# Letter to Constantius - Author: [Cyril of Jerusalem](https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/authors/cyril-of-jerusalem/) - Latin title: *Epistula ad Constantium* - Date: 7 May 351 (probable) - Source: J.-P. Migne, ed., Patrologiae cursus completus, series Graeca, vol. 33 (Paris, 1857) (Touttée's text); archive.org OCR of the printed volume (Greek text: Migne, Patrologia Graeca, vol. 33, from the Internet Archive's OCR of a library scan) - Translation: Claude, from the original text, unless a passage says otherwise; each passage below gives the translator - Work page: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/cyril-jerusalem-epistula-constantium/ - Passages: 5 ## Letter to Constantius 0 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/cyril-jerusalem-epistula-constantium/0/#p-0 - Source: PG 33 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 Summary: Title and greeting of Cyril's letter to the emperor Constantius II. ### Greek text Περὶ τοῦ ἐν οὐρανοῖς φαγέντος σημείου τοῦ σταυροῦ ἐκ φωτὸς, ἐν ᾿Ιεροσολύμοις ὀφθέντος. Βασιλεῖ θεοφιλεστάτῳ καὶ εὐσεδεστάτῳ Κωνσταντίῳ Αὐγούστῳ, Κύριλλος ὁ ἐν Ἱεροσολύμοις ἐπίσχοπος ἐν Κυρίῳ καίρειν ### English translation (Claude) On the sign of the cross, made of light, that appeared in the heavens and was seen at Jerusalem. To the most God-beloved and most pious Constantius Augustus, Cyril, bishop in Jerusalem, greeting in the Lord. ### Translation notes - The title is not part of Cyril's text. The scan text of PG 33 regularly confuses β/δ and κ/χ; such slips are translated by sense without individual corrections. ### Citation (SBL) Cyril of Jerusalem, Ep. Const. pref. (PG 33; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/cyril-jerusalem-epistula-constantium/0). ## Letter to Constantius 1 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/cyril-jerusalem-epistula-constantium/0/#p-1 - Source: PG 33 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 Summary: Cyril offers the emperor, as his first letter from Jerusalem, not earthly gifts but news of a heavenly sign confirming his faith. ### Greek text Πρώτας ταύτας ἐξ Ἱεροσολύμων πρὸς τὴν βεοφιλῆ σου βασιλείαν ἀποστέλλω γραμμάτων ἀπαρχὰς, σοί τε πρεπούσας ἀποδέξασθαι, χἀμοὶ παρασχεῖν- οὐ λόγων χολαχείας πεπληρωμένας, ἀλλ᾽ ἐπουρανίων μηνυτιχὰς θεοπτίας " οὐδὲ συνθέτους λόγζων ῥητοριχῶν πιθανότητας περιεχούσας, ἀλλ᾽ ἁγίων σοι Εὐαγγελίων προῤῥήσεσι, διὰ τῆς τῶν πρα- Ἕτεροι μὲν γὰρ, ἀφ᾽ ὧν ἔχουσι, τὴν τιμίαν φανοῦμεν (τὰ γὰρ ἀπὸ τῆς γῆς δωρούμενα τέλος ἔχει τὴν γῆν) " ἀλλ᾽ ἐπουρανίων πραγμάτων θεϊχὴν ἐνέργειαν, ἐν τοῖς τῆς θεοφιλοῦς σου βασιλείας χα:ροῖς ἐν Ἱεροσολύμοις τελεσθεῖσαν, τῇ σῇ εὐσεβείᾳ μετὰ σπουδῇ; ἄγομεν εἰς γνῶσιν " οὐχ ἵνα νῦν πρῶτον ἐξ ἀγνοίας ἔλθῃς εἰς θεογνωσίαν (φθάνε:ς γὰρ καὶ ἑτέρους διδάσχων, δι᾽ ὧν εὐσεδεῖς), ἀλλ' ἵνα, ἅπερ ἥδεις, ταῦτα καὶ βεδαιωθῇς. Καὶ τὸν τῆς βα. σιλείας προγονιχὸν ὑποδεξάμενος χλῆρον, μείζοσι μᾶλλον Θεῷ μὲν τῷ Παμδασιλεῖ καὶ νῦν τὴν πρέπουσαν ἀποδῷς εὐ αριστίαν" μείζονος δὲ τοῦ χατ᾽ ἐχθρῶν θάρσους πληρωθῇς, ἔργῳ τὴν σὴν βασιλείαν ἀγαπᾶσθαι πρὸς Θεοῦ, δι᾽ ὧν ἐπὶ σοῦ θαυ- ### English translation (Claude) [1.] These first-fruits of letters I send from Jerusalem to your God-beloved majesty, fitting for you to receive and for me to offer: not filled with the flattery of words, but making known heavenly divine visions; not containing the composed persuasiveness of rhetorical