels? And to commit to the tomb along with her the son born of her, carefully reared, … in letters, in the very spring of his age, when the first down was beginning to creep over his cheeks: what extreme of grief does that leave unreached? If we look only at the nature of the suffering, it admits no comfort. But if we take to mind the mortality of our race, and the divine sentence pronounced against our race, and besides this that the suffering is common to all (for life is full of such sufferings), we shall bear what has happened nobly, beat back the assaults of despondency, and … '… the Lord has taken away; as it seemed good to the Lord, so it has come to pass; may the name of the Lord be blessed forever.' We have still more grounds for comfort. For we have received the hope of the resurrection clearly, and … of the dead, since the Master has called death sleep. If we believe the Saviour's words, as indeed we do, we ought not to mourn those who have fallen asleep, even if the sleep is longer than usual. We ought rather to await the resurrection, and to know that the Ruler of the universe, being wise, and knowing clearly not only the present but also the future, steers affairs toward what is profitable. A certain wise man who knew this speaks wisely about such deaths and says: 'He was snatched away lest wickedness should change his understanding.' Let us yield, then, I beg you, to the wise Pilot of the universe, and be content with what he arranges, whatever it may be, pleasant or painful. For these things are profitable and advantageous, and … of philosophy …

Rom 12:15 (quotation, high confidence) · Gen 3:19 (allusion, medium confidence) · Job 1:21 (quotation, high confidence) · John 11:11–13 (allusion, medium confidence) · 1 Thess 4:13 (allusion, medium confidence)

Notes and citation

Summary: Theodoret consoles Cyrus on the death of his wife and young son, pointing him to Job's example, the hope of the resurrection, and God's wise providence.

  • Migne Letter 136 (the scan's numeral reads 108; the sequence and NPNF² 3 give 136). A magistrianus was an officer of the master of offices.
  • The OCR has lost words after 'carefully reared' (probably 'trained'), several lines before the quotation of Job 1:21 (whose opening, 'The Lord gave', is lost), a word after 'the hope of the resurrection clearly, and', and the end of the letter. Marked '…'.
  • 'Rejoice with those who rejoice … weep with those who weep' is Rom 12:15. 'He was snatched away lest wickedness should change his understanding' is Wisdom 4:11. 'The divine sentence' is Gen 3:19.
  • 'Called death sleep': John 11:11–13; compare 1 Thess 4:13.

Notes on the original text

  • Digital text corrected (OCR debris from Migne's Latin column and a column letter; OCR debris from Migne's Latin column inside χαιρό-ντων; column letter inside a hyphenated word): μεμνη- Ο, μένος → μεμνημένος; χαιρόνοἱ οὐ πὶ «ἰδίῳ, ἢ 0 }} 81 ὑτῶἢ πὶ ἴαι:των → χαιρόντων; εἷς Α ϑρ6πὶ) Παπίας παραψυχὴν → εἰς παραψυχὴν.

Extrabiblical texts: Wis 4:11 (Wisdom of Solomon [in RC, EO, ETH canons]; quotation)

Cite (SBL): Theodoret, Ep. 136 (PG 83; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-epistulae/136). (abbreviation not yet checked)

Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-epistulae/136

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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 83 (archive.org OCR); compared afterwards with Blomfield Jackson's translation in NPNF² 3 (1892).

Chapter 137

137PG 83

Ὁ μὲν μακάριος Δαδὶδ ἕτερά τινα πεπλημμέλη» κεν, ἃ καὶ ἀνάγραπτα πεποίηκεν εἰς τὴν τῶν ἐσομέγων ὠφέλειαν ὁ σοφῶς ἅπαντα πρυτανεύων Θεός. ᾿Αδεσαλὼν δὲ ὁ πατραλοίας, καὶ μιαιφόνος, καὶ δυσσεδὴς, καὶ παμπόνηρος τύραννος, οὐκ ἐχείνων χάριν τὴν κατὰ τοῦ πατρὸς ἀνεδέξατο λύτταν " ἀλλὰ τῆς τυραννίδος ἐπιθυμήσας, τὸν ἀδικώτατον ἐκεῖνον προείλετο πόλεμον. Ὁ μέντοι θεῖος Δαδὶδ, καὶ τούτων οὕτω γιγνομένων, τῆς μελείας. Κἀγὼ τοίνυν ἕτερα μέν τινα ἐμαυτῷ σύνοιδα πλημμελήματα, τὴν δέ γε δογματιχὴν τῶν ἀποστόλων διδασκαλίαν ἀχραιφνῇ διετήρησα. Οἱ δὲ καὶ τοὺς θείους καὶ τοὺς ἀνθρωπείους πατήσαντες νόμους, καὶ ἀπόντας ἡμᾶς κατακρίναντες, οὐκ ὑπὲρ ὧν ἡμάρτομεν τὴν ψῆφον ἐξήνεγκαν " οὐ γὰρ ἣν αὐτοῖ,, δῆλα τὰ κεκρυμμένα" ἀλλὰ ψευδολογίαν καὶ συκοφαντίαν ὕφηναν καθ᾽ ἡμῶν, μᾶλλον δὲ τοῖς ἀποστολικοῖς δόγμᾶσι προφανῶς πολεμοῦντες, τὸν ἐκείνοι; ἑπόμενον ἀπεκήρυξαν. ε ᾿Αλλ᾽ ἐξηγέρθη ὡς ὁ ὑπνῶν Κύριος, καὶ διήλεγξε τοὺς ἐχθροὺς αὑτοῦ, καὶ ὄνειδος αἰώνιον ἔδωκεν αὐτοῖς. ») Καὶ τὰ μὲν χίόδηλα καὶ νόθα διεσχέδασε δόγματα, ἃ δὲ πορέδωχεν ἡμῖν ἐν τοῖς ἱεροῖς Εὐαγγελίοις, σὺν παῤῥησίᾳ κηρύττεσθαι παρεσχεύασεν. Ἡμῖν δὲ ταῦτα εἰς τελείαν ἀρκεῖ θυμηδίαν. Οὐδὲ γὰρ πόλεως ἐπιθυμοῦμεν, ἐν ἧ μοχθοῦντες τὸν ἅπαντα διατετελέχαμεν χρόνον " ἀλλὰ τὴν τῶν Εὐαγγελίων ἀλήθειαν ποθοῦμεν χρατυνομένην ὁρᾷν. Τοῦ τον δὲ ἡμῶν τὸν πόθον ὁ Δεσπότης πεπλήρωκεν. Διὰ ρὸν Κύριον ὑμνοῦμεν, καὶ τὴν ὑμετέραν θεοσέδειαν τοῦτο σὺν ἡμῖν παρακαλοῦμεν ποιεῖν, καὶ ὑμνοῦντας ἱκετεῦσαι σπουδαίως, ἵνα καὶ τοὺς νῦν μὲν ταῦτα, νῦν δὲ ἐκεῖνα λέγοντας, καὶ πρὸς τοὺς καιροὺς μετατὴν τῶν φύλλων … Κύριος, καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς πέτρας ἐρεΐσῃ, καὶ δοίη πάντων … προτιμᾷν τὴν ἀλήθειαν.

Ho men makarios Dadid hetera tina peplēmmelē» ken, ha kai anagrapta pepoiēken eis tēn tōn esomegōn ōpheleian ho sophōs hapanta prytaneuōn Theos. ᾿Adesalōn de ho patraloias, kai miaiphonos, kai dyssedēs, kai pamponēros tyrannos, ouk echeinōn charin tēn kata tou patros anedexato lyttan " alla tēs tyrannidos epithymēsas, ton adikōtaton ekeinon proeileto polemon. Ho mentoi theios Dadid, kai toutōn houtō gignomenōn, tēs meleias. Kagō toinyn hetera men tina emautǭ synoida plēmmelēmata, tēn de ge dogmatichēn tōn apostolōn didaskalian achraiphnę̄ dietērēsa. Hoi de kai tous theious kai tous anthrōpeious patēsantes nomous, kai apontas hēmas katakrinantes, ouk hyper hōn hēmartomen tēn psēphon exēnenkan " ou gar hēn autoi,, dēla ta kekrymmena" alla pseudologian kai sykophantian hyphēnan kath᾽ hēmōn, mallon de tois apostolikois dogmasi prophanōs polemountes, ton ekeinoi? hepomenon apekēryxan. e ᾿All᾽ exēgerthē hōs ho hypnōn Kyrios, kai diēlenxe tous echthrous hautou, kai oneidos aiōnion edōken autois. ») Kai ta men chiodēla kai notha dieschedase dogmata, ha de poredōchen hēmin en tois hierois Euangeliois, syn parrhēsią kēryttesthai parescheuasen. Hēmin de tauta eis teleian arkei thymēdian. Oude gar poleōs epithymoumen, en hē mochthountes ton hapanta diatetelechamen chronon " alla tēn tōn Euangeliōn alētheian pothoumen chratynomenēn horąn. Tou ton de hēmōn ton pothon ho Despotēs peplērōken. Dia ron Kyrion hymnoumen, kai tēn hymeteran theosedeian touto syn hēmin parakaloumen poiein, kai hymnountas hiketeusai spoudaiōs, hina kai tous nyn men tauta, nyn de ekeina legontas, kai pros tous kairous metatēn tōn phyllōn … Kyrios, kai epi tēs petras ereïsę̄, kai doiē pantōn … protimąn tēn alētheian.

