Reference Dok. 15; Urk. 1; CPG 2025
Incipit Τοῦ πατρός μου Ἀμμωνίου
Date c. 321-323
Ancient sources Theodoret, H.E. 1.5
Epiphanius, Panarion 69.6
Modern editions Parmentier and Scheidweiler, Theodoret. Kirchengeschichte, 2nd edition. GCS 44: 25-26.
Epiphanius, Oehler (1856) 2.2: 594-596
Opitz, AW 3.1:1-3

This letter from Arius to his supporter Eusebius of Nicomedia was dated by Opitz to the very beginning of the controversy in Alexandria c. 318, since it was about then that Eusebius left the bishopric of Berytus (Beirut) to become the bishop of Nicomedia. However, the more recent study of this material by Stead and others has pointed out that the letter clearly shows that not only Arius but several Syro-Palestinian bishops had already been condemned, and further claims that nearly “all those of the East” agree that the Father pre-exists the Son (§2). This all points to a period when the controversy was already in full swing throughout the easter Mediterranean, but a more precise dating is impossible. To compare this document with other lists of sympathizers with Arius, see the Arian map.

Note that at the end of section 3 the texts of both Theodoret and Epiphanius have Arius as confessing that the Son is πρὸ αἰώνων πλήρης θεός, μονογενής, ἀναλλοίωτος – “before the ages, full God, the only-begotten, unchangeable.”  Since this would seem to contradict Arius’s understanding, we have followed Opitz (AW 3.1.1:3), Heil (AW 3.1.3:91), Stevenson (New Eusebius, no. 283) and Hanson (Search, 6) in filling this out to be a reference to John 1:14, thus reading πλήρης χάριτος καὶ ἀληθείας, “full of grace and truth”.

The Greek text below is that of Parmentier and Scheidweiler, Theodoret. Kirchengeschichte, 2nd edition (GCS 44; Berlin: Akademie Verlag, 1954), 25-26. The English translation is by Glen Thompson. See also that of B. Jackson in NPNF2 3:41.

