Letters (first part: Migne letters 1-55) 30–38
Greek text: PG 77.English: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), public domain (CC0).
Chapter 30
30PG 77 77:147
Τῷ θεοφιλεστάτῳ καὶ εὐλαβεστάτῳ συλλειτουργῷ Κυρίλλῳ, Μαξιμιανὸς ἐπίσκοπος ἐν Κυρίῳ χαίρειν. Πεπλήρωταί σοι τὰ τῆς ἐπιθυμίας, θεοφιλέστατε · ἥνυσταί σοι ὁ ὑπὲρ τῆς εὐσεβείας σκοπός· εἰς πέρας ἐλήλυθεν ὁ ὑπὲρ εὐσεβείας πόθος. Θέατρον ἐγένου καὶ ἀγγέλοις, καὶ ἀνθρώποις, καὶ πᾶσι τοῖς τοῦ Χριστοῦ ἱερεῦσιν. Οὐ μόνον ἐπίστευσας εἰς Χριστὸν, ἀλλὰ γὰρ καὶ ὑπὲρ αὐτοῦ ἔπαθες. Μόνος ἄξιος ἐκρίθης τῶν τοῦ Χριστοῦ παθημάτων, καταξιωθεὶς τὰ στίγματα αὐτοῦ ἐν τῷ ἰδίῳ σώματι βαστάσαι. Ωμολόγησας αὐτὸν ἔμπροσθεν τῶν ἀνθρώπων· ὡμολογήθης παρ᾿ αὐτοῦ ἔμπροσθεν τοῦ Πατρὸς ἐπὶ τῶν ἁγίων ἀγγέλων 1. Ανεδήσω τοὺς ὑπὲρ τῆς εὐσεβείας στεφάνους· πάντα ἴσχυσας ἐν τῷ ἐνδυναμοῦντί σε Χριστῷ· ἐταπείνωσας τὸν Σατανᾶν διὰ τῆς ὑπομονῆς, κστεγέλασας κολαστηρίων· ἐπάτησας θυμὸν ἀρχόντων· λιμοῦ κατεφρόνησας. Ἔσχες γὰρ τὸν ἄρτον, τὸν ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ κατελθόντα, καὶ ζωὴν δεδωκότα τοῖς ἀνθρώποις, τὴν ἄνωθεν. Ἐπεὶ τοίνυν οὐδὲ ἡμεῖς ἀπελείφθημεν τούτων, τὰ μὲν αἰσθητῶς παιδευόμενοι - ἐνταῦθα, τὰ δὲ ἐν τῇ ἀκοῇ τῆς θλίψεως τῆς περὶ ὑμῶν, πρὸς τὰς ἀρχὰς ἀντικαταστάντων, πρὸς τὰς ἐξουσίας, πρὸς τοὺς κοσμοκράτορας τοῦ σκότους τοῦ αἰῶνος τούτου, πρὸς τὰ πνευματικὰ τῆς πονηρίας, παρἠχθημεν δὲ εἰς τὴν ἀρχιερωσύνην τῆς μεγαλοπόλεως, καταξίωσον, θεοφιλέστατε, εὐχαῖς τε ἡμᾶς ὑποστηρίζειν, καὶ συμβουλαῖς στοιχειοῦν, καὶ πάσῃ περὶ ἡμᾶς κεχρῆσθαι εὐνοίᾳ, ὥστε πληρωθῆναι καὶ ἐφ᾿ ἡμῖν τὸ γραφικὸν ῥητόν· « ᾿Αδελφὸς ὑπὸ ἀδελφοῦ βοηθούμενος, ὡς πόλις ὀχυρά. » ᾿Αληθῶς γὰρ ἡ πνευματικὴ ἀγάπη πόλις ἐστὶν ὀχυρὰ, οὐ δυναμένη καταγωνισθῆναι, οὔτε πολιορκηθῆναι ὑπὸ τοῦ διαβόλου, οὔτε ὑπωρυγαῖς, οὔτε ὑπερβάσεσιν. Οὔτε γὰρ εἶκει ταῖς ἑλεπόλεσι τοῦ Σατανᾶ, διὰ τὸ παρὰ τοῦ Δεσπότου Χριστοῦ φυλάσσεσθαι, Χριστοῦ, τοῦ τὸν κόσμον νικήσαντος, καὶ τὰ αἰώνιά σοι ἀγαθὰ ἑτοιμάσαντος, τοῦ εἰρηκότος· « Ὅστις οὐ λαμβάνει τὸν σταυρὸν αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἀκολουθεῖ ὀπίσω μου, οὐκ ἔστι μου ἄξιος. » ῎Αξιος οὖν ὑπὸ τοῦ Δεσπότου Χριστοῦ φυλάσσεσθαι, Χριστοῦ τοῦ τὸν κόσμον νικήσαντος, διὰ τὸ η λαβεῖν τὸν σταυρὸν καὶ ὁ ἀκολουθῆσαι αὐτῷ γενόμενος, μὴ ἀμέλει τῆς περὶ ἡμῶν πρὸς τὸν Δεσπότην Χριστὸν πρεσβείας, τὰ δὲ ἀδελφικά κατορθώματα, οἰκεῖα προτερήματα λογιζόμενος. Έρρωμένος ἐν Κυρίῳ, ὑπερεύχου μου, θεοφιλέστατε καὶ ἀγιώτατε ἀδελφὲ καὶ συλλειτουργέ.
Tǭ theophilestatǭ kai eulabestatǭ sylleitourgǭ Kyrillǭ, Maximianos episkopos en Kyriǭ chairein. Peplērōtai soi ta tēs epithymias, theophilestate ; hēnystai soi ho hyper tēs eusebeias skopos; eis peras elēlythen ho hyper eusebeias pothos. Theatron egenou kai angelois, kai anthrōpois, kai pasi tois tou Christou hiereusin. Ou monon episteusas eis Christon, alla gar kai hyper autou epathes. Monos axios ekrithēs tōn tou Christou pathēmatōn, kataxiōtheis ta stigmata autou en tǭ idiǭ sōmati bastasai. Ōmologēsas auton emprosthen tōn anthrōpōn; hōmologēthēs par᾿ autou emprosthen tou Patros epi tōn hagiōn angelōn 1. Anedēsō tous hyper tēs eusebeias stephanous; panta ischysas en tǭ endynamounti se Christǭ; etapeinōsas ton Satanan dia tēs hypomonēs, kstegelasas kolastēriōn; epatēsas thymon archontōn; limou katephronēsas. Esches gar ton arton, ton ek tou ouranou katelthonta, kai zōēn dedōkota tois anthrōpois, tēn anōthen. Epei toinyn oude hēmeis apeleiphthēmen toutōn, ta men aisthētōs paideuomenoi - entautha, ta de en tę̄ akoę̄ tēs thlipseōs tēs peri hymōn, pros tas archas antikatastantōn, pros tas exousias, pros tous kosmokratoras tou skotous tou aiōnos toutou, pros ta pneumatika tēs ponērias, parēchthēmen de eis tēn archierōsynēn tēs megalopoleōs, kataxiōson, theophilestate, euchais te hēmas hypostērizein, kai symboulais stoicheioun, kai pasę̄ peri hēmas kechrēsthai eunoią, hōste plērōthēnai kai eph᾿ hēmin to graphikon rhēton; « ᾿Adelphos hypo adelphou boēthoumenos, hōs polis ochyra. » ᾿Alēthōs gar hē pneumatikē agapē polis estin ochyra, ou dynamenē katagōnisthēnai, oute poliorkēthēnai hypo tou diabolou, oute hypōrygais, oute hyperbasesin. Oute gar eikei tais helepolesi tou Satana, dia to para tou Despotou Christou phylassesthai, Christou, tou ton kosmon nikēsantos, kai ta aiōnia soi agatha hetoimasantos, tou eirēkotos; « Hostis ou lambanei ton stauron autou, kai akolouthei opisō mou, ouk esti mou axios. » ᾿Axios oun hypo tou Despotou Christou phylassesthai, Christou tou ton kosmon nikēsantos, dia to ē labein ton stauron kai ho akolouthēsai autǭ genomenos, mē amelei tēs peri hēmōn pros ton Despotēn Christon presbeias, ta de adelphika katorthōmata, oikeia proterēmata logizomenos. Errōmenos en Kyriǭ, hypereuchou mou, theophilestate kai agiōtate adelphe kai sylleitourge.
To the most God-beloved and most reverent fellow minister Cyril, Maximian, bishop: greeting in the Lord.
Your desire has been fulfilled, most God-beloved; your aim for piety has been accomplished; your longing for piety has come to its end. You have become a spectacle to angels, to men, and to all the priests of Christ. You have not only believed in Christ but also suffered for him. You alone were judged worthy of the sufferings of Christ, counted worthy to bear his marks in your own body. You confessed him before men; you have been confessed by him before the Father in the presence of the holy angels. You have bound on the crowns won for piety; you have been able to do all things in Christ who strengthens you; you have humbled Satan by your endurance, laughed at punishments, trampled on the anger of rulers, and despised hunger. For you had the bread that came down from heaven and has given men the life from above.
Since, then, we too have not been left out of these things, being disciplined partly in our senses here, and partly by hearing of your affliction, while you stood against the principalities, against the powers, against the world-rulers of the darkness of this age, against the spiritual forces of wickedness, and since we have been brought to the high priesthood of the great city, be so good, most God-beloved, as to support us by prayers, instruct us by counsels, and show us every kindness, so that the scriptural saying may be fulfilled in us too: “A brother helped by a brother is like a strong city.” For truly spiritual love is a strong city, which cannot be overcome or besieged by the devil, either by mining or by scaling the walls. Nor does it yield to the siege engines of Satan, because it is guarded by Christ the Master, Christ who has conquered the world and prepared the eternal good things for you, who said, “Whoever does not take his cross and follow after me is not worthy of me.” Since, then, you have become worthy to be guarded by Christ the Master, Christ who has conquered the world, because you took up the cross and followed him, do not neglect to intercede for us with Christ the Master, counting your brother's achievements as your own advantages. Farewell in the Lord, and pray for me, most God-beloved and most holy brother and fellow minister.
1 Cor 4:9 (quotation, high confidence) · Phil 1:29 (allusion, high confidence) · Gal 6:17 (allusion, high confidence) · Matt 10:32 (allusion, high confidence) · Luke 12:8 (allusion, high confidence) · Phil 4:13 (quotation, high confidence) · John 6:33 (allusion, high confidence) · Eph 6:12 (quotation, high confidence) · Prov 18:19 (quotation, high confidence) · John 16:33 (allusion, high confidence) · Matt 10:38 (quotation, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Maximian, newly made bishop of Constantinople after Nestorius, congratulates Cyril as a confessor and asks for his prayers and counsel.
- Letter of Maximian, Nestorius's successor at Constantinople (consecrated October 431), to Cyril. “A brother helped by a brother” is Prov 18:19 in the Septuagint wording.
Topics: Heresy, Martyrdom, Church office
Cite (SBL): Cyril of Alexandria, Ep. 30 (PG 77 77:147; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/cyril-alexandria-epistulae/30). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/cyril-alexandria-epistulae/30
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 77 (Bavarian State Library OCR); letters 4, 17 and 39 compared with NPNF² 14; the rest re-read against the Greek.
