# Synodal Letter of the Council of Nicaea to the Church of Alexandria

- Author: Anonymous
- Latin title: *Epistula synodi Nicaenae ad Alexandrinos*
- Date: 325 (certain)
- Source: Robert Hussey and William Bright, eds., Socratis Scholastici Historia ecclesiastica (Oxford: Clarendon, 1893), 1.9, as digitized by the Perseus Digital Library and the First Thousand Years of Greek project (tlg2057.tlg002) (Greek text: Socrates Scholasticus, Historia ecclesiastica, ed. R. Hussey, rev. W. Bright (Oxford 1893), digitized by Perseus and First1KGreek (CC BY-SA 4.0))

- Translation: Claude, from the original text, unless a passage says otherwise; each passage below gives the translator
- Editions and translations: Günther Christian Hansen, ed., Sokrates Kirchengeschichte, GCS, Neue Folge 1 (Berlin: Akademie-Verlag, 1995); Hans-Georg Opitz, ed., Athanasius Werke 3.1: Urkunden zur Geschichte des arianischen Streites (Berlin: de Gruyter, 1934–), Urkunde 23
- Work page: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/council-nicaea-epistula/
- Passages: 2

## Section 1

- URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/council-nicaea-epistula/1/#p-1
- Source: Hussey, 201.9
- Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-17

Summary: The synod of Nicaea tells the church of Alexandria that Arius's teaching was anathematized and that Melitius may keep only the bare title of bishop in his own city.

### Greek text

Τῇ ἁγίᾳ Θεοῦ χάριτι, καὶ μεγάλῃ Ἀλεξανδρέων ἐκκλησίᾳ, καὶ τοῖς κατʼ Αἴγυπτον, καὶ Λιβύην καὶ Πεντάπολιν ἀγαπητοῖς ἀδελφοῖς, οἱ ἐν Νικαίᾳ συναχθέντες, καὶ τὴν μεγάλην καὶ ἁγίαν σύνοδον συγκροτήσαντες ἐπίσκοποι; ἐν Κυρίῳ χαίρειν. Ἐπειδὴ τῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ χάριτος, καὶ τοῦ θεοφιλεστάτου βασιλέως Κωνσταντίνου συναγαγόντος ἡμᾶς ἐκ διαφόρων πόλεών τε καὶ ἐπαρχιῶν, μεγάλη καὶ ἁγία σύνοδος ἐν Νικαίᾳ συνεκροτήθη, ἐξ ἅπαντος ἀναγκαῖον ἐφάνη, παρὰ τῆς ἱερᾶς συνόδου καὶ πρὸς ὑμᾶς ἐπιστεῖλαι γράμματα· ἵνʼ εἰδέναι ἔχοιτε τίνα μὲν ἐκινήθη καὶ ἐξητάσθη, τίνα δὲ ἔδοξε καὶ ἐκρατύνθη. Πρῶτον μὲν οὖν ἐξ ἁπάντων ἐξητάσθη τὰ κατὰ τὴν ἀσέβειαν καὶ τὴν παρανομίαν Ἀρείου καὶ τῶν σὺν αὐτῷ ἐπὶ παρουσίᾳ τοῦ θεοφιλεστάτου βασιλέως Κωνσταντίνου· καὶ παμψηφεὶ ἔδοξεν ἀναθεματισθῆναι τὴν ἀσεβῆ αὐτοῦ δόξαν, καὶ τὰ ῥήματα καὶ τὰ ὀνόματα τὰ βλάσφημα, οἷς ἐκέχρητο βλασφημῶν, τὸν Υἱὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ λέγων ἐξ οὐκ ὄντων, καὶ εἶναι ποτὲ ὅτε οὐκ ἦν, καὶ αὐτεξουσιότητι κακίας καὶ ἀρετῆς δεκτικὸν τὸν Υἱὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ λέγοντος, καὶ κτίσμα καὶ ποίημα ὀνομάζοντος, ἅπαντα ταῦτα ἀνεθεμάτισεν ἡ ἁγία σύνοδος, οὐδὲ ὅσον ἀκοῦσαι τῆς ἀσεβοῦς δόξης ἢ ἀπονοίας, καὶ τῶν βλασφήμων ῥημάτων, ἀνασχομένη. Καὶ τὰ μὲν κατʼ ἐκεῖνον οἵου τέλους τετύχηκε, πάντως ἢ ἀκηκόατε ἢ ἀκούσεσθε, ἵνα μὴ δόξωμεν ἐπεμβαίνειν ἀνδρὶ διʼ οἰκείαν ἁμαρτίαν ἄξια τὰ ἐπίχειρα κομισαμένῳ. Τοσοῦτον δὲ ἴσχυσε αὐτοῦ ἡ ἀσέβεια, ὡς καὶ παραπολέσαι Θεωνᾶν ἀπὸ Μαρμαρικῆς, καὶ Σεκοῦνδον ἀπὸ Πτολεμαΐδος· τῶν γὰρ αὐτῶν κἀκεῖνοι τετυχήκασιν. Ἀλλʼ ἐπειδὴ ἡ τοῦ Θεοῦ χάρις τῆς μὲν κακοδοξίας ἐκείνης καὶ ἀσεβείας καὶ τῆς βλασφημίας, καὶ τῶν προσώπων τῶν τολμησάντων διάστασιν καὶ διαίρεσιν ποιήσασθαι τοῦ εἰρηνευομένου ἄνωθεν λαοῦ, ἠλευθέρωσεν ἡμᾶς, ἐλείπετο δὲ τὸ κατὰ τὴν προπέτειαν Μελιτίου, καὶ τῶν ὑπʼ αὐτοῦ χειροτονηθέντων· καὶ περὶ τούτου τοῦ μέρους ἃ ἔδοξε τῇ συνόδῳ, ἐμφανίζομεν ὑμῖν, ἀγαπητοὶ ἀδελφοί. Ἔδοξεν οὖν Μελίτιον μὲν, φιλανθρωπότερον κινηθείσης τῆς συνόδου, —κατὰ γὰρ τὸν ἀκριβῆ λόγον οὐδεμιᾶς συγγνώμης ἄξιος ἦν, — μένειν ἐν τῇ πόλει ἑαυτοῦ, καὶ μηδεμίαν ἐξουσίαν ἔχειν αὐτὸν μήτε χειροθετεῖν, μήτε προχειρίζεσθαι, μήτε ἐν χώρᾳ μήτε ἐν πόλει ἑτέρᾳ φαίνεσθαι ταύτης τῆς προφάσεως ἕνεκα· ψιλὸν δὲ τὸ ὄνομα τῆς τιμῆς κεκτῆσθαι.