speeches, but [in agreement] with the predictions of the holy Gospels through the [outcome of] events … [2.] For others, from what they have, [adorn] your honoured [head] … we shall show (for gifts from the earth have the earth as their end); but the divine working of heavenly things, accomplished at Jerusalem in the times of your God-beloved reign, we bring with zeal to the knowledge of your piety: not so that you may now for the first time come from ignorance to the knowledge of God (for you already teach others too, by the things in which you are pious), but so that you may be confirmed in what you knew. And may you, who have received the ancestral inheritance of the kingdom, [adorned] rather with greater …, now too render the fitting thanksgiving to God the King of all, and be filled with greater boldness against your enemies, [learning] in deed that your reign is loved by God, through the [wonders] that in your time … ### Translation notes - The scan has lost several lines: the end of section 1 and much of section 2 (where Cyril contrasts the golden crowns others give the emperor with his own gift). Missing words are marked … or supplied in brackets from the sense. Sections 1 and 2 share this ref. ### Citation (SBL) Cyril of Jerusalem, Ep. Const. 1 (PG 33; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/cyril-jerusalem-epistula-constantium/1). ## Letter to Constantius 3 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/cyril-jerusalem-epistula-constantium/0/#p-3 - Source: PG 33 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 Summary: Cyril reports the luminous cross seen over Golgotha on 7 May (351), which the whole city saw, and links it to Christ's prophecy of the sign of the Son of man. ### Greek text Ἐπὶ μὲν γὰρ τοῦ θεοφιλεστάτου, καὶ τῆς μαχαρίας μνήμης Κωνσταντίνου τοῦ σοῦ πατρὸς, τὸ σωτήριον τοῦ σταυροῦ ξύλον ἐν Ἱεροσολύμοις τῦρηται τῆς θείας χάριτος, τῷ καλῶς ζητοῦντι τὴν εὐσέδειαν, τῶν ἀποχεχρυμμένων ἀγίων τόπων παρασχούσης τὴν εὕρεσιν. Ἐπὶ δὲ σοῦ, δέσποτα, πανευπρὸ; τὸν Θεὸν εὐλαδείᾳ νιχῶντος, οὐχ ἀπὸ γῆς λοιπὸν, ἀλλ᾽ ἐξ οὐρανῶν τὰ θαυματουργήματα" καὶ τοῦ Κυρίου καὶ Σωτῆρος ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, τοῦ μονογενοῦς Υἱοῦ τοῦ Θεοῦ, τὸ τῆς χατὰ τοῦ θανάτου νίχης τρόπαιον, ὁ μαχάριος λέγω σταυρὸς, φωτὸς μαρμαρυγαῖς ἀπαστράπτων ἐν Ἱεροσολύμοις ὥφθη. Δ'. Ἐν γὰρ ταῖς ἀγίαις ταύταις ἡμέραις τῆς ἁγίας Πεντηχοστῆς, Νόνναις Μαῖαις, περὶ τρίτην ὥραν, νος, ἐν οὐρανῷ, ὑπεράνω τοῦ ἀγίγυ Γολγοθᾶ καὶ μέχρι τοῦ ἁγίου ὄρους τῶν Ἐλαιῶν, ἐχτεταμένος γετο᾽ οὐχ ἑνὶ καὶ δευτέρῳ μόνον φανεὶς, ἀλλὰ παντὶ τῷ τῆς πόλεως πλήθει φανερώτατα δειχθείς. Οὐχ ὡς ἄν τις νοήσειεν, ὀξέως χατὰ φαντασίαν παραδραμών" ἀλλ᾽ ἐπὶ πλείοσιν ὥραις ὑπὲρ γῆν ὀφθαλμοφανῶς θεωρούμενος, καὶ ταῖς ἀπαστραπτούσαις γαῖς τὰς ἡλιαχὰς ἀχτῖνας νιχήσας " ἢ γὰρ ἂν ὑπ᾽ αὐτῶν νικώμενος ἐχαλύπτετο, εἰ μὴ δυνατωτέρας ἡλίου τοῖς ὁρῶσι παρεῖχε τὰς λαμπτδόνας. Ὡς ἅπαν μὲν ἀθρόως ἐξαυτῆς εἰς τὴν ἁγίαν ἐχχλησίαν ἐπιδραμεῖν τὸ τῆς πόλεως πλῆθος, τῷ τῆς θεοπτίας φόδφῳ μετ᾽ εὐφροσύνης χατασχεθέν " νέων ἅμα καὶ πρεσθυτέρων, ἀνδρῶν τε καὶ γυναιχῶν, καὶ πάσης ἡλιχίας, καὶ μέχρις αὐτῶν ἤδη τῶν χατ᾽ οἴχους θαλαμευομέγὼν χορῶν - ἐντοπίων τε καὶ ξένων, Χριστιανῶν τε ἅμα, καὶ τῶν ἀλλαχόθεν ἐπιδημούντων ἐθνιχῶν. Ὁμοθυμαδὸν δὲ πάντων, ὡς ἐξ ἑνὸς στόματος Χριστὸν Ἰησοῦν τὸν Κύριον ἡμῶν, τὸν Υἱὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ τὸν μονογενῆ, τὸν θαυματοποιὸν