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Theodoret, H.E. 1.5 Epiphanius, Panarion  69.6
1  Κυρίῳ ποθεινοτάτῳ, ἀνθρώπῳ θεοῦ, πιστῷ, ὀρθοδόξῳ Εὐσεβίῳ Ἄρειος ὁ διωκόμενος ὑπὸ Ἀλεξάνδρου τοῦ πάπα ἀδίκως διὰ τὴν πάντα νικῶσαν ἀλήθειαν, ἧς καὶ σὺ ὑπερασπίζεις, ἐν κυρίῳ χαίρειν.  1. To that most beloved man of God, the faithful and orthodox Eusebius, from Arius, unjustly persecuted by father Alexander because of the all-conquering truth which you, Eusebius, also are defending! 1.  Κυρίῳ ποθεινοτάτῳ, ἀνθρώπῳθεοῦ, πιστῷ, ὀρθοδόξῳ Εὐσεβίῳ Ἄρειος ὁ διωκόμενος ὑπὸ Ἀλεξάνδρου τοῦ πάπα ἀδίκως διὰτὴν πάντα νικῶσαν ἀλήθειαν, ἧς καὶ σὺ ὑπερασπίζεις, ἐν κυρίῳ χαίρειν. 
Τοῦ πατρός μου Ἀμμωνίου ἐρχομένου εἰς τὴν Νικομήδειαν, εὔλογον ὀφειλόμενον ἐφάνη προσαγορεῦσαί σε δι’ αὐτοῦ ὁμοῦ τε καὶ ὑπομνῆσαι τὴν ἔμφυτόν σου ἀγάπην καὶ διάθεσιν, ἣν ἔχεις εἰς τοὺς ἀδελφοὺς διὰ τὸν θεὸν καὶ τὸν Χριστὸν αὐτοῦ, ὅτι μεγάλως ἡμᾶς ἐκπορθεῖ καὶ ἐκδιώκει καὶπάντα κάλων κινεῖ καθ’ ἡμῶν ὁ ἐπίσκοπος, ὥστε καὶ ἐκδιῶξαι ἡμᾶς ἐκ τῆς πόλεως ὡς ἀνθρώπους ἀθέους, ἐπειδὴ οὐ συμφωνοῦμεν αὐτῷ δημοσίᾳ λέγοντι· “Ἀεὶ θεός, ἀεὶ υἱός· ἅμα πατήρ, ἅμα υἱός· συνυπάρχει ἀγεννήτως ὁ υἱὸς τῷ θεῷ, ἀειγενής ἐστιν, ἀγεννητογενής ἐστιν· οὔτε ἐπινοίᾳ οὔτε ἀτόμῳ τινὶ προάγει ὁ θεὸς τοῦ υἱοῦ· ἀεὶ θεός, ἀεὶ υἱός· ἐξ αὐτοῦ ἐστι τοῦ θεοῦ ὁ υἱός.” Since my father Ammonius is going to Nicomedia, it seemed reasonable and proper to greet you through him, remembering at the same time the innate love and affection which you have for the brothers on account of God and his Christ, because the bishop [Alexander] is severely ravaging and persecuting us and moving against us with every evil.  Thus he drives us out of every city like godless men, since we will not agree with his public statements: that there was “always a God, always a Son;” “as soon as the Father, so soon the Son [existed];” “with the Father co-exists the Son unbegotten, ever-begotten, begotten without begetting;” “God neither precedes the Son in aspect or in a moment of time;” “always a God, always a Son, the Son being from God himself.”
Τοῦ πατρός μου Ἀμμωνίου εἰς τὴνΝικομήδειαν ἀφικομένου, εὔλογον καὶ ὀφειλόμενον ἐφάνη προσαγορεῦσαί σε δι’ αὐτοῦ, ὁμοῦ τε καὶ ὑπομνῆσαι τὴν ἔμφυτόν σου ἀγάπην καὶ διάθεσιν, ἣν ἔχεις πρὸς τοὺς ἀδελφοὺς διὰ τὸν θεὸν καὶ τὸν Χριστὸν αὐτοῦ, ὅτι μεγάλως ἡμᾶς ἐκ πορθεῖ καὶ διώκει καὶ πᾶν κακὸν κινεῖ καθ’ ἡμῶν ὁ ἐπίσκοπος, ὥστε ἐκδιῶξαι ἡμᾶς ἐκ τῆς πόλεως ὡς ἀνθρώπους ἀθέους, ἐπειδὴ οὐ συμφωνοῦμεν αὐτῷ δημοσίᾳ λέγοντι· “Ἀεὶ θεός, ἀεὶ υἱός· ἅμα πατήρ, ἅμα υἱός· συνυπάρχει ὁ υἱὸς ἀγεννήτως τῷ θεῷ, ἀειγενὴς, ἀγενητογενὴς, οὔτ ̓ ἐπινοίᾳ, οὔτ ̓ ἀτόμῳ τινὶ προάγει ὁ θεὸς τοῦ υἱοῦ· ἀεὶ θεός, ἀεὶ υἱός, ἐξ αὐτοῦ τοῦ θεοῦ ὁ υἱός.” 
2. καὶ ἐπειδὴ Εὐσέβιος ὁ ἀδελφός σου ὁ ἐν Καισαρείᾳ καὶ Θεόδοτος καὶ Παυλῖνος καὶ Ἀθανάσιος καὶ Γρηγόριος καὶ Ἀέτιος καὶ πάντες οἱ κατὰ τὴν Ἀνατολὴν λέγουσιν ὅτι προϋπάρχει ὁ θεὸς τοῦ υἱοῦ ἀνάρχως, ἀνάθεμα ἐγένοντο, δίχα μόνου Φιλογονίουκαὶ Ἑλλανικοῦ καὶ Μακαρίου, ἀνθρώπων αἱρετικῶν ἀκατηχήτων, τὸν υἱὸν λεγόντων οἱ μὲν ἐρυγήν, οἱ δὲ προβολήν, οἱ δὲ συναγέννητον. 2.  Since Eusebius, your brother in Caesarea, and Theodotus, and Paulinus, and Athanasius, and Gregory, and Aetius and all those in the East say that God pre-exists the Son without a beginning, they have been condemned, except for Philogonius and Hellenicus and Macarius, unlearned heretics some of whom say that the Son was “spewed out,” others that he was an “emanation,” still others that he was “jointly unbegotten.”  