To John, archimandrite.

The blessed David committed certain other offences, which God, who directs all things wisely, had recorded for the benefit of those to come. But Absalom, the parricide, the bloodstained, the impious and utterly wicked tyrant, did not take up his frenzy against his father on their account; he coveted the tyranny and chose that most unjust war. Yet the divine David, even when these things were happening, … of the offence. So I too am conscious of certain other faults in myself, but I have kept the doctrinal teaching of the apostles undefiled. Those who trampled on both divine and human laws and condemned us in our absence did not pronounce their sentence for our sins, for hidden things were not known to them; they wove falsehood and slander against us, or rather, openly warring against the apostolic doctrines, they proscribed the one who follows them. 'But the Lord awoke as one asleep, and refuted his enemies, and gave them everlasting reproach.' He scattered the counterfeit and spurious doctrines, and made ready for what he handed down to us in the holy Gospels to be proclaimed with boldness. This is enough for our perfect joy. For we do not desire a city, the one in which we toiled the whole of our time; we long to see the truth of the Gospels prevail. This longing of ours the Master has fulfilled. Therefore we praise the Lord, and beg your godliness to do this with us, and while praising to entreat earnestly that the Lord may also … those who say now this and now that, and change with the times like the leaves …, and set them on the rock, and grant them all … to prefer the truth.

2 Sam 11:1–12:13 (allusion, medium confidence) · 2 Sam 15:1–18:33 (allusion, high confidence) · Ps 78:65–66 (77:65-Ps LXX) (quotation, high confidence) · Eph 4:14 (echo, low confidence) · Matt 7:24–25 (allusion, medium confidence)

Notes and citation

Summary: Theodoret tells the archimandrite John that, like David, he has other faults, but that he was condemned not for them but for the apostolic doctrine he has kept; God has now vindicated that doctrine.

  • Migne Letter 137.
  • The OCR has lost lines after 'the divine David, even when these things were happening' (NPNF² 3 has David weeping for his son), after 'that the Lord may also', after 'like the leaves', and after 'grant them all'. Marked '…'.
  • 'Absalom … the parricide': 2 Sam 15–18; he did not kill his father, but Theodoret uses the word of his intent. Ps 78:65–66 is LXX 77:65–66.
  • 'We do not desire a city': Theodoret's own see of Cyrus, from which he had been deposed.

Notes on the original text

  • Digital text corrected (OCR debris from Migne's Latin column inside παρεσκεύα-σεν; OCR debris from Migne's Latin column; some Greek is lost here; stray marks): παρεσχεύα- 80δί, δὰ ἰὰ γὸϑ ν, πὶ Υἱὰ, αι υἱ δὰ ροβίογογαπι αἱ] Παἰοῖη ΠΟ τὶ 8 ἰγοἴ 86 Π}θογοηῖ, δα ϑϑὶ Οὐ 5. γοοογδθᾶοἱ συ 06- Δα 16 ἴῃ 580 18 σεν. → παρεσχεύασεν. ; θυμηδίαν. ἢ) τὰν Οὐδὲ → θυμηδίαν. Οὐδὲ; το ἰΘ ποι, ἰπ 408 Δ οΟΓδηΐ65 (απ δι ἰαίχυας ἰῃ ρείγα, οἱ ἰσίρυδι αἱ οπμηῖθυ8β του Α → … ; [τ εἰϊ 4υ λοι θα πίαΓ ἰγαη αὶ Π᾿ ἰδ πὶ, Ορρυφπηδίς ἢ »͵ἱαπὶ ᾿οσῖδα5 τοι πὰ οοΙηπΐβοταὶ, οἱ δὰ ἰυ τοὶ) γνϑηΐγα οὔτι νοὶ οἱ 681 Ῥγο δἰ α8, οἱ ᾿υἀϊοϊπι 56 ητο ἴα «πὶ τὶ υἱοὶ θη δ (ἃ "μιὰ Θἃ οἱ πα Αὐοὲ - → … .

Cite (SBL): Theodoret, Ep. 137 (PG 83; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-epistulae/137). (abbreviation not yet checked)

Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-epistulae/137

BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-theodoret-epistulae-137) · Report an error

Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 83 (archive.org OCR); compared afterwards with Blomfield Jackson's translation in NPNF² 3 (1892).

Chapter 138

138PG 83

Ἡμεῖς μὲν ἣν ἐλάχομεν ἡσυχίαν ἀσπαστῶς μεθα, καὶ τοὺς ὀνησιφόρους αὐτῆς καὶ ἡδίστους τρυγῶμεν καρπούς. Ὁ δὲ φιλόχριστος ἡμῶν βασιλεὺς, «ἧς εὐσεδείας καρπὸν τὴν βασιλείαν δρεψάμενος, ἀπαρχὰς τῆς βασιλείας τῷ δοτῇρι τῆς βασιλείας προσήνεγκεν, τῶν χειμαζομένων Ἐκκλησιῶν τὴν γαλήνην, τὸ τῆς πολεμηθείσης πίστεως κράτος, τῶν εὐαγγελικῶν δογμάτων τὴν νίκην. Προ[ σἸτέθειχε δὲ τούτοις τῆς ἡμετέρας ἀδικίας τὴν ἴασιν. Τίς γὰρ τοιαύτὴν ἣ τοσαύτην ἀδικίαν ἀχήχοε πώποτε; Τίς ἀπὼν ἀνδροφόνος κατεδικάσθη; Τίς γάμων ἐπίδουλος μὴ Β παρὼν κατεκρίθη; Τίς τοιχωρύχος, ἣ τυμδωρύχο;, ἢ γόης, ἣ ἱερόσυλος, ἣ ἄλλο τι τῶν τοῖς νόμοις ἀπειρημένων τολμήσας, δραμεῖν μὲν εἷς τὸ δικαστήριον ἐπειγόμενος ἐκωλύθη, ἀνῃρέθη δὲ πόῤῥωθεν ὧν τῇ τοῦ διχάζοντος ψήφῳ; ᾿Αλλ᾽ ἐπ᾽ ἐχείνων μὲν γέγονε τοιοῦτον οὐδέν " οἱ γὰρ νόμοι κελεύουσι πλησίον ἀλλήλων πρὸ τοῦ διχάζοντος ἑστάναι καὶ τὸν διώκοντα καὶ τὸν φεύγοντα, καὶ τοὺς προφανεῖς ἐλέγχους ἀναμένειν τὸν δικαστὴν, καὶ τηνικαῦτα λοιπὸν ἣ ὡς ἀθῶον ἀφιέναι, ἣ κολάζειν ὡς ὑπεύθυνον ταῖς γραφαῖς. Ἐφ᾽ ἡμῶν δὲ πᾶν τοὐναντίον συνέθη. Τὰ βασιλικὰ μὲν γὰρ ἡμᾶς γράμματα καταλαδεῖν «τὴν πολυθρύλλητον ἐχεένην ἐκώλυσε σύνοδον " οἱ δὲ διχαιόταάτοι δικασταὶ τὸν ἀπόντα κατέκριναν, οὐ δικάσαντες, μᾶλλον δὲ καὶ λίαν ἐπαινέσαντες τὰ δῆθεν εἰς χατθεῖος νόμος, οὔτε ἀνθρώπων αἰδὼς διεκώλυσε τὴν σφαγήν. ᾿Αλλὰ προσέτατκε" μὲν ὁ πρόεδρος, νος τὴν ἀλήθειαν, καὶ τὴν δυναστείαν θεραπεύων «ἣν πρόσκαιρον " ὑπήκουον δὲ οἱ ταυτὰ ἡμῖν φρονοῦντες, καὶ τῶν δογμάτων κοινωνοῦντες, καὶ τὰ ἡμέτερα ἐπὶ πλεῖστον θαυμάσαντες. ᾿Αλλ᾽ ὅμως ἐκεῖνος καιρὸς τῶν μὲν τὴν προδοσίαν', τῶν δὲ τὴν δειλίαν διῆλεγξεν᾽ ἧμῖν δὲ παρέσχεν ἀφορμὴν παῤῥησίας τὰ ὑπὲρ τῆς ἀληθείας παθήματα. Καὶ κεχάρισται ἡμῖν ὁ Δεσπότης Χριστὸς οὗ μόνον τὸ εἰς αὐτὸν πιστεύειν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸ ὑπὲρ αὐτοῦ ἠάσχειν " χάρισμα γάρ ἔστι μέγιστον, τὰ ὑπὲρ τοῦ Δεσπότον παθήματα. Ὁ δὲ θεῖος ᾿Απόστολος καὶ τῶν μεγάλων ταῦτα θαυμάτων προτίθησιν. Ἐπὶ τούτοις χἀγὼ σεμνυνόμενος ὁ χαμαιπετῇς, καὶ σμικρὸς, καὶ μηδεμίαν ἔχων ἄλλην καυχήματος ἀφορμὴν, τὴν ὑμετόραν μεγαλοφυῖαν παρακαλῶ, τὰς εὐχαριστηρίους φωνὰς ὑπὲρ τῆς ἐμῆς εὐτελείας τῷ φιλοχρίστῳ προσενεγκεῖν βασιλεῖ, καὶ τῇ εὐσεδεστάτῇ καὶ θεοφιλεστάτῃ Αὐγούστῃ, τῇ τῶν καλῶν διδα σχάλῳ, ὅτι τοιούτοις δώροις τὸν μεγαλόδωρον τὴν ἡμείψατο, καὶ τῆς βασιλείας ὑποδάθραν καὶ κρηπῖδα τὸν ὑπὲρ τῆς εὐσεδείας ἐποιήσατο ζῆλον. Πρὸς δὲ τούτοις καὶ ἱχετεύσατε αὐτῶν τὴν θεοφιλῇ κορυφὴν, τέλος ἐπιθεῖναι τοῖς ὁρισθεῖσι καλῶς, καὶ συναγαγεῖν σύνοδον, μὴ πάλιν ταραχοποιῶν καὶ συγκλύδων ἀνθρώπων πεπληρωμένην, ἀλλὰ τούτων μὲν πάντων χεχωρισμέγνην, κρινόντων δὲ τὰ θεῖα καὶ περὶ πολλοῦ ποιουμένων, καὶ πάντων ὁμοῦ τῶν ἀνθρωπίνων τὴν ἀλήθειαν προτιμώντων. Εἰ δὲ βούλεται αὐτῶν τὸ κράτος τὴν παλαιὰν πρυτανεῦσαι ταῖς Ἐκκλησίαις εἰρήνην (βούλεται δὲ), ἀντιδολήσατε αὐτῶν τὴν εὐσέδειαν παρεῖναι τοῖς πραττομένοις, ἵνα τοὺς τἀναντία προαιρουμένους τῇ παρουσίᾳ δεδίξηται, καὶ μηδὲν ἀντίπαλον ἣ ἀλήθεια ἔχῃ" ἄλλ᾽ αὐτὴ κατ᾽ αὐτὴν ἐξετάζῃ τῶν πραγμάτων τὴν φύσιν, καὶ τὸν τῶν ἀποστολικῶν δογμάτων χαρακτῇρα. Ταῦτα δὲ ἐξαιτῶ παρὰ τῆς ὑμετέρας μεγαλοφυῖας, οὐκ ὡς τὴν Κύῤῥον πάλιν ἰδεῖν ποθῶν (οἷδε γὰρ ὑμῶν τὸ μέγεθος [τῆς πολίχνης [τὴν ἐρημίαν, ἧς ἀμηγέπη τὸ εἰδεχθὲς χατεχρύψαμεν ταῖς τῶν παντοδαπῶν οἱκοδομημάτων πολυτελείαις), ᾿ἀλλ᾽ ἵνα δειχθῇ καὶ τὰ παρ᾽ ἡμῶν χηρυττόμενα τοῖς ἀποστολικοῖς συμδαῖνοντα δόγμασι, καὶ νόθα καὶ χκίδδηλα τὰ τῶν ἐναντίων εὑρέματα. Τούτου γὰρ γενομένου (σὺν Θεῷ δὲ εἰρήσθω), τὰς λειπομένας ἡμέρας σὺν εὐθυμίᾳ βιώαημεν ἔνθα ἂν ἡμᾶς διάγειν ὁ Δεσπότης κελεύσῃ. Πρέπει δὲ ὑμῖν εὐσεδείᾳ συντεθραμμένοις, καὶ τῆς ἀρετῇ: κεκτημένοις τὸν πλοῦτον, τόνδε τὸν ζῆλον ἀναλαδεῖν, καὺ προθυμίαν ἔχοντας, καὶ τὸν εὐσεδέστατον βασιλέα, καὶ τὴν φιλόχριστον Αὐγούσταν, ταῖς παρακλήσεσι προθυμοτέρους ἐργάσασθαι, ἵνα τῷ ἀξιεπαίνῳ ζήλῳ τὴν πανεύφημον αὐτῶν βασι-