Chapter 31
31PG 77 77:149
Τῷ εὐλαβεστάτῳ καὶ θεοφιλεστάτῳ συλλειτουργῷ Μαξιμιανῷ, Κύριλλος, ἐν Κυρίῳ χαίρειν. Πρέπον, οἶμαι, καὶ νῦν εἰπεῖν, τῆς σῆς τελειότητος τὴν πολύευκτον ἡμῖν λαχούσης ἱερωσύνην· « Εὐφρανθήτω ὁ οὐρανὸς ἄνωθεν· χαιρέτω δὲ ἡ σύμπασα γῆ, καὶ βοάτω μετ' εὐφροσύνης, » κατὰ τὴν τοῦ προφήτου φωνήν. Οὐ γὰρ ἔτι στόμαλαλοῦν μεγάλα, τῆς τοῦ Σωτῆρος ἡμῶν κατεπαίρεται δόξης· οὔτε μὴν ὁ τοῦτο δρᾶν εἰωθὼς, τὸ κέρας εἰς ὕψος ἐπαίρει, καὶ ἀδικίαν λαλεῖ κατὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ, τὸν ἀγοράσαντα ἡμᾶς Δεσπότην ἀρνούμενος. « Ἐξεπρίατο γὰρ ἡμᾶς Ἰησοῦς ὁ Χριστὸς, ὁ εἷς τε καὶ μόνος, καὶ ἀληθῶς Υἱὸς τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ Πατρὸς, οὐ φθαρτοῖς, ἀργυρίῳ, ἢ χρυσίῳ, τεθεικὼς δὲ μᾶλλον ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν τὴν ἑαυ τοῦ ψυχὴν, καὶ ὡς ἄμωμον ἱερεῖον ἑαυτὸν προσκομίσας εἰς ὀσμὴν εὐωδίας τῷ Θεῷ, καὶ Πατρί· καὶ δοὺς ἀντάλλαγμα τῆς πάντων Ρ ζωῆς τὸ ἴδιον αἷμα., Καὶ γὰρ ἦν ἁπάντων ἀξιώτερος, μᾶλλον δὲ καὶ ὑπὲρ πᾶσαν τὴν κτίσιν, εἰ καὶ γέγονε καθ' ἡμᾶς τέλειος ἄνθρωπος ὁ μονογενὴς τοῦ Θεοῦ Λόγος, οὐ τροπὴν, οὐκ ἀλλοίωσιν, οὐ τὴν θρυλλουμένην ἀνάχυσιν ὑπομείνας, οὐ φυρμὸν, οὐ μετάστασιν τὴν εἰς ὅπερ οὐκ ἦν· μεμενηκὼς δὲ μᾶλλον καὶ ἐν τῇ καθ' ἡμᾶς ἀν θρωπότητι τοῦθ᾽ ὅπερ ἦν. Πεπίστευται δὲ, καὶ ἔστιν ἀληθῶς ζῶν τε καὶ ἐνυπόστατος Λόγος τοῦ Πατρός. Φέρε τοίνυν, ὡς ἀπὸ γλώττης μιᾶς καὶ θεοφιλοῦς διανοίας, τῆς ὀρθῆς πίστεως τὴν ὁμολογίαν αὐτῷ προσφέρωμεν, λέγοντες μετὰ τοῦ μακαρίου Βαρούχ Οὗτος ὁ Θεὸς ἡμῶν· οὐ λογισθήσεται ἕτερος πρὸς αὐτόν. Ἐξεῦρε πᾶσαν ὁδὸν ἐπιστήμης· καὶ ἔδωκεν αὐτὴν Ἰακώβ, τῷ παιδὶ αὐτοῦ, καὶ Ἰσραὴλ, τῷ ἡγαπημένῳ ὑπ᾿ αὐτοῦ. Καὶ μετὰ ταῦτα ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς ὤφθη, καὶ τοῖς ἀνθρώποις συνανεστράφη. » Οὐ γὰρ ἕτερος μὲν ἦν Υἱὸς τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ Πατρὸς, ὁ πρὸ παντὸς αἰῶνος καὶ χρόνων, ὁ δι' οὗ τὰ πάντα παρήχθη πρὸς γένεσιν, ἕτερος δὲ πάλιν ὁ ἐν ἐσχάτοις τοῦ αἰῶνος καιροῖς διὰ τῆς ἁγίας Παρθένου κατὰ σάρκα γεγεννημένος· ὁ αὐτὸς δὲ μᾶλλον σπέρματος Ἀβραὰμ ἐπιλαβόμενος, κατὰ τὴν τοῦ μακαρίου Παύ λου φωνὴν, καὶ παραπλησίως ἡμῖν μετεσχηκὼς αἴματος καὶ σαρκὸς, ὁμοιωθεὶς δὲ κατὰ πάντα τοῖς ἀδελφοῖς, τοῦτ᾽ ἔστιν ἡμῖν, δίχα μόνης ἁμαρτίας. Ἐψυχῶσθαί γε μὴν ψυχῇ νοερᾷ προσομολογοῦμεν τὸ ἑνωθὲν αὐτῷ κατὰ ἀλήθειαν σῶμα. Οὐ γὰρ ταῖς τοῦ φρενοβλαβοῦς Ἀπολιναρίου προσκείμεθα δόξαις. Αναθεματίζομεν δὲ, φρονοῦντες ὀρθῶς, Ἀπολινά ριόν τε καὶ Ἄρειον, καὶ Εὐνόμιον, καὶ σὺν αὐτοῖς Νεστόριον. Τὴν γὰρ ἄνωθεν ἡμῖν παραδοθεῖσαν πίστιν, ὡς ἄγκυραν ἔχομεν τῆς ψυχῆς ἀσφαλῆ τε καὶ ) βεβαίαν, κατὰ τὸ γεγραμμένον. Ὁμολογοῦμεν τοίνυν, ὡς ἔφην, ἕνα, καὶ μόνον, καὶ ἀληθῶς Υἱὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ Πατρὸς, τὸν Κύριον ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦν Χριστόν· τὸν αὐτὸν εἰδότες καὶ Θεὸν καὶ Λόγον ἐκ Πατρὸς, καὶ ἄνθρωπον ἐκ γυναικός· καὶ ὑπὲρ νόμον ὡς Θεὸν, καὶ ὑπὸ νόμον διὰ τὸ ἀνθρώπινον· ἐν ἀξιώματι τῷ Δεσποτικῷ κατὰ φύσιν, καὶ ἐν δούλου μορφῇ διὰ τὴν οἰκονομίαν. Ταύτην ἡμῖν παρέθεντο τὴν παράδοσιν καὶ λόγοι Μωσαϊκοὶ, καὶ προαγορεύσεις προφητικαὶ, καὶ αὐτοὶ δὲ πρὸς τούτοις οἱ ἀπ᾿ ἀρχῆς αὐτόπται καὶ ὑπηρέται γενόμενοι τοῦ Λόγου, καὶ μὴν καὶ οἱ πρὸ ἡμῶν γεγονότες ἅγιοι Πατέρες· οἳ καὶ γεγόνασι φωστῆρες ἐν κόσμῳ, λόγον ζωῆς ἐπέχοντες· ὧν ἀναθεωροῦντες τὴν ἔκβασιν τῆς ἀναστροφῆς, τὴν πίστιν ἀπομιμούμεθα, τοῦτ᾽ ἔστι, τὰ αὐτὰ καὶ φρονεῖν αὐτοῖς, καὶ λαλεῖν σπουδάζομεν, κατ' οὐδένα τρόπον ἔξω φέρεσθαι τῆς εὐσεβείας ἀνεχόμενοι τρίβου. Μεμνήμεθα γὰρ τῆς θεοπνεύστου Γραφῆς βοώσης Ορθὰς τροχιάς ποίει σοῖς ποσί· καὶ τὰς ὁδούς σου κατεύθυνε. » Οἱ μὲν γὰρ τὰς ὀρθὰς τιμῶντες τροχιάς, κατὰ σκοπὸν τρέχουσιν, εἰς τὸ βραβεῖον τῆς ἄνω κλήσεως ἐν Χριστῷ· οἱ δὲ τῆς ἀποστολικῆς καὶ εὐαγγελικῆς παραδόσεως ἀλογήσαντες, καὶ τὴν νεωτέραν, καὶ ἀνωφελῆ, καὶ καταγέλαστον ὡς ἀληθῶς τῆς ἑαυτῶν διανοίας τιμῶντες εὔρεσιν, ἀκουέτωσαν παρὰ πάντων· «Μὴ μέταιρε 4 ὅρια αἰώνια, ὁ ἔθεντο οἱ πατέρες σου Γ. » Οὐ γὰρ ἀστεία τῶν τοιούτων ἡ ὁδός· καμπύλαι δὲ μᾶλλον αἱ τροχιαὶ, καὶ εἰς πέταυρον ᾅδου, καὶ παγίδα θανάτου κατακομίζουσαι. Καί μοι δοκεῖ σοφὸς ὢν ἄγαν ὁ Σολομών, ἀσέμνῳ γυναικὶ τὸ ἑκάστης τῶν αἱρέσεων περιθεῖναι πρόσωπον, εἶτα περὶ αὐτῆς εἰπεῖν, ὡς χρὴ παραιτεῖσθαι, καὶ φεύγειν τὴν τοιαύτην γυναῖκα, ἥτις ἐστὶν θήρευμα, καὶ σαγήνη καρδία αὐτῆς, δεσμὸς εἰς χεῖρας αὐτῆς. Ὁ ἀγαθὸς πρὸ προσώπου τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἐξαιρεθήσεται· ἀπ᾿ αὐτῆς· καὶ ὁ ἁμαρτάνων, συλληφθήσεται ἐν αὐτῇ. ᾿Αλλ' ἐξῃρήμεθα μὲν ἡμεῖς τῆς τοῦ θηρεύοντος ἀπλήστου παγίδος· σεσώσμεθα δὲ διὰ τοῦ πάντων ἡμῶν Σωτῆρος Χριστοῦ· ὃν καὶ Θεὸν εἶναι πιστεύοντες, ὁμολογοῦντες δὲ Θεοτόκον καὶ τὴν κατὰ σάρκα ( τεκοῦσαν αὐτὸν, αὐτῷ πρόσιμεν ", λέγοντες· « Ζωώσεις ἡμᾶς, καὶ οὐ μὴ ἀποστῶμεν ἀπὸ σοῦ· καὶ τῷ ὀνόματί σου ἐξομολογησόμεθα εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας. » ῾Απάντων δὲ τούτων ἡμῖν τῶν τριποθήτων ἀγαθῶν γέγονε πρόξενος ἡ θεία τε καὶ ἀπόῤῥητος, καὶ ἄνωθεν ψῆφος, καὶ ἡ τοῖς ἄνωθεν νεύμασι συντρέχουσα γνώμη τοῦ εὐσεβεστάτου καὶ φιλοχρίστου βασιλέως. Έπρεπε γὰρ τῇ γαληνότητι αὐτῶν ν, μὴ μόνον ὁρατοὺς και ταπαλαίειν ἐχθροὺς, ἀλλὰ γὰρ πρὸς τούτῳ καὶ ἀοράτους, καὶ βαρβαρικὰς μὲν συνθραύειν φάλαγγας, ἀπράκτους δὲ καὶ τὰς τοῦ διαβόλου δυστροπίας ἀποτελεῖν, καὶ τοῖς εἰς Χριστὸν πιστεύουσιν διὰ τῆς σῆς θεοσεβείας πρυτανεύειν τὴν ἀσφάλειαν. Ὁ μὲν γὰρ εἰκῆ βατταρίζων ἐν ἐκκλησίᾳ καὶ ταῖς κατὰ Χριστοῦ δυσφημίαις ἀκρατὲς ἀνοίγων τὸ στόμα, τῆς ἱερᾶς τε καὶ θείας ὑπεχώρησεν αὐλῆς, ἀντανέφυ δὲ, καὶ ἀνεβλάστησεν ἡ τὴ τελειότης, ὡς φυτὸν εἰρήνης, κατὰ τὸ γεγραμμένον. Ξένιον δὲ καὶ τοῦτο βασιλέως εὐσεβοῦς λαμπρὸν, προηγουμένης, ὡς ἔφην, τῆς ἄνωθεν ψήφου. Συνηδόμεθα τοίνυν καὶ ὑμῖν, τοις τὴν ὀρθὴν καὶ ἀμώμητον ἔχουσι πίστιν. Ἐγήγερται γὰρ ἱερουργὸς ἀνὴρ, ὂν ἴστε, καὶ χρόνος ὑμῖν παρέθετο μακρός· καὶ αὐτὴ δὲ τῶν πραγμάτων ἐστεφάνωσεν ἡ πεῖρα· ἀνὴρ ταῖς εἰς ὑμᾶς ἀγαθαῖς φροντίσι μακροὺς δαπανήσας χρόνους, καὶ τὴν οὕτω πάνσεμνον πολιὰν ἐξηνθηκώς. Ἔδει γὰρ, ἔδει, ταῖς ἐξαιρέτοις μάλιστα τοῦ Σωτῆρος ἀγέλαις σοφόν τε καὶ ἐπιστήμονα δοθῆναι τὸν ἐπιστάτην, ποιμενικῆς εὐτεχνίας. ἐπίμεστον ἔχοντα τὸν νοῦν, ἐν νομῇ ἀγαθῇ, καὶ ἐν τόπῳ πίονι κατανέμειν εἰδότα, δεδοκιμασμένον δὲ διὰ πραγμάτων, ὡς πιστὸν, καὶ γνήσιον οἰκονόμον. Τοὺς μὲν γὰρ οὕτω ζῇν εἰωθότας καὶ προσίεται Χριστὸς, καὶ λόγου παντὸς ἀξιοῖ, τοὺς δὲ μὴ τοιούτους ἐξίστησι τῆς ἐγχειρισθείσης αὐτοῖς οἰκονομίας. Καὶ τοῦτο ἔστιν ἀληθὲς ἰδεῖν ἐξ ν αὐτῶν τῶν ἱερῶν Γραμμάτων. Ἔφη γάρ που Θεὸς πρὸς τὸν μακάριον προφήτην Ἡσαΐαν· « Πορεύθητι - εἰς τὸ παστοφόριον πρὸς Σῶμανα τὸν ταμίαν, καὶ εἶπον αὐτῷ. Τί σὺ ὧδε, καὶ τί σοἱ ἐστιν ὧδε; Ἰδοὺ Κύριος Σαββαὼθ ἐκβαλεῖ, καὶ ἐκτρίψει ἄνδρα, καὶ ἀφελεῖ τὴν στολήν σου, καὶ τὸν στέφανόν σου τὸν ἔνδοξον, καὶ ῥίψει σε εἰς χώραν μεγάλην, καὶ ἀμέτρητον ε, καὶ ἐκεῖ ἀποθανῇ, καὶ ἀφαιρεθήσῃ ἀπὸ ὰ τῆς οἰκονομίας σου, καὶ ἐκ τῆς συστάσεώς σου Καὶ ἔσται ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ἐκείνῃ, καλέσω τὸν παϊδά μου Ελιακεὶμ, τὸν τοῦ Χελκίου, καὶ ἐνδύσω αὐτὸν τὴν στολήν σου, καὶ τὸν στέφανόν σου δώσω αὐτῷ, καὶ τὴν οἰκονομίαν σου δώσω εἰς τὰς χεῖρας αὐτοῦ· καὶ ἔσται ὡς πατὴρ τοῖς ἐνοικοῦσιν ἐν Ἱερουσαλήμ, καὶ τοῖς ἐνοικοῦσιν ἐν Ἰούδα· καὶ δώσω τὴν δόξαν Δαβὶδ αὐτῷ, καὶ ἄρξει, καὶ οὐκ ἔσται ὁ ἀντιλέγων· καὶ στήσω αὐτὸν ἄρχοντα ἐν τόπῳ πιστῷ· καὶ ἔσται εἰς θρόνον δόξης τοῦ οἴκου τοῦ πατρὸς αὐτοῦ· καὶ ἔσται πεποιθὼς ἐπ᾿ αὐτὸν πᾶς ἔνδοξος ἐν τῷ οἴκῳ τοῦ πατρὸς αὐτοῦ, ἀπὸ μικροῦ ἕως μεγάλου· καὶ ἔσονται ἐπικρεμάμενοι αὐτῷ ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ἐκείνῃ. Τάδε λέγει Κύριος Σαββαώθ· Κινηθήσεται ὁ ἄνθρωπος ἐό ἐστηριγμένος ἐν τόπῳ πιστῷ, καὶ πεσεῖται, καὶ ἀφαιρεθήσεται ἡ δόξα ἡ ἐπ᾿ αὐτὸν, ὅτι ὁ Κύριος ἐλάλησεν. » Ἀγαπᾷ τοίνυν ὁ τῶν ὅλων Θεὸς τὸν πιστὸν ἀληθῶς. καὶ γνήσιον οἰκονόμον· τὸν δὲ μὴ τοιοῦτον, ὡς βέβηλον, ἀποστρέφεται. Συγκροτήσει δὲ ὅτι τὴν σὴν ὁσιότητα, καὶ τοῖς ἄνωθεν εὐφρανεῖ χαρίσμασι πλουσίᾳ χειρὶ, τεθαρσήκαμεν· · ἵνα τὸν τῆς ἀληθείας ὀρθοτομοῦσα λόγον, καὶ τὴν τῶν ἁγίων Πατέρων ίχνηλα - τοῦσα πίστιν, εὐδόκιμος διαμείνῃ διὰ φειδοῦς τε καὶ εὐμενείας τοῦ πάντων ἡμῶν Σωτῆρος Χριστοῦ· δι' οὗ, καὶ μεθ' οὗ, τῷ Θεῷ καὶ Πατρὶ σὺν ἁγίῳ Πνεύματι ἡ δόξα, καὶ τὸ κράτος εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων ᾿Αμήν. Πρόσειπε τὴν παρὰ σοὶ ἀδελφότητα· ὅτι σε ἡ ὁ σὺν ἡμῖν ἐν Κυρίῳ προσαγορεύει. Ἐῤῥῶσθαί σε, καὶ μνημονεύειν ἡμῶν, τῷ Κυρίῳ εὔχομαι, εὐλαβέστατε καὶ θεοφιλέστατε ἀδελφέ.
