To the Bishops of Egypt and Libya 11–20
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 11
11PG 25:561a–565b
Εἰ μὲν οὖν ἀγνοοῦντες τοῦτο πάσχουσι, προπετείας ἃν ἐγκολοῖντο, ὅτι περὶ ὧν οὐκ ἴσασι, διαβεβαιοῦνται· εἰ δὲ γινώσκοντες ἃ προσποιοῦνται , μείζων κατʼ αὐτῶν ἡ κατάγνωσις, ὅτι περὶ μὲν τῶν ἰδίων βουλευόμενοι, πάρεργον οὐδὲν τίθενται· περὶ δὲ τῆς εἰς τὸν Κύριον ἡμῶν πίστεως γράφοντες, παίζουσι, καὶ πάντα μᾶλλον ἤ ἀληθεύουσι· καὶ κρύπτουσι μὲν, περὶ ὧν ἡ αʼίρεσις αὐτῶν ἐγκαλεῖται, λέγουσι δε τὰς ἀπὸ τῶν Γραφῶν λέξεις. Ἔστι δὲ τοῦτο κλοπὴ τῆς ἀληθείας ἄντικρυς, καὶ πάσης ἀδικίας μεστόν ' καὶ τοῦτο εὖ ὀἷδʼ ὅτι καὶἡ ὑμετέρα θεοσέβεια συνορᾷν ἐκ τούτων καλῶς δυνήσεται. ῼύδείς γὰρ ἐγκαλούμενος περὶ μοιχείας ἀπολογεῖται περὶ κλοπῆς, ούδέ φόνου τις ἔγκλημα διώκων ἀνέχεται τῶν κατηγορουμένων, εἰ ἀπολογοῖντο λέγοντες, οὐκ ἐπιωρκήσαμεν, ἀλλά καὶ τὴν παρακαταθήκην ἐφυλάξαμεν· μᾶλλον γάρ ἐστι τοῦτο παίγνιον ἤ λύσις ἐγκλήματος καὶ ἀληθείας ἀπόδειξις. Τί γὰρ φόνος πρὸς παρακαταθήκην; ἥ τί μοιχεία πρὸς κλοπήν ; Εἰ γὰρ καὶ ἀλλήλων ἔχονται αἱ κακίαι ἐκ τῆς αὐτῆς καρδίας ἐξερχόμεναι, ἀλλʼ ὡς πρὸς τὸ λῦσαι τὸ πλημμεληθὲν, οὐδεμίαν εἰς τοῦτο πρὸς ἑαυτὰς ἔχουσι τὴν κοινωνίαν. '0 οὖν Ἀχαρ, ὡς ἐν τῷ Ἰησοῦ τῷ τοῦ Ναυῆ γέγραπται, ἐγκαλούμενος περὶ γλοπῆς, οὗ τὴν ἐν τοῖς πολέμοις εὔνοιαν προφέρων ἀπελογεῖτο, ἀλλʼ ἐλεγχθεὶς ἐν τῷ κλέμματι , λίθοις ἐβλήθη παρά πάντων. Καὶ Σαοὺλ δὲ ὀλιγωρίας καὶ παρανομίας ἐγκαλούμενος, οὐδὲν ὤνησεν ἐν ἄλλοις προφασιζόμενος. Οὐδὲ γὰρ ἡ ἐν ἄλλοις ἀπολογία λύσιν ἄλλων ἐγκλημάτων ἐργάζεται· ἀλλʼ εἰ ἄρα δεῖ νομίμως καὶ δικαίως πάντα πράττειν, προσήκει περὶ ὧν ἐγκαλεῖταί τις, περὶ τούτων καὶ ἀπολογεῖσθαι, καὶ ἤ δεικνύειν, ὅτι μὴ πεποίηκεν,ἤ ὁμολογεῖν, εἶ ἐλέγχοιτο, μηκέτι δρᾷν μηδὲ ποιήσειν τὰ αύτά. Ἀν δὲ ἄρα πεποίηκε καὶ δέδρακε, καὶ μήτε ὁμολογοίη, ἀλλὰ καὶ κρύπτων, ἕτερα ἀνθʼ ἑτέρων … · δῆλός ἐστιν οὐκ ὀρθῶς πράξας, ἀλλὰ καὶ συνειδὼς αὐτὸς … Τί δὲ δεῖ λόγων μακρῶν, ὅπου γε καὶ αὐτοὶ οὗτοι κατήγοροι τῆς Ἀρειανῆς αἱρέσεώς εἰσιν; Εἰ γὰρ οὐ θαρροῦσιν εἰπεῖν, ἀλλὰ μᾶλλον κρύπτουσι τὰ ἐκείνων τῆς βλασφημίας ῥήματα, δῆλοί εἰσι γινώσκοντες ξένην καὶ ἀλλοτρίαν τῆς ἀληθείας εἶναι τήν αἵρεσιν ταύτην. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ κρύπτουσιν αὐτοὶ καὶ φοβοῦνται λέγειν, ἀναγκαῖον ἡμᾶς ἀποδῦσαι τὸ κάλυμμα τῆς ἀσεβείας, καὶ δειγματίσαι τὴν αἵρεσιν, εἰδότας ἃ τότε οἱ περὶ Ἄρειον ἔλεγον, καὶ πῶς ἐξεβλήθησαν ἀπὸ τῆς Ἐκκλησίας, καὶ καθῃρέθησαν ἀπὸ τοῦ κλήρου· συγγνώμην μέντοι πρότερον αἰτησαμένους, ἐφʼ οἷς μέλλομεν προφέρειν ῥυπαροῖς ῥήμασιν· ὅτι μὴ φρονοῦντες, ἀλλὰ ἐλέγχοντες τοὺς αἱρετικοὺς, λέγομεν ταῦτα. Ὁ μακαρίτης Ἀλέξανδρος ὁ ἐπίσκοπος ἐξέβαλε τὸν Ἄρειον τῆς Ἐκκλησίας φρονοῦντα καὶ λέγοντα ταῦτα· «Οὐκ ἀεὶ ὁ Θεὸς Πατὴρ ἦν, οὐκ ἀεὶ ἦν ὁ Υἱός· ἀλλὰ πάντων ὄντων ἐξ οὐκ ὄντων, καὶ ὁ Υἱὸς τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐξ οὐκ ὄντων ἐστί· καὶ πάντων ὄντων κτισμάτων, καὶ αὐτὸς κτίσμα καὶ ποίημά ἐστι· καὶ πάντων οὐκ ὄντων πρότερον, ἀλλʼ ἐπιγενομένων, καὶ αὐτὸς ὁ τοῦ Θεοῦ Λόγος ἦν ποτε, ὅτε οὐκ ἦν πρὶν γεννηθῆναι, ἀλλʼ ἀρχὴν ἔχει τοῦ εἶναι· τότε γὰρ γέγονεν, ὅτε βεβούληται αὐτὸν ὁ Θεὸς δημιουργῆσαι· ἓν γὰρ τῶν πάντων ἔργων ἐστὶ καὶ αὐτός· καὶ ὅτι τῇ μὲν φύσει τρεπτός ἐστι, τῷ δὲ ἰδίῳ αὐτεξουσίῳ, ὡς βούλεται, μένει καλός· ὅτε μέντοι θέλει, δύναται τρέπεσθαι καὶ αὐτὸς ὥσπερ καὶ τὰ πάντα. Διὰ τοῦτο γὰρ ὁ Θεὸς, προγινώσκων ἔσεσθαι καλὸν αὐτὸν, προλαβὼν ταύτην αὐτῷ τὴν δόξαν δέδωκεν, ἣν ἂν καὶ ἐκ τῆς ἀρετῆς ἔσχε μετὰ ταῦτα· ὥστε ἐξ ἔργων αὐτοῦ, ὧν προέγνω ὁ Θεὸς, τοιοῦτον αὐτὸν νῦν γεγονέναι.» Λέγουσι γοῦν, ὅτι «Οὐδὲ Θεὸς ἀληθινός ἐστιν ὁ Χριστὸς, ἀλλὰ μετοχῇ καὶ αὐτὸς, ὥσπερ καὶ οἱ ἄλλοι πάντες, λέγεται Θεός.» Προστιθέασι δὲ καὶ τοῦτο, ὅτι «Οὐκ ἔστιν αὐτὸς ὁ ἐν τῷ Πατρὶ φύσει, καὶ ἴδιος τῆς οὐσίας αὐτοῦ Λόγος, καὶ ἡ ἰδία Σοφία, ἐν ᾗ καὶ τοῦτον ἐποίηκε τὸν κόσμον· ἀλλʼ ἄλλος μέν ἐστιν ὁ ἐν τῷ Πατρὶ ἵδιος αὐτοῦ λόγος, καὶ ἄλλη ἦ ἐν τῗριῐατρὶ ῗδία αὐτοῦ σοφία, έν ᾖ σοφίᾳ καὶ τοῦτον τὸν Λόγον πεποίηκεν· αὐτὸς δὲ οὗτος 6 Κύριος κατʼ ἐπίνοιαν λέγεται Λόγος διὰ τὰ λογικὰ, καὶ κατʼ ἐπίνοιαν λέγεται Σοφία διὰ τὰ σοφιζόμενα. ›› Ἀμέλει φασὶν, ὅτι «Ξένων πάντων καί ἀλλοτρίων ὄντων κατὰ τήν οὐσίαν τοῦ Πατρὸς, οὕτω καὶ αὐτὸς ξένος μὲν καὶ ἀλλότριος κατὰ πάντα τῆς τοῦ Πατρὸς οὐσίαις ἐστὶ, τῶν δὲ γενητῶν καὶ κτισμάτων ἴδιος καὶ εἷς τυγχάνει-κτίσμα γάρ ἐστι καὶ ποίημα καὶ ἔργον. ‹‹ Πάλιν τέ φασιν,ὅτι ‹‹ Οὐχ ἡμᾶς ἔκτισε διʼ ἐκεῖνον, ἀλλʼ ἐκεῖνον διʼ ἡμᾶς. Ἦν γὰρ, φασὶ, μόνοςό Θεὸς, καὶ οὐκ ἦν 6 Λόγος σὺν αὐτῷʼ εἶτα Θελήσας ἡμᾶς δημιουργῆσαι, τότε πεποίηκε τοῦτον, καὶ ἀφʼ οὗ γέγονεν, ὠνόμασεν αὐτὸν Λόγον, καὶ Υἱὸν, καὶ Σοφίαν, τα βουλήματι τοῖʼ) Θεοῦ οὐκ ὅνκα πρότερον, ὑπέστη· οὕτω καὶ αὐτὸς τῷ βουλήματι τοῦ Θεοῦ, οὐκ ὣν πρότερον, γέγονεν. Οὐ γάρ ἐστι τοῦ Πατρὸς ἴδιον καὶ φύσει γέννημα 6 Λόγος, ἀλλὰ καὶ αὐτὸς χάριτι γέγονεν. '0 γὰρ ὢν Θεὸς τὸν μὴ ὄντα Υἱὸν πεποίηκε τῇ βουλῇ, ένῇ καὶ τὰ πάντα πεποίηκε, καὶ ἐδημιούργησε, καὶ ἔκτισε, καὶ γενέσθαι ἠθέλησε. ›› Καὶ γὰρ καὶτοῦτο λέγουσιν, ὅτι ‹‹ Οὐκ ἔστιν 6 Χριστὸς ἡ φυσική καὶ ἀληθινὴ δύναμις τοῦ Θεοῦ” ἀλλʼ ὥσπερ ἡ κάμπη καὶ 6 βροῦχος λέγονται δύναμις, οὕτω καὶ αὐτὸς λέγεται δύναμις τοῦ Πατρός.» Πρὸς τούτοις ἔλεγεν, ὅτι ‹‹ Τῷ Υἱῷ 6 Πατὴρ ἅῤῥητος ὑπάρχει· καὶ οὔτε ὁρᾷν, οὔτε γινώσκειν τελείως καὶ ἀκριβῶς δύο ναται 6 Υἱὸς τὸν Πατέρα. ’Δρχὴν γὰρ ἔχων τοῦ εἶναι, οὐ δύναται τὸν ἄναρχον γινώσκειν· ἀλλὰ καὶ ὃ γινώσκει καὶ βλέπει, ἀναλόγως οἶδε τοῖς ἰδίοις μέτροις, καὶ βλέπει, ὥσπερ καὶ ἡμεῖς γινώσκομεν καὶ βλέπομεν κατὰ τὴν ἰδίαν δύναμιν. ›› Προσετίθει δὲ καὶ τοῦτο, ὅτι ‹‹ Ὁ Υἱὸς οὐ μόνον τὸν Πατέρα τὸν ἴδιον οὐκ οἶδεν ἀκριβῶς, ἀλλʼ οὐδὲ τὴν ἰδίαν ἑαυτοῦ οὐσίαν οἶδεν. ››
Ei men oun agnoountes touto paschousi, propeteias han enkolointo, hoti peri hōn ouk isasi, diabebaiountai; ei de ginōskontes ha prospoiountai , meizōn katʼ autōn hē katagnōsis, hoti peri men tōn idiōn bouleuomenoi, parergon ouden tithentai; peri de tēs eis ton Kyrion hēmōn pisteōs graphontes, paizousi, kai panta mallon ē alētheuousi; kai kryptousi men, peri hōn hē aʼiresis autōn enkaleitai, legousi de tas apo tōn Graphōn lexeis. Esti de touto klopē tēs alētheias antikrys, kai pasēs adikias meston ' kai touto eu hoidʼ hoti kaiē hymetera theosebeia synorąn ek toutōn kalōs dynēsetai. Ǭydeis gar enkaloumenos peri moicheias apologeitai peri klopēs, oude phonou tis enklēma diōkōn anechetai tōn katēgoroumenōn, ei apologointo legontes, ouk epiōrkēsamen, alla kai tēn parakatathēkēn ephylaxamen; mallon gar esti touto paignion ē lysis enklēmatos kai alētheias apodeixis. Ti gar phonos pros parakatathēkēn? hē ti moicheia pros klopēn ? Ei gar kai allēlōn echontai hai kakiai ek tēs autēs kardias exerchomenai, allʼ hōs pros to lysai to plēmmelēthen, oudemian eis touto pros heautas echousi tēn koinōnian. '0 oun Achar, hōs en tǭ Iēsou tǭ tou Nauē gegraptai, enkaloumenos peri glopēs, hou tēn en tois polemois eunoian propherōn apelogeito, allʼ elenchtheis en tǭ klemmati , lithois eblēthē para pantōn. Kai Saoul de oligōrias kai paranomias enkaloumenos, ouden ōnēsen en allois prophasizomenos. Oude gar hē en allois apologia lysin allōn enklēmatōn ergazetai; allʼ ei ara dei nomimōs kai dikaiōs panta prattein, prosēkei peri hōn enkaleitai tis, peri toutōn kai apologeisthai, kai ē deiknyein, hoti mē pepoiēken,ē homologein, ei elenchoito, mēketi drąn mēde poiēsein ta auta. An de ara pepoiēke kai dedrake, kai mēte homologoiē, alla kai kryptōn, hetera anthʼ heterōn … ; dēlos estin ouk orthōs praxas, alla kai syneidōs autos … Ti de dei logōn makrōn, hopou ge kai autoi houtoi katēgoroi tēs Areianēs haireseōs eisin? Ei gar ou tharrousin eipein, alla mallon kryptousi ta ekeinōn tēs blasphēmias rhēmata, dēloi eisi ginōskontes xenēn kai allotrian tēs alētheias einai tēn hairesin tautēn. Epeidē de kryptousin autoi kai phobountai legein, anankaion hēmas apodysai to kalymma tēs asebeias, kai deigmatisai tēn hairesin, eidotas ha tote hoi peri Areion elegon, kai pōs exeblēthēsan apo tēs Ekklēsias, kai kathę̄rethēsan apo tou klērou; syngnōmēn mentoi proteron aitēsamenous, ephʼ hois mellomen propherein rhyparois rhēmasin; hoti mē phronountes, alla elenchontes tous hairetikous, legomen tauta. Ho makaritēs Alexandros ho episkopos exebale ton Areion tēs Ekklēsias phronounta kai legonta tauta; «Ouk aei ho Theos Patēr ēn, ouk aei ēn ho Huios; alla pantōn ontōn ex ouk ontōn, kai ho Huios tou Theou ex ouk ontōn esti; kai pantōn ontōn ktismatōn, kai autos ktisma kai poiēma esti; kai pantōn ouk ontōn proteron, allʼ epigenomenōn, kai autos ho tou Theou Logos ēn pote, hote ouk ēn prin gennēthēnai, allʼ archēn echei tou einai; tote gar gegonen, hote beboulētai auton ho Theos dēmiourgēsai; hen gar tōn pantōn ergōn esti kai autos; kai hoti tę̄ men physei treptos esti, tǭ de idiǭ autexousiǭ, hōs bouletai, menei kalos; hote mentoi thelei, dynatai trepesthai kai autos hōsper kai ta panta. Dia touto gar ho Theos, proginōskōn esesthai kalon auton, prolabōn tautēn autǭ tēn doxan dedōken, hēn an kai ek tēs aretēs esche meta tauta; hōste ex ergōn autou, hōn proegnō ho Theos, toiouton auton nyn gegonenai.» Legousi goun, hoti «Oude Theos alēthinos estin ho Christos, alla metochę̄ kai autos, hōsper kai hoi alloi pantes, legetai Theos.» Prostitheasi de kai touto, hoti «Ouk estin autos ho en tǭ Patri physei, kai idios tēs ousias autou Logos, kai hē idia Sophia, en hę̄ kai touton epoiēke ton kosmon; allʼ allos men estin ho en tǭ Patri hidios autou logos, kai allē ē en tïriiatri ïdia autou sophia, en ę̄ sophią kai touton ton Logon pepoiēken; autos de houtos 6 Kyrios katʼ epinoian legetai Logos dia ta logika, kai katʼ epinoian legetai Sophia dia ta sophizomena. ›› Amelei phasin, hoti «Xenōn pantōn kai allotriōn ontōn kata tēn ousian tou Patros, houtō kai autos xenos men kai allotrios kata panta tēs tou Patros ousiais esti, tōn de genētōn kai ktismatōn idios kai heis tynchanei-ktisma gar esti kai poiēma kai ergon. ‹‹ Palin te phasin,hoti ‹‹ Ouch hēmas ektise diʼ ekeinon, allʼ ekeinon diʼ hēmas. Ēn gar, phasi, monoso Theos, kai ouk ēn 6 Logos syn autǭʼ eita Thelēsas hēmas dēmiourgēsai, tote pepoiēke touton, kai aphʼ hou gegonen, ōnomasen auton Logon, kai Huion, kai Sophian, ta boulēmati toiʼ) Theou ouk honka proteron, hypestē; houtō kai autos tǭ boulēmati tou Theou, ouk hōn proteron, gegonen. Ou gar esti tou Patros idion kai physei gennēma 6 Logos, alla kai autos chariti gegonen. '0 gar ōn Theos ton mē onta Huion pepoiēke tę̄ boulę̄, enę̄ kai ta panta pepoiēke, kai edēmiourgēse, kai ektise, kai genesthai ēthelēse. ›› Kai gar kaitouto legousin, hoti ‹‹ Ouk estin 6 Christos hē physikē kai alēthinē dynamis tou Theou” allʼ hōsper hē kampē kai 6 brouchos legontai dynamis, houtō kai autos legetai dynamis tou Patros.» Pros toutois elegen, hoti ‹‹ Tǭ Huiǭ 6 Patēr harrhētos hyparchei; kai oute horąn, oute ginōskein teleiōs kai akribōs dyo natai 6 Huios ton Patera. ’Drchēn gar echōn tou einai, ou dynatai ton anarchon ginōskein; alla kai ho ginōskei kai blepei, analogōs oide tois idiois metrois, kai blepei, hōsper kai hēmeis ginōskomen kai blepomen kata tēn idian dynamin. ›› Prosetithei de kai touto, hoti ‹‹ Ho Huios ou monon ton Patera ton idion ouk oiden akribōs, allʼ oude tēn idian heautou ousian oiden. ››