Hēmeis men hēn elachomen hēsychian aspastōs metha, kai tous onēsiphorous autēs kai hēdistous trygōmen karpous. Ho de philochristos hēmōn basileus, «hēs eusedeias karpon tēn basileian drepsamenos, aparchas tēs basileias tǭ dotę̄ri tēs basileias prosēnenken, tōn cheimazomenōn Ekklēsiōn tēn galēnēn, to tēs polemētheisēs pisteōs kratos, tōn euangelikōn dogmatōn tēn nikēn. Pro[ sItetheiche de toutois tēs hēmeteras adikias tēn iasin. Tis gar toiautēn hē tosautēn adikian achēchoe pōpote? Tis apōn androphonos katedikasthē? Tis gamōn epidoulos mē B parōn katekrithē? Tis toichōrychos, hē tymdōrycho?, ē goēs, hē hierosylos, hē allo ti tōn tois nomois apeirēmenōn tolmēsas, dramein men heis to dikastērion epeigomenos ekōlythē, anę̄rethē de porrhōthen hōn tę̄ tou dichazontos psēphǭ? ᾿All᾽ ep᾽ echeinōn men gegone toiouton ouden " hoi gar nomoi keleuousi plēsion allēlōn pro tou dichazontos hestanai kai ton diōkonta kai ton pheugonta, kai tous prophaneis elenchous anamenein ton dikastēn, kai tēnikauta loipon hē hōs athōon aphienai, hē kolazein hōs hypeuthynon tais graphais. Eph᾽ hēmōn de pan tounantion synethē. Ta basilika men gar hēmas grammata kataladein «tēn polythryllēton echeenēn ekōlyse synodon " hoi de dichaiotaatoi dikastai ton aponta katekrinan, ou dikasantes, mallon de kai lian epainesantes ta dēthen eis chattheios nomos, oute anthrōpōn aidōs diekōlyse tēn sphagēn. ᾿Alla prosetatke" men ho proedros, nos tēn alētheian, kai tēn dynasteian therapeuōn «hēn proskairon " hypēkouon de hoi tauta hēmin phronountes, kai tōn dogmatōn koinōnountes, kai ta hēmetera epi pleiston thaumasantes. ᾿All᾽ homōs ekeinos kairos tōn men tēn prodosian', tōn de tēn deilian diēlenxen᾽ hēmin de pareschen aphormēn parrhēsias ta hyper tēs alētheias pathēmata. Kai kecharistai hēmin ho Despotēs Christos hou monon to eis auton pisteuein, alla kai to hyper autou ēaschein " charisma gar esti megiston, ta hyper tou Despoton pathēmata. Ho de theios ᾿Apostolos kai tōn megalōn tauta thaumatōn protithēsin. Epi toutois chagō semnynomenos ho chamaipetę̄s, kai smikros, kai mēdemian echōn allēn kauchēmatos aphormēn, tēn hymetoran megalophuian parakalō, tas eucharistērious phōnas hyper tēs emēs euteleias tǭ philochristǭ prosenenkein basilei, kai tę̄ eusedestatę̄ kai theophilestatę̄ Augoustę̄, tę̄ tōn kalōn dida schalǭ, hoti toioutois dōrois ton megalodōron tēn hēmeipsato, kai tēs basileias hypodathran kai krēpida ton hyper tēs eusedeias epoiēsato zēlon. Pros de toutois kai hicheteusate autōn tēn theophilę̄ koryphēn, telos epitheinai tois horistheisi kalōs, kai synagagein synodon, mē palin tarachopoiōn kai synklydōn anthrōpōn peplērōmenēn, alla toutōn men pantōn chechōrismegnēn, krinontōn de ta theia kai peri pollou poioumenōn, kai pantōn homou tōn anthrōpinōn tēn alētheian protimōntōn. Ei de bouletai autōn to kratos tēn palaian prytaneusai tais Ekklēsiais eirēnēn (bouletai de), antidolēsate autōn tēn eusedeian pareinai tois prattomenois, hina tous tanantia proairoumenous tę̄ parousią dedixētai, kai mēden antipalon hē alētheia echę̄" all᾽ autē kat᾽ autēn exetazę̄ tōn pragmatōn tēn physin, kai ton tōn apostolikōn dogmatōn charaktę̄ra. Tauta de exaitō para tēs hymeteras megalophuias, ouk hōs tēn Kyrrhon palin idein pothōn (hoide gar hymōn to megethos [tēs polichnēs [tēn erēmian, hēs amēgepē to eidechthes chatechrypsamen tais tōn pantodapōn hoikodomēmatōn polyteleiais), ᾿all᾽ hina deichthę̄ kai ta par᾽ hēmōn chēryttomena tois apostolikois symdainonta dogmasi, kai notha kai chkiddēla ta tōn enantiōn heuremata. Toutou gar genomenou (syn Theǭ de eirēsthō), tas leipomenas hēmeras syn euthymią biōaēmen entha an hēmas diagein ho Despotēs keleusę̄. Prepei de hymin eusedeią syntethrammenois, kai tēs aretę̄: kektēmenois ton plouton, tonde ton zēlon analadein, kau prothymian echontas, kai ton eusedestaton basilea, kai tēn philochriston Augoustan, tais paraklēsesi prothymoterous ergasasthai, hina tǭ axiepainǭ zēlǭ tēn paneuphēmon autōn basi-

To Anatolius, patrician.