### English translation (Claude)

To the holy church of the Alexandrians, great by the grace of God, and to the beloved brothers in Egypt, Libya, and the Pentapolis, the bishops gathered at Nicaea, who constituted the great and holy synod: greetings in the Lord. Since, by the grace of God and with the most God-beloved emperor Constantine assembling us from various cities and provinces, a great and holy synod has been held at Nicaea, it seemed altogether necessary that letters be sent to you too from the holy synod, so that you may know what was raised and examined, and what was decided and confirmed. First of all, then, the matter of the impiety and lawlessness of Arius and those with him was examined in the presence of the most God-beloved emperor Constantine; and it was decided unanimously that his impious opinion be anathematized, together with the blasphemous words and terms he had used in his blasphemy, saying that the Son of God is from things that are not, and that there was once when he was not, and saying that the Son of God by his own free will is capable of vice and virtue, and calling him a creature and a thing made. All these the holy synod anathematized, not enduring even so much as to hear the impious opinion, or madness, and the blasphemous words. What end he has met you have surely heard or will hear, so that we may not seem to trample on a man who has received the reward his own sin deserved. So far did his impiety prevail that it also brought ruin on Theonas of Marmarica and Secundus of Ptolemais; for they too have met the same end. But since the grace of God has set us free from that evil opinion, impiety, and blasphemy, and from the persons who dared to cause dissension and division among a people that had been at peace from the beginning, there remained the matter of the rashness of Melitius and of those ordained by him; and concerning this part we make known to you, beloved brothers, what the synod decided. It was decided, then, the synod being moved to greater kindness (for by strict reckoning he deserved no pardon at all), that Melitius remain in his own city and have no authority either to lay on hands or to appoint, nor to appear in the countryside or in another city for this purpose, but keep the bare name of his rank.

### Translation notes

- The synodal letter of Nicaea (325) to the church of Alexandria, preserved by Socrates, Church History 1.9 (also in Theodoret 1.9 and Gelasius).
- Theonas of Marmarica and Secundus of Ptolemais were the two bishops who refused to sign and were exiled with Arius.
- Melitius (Meletius), bishop of Lycopolis, had ordained clergy outside his own diocese during the persecution, causing the Melitian schism in Egypt.
- "κεκτῆσθα" in the digital text is completed as κεκτῆσθαι.