Tǭ eulabestatǭ kai theophilestatǭ sylleitourgǭ Maximianǭ, Kyrillos, en Kyriǭ chairein. Prepon, oimai, kai nyn eipein, tēs sēs teleiotētos tēn polyeukton hēmin lachousēs hierōsynēn; « Euphranthētō ho ouranos anōthen; chairetō de hē sympasa gē, kai boatō met' euphrosynēs, » kata tēn tou prophētou phōnēn. Ou gar eti stomalaloun megala, tēs tou Sōtēros hēmōn katepairetai doxēs; oute mēn ho touto dran eiōthōs, to keras eis hypsos epairei, kai adikian lalei kata tou Theou, ton agorasanta hēmas Despotēn arnoumenos. « Exepriato gar hēmas Iēsous ho Christos, ho heis te kai monos, kai alēthōs Huios tou Theou kai Patros, ou phthartois, argyriǭ, ē chrysiǭ, tetheikōs de mallon hyper hēmōn tēn heau tou psychēn, kai hōs amōmon hiereion heauton proskomisas eis osmēn euōdias tǭ Theǭ, kai Patri; kai dous antallagma tēs pantōn R zōēs to idion haima., Kai gar ēn hapantōn axiōteros, mallon de kai hyper pasan tēn ktisin, ei kai gegone kath' hēmas teleios anthrōpos ho monogenēs tou Theou Logos, ou tropēn, ouk alloiōsin, ou tēn thrylloumenēn anachysin hypomeinas, ou phyrmon, ou metastasin tēn eis hoper ouk ēn; memenēkōs de mallon kai en tę̄ kath' hēmas an thrōpotēti touth᾽ hoper ēn. Pepisteutai de, kai estin alēthōs zōn te kai enypostatos Logos tou Patros. Phere toinyn, hōs apo glōttēs mias kai theophilous dianoias, tēs orthēs pisteōs tēn homologian autǭ prospherōmen, legontes meta tou makariou Barouch Houtos ho Theos hēmōn; ou logisthēsetai heteros pros auton. Exeure pasan hodon epistēmēs; kai edōken autēn Iakōb, tǭ paidi autou, kai Israēl, tǭ hēgapēmenǭ hyp᾿ autou. Kai meta tauta epi tēs gēs ōphthē, kai tois anthrōpois synanestraphē. » Ou gar heteros men ēn Huios tou Theou kai Patros, ho pro pantos aiōnos kai chronōn, ho di' hou ta panta parēchthē pros genesin, heteros de palin ho en eschatois tou aiōnos kairois dia tēs hagias Parthenou kata sarka gegennēmenos; ho autos de mallon spermatos Abraam epilabomenos, kata tēn tou makariou Pau lou phōnēn, kai paraplēsiōs hēmin meteschēkōs aimatos kai sarkos, homoiōtheis de kata panta tois adelphois, tout᾽ estin hēmin, dicha monēs hamartias. Epsychōsthai ge mēn psychę̄ noerą prosomologoumen to henōthen autǭ kata alētheian sōma. Ou gar tais tou phrenoblabous Apolinariou proskeimetha doxais. Anathematizomen de, phronountes orthōs, Apolina rion te kai Areion, kai Eunomion, kai syn autois Nestorion. Tēn gar anōthen hēmin paradotheisan pistin, hōs ankyran echomen tēs psychēs asphalē te kai ) bebaian, kata to gegrammenon. Homologoumen toinyn, hōs ephēn, hena, kai monon, kai alēthōs Huion tou Theou kai Patros, ton Kyrion hēmōn Iēsoun Christon; ton auton eidotes kai Theon kai Logon ek Patros, kai anthrōpon ek gynaikos; kai hyper nomon hōs Theon, kai hypo nomon dia to anthrōpinon; en axiōmati tǭ Despotikǭ kata physin, kai en doulou morphę̄ dia tēn oikonomian. Tautēn hēmin parethento tēn paradosin kai logoi Mōsaïkoi, kai proagoreuseis prophētikai, kai autoi de pros toutois hoi ap᾿ archēs autoptai kai hypēretai genomenoi tou Logou, kai mēn kai hoi pro hēmōn gegonotes hagioi Pateres; hoi kai gegonasi phōstēres en kosmǭ, logon zōēs epechontes; hōn anatheōrountes tēn ekbasin tēs anastrophēs, tēn pistin apomimoumetha, tout᾽ esti, ta auta kai phronein autois, kai lalein spoudazomen, kat' oudena tropon exō pheresthai tēs eusebeias anechomenoi tribou. Memnēmetha gar tēs theopneustou Graphēs boōsēs Orthas trochias poiei sois posi; kai tas hodous sou kateuthyne. » Hoi men gar tas orthas timōntes trochias, kata skopon trechousin, eis to brabeion tēs anō klēseōs en Christǭ; hoi de tēs apostolikēs kai euangelikēs paradoseōs alogēsantes, kai tēn neōteran, kai anōphelē, kai katagelaston hōs alēthōs tēs heautōn dianoias timōntes euresin, akouetōsan para pantōn; «Mē metaire 4 horia aiōnia, ho ethento hoi pateres sou G. » Ou gar asteia tōn toioutōn hē hodos; kampylai de mallon hai trochiai, kai eis petauron hądou, kai pagida thanatou katakomizousai. Kai moi dokei sophos ōn agan ho Solomōn, asemnǭ gynaiki to hekastēs tōn haireseōn peritheinai prosōpon, eita peri autēs eipein, hōs chrē paraiteisthai, kai pheugein tēn toiautēn gynaika, hētis estin thēreuma, kai sagēnē kardia autēs, desmos eis cheiras autēs. Ho agathos pro prosōpou tou Theou, exairethēsetai; ap᾿ autēs; kai ho hamartanōn, syllēphthēsetai en autę̄. ᾿All' exę̄rēmetha men hēmeis tēs tou thēreuontos aplēstou pagidos; sesōsmetha de dia tou pantōn hēmōn Sōtēros Christou; hon kai Theon einai pisteuontes, homologountes de Theotokon kai tēn kata sarka ( tekousan auton, autǭ prosimen ", legontes; « Zōōseis hēmas, kai ou mē apostōmen apo sou; kai tǭ onomati sou exomologēsometha eis tous aiōnas. » ῾Apantōn de toutōn hēmin tōn tripothētōn agathōn gegone proxenos hē theia te kai aporrhētos, kai anōthen psēphos, kai hē tois anōthen neumasi syntrechousa gnōmē tou eusebestatou kai philochristou basileōs. Eprepe gar tę̄ galēnotēti autōn n, mē monon horatous kai tapalaiein echthrous, alla gar pros toutǭ kai aoratous, kai barbarikas men synthrauein phalangas, apraktous de kai tas tou diabolou dystropias apotelein, kai tois eis Christon pisteuousin dia tēs sēs theosebeias prytaneuein tēn asphaleian. Ho men gar eikē battarizōn en ekklēsią kai tais kata Christou dysphēmiais akrates anoigōn to stoma, tēs hieras te kai theias hypechōrēsen aulēs, antanephy de, kai aneblastēsen hē tē teleiotēs, hōs phyton eirēnēs, kata to gegrammenon. Xenion de kai touto basileōs eusebous lampron, proēgoumenēs, hōs ephēn, tēs anōthen psēphou. Synēdometha toinyn kai hymin, tois tēn orthēn kai amōmēton echousi pistin. Egēgertai gar hierourgos anēr, on iste, kai chronos hymin paretheto makros; kai autē de tōn pragmatōn estephanōsen hē peira; anēr tais eis hymas agathais phrontisi makrous dapanēsas chronous, kai tēn houtō pansemnon polian exēnthēkōs. Edei gar, edei, tais exairetois malista tou Sōtēros agelais sophon te kai epistēmona dothēnai ton epistatēn, poimenikēs eutechnias. epimeston echonta ton noun, en nomę̄ agathę̄, kai en topǭ pioni katanemein eidota, dedokimasmenon de dia pragmatōn, hōs piston, kai gnēsion oikonomon. Tous men gar houtō zę̄n eiōthotas kai prosietai Christos, kai logou pantos axioi, tous de mē toioutous existēsi tēs encheiristheisēs autois oikonomias. Kai touto estin alēthes idein ex n autōn tōn hierōn Grammatōn. Ephē gar pou Theos pros ton makarion prophētēn Hēsaïan; « Poreuthēti - eis to pastophorion pros Sōmana ton tamian, kai eipon autǭ. Ti sy hōde, kai ti soi estin hōde? Idou Kyrios Sabbaōth ekbalei, kai ektripsei andra, kai aphelei tēn stolēn sou, kai ton stephanon sou ton endoxon, kai rhipsei se eis chōran megalēn, kai ametrēton e, kai ekei apothanę̄, kai aphairethēsę̄ apo a tēs oikonomias sou, kai ek tēs systaseōs sou Kai estai en tę̄ hēmerą ekeinę̄, kalesō ton païda mou Eliakeim, ton tou Chelkiou, kai endysō auton tēn stolēn sou, kai ton stephanon sou dōsō autǭ, kai tēn oikonomian sou dōsō eis tas cheiras autou; kai estai hōs patēr tois enoikousin en Hierousalēm, kai tois enoikousin en Iouda; kai dōsō tēn doxan Dabid autǭ, kai arxei, kai ouk estai ho antilegōn; kai stēsō auton archonta en topǭ pistǭ; kai estai eis thronon doxēs tou oikou tou patros autou; kai estai pepoithōs ep᾿ auton pas endoxos en tǭ oikǭ tou patros autou, apo mikrou heōs megalou; kai esontai epikremamenoi autǭ en tę̄ hēmerą ekeinę̄. Tade legei Kyrios Sabbaōth; Kinēthēsetai ho anthrōpos eo estērigmenos en topǭ pistǭ, kai peseitai, kai aphairethēsetai hē doxa hē ep᾿ auton, hoti ho Kyrios elalēsen. » Agapą toinyn ho tōn holōn Theos ton piston alēthōs. kai gnēsion oikonomon; ton de mē toiouton, hōs bebēlon, apostrephetai. Synkrotēsei de hoti tēn sēn hosiotēta, kai tois anōthen euphranei charismasi plousią cheiri, tetharsēkamen; ; hina ton tēs alētheias orthotomousa logon, kai tēn tōn hagiōn Paterōn ichnēla - tousa pistin, eudokimos diameinę̄ dia pheidous te kai eumeneias tou pantōn hēmōn Sōtēros Christou; di' hou, kai meth' hou, tǭ Theǭ kai Patri syn hagiǭ Pneumati hē doxa, kai to kratos eis tous aiōnas tōn aiōnōn ᾿Amēn. Proseipe tēn para soi adelphotēta; hoti se hē ho syn hēmin en Kyriǭ prosagoreuei. Errhōsthai se, kai mnēmoneuein hēmōn, tǭ Kyriǭ euchomai, eulabestate kai theophilestate adelphe.
Cyril to the most reverent and most God-beloved fellow minister Maximian: greeting in the Lord.
It is fitting, I think, now that your Perfection has received the priesthood we so prayed for, to say in the prophet's words, “Let the heaven rejoice from above, and let the whole earth be glad and cry out with joy.” For no longer does a mouth speaking great things exalt itself against the glory of our Saviour; nor does the one who used to do this lift his horn on high and speak unrighteousness against God, denying the Master who bought us. For Jesus Christ, the one and only and truly Son of God the Father, has bought us, not with perishable things, with silver or gold, but rather by laying down his own life for us, offering himself as a spotless victim for a fragrant odour to God the Father, and giving his own blood in exchange for the life of all. For he was worth more than all, or rather more than the whole creation, even though the only-begotten Word of God became a perfect man like us, undergoing no change, no alteration, not the much-talked-of fusion, not mixing, not a passing over into what he was not, but rather remaining, even in a humanity like ours, what he was. He is believed to be, and truly is, the living and subsistent Word of the Father.