If, then, they suffer this through ignorance, they could be charged with rashness, because they make confident assertions about what they do not know; but if they know what they are pretending, the condemnation against them is greater, because when deliberating about their own affairs they treat nothing as a side matter, but when writing about the faith in our Lord they play, and do anything rather than speak the truth; and they hide the points on which their heresy is charged, but recite the words from the Scriptures. This is downright theft of the truth and full of every injustice; and I know well that your piety too will be able to see this clearly from these facts. For no one charged with adultery makes his defense about theft, nor does anyone prosecuting a charge of murder tolerate the accused if they defend themselves by saying, “We have not perjured ourselves, but have even kept the deposit”; for this is mockery rather than the clearing of a charge and a proof of the truth. For what has murder to do with a deposit, or adultery with theft? For though the vices cling to one another, coming out of the same heart, yet for clearing an offense they have no fellowship with one another. So Achar, as it is written in Joshua the son of Nun, when charged with theft, did not defend himself by pleading his good service in the wars, but, convicted in the theft, was stoned by all. And Saul, when charged with negligence and lawlessness, gained nothing by making excuses about other matters. For a defense on other points does not bring acquittal of other charges; but if all things are to be done lawfully and justly, a man ought to make his defense on the very matters on which he is charged, and either show that he has not done it, or, if convicted, confess and no longer do or commit the same things. But if he has in fact done and committed it, and does not confess but even hides it, bringing up other things in place of others, it is plain that he has not acted rightly, but is himself conscious … But what need is there of long words, when these men themselves are accusers of the Arian heresy? For if they do not dare to speak, but rather hide the blasphemous words of those men, they are plainly aware that this heresy is foreign and alien to the truth. But since they hide it and are afraid to speak, it is necessary for us to strip off the covering of the impiety and expose the heresy, since we know what Arius and his party said at that time, and how they were cast out of the Church and deposed from the clergy; first, however, asking pardon for the foul words we are about to bring forward, since we say these things not as holding them but in refutation of the heretics. [12] The blessed bishop Alexander cast Arius out of the Church for holding and saying these things: “God was not always Father; the Son was not always; but, as all things are from nothing, the Son of God too is from nothing; and as all things are creatures, he too is a creature and a thing made; and as all things did not exist before but came into being afterwards, the Word of God himself too once was not, before he was begotten, but has a beginning of being; for he came into being then, when God willed to create him; for he too is one of all the works. And by nature he is changeable, but by his own free will, as he wishes, he remains good; when, however, he wishes, he too can change, just as all things can. For this is why God, foreknowing that he would be good, gave him in advance this glory, which he would have had afterwards from his virtue; so that it is from his works, which God foreknew, that he has now become such.” They say, further, that “Christ is not true God either, but he too, like all the others, is called God by participation.” And they add this too, that “He is not the Word who is in the Father by nature and proper to his essence, and his own Wisdom, in which he made this world; but there is another Word, proper to him, who is in the Father, and another Wisdom, his own, in the Father, in which Wisdom he made this Word too; and this Lord himself is called Word in thought because of rational beings, and is called Wisdom in thought because of beings made wise.” Indeed they say that “as all things are foreign and alien in essence to the Father, so he too is in every respect foreign and alien to the Father's essence, but is proper to things originate and creatures, and is one of them; for he is a creature and a thing made and a work.” And again they say that “He did not create us for his sake, but him for our sake. For God, they say, was alone, and the Word was not with him; then, wishing to create us, he made him, and from the time he came into being he named him Word and Son and Wisdom … by the will of God, not existing before, came to subsist; so he too came into being by the will of God, not existing before. For the Word is not the proper and natural offspring of the Father, but he too came into being by grace. For God, who is, made the Son, who was not, by the will by which he also made and fashioned and created all things and willed them to come into being.” And they say this too, that “Christ is not the natural and true power of God; but as the caterpillar and the locust are called power, so he too is called power of the Father.” In addition he said that “the Father is ineffable to the Son; and the Son can neither see nor know the Father perfectly and exactly. For having a beginning of being, he cannot know the one who is without beginning; but what he knows and sees, he knows and sees in proportion to his own measures, just as we too know and see according to our own power.” And he added this too, that “the Son not only does not know his own Father exactly, but does not even know his own essence.”
Textual problem in this passage: see the notes.
Josh 7:25 (allusion, high confidence) · 1 Sam 15:22 (allusion, medium confidence) · Matt 15:19 (echo, low confidence) · Joel 2:25 (allusion, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Athanasius argues that the Arians must answer the charges actually brought against them, and then sets out the statements of Arius for which Alexander cast him out of the Church.
- This staged section contains chapters 11 and 12: the numeral of chapter 12 was lost in the scan; “[12]” marks where it begins. In the scan the second half of chapter 11 and most of chapter 12 are printed with an unreadable duplicate of every line; the duplicates (and a Migne footnote) were removed by one logged correction. A word after “is himself conscious” is unreadable (marked …). Achar (Achan): Josh 7; Saul: 1 Sam 13 and 15. The quoted statements of Arius and his followers are close to those condemned in Alexander of Alexandria's encyclical letter and in the Thalia; Athanasius gives a similar list in Against the Arians 1.5–6. “Changeable” (τρεπτός); “essence” (οὐσία); “things originate” (γενητά). Words are lost after “Word and Son and Wisdom” (marked …); the sense is that, as all things came to subsist by God's will, so did the Son. The caterpillar and the locust are called God's “power” in Joel 2:25.
Notes on the original text
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(ιιι) om Deguer. At δεευιι. Taurin. υοιι) et FP., ἕως βοῦλεται μένει. Legitur item μένειᾳὶιι _Gohler. Πατρὶ ἵδιος αὐτοῦ λόγος → ἕτερα ἀνθʼ ἑτέρων … · δῆλός ἐστιν οὐκ ὀρθῶς πράξας, ἀλλὰ καὶ συνειδὼς αὐτὸς … Τί δὲ δεῖ λόγων μακρῶν, ὅπου γε καὶ αὐτοὶ οὗτοι κατήγοροι τῆς Ἀρειανῆς αἱρέσεώς εἰσιν; Εἰ γὰρ οὐ θαρροῦσιν εἰπεῖν, ἀλλὰ μᾶλλον κρύπτουσι τὰ ἐκείνων τῆς βλασφημίας ῥήματα, δῆλοί εἰσι γινώσκοντες ξένην καὶ ἀλλοτρίαν τῆς ἀληθείας εἶναι τήν αἵρεσιν ταύτην. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ κρύπτουσιν αὐτοὶ καὶ φοβοῦνται λέγειν, ἀναγκαῖον ἡμᾶς ἀποδῦσαι τὸ κάλυμμα τῆς ἀσεβείας, καὶ δειγματίσαι τὴν αἵρεσιν, εἰδότας ἃ τότε οἱ περὶ Ἄρειον ἔλεγον, καὶ πῶς ἐξεβλήθησαν ἀπὸ τῆς Ἐκκλησίας, καὶ καθῃρέθησαν ἀπὸ τοῦ κλήρου· συγγνώμην μέντοι πρότερον αἰτησαμένους, ἐφʼ οἷς μέλλομεν προφέρειν ῥυπαροῖς ῥήμασιν· ὅτι μὴ φρονοῦντες, ἀλλὰ ἐλέγχοντες τοὺς αἱρετικοὺς, λέγομεν ταῦτα. Ὁ μακαρίτης Ἀλέξανδρος ὁ ἐπίσκοπος ἐξέβαλε τὸν Ἄρειον τῆς Ἐκκλησίας φρονοῦντα καὶ λέγοντα ταῦτα· «Οὐκ ἀεὶ ὁ Θεὸς Πατὴρ ἦν, οὐκ ἀεὶ ἦν ὁ Υἱός· ἀλλὰ πάντων ὄντων ἐξ οὐκ ὄντων, καὶ ὁ Υἱὸς τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐξ οὐκ ὄντων ἐστί· καὶ πάντων ὄντων κτισμάτων, καὶ αὐτὸς κτίσμα καὶ ποίημά ἐστι· καὶ πάντων οὐκ ὄντων πρότερον, ἀλλʼ ἐπιγενομένων, καὶ αὐτὸς ὁ τοῦ Θεοῦ Λόγος ἦν ποτε, ὅτε οὐκ ἦν πρὶν γεννηθῆναι, ἀλλʼ ἀρχὴν ἔχει τοῦ εἶναι· τότε γὰρ γέγονεν, ὅτε βεβούληται αὐτὸν ὁ Θεὸς δημιουργῆσαι· ἓν γὰρ τῶν πάντων ἔργων ἐστὶ καὶ αὐτός· καὶ ὅτι τῇ μὲν φύσει τρεπτός ἐστι, τῷ δὲ ἰδίῳ αὐτεξουσίῳ, ὡς βούλεται, μένει καλός· ὅτε μέντοι θέλει, δύναται τρέπεσθαι καὶ αὐτὸς ὥσπερ καὶ τὰ πάντα. Διὰ τοῦτο γὰρ ὁ Θεὸς, προγινώσκων ἔσεσθαι καλὸν αὐτὸν, προλαβὼν ταύτην αὐτῷ τὴν δόξαν δέδωκεν, ἣν ἂν καὶ ἐκ τῆς ἀρετῆς ἔσχε μετὰ ταῦτα· ὥστε ἐξ ἔργων αὐτοῦ, ὧν προέγνω ὁ Θεὸς, τοιοῦτον αὐτὸν νῦν γεγονέναι.» Λέγουσι γοῦν, ὅτι «Οὐδὲ Θεὸς ἀληθινός ἐστιν ὁ Χριστὸς, ἀλλὰ μετοχῇ καὶ αὐτὸς, ὥσπερ καὶ οἱ ἄλλοι πάντες, λέγεται Θεός.» Προστιθέασι δὲ καὶ τοῦτο, ὅτι «Οὐκ ἔστιν αὐτὸς ὁ ἐν τῷ Πατρὶ φύσει, καὶ ἴδιος τῆς οὐσίας αὐτοῦ Λόγος, καὶ ἡ ἰδία Σοφία, ἐν ᾗ καὶ τοῦτον ἐποίηκε τὸν κόσμον· ἀλλʼ ἄλλος μέν ἐστιν ὁ ἐν τῷ Πατρὶ ἵδιος αὐτοῦ λόγος.
Topics: Trinity, Christology, Heresy
Cite (SBL): Athanasius, Ep. Aeg. Lib. 11 (PG 25:561a–565b; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-epistula-episcopos-aegypti/11/#p-11). (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.
Chapter 13
13PG 25:565b–569a
Ταῦτα καὶ τὰ τοιαῦτα λέγων μὲν ὁ Ἀρειος, αἱρετικὸς ἀπεδείχθη. Ἐγὼ δὲ καὶ μόνον γράφων, ἐκάθαιρον ἐμαυτὸν ένθομούμενος τὰ κατὰ τούτων, καὶ κρατῶν τήν τῆς εὐσεβείας διάνοιαν.. Καὶ γὰρ καί ἐν τῇ κατά Νίκαιαν συνόδῳ οἳ συνελθόντες πάντες πανταχόθεν ἐπίσκοποι τὰς μὲν ἀκοὰς ἐπὶ τούτοις ἐκράτουν, παμψηφεί δὲ πάντες καὶ διὰ ταῦτα κατέκριναν τήν αἳρεσιν ταύτην, καί ἀνεθεμάτισαν, εἰπόντες ἀλλοτρῗαν εἶναι καὶ ξένην ταύτην τῆς ἐκκλησιαστικῆς πίστεως. Ούκ· ἀνάγκη δὲ τοὺς κρίναντας ἦγεν ἐπὶ τοῦτο, ἀλλὰ πάντες προαιρέσει τήν ἀλήθειαν ἐξεδίκουψ πεποιήκασι δὲ τοῦτο δικαίως καὶ ὀρθῶς. Ἀθεότης γὰρ ὲκ τούτων εἶσάγεται, καὶ μᾶλλον παρὰ τὰς Γραφὰς Ἰουδαϊσμὸς, ἔχων ἐγγὺς ἐπακολουθοῦντα τὸν Ἑλληνισμὸν, ὥστε τὸν ταῦτα φρονοῦντα μηκέτι μηδὲ Χριστιανὸν καλεῖσθαι· ταῦτα γὰρ πάντα τῶν Γραφῶν ἐστιν ἐναντία. Ὁ μὲν γὰρ Ἰωάννης φησίν· Ἐν ἀρχῇ ἦν ὁ Λύγος· οὗτοι δὲ φάσκουσιν· Οὐκ ἦν, πρὶν γεννηθῇ. Καὶ αὐτὸς ’δὲ πάλιν ἔγραψε· Καί ἐσμεν ἐν τῷ ἀληθινῷ, ἐν τῷ Υἱῷ αὐτοῦ Ἰησοῦ Χριστῷ οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ ἀληθινὸς Θεὸς καὶ ἡ ζωὴ ή αἰώνιος. Οὗτοι δὲ ὥσπερ ἀντιμαχόμενοι φάσκουσι μὴ εἶναι τὸν Χριστὸν ἀληθινὸν Θεὸν, ἀλλὰ κατὰ μετοχὴν καὶ αὖ· τὸν ὡς τὰ πάντα λέγεσθαι Θεόν. Καὶ ὁ μὲν Ἀπόστολος αἲτιᾶται τοὺς Ἕλληνας, ὅτι κτίσματα σέβουσι, λέγωνʼ Ἐλάτρευσαν τῇ κτίσει παρὰ τὸν κτίσαντα Θεόν· οὗτοι δὲ κτίσμα λέγοντες τὸν Κύριον εἶναι, ’καὶ ὡς κτίσματι λατρεύοντες αὐτῷ, τί διαφέρουσιν Ἑλλήνων ; Πῶς γὰρ, εἱ τοῦτο φρονοῦσιν, οὐχὶ καὶ κατʼ αὐτῶν ἐστι τὸ ἀνάγνωσμα, καὶ ὡς αὖτοὺς μεμφόμενός ἐστιν ὁ μακάριος Παῦλος; Καὶ ὁ μὲν Κύριός φησινʼ Ἐγὼ καὶ ὁ ΙΙατήρ ἔν ἐσμεν· καὶ, '0 ἐμὲ ἑωρακὼς ἑώρακε τὸν Πατέρα· καὶὸ παρʼ αὐτοῦ δὲ κηρύττειν ἀποσταλεὶς Ἀπόστολος γράφει· Ὃς ὢν ἀπαύγασμα τῆς δόξης, καὶ χαρακτὴρ τῆς ὑποστάσεως αὐτοῦ · οὗτοι δὲ· τολμὼςι διαιρεῖν, καὶ ἀλλότριον αὐτόν τῆς τοῦ ΙΙατρὸς οὐσίας καὶ ἀϊδιότητος λέγειν, καὶ τρεπτὸν εἰσάγειν οἳ ἄθεοι, οὐ βλέποντες, ὅτι, ταῦτα λέγοντες, οὐκέτι ποιοῦσιν αὐτὸν ’ὲν μετά τοῦ ΙΙατρὸς, ἀλλὰ μετὰ τῶν κτισμάτων. Τίς γὰρ οὐχ ὁρᾷ, ὅτι ἀδιαίρετόν ἐστι τὸ ἀπαύγασμα πρὸς τὸ φῶς, καὶ ἴδιον αὖτοῦ συνυπάρχον τούτῳ φύσει, καὶ οὐκ ἐπιγεγονεν ὕστερον; Εἶτα τοῦ [Ιατρὸς λὲγοντος, Οὗτός ἐστιν 6 Υἱός μου 6 ἀγαπητὸς, καὶ τῶν Γραφῶν λεγουσῶν τοῦτον εἶναι τὸν τοῦ Πατρὸς Λόγον, ἐν ᾧ καὶ οἱ οὗρανοὶ ἐστερεώθησαν, καὶ ἁπλῶς πάντα διʼ αὐτοῦ ἐγένετο · οὗτοι, καινῶν ἐφευρεταὶ δογμάτων καὶ πλασμάτων γενόμενοι, ἕτερον ἐπεισάγουσι λόγον, καὶ ἄλλην σοφίαν τοῦ Πατρὸς εἶναι, τοῦτον δὲ κατʼ ἐπίνοιαν διὸ, τὰ λογικὰ λέγεσθαι Λόγον καὶ Σοφίαν, οὐχ ὁρῶντες ἐκ τούτου τὸ ἄτοπον.