We for our part … gladly the quiet that has fallen to our lot, and we gather its profitable and most pleasant fruits. But our Christ-loving emperor, having reaped the empire as the fruit of his piety, has offered to the Giver of the empire, as first-fruits of his reign, the calm of the storm-tossed churches, the strength of the faith that was warred upon, and the victory of the gospel doctrines. To these he has added the healing of the injustice done to us. For who has ever heard of such or so great an injustice? What murderer was condemned in his absence? What plotter against marriages was condemned when not present? What housebreaker or tomb-robber, sorcerer or temple-robber, or one who dared anything else forbidden by the laws, was prevented from hastening to the court when he was eager to run to it, and was then destroyed from far away by the judge's vote? Nothing of the kind has happened in their cases. For the laws order the accuser and the accused to stand near each other before the judge, and the judge to wait for clear proofs, and only then either to release the man as innocent or to punish him as guilty under the charges. In our case the very opposite happened. Imperial letters prevented us from reaching that notorious synod, and the most just judges condemned the absent man without trying him, or rather while praising highly what was supposedly … neither the divine law nor shame before men prevented the slaughter. The president ordered it, … the truth and courting a power that was temporary; and those who think as we do, share the same doctrines, and had greatly admired our writings obeyed. Yet that time exposed the treachery of some and the cowardice of others, while to us the sufferings for the truth gave occasion for boldness. The Lord Christ has granted us not only to believe in him but also to suffer for him; for sufferings for the Master are a very great gift, and the divine Apostle puts them even before great wonders. Taking pride in these things, I, who am lowly and small and have no other ground of boasting, beg your magnificence to offer thanks for my insignificance to the Christ-loving emperor and to the most pious and God-beloved Augusta, the teacher of good things, because she has repaid the bountiful Giver with such gifts and made zeal for piety the base and foundation of her rule. And besides this, entreat their God-beloved head to bring what has been well decided to completion, and to assemble a synod, not again filled with troublemakers and a rabble, but free of all such, made up of men who judge divine things, value them highly, and prefer the truth to all human things together. If their power wishes to restore the old peace to the churches (and it does), implore their piety to be present at the proceedings, so that their presence may frighten those who choose the opposite, and the truth may have no opponent but may examine by itself the nature of the matters and the stamp of the apostolic doctrines. I ask this of your magnificence not because I long to see Cyrus again (for your greatness knows the desolation of the little town, whose ugliness we have to some extent hidden by the costliness of buildings of every kind), but so that it may be shown both that what we preach agrees with the apostolic doctrines and that the inventions of the opponents are spurious and counterfeit. When this is done (be it said, God willing), we shall live the remaining days cheerfully wherever the Master orders us to live. It befits you, who were brought up in piety and have acquired the wealth of virtue, to take up this zeal, being eager yourselves and making the most pious emperor and the Christ-loving Augusta more eager by your appeals, so that by this praiseworthy zeal their all-praised reign …

Phil 1:29 (allusion, high confidence) · 2 Cor 11:23–12:4 (allusion, low confidence) · Titus 2:3 (echo, low confidence)

Notes and citation

Summary: Theodoret thanks the patrician Anatolius for the new emperor's undoing of his unjust condemnation at the synod of Ephesus (449), and asks him to urge the emperor and empress to convene a peaceful synod attended by themselves.

  • Migne Letter 138. The emperor is Marcian and the Augusta Pulcheria (450); 'that notorious synod' is the second synod of Ephesus (449), which deposed Theodoret in his absence; its president was Dioscorus of Alexandria.
  • Words are lost in the OCR after 'We for our part' (the verb), after 'what was supposedly' (several lines), and before 'the truth' (a participle); the letter breaks off at the end. Marked '…'.
  • 'Not only to believe in him but also to suffer for him' is Phil 1:29. 'Teacher of good things' recalls Titus 2:3.
  • Theodoret's polemic against the synod and its president is translated as written.
  • 'Because she has repaid': the Greek verb has no expressed subject; it follows the mention of the Augusta. Compared afterwards with NPNF² 3 (Blomfield Jackson, 1892).

Notes on the original text

  • Digital text corrected (Migne's footnote marker; column letter inside a hyphenated word): ὅμως (ὦ) ἐκεῖνος → ὅμως ἐκεῖνος; συγ- Α κλύδων → συγκλύδων; χεχωρισμέγνην, (δ) κρινόντων → χεχωρισμέγνην, κρινόντων.

Topics: Persecution

Cite (SBL): Theodoret, Ep. 138 (PG 83; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-epistulae/138). (abbreviation not yet checked)

Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-epistulae/138

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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 83 (archive.org OCR); compared afterwards with Blomfield Jackson's translation in NPNF² 3 (1892).

Chapter 139

139PG 83

Ἔδει καὶ τοῦτο τοῖς ἄλλοις τῆς ὑμετέρας ἀνδρίας κατορθώμασι προστεθῆναι, τὸ τὸν εὐσεδέστατον. ἡμῶν καὶ φιλόχριστον βασιλέα, ὃν ἡ θεία χάρις ἐπ᾽ εὐεργεσίᾳ τῶν ἀρχομένων ἀνέδειξε, διὰ ςῆς ὑμεπέρας μεγαλοφυΐας μαθεῖν τὴν τῆς καθ᾽ ἡμῶν ἀδι--. χίας ὑπερδολῆν, καὶ λῦσαι νόμῳ νόμον δικαίῳ τὸν. οὐ τοιοῦτον. Εἰ γὰρ καὶ ἡμεῖς, ὑπὸ τῆς θείας ἐρειδόμενοι Προμηθείας, ἀφορμὴν ἀγαθῶν ἐποιήσαμεν. τὴν νομισθεῖσαν τιμωρίαν, καὶ τὴν. ἡσυχίαν ἀσπαστῶς ἐδεξάμεθα " ἀλλ᾽’ οὖν ἄδικα πεπόνθαμεν καὶ παράνομα, οὐδὲν μὲν πεπλημμεληχότες ὧν ἐσυχοφάντησαν ἡμᾶς οἱ τῆς ἁληθείας ἐχθροὶ, τὰ δὲ τῶν τὰ μέγιστα τετολμηκότων. πεπονθότες δεινά " μᾶλλον δὲ καὶ τούτων ὑπέστημεν χαλεπώτερα. ᾿Ακρίτως γὰρ καὶ ἐχρίθημεν, καὶ ἀπόντες χατεδιχάσθημεν " καὶ βασιλικοῖς γράμμασι κωλυθέντες καταλαθδεῖν τὴν Ἔφεσον, τὴν δικαιοτάτην τῶν ἱερῶν δικαστῶν ἐδεξάμεθα ψῆφον. ᾿Αλλὰ ταῦτα πάντα λέλυκεν ὁ γαληνότατος βασιλεὺς, διὰ τὴν τῆς ὑμετέρας μεγαλοπρε- “είας σπουδὴν. Ἐγὼ δὲ ἀδικεῖν νομίσας εἰ σιγήσαιδι, καὶ μηδὲ χάριν ὁμολογήσαιμε, ἐπὶ τάδε ἦλθον τὰ γράμματα, δι' ὧν τὸ ὑμέτερον παρακαλῶ μέγεθος, τὰς ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν εὐφημίας καὶ τῷ νικηφόρῳ καὶ φυλοχρίστῳ βασιλεῖ προσενεγκεῖν, καὶ τῇ θεοφιλεστάτῃ͵ … ὑπὲρ ὧν εἰς δύναμιν … τὸν ἀγαθὸν ἱχετεύω Δεσπότην, ὥστε αὐτῶν βεδαίαν φυλάξαι τὴν βασιλείαν, τῶν μὲν ὑπηκόων φιλανθρώπως προμηθουμένην, τοὺς δὲ πολεμίους δεδιττομένην, καὶ τὴν ἀξιέπαινον εἰρήνην πρυτανεύουσαν ἅπασιν. Ἰκετεῦσαι δὲ αὑτοὺς παραχληθήτω τὸ ὑμέτερον μέγεθος, δοῦναι λύσιν τελείαν τῷ τῆς Ἐκκλησίας χειμῶνι, καὶ κελεῦσαι συναθροισθῆναι σύνοδον, μὴ πάλιν τῶν θορυθεῖν εἰωθότων τὸ συνέδριον ταραττόντων, ἀλλὰ μεθ᾽ ἡσυχίας τῶν τὰ θεῖα πεπαιδευμένων τὰ μὲν ἀποστολικὰ δόγματα βεθαιούντων, ἀπο-κρινόντων δὲ τὰ νόθα καὶ τὴς ἀληθείας ἀλλότρια " ἵνα καὶ τὸ ἐντεῦθεν δρέψηται κέρδος τὸ ὑμέτερον