Come, then, as with one tongue and one God-loving mind, let us offer him the confession of the right faith, saying with the blessed Baruch, “This is our God; no other shall be reckoned beside him. He found out every way of knowledge and gave it to Jacob his servant and to Israel whom he loved. After this he appeared on earth and lived among men.” For it was not one who was Son of God the Father, before every age and time, through whom all things were brought into being, and another again who in the last times of the age was born according to the flesh through the holy Virgin; but rather the same one, “taking hold of the seed of Abraham,” in the words of the blessed Paul, and sharing in blood and flesh as we do, “made like his brothers in every respect,” that is, like us, sin alone excepted. We also confess that the body truly united to him was animated by an intelligent soul; for we do not adhere to the opinions of the deranged Apollinarius. Thinking rightly, we anathematize Apollinarius and Arius and Eunomius, and with them Nestorius. For we hold the faith handed down to us from the beginning “as an anchor of the soul, sure and steadfast,” as it is written.
We confess, then, as I said, one and only and true Son of God the Father, our Lord Jesus Christ, knowing the same one to be both God and Word from the Father and man from a woman; above the law as God, and under the law because of what is human; in the dignity of the Master by nature, and in the form of a servant because of the dispensation. This tradition has been entrusted to us by the words of Moses, by the prophetic predictions, and besides these by those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the Word, and indeed by the holy fathers who have lived before us, who became lights in the world, holding fast the word of life. Considering the outcome of their way of life, we imitate their faith; that is, we are eager to think and speak the same as they, in no way allowing ourselves to be carried off the road of piety. For we remember the divinely inspired Scripture crying out, “Make straight paths for your feet, and direct your ways.” Those who honour the straight paths run toward the goal, for the prize of the upward call in Christ; but let those who have disregarded the apostolic and evangelical tradition, and honour the newer, useless, and truly ridiculous invention of their own minds, hear from everyone: “Do not remove the eternal boundaries which your fathers set.” For the way of such men is not graceful; rather their paths are crooked and lead down to the trap of Hades and the snare of death. And it seems to me that Solomon, being very wise, put on each of the heresies the face of a shameless woman and then said of her that one must reject and flee such a woman, “who is a hunting net, and her heart a dragnet, a bond on her hands. He who is good before God will be delivered from her, but the sinner will be caught by her.”
But we have been delivered from the snare of the insatiable hunter and saved through Christ, the Saviour of us all; believing him to be God, and confessing as Mother of God the one who bore him according to the flesh, we come to him saying, “You will give us life, and we shall not turn away from you; and we shall confess your name for ever.” The cause of all these thrice-desired goods for us has been the divine, ineffable sentence from above, and the mind of the most pious and Christ-loving emperor, which runs with the nods from above. For it befitted their Serenity not only to wrestle down visible enemies but invisible ones as well, and not only to shatter barbarian phalanxes but also to make the devil's perversities ineffective, and to secure safety for those who believe in Christ through your Reverence. For the one who babbled at random in the church and opened his mouth without restraint in blasphemies against Christ has withdrawn from the sacred and divine court, and in his place your Perfection has sprung up and blossomed like “a plant of peace,” as it is written. This too is a splendid gift of a pious emperor, the sentence from above, as I said, having gone first. We rejoice, then, with you as well, who have the right and blameless faith. For a priestly man has been raised up whom you know; long time has commended him to you, and experience of affairs has crowned him; a man who has spent long years in good care for you and has blossomed with such venerable grey hair. For it was necessary, necessary indeed, that a wise and knowing overseer should be given to the Saviour's choice flocks, one whose mind is full of a shepherd's skill, who knows how to pasture them in good pasture and in a fat place, and who has been proved by deeds a faithful and genuine steward. For those who are accustomed to live so Christ receives and counts worthy of every consideration, but those who are not such he removes from the stewardship entrusted to them. One can see that this is true from the sacred writings themselves. For God said somewhere to the blessed prophet Isaiah, “Go into the chamber to Shebna the treasurer and say to him, ‘What are you doing here, and what have you here? Behold, the Lord of hosts will cast out and crush a man, and will take away your robe and your glorious crown, and will throw you into a great and measureless land, and there you shall die; and you shall be removed from your stewardship and from your station.’ And it shall come to pass in that day that I will call my servant Eliakim son of Hilkiah, and I will clothe him with your robe and give him your crown, and I will give your stewardship into his hands; and he shall be as a father to those who dwell in Jerusalem and to those who dwell in Judah. And I will give him the glory of David, and he shall rule, and there shall be none to oppose; and I will set him as a ruler in a sure place, and he shall be for a throne of glory to his father's house; and every one who is glorious in his father's house shall trust in him, from the small to the great; and they shall hang upon him in that day. Thus says the Lord of hosts: The man who was fixed in a sure place shall be moved and shall fall, and the glory that is on him shall be taken away, for the Lord has spoken.” The God of all loves the truly faithful and genuine steward, but turns away from the one who is not such, as profane. We are confident that he will support your Holiness and gladden you with gifts from above with a rich hand, so that, rightly dividing the word of truth and following the faith of the holy fathers, you may remain approved through the kindness and favour of Christ, the Saviour of us all, through whom and with whom be glory and power to God the Father with the Holy Spirit to the ages of ages. Amen. Greet the brotherhood with you. The brotherhood with us greets you in the Lord. I pray to the Lord that you may be well and remember us, most reverent and most God-beloved brother.
Isa 45:8 (quotation, medium confidence) · Isa 49:13 (echo, low confidence) · Dan 7:8 (allusion, medium confidence) · Ps 75:5 (74:6 LXX) (allusion, medium confidence) · 2 Pet 2:1 (allusion, high confidence) · 1 Pet 1:18–19 (allusion, high confidence) · Eph 5:2 (allusion, high confidence) · Heb 2:16–17 (quotation, high confidence) · Heb 4:15 (allusion, high confidence) · Heb 6:19 (quotation, high confidence) · Gal 4:4 (allusion, medium confidence) · Phil 2:7 (allusion, high confidence) · Luke 1:2 (allusion, high confidence) · Phil 2:15–16 (quotation, high confidence) · Heb 13:7 (allusion, high confidence) · Prov 4:26 (quotation, high confidence) · Phil 3:14 (allusion, high confidence) · Prov 22:28 (quotation, high confidence) · Eccl 7:26 (quotation, high confidence) · Ps 80:18 (79:19 LXX) (quotation, high confidence) · Ezek 34:29 (quotation, medium confidence) · Ezek 34:14 (allusion, medium confidence) · Luke 12:42 (allusion, medium confidence) · Isa 22:15–25 (quotation, high confidence) · 2 Tim 2:15 (allusion, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Cyril welcomes Maximian as Nestorius's successor at Constantinople, restates the faith in one Christ against Apollinarius and Nestorius, and compares Nestorius's fall and Maximian's rise to Shebna and Eliakim.
- Written late in 431. Stray Greek from the notes (“from the Father of the angels” in the opening quotation, and words from the notes to the Isaiah passage) is removed by logged corrections; a displaced line of Isa 22:17–18 is restored to its place. “Baruch” is Bar 3:36–38. “Solomon” is quoted from Eccl 7:26 (LXX). The opening quotation combines phrases of Isa 45:8 and Isa 49:13 (identification approximate). The Isaiah passage is Isa 22:15–25 in the Septuagint wording, applied by Cyril to Nestorius and Maximian. “Plant of peace” is Ezek 34:29 (LXX).
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (displaced line of Isa 22:17–18 restored to its place; footnote variants and a displaced line of the Isaiah quotation printed inside this sentence; words from the notes leaked into the quotation): σύμπασα 1 παρὰ τοῦ Πατρὸς τῶν ἀγγέλων. γῆ → σύμπασα γῆ; φροντίσι 4 μεταίρετε. τὑμῶν. · σαγῆναι. μακροὺς δαπανήσας χρόνους, καὶ τὴν οὕτω πάνσεμνον ψει ἄνδρα, καὶ ἀφελεῖ τὴν στολήν σου, καὶ τὸν στέφαπολιὰν → φροντίσι μακροὺς δαπανήσας χρόνους, καὶ τὴν οὕτω πάνσεμνον πολιὰν; ἐκβαλεῖ ὁ, καὶ ἐκτρίνόν σου τὸν ἔνδοξον → ἐκβαλεῖ, καὶ ἐκτρίψει ἄνδρα, καὶ ἀφελεῖ τὴν στολήν σου, καὶ τὸν στέφανόν σου τὸν ἔνδοξον.
Extrabiblical texts: Bar 3:36-38 (Baruch [in RC, EO, ETH canons]; quotation)
Topics: Christology, Heresy, Church office
Cite (SBL): Cyril of Alexandria, Ep. 31 (PG 77 77:149; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/cyril-alexandria-epistulae/31). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/cyril-alexandria-epistulae/31
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 77 (Bavarian State Library OCR); letters 4, 17 and 39 compared with NPNF² 14; the rest re-read against the Greek.
Chapter 35
35PG 77 77:163
Τοῖς ὁσιωτάτοις καὶ θεοφιλεστάτοις ἀδελφοῖς καὶ συλλειτουργοῖς Ξύστῳ, Κυρίλλῳ καὶ Μαξιμιανῷ, Ἰωάννης καὶ οἱ λοιποὶ πάντες οἱ σὺν ἐμοὶ, ἐν Κυρίῳ χαίρειν. Καὶ σπουδὴ καὶ σκοπὸς πᾶσι τοῖς ἱερᾶσθαι λαχοῦσι, καὶ τὴν θείαν τῆς ἐπισκοπῆς λειτουργίαν πεπιστευμένοις παρὰ τοῦ πάντων ἡμῶν Σωτῆρος Χριστοῦ τὸ ἐν ὀρθῇ πίστει διαπρέπειν, οὕτω τε διδάσκειν τοὺς ὑπὸ χεῖρα λαούς. Οὕτω τοίνυν ἔχοντος τοῦ πράγματος κατὰ τὸ παρῳχηκὸς ἔτος ἐκ θεσπίσματος τῶν εὐσεβεστάτων καὶ φιλοχρίστων βασιλέων, ἁγία σύνοδος θεοφιλεστάτων ἐπισκόπων συνήχθη κατὰ τὴν Ἐφεσίων μητρόπολιν, τῆς κατὰ Νεστόριον ὑποθέσεως χάριν· οἳ καὶ συνεδρεύσαντες ἅμα τοῖς ἀποσταλεῖσιν ἐκδίκοις παρὰτοῦ τῆς μακαρίας μνήμης Κοιλεστίνου, τοῦ γενομένου ἐπισκόπου τῆς ἁγίας Ῥωμαίων Ἐκκλησίας, ψήφῳ καθαιρέσεως ὑποβεβλήκασι τὸν μνημονευθέντα Νεστόριον, ὡς βεβήλῳ διδασκαλίᾳ χρώ μενον, καὶ σκανδαλίσαντα πολλοὺς, καὶ οὐκ ὀρθοποδίσαντα περὶ τὴν πίστιν. Συνδεδραμηκότες δὲ καὶ ἡμεῖς, εἶτα τοῦτο γεγονὸς εὐρόντες, λελυπήμεθα. Ταύτης ἕνεκα τῆς αἰτίας, διαφορᾶς μεταξὺ γενομένης ἡμῶν τε καὶ τῆς ἁγίας συνόδου, καὶ πολλῶν μεταξύ πεπραγμένων τε καὶ εἰρημένων, εἰς τὰς ἑαυτῶν Ἐκκλησίας τε καὶ πόλεις ὑπεστρέψαμεν, οὐ συνενεχθέντες τὸ τηνικαῦτα τῇ ἁγίᾳ συνόδῳ δι' ὑπογραφῆς εἰς τὴν ἐξενεχθεῖσαν κατὰ Νεστορίου καθαιρέσεως ψῆφον. Διῃρημένων πρὸς διχόνοιαν τῶν Ἐκκλησιῶν, - ἐπειδὴ τούτου μάλιστα πάντας φροντίσαι ἐχρῆν, ὅπως συναφθεῖεν, ἐκ μέσου γενομένης διχονοίας ἁπάσης, καὶ τῶν θεοσεβεστάτων καὶ φιλοχρίστων βασιλέων αὐτὸ δὴ τοῦτο γενέσθαι θεσπισάντων, καὶ εἰς τοῦτο πεπομφότων τὸν θαυμάσιον τριβοῦνον καὶ νοτάριο Αριστόλαον, συνήρεσεν εἰς ἀναίρεσιν πάσης φιλονεικίας, καὶ ὑπὲρ τοῦ τὴν εἰρήνην βραβευθῆναι ταῖς Ἐκκλησίαις τοῦ Θεοῦ, καὶ ἡμᾶς αὐτοὺς συνθέσθαι τῇδε ψήφῳ τῆς ἁγίας συνόδου, τῇ ἐξενεχθείσῃ κατὰ Νεστορίου, ἔχειν τε αὐτὸν καθῃρημένον, καὶ ἀναθεματίσαι τὰς δυσφήμους αὐτοῦ διδασκαλίας, διὰ τὸ τὰς παρ᾿ ἡμῖν Ἐκκλησίας τὴν ὀρθὴν ἀεὶ καὶ ἀβέβηλον ἐσχηκέναι πίστιν, καθὰ καὶ ἡ ὑμετέρα ὁσιότης, καὶ ταύτην ἀεὶ φυλάττειν καὶ παραδιδόναι τοῖς λαοῖς. Συναινοῦμεν δὲ καὶ τῇ χειροτονίᾳ τοῦ ὁσιωτάτου καὶ θεοσεβεστάτου τῆς Κωνσταντινουπολιτῶν ἁγίας Ἐκκλησίας ἐπισκόπου Μαξιμιανοῦ, καὶ κοινωνικοὶ πᾶσίν ἐσμεν τοῖς κατὰ τὴν οἰκουμένην θεοσεβεστάτοις ἔχουσί τε καὶ τηροῦσι πίστιν.