### Citation (SBL)

Conc. Nic. Ep. 1 (Hussey, 201.9; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/council-nicaea-epistula/1/#p-1).

## Section 2

- URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/council-nicaea-epistula/1/#p-2
- Source: Hussey, 201.9–21
- Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-17

Summary: Clergy ordained by Melitius are received after a further laying on of hands but rank below Alexander's clergy; the East is to keep Easter with Rome and Alexandria.

### Greek text

Τοὺς δὲ ὑπʼ αὐτοῦ κατασταθέντας, μυστικωτέρᾳ χειροτονίᾳ βεβαιωθέντας κοινωνῆσαι ἐπὶ τούτοις, ἐφʼ ᾧτε ἔχειν μὲν αὐτοὺς τὴν τιμὴν καὶ λειτουργίαν, δευτέρους δὲ εἶναι ἐξάπαντος πάντων τῶν ἐν ἑκάστῃ παροικίᾳ τε καὶ ἐκκλησίᾳ ἐξεταζομένων, τῶν ὑπὸ τοῦ τιμιωτάτου καὶ συλλειτουργοῦ ἡμῶν Ἀλεξάνδρου προκεχειρισμένων· ὥστε τούτοις μηδεμίαν ἐξουσίαν εἶναι τοὺς ἀρέσκοντας αὐτοῖς προχειρίζεσθαι, ἢ ὑποβάλλειν ὀνόματα, ἢ ὅλως ποιεῖν τι χωρὶς γνώμης τῶν τῆς καθολικῆς ἐκκλησίας ἐπισκόπων, τῶν ὑπὸ Ἀλέξανδρον. Τοὺς δὲ χάριτι Θεοῦ καὶ εὐχαῖς ὑμετέραις ἐν μηδενὶ σχίσματι εὑρεθέντας, ἀλλὰ ἀκηλιδώτους ἐν τῇ καθολικῇ ἐκκλησίᾳ ὄντας, καὶ ἐξουσίαν ἔχειν προχειρίζεσθαι καὶ ὀνόματα ἐπιλέγεσθαι τῶν ἀξίων τοῦ κλήρου, καὶ ὅλως πάντα ποιεῖν κατὰ νόμον καὶ θεσμὸν τὸν ἐκκλησιαστικόν. Εἰ δέ τινας συμβαίη ἀναπαύσασθαι τῶν ἐν τῇ ἐκκλησίᾳ, τηνικαῦτα προσαναβαίνειν εἰς τὴν τιμὴν τοῦ τετελευτηκότος τοὺς ἄρτι προσληφθέντας, μόνον εἰ ἄξιοι φαίνοντο, καὶ ὁ λαὸς αἱροῖτο, συνεπιψηφίζοντος αὐτῷ καὶ ἐπισφραγίζοντος τοῦ τῆς Ἀλεξανδρείας ἐπισκόπου. Τοῦτο δὲ τοῖς μὲν ἄλλοις πᾶσι συνεχωρήθη· ἐπὶ δὲ τοῦ Μελιτίου προσώπου οὐκέτι τὰ αὐτὰ ἔδοξε, διὰ τὴν ἀνέκαθεν αὐτοῦ ἀταξίαν, καὶ διὰ τὸ πρόχειρον καὶ προπετὲς τῆς γνώμης, ἵνα μηδεμία ἐξουσία ἢ αὐθεντία αὐτῷ δοθείη, ἀνθρώπῳ δυναμένῳ πάλιν τὰς αὐτὰς ἀταξίας ἐμποιῆσαι. Ταῦτα ἐστὶ τὰ ἐξαίρετα καὶ διαφέροντα Αἰγύπτῳ, καὶ τῇ ἁγιωτάτῃ Ἀλεξανδρέων ἐκκλησίᾳ. Εἰ δέ τι ἄλλο ἐκανονίσθη ἢ ἐδογματίσθη, συμπαρόντος τοῦ κυρίου καὶ τιμιωτάτου συλλειτουργοῦ καὶ ἀδελφοῦ ἡμῶν Ἀλεξάνδρου, αὐτὸς παρὼν ἀκριβέστερον ἀνοίσει πρὸς ὑμᾶς, ἅτε δὴ καὶ κύριος καὶ κοινωνὸς τῶν γεγενημένων τυγχάνων. Εὐαγγελιζόμεθα δὲ ὑμῖν, περὶ τῆς συμφωνίας τοῦ ἁγιωτάτου Πάσχα, ὅτι ὑμετέραις εὐχαῖς κατωρθώθη καὶ τοῦτο τὸ μέρος· ὥς τε πάντας τοὺς ἐν τῇ ἑῴᾳ ἀδελφοὺς, τοὺς μετὰ τῶν Ἰουδαίων τὸ πρότερον ποιοῦντας, συμφώνως Ῥωμαίοις καὶ ἡμῖν, καὶ πᾶσιν ὑμῖν τοῖς ἐξ ἀρχαίου μεθʼ ἡμῶν φυλάττουσι τὸ Πάσχα, ἐκ τοῦ δεῦρο ἄγειν. Χαίροντες οὖν ἐπὶ τοῖς κατορθώμασι, καὶ τῇ τῆς εἰρήνης συμφωνίᾳ, καὶ ἐπὶ τῷ πᾶσαν αἵρεσιν ἐκκοπῆναι, ἀποδέξασθε μὲν μετὰ μείζονος τιμῆς καὶ πλείονος ἀγάπης τὸν συλλειτουργὸν ἡμῶν, ὑμῶν δὲ ἐπίσκοπον Ἀλέξανδρον, τὸν εὐφράναντα ἡμᾶς ἐν τῇ παρουσίᾳ, καὶ ἐν ταύτῃ τῇ ἡλικίᾳ τοσοῦτον πόνον ὑποστάντα ὑπὲρ τοῦ εἰρήνην γενέσθαι καὶ παρʼ ὑμῖν. Εὔχεσθε δὲ ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν ἁπάντων, ἵνα τὰ καλῶς ἔχειν δόξαντα, ταῦτα βέβαια μένῃ, διὰ τοῦ παντοκράτορος Θεοῦ, καὶ διὰ τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, σὺν Ἁγίῳ Πνεύματι· ᾧ ἡ δόξα εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας, ἀμήν.