Tauta kai ta toiauta legōn men ho Areios, hairetikos apedeichthē. Egō de kai monon graphōn, ekathairon emauton enthomoumenos ta kata toutōn, kai kratōn tēn tēs eusebeias dianoian.. Kai gar kai en tę̄ kata Nikaian synodǭ hoi synelthontes pantes pantachothen episkopoi tas men akoas epi toutois ekratoun, pampsēphei de pantes kai dia tauta katekrinan tēn hairesin tautēn, kai anethematisan, eipontes allotrïan einai kai xenēn tautēn tēs ekklēsiastikēs pisteōs. Ouk; anankē de tous krinantas ēgen epi touto, alla pantes proairesei tēn alētheian exedikoups pepoiēkasi de touto dikaiōs kai orthōs. Atheotēs gar ek toutōn eisagetai, kai mallon para tas Graphas Ioudaïsmos, echōn engys epakolouthounta ton Hellēnismon, hōste ton tauta phronounta mēketi mēde Christianon kaleisthai; tauta gar panta tōn Graphōn estin enantia. Ho men gar Iōannēs phēsin; En archę̄ ēn ho Lygos; houtoi de phaskousin; Ouk ēn, prin gennēthę̄. Kai autos ’de palin egrapse; Kai esmen en tǭ alēthinǭ, en tǭ Huiǭ autou Iēsou Christǭ houtos estin ho alēthinos Theos kai hē zōē ē aiōnios. Houtoi de hōsper antimachomenoi phaskousi mē einai ton Christon alēthinon Theon, alla kata metochēn kai au; ton hōs ta panta legesthai Theon. Kai ho men Apostolos aitiatai tous Hellēnas, hoti ktismata sebousi, legōnʼ Elatreusan tę̄ ktisei para ton ktisanta Theon; houtoi de ktisma legontes ton Kyrion einai, ’kai hōs ktismati latreuontes autǭ, ti diapherousin Hellēnōn ? Pōs gar, hei touto phronousin, ouchi kai katʼ autōn esti to anagnōsma, kai hōs autous memphomenos estin ho makarios Paulos? Kai ho men Kyrios phēsinʼ Egō kai ho IIatēr en esmen; kai, '0 eme heōrakōs heōrake ton Patera; kaio parʼ autou de kēryttein apostaleis Apostolos graphei; Hos ōn apaugasma tēs doxēs, kai charaktēr tēs hypostaseōs autou ; houtoi de; tolmōsi diairein, kai allotrion auton tēs tou IIatros ousias kai aïdiotētos legein, kai trepton eisagein hoi atheoi, ou blepontes, hoti, tauta legontes, ouketi poiousin auton ’en meta tou IIatros, alla meta tōn ktismatōn. Tis gar ouch horą, hoti adiaireton esti to apaugasma pros to phōs, kai idion autou synyparchon toutǭ physei, kai ouk epigegonen hysteron? Eita tou [Iatros legontos, Houtos estin 6 Huios mou 6 agapētos, kai tōn Graphōn legousōn touton einai ton tou Patros Logon, en hǭ kai hoi houranoi estereōthēsan, kai haplōs panta diʼ autou egeneto ; houtoi, kainōn epheuretai dogmatōn kai plasmatōn genomenoi, heteron epeisagousi logon, kai allēn sophian tou Patros einai, touton de katʼ epinoian dio, ta logika legesthai Logon kai Sophian, ouch horōntes ek toutou to atopon.
By saying these and similar things Arius was shown to be a heretic. And I, merely in writing them down, have been cleansing myself by pondering the arguments against them and holding fast the mind of piety. For indeed at the council of Nicaea all the bishops who came together from every quarter stopped their ears at these things, and all unanimously condemned this heresy on account of them and anathematized it, declaring it alien and foreign to the faith of the Church. It was not compulsion that led the judges to this; all by deliberate choice championed the truth, and they did this justly and rightly. For through these doctrines godlessness is brought in, or rather, contrary to the Scriptures, Judaism, with paganism following close behind, so that he who holds these things can no longer even be called a Christian; for all these things are contrary to the Scriptures. For John says, “In the beginning was the Word”; but these men assert, “He was not, before he was begotten.” And again he wrote, “And we are in him who is true, in his Son Jesus Christ; this is the true God and eternal life”; but these men, as though fighting against him, assert that Christ is not true God, but that he too, like all things, is called God by participation. And the Apostle blames the Greeks because they worship creatures, saying, “They served the creature rather than God who created it”; but these men, saying that the Lord is a creature and serving him as a creature, how do they differ from the Greeks? For if they hold this, how is the passage not against them too, and how is blessed Paul not blaming them as well? And the Lord says, “I and the Father are one,” and “He who has seen me has seen the Father”; and the Apostle sent by him to preach writes, “who, being the radiance of his glory and the exact imprint of his hypostasis”; but these godless men dare to divide him, and to call him alien to the Father's essence and eternity, and to bring him in as changeable, not seeing that by saying this they no longer make him one with the Father, but one with the creatures. For who does not see that the radiance is inseparable from the light, and is proper to it, coexisting with it by nature, and did not come into being afterwards? Then, when the Father says, “This is my beloved Son,” and the Scriptures say that he is the Word of the Father, by whom the heavens too were established, and in short “all things came into being through him,” these men, become inventors of new doctrines and fictions, bring in another Word and another Wisdom of the Father, and say that he is called Word and Wisdom in thought because of rational beings, not seeing the absurdity that follows from this.
John 1:1 (quotation, high confidence) · 1 John 5:20 (quotation, high confidence) · Rom 1:25 (quotation, high confidence) · John 10:30 (quotation, high confidence) · John 14:9 (quotation, high confidence) · Heb 1:3 (quotation, high confidence) · Matt 3:17 (quotation, high confidence) · Ps 33:6 (32:6 LXX) (allusion, high confidence) · John 1:3 (quotation, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Athanasius recalls Nicaea's unanimous condemnation of Arius and sets the Arian statements against John, Paul, and the words of Christ.
- “In the beginning was the Word”: John 1:1. “We are in him who is true …”: 1 John 5:20. “They served the creature …”: Rom 1:25. “I and the Father are one”: John 10:30; “He who has seen me …”: John 14:9. “The radiance of his glory …”: Heb 1:3; ὑπόστασις is left untranslated here (later Greek theology distinguishes it from οὐσία; in Heb 1:3 it means the Father's very being). “This is my beloved Son”: Matt 3:17. “By whom the heavens were established”: Ps 33:6 (LXX 32:6). “All things came into being through him”: John 1:3.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (a word displaced by the OCR into the next line restored to its place): πάντα διʼ αὐτοῦ οὗτοι, καινῶν ἐφευρεταὶ δογμάτων καὶ _ ἐγένετο · πλασμάτων → πάντα διʼ αὐτοῦ ἐγένετο · οὗτοι, καινῶν ἐφευρεταὶ δογμάτων καὶ πλασμάτων.
Topics: Trinity, Christology, Heresy
Cite (SBL): Athanasius, Ep. Aeg. Lib. 13 (PG 25:565b–569a; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-epistula-episcopos-aegypti/11/#p-13). (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.
Chapter 14
14PG 25:569b–572b
Ei’ γὰρ διʼ ἡμᾶς λέγεται κατʼ ἐπίνοιαν Λόγος καὶ Σοφία, τί ἂν εἷή αὐτὸς, οὐκ ἂν εἷʼποιεν. Εἰ γὰρ ταῦτα αὐτόν λέγουσιν εἶναι αἱ Γραφαῖ, οὗτοι δὲταῦτα εἶναι τὸν Κύριον οὐ θέλουσι, φανερῶς οὐδὲ ὑπάρχειν αὐτὸν θέλουσιν οἱ ἄθεοι καὶ τῶν Γραφῶν ἐναντίοι. Καὶ τοῦτο οἱ μὲν πιστοὶ δύνανται παρʼ αὐτῆς τε τῆς πατρικῆς φωνῆς, καὶ παρὰ τῶν προσκυνούντων αὐτὸν ἀγγὲλων, καὶ τῶν περῖ αὐτοῦ γραψάντων ἀγίων μαθεῖν · οὗτοι δὲ, ἐπεὶ τὴν διάνοιαν οὐκ ἔχουσι καθαρὰν, οὐδὲ δύνανται θείων ἐπακούειν καί θεολόγων ἀνδρῶν, δύνανται κᾶν παρὰ τῶν ὁμοίων αὐτοῖς δαιμόνων μαθεῖν, ὅτι μὴ ὡς πολλῶν ὄντων ἀνεφώνουν, ἀλλᾶ τοῦτον μόνον εἰδότες ἔλεγον · Σὺ εἴ 6 ἅγιος τοῦ Θεοῦ, καὶ ὁ Υἱὸς τοῦ Θεοῦ. Καὶ γὰρ καὶ 6 τήν αʼίρεσιν αὐτοῖς ὑποβαλὼν, πειράζων ἐν τῷ ὄρει, οὐκ ἔλεγεν· Εἰ καὶ σὺ Υἱὸς εἶ τοῦ Θεοῦ, ὡς ὄντων ἄλλων · ἀλλʼ, Εἰ σὺ εἶὸ Υἱὸς τοῦ Θεοῦ, ὡς μόνου ὄντος αὐτοῦ. Ἀλλʼ οἱ θαυμαστοὶ, ὥσπερ Ἕλληνες, ἐκπεσόντες τῆς περὶ τοῦ ἐνὸς Θεοῦ ἐννοίας, εἷς πολυθεότηνα κατῆλθον, οὕτω καὶ οὗτοι, μὴ πιστεύοντες ἕνα εἶναι τὸν τοῦ Πατρὸς Λόγον, sic; πολλῶν ἐπίνοιαν πεπτώκασιʼ καὶ τὸν μὲν ὅντως ὄντα Θεὸν καὶ ἀληθινὸν Λόγον ἀρνοῦνται. κτίσμα δὲ αὐτὸν κᾶν ἐνθυμεῖσθαι τετολμήκασιν, οὗ βλέποντες ὅσης ἀσεβείας μεστόν ἐστι τὸ φρόνημα. Εἰ γὰρ κτίσμα ἐστὶ, πῶς αὐτὸς τῶν κτισμάτων ἐστὶ ὅημιουργός; ἢ πῶς αὐτὸς 6 Υἱὸς καὶ Σοφία, κα) Λόγος; Λόγος γὰρ οὐ κτίζεται, ἀλλὰ γεννᾶται· καὶ τὸ κτίσμα οὐχὶ υίὸς, ἀλλὰ ποίημα. Καὶ εἰ τὰ κτίσματα διʼ αὐτοῦ γέγονε, κτίσμα δέ ἐστι καὶ αὺτός· διὰ τίνος ἄρα καὶ αὐτὸς γέγονεν; Ἀνάγκη γὰρ τὰ ποιήματα διά τινος γίνεσθαι, ῶσπερ οῦν καὶ γέγονε διὰ τοῦ Λόγου, ὅτι μὴ αὐτὸς ἦν ποίημα, ἀλλὰ Λόγος τοῦ Πατρός. Καὶ πάλιν, εἰ ἄλλη ἐστὶν ἡ ἑν τῷ Πατρὶ σοφία παρὰ τὸν Κύριον, καὶ Σοφία ὲν σοφίᾳ γέγονεν. Ei δὲ Σοφία ἑστὶν 6 τοῦ Θεοῦ Λόγος, εἴη ἂν καὶ 6 Λόγος ἑν λόγῳ γεγονώς ο καὶ εί 6 Λόγος τοῦ Θεοῦ ἑστιν 6 Υἱὸς, εἴη ἂν καὶ 6 Υἱὸς ἑν τῷ υίῷ ποιηθείς.
Ei’ gar diʼ hēmas legetai katʼ epinoian Logos kai Sophia, ti an heiē autos, ouk an heiʼpoien. Ei gar tauta auton legousin einai hai Graphai, houtoi detauta einai ton Kyrion ou thelousi, phanerōs oude hyparchein auton thelousin hoi atheoi kai tōn Graphōn enantioi. Kai touto hoi men pistoi dynantai parʼ autēs te tēs patrikēs phōnēs, kai para tōn proskynountōn auton angelōn, kai tōn peri autou grapsantōn agiōn mathein ; houtoi de, epei tēn dianoian ouk echousi katharan, oude dynantai theiōn epakouein kai theologōn andrōn, dynantai kan para tōn homoiōn autois daimonōn mathein, hoti mē hōs pollōn ontōn anephōnoun, alla touton monon eidotes elegon ; Sy ei 6 hagios tou Theou, kai ho Huios tou Theou. Kai gar kai 6 tēn aʼiresin autois hypobalōn, peirazōn en tǭ orei, ouk elegen; Ei kai sy Huios ei tou Theou, hōs ontōn allōn ; allʼ, Ei sy eio Huios tou Theou, hōs monou ontos autou. Allʼ hoi thaumastoi, hōsper Hellēnes, ekpesontes tēs peri tou enos Theou ennoias, heis polytheotēna katēlthon, houtō kai houtoi, mē pisteuontes hena einai ton tou Patros Logon, sic? pollōn epinoian peptōkasiʼ kai ton men hontōs onta Theon kai alēthinon Logon arnountai. ktisma de auton kan enthymeisthai tetolmēkasin, hou blepontes hosēs asebeias meston esti to phronēma. Ei gar ktisma esti, pōs autos tōn ktismatōn esti hoēmiourgos? ē pōs autos 6 Huios kai Sophia, ka) Logos? Logos gar ou ktizetai, alla gennatai; kai to ktisma ouchi uios, alla poiēma. Kai ei ta ktismata diʼ autou gegone, ktisma de esti kai autos; dia tinos ara kai autos gegonen? Anankē gar ta poiēmata dia tinos ginesthai, ōsper oun kai gegone dia tou Logou, hoti mē autos ēn poiēma, alla Logos tou Patros. Kai palin, ei allē estin hē hen tǭ Patri sophia para ton Kyrion, kai Sophia en sophią gegonen. Ei de Sophia hestin 6 tou Theou Logos, eiē an kai 6 Logos hen logǭ gegonōs o kai ei 6 Logos tou Theou hestin 6 Huios, eiē an kai 6 Huios hen tǭ uiǭ poiētheis.
For if it is because of us that he is called Word and Wisdom in thought, what he himself is they could not say. For if the Scriptures say that he is these things, and these men do not want the Lord to be these things, plainly the godless men, opposed to the Scriptures, do not want him even to exist. And this the faithful can learn from the Father's own voice, and from the angels who worship him, and from the saints who wrote about him; but these men, since they do not have a pure mind and cannot listen to divine men who speak of God, can at least learn from the demons, who are like them, that they did not cry out as though there were many, but knowing him alone said, “You are the Holy One of God, and the Son of God.” For he too who suggested the heresy to them, when tempting on the mountain, did not say, “If you too are a son of God,” as though there were others, but, “If you are the Son of God,” as though he alone were. But these remarkable men, just as the Greeks, falling away from the notion of the one God, sank into polytheism, so these too, not believing that the Word of the Father is one, have fallen into the notion of many; and they deny the God who truly is and the true Word, and have dared even to think of him as a creature, not seeing how full of impiety the notion is. For if he is a creature, how is he the creator of the creatures? Or how is he himself the Son, and Wisdom, and Word? For a word is not created but begotten; and a creature is not a son but a thing made. And if the creatures came into being through him, and he too is a creature, through whom then did he himself come into being? For things made must come into being through someone, as indeed they did come into being through the Word, because he was not a thing made but the Word of the Father. And again, if the wisdom in the Father is other than the Lord, then Wisdom has come into being in wisdom. And if the Word of God is Wisdom, the Word too would have come into being in a word; and if the Word of God is the Son, the Son too would have been made in a son.