Tois hosiōtatois kai theophilestatois adelphois kai sylleitourgois Xystǭ, Kyrillǭ kai Maximianǭ, Iōannēs kai hoi loipoi pantes hoi syn emoi, en Kyriǭ chairein. Kai spoudē kai skopos pasi tois hierasthai lachousi, kai tēn theian tēs episkopēs leitourgian pepisteumenois para tou pantōn hēmōn Sōtēros Christou to en orthę̄ pistei diaprepein, houtō te didaskein tous hypo cheira laous. Houtō toinyn echontos tou pragmatos kata to parǭchēkos etos ek thespismatos tōn eusebestatōn kai philochristōn basileōn, hagia synodos theophilestatōn episkopōn synēchthē kata tēn Ephesiōn mētropolin, tēs kata Nestorion hypotheseōs charin; hoi kai synedreusantes hama tois apostaleisin ekdikois paratou tēs makarias mnēmēs Koilestinou, tou genomenou episkopou tēs hagias Rhōmaiōn Ekklēsias, psēphǭ kathaireseōs hypobeblēkasi ton mnēmoneuthenta Nestorion, hōs bebēlǭ didaskalią chrō menon, kai skandalisanta pollous, kai ouk orthopodisanta peri tēn pistin. Syndedramēkotes de kai hēmeis, eita touto gegonos eurontes, lelypēmetha. Tautēs heneka tēs aitias, diaphoras metaxy genomenēs hēmōn te kai tēs hagias synodou, kai pollōn metaxy pepragmenōn te kai eirēmenōn, eis tas heautōn Ekklēsias te kai poleis hypestrepsamen, ou synenechthentes to tēnikauta tę̄ hagią synodǭ di' hypographēs eis tēn exenechtheisan kata Nestoriou kathaireseōs psēphon. Dię̄rēmenōn pros dichonoian tōn Ekklēsiōn, - epeidē toutou malista pantas phrontisai echrēn, hopōs synaphtheien, ek mesou genomenēs dichonoias hapasēs, kai tōn theosebestatōn kai philochristōn basileōn auto dē touto genesthai thespisantōn, kai eis touto pepomphotōn ton thaumasion tribounon kai notario Aristolaon, synēresen eis anairesin pasēs philoneikias, kai hyper tou tēn eirēnēn brabeuthēnai tais Ekklēsiais tou Theou, kai hēmas autous synthesthai tę̄de psēphǭ tēs hagias synodou, tę̄ exenechtheisę̄ kata Nestoriou, echein te auton kathę̄rēmenon, kai anathematisai tas dysphēmous autou didaskalias, dia to tas par᾿ hēmin Ekklēsias tēn orthēn aei kai abebēlon eschēkenai pistin, katha kai hē hymetera hosiotēs, kai tautēn aei phylattein kai paradidonai tois laois. Synainoumen de kai tę̄ cheirotonią tou hosiōtatou kai theosebestatou tēs Kōnstantinoupolitōn hagias Ekklēsias episkopou Maximianou, kai koinōnikoi pasin esmen tois kata tēn oikoumenēn theosebestatois echousi te kai tērousi pistin.
To the most holy and most God-beloved brothers and fellow ministers Xystus, Cyril, and Maximian, John and all the others with me: greeting in the Lord.
It is the zeal and aim of all who have been allotted the priesthood and entrusted by Christ, the Saviour of us all, with the divine ministry of the episcopate to excel in the right faith and so to teach the people under their hand. This being so, last year, by decree of the most pious and Christ-loving emperors, a holy synod of most God-beloved bishops was assembled at the metropolis of Ephesus because of the affair of Nestorius. Sitting together with the representatives sent by Celestine of blessed memory, who was bishop of the holy church of the Romans, they subjected the said Nestorius to a sentence of deposition, as one using profane teaching, scandalizing many, and not walking straight in the faith. When we too arrived and found this done, we were grieved. For this reason, since a disagreement arose between us and the holy synod, and much was done and said in between, we returned to our own churches and cities, without agreeing at that time with the holy synod by signing the sentence of deposition pronounced against Nestorius.
The churches being divided in discord, and since all ought above all to take care that they be joined together, all discord being removed, and since the most God-fearing and Christ-loving emperors decreed that this very thing be done and sent the admirable tribune and notary Aristolaus for this purpose, it has seemed good, for the removal of all contention and so that peace may be established for the churches of God, that we too should agree with this sentence of the holy synod pronounced against Nestorius, hold him deposed, and anathematize his blasphemous teachings; for the churches with us have always held the right and unprofaned faith, as your Holiness does too, and always guard it and hand it on to the people. We also assent to the ordination of the most holy and God-fearing bishop of the holy church of Constantinople, Maximian, and we are in communion with all the most God-fearing bishops throughout the world who hold and keep the right and unprofaned faith.
Notes and citation
Summary: John of Antioch and his bishops tell Xystus of Rome, Cyril, and Maximian that, for the sake of peace, they now accept Nestorius's deposition by the Council of Ephesus and Maximian's ordination.
- Letter of John of Antioch and his synod (433), part of the reunion of 433. Xystus (Sixtus III) had succeeded Celestine at Rome. The closing phrase is shortened in the edition; “the right and unprofaned faith” is supplied from the sense and the preceding sentence.
Topics: Christology, Heresy, Church office
Cite (SBL): Cyril of Alexandria, Ep. 35 (PG 77 77:163; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/cyril-alexandria-epistulae/35). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/cyril-alexandria-epistulae/35
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 77 (Bavarian State Library OCR); letters 4, 17 and 39 compared with NPNF² 14; the rest re-read against the Greek.
Chapter 36
36PG 77 77:165
Λίβελλος ἐπιδοθεὶς τῷ ἀρχιεπισκόπῳ Κυρίλλῳ παρὰ Παύλου ἐπισκόπου Ἐμέσης, τοῦ ἀποσταλέντος παρὰ · Ἰωάννου ᾿Αντιοχείας ἐπισκόπου. Τῷ δεσπότῃ μου τῷ πάντων ἕνεκα ἀγιωτάτῳ, καὶ ὁσιωτάτῳ ἀρχιεπισκόπῳ Κυρίλλῳ, Παῦλος ἐπίσκοπος, ἐν Κυρίῳ χαίρειν. Οἱ εὐλαβέστατοι καὶ καλλίνικοι ἡμῶν βασιλεῖς, ἣν ἄνωθεν ἔχειν ἀξιοῦσι σπουδὴν καὶ ἐπιμέλειαν περὶ τὸ ὑπήκοον, καὶ μάλιστα περὶ τὰς ἁγίας τοῦ Θεοῦ Ἐκκλησίας, καὶ τὴν εὐσεβῆ, καὶ εἰλικρινῆ, καὶ ὀρθὴν πίστιν, ἣν ἐκ πατέρων διεδέξαντο, ἐνδεικνύμενοι, γράμμα ἐξέπεμψαν διὰ τοῦ περιβλέπτου τριβούνου, καὶ νοταρίου ᾿Αριστολάου, πρός τε τὴν σὴν ὁσιότητα, καὶ πρὸς τὸν ὁσιώτατον καὶ ἁγιώτατον Ἰωάννην ἐπίσκοπον, καὶ πρὸς τὸν ὁσιώτατον καὶ ἀγιώτατον πατέρα ἡμῶν Ἀκάκιον, τὸν ἐπίσκοπον τῆς Βεῤῥοιέων, τὸ κελεῦον, ὥστε συνελθόντας ἢ κατὰ πρόσωπον, ἢ κατὰ γνώμην, λύσιν ὁ δοῦναι ταῖς ἀνακοψάσαις διαφοραῖς μεταξὺ τῶν θεοφιλεστάτων ἐπισκόπων, τῶν εἰς τὴν Ἔφεσον συνεληλυθότων, καὶ ἡμῶν αὐτῶν, καὶ ταῖς ἁγίαις τοῦ Θεοῦ Ἐκκλησίαις τὴν τῷ Θεῷ φίλην εἰρήνην πρυτανεῦσαι, παῦσαί τε τὰς ὁσημέραι ἐγγινομένας ταραχὰς ταῖς ἁγίαις τοῦ Θεοῦ Ἐκκλησίαις, συνθέσθαι ἱ τε τῇ Νεστορίου καθαιρέσει, καὶ ἀναθεματίσαι τὴν φαύλην αὐτοῦ διδασκαλίαν. Δεξάμενοι οὖν τὸ εὐσεβὲς τοῦτο καὶ φιλόχριστον γράμμα ὅ τε προειρημένος ἅγιος Ἰωάννης, καὶ ὁ ἁγιώτατος ἐπίσκοπος ᾿Ακάκιος, καὶ λογισάμενοι, ὡς ἔστι πολλά δεόμενα τῆς κατὰ πρόσωπον ὑμῶν συντυχίας, εἰς τὸ μὴ μακρὸν ἐντριβῆναι τῇ ὑποθέσει, ἀπέστειλάν με πρὸς τὴν σὴν ὀσιότητα, ὥστε συσκοπῆσαί σου τῇ ἁγιότητι, τίνα δὴ τρόπον τὰ τῆς εἰρήνης ὀφείλει ἀσφαλῶς διατεθῆναι, καὶ τῇ ἀρίστῃ ταύτῃ πράξει τέλος τὸ δέον, καὶ λυσιτελὲς ἐπιτεθῆναι 1. Ἐλθὼν οὖν, καὶ συντυχών, καὶ διαλεχθεὶς, εὖρὸν καὶ τὴν σὴν ὁσιότητα παρεσκευασμένην ἡμέρως, καὶ εἰρηνικῶς, καὶ ὡς ἀρχιερεῦσι πρέπει, διαθεῖναι τὰ ἐν χερσί. Καὶ δὴ γράμμα ἡμῖν ἐνεχείρισεν ἡ σὴ ὁσιότης περιέχον, ἤντινα κηρυττομένην ἐκ πατέρων η διεδεξάμεθα ὀρθὴν καὶ ἀκηλίδωτον πίστιν· ὅ πρῶτον ἦν ἄξιον πόνου, καὶ σπουδῆς. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ ἔδει καὶ τὰ κατὰ Νεστόριον τύπον λαβεῖν τὸν ἄνωθεν ὑμῖν δοθέντα, πεποίημαι παρὼν πρὸς παροῦσάν σου τὴν ὁσιότητα τόδε τὸ γράμμα· δι' οὗ ὁμολογῶ καταδέχεσθαι - ἡμᾶς τὴν κατάστασιν τοῦ ἁγιωτάτου καὶ ὁσιωτάτου ἐπισκόπου Μαξιμιανοῦ, ἔχειν δὲ Νεστόριον, τὸν πρὸ τούτου γεγονότα τῆς μεγάλης Κωνσταντινουπόλεως, καθῃρημένον· καὶ ἀναθεματίζομεν τὰ ἐν διδασκαλίας μέρει ἀσεβῶς αὐτῷ εἰρημένα· καὶ ἀσπαζόμεθα τὴν καθαρὰν, καὶ εἰλικρινῆ πρὸς ὑμᾶς κοινωνίαν, κατὰ τὴν ἐπιδοθεῖσαν) τῇ σῇ θεοσεβείᾳ παρ' ἡμῶν διὰ βραχέων περὶ τῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ Λόγου ἐνανθρωπήσεως ἔκθεσιν. ὧν καὶ ἐπήνεσας, καὶ ὡς ἰδίαν ἐδέξω πίστιν· ἧς καὶ τὸ ἴσον ἐντέτακται τῷδε τῷ γράμματι. Καὶ ταύτῃ τῇ καθαρᾷ κοινωνίᾳ λύσιν διδόαμεν πᾶσι τοῖς ἐν μέσῳ παρ᾿ ἀμφοτέρων · τῶν μερῶν, ὡς ἐν ταραχαῖς γεγενημένοις Ρ· καὶ ἐπανερχόμεθα εἰς τὴν προτέραν τῶν Ἐκκλησιῶν τῇ τοῦ Θεοῦ χάριτι γαλήνην.