### English translation (Claude)

Those appointed by him, once confirmed by a more sacred laying on of hands, are to be admitted to communion on these terms: that they keep their rank and ministry, but always rank second to all those enrolled in each parish and church who were appointed by our most honoured fellow minister Alexander; so that they have no authority to appoint whomever they please, or to put forward names, or to do anything at all without the consent of the bishops of the catholic church who are under Alexander. But those who, by the grace of God and your prayers, have been found in no schism, but have remained spotless in the catholic church, are to have authority to appoint and to nominate those worthy of the clergy, and in general to do everything according to the law and ordinance of the church. If it happens that any of those in the church die, then those recently received are to advance to the rank of the deceased, provided only that they appear worthy and the people choose them, the bishop of Alexandria voting with them and confirming the choice. This has been granted to all the others; but in the case of Melitius himself the same was not decided, because of his long-standing disorderliness and the hasty and rash character of his mind, so that no authority or power should be given to a man able to produce the same disorders again. These are the matters that are special and of particular concern to Egypt and the most holy church of the Alexandrians. If anything else was laid down by canon or by decree, our lord and most honoured fellow minister and brother Alexander, who was present, will report it to you more exactly in person, since he was himself both a leader in and a sharer of what was done. We also bring you the good news of the agreement on the most holy Pascha: that through your prayers this part too was set right, so that all the brothers in the East who formerly kept it with the Jews will from now on keep the Pascha in agreement with the Romans and with us and with all of you who have kept it with us from of old. Rejoicing, then, in what has been achieved, in the agreement of peace, and in the cutting off of every heresy, receive with greater honour and more abundant love our fellow minister and your bishop Alexander, who gladdened us by his presence and who at so great an age has undergone such labour so that there may be peace among you too. Pray for us all, that what has been judged to be well may remain firm, through God the Almighty and through our Lord Jesus Christ, with the Holy Spirit, to whom be glory for ever. Amen.

### Translation notes

- "A more sacred laying on of hands" (μυστικωτέρᾳ χειροτονίᾳ): whether this means a reordination or a rite of confirmation is disputed; the Greek is translated literally.
- "Those who formerly kept it with the Jews": the Christians of the East who reckoned Pascha by the Jewish calendar; the letter reports their agreement to follow the Roman and Alexandrian reckoning. Translated as written.
- "βεβαιαθέντας" in the digital text is corrected to βεβαιωθέντας.

### Citation (SBL)

Conc. Nic. Ep. 2 (Hussey, 201.9–21; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/council-nicaea-epistula/1/#p-2).