Edei kai touto tois allois tēs hymeteras andrias katorthōmasi prostethēnai, to ton eusedestaton. hēmōn kai philochriston basilea, hon hē theia charis ep᾽ euergesią tōn archomenōn anedeixe, dia sēs hymeperas megalophyïas mathein tēn tēs kath᾽ hēmōn adi--. chias hyperdolēn, kai lysai nomǭ nomon dikaiǭ ton. ou toiouton. Ei gar kai hēmeis, hypo tēs theias ereidomenoi Promētheias, aphormēn agathōn epoiēsamen. tēn nomistheisan timōrian, kai tēn. hēsychian aspastōs edexametha " all᾽’ oun adika peponthamen kai paranoma, ouden men peplēmmelēchotes hōn esychophantēsan hēmas hoi tēs halētheias echthroi, ta de tōn ta megista tetolmēkotōn. peponthotes deina " mallon de kai toutōn hypestēmen chalepōtera. ᾿Akritōs gar kai echrithēmen, kai apontes chatedichasthēmen " kai basilikois grammasi kōlythentes katalathdein tēn Epheson, tēn dikaiotatēn tōn hierōn dikastōn edexametha psēphon. ᾿Alla tauta panta lelyken ho galēnotatos basileus, dia tēn tēs hymeteras megalopre- “eias spoudēn. Egō de adikein nomisas ei sigēsaidi, kai mēde charin homologēsaime, epi tade ēlthon ta grammata, di' hōn to hymeteron parakalō megethos, tas hyper hēmōn euphēmias kai tǭ nikēphorǭ kai phylochristǭ basilei prosenenkein, kai tę̄ theophilestatę̄͵ … hyper hōn eis dynamin … ton agathon hicheteuō Despotēn, hōste autōn bedaian phylaxai tēn basileian, tōn men hypēkoōn philanthrōpōs promēthoumenēn, tous de polemious dedittomenēn, kai tēn axiepainon eirēnēn prytaneuousan hapasin. Iketeusai de hautous parachlēthētō to hymeteron megethos, dounai lysin teleian tǭ tēs Ekklēsias cheimōni, kai keleusai synathroisthēnai synodon, mē palin tōn thorythein eiōthotōn to synedrion tarattontōn, alla meth᾽ hēsychias tōn ta theia pepaideumenōn ta men apostolika dogmata bethaiountōn, apo-krinontōn de ta notha kai tēs alētheias allotria " hina kai to enteuthen drepsētai kerdos to hymeteron

To Aspar, consular and patrician.

This too had to be added to the other achievements of your courage: that our most pious and Christ-loving emperor, whom divine grace has raised up for the benefit of his subjects, should learn through your magnificence how extreme the injustice done to us was, and undo an unjust law with a just one. For even if we, upheld by divine Providence, made the supposed punishment an occasion of good, and gladly welcomed the quiet, still we have suffered unjust and lawless things, having committed none of the offences of which the enemies of the truth slandered us, yet having suffered what those who dared the greatest crimes suffer; or rather we have undergone worse than they. For we were judged without a trial and condemned in our absence; and after imperial letters had prevented us from reaching Ephesus, we received the 'most just' sentence of the holy judges. But all this the most serene emperor has undone, through the zeal of your magnificence. Thinking that I would do wrong if I kept silent and did not even acknowledge the favour, I have come to this letter, by which I beg your greatness to offer thanks on our behalf to the victorious and Christ-loving emperor and to the most God-beloved … For these things, as far as I can, … I entreat the good Master to keep their reign secure, caring humanely for its subjects, frightening its enemies, and presiding over a praiseworthy peace for all. Let your greatness be pleased to entreat them to give a complete end to the church's storm, and to order a synod to be assembled, not again with those who are accustomed to make an uproar disturbing the council, but with men taught in divine things, who in quiet will confirm the apostolic doctrines and reject what is spurious and foreign to the truth; so that your … may reap the gain from this …

Notes and citation

Summary: Theodoret thanks Aspar for having the emperor undo his unjust condemnation at Ephesus, and asks him to urge a quiet synod that will confirm the apostolic doctrines.

  • Migne Letter 139. Aspar was the powerful general (magister militum) at Constantinople; the emperor is Marcian.
  • Words are lost in the OCR after 'the most God-beloved' (the Augusta's title and a clause), after 'as far as I can', and at the end. Marked '…'.
  • 'Most just' is ironic.
  • The heading calls Aspar ὑπατικός, 'consular' (he had been consul in 434). Compared afterwards with NPNF² 3.

Notes on the original text

  • Digital text corrected (OCR debris from Migne's Latin column; some Greek is lost here; OCR debris: Migne's Latin column read as Greek letters): αἱ ὅθ πὶ οἱ οί σοι 5. οἱ οἱ γὶδά θεῖ) πη 5 108, ἰηθοῦ Βο] πὲ οἱ 1 ἀ]- → ; δυ} είαγ., Ὁ., οομίγαάϊοοηία Ῥαρὶο ἷῃ Οὐ. δ ἃ. → … ; οἱ 8011| ἐγ απ ΐ οΟοΠο πὶ, 86ἀ αυϊ τὰ αἱ υἱ δὰ ϊ οἰ (5 γὸαἱ 605 [4108στιν → … .

Topics: Persecution

Cite (SBL): Theodoret, Ep. 139 (PG 83; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-epistulae/139). (abbreviation not yet checked)

Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-epistulae/139

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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 83 (archive.org OCR); compared afterwards with Blomfield Jackson's translation in NPNF² 3 (1892).

Chapter 140

140PG 83

Λίαν ἐθαύμασα γνοὺς ὅτε πάμπαν ἀγνοοῦσα τὰ καθ᾽ ἡμᾶς ἡ ὑμετέρα μεγαλοπρέπεια, μόνην δὲ τὴν καθ᾽ ἡμῶν ἀδικίαν μαθοῦσα, συνήγορος ἡμῶν ἀνἐφάνη, καὶ πάντα πόρον ἐκίνησεν, ὥστε διαλῦσαι τὰ καθ᾽ ἡμῶν τυρευθέντα. ᾿Αλλὰ τῷ μὲν ὑμετέρῳ με-γέθει δώσει πάντως τὰς ἀντιδόσεις ὁ μεγαλόδωρος Κύριας. Ὁ γὰρ ὑπὲρ σμικροῦ ὕδατος μισθὸν δώσειν ἐπαγγειλάμενος, μείζους παρέξει δήπουθεν ἀμοιδὰς τοῖς τὰ μείζονα δεδωχόσιν. Ἡμεῖς δὲ τοιαῦτα πεπόν καὶ παρὰ τῶν γνησίων, ὡς ὑπολαμδάνομεν, φίλων, ὑπὸ μὲν ἐχείνων πολεμηθέντες, ὑπὸ δὲ τούτων ποοδοθέντες, οἷα ἣ οὐδεὶς, ἣ ἄγαν ὀλίγοι τῶν παλαιῶν ὑπέστησαν. Τίς γὰρ τοιαύτης δίκης ἀχῆχοε πώποτε;. Τίς τὸν κατηγορούμενον πρὸ πέντε καὶ τριάκοντα πεδήσας σταθμῶν, ἐκέλευσε δικάσαι τῷ μὴ παρόντ: τοὺς δικαστάς; Ἐΐς δὲ οὕτως ὠμὸς καὶ θηριώδης γεγένηται δικαστὴς, ὥστε δικάσαι ἀνδράσιν, ὧν τῆς φωνῆς οὐκ ἐπήκουσε, καὶ οὐ δικάσαι μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ καταδιχάσαι, καὶ τοῦτο λίαν ὠμῶς καὶ θηριωδῶς; Τοῦ γὰρ Κυρίου προστεταχότος τὸν πλημμελοῦντι τῶν ἀδελφῶν, καὶ τῆς συμδουλίας οὐκ ἀνεχόμενον, μετὰ πρώτην, καὶ δευτέραν, καὶ τρίτην νουθεσίαν, ὕστερον ἔχειν ὡς τὸν ἐθνικὸν καὶ τὸν τελώνην " οἱ ὁρθότατοι καὶ δικαιότατοι κριταὶ, οὐδὲ ὧν τοῖς ἐθνικοῖς Ἐκείνους μὲν γὰρ καὶ ὁρῶσιν, καὶ ἔστιν ὅτε προσδιαλέγονται, καὶ μετὰ πλείστης ὅσης τιμῆς, εἴπερ τινὰ ἔχοιεν ἀξιώματος περιφάνειαν " ἡμᾶς δὲ προσέταξαν μὴ στέγης, μὴ ὕδατος, μὴ ὅλου μεταλαχεῖν. Οὕτως ἐδουλήθησαν μιμηταὶ γενέσθαι τοῦ Πατρὸς ἡμῶν τοῦ ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς, « ὃς ἀνατέλλει τὸν ἥλιον αὑτοῦ ἐπὶ πονηροὺς καὶ ἀγαθοὺς, καὶ βρέχει ἐπὶ δικαίους καὶ ἀδίκους. » ᾿Αλλὰ τούτους μὲν ἐάσω." Ἐγγὺς γὰρ τὸ Δεσπότου κριτήριον, ἔνθα οὐ ζητεῖται σχημάτων ὑπόκρισις, ἀλλὰ πρσγμάτων ἀλήθεια. Τὸ δὲ ὑμέτερον παρακαλῶ μέγεθος, τὴν ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν τῆς χάριτος ὁμολογίαν τῷ φιλοχρίστῳ καὶ νιχηφόρῳ προσενεγκεῖν βασιλεῖ, καὶ τῇ εὐσεδεστάτῃ καὶ θεοφιλεστάτῃ Αὖγούστῃ, ὅτι τῇ εὐσεθεζ βασιλείᾳ ῥίζαν ἔδωκαν ἔσχυ βεόαίαν πρυτανεῦσαι ταῖς, Ἐκκλησίαις τὴν εἰρήνην, καὶ σύνοδον ἀθροισθῆναι κελεῦσαι, μὴ τῶν ταραχο ποιῶν, διαχυχώντων τὸν σύλλογον, ἀλλὰ τῶν τῆς ἁληθείας ἐραστῶν, τὴν ἀποστολικὴν χρατυνόντων διδασκαλίαν, καὶ ἀποχηρυττόντων τὴν καινὴν ταύτην καὶ χίόδηλον αἴῤεσιν" ἵνα καὶ τῶν ἀξιεράστων τούτῶν πόνων παρὰ τοῦ φιλανθρώπου Ἀυρίου τοὺς καρπούς.