Libellos epidotheis tǭ archiepiskopǭ Kyrillǭ para Paulou episkopou Emesēs, tou apostalentos para ; Iōannou ᾿Antiocheias episkopou. Tǭ despotę̄ mou tǭ pantōn heneka agiōtatǭ, kai hosiōtatǭ archiepiskopǭ Kyrillǭ, Paulos episkopos, en Kyriǭ chairein. Hoi eulabestatoi kai kallinikoi hēmōn basileis, hēn anōthen echein axiousi spoudēn kai epimeleian peri to hypēkoon, kai malista peri tas hagias tou Theou Ekklēsias, kai tēn eusebē, kai eilikrinē, kai orthēn pistin, hēn ek paterōn diedexanto, endeiknymenoi, gramma exepempsan dia tou peribleptou tribounou, kai notariou ᾿Aristolaou, pros te tēn sēn hosiotēta, kai pros ton hosiōtaton kai hagiōtaton Iōannēn episkopon, kai pros ton hosiōtaton kai agiōtaton patera hēmōn Akakion, ton episkopon tēs Berrhoieōn, to keleuon, hōste synelthontas ē kata prosōpon, ē kata gnōmēn, lysin ho dounai tais anakopsasais diaphorais metaxy tōn theophilestatōn episkopōn, tōn eis tēn Epheson synelēlythotōn, kai hēmōn autōn, kai tais hagiais tou Theou Ekklēsiais tēn tǭ Theǭ philēn eirēnēn prytaneusai, pausai te tas hosēmerai enginomenas tarachas tais hagiais tou Theou Ekklēsiais, synthesthai hi te tę̄ Nestoriou kathairesei, kai anathematisai tēn phaulēn autou didaskalian. Dexamenoi oun to eusebes touto kai philochriston gramma ho te proeirēmenos hagios Iōannēs, kai ho hagiōtatos episkopos ᾿Akakios, kai logisamenoi, hōs esti polla deomena tēs kata prosōpon hymōn syntychias, eis to mē makron entribēnai tę̄ hypothesei, apesteilan me pros tēn sēn osiotēta, hōste syskopēsai sou tę̄ hagiotēti, tina dē tropon ta tēs eirēnēs opheilei asphalōs diatethēnai, kai tę̄ aristę̄ tautę̄ praxei telos to deon, kai lysiteles epitethēnai 1. Elthōn oun, kai syntychōn, kai dialechtheis, euron kai tēn sēn hosiotēta pareskeuasmenēn hēmerōs, kai eirēnikōs, kai hōs archiereusi prepei, diatheinai ta en chersi. Kai dē gramma hēmin enecheirisen hē sē hosiotēs periechon, ēntina kēryttomenēn ek paterōn ē diedexametha orthēn kai akēlidōton pistin; ho prōton ēn axion ponou, kai spoudēs. Epeidē de edei kai ta kata Nestorion typon labein ton anōthen hymin dothenta, pepoiēmai parōn pros parousan sou tēn hosiotēta tode to gramma; di' hou homologō katadechesthai - hēmas tēn katastasin tou hagiōtatou kai hosiōtatou episkopou Maximianou, echein de Nestorion, ton pro toutou gegonota tēs megalēs Kōnstantinoupoleōs, kathę̄rēmenon; kai anathematizomen ta en didaskalias merei asebōs autǭ eirēmena; kai aspazometha tēn katharan, kai eilikrinē pros hymas koinōnian, kata tēn epidotheisan) tę̄ sę̄ theosebeią par' hēmōn dia bracheōn peri tēs tou Theou Logou enanthrōpēseōs ekthesin. hōn kai epēnesas, kai hōs idian edexō pistin; hēs kai to ison entetaktai tǭde tǭ grammati. Kai tautę̄ tę̄ katharą koinōnią lysin didoamen pasi tois en mesǭ par᾿ amphoterōn ; tōn merōn, hōs en tarachais gegenēmenois R; kai epanerchometha eis tēn proteran tōn Ekklēsiōn tę̄ tou Theou chariti galēnēn.
Statement presented to archbishop Cyril by Paul, bishop of Emesa, who was sent by John, bishop of Antioch.
To my lord, most holy for all reasons and most holy archbishop Cyril, Paul, bishop: greeting in the Lord.
Our most reverent and victorious emperors, showing the zeal and care they deign always to have for their subjects, and especially for the holy churches of God and the pious, sincere, and right faith they received from their fathers, sent a letter through the distinguished tribune and notary Aristolaus to your Holiness, to the most holy and holy bishop John, and to our most holy and holy father Acacius, bishop of Beroea, ordering that, meeting either in person or in mind, you should give a resolution to the differences that broke out between the most God-beloved bishops who met at Ephesus and ourselves, establish for the holy churches of God the peace that is dear to God, stop the disturbances arising daily in the holy churches of God, and agree to the deposition of Nestorius and anathematize his worthless teaching. When the holy John mentioned above and the most holy bishop Acacius received this pious and Christ-loving letter, and reckoned that there are many things needing a meeting with you in person, so as not to spend a long time on the matter, they sent me to your Holiness to consider with your Holiness in what way the terms of peace ought to be settled securely, and to put a fitting and profitable end to this excellent undertaking.
Having come, then, and met you, and conversed, I found your Holiness prepared to settle the matters in hand gently, peaceably, and as befits high priests. And your Holiness handed us a letter containing the right and unblemished faith that we received proclaimed from the fathers, which was the first thing worth labour and zeal. But since the affair of Nestorius too had to take the form given to you from the beginning, I have made this letter, in person, to your Holiness in person, by which I confess that we accept the appointment of the most holy and most holy bishop Maximian, and hold Nestorius, who was formerly bishop of great Constantinople, deposed; and we anathematize what he impiously said by way of teaching; and we embrace pure and sincere communion with you, according to the brief exposition about the incarnation of God the Word that we presented to your Reverence, which you praised and received as your own faith; a copy of it is set down in this letter. And by this pure communion we give release to all that happened in between on both sides, as having happened in times of disturbance; and we return, by the grace of God, to the former calm of the churches.
Textual problem in this passage: see the notes.
Notes and citation
Summary: Paul of Emesa, John of Antioch's envoy, formally accepts Maximian's appointment and Nestorius's deposition, anathematizes Nestorius's teaching, and restores communion with Cyril on the basis of the agreed statement of faith.
- Statement (libellus) of Paul of Emesa to Cyril (433), part of the reunion of 433. Footnote variants printed inside the sentence “Having come, then, and met you” are removed by a logged correction. The “brief exposition” is the Formula of Reunion, quoted in Letter 39.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (footnote variants (ἀποσταλέντες παρά; γοῦν; συντεθεῖσθαι; μακρὸν χρόνον ἐντριβῆναι; ἐπιθεῖναι) leaked into the text): καὶ ἀποσταλέντες παρά. ἱ γοῦν. · συντεθεῖσθαι. μακρὸν χρόνον ἐντριβῆναι. 1 ἐπιθεῖναι. συντυχών → καὶ συντυχών.
Topics: Christology, Heresy, Church office
Cite (SBL): Cyril of Alexandria, Ep. 36 (PG 77 77:165; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/cyril-alexandria-epistulae/36). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/cyril-alexandria-epistulae/36
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 77 (Bavarian State Library OCR); letters 4, 17 and 39 compared with NPNF² 14; the rest re-read against the Greek.
Chapter 37
37PG 77 77:167
Κύριλλος Θεογνώστῳ καὶ Χαρμοσύνῳ πρεσβυτέ ροις, καὶ Λεοντίῳ διακόνῳ, ἐν Κυρίῳ χαίρειν Περὶ πάντων γράφομεν τῶν πραγμάτων ὑμῖν· εἶτα ὡς οὐδὲν μαθόντες γράφετε, θορύβων πληροῦντες ἡμᾶς. Οἶδα τοίνυν ἐπιστείλας, ὅτι ὁ εὐγηρότατος καὶ θεοσεβέστατος Ἀκάκιος ὁ τῆς Βερροίας, προτραπεὶς παρά τινων τῶν ἐκ τῆς Ἀνατολῆς εὐλαβεστάτων ἐπισκόπων, ἔγραψε πρός με διὰ τοῦ κυρίου μου τοῦ μεγαλοπρεπεστάτου Αριστολάου, ὅτι χρὴ πάντα ἀφανίσαι τὰ ἐν βίβλοις καὶ ἐπιστολαῖς γεγραμμένα, καὶ μόνῳ στοιχῆσαι τῷ συμβόλῳ τῷ ἐκτεθέντι ἐν τῇ ἁγίᾳ συνόδῳ τῇ ἐν Νικαίᾳ. Ἐγὼ δὲ πρὸς ταῦτα πολύστιχον ἐπιστολὴν ἔγραψα πρὸς αὐτὸν, ἣν καὶ ἐδέξασθε πάντως. Τοῦτο γὰρ ἐδίδαξεν ὁ ἀγαπητὸς πρεσβύτερος Εὐλόγιος. Καὶ νῦν ἐλθόντος τοῦ εὐλαβεστάτου Παύλου τοῦ τῆς Ἐμέσης εἰς τὴν ᾿Αλεξάνδρειαν, πάντα ἐτυπώθη χρηστῶς μὲν, καὶ εἰρηνικῶς, ἀσφαλῶς δὲ, καὶ ὡς ἔδει. Οὐδὲ γὰρ τοὺς καθῃρημένους παρὰ τοῦ θεοσεβεστάτου ἐπισκόπου Μαξιμιανοῦ κατεδεξάμεθα, ἢ κοινωνικοὺς ἔχειν, ἢ ἀπολῦσαι τῆς ἐπενεχθείσης αὐτοῖς ψήφου. Οὔτε ἁπλῶς τῷ μνημονευθέντι Παύλῳ τὴν κοινωνίαν δεδώκαμεν τὴν εἰς πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ μόνου, εἰ μὴ προσήνεγκε πρότερον χάρτην, ὁμολογῶν ὅτι καὶ Θεοτόκος ἐστὶν ἡ ἁγία Παρθένος, καὶ ὅτι ἀναθεματίζει τὰ Νεστορίου δόγματα, λαβὼν δὲ καὶ εἰπεῖν ἐν τῇ ἐκκλησίᾳ φωνῇ τῇ μεγάλῃ εἴρηκεν ὅτι Ὁμολογοῦμεν Θεοτόκον τὴν ἁγίαν Παρθένον, καὶ ἀναθεματίζομεν τοὺς μὴ λέγοντας τοῦτο· καὶ ὅτι εἷς Υἱὸς καὶ Χριστὸς καὶ Κύριος, οὐ δύο. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ οὐκ ἦλθε χάρτην ἔχων ὡς ἀναθεματίζοντος Ἰωάννου τὰ τοῦ Νεστορίου δόγματα, καὶ ὁμολογοῦντος ὅτι καθῃρημένον ἔχουσιν αὐτὸν, ἀλλ᾽ ἦσαν ἁπλῶς αἱ παρ᾿ αὐτοῦ πεμφθεῖσαι ἐπιστολαὶ οὐδὲν τῶν ἀναγκαίων ἔχουσαι, ἔφασκον ὅτι οὐ δύναμαι τὴν κοινωνίαν ἀποδοῦναι αὐτῷ, πρὶν ταῦτα ποιήσῃ. Ὡς δὲ ἀκηδιῶντας εἶδον πρὸς τοῦτο, καὶ αὐτὸν τὸν εὐλαβέστατον ἐπίσκοπον Παῦλον ὀλιγωρήσαντα σφόδρα, καὶ τὸν κύριον καὶ μεγαλοπρεπέστατον τριβοῦνον καὶ νοτάριον ᾿Αριστόλαον, λύσιν διδοὺς τῷ πράγματι, καὶ ἵνα μὴ νομισθῶμεν παραιτεῖσθαι τὴν εἰρήνην, εἰς ὑπερθέσεις ἔτι μακρὰς πεμπομένου τοῦ πράγματος, ἐγράψαμεν τὰ κοινωνικά. Ὑπηγορεύθη δὲ καὶ χάρτης κατὰ γνώμην τοῦ εὐλαβεστάτου ἐπισκόπου Παύλου, ἐν ᾧ ὀφείλει ὑπογράψαι καὶ ὁ τῆς ᾿Αντιοχέων, καὶ συνεξέπεμψα τῷ θαυμασιωτάτῳ ᾿Αριστολάῳ δύο κληρικοὺς, ὥστε ἐὰν ὑπογράψῃ ὁ Ἰωάννης τῇ καθαιρέσει Νεστορίου καὶ ἀναθεματίσῃ αὐτοῦ δόγματα, δοῦναι τὰ κοινωνικά· εἰ δὲ μὴ, παρακατασχεῖν αὐτὰ, ἀναδεξαμένου ἐνωμότως τοῦ θαυμασιωτάτου Αριστολάου ὅτι οὐ μὴ προδοθῇ τὸ χαρτίον. Ἔφη δὲ ὅτι ἐὰν μὴ θελήσῃ Ὀρθὰ γάρ ἐστι καὶ ἀδιάβλητα, καὶ ταῖς θείαις ὑπογράψαι, εὐθυδρομῶ ἐν τῇ Κωνσταντινουπόλει, ἀναδιδάσκων τὸν εὐσεβέστατον ἡμῶν βασιλέα ὅτι παρὰ τὴν ᾿Αλεξανδρέων Ἐκκλησίαν οὐδὲν· ἀλλ᾿ ὁ τῆς ᾿Αντιοχέων Ἐκκλησίας ἐστὶν ὁ μὴ ἀγαπήσας τὴν εἰρήνην. Μηδένα τοίνυν ἀθυμεῖν συγχωρήσητε. Οὐ γὰρ οὕτως λεληρήκαμεν ὥστε ἀναθεματίσαι τὰ ἑαυτῶν· ἀλλ᾿ ἐμμένομεν οἷς γεγράφαμεν καὶ φρονοῦμεν. συμβαίνοντα Γραφαῖς, καὶ τῇ πίστει τῇ ἐκτεθείσῃ παρὰ τῶν ἁγίων ἡμῶν Πατέρων.