ἀνυμνούντων· ἔργῳ καὶ πείρᾳ παραλαθόντων, ὅτι Χριστιανῶν τὸ δόγμα «ὃ πανευσεδὲς, Οὐκ ἐν πειθοῖς σοφίας ἐστὶ οὐχ ὑπ᾽ ἀνθρώπων μόνον χαταγγελλόμενον, ἀλλ᾽ ἐξ οὐρανῶν θεόθεν μαρτυρούμενον. Ἑ΄-. Ἐπεὶ τοίνυν ἡμεῖς οἱ τῆς Ἱερουσαλὴμ οἱκήτορες, τὸ τοῦ θαύματος παράδοξον αὐταῖς ὄψεσι παραλαθόντες, Θεῷ μὲν τῷ Παμδασιλεῖ, καὶ ΥἹῷ τῷ προσχύνησιν ἀπεδώχαμέν τε καὶ ἀποδώσομεν, εὐχὰς ᾿ ἐχτενεῖς καὶ ὑπὲρ τοῦ θεοφιλοῦς σου χράτους ἐν τοῖς ἁγίοις τόποις πεποιημένοι τε καὶ ποιησόμενοι " ἔδει δὲ τὰς ἐπουρανίους ταύτας θεοπτίας μὴ παραδοῦναι σιωπῇ, ἀλλ᾽ εὐαγγελίσασθαί σου τὴν ἔνθεον εὑσέθειαν- ἐξαυτῆς, διὰ τούτων ἑσπουδάσαμεν τῶν γραμμάτων " ἵνα ἀγαθῷ θεμελίῳ τῆς παρὰ σοὶ προυπαρχούσης πίστεως, τὴν ἐχ τῶν προσφάτως περον μὲν τὸ εἰς τὸν Κύρων ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦν Χριστὸν ἀναλάθδοις θάρσος " ὁμοῦ δὲ καὶ πάσης ἀνδρείας συνήθους πεπληρωμένος, ὡς ἂν αὐτὸν ἔχων Θεὸν σύμμαχον, τὸ τοῦ σταυροῦ τρόπαιον ἑτοιμότατα οὐρανῷ σημεῖον ἐπαγόμενος " οὗ καὶ τὸ σχῆμα δείξας ἀνθρώποις ὁ οὐρανὸς, μειξόνως ('. Τὸ μέντοι θαυματούργημα τοῦτο, βασιλεῦ θεοφιλέστατε, προφητῶν μαρτυρίαις, καὶ Χριστοῦ φωναῖς ἁγίαις ἐν Εὐαγγελίοις ἐγχειμέναις ἀχολούθως, ἐτελέσθη τε νῦν, καὶ πάλιν μειζόνως τελεσϑήσεται. Ἐν γὰρ τῷ κατὰ Ματθαῖον Εὐαγγελίῳ, μελλόντων πραγμάτων γνῶσιν ὁ Σωτὴρ τοῖς μαχαρίοις ἀποστόλοις αὐτοῦ δωρούμενος, καὶ δι᾽ ἐχεΐνων τοῖς μετ᾽ αὐτοὺς ὁμιλῶν", λευχότατα προαναφωνῶν ἔλεγε Καὶ τότε φαγήσεται τὸ σημεῖον τοῦ Υιοῦ τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ. Ἥντινα τῶν Εὐαγγελίων θείαν βίδλον συνήθως εἰς χεῖρας ἀναλα- Ὀὼν, τὰς περὶ τούτου χειμένας προαγγελτιχὰς μαρτυρίας ἐγγράφους εὑρήσεις " ὧν μάλιστά σς, διὰ τὰ λοιπὰ τῶν κατὰ τὴν αὐτόθι γεγραμμένων ἀχολουθέαν " τῶν πραγμάτων ὑπὸ τοῦ Σωτῆρος ἡμῶν τῆς παρατηρήσεως, πρὸς τὸ μηδεμίαν ἐξ ἀντιχειμέγῆς ἐνεργείας ὑπομεῖναι τὴν βλάδην. ### English translation (Claude) [3.] For in the time of your father Constantine, most dear to God and of blessed memory, the saving wood of the cross was found in Jerusalem, divine grace granting to one who rightly sought piety the discovery of the hidden holy places. But in your time, master, who surpass him in reverence toward God, the wonders come no longer from the earth but from the heavens; and the trophy of the victory over death of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, I mean the blessed cross, was seen at Jerusalem flashing with the radiance of light. [4.] For in these holy days of holy Pentecost, on the Nones of May, about the third hour, [a very great cross made of light appeared] in the sky above holy Golgotha, stretching out as far as the holy Mount of Olives. It was seen not by one or two only, but was shown most plainly to the whole multitude of the city; not, as one might suppose, swiftly passing by like a fantasy, but seen visibly above the earth for several hours, overcoming the rays of the sun with its flashing rays; for otherwise it would have been overcome and hidden by them, had it not offered to those who saw it a brightness more powerful than the sun. So the whole multitude of the city at once ran together into the holy church, seized by fear of the divine vision mingled with joy: young and old, men and women, of every age, even the maidens kept in their chambers at home, natives and foreigners, Christians together with gentiles visiting from elsewhere; and all with one accord, as from one mouth, sang the praise of Christ Jesus our