Lian ethaumasa gnous hote pampan agnoousa ta kath᾽ hēmas hē hymetera megaloprepeia, monēn de tēn kath᾽ hēmōn adikian mathousa, synēgoros hēmōn anephanē, kai panta poron ekinēsen, hōste dialysai ta kath᾽ hēmōn tyreuthenta. ᾿Alla tǭ men hymeterǭ me-gethei dōsei pantōs tas antidoseis ho megalodōros Kyrias. Ho gar hyper smikrou hydatos misthon dōsein epangeilamenos, meizous parexei dēpouthen amoidas tois ta meizona dedōchosin. Hēmeis de toiauta pepon kai para tōn gnēsiōn, hōs hypolamdanomen, philōn, hypo men echeinōn polemēthentes, hypo de toutōn poodothentes, hoia hē oudeis, hē agan oligoi tōn palaiōn hypestēsan. Tis gar toiautēs dikēs achēchoe pōpote?. Tis ton katēgoroumenon pro pente kai triakonta pedēsas stathmōn, ekeleuse dikasai tǭ mē paront: tous dikastas? Eïs de houtōs ōmos kai thēriōdēs gegenētai dikastēs, hōste dikasai andrasin, hōn tēs phōnēs ouk epēkouse, kai ou dikasai monon, alla kai katadichasai, kai touto lian ōmōs kai thēriōdōs? Tou gar Kyriou prostetachotos ton plēmmelounti tōn adelphōn, kai tēs symdoulias ouk anechomenon, meta prōtēn, kai deuteran, kai tritēn nouthesian, hysteron echein hōs ton ethnikon kai ton telōnēn " hoi horthotatoi kai dikaiotatoi kritai, oude hōn tois ethnikois Ekeinous men gar kai horōsin, kai estin hote prosdialegontai, kai meta pleistēs hosēs timēs, eiper tina echoien axiōmatos periphaneian " hēmas de prosetaxan mē stegēs, mē hydatos, mē holou metalachein. Houtōs edoulēthēsan mimētai genesthai tou Patros hēmōn tou en tois ouranois, « hos anatellei ton hēlion hautou epi ponērous kai agathous, kai brechei epi dikaious kai adikous. » ᾿Alla toutous men easō." Engys gar to Despotou kritērion, entha ou zēteitai schēmatōn hypokrisis, alla prsgmatōn alētheia. To de hymeteron parakalō megethos, tēn hyper hēmōn tēs charitos homologian tǭ philochristǭ kai nichēphorǭ prosenenkein basilei, kai tę̄ eusedestatę̄ kai theophilestatę̄ Augoustę̄, hoti tę̄ eusethez basileią rhizan edōkan eschy beoaian prytaneusai tais, Ekklēsiais tēn eirēnēn, kai synodon athroisthēnai keleusai, mē tōn taracho poiōn, diachychōntōn ton syllogon, alla tōn tēs halētheias erastōn, tēn apostolikēn chratynontōn didaskalian, kai apochēryttontōn tēn kainēn tautēn kai chiodēlon airesin" hina kai tōn axierastōn toutōn ponōn para tou philanthrōpou Auriou tous karpous.

To Vincomalus, master.

I was greatly surprised to learn that your magnificence, though quite unacquainted with our affairs and knowing only the injustice done to us, came forward as our advocate and set every means in motion to undo what had been contrived against us. The bountiful Lord will surely repay your greatness; for he who promised to give a reward for a little water will surely give greater recompense to those who have given greater things. We, for our part, have suffered at the hands of enemies and of those we took to be true friends, attacked by the former and betrayed by the latter, such things as none, or very few, of the ancients endured. For who has ever heard of such a trial? Who ever confined the accused thirty-five stages away and ordered the judges to try a man who was not present? What judge was ever so cruel and savage as to try men whose voice he had not heard, and not only to try them but to condemn them, and that most cruelly and savagely? For whereas the Lord commanded that a brother who errs and will not accept counsel should, after a first, a second, and a third admonition, finally be held as the gentile and the tax collector, these most upright and most just judges … not even what to the gentiles … For those they both see and sometimes converse with, and with great honour, if they have any distinction of rank; but us they ordered to have no share of roof, of water, of anything at all. In this way they wished to become imitators of our Father in heaven, 'who makes his sun rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the just and the unjust.' But I will let them be. For the Master's tribunal is near, where what is sought is not the pretence of appearances but the truth of deeds. I beg your greatness to offer our acknowledgement of the favour to the Christ-loving and victorious emperor and to the most pious and God-beloved Augusta, because they have given their pious reign a … firm root, … to establish peace for the churches, and to order a synod to be assembled, not of troublemakers who stir up the gathering, but of lovers of the truth who strengthen the apostolic teaching and proscribe this new and counterfeit heresy; so that … from the humane Lord the fruits of these lovely labours.

Matt 10:42 (allusion, high confidence) · Matt 18:15–17 (allusion, high confidence) · Matt 5:45 (quotation, high confidence)

Notes and citation

Summary: Theodoret thanks the master Vincomalus for taking up his cause unasked, describes his condemnation unheard at Ephesus, and asks him to urge the emperor and empress to summon a peaceful synod.

  • Migne Letter 140. Vincomalus held the rank of magister (master of offices) at Constantinople.
  • Words are lost in the OCR after 'these most upright and most just judges' (NPNF² 3 has them not granting fellow believers even the treatment given to gentiles), in the request to the emperor, and at the end. Marked '…'.
  • 'Thirty-five stages': Theodoret was confined to Cyrus, far from Ephesus. 'A little water' recalls Matt 10:42; the threefold admonition adapts Matt 18:15–17. 'Most upright and most just' is ironic.

Notes on the original text

  • Digital text corrected (Migne's footnote marker; OCR debris from Migne's Latin column; OCR debris: Migne's Latin column and marginal references): οἱ ἰορίο, Ὁ ἔχοιεν → ἔχοιεν; κυὶ ΒΟΠΟϑ8 οἷ πια]08, αἱ θ᾽] υἱέ 86 ἃ του νοῦ 88 συθτίίυν. ΜαΑρηἰ ἀπο "Ὁ ΜΔ}. χνιῖ, 17. Δί}. νυ, Δὺ. → ; καινὴν (θ) ταύτην → καινὴν ταύτην.

Cite (SBL): Theodoret, Ep. 140 (PG 83; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-epistulae/140). (abbreviation not yet checked)

Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-epistulae/140

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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 83 (archive.org OCR); compared afterwards with Blomfield Jackson's translation in NPNF² 3 (1892).