Heb 1:6 (allusion, medium confidence) · Mark 1:24 (quotation, high confidence) · Matt 8:29 (quotation, high confidence) · Matt 4:3 (quotation, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Athanasius argues that Scripture, the angels and even the demons know only one Son and Word, and that a created Word would need another Word through whom to be made.
- The angels who worship him: Heb 1:6. “You are the Holy One of God”: Mark 1:24; “the Son of God”: Matt 8:29. “If you are the Son of God”: Matt 4:3.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (stray OCR marks removed): παρὰ τῶν Ι 9 \ Ἰ οἳ \ ω \ ν υ προσκυνούντων → παρὰ τῶν προσκυνούντων.
Topics: Trinity, Christology, Heresy
Cite (SBL): Athanasius, Ep. Aeg. Lib. 14 (PG 25:569b–572b; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-epistula-episcopos-aegypti/11/#p-14). (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.
Chapter 15
15PG 25:572b–573b
Πῶς τοίνυν 6 Κύριος ἔλεγεν · Ἐγὼ ἐν τῷ Πατρὶ, καὶ ὀ Πατὴρ ὲν ἐμοὶ, ὄντος ἑτέρου ἑν τῷ Πατρὶ, ἑν ᾧ καὶ αὐτὸς 6 Κύριος γέγονε; Πῶς δὲ και 6 Ἰωάννης, ἀφεὶς ἐκεῖνον, περὶ τούτου διηγεῖται λέγων· Πάντα διʼ αὐτοῦ ἐγένετο, καὶ χωρὶς αὑτοῦ ἐγένετο οὐδὲ ἓν; Ei δὲ πάντα τὰ βουλήματι γενόμενα διʼ αὑτοῦ γέγονε, πῶς καὶ αὐτὸς εἷς τῶν γενομένων ἐστί; Πῶς δὲ καὶ τοῦ Ἀποστόλου λέγοντος, Διʼ ὃν τὰ πάντα καὶ διʼ οὗ τὰ πάντα, οῦτοι λέγουσιν· Οὐχ ἡμεῖς διʼ αὑτὸν, ἀλλʼ ἐκεῖνος διʼ ἡμᾶς γέγονεν ; Ἔδει γὰρ, εἴπερ οὕτως ἦν, εἰπεῖν αὑτὸν, Διʼ οὒς γέγονεν 6 Λόγος. Νῦν δὲ μὴ τοῦτο λέγων, ἀλλὰ, διʼ ὃν τὰ πάντα καὶ διʼ οὗ τὰ πάντα, δείκνυσι τούτους αἱρετικοὺς καὶ συκοφάντας. Ἀλλως τε, εἰ τε· Θαρρήκασιν ἄλλον εἶναι Λόγον ἑν τῷ Θεῷ, ἐπεὶ μὴ φανερὰς ἔχουσι τὰς ἑκ τῶν Γραφῶν ἀποδείξεις. κᾶν ἓν ἔργον αὑτοῦ δεικνύτωσαν, ἢ τοῦ Πατρὸς ἔργον χωρὶς τούτου τοῦ Λόγου γεγονὸς, ἵνα τινὰ δοκῶσι πρόφασιν ἔχειν τῆς ἑαυτῶν ἐπινοίας. Τοῦ μὲν γὰρ ἀληθινοῦ Λόγου πᾶσίν ἐστι φανερὰ τὰ ἔργα. ὡς καὶ ἐξ αὐτῶν αὑτὸν ἀναλόγως θεωρεῖσθαι· ὡς ἐκ τῶν γεγενημένων. Ὡς γὰρ τήν κτίσιν ὁρῶντες, διανοούμεθα τὸν ταύτην κτῖσαντα Θεὸν, οὕτω βλέποντες μηδὲν ἄτακτον ἐν τοῖς γενομένοις, ἀλλά πάντα τάξει καὶ προνοίᾳ κινούμενά τε καὶ μένοντα, ἐνθυμούμεθα Λόγον εἶναι τοῦ Θεοῦ τὸν ἐπὶ πάντων ὄντα τε καὶ ἡγεμονεύοντα. Τοῦτο καὶ αἱ θεῖαι Γραφαὶ μαρτυροῦσι, λέγουσαι αὐτόν τε εἶναι τὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ Λόγον, καὶ ὅτι διʼ αὑτοῦ τὰ πάντα γέγονε, καὶ χωρὶς αὑτοῦ ἐγένετο οὑδὲ ἓν. Ἐκείνου δὲ, περὶ οὗ λέγουσιν, οὐδὲν οὔτε ῥητὸν οῦτε ἔργον ὑπʼ αὐτῶν δείκνυται. Καὶ γὰρ καὶ αὐτὸς δʼΠατὴρ λέγων, Οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ Υἱός μου ὁ ἀγαπητὸς, οὐδένα ἕτερον εἶναι παρʼ αὑτὸν σημαίνει.
Pōs toinyn 6 Kyrios elegen ; Egō en tǭ Patri, kai o Patēr en emoi, ontos heterou hen tǭ Patri, hen hǭ kai autos 6 Kyrios gegone? Pōs de kai 6 Iōannēs, apheis ekeinon, peri toutou diēgeitai legōn; Panta diʼ autou egeneto, kai chōris hautou egeneto oude hen? Ei de panta ta boulēmati genomena diʼ hautou gegone, pōs kai autos heis tōn genomenōn esti? Pōs de kai tou Apostolou legontos, Diʼ hon ta panta kai diʼ hou ta panta, outoi legousin; Ouch hēmeis diʼ hauton, allʼ ekeinos diʼ hēmas gegonen ? Edei gar, eiper houtōs ēn, eipein hauton, Diʼ ous gegonen 6 Logos. Nyn de mē touto legōn, alla, diʼ hon ta panta kai diʼ hou ta panta, deiknysi toutous hairetikous kai sykophantas. Allōs te, ei te; Tharrēkasin allon einai Logon hen tǭ Theǭ, epei mē phaneras echousi tas hek tōn Graphōn apodeixeis. kan hen ergon hautou deiknytōsan, ē tou Patros ergon chōris toutou tou Logou gegonos, hina tina dokōsi prophasin echein tēs heautōn epinoias. Tou men gar alēthinou Logou pasin esti phanera ta erga. hōs kai ex autōn hauton analogōs theōreisthai; hōs ek tōn gegenēmenōn. Hōs gar tēn ktisin horōntes, dianooumetha ton tautēn ktisanta Theon, houtō blepontes mēden atakton en tois genomenois, alla panta taxei kai pronoią kinoumena te kai menonta, enthymoumetha Logon einai tou Theou ton epi pantōn onta te kai hēgemoneuonta. Touto kai hai theiai Graphai martyrousi, legousai auton te einai ton tou Theou Logon, kai hoti diʼ hautou ta panta gegone, kai chōris hautou egeneto houde hen. Ekeinou de, peri hou legousin, ouden oute rhēton oute ergon hypʼ autōn deiknytai. Kai gar kai autos dʼPatēr legōn, Houtos estin ho Huios mou ho agapētos, oudena heteron einai parʼ hauton sēmainei.
How then did the Lord say, “I am in the Father and the Father in me,” if there is another in the Father, in whom the Lord himself came into being? And how does John, passing that one by, tell about this one, saying, “All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being”? And if all things that came into being by the will came into being through him, how is he himself one of the things that came into being? And when the Apostle says, “For whom are all things and through whom are all things,” how do these men say, “Not we for his sake, but he came into being for ours”? For if that were so, he ought to have said, “for whom the Word came into being.” But as it is, by saying not this but “for whom are all things and through whom are all things,” he shows these men to be heretics and slanderers. Besides, if they have been bold enough to say that there is another Word in God, since they have no clear proofs from the Scriptures, let them show at least one work of his, or a work of the Father done without this Word, so that they may seem to have some pretext for their notion. For the works of the true Word are manifest to all, so that from them he is contemplated by analogy, as from the things that have come into being. For as, seeing the creation, we perceive God who created it, so, seeing nothing disordered in the things that have come into being, but all things moving and abiding in order and providence, we consider that there is a Word of God who is over all and governs all. This the divine Scriptures too bear witness to, saying that he is the Word of God, and that all things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. But of that other one of whom they speak, neither saying nor work is shown by them. For the Father himself too, in saying, “This is my beloved Son,” signifies that there is no other beside him.
John 14:10 (quotation, high confidence) · John 1:3 (quotation, high confidence) · Heb 2:10 (quotation, high confidence) · Rom 1:20 (echo, low confidence) · Matt 3:17 (quotation, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Athanasius argues from John, Paul and the order of creation that the Word through whom all things were made is the one true Word, and that the Arians can show no work of their other “word.”
- “I am in the Father …”: John 14:10. “All things came into being through him …”: John 1:3. “For whom are all things …”: Heb 2:10. “Contemplated by analogy”: an echo of Wis 13:5. “This is my beloved Son”: Matt 3:17.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (Migne's footnote (variant readings) leaked into the Greek column; removed; OCR garble of τούτους): δείκνυσι 10-3τους → δείκνυσι τούτους; · ὡς ’ξῷν γεγενημένων.1ιοιηιῐιοιι iidem (ξι-,ξοςυεςίῐίῶς δὲ κα“ιʼτοῦʼ, etc. (Σίγειονί autem et editi: πῶς καὶ του, etc. γὰρ → · ὡς ἐκ τῶν γεγενημένων. Ὡς γὰρ.
Extrabiblical texts: Wis 13:5 (Wisdom of Solomon [in RC, EO, ETH canons]; echo)
Topics: Trinity, Christology
Cite (SBL): Athanasius, Ep. Aeg. Lib. 15 (PG 25:572b–573b; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-epistula-episcopos-aegypti/11/#p-15). (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.
Chapter 16
16PG 25:573b–576d
Οὐκοῦν κατὰ τοῦτο καὶ Μανιχαίοις οἱ θαυμαστοὶ λοιπὸν προσετέθησαν. Καὶ γάρ κάκεῖνοι μόνον ὀνομάζουσι, καὶ ἄχρις ὀνόματος ἀγαθὸν Θεὸν ἔργον μὲν αὑτοῦ οὕτε βλεπόμενον οὕτε ἀόρατον δεικνύειν δύνανται· τὸν δὲ ἀληθινὸν καὶ ὅντως ὅντα Θεὸν, τὸν ποιητὴν οὐρανοῦ καὶ γῆς, καὶ πάντων τῶν ἀοράτων ἀρνούμενοι, παντελῶς εἰσι μυθολόγοι. Τοῦτο δὲ καὶ οὗτοι πάσχει μοι δοκοῦσιν oi. κακόφρονες. Τοῦ γὰρ ἀληθινοῦ Λόγου καὶ μόνου ὄντος ἐν τῷ Πατρὶ τὰ ἔργα βλέπουσι, καὶ τοῦτον μὲν ἀρνοῦνται, ἄλλον δὲ ἑαυτοῖς ἀναπλάττονται λόγον, ὃν οὔτε ἐξ ἔργων οὔτε ἐξ ἀκοῆς ἀποδεικνύειν δύνανταιο εἰ μή ἄρα σύνθετον τὸν Θεὸν, ὡς ἅνθρωπον, λαλοῦντα καὶ ἀμείβοντα τοῦς λόγους, καὶ πάλιν οὕτω νοοῦντα καὶ σοφιζόμενον ὑπονοοῦντες μυθολογοῦσιν, οὐχ ὁρῶντες εἷς ὅσην ἀλογίαν ταῦτα λέγοντες ἐκπεπτώκασιν. Εἰ μὲν γὰρ ἐπισυμβαίνοντας ἔχει τοὺς λόγους, πολὺττοῦτο ἄνθρωπον νομίζουσιν· εἰ δὲκαὶ ἐξ αὐτοῦ προφέρονται καὶ λοιπὸν ἀφανίζονται· μειζόνως ἀσεβοῦσιν, ὅτι τὰ ἐκ τοῦ ὐντος εἷς τὸ μὴ εἶναι ἀναλύουσιν. Εἴ γὰρ ὅλως γεννᾷν αύτὸν ὑπονοοῦσι, βέλτιόν ἐστι καὶ εὐσεβέστερον λέγειν ἑνὸς εἶναι Λόγου γεννήτορα τὸν Θεὸν, ὅς ἐστι τὸ πλήρωμα τῆς θεότητος αὐτοῦ, ἐν ᾧ καί οἱ θησαοροὶ τῆς γνώσεως πάσης εἰσὶν ἀπόκρυφοι, καὶ τοῦτον λέγειν εἷναί τε καὶ συνυπάρχειν τῷ ἑαυτοῦ Πατρὶ, διʼ οὗ καὶ τὰ πάντα γέγονεν· ἢ πολλῶν μὴ φαινομένων Πατέρα νομίζειν τὸν Θεὸν, ἢ ὡς ἐκ πολλῶν συγκείμενον, ὡς ἀνθρωποπαθῆ καὶ ποικίλον, τὸν ἁπλοῦν ὄντα τῇ φύσει φαντάζεσθαι. Εἶτα τοῦ Ἀποστόλου λέγοντος · Χριστὸς Θεοῦ δύναμις καὶ Θεοῦ σοφία, οὗτοι ταῖς πολλαῖς δυνάμεσιν ἕνα καὶ τοῦτον συναριθμοῦσι, καὶ τό γε χείριστον, ὅτι τῇ κάμπη καὶ τοῖς ἄλλοις ἀλόγοις, τοῖς διʼ ἐπὶτιμίαν πεμπομένοις διʼ αὒτοῦ, παραβάλλουσιν αὐτὸν οἱ παράνομοι. Εἶτα, τοῦ Κυρίου λέγοντος· Οὐδεὶς ἐπιγινώσκει τὸν Πατέρα εἷ μή 6 Υἱὸς, καὶ πάλιν, Οὐχ ὅτι τὸν Πατέρα τις ἑώρακεν εἰ μὴ 6 ὢν παρὰ τοῦ Πατρός· πῶς οὐκ ἀληθῶς εἶσιν οὗτοι θεομάχοι, λέγοντες μήτε ὁρᾶσθαι μήτε ἐπιγινώσκεσθαι τὸν Πατέρα παρὰ τοῦ Υἱοῦ τελείως; Ei γὰρ 6 Κύριος λέγει, Καθὼς γινώσκει με 6 Πατὴρ, κάγὼνγινώσκω τὸν Πατέρα· οὐκ ἐκ μέρους δὲ γινώσκει ὁ Πατὴρ τὸν Υἱόν· πῶς οὐ μαίνονται φλυαροῦντες, ὅτι ἐκ μέρους καὶ οὐ πλήρης γινώσκει 6 Υἱὸς τὸν Πατέρα ; Εἶτα εἰ ἀρχὴν ἔχει 6 Υἱὸς εἷς τὸ εἶναι, ἀρχὴν δὲ ἔχει καὶ τὰ πάντα εἷς τὸ γεγενῆσθαν τί τίνος ἐστὶ πρῶτον, λεγέτωσαν. Ἀλλʼ οὕτε τι εἰπεῖν ἔχουσιν, οὕτε τοῦ Λόγου τοιαύτην ἀρχὴν δεικνύειν δύνανται oi πανοῦργοι. Τοῦ γὰρ Πατρός ἐστιν ἀληθινὸν καὶ ἷδιον αὐτοῦ γέννημα, καὶ Ἐν ἀρχῇ ἦν ὁ Λόγος, καὶ 6 Λόγος ἧν πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν, καὶ Θεὸς ἦν 6 Λόγος. Περὶ γὰρ τοῦ λέγειν αὐτοὺς μὴ εἰδέναι τὸν Υἱὸν τὴν ἑαυτοῦ οὐσίαν περιττόν ἐστιν ἀποκρίνασθαι, εἰ μὴ μόνον μανίας αὐτῶν καταγινώσκειν, εἷʼ γε ἑαυτὸν οὐκ οἶδεν 6 Λόγος, 6 τοῖς πᾶσι τὴν γνῶσιν τὴν περὶ τοῦ Ῑῐατρὸς καὶ ἑαυτοῦ χαριζόμενος, καὶ μεμφόμενος τοὺς μή γινώσκοντας ἑαυτούς.