Kyrillos Theognōstǭ kai Charmosynǭ presbyte rois, kai Leontiǭ diakonǭ, en Kyriǭ chairein Peri pantōn graphomen tōn pragmatōn hymin; eita hōs ouden mathontes graphete, thorybōn plērountes hēmas. Oida toinyn episteilas, hoti ho eugērotatos kai theosebestatos Akakios ho tēs Berroias, protrapeis para tinōn tōn ek tēs Anatolēs eulabestatōn episkopōn, egrapse pros me dia tou kyriou mou tou megaloprepestatou Aristolaou, hoti chrē panta aphanisai ta en biblois kai epistolais gegrammena, kai monǭ stoichēsai tǭ symbolǭ tǭ ektethenti en tę̄ hagią synodǭ tę̄ en Nikaią. Egō de pros tauta polystichon epistolēn egrapsa pros auton, hēn kai edexasthe pantōs. Touto gar edidaxen ho agapētos presbyteros Eulogios. Kai nyn elthontos tou eulabestatou Paulou tou tēs Emesēs eis tēn ᾿Alexandreian, panta etypōthē chrēstōs men, kai eirēnikōs, asphalōs de, kai hōs edei. Oude gar tous kathę̄rēmenous para tou theosebestatou episkopou Maximianou katedexametha, ē koinōnikous echein, ē apolysai tēs epenechtheisēs autois psēphou. Oute haplōs tǭ mnēmoneuthenti Paulǭ tēn koinōnian dedōkamen tēn eis prosōpon autou monou, ei mē prosēnenke proteron chartēn, homologōn hoti kai Theotokos estin hē hagia Parthenos, kai hoti anathematizei ta Nestoriou dogmata, labōn de kai eipein en tę̄ ekklēsią phōnę̄ tę̄ megalę̄ eirēken hoti Homologoumen Theotokon tēn hagian Parthenon, kai anathematizomen tous mē legontas touto; kai hoti heis Huios kai Christos kai Kyrios, ou dyo. Epeidē de ouk ēlthe chartēn echōn hōs anathematizontos Iōannou ta tou Nestoriou dogmata, kai homologountos hoti kathę̄rēmenon echousin auton, all᾽ ēsan haplōs hai par᾿ autou pemphtheisai epistolai ouden tōn anankaiōn echousai, ephaskon hoti ou dynamai tēn koinōnian apodounai autǭ, prin tauta poiēsę̄. Hōs de akēdiōntas eidon pros touto, kai auton ton eulabestaton episkopon Paulon oligōrēsanta sphodra, kai ton kyrion kai megaloprepestaton tribounon kai notarion ᾿Aristolaon, lysin didous tǭ pragmati, kai hina mē nomisthōmen paraiteisthai tēn eirēnēn, eis hypertheseis eti makras pempomenou tou pragmatos, egrapsamen ta koinōnika. Hypēgoreuthē de kai chartēs kata gnōmēn tou eulabestatou episkopou Paulou, en hǭ opheilei hypograpsai kai ho tēs ᾿Antiocheōn, kai synexepempsa tǭ thaumasiōtatǭ ᾿Aristolaǭ dyo klērikous, hōste ean hypograpsę̄ ho Iōannēs tę̄ kathairesei Nestoriou kai anathematisę̄ autou dogmata, dounai ta koinōnika; ei de mē, parakataschein auta, anadexamenou enōmotōs tou thaumasiōtatou Aristolaou hoti ou mē prodothę̄ to chartion. Ephē de hoti ean mē thelēsę̄ Ortha gar esti kai adiablēta, kai tais theiais hypograpsai, euthydromō en tę̄ Kōnstantinoupolei, anadidaskōn ton eusebestaton hēmōn basilea hoti para tēn ᾿Alexandreōn Ekklēsian ouden; all᾿ ho tēs ᾿Antiocheōn Ekklēsias estin ho mē agapēsas tēn eirēnēn. Mēdena toinyn athymein synchōrēsēte. Ou gar houtōs lelērēkamen hōste anathematisai ta heautōn; all᾿ emmenomen hois gegraphamen kai phronoumen. symbainonta Graphais, kai tę̄ pistei tę̄ ektetheisę̄ para tōn hagiōn hēmōn Paterōn.
Cyril to Theognostus and Charmosynus, presbyters, and Leontius, deacon: greeting in the Lord.
We write to you about everything; then you write as though you had learned nothing, filling us with alarm. I know I sent word that the venerable and most God-fearing Acacius of Beroea, urged by some of the most reverent bishops of the East, wrote to me through my lord the most magnificent Aristolaus that everything written in books and letters should be done away with, and that we should keep only to the symbol set out at the holy synod of Nicaea. In reply I wrote him a letter of many lines, which you have surely received; for the beloved presbyter Eulogius told me so. And now that the most reverent Paul of Emesa has come to Alexandria, everything has been settled kindly and peaceably, but securely and as it should be. For we did not agree to receive those deposed by the most God-fearing bishop Maximian, or to hold them in communion, or to release them from the sentence passed on them. Nor did we simply give communion to the said Paul, even for his own person alone, until he first presented a document confessing that the holy Virgin is Mother of God and that he anathematizes the doctrines of Nestorius; and when he was allowed to speak in the church, he said with a loud voice, “We confess the holy Virgin to be Mother of God, and we anathematize those who do not say this; and that there is one Son and Christ and Lord, not two.”
But since he did not come with a document in which John anathematizes the doctrines of Nestorius and confesses that they hold him deposed, but only with letters sent by John that contained nothing of what was necessary, I said that I could not give him communion until he did these things. When I saw that they were weary of this, that the most reverent bishop Paul himself was very disheartened, and that my lord the most magnificent tribune and notary Aristolaus was too, I resolved the matter, and, so that we should not be thought to be refusing peace while the matter was pushed into still longer delays, we wrote the letters of communion. A document was also dictated, with the agreement of the most reverent bishop Paul, which the bishop of Antioch must sign; and I sent two clerics with the most admirable Aristolaus, so that, if John signs the deposition of Nestorius and anathematizes his doctrines, they should hand over the letters of communion, but if not, they should keep them back; the most admirable Aristolaus undertook on oath that the paper would not be given up. He said that if John will not sign, he will go straight to Constantinople and inform our most pious emperor that the church of Alexandria is not to blame at all, but that it is the bishop of the church of Antioch who has not loved peace.
Do not let anyone lose heart, then. For we have not been so foolish as to anathematize our own writings; we stand by what we have written and think. For they are right and above reproach, in agreement with the divine Scriptures and with the faith set out by our holy fathers.
Notes and citation
Summary: Cyril reassures his agents at Constantinople that the peace talks with Paul of Emesa have kept every safeguard: Paul confessed Mary as Mother of God, and John's letters of communion will be handed over only if he signs Nestorius's deposition.
- Written in 433. The last sentence of the printed text is out of place (“For they are right and above reproach, and in agreement with the divine” is printed in the middle of an earlier sentence); it is translated where the sense requires.
Extrabiblical texts: Conc. Nic. 0 (Creed and Canons of the Council of Nicaea (325); allusion)
Topics: Christology, Heresy, Church office
Cite (SBL): Cyril of Alexandria, Ep. 37 (PG 77 77:167; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/cyril-alexandria-epistulae/37). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/cyril-alexandria-epistulae/37
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-cyril-alexandria-epistulae-37) · Report an error
Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 77 (Bavarian State Library OCR); letters 4, 17 and 39 compared with NPNF² 14; the rest re-read against the Greek.
Chapter 38
38PG 77 77:169
Τῷ δεσπότη μου τῷ θεοφιλεστάτῳ καὶ ἀγιωτάτῳ 102 συλλειτουργῷ Κυρίλλῳ, Ἰωάννης, ἐν Κυρίῳ χαίρειν. Πρώην ἐκ θεσπίσματος τῶν εὐσεβεστάτων ἡμῶν βασιλέων ἐκελεύσθη σύνοδος θεοφιλεστάτων ἐπισκόπων κατὰ τὴν Ἐφεσίων μητρόπολιν συναθροισθῆναι, ἐκκλησιαστικῶν ἕνεκα πραγμάτων, καὶ τῆς ὀρθῆς πίστεως. Καταλαβόντων δὲ καὶ ἡμῶν τὴν μνημονευ θεῖσαν πόλιν, καὶ ὑποστρεψάντων ἐκτὸς τῆς πρὸς ἀλλήλους συντυχίας (περιττὸν δὲ τὰς αἰτίας τῆς διχονοίας ἐν καιρῷ εἰρήνης νῦν εἰπεῖν), διηρημένων δὲ πρὸς διχόνοιαν τῶν Ἐκκλησιῶν τούτῳ τῷ τρόπῳ, ἐπειδὴ τούτου μάλιστα φοαντίσαι πάντας ἐχρῆν, ὅπως συναφθεῖεν, ἐκ μέσου γενομένης διχονοίας ἀπάσης, καὶ τῶν εὐσεβεστάτων καὶ φιλοχρίστων βασιλέων, αὐτὸ δὴ τοῦτο γενέσθαι θεσπισάντων, τὸ ἑνῶσαι τὰς τοῦ Χριστοῦ Ἐκκλησίας, καὶ εἰς αὐτὸ δὴ τοῦτο ἀποστειλάντων τὸν κύριόν μου, καὶ θαυμασιώτατον, καὶ περίβλεπτον τριβοῦνον καὶ νοτάριον Αριστόλαον, ἐπιφερόμενον τὸ εὐσεβὲς αὐτῶν γράμμα τὸ παρακελεῦον ἐντεῦθεν ἤδη συμβῆναι ἡμᾶς, καὶ περιελεῖν τὰ σκάνδαλα ἐκ τοῦ μέσου, καὶ κατευνάσαι πᾶσαν ταραχὴν καὶ πᾶσαν λύπην· ᾧ εἴκοντες εὐσεβεῖ γράμματι, εὐθὺς καὶ παραχρῆμα ἀπεστείλαμεν τὸν κύριόν μου, καὶ κατὰ πάντα θεοφιλέστατον, καὶ ἁγιώτατον ἐπίσκοπον Παῦλον· τοῦτο συναρέσαν καὶ τῷ ἁγιωτάτῳ καὶ θεοφιλεστάτῳ ἐπισκόπῳ πατρὶ ἡμῶν ᾿Ακακίῳ, καὶ τοῖς παρ᾿ ἡμῖν θεοφιλεστάτοις ἐπισκόποις. Ὑπὲρ δὲ πλείονος συντομίας 4 τοῦτο πεποιήκαμεν, διὰ τὸ μὴ δύνασθαι ἡμᾶς συνελθόντας, τὰ θεσπισθέντα ὑπὸ τῶν εὐσεβεστάτων ἡμῶν βασιλέων, κατὰ πρόσωπον εἰς πέρας ἀγαγεῖν. Ἐντειλάμενοι αὐτῷ, ὥστε καὶ ἀνθ᾽ ἡμῶν, καὶ ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν, καὶ εἰς πρόσωπον ἡμέτερον τ, τυπῶσαι μὲν τὰ περὶ τῆς εἰρήνης, ὅπερ ἐστὶ προηγούμενον, ἐγχειρίσαι δὲ τῇ σῇ θεοσεβείᾳ τὴν ἔκθεσιν τὴν παρ' ἡμῶν συμφώνως γενομένην περὶ τῆς ἐνανθρωπήσεως τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, ἣν ἀπεστείλαμεν τῇ σῇ θεοσεβείᾳ διὰ τοῦ προλεχθέντος θεοφιλεστάτου ἀνδρὸς, ἥτις ἐστὶν αὕτη· Περὶ δὲ τῆς Θεοτόκου Μαρίας Παρθένου, ὅπως καὶ φρονοῦμεν, καὶ λέγομεν, τοῦ τε τρόπου τῆς ἐνανθρωπήσεως τοῦ μονογενοῦς Υἱοῦ τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἀναγκαίως, 6 οὐκ ἐν προσθήκης μέρει, ἀλλ' ἐν πληροφορίας εἴδει, ὡς ἄνωθεν ἔκ τε τῶν θείων Γραφῶν, ἔκ τε τῆς παραδόσεως τῶν ἁγίων Πατέρων παρειληφότες ἐσχήκαμεν, διὰ βραχέων ἐρουμεν, οὐδὲν τὸ σύνολον προστιθέντες τῇ τῶν ἁγίων Πατέρων τῶν ἐν Νικαίᾳ ἐκτεθείσῃ πίστει. Ὡς γὰρ ἔφθημεν εἰρηκότες, πρὸς πᾶσαν ἐξαρκεῖ καὶ εὐσεβείας γνῶσιν, καὶ πάσης αἱρετικῆς κακοδοξίας ἀποκήρυξιν. Ἐροῦμεν δὲ οὐ κατατολμῶντες τῶν ἀνεφίκτων, ἀλλὰ τῇ ὁμολογίᾳ τῆς οἰκείας ἀσθενείας ἀποκλείοντες τοῖς ἐπιφύεσθαι βουλομένοις, ἐν οἷς τὰ ὑπὲρ ἄνθρωπον διασκεπτόμεθα. Ὁμολογοῦμεν τοιγαροῦν τὸν Κύριον ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦν Χριστὸν τὸν Υἱὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ τὸν μονογενῆ, Θεὸν τέλειον, καὶ ἄνθρωπον τέλειον ἐκ ψυχῆς λογικῆς καὶ σώματος, πρὸ αἰώνων μὲν ἐκ τοῦ Πατρὸς γεννηθέντα κατὰ τὴν θεότητα, ἐπ' ἐσχάτων δὲ τῶν ἡμερῶν τὸν αὐτὸν δι᾽ ἡμᾶς, καὶ διὰ τὴν ἡμετέραν σωτηρίαν, ἐκ Μαρίας τῆς Παρθένου κατὰ τὴν ἀνθρωπότητα· όμοοὐσιον τῷ Πατρὶ τὸν αὐτὸν κατὰ τὴν θεότητα, καὶ ὁμοούσιον ἡμῖν κατὰ τὴν ἀνθρωπότητα. Δύο γὰρ φύσεων ἕνωσις γέγονε · διὸ καὶ ἕνα Χριστὸν, ἕνα Υἱὸν, ἕνα Κύριον ὁμολογοῦμεν. Κατὰ ταύτην τῆς ἀσυγχύτου ἑνώσεως ἔννοιαν, ὁμολογοῦμεν τὴν ἁγίαν Παρθέ νον Θεοτόκον, διὰ τὸ τὸν Θεὸν Λόγον σαρκωθῆναι, καὶ ἐνανθρωπῆσαι, καὶ ἐξ αὐτῆς τῆς συλλήψεως ἐνῶσαι ἑαυτῷ τὸν ἐξ αὐτῆς ληφθέντα ναόν. Τὰς δὲ εὐαγγελικὰς, καὶ ἀποστολικὰς περὶ τοῦ Κυρίου φωνάς, ἴσμεν τοὺς θεολόγους · ἄνδρας τὰς μὲν κοινοποιοῦντας, ὡς ἐφ᾽ ἑνὸς προσώπου, τὰς δὲ διαιροῦντας, ὡς ἐπὶ δύο φύσεων· καὶ τὰς μὲν θεοπρεπεῖς κατὰ τὴν θεότητα τοῦ Χριστοῦ, τὰς δὲ ταπεινὰς κατὰ τὴν ἀνθρωπότητα αὐτοῦ παραδιδόντας. Ἧς δεχθείσης, συνήρεσεν, εἰς ἀναίρεσιν ἁπάσης φιλονεικίας, καὶ ὑπὲρ τοῦ τὴν οἰκουμενικὴν εἰρήνην βραβευθῆναι ἐ ταῖς τοῦ Θεοῦ ἁγίαις Ἐκκλησίαις, καὶ ἐκποδὼν τὰ ἀναφυέντα γενέσθαι σκάνδαλα, ἔχειν ἡμᾶς Νεστόριον καθῃρημένον, τὸν πάλαι γενόμενον ἐπίσκοπον τῆς Κωνσταντινουπόλεως· καὶ ἀναθεματίζομεν τὰς φαύλας αὐτοῦ καὶ βεβήλους κενοφωνίας, διὰ τὸ τὰς παρ' ἡμῖν ἁγίας τοῦ Θεοῦ Ἐκκλησίας τὴν ὀρθὴν καὶ ὑγιῆ ἐσχηκέναι πίστιν, καὶ φυλάττειν, καὶ παραδιδόναι τοῖς λαοῖς, καθὰ καὶ ἡ ὑμετέρα ὁσιότης. Συναινοῦμεν δὲ καὶ τῇ χειροτονίᾳ τοῦ ὁσιωτάτου καὶ θεοφιλεστάτου ἐπισκόπου Μαξιμιανοῦ τῆς Κωνσταντινουπόλεως ἁγίας τοῦ Θεοῦ Ἐκκλησίας· καὶ κοινωνικοὶ · πᾶσίν ἐσμεν τοῖς κατὰ πᾶσαν τὴν οἰκουμένην θεοσεβεστάτοις ἐπισκόποις, ὅσοι τὴν ὀρθὴν καὶ ἀμώμητον · πίστιν ἔχουσί τε καὶ κηρύττουσιν. Ἐῤῥωμένος, ὑπερευχόμενος ἡμῶν διατελοίης, δέσποτα θεοφιλέστατε καὶ ὁσιώτατε, καὶ πάντων ἐμοὶ γνησιώτατε ἀδελφέ.