Chapter 141

141PG 83

… βίος, τῆς τῶν ἀγγέλων πολιτείας ἐν τῇ γῇ τὴν εἰκόνα δεικνύς " λαμπρότερον δὲ τοῦτον ἀπέφηνεν ὁ ὑπὲρ τῆς ἀποστολικῆς πίστεως ζῆλος. Ὅπερ γάρ.ἔστι πλοίῳ. μὲν τρόπις, οἰκίᾳ δὲ θεμέλιος, τοῦτο τοῖς εὐσεδεῖν προαιρουμένοις ἧ᾽ τῶν εὐάγγελικῶν δόγμάτων ἀλήθεια, Ταύτης δὲ πολεμηθείσης ἐκθύμως ὑπερηθλήσατε, οὐκ ὡς ἀσθενούσης προχινδυνεύοντες, ἀλλὰ τὴν φιλόθεον. ἐπιδεικνύντες διάθεσιν. Ἡ γὰρ τοῦ Δεσπόξου Χριστοῦ διδασκαλία τὸ σταθερὸν ἔχει καὶ βέδαιον, κατὰ τὴν αὐτοῦ τοῦ Σωτῆρος ὑπόσχεσιν" « Ἰύλαι ἄδου, φησὶν, οὐ κατισχύσουσιν αὐτῆς. » Ὑπὲρ ταύτης καὶ ἡμᾶς ἀτιμασθῆναι καὶ σφαγῆναι ὁ φιλάνθρωπος καὶ μεγαλόδωρος ἐξίωσε Κύριος. Τὴγ γὰρ δὴ ἀτιμίαν τιμὴν, καὶ τὴν σφαγὴν ζωὴν ὑπειλήφαμεν. Ἠκούσαμεν γὰρ τοῦ ᾿Αποστόλον λέγοντος, δτι «Ἡμῖν ἀπὸ Θεοῦ ἐχαρίάθη οὗ μόνον τὸ εἰς αὐτὸν πιστεύειν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸ ὑπὲρ αὐτοῦ. πάσχειν.» ᾿Ανέστη δὲ τάχιστα ὡς ὃ ὑπνῶν Κύριος, καὶ ἐνέφραξε μὲν τὰ στόματα τὰ λαλοῦντα κατὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ βλασφημίαν, καὶ καθ᾽ ἡμῶν ἀδικίαν᾽ τὰς δὲ τῶν εὐσεδούντων γλώττας εἰς τὴν συνήθη ἀποστολὴν τὰ νάματα προχεῖν ἀνεσχεύασεν. ᾿Ημεῖς δὲ τῆς ἡσυχίας τοὺς ἀξιἐράστους τρυγῶμεν καρπούς " καὶ τὴν μὲν τῶν Ἐκκλησιῶν ζάλην ὁρῶντες ἀλγοῦμεν, γαννύμεθα δὲ καὶ εὐφραινόμεθα φροντίδων ἀπηλλαγμένοι. Τῇ δὲ θεοσεθείᾳ σου ἀεὶ: μὲν συνήσθημεν διὰ πάντα θαυμαζομένῃ " μέχρι δὲ τοῦ παρόντος οὐκ ἐγράψαμεν, οὐ τῶν τῆς ἀγάπης: νόμων ὀλιγωροῦντες, ἀλλ᾽ ἀφορμήν τινα λαβεῖν γραμμάτων προσμένοντες. Αὐτίκα νῦν τοῖς μονάζουσιν, οἵ παρὰ τῆς σῆς ὁσιότητος ἑτέρων. ἕνεκα χρειῶν ἀπεστάλησαν, εὐθὺς δεδράκαμεν τδ' ποθούμενον, καὶ τὴν θεοφιλῆ σου περιπτυσσόμενοι κεφαλὴν, παρακαλοῦμεν πρῶτον μὲν ἡμᾶς ἀνέχειν ταῖς προσευχαῖς, ἕπειτα δὲ ᾿καὶ γράμμασιν εὐφραίνειν. Διὰ γὰρ τὴν θείαν χάριν ὑπὲρ τῶν. ἀποστολικῶν πε-

… bios, tēs tōn angelōn politeias en tę̄ gę̄ tēn eikona deiknys " lamproteron de touton apephēnen ho hyper tēs apostolikēs pisteōs zēlos. Hoper gar.esti ploiǭ. men tropis, oikią de themelios, touto tois eusedein proairoumenois hē᾽ tōn euangelikōn dogmatōn alētheia, Tautēs de polemētheisēs ekthymōs hyperēthlēsate, ouk hōs asthenousēs prochindyneuontes, alla tēn philotheon. epideiknyntes diathesin. Hē gar tou Despoxou Christou didaskalia to statheron echei kai bedaion, kata tēn autou tou Sōtēros hyposchesin" « Iylai adou, phēsin, ou katischysousin autēs. » Hyper tautēs kai hēmas atimasthēnai kai sphagēnai ho philanthrōpos kai megalodōros exiōse Kyrios. Tēg gar dē atimian timēn, kai tēn sphagēn zōēn hypeilēphamen. Ēkousamen gar tou ᾿Apostolon legontos, dti «Hēmin apo Theou echariathē hou monon to eis auton pisteuein, alla kai to hyper autou. paschein.» ᾿Anestē de tachista hōs ho hypnōn Kyrios, kai enephraxe men ta stomata ta lalounta kata tou Theou blasphēmian, kai kath᾽ hēmōn adikian᾽ tas de tōn eusedountōn glōttas eis tēn synēthē apostolēn ta namata prochein anescheuasen. ᾿Ēmeis de tēs hēsychias tous axierastous trygōmen karpous " kai tēn men tōn Ekklēsiōn zalēn horōntes algoumen, gannymetha de kai euphrainometha phrontidōn apēllagmenoi. Tę̄ de theosetheią sou aei: men synēsthēmen dia panta thaumazomenę̄ " mechri de tou parontos ouk egrapsamen, ou tōn tēs agapēs: nomōn oligōrountes, all᾽ aphormēn tina labein grammatōn prosmenontes. Autika nyn tois monazousin, hoi para tēs sēs hosiotētos heterōn. heneka chreiōn apestalēsan, euthys dedrakamen td' pothoumenon, kai tēn theophilē sou periptyssomenoi kephalēn, parakaloumen prōton men hēmas anechein tais proseuchais, hepeita de ᾿kai grammasin euphrainein. Dia gar tēn theian charin hyper tōn. apostolikōn pe-

To Marcellus, archimandrite of the Sleepless.

… life, which shows on earth the image of the angels' way of life; and zeal for the apostolic faith has made it more brilliant still. For what the keel is to a ship and the foundation to a house, the truth of the gospel doctrines is to those who choose to live in piety. When it was warred upon, you fought for it with all your heart, not as though you were running risks for something weak, but showing your God-loving disposition. For the teaching of the Lord Christ has stability and firmness, according to the promise of the Saviour himself: 'The gates of Hades,' he says, 'shall not prevail against it.' For its sake the humane and bountiful Lord has counted us too worthy to be dishonoured and slaughtered. For we have taken the dishonour as honour and the slaughter as life; we have heard the Apostle saying: 'It has been granted to us by God not only to believe in him but also to suffer for him.' But the Lord rose very quickly, as one asleep, and stopped the mouths that spoke blasphemy against God and injustice against us, and has made the tongues of the pious ready to pour out their streams in their accustomed task. We gather the lovely fruits of quiet; we grieve to see the turmoil of the churches, but are glad and rejoice to be freed from cares. We have always rejoiced with your godliness, admired as you are in everything; but until now we have not written, not because we slighted the laws of love but because we were waiting for some occasion for a letter. Now, as soon as we met the monks sent by your holiness on other business, we did what we longed to do; and embracing your God-beloved head we beg you first to uphold us by your prayers, and then also to gladden us by letters. For by divine grace, for the apostolic …

Matt 16:18 (quotation, high confidence) · Phil 1:29 (quotation, high confidence) · Ps 78:65 (77:65 LXX) (allusion, medium confidence) · Ps 63:11 (62:12 LXX) (allusion, low confidence)

Notes and citation

Summary: Theodoret praises Marcellus, archimandrite of the Sleepless monks, for defending the gospel doctrines, rejoices that God has vindicated them, and asks his prayers and letters.

  • Migne Letter 141. The Acoemetae ('Sleepless') were a monastery at Constantinople keeping unbroken prayer in shifts.
  • The first words of the letter are lost (the scan keeps only the end of the heading, 'Sleepless', and the word 'life'); the letter breaks off at the end. Marked '…'.
  • 'The gates of Hades' is Matt 16:18; the Apostle's words are Phil 1:29; 'rose as one asleep' recalls Ps 78:65 (LXX 77:65); 'stopped the mouths' recalls Ps 63:11 (LXX 62:12).

Notes on the original text

  • Digital text corrected (OCR debris from Migne's Latin column inside κεφα-λὴν; OCR debris from Migne's Latin column inside ποθού-μενον; OCR debris: Migne's Latin column read as Greek letters; column letter; end of the heading ('Ἀκοιμή-των') read into the text; the opening words of the letter are lost): των. βίος → … βίος; οἷαί, οἱ Δ πὶ Π Πὶ οἱ ὁπ "ἡ. » 4886 ἃ 60, ποη βοϊυῃ εἴ ἰῃ οὐτὰ → ; ἐνέφραξε μὲν Ο τὰ → ἐνέφραξε μὲν τὰ; ποθούεἴ δἰ ἰδ το ῖο 8 ἴῃ του ἃ μενον → ποθούμενον; κεφα- ἢ ιυοαΐυγ, ἀοίηάς αἱ οἰἰαιὴ 1 γα ὀχ] γαῖ. Ῥὸγ ἀἱλὴν → κεφαλὴν.

Cite (SBL): Theodoret, Ep. 141 (PG 83; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-epistulae/141). (abbreviation not yet checked)

Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-epistulae/141

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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 83 (archive.org OCR); compared afterwards with Blomfield Jackson's translation in NPNF² 3 (1892).