Lord, the only-begotten Son of God, the worker of wonders, learning by deed and experience that the most pious teaching of the Christians is "not in persuasive words of wisdom, [but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power]," not proclaimed by men only, but witnessed from heaven by God. [5.] Since, then, we inhabitants of Jerusalem, having received the marvel of this wonder with our own eyes, have rendered and will render to God the King of all, and to [the only-begotten] Son [of God, the fitting] worship [with thanksgiving], having offered and being about to offer earnest prayers also for your God-beloved power in the holy places; and since it was necessary not to consign these heavenly divine visions to silence, but to announce them at once to your godly piety, we have hastened to do so by this letter; so that, on the good foundation of the faith already present in you, [adding the knowledge] of the recent [divine works], you may take up a still stronger boldness toward our Lord Jesus Christ, and, filled with all your customary courage, as one who has God himself as ally, may most readily bear forward the trophy of the cross, [the boast of boasts,] bringing with you the sign [shown in] heaven, whose shape heaven showed to men and boasted the more. [6.] This wonder, most God-beloved king, has been accomplished now in agreement with the testimonies of the prophets and the holy words of Christ contained in the Gospels, and will be accomplished again more greatly. For in the Gospel according to Matthew the Saviour, giving his blessed apostles knowledge of things to come, and through them speaking to those after them, proclaimed beforehand most clearly: "And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven." Taking into your hands, as is your custom, the divine book of the Gospels, you will find the prophetic testimonies about this written there; which I especially [urge you, master, to read often] because of the rest of the sequence of events written there by our Saviour, [and to keep] watch, so as to suffer no harm from the opposing power. ### Scripture references - 1 Cor 2:4: quotation, high confidence - Matt 24:30: quotation, high confidence - Matt 24:42: allusion, low confidence ### Translation notes - Sections 3–6 share this ref. "Pentecost" means the fifty days after Easter. "The Nones of May" is 7 May. Words lost in the scan are supplied in brackets: in section 4 the subject (the cross of light); in section 4 the rest of 1 Cor 2:4; in section 5 several words supplied from a second copy of the same passage in the scan ("the only-begotten ... with thanksgiving"; "the boast of boasts"); in section 6 the words of exhortation. Cyril seems to urge the emperor to read the whole of Matt 24, with its warning of the end. ### Citation (SBL) Cyril of Jerusalem, Ep. Const. 3 (PG 33; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/cyril-jerusalem-epistula-constantium/3). ## Letter to Constantius 4 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/cyril-jerusalem-epistula-constantium/0/#p-4 - Source: PG 33:1172 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 Summary: Cyril offers his first words from Jerusalem, the place of Christ's saving death, and prays for the emperor and his house. ### Greek text Ταύτας σοι τῶν ἡμετέρων λόγων, βασιλεῦ θεοφιλέστατε, προσφέρω τὰς ἀπαρχάς" ταύτας ἐξ 'Ἵεροσολύμων πρώτας ἀποφθέγγομαι