Oukoun kata touto kai Manichaiois hoi thaumastoi loipon prosetethēsan. Kai gar kakeinoi monon onomazousi, kai achris onomatos agathon Theon ergon men hautou houte blepomenon houte aoraton deiknyein dynantai; ton de alēthinon kai hontōs honta Theon, ton poiētēn ouranou kai gēs, kai pantōn tōn aoratōn arnoumenoi, pantelōs eisi mythologoi. Touto de kai houtoi paschei moi dokousin oi. kakophrones. Tou gar alēthinou Logou kai monou ontos en tǭ Patri ta erga blepousi, kai touton men arnountai, allon de heautois anaplattontai logon, hon oute ex ergōn oute ex akoēs apodeiknyein dynantaio ei mē ara syntheton ton Theon, hōs hanthrōpon, lalounta kai ameibonta tous logous, kai palin houtō noounta kai sophizomenon hyponoountes mythologousin, ouch horōntes heis hosēn alogian tauta legontes ekpeptōkasin. Ei men gar episymbainontas echei tous logous, polyttouto anthrōpon nomizousin; ei dekai ex autou propherontai kai loipon aphanizontai; meizonōs asebousin, hoti ta ek tou yntos heis to mē einai analyousin. Ei gar holōs gennąn auton hyponoousi, beltion esti kai eusebesteron legein henos einai Logou gennētora ton Theon, hos esti to plērōma tēs theotētos autou, en hǭ kai hoi thēsaoroi tēs gnōseōs pasēs eisin apokryphoi, kai touton legein heinai te kai synyparchein tǭ heautou Patri, diʼ hou kai ta panta gegonen; ē pollōn mē phainomenōn Patera nomizein ton Theon, ē hōs ek pollōn synkeimenon, hōs anthrōpopathē kai poikilon, ton haploun onta tę̄ physei phantazesthai. Eita tou Apostolou legontos ; Christos Theou dynamis kai Theou sophia, houtoi tais pollais dynamesin hena kai touton synarithmousi, kai to ge cheiriston, hoti tę̄ kampē kai tois allois alogois, tois diʼ epitimian pempomenois diʼ autou, paraballousin auton hoi paranomoi. Eita, tou Kyriou legontos; Oudeis epiginōskei ton Patera hei mē 6 Huios, kai palin, Ouch hoti ton Patera tis heōraken ei mē 6 ōn para tou Patros; pōs ouk alēthōs eisin houtoi theomachoi, legontes mēte horasthai mēte epiginōskesthai ton Patera para tou Huiou teleiōs? Ei gar 6 Kyrios legei, Kathōs ginōskei me 6 Patēr, kagōnginōskō ton Patera; ouk ek merous de ginōskei ho Patēr ton Huion; pōs ou mainontai phlyarountes, hoti ek merous kai ou plērēs ginōskei 6 Huios ton Patera ? Eita ei archēn echei 6 Huios heis to einai, archēn de echei kai ta panta heis to gegenēsthan ti tinos esti prōton, legetōsan. Allʼ houte ti eipein echousin, houte tou Logou toiautēn archēn deiknyein dynantai oi panourgoi. Tou gar Patros estin alēthinon kai hidion autou gennēma, kai En archę̄ ēn ho Logos, kai 6 Logos hēn pros ton Theon, kai Theos ēn 6 Logos. Peri gar tou legein autous mē eidenai ton Huion tēn heautou ousian peritton estin apokrinasthai, ei mē monon manias autōn kataginōskein, heiʼ ge heauton ouk oiden 6 Logos, 6 tois pasi tēn gnōsin tēn peri tou Iiatros kai heautou charizomenos, kai memphomenos tous mē ginōskontas heautous.
Accordingly, in this respect the remarkable men have now joined the Manichees. For they too merely name a good God, and only as far as the name, but they can show no work of his, either visible or invisible; and, denying the true God who truly is, the maker of heaven and earth and of all things invisible, they are mere tellers of myths. And these perverse men seem to me to suffer the same. For they see the works of the true Word, who alone is in the Father, and deny him, and fashion for themselves another word, whom they can prove neither from works nor from hearing; unless indeed, supposing God to be composite like a man, speaking and exchanging words, and again in the same way thinking and becoming wise, they tell myths, not seeing into what absurdity they have fallen by saying these things. For if he has words that come upon him in addition, they consider him all the more a man; and if the words are uttered from him and then vanish, they are even more impious, because they dissolve what comes from him who is into non-existence. For if they suppose at all that he begets, it is better and more pious to say that God is the begetter of one Word, who is the fullness of his Godhead, in whom also the treasures of all knowledge are hidden, and to say that he exists and coexists with his own Father, and that through him all things came into being; rather than either to think God the Father of many who do not appear, or to imagine him who is simple by nature as composed of many parts, subject to human passions and manifold. Then, when the Apostle says, “Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God,” these men count him as one among the many powers; and, what is worst, the lawless men compare him to the caterpillar and the other irrational creatures sent by him for punishment. Then, when the Lord says, “No one knows the Father except the Son,” and again, “Not that anyone has seen the Father except he who is from the Father,” how are these men not truly fighters against God, when they say that the Father is neither seen nor known perfectly by the Son? For if the Lord says, “As the Father knows me, I also know the Father,” and the Father does not know the Son in part, how are they not mad when they babble that the Son knows the Father in part and not fully? Then, if the Son has a beginning of being, and all things too have a beginning of having come into being, let them say which is first. But the crafty men have nothing to say, nor can they show such a beginning of the Word. For he is the true and proper offspring of the Father, and “in the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” As for their saying that the Son does not know his own essence, it is superfluous to answer, except only to condemn their madness: as if the Word did not know himself, he who grants to all the knowledge of the Father and of himself, and blames those who do not know themselves!
Col 1:16 (echo, low confidence) · Col 2:9 (echo, medium confidence) · Col 2:3 (allusion, high confidence) · 1 Cor 1:24 (quotation, high confidence) · Joel 2:25 (allusion, high confidence) · Matt 11:27 (quotation, high confidence) · John 6:46 (quotation, high confidence) · John 10:15 (quotation, high confidence) · John 1:1 (quotation, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Athanasius likens the Arians to the Manichees, who name a God without works, and rejects their claims that the Son is one power among many and does not know the Father or himself perfectly.
- The Manichees' good God and their denial of the creator: Athanasius's characterization. “The fullness of his Godhead”: an echo of Col 2:9; “the treasures of all knowledge”: Col 2:3. “Christ the power of God …”: 1 Cor 1:24. The caterpillar: Joel 2:25. “No one knows the Father …”: Matt 11:27. “Not that anyone has seen the Father …”: John 6:46. “As the Father knows me …”: John 10:15. “In the beginning was the Word …”: John 1:1.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR garble of the end of a divided word): νομίζου- O‘t" εἰ δὲκαὶ → νομίζουσιν· εἰ δὲκαὶ.
Topics: Trinity, Christology, Heresy
Cite (SBL): Athanasius, Ep. Aeg. Lib. 16 (PG 25:573b–576d; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-epistula-episcopos-aegypti/11/#p-16). (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.
Chapter 17
17PG 25:576d–580a
Ἀλλὰ γέγραπται, φασί Κύριος ἔκτισε με ἀρχὴν ὁδῶν αὐτοῦ εἰς ἔργα αὐτοῦ · ἀπαίδευτοι καὶ τὰς φρένας ἐμβεβροντημένοι l Καὶ δοῦλος έν ταῖς Γραφαῖς ἐλέχθη, καὶ παιδίσκης υἱὸς, καὶ ἀρνίον κα πρόβατον, καὶ ὅτι κεκοπίακε, καὶ ἐδίψησε, καὶ ἐτυπτήθη, καὶ πέπονθεν. Ἀλλʼ ἔχει τὴν πρόφασιν καὶ τὸ αἷαειον εὔλογον ἐγγὺς τὰ τοιαῦτα πάλιν ἐκ τῶν Γραφῶν σημαινόμενα. Ἔστι δὲ τοῦτο, διότι ἄν· θρωπος καὶ ι”ιὸς ἀνθρώπου γέγονε, λαβὼν τὴν τοῦ δούλου μορφὴν, ἥτις ἦν ἡ ἀνθρωπίνη σάρξ. Ὀ γὰρ Λόγος, φησὶν ὁ Ἰωάννης, σὲιρξ ἐγένετο. Εἰ δὲ ἅνθρωπος γέγονεν, οὐ δεῖ τινας ἐπὶ ταῖς τοιαύταις φωναῖς σκανδαλίζεσθαι · ἀνθρώπου γὰρ ἴδιόν ἐστι τὸ κτίζεσθαι, τὸ γίνεσθαι, τὸ πλάττεσθαι, τὸ κοπιᾷν, τὸ πάσχειν, τὸ ἀποθνήσκειν, τὸ ἐκ νεκρῶν ἐγείρεσθαι. Καὶῶσπερ Λόγος ὢν καὶ σοφία τοῦ Πατρὸς, ἔχει πάντα τά τοῦ Ματρὸς, τὸ ἀίδιον, τὸ ἄτρεπτον, τὸ κατά πάντα καὶ ἐν πᾶσιν ὅμοιον, τὸ μή πρότερον καὶ ὕστερον, ἀλλὰ τὸ συνυπάρχειν τῷ Πατρὶ, καὶ αὐτὸ τὸ τῆς θεότητος εἶδος αὐτὸν εἶναι, καὶ τὸ δημιουργικὸν, καὶ τὸ μὴ κτίζεσθαι· ὅμοιος γὰρ ὢν κατὰ τὴν οὐσίαν τοῦ Πατρὸς, οὐκ ἂν εἷή κτιστὸς, ἀλλὰ κτίστης, ὡς αὐτὸς εἷʼρηκεν· '0 Πατήρ μου ἕως ἄρτι ἐργάζεται, κάγὼ ἐργάζομαιο οὕτως ἅνθρωπος γεγονὼς, καὶ σάρκα φορὲσας, ἐξ ἀνάγκης κτίζεσθαι λέγεται και ποιεῖσθαι, καὶ πάντα τὰ τῆς σαρκὸς ἴδια, κᾶν οὗτοι, ὡς Ἰουδαϊκοὶ κάπηλοι, τὸν οἶνον μίσγωσιν ὕδατι, ταπεινσῦντες τὸν Λόγον, καί τὴν θεότητα αὐτοῦ ταῖς τῶν γεννητῶν ἐννοίαις ὑποβάλλοντες. Διὰ τοῦτο γάρ εἷʼκότως καὶ δικαίως οἱ μὲν Πατὲρες,ἠγανάκτησαν, καὶ ἀνεθεμάτισαν τὴν ἀσεβεστάτην ταύτην αʼίρεσιν, οὗτοι δὲ ὡς εὐέλεγκτον καὶ πανταχόθεν οὖσαν σαθρὰν φοβοῦνται καὶ κρύπτουσι. Καὶ γάρ βραχέα μὲν ταῦτα πρὸς κατάγνωσιν αὐτῶν ἡμεῖς ἐγράψαμεν· ἐὰν δέ τις θελήσῃ πλατυτὲρῳ τῷ κατ αὐτῶν ἐλέγχῳ χρήσασθαι, εὑρήσει την ατίρεσιν ταύτην Ἑλλήνων μὲν οὗ μακρὰν, τῶν δὲ ἄλλων αἱ.ρέσεων ἐσχάτην καὶ τρυγίαν τυγχάνουσαν. Ἐκεῖναι μὲν γὰρ ἢ περί τὸ σῶμα καί τήν ἐνανθρώπησιν τοῦ Κυρίου πλανῶνται, αἱ μὲν οὕτως, αἱ δὲ ἐκείνως ιαταψευδόμεναι, ἢ μηδόλως ἐπιδεδημηκέναι τὸν Κύριον, ὡς Ἰουδαῖοι νομίζοντες ἐπλανήθησαν· αὕτη δὲ μόνη μανικώτερον εἷς αὐτὴν τὴν θεότητα καταιετόλμηκε, λέγουσα μηδόλως εἶναι τὸν Λόγον, μηδὶ τὸν Πατέρα ἀεὶ Πατέρα εἶναι.Οθεν εὐλόγως ἂν τις κατʼ αὐτῶν ἐκεῖνον εἷʼποι γεγράφθαι τὸν ψαλμόν· Εἶπεν ἄφρων ἐν καρδίᾳ αὐτοῦ, Ούκ ἔστι Θεός
Alla gegraptai, phasi Kyrios ektise me archēn hodōn autou eis erga autou ; apaideutoi kai tas phrenas embebrontēmenoi l Kai doulos en tais Graphais elechthē, kai paidiskēs huios, kai arnion ka probaton, kai hoti kekopiake, kai edipsēse, kai etyptēthē, kai peponthen. Allʼ echei tēn prophasin kai to haiaeion eulogon engys ta toiauta palin ek tōn Graphōn sēmainomena. Esti de touto, dioti an; thrōpos kai i”ios anthrōpou gegone, labōn tēn tou doulou morphēn, hētis ēn hē anthrōpinē sarx. O gar Logos, phēsin ho Iōannēs, seirx egeneto. Ei de hanthrōpos gegonen, ou dei tinas epi tais toiautais phōnais skandalizesthai ; anthrōpou gar idion esti to ktizesthai, to ginesthai, to plattesthai, to kopiąn, to paschein, to apothnēskein, to ek nekrōn egeiresthai. Kaiōsper Logos ōn kai sophia tou Patros, echei panta ta tou Matros, to aidion, to atrepton, to kata panta kai en pasin homoion, to mē proteron kai hysteron, alla to synyparchein tǭ Patri, kai auto to tēs theotētos eidos auton einai, kai to dēmiourgikon, kai to mē ktizesthai; homoios gar ōn kata tēn ousian tou Patros, ouk an heiē ktistos, alla ktistēs, hōs autos heiʼrēken; '0 Patēr mou heōs arti ergazetai, kagō ergazomaio houtōs hanthrōpos gegonōs, kai sarka phoresas, ex anankēs ktizesthai legetai kai poieisthai, kai panta ta tēs sarkos idia, kan houtoi, hōs Ioudaïkoi kapēloi, ton oinon misgōsin hydati, tapeinsyntes ton Logon, kai tēn theotēta autou tais tōn gennētōn ennoiais hypoballontes. Dia touto gar heiʼkotōs kai dikaiōs hoi men Pateres,ēganaktēsan, kai anethematisan tēn asebestatēn tautēn aʼiresin, houtoi de hōs euelenkton kai pantachothen ousan sathran phobountai kai kryptousi. Kai gar brachea men tauta pros katagnōsin autōn hēmeis egrapsamen; ean de tis thelēsę̄ platyterǭ tǭ kat autōn elenchǭ chrēsasthai, heurēsei tēn atiresin tautēn Hellēnōn men hou makran, tōn de allōn hai.reseōn eschatēn kai trygian tynchanousan. Ekeinai men gar ē peri to sōma kai tēn enanthrōpēsin tou Kyriou planōntai, hai men houtōs, hai de ekeinōs iatapseudomenai, ē mēdolōs epidedēmēkenai ton Kyrion, hōs Ioudaioi nomizontes eplanēthēsan; hautē de monē manikōteron heis autēn tēn theotēta kataietolmēke, legousa mēdolōs einai ton Logon, mēdi ton Patera aei Patera einai.Othen eulogōs an tis katʼ autōn ekeinon heiʼpoi gegraphthai ton psalmon; Eipen aphrōn en kardią autou, Ouk esti Theos
“But it is written,” they say, “The Lord created me as a beginning of his ways for his works.” Uninstructed men, thunderstruck in mind! He was also called in the Scriptures a servant, and son of a handmaid, and lamb and sheep, and it is said that he grew weary, and thirsted, and was struck, and suffered. But such expressions have their reason and their fitting explanation close at hand, again indicated from the Scriptures. It is this: that he became man and Son of Man, taking the form of a servant, which was the human flesh. For “the Word,” says John, “became flesh.” And if he became man, no one ought to be offended at such expressions; for it is proper to man to be created, to come into being, to be fashioned, to toil, to suffer, to die, to rise from the dead. And just as, being the Word and Wisdom of the Father, he has all that is the Father's: eternity, unchangeableness, being like him in all respects and in all things, being neither earlier nor later but coexisting with the Father, being himself the very form of the Godhead, and the power to create, and not being created (for being like the Father in essence, he would not be created but creator, as he himself said, “My Father is working until now, and I am working”); so, having become man and bearing flesh, he is of necessity said to be created and made, and all that is proper to the flesh, even if these men, like Jewish hucksters, mix their wine with water, debasing the Word and subjecting his Godhead to the notions of things begotten. For this is why the Fathers were rightly and justly indignant and anathematized this most impious heresy, while these men fear it and hide it, as easily refuted and rotten on every side. And indeed we have written these few things to condemn them; but if anyone wishes to use a fuller refutation against them, he will find that this heresy is not far from the Greeks, and is the last and the dregs of the other heresies. For those err either about the body and the incarnation of the Lord, some falsifying in one way and some in another, or have gone astray like the Jews in thinking that the Lord has not come at all; but this one alone has more madly dared against the Godhead itself, saying that the Word does not exist at all, and that the Father is not always Father. So one might reasonably say that that psalm was written against them: “The fool said in his heart, There is no God.”
Prov 8:22 (quotation, high confidence) · Phil 2:7 (allusion, high confidence) · Ps 116:16 (115:7 LXX) (allusion, medium confidence) · Isa 53:7 (allusion, high confidence) · John 4:6 (allusion, high confidence) · John 19:28 (allusion, high confidence) · John 1:14 (quotation, high confidence) · John 5:17 (quotation, high confidence) · Isa 1:22 (allusion, high confidence) · Ps 14:1 (13:1 LXX) (quotation, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Athanasius answers the Arian appeal to “The Lord created me” by referring such expressions to Christ's human flesh, and judges Arianism worse than other heresies because it attacks the Godhead itself.