Chapter 142

142PG 83

Καὶ ἤδη δι᾽ ἑτέρων γραμμάτων τὴν σὴν προσείπομεν θεοσέδειαν, τοῖς τιμιωτάτοις ἀδελφοῖς τοῖς ὑμετέροις τὴν ἐπιστολὴν δεδωκότες " καὶ νῦν δὲ πάλιν “ποοσφθεγγόμεθᾷ σον τὴν ἁγιότητα. Προτρέπει γὰρ ἡμᾶς τοῦτο ποιεῖν καὶ ὁ ἀξιάγαστος ὑμῶν βίος, καὶ ὁ ἀξιέπαινος ζῆλος, ὃν ὑπὲρ τῆς ἀποστολικῆς ἐπεδείξασθς πίστεως, οὐ βασιλικὴν δείσαντες δυναστείαν, οὐκ ἐπισχοπιχὴν συμφωνίαν, Εἰ γὰρ καὶ τῶν συνἐληλυθότων οἱ πλεῖστοι βιασθέντες συνέθεντο, ἀλλ᾽ οὖν ταῖς ὑπογραφαῖς τὴν καινὴν ἐχράτυναν αἵρεσιν. Τὴν δὲ ὑμετέραν φιλοθεῖαν οὐδὲν τούτων διέσεισεν " ἀλλ᾽ ἐπὶ τῶν παλαιῶν διεμείνατε δογμάτων, ἃ καὶ διὰ τῶν προφητῶν καὶ τῶν ἀποστόλων φρονεῖν τὰς Ἐκκλησίας ὁ Δεσπότης ἐδίδαξε, Τούτους καὶ ἡμεῖς ποὺς ὄρους φυλάττειν εὐχόμεθα, καὶ τὴν εἰς τὸν ἕνα Πατέρα, καὶ τὸν ἕνα Υἱὸν, καὶ τὸ ὃν ἅγιον Πνεῦμα πίστιν τε καὶ ὁμολογίαν μέχρι τέλους διατηρῆσαι. ἪΠ γὰρ ἐνανθρώπησ!ς τοῦ Μονογενοῦς οὐκ ηὔξησε τῆς Τριάδος τὸν ἀριθμὸν, ἀλλὰ μεμένηχε καὶ μετὰ τὴν σάρκωσιν Τριὰς ἡ Τριάς. Οὕτω γὰρ ἐξ ἀρχῆς ἐμαθητεύθημεν, οὕτως ἐπιστεύσαμεν, οὕτως μεν, οὕτω διατελοῦμεν δοξάζοντες. Περὶ δὲ τοῦ Ηατρὸς τῶν λαλούντων τὸ ψεῦδος ὁ Κύριος ἔφη" ε« “Ὅταν λαλῇ τὸ ψεῦδος, ἐκ τῶν ἰδίων λαλεῖ. » ᾿Αρμόττει δὲ τοῖς μαθηταῖς τὰ περὶ τοῦ διδασκάλου ῥηθέντα. αὶ γὰρ οὗτοι, ταῖς καθ᾽ ἡμῶν ψευξολογίαις χρησάμενοι, ἐκ τῶν ἰδίων λαλοῦσιν, οὐ τὰ ἧἢμέτερα λέγουσιν. Ἡμᾶς δὲ ὁ Δεσπότης ψυχαγωγεῖ λέγων " « Μακάριοξ ἐστε ὅταν ὀνειδίσωσιν ὑμᾶς, καὶ διώξωσι, καὶ εἴπωσι πᾶν πονηρὸν ῥῆμα καθ᾽ ὑμῶν ἕνεκεν ἐμοῦ ψευδόμενοι " καίρετε καὶ ἀγαλλιᾶσθε, ὅτε ὁ μισθὸς ὑμῶν πολὺς ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς. » Καὶ τὴν σὴν ὃὲ παρακαλοῦμεν προσεύξασθαι θεοσέδειαν, μὴ τῆς τῶν ἀδικούντων ἡμᾶς γενέσθαι μερίδος, ἀλλὰ τῆς τῶν ἣδιχημένων διὰ τὴν τῶν Εὐαγγελίων ἀλήθειαν.

Kai ēdē di᾽ heterōn grammatōn tēn sēn proseipomen theosedeian, tois timiōtatois adelphois tois hymeterois tēn epistolēn dedōkotes " kai nyn de palin “poosphthengomethą son tēn hagiotēta. Protrepei gar hēmas touto poiein kai ho axiagastos hymōn bios, kai ho axiepainos zēlos, hon hyper tēs apostolikēs epedeixasths pisteōs, ou basilikēn deisantes dynasteian, ouk epischopichēn symphōnian, Ei gar kai tōn synelēlythotōn hoi pleistoi biasthentes synethento, all᾽ oun tais hypographais tēn kainēn echratynan hairesin. Tēn de hymeteran philotheian ouden toutōn dieseisen " all᾽ epi tōn palaiōn diemeinate dogmatōn, ha kai dia tōn prophētōn kai tōn apostolōn phronein tas Ekklēsias ho Despotēs edidaxe, Toutous kai hēmeis pous orous phylattein euchometha, kai tēn eis ton hena Patera, kai ton hena Huion, kai to hon hagion Pneuma pistin te kai homologian mechri telous diatērēsai. ĒP gar enanthrōpēs!s tou Monogenous ouk ēuxēse tēs Triados ton arithmon, alla memenēche kai meta tēn sarkōsin Trias hē Trias. Houtō gar ex archēs emathēteuthēmen, houtōs episteusamen, houtōs men, houtō diateloumen doxazontes. Peri de tou Ēatros tōn lalountōn to pseudos ho Kyrios ephē" e« “Hotan lalę̄ to pseudos, ek tōn idiōn lalei. » ᾿Armottei de tois mathētais ta peri tou didaskalou rhēthenta. ai gar houtoi, tais kath᾽ hēmōn pseuxologiais chrēsamenoi, ek tōn idiōn lalousin, ou ta hēēmetera legousin. Hēmas de ho Despotēs psychagōgei legōn " « Makariox este hotan oneidisōsin hymas, kai diōxōsi, kai eipōsi pan ponēron rhēma kath᾽ hymōn heneken emou pseudomenoi " kairete kai agalliasthe, hote ho misthos hymōn polys en tois ouranois. » Kai tēn sēn hoe parakaloumen proseuxasthai theosedeian, mē tēs tōn adikountōn hēmas genesthai meridos, alla tēs tōn hēdichēmenōn dia tēn tōn Euangeliōn alētheian.

To the same.

We have already addressed your godliness in another letter, which we gave to your most honourable brothers; and now we greet your holiness once more. What moves us to do this is both your admirable life and the praiseworthy zeal you showed for the apostolic faith, fearing neither imperial power nor episcopal agreement. For even if most of those who assembled agreed under compulsion, still by their signatures they strengthened the new heresy. But none of this shook your God-loving selves; you remained in the old doctrines which the Master taught the churches to hold through the prophets and the apostles. These bounds we too pray to keep, and to preserve to the end the faith and confession in the one Father and the one Son and the one Holy Spirit. For the incarnation of the Only-begotten did not increase the number of the Trinity; even after the taking of flesh the Trinity has remained a Trinity. So we were taught from the beginning, so we believed, so we …, so we continue to give glory. Of the father of those who speak falsehood the Lord said: 'When he speaks falsehood, he speaks from his own.' What was said of the teacher fits the disciples; for these too, using falsehoods against us, speak from their own and do not say what is ours. But the Master comforts us, saying: 'Blessed are you when they revile you and persecute you and utter every evil word against you falsely for my sake; rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven.' And we beg your godliness to pray that we may not be of the portion of those who wrong us, but of those who are wronged for the truth of the Gospels.

John 8:44 (quotation, high confidence) · Matt 5:11–12 (quotation, high confidence)

Notes and citation

Summary: Theodoret writes again to praise the addressee's stand, unshaken by the bishops who signed for the new heresy, and confesses that the incarnation did not add to the Trinity.

  • Migne Letter 142, 'To the same', i.e. Marcellus, archimandrite of the Sleepless (Letter 141).
  • A word is lost in 'so we …' (probably 'were baptized', as in the familiar formula 'as we were baptized, so we believe'). Marked '…'.
  • 'The new heresy' and the bishops who signed at Ephesus (449): translated as written.
  • John 8:44; Matt 5:11–12.
  • Compared afterwards with NPNF² 3 (Blomfield Jackson, 1892).

Notes on the original text

  • Digital text corrected (OCR debris from Migne's Latin column and a column letter; OCR debris: Migne's Latin column read as Greek letters; stray mark inside a hyphenated word): ορορ (018, εἰ ὦ ο. Α → ; ον, δε ἴῃ ἀπ Ἀΐυπι, οἱ ὑπ ϑρ τι βαθοίθηι ἀοηὶ οἱ Ττὶἰοἀξ πιϑρὶἰῃ- Επϑὶ τ 6}, σοηϑοηβίοπδη,, δ᾽ δη δ οἱ 4}}1ς δία πὶ δοηφτο 5808 Δα (61 ἀϊδεὶρ! πὰ ἀγυάϊιο, οἱ (τἰ αἰ αυἱ οἱ οὶ τὸν ξ. Π. καί λάάϊηηυ5 εκ γευβίοηθ 1, διΐπᾶ. → ; παρακα- ( λοῦμεν → παρακαλοῦμεν.

Topics: Trinity

Cite (SBL): Theodoret, Ep. 142 (PG 83; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-epistulae/142). (abbreviation not yet checked)

Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-epistulae/142

BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-theodoret-epistulae-142) · Report an error

Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 83 (archive.org OCR); compared afterwards with Blomfield Jackson's translation in NPNF² 3 (1892).