Tǭ despotē mou tǭ theophilestatǭ kai agiōtatǭ 102 sylleitourgǭ Kyrillǭ, Iōannēs, en Kyriǭ chairein. Prōēn ek thespismatos tōn eusebestatōn hēmōn basileōn ekeleusthē synodos theophilestatōn episkopōn kata tēn Ephesiōn mētropolin synathroisthēnai, ekklēsiastikōn heneka pragmatōn, kai tēs orthēs pisteōs. Katalabontōn de kai hēmōn tēn mnēmoneu theisan polin, kai hypostrepsantōn ektos tēs pros allēlous syntychias (peritton de tas aitias tēs dichonoias en kairǭ eirēnēs nyn eipein), diērēmenōn de pros dichonoian tōn Ekklēsiōn toutǭ tǭ tropǭ, epeidē toutou malista phoantisai pantas echrēn, hopōs synaphtheien, ek mesou genomenēs dichonoias apasēs, kai tōn eusebestatōn kai philochristōn basileōn, auto dē touto genesthai thespisantōn, to henōsai tas tou Christou Ekklēsias, kai eis auto dē touto aposteilantōn ton kyrion mou, kai thaumasiōtaton, kai periblepton tribounon kai notarion Aristolaon, epipheromenon to eusebes autōn gramma to parakeleuon enteuthen ēdē symbēnai hēmas, kai perielein ta skandala ek tou mesou, kai kateunasai pasan tarachēn kai pasan lypēn; hǭ eikontes eusebei grammati, euthys kai parachrēma apesteilamen ton kyrion mou, kai kata panta theophilestaton, kai hagiōtaton episkopon Paulon; touto synaresan kai tǭ hagiōtatǭ kai theophilestatǭ episkopǭ patri hēmōn ᾿Akakiǭ, kai tois par᾿ hēmin theophilestatois episkopois. Hyper de pleionos syntomias 4 touto pepoiēkamen, dia to mē dynasthai hēmas synelthontas, ta thespisthenta hypo tōn eusebestatōn hēmōn basileōn, kata prosōpon eis peras agagein. Enteilamenoi autǭ, hōste kai anth᾽ hēmōn, kai hyper hēmōn, kai eis prosōpon hēmeteron t, typōsai men ta peri tēs eirēnēs, hoper esti proēgoumenon, encheirisai de tę̄ sę̄ theosebeią tēn ekthesin tēn par' hēmōn symphōnōs genomenēn peri tēs enanthrōpēseōs tou Kyriou hēmōn Iēsou Christou, hēn apesteilamen tę̄ sę̄ theosebeią dia tou prolechthentos theophilestatou andros, hētis estin hautē; Peri de tēs Theotokou Marias Parthenou, hopōs kai phronoumen, kai legomen, tou te tropou tēs enanthrōpēseōs tou monogenous Huiou tou Theou, anankaiōs, 6 ouk en prosthēkēs merei, all' en plērophorias eidei, hōs anōthen ek te tōn theiōn Graphōn, ek te tēs paradoseōs tōn hagiōn Paterōn pareilēphotes eschēkamen, dia bracheōn eroumen, ouden to synolon prostithentes tę̄ tōn hagiōn Paterōn tōn en Nikaią ektetheisę̄ pistei. Hōs gar ephthēmen eirēkotes, pros pasan exarkei kai eusebeias gnōsin, kai pasēs hairetikēs kakodoxias apokēryxin. Eroumen de ou katatolmōntes tōn anephiktōn, alla tę̄ homologią tēs oikeias astheneias apokleiontes tois epiphyesthai boulomenois, en hois ta hyper anthrōpon diaskeptometha. Homologoumen toigaroun ton Kyrion hēmōn Iēsoun Christon ton Huion tou Theou ton monogenē, Theon teleion, kai anthrōpon teleion ek psychēs logikēs kai sōmatos, pro aiōnōn men ek tou Patros gennēthenta kata tēn theotēta, ep' eschatōn de tōn hēmerōn ton auton di᾽ hēmas, kai dia tēn hēmeteran sōtērian, ek Marias tēs Parthenou kata tēn anthrōpotēta; omoousion tǭ Patri ton auton kata tēn theotēta, kai homoousion hēmin kata tēn anthrōpotēta. Dyo gar physeōn henōsis gegone ; dio kai hena Christon, hena Huion, hena Kyrion homologoumen. Kata tautēn tēs asynchytou henōseōs ennoian, homologoumen tēn hagian Parthe non Theotokon, dia to ton Theon Logon sarkōthēnai, kai enanthrōpēsai, kai ex autēs tēs syllēpseōs enōsai heautǭ ton ex autēs lēphthenta naon. Tas de euangelikas, kai apostolikas peri tou Kyriou phōnas, ismen tous theologous ; andras tas men koinopoiountas, hōs eph᾽ henos prosōpou, tas de diairountas, hōs epi dyo physeōn; kai tas men theoprepeis kata tēn theotēta tou Christou, tas de tapeinas kata tēn anthrōpotēta autou paradidontas. Hēs dechtheisēs, synēresen, eis anairesin hapasēs philoneikias, kai hyper tou tēn oikoumenikēn eirēnēn brabeuthēnai e tais tou Theou hagiais Ekklēsiais, kai ekpodōn ta anaphyenta genesthai skandala, echein hēmas Nestorion kathę̄rēmenon, ton palai genomenon episkopon tēs Kōnstantinoupoleōs; kai anathematizomen tas phaulas autou kai bebēlous kenophōnias, dia to tas par' hēmin hagias tou Theou Ekklēsias tēn orthēn kai hygiē eschēkenai pistin, kai phylattein, kai paradidonai tois laois, katha kai hē hymetera hosiotēs. Synainoumen de kai tę̄ cheirotonią tou hosiōtatou kai theophilestatou episkopou Maximianou tēs Kōnstantinoupoleōs hagias tou Theou Ekklēsias; kai koinōnikoi ; pasin esmen tois kata pasan tēn oikoumenēn theosebestatois episkopois, hosoi tēn orthēn kai amōmēton ; pistin echousi te kai kēryttousin. Errhōmenos, hypereuchomenos hēmōn diateloiēs, despota theophilestate kai hosiōtate, kai pantōn emoi gnēsiōtate adelphe.
To my lord the most God-beloved and most holy fellow minister Cyril, John: greeting in the Lord.
Lately, by decree of our most pious emperors, a synod of most God-beloved bishops was ordered to assemble at the metropolis of Ephesus, for the sake of church affairs and the right faith. We too reached that city and returned without meeting one another (it is superfluous now, in a time of peace, to state the causes of the discord); and the churches being divided into discord in this way, since all ought above all to take care that they be joined together, all discord being removed, and since the most pious and Christ-loving emperors decreed that this very thing be done, namely that the churches of Christ be united, and sent for this very purpose my lord the most admirable and distinguished tribune and notary Aristolaus, bearing their pious letter which ordered that we should now come to agreement, remove the scandals from our midst, and lay to rest all disturbance and all grief: obeying this pious letter, we at once and immediately sent my lord the bishop Paul, most God-beloved and most holy in all things. This was approved also by our most holy and God-beloved father, bishop Acacius, and by the most God-beloved bishops with us. We did this for greater dispatch, because we could not meet and bring to completion in person what our most pious emperors had decreed. We instructed him, in our place, on our behalf, and in our person, to settle the terms of peace, which is the chief matter, and to hand to your Reverence the exposition we made in agreement about the incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ, which we sent to your Reverence through the most God-beloved man mentioned above. It is as follows:
“Concerning the Virgin Mother of God, and how we think and speak, and the manner of the incarnation of the only-begotten Son of God, we shall of necessity speak briefly, not by way of addition but by way of full assurance, as we have received and hold it from of old both from the divine Scriptures and from the tradition of the holy fathers, adding nothing at all to the faith set out by the holy fathers at Nicaea. For, as we said before, it suffices for all knowledge of piety and for the rejection of every heretical false doctrine. We shall speak, not venturing on what cannot be attained, but, by confessing our own weakness, shutting out those who wish to attack us where we consider what is beyond man.
“We confess, therefore, our Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, perfect God and perfect man of a rational soul and a body; begotten before the ages from the Father according to the Godhead, and in the last days the same one, for us and for our salvation, from Mary the Virgin according to the manhood; the same one consubstantial with the Father according to the Godhead and consubstantial with us according to the manhood. For a union of two natures has taken place; therefore we confess one Christ, one Son, one Lord. According to this understanding of the unconfused union, we confess the holy Virgin to be Mother of God, because God the Word was made flesh and became man, and from the very conception united to himself the temple taken from her. As for the gospel and apostolic sayings about the Lord, we know that the theologians treat some as common, as of one person, and divide others, as of two natures, and hand down those befitting God as referring to the Godhead of Christ and the lowly ones as referring to his manhood.”
This having been accepted, it has seemed good, for the removal of all contention, so that the peace of the whole world may be established for the holy churches of God and the scandals that have sprung up may be put out of the way, that we should hold Nestorius, formerly bishop of Constantinople, deposed; and we anathematize his worthless and profane empty talk, because the holy churches of God with us have held the right and sound faith and guard it and hand it on to the people, as your Holiness also does. We also assent to the ordination of the most holy and God-beloved bishop Maximian of the holy church of God of Constantinople; and we are in communion with all the most God-fearing bishops throughout the whole world who hold and preach the right and blameless faith. May you continue in health, praying for us, my most God-beloved and most holy lord, and of all men my most genuine brother.
John 2:19 (echo, low confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: John of Antioch sends Cyril the agreed statement of faith (the Formula of Reunion), accepts Nestorius's deposition and Maximian's ordination, and restores communion.
- Letter of John of Antioch to Cyril (spring 433), carried by Paul of Emesa; it contains the Formula of Reunion, quoted again in Cyril's reply (Letter 39). Footnote words printed inside the formula (“of security”; “your”) are removed by a logged correction; a stray Migne column number (102) in the address is not translated.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (footnote variants (ἀσφαλείας; ὑμέτερον) leaked into the text): εἴδει, 4 ἀσφαλείας. · ὑμέτερον. ὡς → εἴδει, ὡς.
Extrabiblical texts: Conc. Nic. 0 (Creed and Canons of the Council of Nicaea (325); allusion)
Topics: Christology, Heresy, Church office
Cite (SBL): Cyril of Alexandria, Ep. 38 (PG 77 77:169; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/cyril-alexandria-epistulae/38). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/cyril-alexandria-epistulae/38
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 77 (Bavarian State Library OCR); letters 4, 17 and 39 compared with NPNF² 14; the rest re-read against the Greek.