- “The Lord created me …”: Prov 8:22 (LXX), the chief Arian proof text. Servant: Phil 2:7; son of a handmaid: Ps 116:16 (LXX 115:7); lamb and sheep: Isa 53:7; weary: John 4:6; thirsted: John 19:28. “The Word became flesh”: John 1:14. “My Father is working …”: John 5:17. “Like … in essence” renders ὅμοιος κατὰ τὴν οὐσίαν. “Mix their wine with water”: Isa 1:22; “Jewish hucksters” is Athanasius's own polemic. “Things begotten” renders γεννητῶν as printed (γενητῶν, “things originate”, may be meant). “The fool said …”: Ps 14:1 (LXX 13:1).
Topics: Christology, Trinity, Heresy
Cite (SBL): Athanasius, Ep. Aeg. Lib. 17 (PG 25:576d–580a; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-epistula-episcopos-aegypti/11/#p-17). (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.
Chapter 18
18PG 25:580b–581b
Ἀλλά καὶ ίσχύομεν, φασὶ, καὶ δυνάμεθα ταῖς· πανουργίαις ’προστῆναι τῆς αἱρέσεως. Βελτίων δʼ ἃν γένοιτο αὐτῶν ἡ ἀπολογία, ἐὰν μὴ τέχνῃ τινὶ μηδὲ σοφίσμασιν Ἑλληνικοῖς, ἀλλʼ ἁπλῇ τῇ πίστει ταύτης προστῆναι δύνανται. Ούκοῦν εἷ τεθαῤῥήκασι καὶ γινώσκουσιν ἐκκλησιαστικὴν εἶναι ταύτην, λεγέτωσαν φανερῶς τὸ φρόνημα· οὐδεὶς γὰρ ἅψας λύχνον τίθησιν αὐτὸν ὑπὸ τὸν μόδιον, ἀλλʼ ἐπὶ τὴν λυχνίαν, καὶ λάμπει πᾶσι τοῖς εἰσερχομένοις. Ei. τοίνυν καὶ οὗτοι προστῆναι δύνανται, γραψάτωσαν τὰ προειρημένα, καὶ δειξάτωσαν πᾶσιν, ὡς λύχνον, γυ·μνὴν τήν ἑαυτῶν αʼίρεσιν· φανερῶς τε καὶ κατηγορείτωσαν Ἀλεξάνδροῦ τοῦ μακαρίτου ἐπισκόπου, ὡς ἀδίκως ἐκβαλόντος τὸν Ἀρειον λέγοντα ταῦτα, καὶ μεμφέπθωσαν τὴν ἐν Νικαίᾳ σύνοδον, ἀντὶ τῆς ἀσεβείας ὑπομνήσασαν καὶ γράψασαν τήν εὐσεβῆ πίστιν. _ Ἀλλʼ ού ποιήσουσιν, εῦ οῖδα, ὅτι ούχ οὕτως εῗσίν ἀγνῶτες ὧν ἐπλάσαντο καὶ φιλονεικοῦσιν ἐπισπεῖραι κακῶν ἀλλά καὶ μάλα γινώσκουσιν, ὅτι, κᾶν κατά τὴν ἀρχὴν τοὺς ἀκεραίους διὰ κενῆς ἀπάτης ὑφαρπάσωσιν, ἀλλʼ εὐθὺς ἡ "ewouz αὐτῶν ὡς φῶς ἀσεβῶν σβέννυται, καί στηλιτεύονται πανταχοῦ, ὡς τῆς ἀληθείας ἐχθροί. Διὰ τοῦτο γοῦν … πάντα μωρῶς ποιοῦντες, καὶ ὡς μωροὶ λαλοῦντες, τοῦτο μόνον, ὡς υἱοὶ τοῦ αἰῶνος ὄντες τούτου, φρονίμως πεποιήκασι, κρύπτοντες ὑπὸ τὸν μόδιον τὸν ἑαυτῶν λύχνον, ’ίνα νομίζηται φαίνειν, καὶ μὴ φαινόμενος ἀποσβεσθῇ καταγινωσκόμενος. Καὶ γὰρ καὶ αὖ· τὸς ’Ἄρειος ὁ τῆς μὲν αἱρέσεως ἔξαρχος, Εὖσεβίου δὲ κοινωνὸς, κληθεὶς ἐκ σπουδῆς τότε τῶν περὶ Εὐσέβιον παρὰ τοῦ μακαρίτου Κωνσταντίνου τοῦ Αὐγούστου, καὶ ἀπαιτούμενος εἰπεῖν ἐγγράφως τήν ἑαυτοῦ πίστιν, ἔγραώεν 6 δόλιος, κρύπτων μὲν τὰς ἶδίας τῆς ἀσεβείας λέξεις, ὐποκρινόμενος δὲ καὶ αὐτὸς, ὡς 6 6L66010;,ri τῶν Γραφῶν ῥήματα ἁπλᾶ, καὶ ὥς ἐστι γεγραμμένα. Εἶτα λέγοντος τοῦ μακαρίτου Κωνσταντίνου· ‹‹ Εἰ μηδὲν ἕτερον ἔχεις παρὰ ταῦτα ἐν τῇ διανοίᾳ, μάρτυρα τὴν ἀλήθειαν δός· ἀμύνεται γὰρ ἐπιορκήσανταὶ σε 6 Κύριοςʼ » ὤμοσεν 6 ἄθλιος μήτε ἔχειν, μήτε ἄλλα παρά τὰ νῦν γραφέντα κᾶν εἰρῆσθαι πώἐλάλησε μέσος.
Alla kai ischyomen, phasi, kai dynametha tais; panourgiais ’prostēnai tēs haireseōs. Beltiōn dʼ han genoito autōn hē apologia, ean mē technę̄ tini mēde sophismasin Hellēnikois, allʼ haplę̄ tę̄ pistei tautēs prostēnai dynantai. Oukoun hei tetharrhēkasi kai ginōskousin ekklēsiastikēn einai tautēn, legetōsan phanerōs to phronēma; oudeis gar hapsas lychnon tithēsin auton hypo ton modion, allʼ epi tēn lychnian, kai lampei pasi tois eiserchomenois. Ei. toinyn kai houtoi prostēnai dynantai, grapsatōsan ta proeirēmena, kai deixatōsan pasin, hōs lychnon, gy;mnēn tēn heautōn aʼiresin; phanerōs te kai katēgoreitōsan Alexandrou tou makaritou episkopou, hōs adikōs ekbalontos ton Areion legonta tauta, kai memphepthōsan tēn en Nikaią synodon, anti tēs asebeias hypomnēsasan kai grapsasan tēn eusebē pistin. _ Allʼ ou poiēsousin, eu oida, hoti ouch houtōs eïsin agnōtes hōn eplasanto kai philoneikousin epispeirai kakōn alla kai mala ginōskousin, hoti, kan kata tēn archēn tous akeraious dia kenēs apatēs hypharpasōsin, allʼ euthys hē "ewouz autōn hōs phōs asebōn sbennytai, kai stēliteuontai pantachou, hōs tēs alētheias echthroi. Dia touto goun … panta mōrōs poiountes, kai hōs mōroi lalountes, touto monon, hōs huioi tou aiōnos ontes toutou, phronimōs pepoiēkasi, kryptontes hypo ton modion ton heautōn lychnon, ’ina nomizētai phainein, kai mē phainomenos aposbesthę̄ kataginōskomenos. Kai gar kai au; tos ’Areios ho tēs men haireseōs exarchos, Eusebiou de koinōnos, klētheis ek spoudēs tote tōn peri Eusebion para tou makaritou Kōnstantinou tou Augoustou, kai apaitoumenos eipein engraphōs tēn heautou pistin, egraōen 6 dolios, kryptōn men tas idias tēs asebeias lexeis, ypokrinomenos de kai autos, hōs 6 6L66010?,ri tōn Graphōn rhēmata hapla, kai hōs esti gegrammena. Eita legontos tou makaritou Kōnstantinou; ‹‹ Ei mēden heteron echeis para tauta en tę̄ dianoią, martyra tēn alētheian dos; amynetai gar epiorkēsantai se 6 Kyriosʼ » ōmosen 6 athlios mēte echein, mēte alla para ta nyn graphenta kan eirēsthai pōelalēse mesos.
“But we are strong,” they say, “and able by our cleverness to champion the heresy.” Their defense would be better if they could champion it not by some art or by Greek sophistries, but by simple faith. So if they are confident and know that it belongs to the Church, let them state their mind openly; for no one who lights a lamp puts it under the bushel, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who come in. If, then, these men can champion it, let them write what was stated above, and show their heresy naked to all, like a lamp; and let them openly accuse the blessed bishop Alexander of having unjustly cast out Arius for saying these things, and let them find fault with the council of Nicaea for recording and writing down the pious faith instead of the impiety. But they will not do it, I know well; for they are not so ignorant of the evils they have fashioned and are eager to sow; on the contrary, they know very well that even if at first they carry off the innocent by empty deceit, their invention is at once quenched like the light of the ungodly, and they are branded everywhere as enemies of the truth. For this reason, then, … doing all things foolishly and speaking as fools, in this alone, as sons of this age, they have acted prudently: they hide their lamp under the bushel, so that it may be thought to shine, and lest, appearing, it be condemned and put out. For Arius himself too, the originator of the heresy and the associate of Eusebius, when he was summoned at that time, through the efforts of Eusebius and his party, by Constantine Augustus of blessed memory, and was required to state his faith in writing, the crafty man wrote it, hiding the words proper to his impiety and pretending, like the devil, to the words of the Scriptures, simply and as they are written. Then, when Constantine of blessed memory said, “If you have nothing else in your mind beside these, take the truth as your witness; for the Lord avenges you if you swear falsely,” the wretch swore that he neither held nor had ever said anything other than what he had now written … burst asunder in the middle.
Textual problem in this passage: see the notes.
Matt 5:15 (allusion, high confidence) · Col 2:8 (echo, medium confidence) · Prov 13:9 (allusion, high confidence) · Luke 16:8 (allusion, high confidence) · Acts 1:18 (allusion, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Athanasius challenges the Arians to state their doctrine openly, and recalls how Arius hid his views and swore a false oath before Constantine.
- “No one who lights a lamp …”: Matt 5:15 (Luke 11:33). “Empty deceit”: Col 2:8. “The light of the ungodly is quenched”: Prov 13:9. “Sons of this age”: Luke 16:8. An unreadable line after “For this reason, then,” is marked …. “Like the devil” renders the OCR's garbled “ὡς ὁ 6L66010;,ri” by sense. Lines are lost after “what he had now written”: the scan runs on to the end of the account of Arius's death, “burst asunder in the middle” (an echo of Acts 1:18, said of Judas).
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (an unreadable OCR line replaced by …): Διὰ τοῦτο γοῦν -ηιιπι ητ vn ""‘r'm‘ τινι-νʼ —'" ’νʼ-ν ινν· \"‘l πάντα → Διὰ τοῦτο γοῦν … πάντα.
Topics: Heresy
Cite (SBL): Athanasius, Ep. Aeg. Lib. 18 (PG 25:580b–581b; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-epistula-episcopos-aegypti/11/#p-18). (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.
Chapter 19
19PG 25:581b–584d
( 8) Πᾶσι μὲν οὖν ἀνθρώποις κοινὸν τοῦ βίου τέλος 6 θάνατός ἐστι, καὶ ού δεῖ τινας ἐπεμβαίνειν Β , κᾶν ἐχθρὸς 6 τελευτήσας, ἀδήλου ὄντος μὴ ἕως ἑσπέρας καὶ αὐτοὺς τοῦτο καταλάβῃ· τὸ δὲ τέλος Ἀρείου, ἐπεὶ ἁπλῶς γέγονε, διὰ τοῦτο καὶ διηγήματος ἄξιόν ἐστι. Τῶν γὰρ περὶ Εὐσέβιον ἀπειλούντων εἰσαγαγεῖν αὐτὸν εἰς τὴν ἐκκλησίαν, 6 μὲν ἐπίσκοπος τῆς Κωνσταυτινουπόλεως Ἀλέξανδρος ἀντέλεγεν, 6 δὲ Ἄρειος ἐθάρρει τῇ βίᾳ καὶ ταῖς ἀπειλαῖς Εὐσεβίου· σάββατον γὰρ ἧν, καὶ προσεδόκα τῇ ἐξῆς συνάγεσθαι. Πολὺς τοίνυν ἦν ἀγὼν, ἐκείνων μὲν ἀπειλούντων, Ἀλεξάνδρου δὲ εὖ· χομένου · ἀλλʼ 6 Κύριος κριτὴς γενόμενος ἐβράὃευσε κατὰ τῶν ἀδικούντων. Οὔπω γὰρ 6 ἥλιος ἔδυ, καὶ χρείας αὐτὸν ὲλκυσάσης εἷς τόπον, ἐκεῖ κατέπεσε, καὶ ἀγφοτέρων τῆς τε κοινωνίας καὶ τοῦ ζῆν εὐθὺς ἐστερήθη. Kal? 6 μὲν μακαρίτης Κωνσταντῖνος εὐθὺς ἀκούσας ἐθαύμασεν, ἰδὼν ἐλεγχθέντα τοῦτον ἐπίοροκον · πᾶσι δὲ γέγονε τότε φανερὸν, ὅτι τῶν μὲν περὶ Εὐσὲβιον ἡσθὲνησαν αἱ ἀπειλαὶ, καὶ ἡ ἐλπὶς Ἀρείου ματαία γέγονεν, Ἐδείχθη δὲ πάλιν, ὅτι παρα τοῦ Σωτῆρος ἀκοινώνητος γέγονεν ἠ Ἀρειανὴ ματία καί ὦδε καὶ έν τῇ πρωτοτόκων ἐν οὗ· ρανοῖς Ἐκκλησία. Τίς οὖν οὐκ ἂν θαυμάσειεν ὁρῶν τούτους ἀδίκως φιλονεικοῦντας, οὓς 6 Κύριος κατέκρινε, καὶ βλέπων αὐτοὺς ἐκδικοῦντας τήν αʼίρεσιν, ἣν Κύριοσ ἀκοινώνητον ἤλεγξε, μὴ ἀφεῖς τὸν ταύτης ἔξαρχον εἷσελθεῖν εἷς τὴν ἐκκλησίαν, καὶ μὴ φοβουμένους τὸ γεγραμμένον, ἀλλʼ ἀδυνάτοις ἐπιχειροῦντας ; "A γὰρ 6 Θεὸς ὁ ἅγιος βεβούλευται, τίς διασκεδάσει ; καί ὃν ὁ Θεὸς κατέκρινε, τίς 6 δικαιῶν ; Ἐκεῖνοι μὲν οὗν, ὡς ἰδίας φαντασίας ἐκδικοῦντες, γραφέτωσαν ἃ θέλουσιν· ὑμεῖς δὲ, ἀδελφοὶ, ὡς τὰ τοῦ Κυρίου σκεύη φέροντες, καὶ τὰ τῆς Ἐκκλησίας ἐκδικοῦντες δόγματα. παρακαλῶ, δοκιμασταὶ γίνεσθε τοῦ πράγματοςο καὶ εἰ μὲν ἑτέρας παρὰ τὰς προειρημένας Ἀρείου λέξεις γράφουσιν, ἐντεῦθεν ὡς ὑποκριτῶν τούτων κατάγνωτε, κρυπτόντων μὶν τὸν ἰὸν τοῦ φρονήματος, σαινόντων δὲ κατὰ τὸν ὄφιν τοῖς ἀπὸ χειλέων ῥήμασι. Καὶ γὰρ ταῦτα γράφοντες ἔχουσι μεθʼ ἑαυτῶν τοὺς ἐκβληθέντας τότε μετὰ Ἀρείου, Σεκοῦνδον τὰν Πενταπολίτην, καὶ τοὺς ἐν Ἀλεξανδρείᾳ ποτὲ ἐλεγχθέντας κληρικοὺς, τούτοις τε γράφουσιν ὲν τῇ ’Δλεξανδρείφ καί τό γε θαυμαστὸν, ἡμᾶς μὲν καί τοὺς μεθʼ ἡμῶν ἐποίησαν διωχθῆναι, καίτοι τοῦ εὐσεβεστάτου βασιλέως Κωνσταντίνου μετʼ εἰρήνης ἀποστείλαντος ἡμᾶς εἷς τὴν πατρίδα καὶ τὴν ἐκκλησίαν, καὶ κηδομένου τῆς ὁμονοίας τῶν λαῶνʼ τούτοις δὲ παραδοθῆναι νῦν πεποιήκασι τὰς ἐκκλησίας, καί πᾶσιν ἔδειξαν, ὅτι τούτων χάριν ἡ πᾶσα καθʼ ’ί μῶν ἐξ ἀρχῆς καὶ κατά τῶν ἑτέρων γέγονεν ἐπιβουλή.