τὰς φωνάς σοι, τῷ Ὑνησιωτάτῳ καὶ πανευσεῦεξζ μεθ' ἡμῶν Χριστοῦ προσχυνητῇ, τοῦ μονογενοῦς Υἱοῦ τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ Σωτῆρος ἡμῶν" τοῦ τὴν οἰχουμενιχὴν, χατὰ τὰς θείας Γραφὰς, ἐν Ἱεροσολύμοις τελέσαντος σωτηρίαν" τοῦ πατήσαντος μὲν ἐνταῦθα τὸν θάνατον, οἱχείοις δὲ τιμίοις αἴμασι τὰς ἀνθρώπων ἁμαρτίας ἐξαλείψαντος " ζωήν τε καὶ ἀφθαρσίαν, καὶ πνευματικὴν ἐπουράνιον χάριν τοῖς πιστεύουσιν ἄπατι παρασχόντος. Οὗ τῇ τε δυνάμει καὶ τῇ χάριτί σε εὑφραινόμενον καὶ φρουρούμενον, λαμπροτέροις τε καὶ τε γνησίων βασιλιχοῖς ἐναδρυνόμενον βλαστήμασιν" αὐτὸς ὁ Παμύασιλεὺς Θεὸς, ὁ πάσης ἀγαθωσύγης πάροχος, πολλαῖς ἐτῶν εἰρηνιχαῖς περιόδοις, χαύχημα Χριστιανοῖς καὶ χόσμῳ σύμπαντι φυ- Η’. Ἐῤῥωμένον σε, καὶ πάσῃ χεχοσμημένον ἀρετῇ, καὶ τὴν συνήθη τῶν τε ἀγίων Ἐχχλησιῶν, καὶ τῆς Ῥωμαίων ἀρχῆς χηδεμονίαν ἐπιδειχνύμενον, ### English translation (Claude) [7.] These first-fruits of our words I offer you, most God-beloved king; these are the first words I utter to you from Jerusalem, to you, the most genuine and most pious worshipper together with us of Christ, the only-begotten Son of God and our Saviour, who accomplished the salvation of the world at Jerusalem according to the divine Scriptures; who trampled down death here, and blotted out the sins of men by his own precious blood, and granted to all who believe life and incorruption and spiritual, heavenly grace. By his power and grace may God himself, the King of all, the giver of all goodness, [keep] you, rejoicing and guarded, distinguished by ever brighter … and glorying in true-born royal shoots, for many peaceful periods of years, the boast of Christians and of the whole world. [8.] Strong, adorned with every virtue, showing your customary care both for the holy churches and for the rule of the Romans, ### Scripture references - Heb 9:12: echo, low confidence - 2 Tim 1:10: echo, low confidence ### Translation notes - Sections 7 and the beginning of 8 share this ref; section 8 continues in ref 7. A word after "brighter" is lost in the scan, and the verb "may keep" is supplied (the scan breaks off at φυ-). ### Citation (SBL) Cyril of Jerusalem, Ep. Const. 4 (PG 33:1172; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/cyril-jerusalem-epistula-constantium/4). ## Letter to Constantius 7 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/cyril-jerusalem-epistula-constantium/0/#p-7 - Source: PG 33:1172 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 Summary: The letter closes with a prayer that God preserve the emperor, glorifying the Trinity. ### Greek text ἡμῖν χαρίσηται πανέστιον, Αὔγουστε βασιλεῦ θεοφιλέστατε, δοξάζοντα ἀεὶ τὴν ἁγίαν καὶ ὁμοούσιον Τριάδα, τὸν ἀληθινὸν Θεὸν ἡμῶν ᾧ πρέπει πᾶσα δόξα εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. ᾿Αμήν. ### English translation (Claude) may [God] grant you to us with all your house, Augustus, most God-beloved king, ever glorifying the holy and consubstantial Trinity, our true God, to whom all glory is fitting for ages of ages. Amen. ### Translation notes - The end of section 8; its beginning is in ref 4, and its subject (God) is lost in the scan. The word "consubstantial" (homoousios) is missing from some manuscripts and is often regarded as a later addition. ### Citation (SBL) Cyril of Jerusalem, Ep. Const. 7 (PG 33:1172; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/cyril-jerusalem-epistula-constantium/7).