( 8) Pasi men oun anthrōpois koinon tou biou telos 6 thanatos esti, kai ou dei tinas epembainein B , kan echthros 6 teleutēsas, adēlou ontos mē heōs hesperas kai autous touto katalabę̄; to de telos Areiou, epei haplōs gegone, dia touto kai diēgēmatos axion esti. Tōn gar peri Eusebion apeilountōn eisagagein auton eis tēn ekklēsian, 6 men episkopos tēs Kōnstautinoupoleōs Alexandros antelegen, 6 de Areios etharrei tę̄ bią kai tais apeilais Eusebiou; sabbaton gar hēn, kai prosedoka tę̄ exēs synagesthai. Polys toinyn ēn agōn, ekeinōn men apeilountōn, Alexandrou de eu; chomenou ; allʼ 6 Kyrios kritēs genomenos ebraoeuse kata tōn adikountōn. Oupō gar 6 hēlios edy, kai chreias auton elkysasēs heis topon, ekei katepese, kai agphoterōn tēs te koinōnias kai tou zēn euthys esterēthē. Kal? 6 men makaritēs Kōnstantinos euthys akousas ethaumasen, idōn elenchthenta touton epiorokon ; pasi de gegone tote phaneron, hoti tōn men peri Eusebion hēsthenēsan hai apeilai, kai hē elpis Areiou mataia gegonen, Edeichthē de palin, hoti para tou Sōtēros akoinōnētos gegonen ē Areianē matia kai ōde kai en tę̄ prōtotokōn en hou; ranois Ekklēsia. Tis oun ouk an thaumaseien horōn toutous adikōs philoneikountas, hous 6 Kyrios katekrine, kai blepōn autous ekdikountas tēn aʼiresin, hēn Kyrios akoinōnēton ēlenxe, mē apheis ton tautēs exarchon heiselthein heis tēn ekklēsian, kai mē phoboumenous to gegrammenon, allʼ adynatois epicheirountas ? "A gar 6 Theos ho hagios bebouleutai, tis diaskedasei ? kai hon ho Theos katekrine, tis 6 dikaiōn ? Ekeinoi men houn, hōs idias phantasias ekdikountes, graphetōsan ha thelousin; hymeis de, adelphoi, hōs ta tou Kyriou skeuē pherontes, kai ta tēs Ekklēsias ekdikountes dogmata. parakalō, dokimastai ginesthe tou pragmatoso kai ei men heteras para tas proeirēmenas Areiou lexeis graphousin, enteuthen hōs hypokritōn toutōn katagnōte, kryptontōn min ton ion tou phronēmatos, sainontōn de kata ton ophin tois apo cheileōn rhēmasi. Kai gar tauta graphontes echousi methʼ heautōn tous ekblēthentas tote meta Areiou, Sekoundon tan Pentapolitēn, kai tous en Alexandreią pote elenchthentas klērikous, toutois te graphousin en tę̄ ’Dlexandreiph kai to ge thaumaston, hēmas men kai tous methʼ hēmōn epoiēsan diōchthēnai, kaitoi tou eusebestatou basileōs Kōnstantinou metʼ eirēnēs aposteilantos hēmas heis tēn patrida kai tēn ekklēsian, kai kēdomenou tēs homonoias tōn laōnʼ toutois de paradothēnai nyn pepoiēkasi tas ekklēsias, kai pasin edeixan, hoti toutōn charin hē pasa kathʼ ’i mōn ex archēs kai kata tōn heterōn gegonen epiboulē.
Death is the common end of life for all men, and one ought not to trample on anyone, even if the dead man was an enemy, since it is uncertain whether the same will not overtake us too before evening. But the end of Arius, since it did not happen in an ordinary way, is for that reason worth telling. When Eusebius and his party were threatening to bring him into the church, Alexander, the bishop of Constantinople, opposed it; but Arius was confident in the violence and threats of Eusebius. For it was the Sabbath, and he expected to join in the assembly on the next day. There was, then, a great struggle, they threatening and Alexander praying; but the Lord, becoming judge, gave decision against the wrongdoers. For the sun had not yet set when, need having drawn him to a certain place, he fell down there, and was at once deprived both of communion and of life. And Constantine of blessed memory, hearing of it, was at once amazed, seeing him convicted of perjury; and it became plain to all then that the threats of Eusebius and his party had been powerless and the hope of Arius had come to nothing. And it was shown again that the Arian madness had been excluded from communion by the Savior, both here and in the Church of the firstborn in heaven. Who, then, would not be amazed, seeing these men contending unjustly for those whom the Lord condemned, and championing the heresy which the Lord proved to be excluded from communion, by not permitting its originator to enter the church, and not fearing what is written, but attempting the impossible? For “what the holy God has purposed, who shall frustrate?” and whom God has condemned, who is he that justifies? Let them, then, as championing their own fancies, write what they wish; but you, brothers, as bearers of the vessels of the Lord and champions of the doctrines of the Church, I beseech you, be examiners of the matter; and if they write words other than the words of Arius stated above, condemn them from that as hypocrites, hiding the poison of their mind and fawning like the serpent with words from the lips. For in writing these things they have with them those who were cast out with Arius at that time, Secundus of the Pentapolis, and the clergy once convicted in Alexandria, and they write to them in Alexandria; and what is remarkable, they caused us and those with us to be persecuted, although the most pious Emperor Constantine sent us back in peace to our country and our church and cared for the concord of the people; but to these men they have now caused the churches to be handed over, and have shown all that it was for their sake that the whole plot against us and against the others was made from the beginning.
Heb 12:23 (allusion, high confidence) · Isa 14:27 (quotation, high confidence) · Rom 8:33 (allusion, medium confidence) · Isa 52:11 (allusion, medium confidence) · Gen 3:1 (echo, low confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Athanasius tells of Arius's sudden death at Constantinople on the eve of his readmission, and urges the bishops to judge the Arians' writings by Arius's own words.
- The OCR prints “(8)” at the opening, probably a stray marker; left untranslated. Arius died in Constantinople in 336; Athanasius tells the story more fully in his letter to Serapion On the Death of Arius. “Sabbath” is Saturday. The Church of the firstborn: Heb 12:23. “What the holy God has purposed …”: Isa 14:27; “who is he that justifies?”: an adaptation of Rom 8:33–34. The vessels of the Lord: Isa 52:11. The Emperor Constantine here is Constantine II, who sent Athanasius back from exile in 337.
Topics: Heresy
Cite (SBL): Athanasius, Ep. Aeg. Lib. 19 (PG 25:581b–584d; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-epistula-episcopos-aegypti/11/#p-19). (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.
Chapter 20
20PG 25:584d–593d
Πῶς οὖν, ταῦτα ποιοῦντες, δύνανται ταῦτα γράφοντες πιστεύεσθαι ; Εἰ γὰρ ἔγραφον ὀρθῶς, ἐξήλειφον ἢν ἔγραψεν 6 ’Ἄρειος Θαλείαν, καὶ …
Pōs oun, tauta poiountes, dynantai tauta graphontes pisteuesthai ? Ei gar egraphon orthōs, exēleiphon ēn egrapsen 6 ’Areios Thaleian, kai …
How, then, when they do these things, can they be believed when they write these things? For if they were writing correctly, they would blot out the Thalia that Arius wrote, and …
Notes and citation
Summary: Athanasius begins to argue that the Arians would be believed only if they renounced Arius's Thalia; the rest of the letter is lost in the scan.
- Only the first words of chapter 20 survive in the scan. The rest of the letter (chapters 20–23) is missing; in its place the scan has pages of another work of Athanasius, the Defence against the Arians (chapters 74–80: the protest of the Mareotic clergy and the letters of the Egyptian bishops, of Alexander of Thessalonica and of Count Dionysius), which were removed by a logged correction.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (pages of the Defence against the Arians (74–80), bound into this place in the scan, removed; the rest of this letter is lost): 01 Α ΥΤῸΙ ιιοὸς τὸν Κουριῶσον καὶ Φιλάγριον, τότε λεγόμε· νον ἔπαρχον Αἰγύπτου. Φλαβίῳ Φιλαγρίῳ, καὶ Φλαβίῳ Παλλαδίῳ δουκινα· ρίῳ Παλατίνῳ, Κουριιὶισῳ, καὶ Φλαβίῳ Ἀντωνίνῳ βιάρχῳ κεντηναρίῳ τῶν κυρίων μου τῶν λαμπροτάτων ἐπάρχων τοῦ ἱεροῦ πραιτωρίου, παρὰ τῶν πρεσβυτέρων καὶ διακόνων τοῦ Μαρεώτου,νομοῦ τῆς ηθολικῆς Ἐκκλησίας τῆς ὑπὸ τὸν αἱδεσιμὼτατον ἐπίσκοπον Ἀθανάσιον, διὰ τῶν ἑξῆς ὑπογραφόντων, τάδε μαρτυρούμενοι ὲπιδιδόαμεν 75. Ἐπειδὴ Θεόγνιος, καὶ Μάρις, καὶ Μακεδόνιος, καὶ Θεόδωρος, καὶ Οὐρσάκιος, καὶ Οὐάλης, ὡς ἁποσταλέντες ὑπὸ πάντων τῶν ἐπισκόπων τῶν συνελθόντων ἐν τῇ Τύρῳ, ἀπήντησαν ὲν τῇ ἡμετέρᾳ παροιο κίςι, φάσκοντες ἐντολὰς εἰληφέναι, ὡς ζητῆσαί τινα ἐκκλησιαστικὰ πράγματα, ὲν οἷς ἔλεγον καὶπερὶ ποτηρίου κυριακοῢ κεκλασμένου, ὑποβληθέντος αύmi; ὑπὸ Ἰσχύρα, δν ἧγαγον μεθʼ ἑαυτῶν, λέγοντος ἑαυτὸν εἶναι πρεσβύτερον, ὃς οὐκ ἐστι πρεσβύτερος. Ὑπὸ γὰρ Κολλούθου τοῦ πρεσβυτέρου (pavuσθέντος ἐπισκοπὴν, καὶ ὓστερον ὑπὸ κοινῆς συνόδου Ὀσὶου καὶ τῶν σὺν αὑτῷ ἐπισκόπων κελευσθέντος πρεσβυτέρου εἶναι, καθὸ καὶ πρότερον ἦν, κατεστάθη · καὶκατὰ ἀκολουθίαν πάντες οἱ ὑπὸ Κολλούθου κατασταθέντες ἀνέδραμον είς τὸν αὑτὸν τόπον, είς ὃν καὶπρότερον ἦσαν, ὡς καὶ αὐτὸς Ἰσχύρας λαῖκδς ὤφθη. ”Ην τε λέγει ἔχειν ἐκκλησίαν, μηδὲ πώποτε ἐκκλησίαν γεγενῆσθαι, ἀλλὀίκητικδνιοίκημάτιον μικρὸν ὀρφανοῦ παιδίου Ἰσίωνος τοῦνομα. Καὶ διά τοι *τοῦτο τῇδε τῇ διαμαρτυρίᾳ ἐχρησάμεθα, ἐπορκίζοντές σε κατὰ τοῦ παντοκράτορος Θεοῦ, καὶ κατὰ τῶν δεσποτῶν ἡμῶν Κωνσταντίνου τοῦ Αὐγοιῖ που, καὶ τῶν ἑπιφανεστᾶτων Καισάρων παίδων αὐτοῦ, ταῦτα αὐτὰ είς γνῶσιν ἀνενεγκεῖν τῇ εὐσεβείᾳ αὐτῶν. Οὔτε γὰρ πρεσβύτερός ἐστι τῆς καθολιπῆς Ἐκκλησίας, οὔτε ἐκκλησίαν ἔχει, οὔτε ποτὲ ποτὴριον ἐκλάσθη, ἀλλὰ πάντα ψεύδεται, καὶ πλάττεται. ’Υπατείᾳ Ἰουλίου Κωνσταντίου τοῦ λαμπροτάτου πατρικίου, ἀδελφοῦ τοῦ εὐσεβεστάτου βασιλέως Κωνσταντίνου τοῦ Αὐγούστου, καὶ Ῥουφίνου ’Δλβίνου, τῶν λαμπροτάτων, Θὼθ δεκάτῃ. Ui μὲν οὖν πρεσβύτεροι ταῦτα. Τί. ’Δ δὲ καὶ oi ἐπίσκοποι, οί μεθʼ ἡμῶν neum; tl; τὴν Τύρον, συνορῶντες τὴν συσκευὴν ἐπιβουλὴν, ἔγραψαν καὶ διεμαρτύραντο, ἔστι ταῦταʼ ἳὉΙΣ ΕΝ ΤΥΡῼ ΣΥΝΕΛΘΟΥΣΙΝ ΕιπΣκοηοιΣ, κυρίοις τιμιωτάτοις, οὶ ἀπʼ Αἰγύπτου σὺν Ἀθαafao'lcp aloen“ τῆς ωθολικῆς Ἔκκλησίας, ἐν Κιφίῳ χαίρειν. Οὐκέτι νομίζομεν τὴν συσκευὴν ἄδηλον εἶναι, τὴν παρά τῶν περὶ Εὑσέβιον, καὶ Θεόγνιον, καὶ Μάριν, καὶ Νάρκισσον, καὶ Θεόδωρονξ, καὶ Πατρόφιλον ἡμῖν γινομένην. Καὶ κατʼ ἀρχὴν μὲν γὰρ παρῃτούμεθα πάντες διὰ τοῦ συλλειτουργοῦ ἡ μῶν Ἀθανασίου, παρόντων αὑτῶν τὴν ἀκρόασιν γενέσθαι· εἰδότες, ὅτι καὶ ἐνὸς μόνου ἐχθροῦ παρουσία, μήτιγε πολλῶν, ταράττειν καὶ βλάπτειν δύναται τὴν ἀκρόασιν. Οἶδα. τε γὰρ καὶ ὑμεῖς αὑτοὶ τὴν ἔχθραν αὑτῶν, ἣν οὑ πρὸς ἡμᾶς μόνον ἐσχήκασιν, ἀλλὰ καὶ πρὸς πάντας τοὺς όρθοδόξους, ὅτι διὰ τὴν Ἀρείου μανίαν, καὶ τὴν ἀσεβῆ διδασκαλίαν ἐκείνου κατὰ πάντων ἐπιφύονται, καὶ πᾶσι συσκευάζονται. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ θαρροῦντες ἡμεῖς τῇ ἀληθείᾳ, δεῖξαι τὴν συκοφαντίαν τὴν κατὰ τῆς Ἐκκλησίας ὑπὸ τῶν Μελιτιανῶν γινομένην ἠθελήσαμεν, οὑκ οἴδαμεν πῶς οἱ περ) Εὑσέβιον ταράττειν τά παρʼ ἡμῶν λεγόμενα ἐπειρῶντο, καὶ ἐπὶ πολὺ ἐσπούδαζον τὰ παρʼ ὴμῶν λεγόμενα ἐκβάλλεσθαι, τοῖς μὲν ἀκεραίως δικάζουσιν ἀπειλοῦντες, τοὺς δὲ καὶ ὑβρίζοντες, μόνον ἵνα τὸ καθʼ ἡμῶν σπουδαζόμενον αὑτοῖς γένηται. Kal. ἴσως ἡ ἔνθεος ὑμῶν εὐλάβεια, κύριοι τιμιώτατοι, ἠγνόει τὴν γενο· μένην παρʼ αὑτῶν συσκευήνο ἁλλά νῦν νομίζομεν φανερὰν γεγενῆσθαι αὑτήν. ’1δοὺ γὰρ φανερῶς αὑτοὶ τὴν συσκευὴν ἐνεδείξαντο · τοὺς γὰρ ἐξ αὑτῶν ὑποο πτευομένους ἀποστεῖλαιἠθέλησαν εἰς τὸν Μαρεώτην, ἴνα, ἀπόντων ὴ μῶν καὶ ἐνταῦθα μενόντων, τοὺς λαοὺς ταράξωσιν, ἃ δὲ βούλονται διαπράξωνται. Εἶδον γὰρ, ὃτι οξ Ἀρειομανῖται, καὶ Κολλουθιανοὶ καὶ Μελιτιανοὶ, ἐχθροὶ τῆς καθολικῆς Ἑκκλησίας εἰσί · διὰ τοῦτο ἐσπούδασαν ἀποστεῖλαι τούτους, ἵνα, παρόντων ἐχθρῶν, καττὺσωσι καθʼ ἡμῶν ἃ. βούλονται. Kal γὰρ οἱ ἐνταῦθα τῶν Μελιτιανῶν ἀπέστειλαν ἐξ ἐαυτῶν τινας, καὶ πρὸ τεσσάρων μὲν ἡμερῶν, ὥσπερ εἰδότες τοῦτο τὸ σκέμμα γιγνόμενον ἔσεσθαι, καὶ ἑσπέραν δέ βηριδαρίους πρὸςτὸ καὶ ἀπὸ τῆς Αἰγύπτου Μελιτιανοὺς συναγαγεῖν εἰς τὸν Μαρεώτην, διὰ τὸ μὴ εἶναι ἐκεῖ μηδένα καθόλου, καὶ Κολλουθιανοὺς καὶ Ἀρειομανίτας ἀπὸ ἄλλων τό· πων, καὶ καττῦσαι καθʼ ήμῶν αὑτοὺς λέγειν. Οἴδατε γὰρ καὶ ὑμεῖς, ὅτι αὐτὸς ἰσχὺρας ὡμολόγησεν ἐφʼ ὑμῶν οὑ πλέον ἐπτά συναγομένων ἔχειν. Ἐπεὶ οὑν μετά τὸ αὑτοὺς κατασκευάσαι ὅπερ βούλονται, καὶ ἀποστεῖλαι τοὺς ὑπόπτους, ἠκούσαμεν, δτι καθʼ ἐκαστον ὑμῶν περιερχόμενοι ἀπαιτοῦσιν ὑπογραφὴν. πρὸς τὸ δοκεῖν τῇ πάντων ὑμῶν σκέψει γεγενῆσθαι · τούτου ἕνεκεν γράψαι ὑμῖν ἠπείχθημεν, καὶ ἐπιδοῦο ναι τόδε τὸ μαρτύριον · μαρτυρόμενοι μὲν, ὅτι συπευαζόμεθα καὶ πάσχομεν ὑπʼ αὑτῶν καὶ διʼ αὑτῶν ἐπιβουλὴν, ἀξιοῦντες δέ ὅπως ἐν νῷ λαβόντες τὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ φὸὄον, καὶ καταγνόντες,ὅτι χωρὶς ’ἡμῶν ἀπέστειλαν οὒς ἠθέλησαν, μὴ ὑπογράψητε, ἵνα μὴ, ἅπερ αὐτοὶ καθʼ ἑαυτοὺς καττύουσι, ταῦτα ὼς παρʼ ὑμῶν γιγνόμενα λέγωσι. Καὶ γὰρ πρέπει τοὺς ὲν Χριστῷ ἀνθρώπους μὴ είς ἀνθρώπινα βλέπειν, ἀλλά τὴν ἀλήθειαν πάντων προκρίνειν. Καὶ μήτε ἀπειλὴνῇ χρῶνται πρὸς πάντας, μήτε συσκευὴν φοόηθῆτε, ἀλλά μᾶλλον τὸν Θεόν. Ἔδει γὰρ, εἴπερ ἧν ὅλως ἀκόλουθον είς τὸν Μαρεώτην ἀποσταλῆναι, καὶ ἡμᾶς συμπαρεῖναι, ἵνα τοὺς μὲν ἐχθροὺς τῆςῈκκλησίας ἐλέγξωμεν, τοὺς δὲ ξένους ἀποδείξωμεν, καὶ καθαρά τοῦ πράγματος ἡ ἔρευνα γένηται. υἴδατε γὰρ, ὅτι οἱ περὶ Εὐσέβιον ἐκάττυσαν ἐπιστολὴν ἐπιδοθῆναι, ὡς ἀπὸ Κολλουθιανῶν, καὶ Μελιτιανῶν, καὶ ’Δρειανῶν, γραφεῖσαν καθʼ ἡμῶν· καὶ δῆλον, ὅτι αὐτοὶ oi ἐχθροὶ τῆς καθολικῆς Ἐκκλησίας οὐδὲν ἀληθὲς περὶ ἡμῶν, ἀλλά πάντα καθʼ ἡ μῶν λέγουσιν. ’0 δὲ νόμος τοῦ Θεοῦ οὔτε ἐχθρὸν μάρτυρα, οὔτε κριτὴν εἶναι βούλεται. Λοιπὸν ὡς ὲν ἡμέρα κρίσεως λόγον μέλλοντες διδόναι, λαβόντες τὸ μαρτύριον τοῦτο, καὶ γνόντες συσκευὴν τὴν καθʼ ἡ μῶν γενομένην, παρακληθέντες φυλάξασθε μηδέν τι καθʼ ήμῶν πρᾶξαι, μηδὲ συνάρασθαιτῇ τῶν περὶ Εὑσέβιον σκέψει. Kal. γάρ πάλιν οἴδατε, ὡς προείπομεν, ὼς ἐχμεθα, κύριοι ποθεινότατοι. ΦΑΑΒΙῼ ΔιοΝΥΣιρ λαμπροτάτῳ κόμητι παρὰ τῶν ἐπισκόπων τῆς Αἰγύπτου καθολικῆςί ’ἔκκλησίαα τῶν ἐλθόντώῶ- ε ς υρον. Οὐκ ἔτι νομίζομεν τὴν συσκευὴν ἄδηλον εἶναι τὴν παρὰ τῶν περὶ Εὑσέόιον, καὶ Θεόγνιον, καὶ Μάριν, καὶ Νάρκισσον, καὶ Θεόδωρον, καὶ Πατρόφιλον ἡμῖν γιγνομένην. Κατʼ ἀρχὴν μὲν γὰρ παρῃτούμεθα πάντες διὰ τοῦ συλλειτουργοῦ ἡμῶν Ἀθανασίου, παρόντων αὐτῶν, τὴν ἀκρόασιν γενέσθαι ° είδότες, ὅτι καὶ ἐνὸς μόνου ἐχθροῦ παρουσία, μήτιγε πολλῶν, ταράττειν καὶ βλάπτειν δύναται τὴν ἀκρόασιν. Φανε ρὰ γάρ ἐστινὴ ἔχθρα αὐτῶν, ἣν οὐ πρὸς ήμᾶςξ μόνον ἐσχήκασιν, ἀλλά καὶ πρὸς πάντας τοὺς ὀρθοδόξους ο ὅτι κατά πάντας ἐπιφύονται, καὶ πᾶσι συσκευάζονται· ἐπειδὴ δὲ θαρροῦντες ἡμεῖς τῇ ἀληθείᾳ, δεῖξαι τὴν ι) συκοφαντίαν τὴν κατά τῆς Ἐκκλησίας ὑπὸ τῶν Μελιτιανῶν γενομένην ἠθελήσαμεν, οὐκ οἴδαμεν πῶς αὑτοίοὶ περὶ Εὑσέβιον ταράττειν τὰ παρʼ ήμῶν λεγόμενα ἐπειρῶντο ο καὶ ἐπὶ πολὺ ἐσπούδαζον τὰ παρʼ ἡμῶν λεγόμενα ἐκβάλλεσθαι, τοῖς μὲν ἀκεραίως δικάζουσιν ἀπειλοῦντες, τοὺς δὲ καὶ ὑβρίζοντες, μόνον ἵνα τὸ καθʼ ἡ μῶν σπουδαζόμενον αὐτοῖς γένηται. Καὶ ῐσως ἡ χρηστότης ὑμῶν ἠγνόει τὴν καθʼ ήμῶν γινομένην παρʼ αὐτῶν συσκευήν ’ ἀλλά νῦν νομίζομεν φανερὰν αὐτὴν γεγενῆσθαι. Ἰδοὺ γάρ φανερῶς αὑτοὶ τὴν συσκευὴν ἐνεδείξαντο· τοὺς γὰρ ἐξ ἑαυτῶν ἀποστεῖλαι ἠθέλησαν είς τὸν Μαρεώτην · ἵνα, ἀπόντων ἡμῶν, καὶ ἐνταῦθα μενόντων, τοὺς μὲν λαοὺς ταράξωσιν. ἀ δὲ βούλονται διαπράξωνται. mm; γάρ, ὅτι Ἀρειομανῖται καὶ Κολλουθιανοὶ, καὶ Μελιτιανοὶ, ἐχθροὶ τῆς Ἐκκλησίας εἰσὶ, διὰ τοῦτο ὲσπούο δασαν ἀποστεῖλαι τούτους · ἵνα, παρόντων ἐχθρῶν, καττύσωσι καθʼ ήμῶν ἀ βούλονται. Καὶ γὰρ ήδη οἱ ἐνταῦθα Μελιτιανοὶ ἀπέστειλαν ἐξ αὐτῶν τινας, καὶ πρὸ τεσσάρων μὲν ἡμερῶν, ὥσπερ εἰδότες τοῦτο τὸ σκέμμα γενόμενον ἔσεσθαι, καὶ ἑσπέραν δὲ δύο βηριδαρίους πρὸς τὸ καὶ ἀπὸ τῆς Αἰγύπτου Μερ λιτιανοῦς συναγαγεῖν είς τὸν Μαρεώτην, διὰ τὸ μὴ εἶναι ἐκεῖ μηδένα καθόλου, καὶ Κολλουθιανοὺς καὶ Ἀρειομανίτας ἀπʼ ἄλλων τόπων· καὶ καττύσαι καθʼ ἡμῶν αὐτοὺς λέγειν. Οἵδε δέ σου ή χρηστότης, ὅτι αύτὸςὼμολόγησεν ἐπὶ σοῦ μὴ πλέον ὲπτά συναγομένων ἔχειν. Ἐπεὶ οῦν μετά τὸ αὐτοὺς κατασκευάσαι ὅπερ βούλονται, καὶ ἀποστεῖλαι τοὺς ὑπόπτας, ἡκούσαμεν, ὅτι καθʼ ἕκαστον τῶν ἐπισκόπων περιερχόμενοι, ἀπαιτοῦσιν ὑπογραφὴν, πρὸς τὸ δοκεῖν τῇ πάντων αὐτῶν σκέψει γενέσθαι · τούτου ἕνεκεν ἀνενεγκεῖν ἐπὶ τὴν σήν λαμπρότητα ὴπείχθημεν, καὶ ἐπιδοῦναι τόδε τὸ μαρτύριον · μαρτυρόμενοι μὲν, δτι συσκευαζόμεθα, καὶ πάσχομεν ὑπʼ αὐτῶν καὶ διʼ αὐτῶν ἐπιβουλὴν, ἀξιοῦντες δὲ ὃπως, ὲν νῷ λαβὼν τὸν φόβον τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ τὰς εὐσεβεῖς ἐντολὰς τοῦ θεοφιλεστάτου βασιλέως, ὼς καταγνοὺς, ὅτι χωρὶς ή μῶν οὓς ἠθέλησαν ἀπέστειλαν, μὴ ἀνάσχῃ αὐτῶν. Ἀδαμάντιος ἐπίσκοπος ἐπιδέδωκα, Ἱσχύρας, Ἄμμων, Πέτρος, ’Δμμωνιανὸς. Τύραννος, Ταυρῖνος, Σαραπάμμων, Αξλουρίων, Ἁρποκρατίων, Μωσῆς, Ὀπτᾶτος, Ἀνουβίων, Σαπρίων, Ἀπολλώνιος, Ἰσχυο ρίων, Ἀρβαιθίων, Ποτάμων, Παφνούτιος, Ἡρακλεέδης, Θεόδωρος, Ἀγαθάμμων, Γάϊος, Πιστὸς, Ἀθας, Νίκων, Πελάγιος, Θέων, Πανινούθιος, Νόννος, ’Δρίστων, Θεόδωρος, Εἰρηναῖος, Βλαστάμμων, Φίλιππος. Ἀπολλὼς, Διόσκορος, Τιμόθεος Διοσπόλεως, Μακάριος, Ἠρακλάμμων, Κρόνιος, Μῦῖς, Ἰάκωβος, Ἀρίστων, Ἀρτεμίδωρος, Φινεὲς, Ψάῖς, Ἦρακλεὶδης. Kal δεύτερον οἱ αὐτοί ’ Τῷ λαμπροτᾴτῳλ κόμὴζι, ριʼ ἐν Τιθρρὶ dg‘ Αἰγύπτου ἐλθόντες ἐπίσκοποι τῆς καθολικῆς Ἐκκλ-ησίαρ. Πολλὰς ὁρῶντες συσκευὰς καθʼ ήμῶν γινομένας, καὶ ἐπιβουλὰς ἐκ συσκευῆς τῶν περὶ Εὑσέβιον, καὶ Νάρκισσον, καὶ Φλάκιλλον, καὶ Θεόγνιον, καὶ Μάριν, καὶ Θεόδωρον, καὶ Πατρόφιλον, οὓς κατὰ τὴν ἀρχὴν θελήσαντες παραιτήσασθαι, οὐκ ἐπετράπη μεν, ἀνάγκην ἔχομεν ἐπὶ τήνδε τήν διαμαρτυρίαν ἐλθεῖν. Καὶ γὰρ πολλὴν ὑπὲρ Μελιτιανῶν ὁρῶμεν σπουδὴν γιγνομένην, κατά δὲ τῆς Μθολικῆς Ἐκκλησίας τῆς ὲν Αἰγύπτῳ διʼ ἡμῶν ἐπιβουλήν. Ὅθεν ὲπιδίδομέν σοι τήνδε τὴν ἐπιστολὴν, ἀξιοῦντες ὲν νῷ σε λαβεῖν τὸν Θεὸν τὸν παντοκράτορα, τὸν τὴν βασιλείαν τοῦ εὐσεβεστάτου καὶ θεοφιλεστάτου βασιλέως Κωνσταντίνου διαφυλάττοντα, τηρῆσαι τὴν ἀκρόασιν τῶν καθʼ ἡμᾶς πραγμάτων αὐτῷ τῷ εὐσεβεστάτῳ βασιλεῖ. Καὶ γὰρ εὐλογον ἀποσταλέντα σε παρά τῆς βασιλείας αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἡμῶν ἐπικαλεσαμένων τὴν εὐσέβειαν αὐτοῦ αὐτῷ τηρῆσαι τὸ πρᾶγμα. Οὐκέτι γὰρ φέρομεν συσκευαζόμενοι καὶ ἐπιβουλευόμενοι διὰ τῶν περὶ Ρῖὐσέβιον τῶν προειρημένων· καὶ διὰ τοῦτο τῷ εὐσεβεστάτῳ καὶ θεοφιλεστάτῳ βασιλεῖ τηρηθῆναι τὸ πρᾶγμα ἀξιοῦμεν παρʼ ᾧ δυνάμεθα καὶ τὰ δίκαια τῆς Ἐκκλησίας καὶ ἑαυτῶν παραθέιοθαι. Πιστεύομεν γὰρ, ὅτι ἡ εὐσέβεια αὐτοῦ, ἀκούσασα, οὐ καταγνώσεται ἡ μῶν. Καὶ πάλιν οὖν ὁρκίζομὲν σε τὸν παντοκράτορα Θεὸν, οὐτω τὸν εὐσεβέστα-, τον βασιλέα ἀεὶ είς πολλὰς ἐτῶν περιόδους νικῶντα mi. ὑγιαίνοντα, μετά τῶν παίδων τῆς εὐσεβείας αὐτοῦ, μηδὲν πλέον πρᾶξαι, μηδέ ἐπιτρέψαι τι σεαυτῷ ἐν τῇ συνόδῳ κινῆσαι περὶ τῶν καθʼ ἡμᾶς πραγμάτοῖς ὀρθοδόξοις ἐδηλώσαμεν. 80. Ταῦτα δεξάμενος Ἀλέξανδρος ὁ ἐπίσκοπος τῆς Θεσσαλονίκης ἔγραψε Διονυσίῳ τῷ κόμητι ταυταο Τῼ ΔΕΣΠΟΤῌ ΜΟΥΔΙΟΝΥΣΙῼ Ἀλέξανδρος ἐπίσκοπος. ὴνεράν ὁρῶ κατά Ἀθανασίου συσκευὴν γενομένην ο πάντας γὰρ οὒς παρῃτήσατο, τούτους οὐκ οἶδα τί πεπονθότες ἀποστεῖλαι ἠθέλησαν, μηδὲ σημάναντες ἡμῖν. Ἦν γὰρ δόξαν κατά τὸ αὐτὸ σκέψασθαι, τίνας δεήσει ἀποσταλῆναι. Συμβούλευσον οὖν μή τι προπετὲς γενέσθαι (ἐληλύθασι γὰρ πρὸς μὲ τεθορδῆημένοι, λέγοντες ἤδη,τά θηρία ἐσφρῖχθαι, καὶ μέλλειν ἐξορμᾷνο περιηχήθησαν γὰρ ὡς Ἰωάννου τινὰς ἀποστείλαντος), μὴ προλαβόντες καττύσωσιν ib; ἂν ἐθέλοιεν. Οἶδας γὰρ, ὅτι καὶ Κολλουθιανοὶ τῆς Ἑκκλησίας ἐχθροὶ ὄντες, καὶ Ἀρειανοὶ, καὶ Μελιτιανοὶ, οὗτοι πάντες, ἀλλήλοις σύμψηφοι γενόμεο vet, δύνανται μεγάλα κακὰ ἐργάσασθαι. Σκέψαι οὖν τὸ συμφέρον, ἴνα μὴ ἀνακύψη τι σκυθρωπὸν, καὶ αίτίᾳ ὑποβλη6ὤμεν, ὡς οὐ κατά τὸ δίκαιον κρίναντες. Κάκεῖνοι μάλιστα ὑφορῶνται. μὴ διοδεύοντες τάςἙκπλησίας, ὧν οί ἐπίσκοποέ εἰσιν ἐνταῦθα, φόβον ἐμποιήσαντες, ταράξωσι πᾶσαν τὴν Αἴγυπτον, ὡς τοῖς Μελιτιανοίς παραδοθέντες. Ἐκ τοῦ πλείστου γὰρ τοῦτο συνορῶσι γινόμενον. Πρὸς ταῦτα Διργύᾳίος ὁ κόμης ἔγραψε τοῖς περὶ Εὑσέβιον· ταῦτα· Γαῦτα ἦν ἀ νῦν διελεγόμην τοῖς κυρίοις μου τοῖς περὶ Φλάκιλλον, ὅτι Ἀθανάσιος ἐπιστὰς ᾐτιάσατο, 0‘3; παρῃτησάμην, λέγων τούτους ἀποστέλλεσθαι, καὶ βοῶν ὡς ἀδικούμενος καὶ περιγραφόμενος· ταῦτα καὶ ὁ κύριός μου τῆς ψυχῆς Ἀλέξανδρος ἀπέστειλε. Καὶ (ζῇ) Βασιλέως deestjn Reg. 168) flre, καὶ ήμῶν ἐπικαλεσαμένων τὴν εὐσέ- Beg. θεοσεβεστάτῳ. ορων. → ….
Topics: Heresy
Cite (SBL): Athanasius, Ep. Aeg. Lib. 20 (PG 25:584d–593d; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/athanasius-epistula-episcopos-aegypti/11/#p-20). (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.