2. καὶ ἐπειδὴ Εὐσέβιος ὁ ἀδελφός σου ἐν Καισαρείᾳ, καὶ Θεοδόσιος, καὶ Παυλῖνος, καὶ Ἀθανάσιος, καὶ Γρηγόριος, καὶ Ἀέτιος, καὶ πάντες οἱ κατὰ τὴν ἀνατολὴν λέγουσιν ὅτι προϋπάρχει ὁ θεὸς τοῦ υἱοῦ ἀνάρχως, ἀνάθεμα ἐγένοντο, δίχα Φιλογονίουκαὶ Ἑλλανικοῦ καὶ Μακαρίου, ἀνθρώπων αἱρετικῶν ἀκατηχήτων, τὸν υἱὸν λεγόντων οἱ μὲν ἐρυγήν, οἱδὲ προβολήν ἀγέννητον.
3. καὶ τούτων τῶν ἀσεβειῶν οὐδὲ ἀκοῦσαι δυνάμεθα, ἐὰν μυρίους θανάτους ἡμῖν ἐπαπειλῶσιν οἱ αἱρετικοί. Ἡμεῖς δὲ τί λέγομεν καὶ φρονοῦμεν καὶ ἐδιδάξαμεν καὶ διδάσκομεν; ὅτι ὁ υἱὸς οὐκ ἔστιν ἀγέννητος οὐδὲ μέρος ἀγεννήτου κατ’ οὐδένα τρόπον, οὔτε ἐξ ὑποκειμένου τινός, ἀλλ’ ὅτι θελήματι καὶ βουλῇ ὑπέστη πρὸ χρόνων καὶ πρὸ αἰώνων πλήρης<χάριτος καὶ ἀληθείας>, θεός, μονογενής, ἀναλλοίωτος· 3. We are not able to listen to these kinds of impieties, even if the heretics threaten us with ten thousand deaths.  But what do we say and think and what have we previously taught and do we presently teach?  — that the Son is not unbegotten, nor a part of an unbegotten entity in any way, nor from anything in existence, but that he is subsisting in will and intention before time and before the ages, full <of grace and truth,> God, the only-begotten, unchangeable.

3. Καὶ τούτων τῶν ἀσεβῶν οὐδὲ ἀκοῦσαι δυνάμεθα, ἐὰν μυρίους θανάτους ἡμῖν ἐπαπειλῶσιν οἱ αίρετικοί. ἡμεῖς δὲ τί λέγομεν, καὶ φρονοῦμεν, καὶ ἐδιδάξαμεν, καὶ διδάσκομεν; ὅτι ὁ υἱὸς οὐκ ἐστιν ἀγέννητος , οὐδὲ μέρος ἀγεννήτου, κατ ̓ οὐδένα τρόπον, ἀλλ᾽ οὐτε ἐξ ὑποκειμένου τινὸς ἀλλ̓ ὅτι θελήματι καὶ βουλῆ ὑπέστη πρὸ χρόνον καὶ αἰώνων, πλήρης <χάριτος καὶ ἀληθείας>, θεὸς μονογενὴς, ἀναλλοίωτος,  
4  καὶ πρὶν γεννηθῇ ἤτοι κτισθῇ ἢ ὁρισθῇ ἢ θεμελιωθῇ, οὐκ ἦν· ἀγέννητος γὰρ οὐκ ἦν. διωκόμεθα ὅτι εἴπαμεν· “Ἀρχὴν ἔχει ὁ υἱός, ὁ δὲ θεὸς ἄναρχός ἐστιν.” διὰ τοῦτο διωκόμεθα, καὶ ὅτι εἴπαμεν ὅτι ἐξ οὐκ ὄντων ἐστίν· οὕτως δὲ εἴπαμεν, καθότι οὐδὲ μέρος θεοῦ ἐστιν οὐδὲ ἐξ ὑποκειμένου τινός. διὰ τοῦτο διωκόμεθα· λοιπὸν σὺ οἶδας. 4. Before he was begotten, or created, or defined, or established, he did not exist.  For he was not unbegotten. But we are persecuted because we have said the Son has a beginning but God has no beginning. We are persecuted because of that and for saying he came from non-being. But we said this since he is not a portion of God nor of anything in existence.  That is why we are persecuted; you know the rest. 4. καὶ πρὶν γεννηθῇ, ἤτοι κτισθῇ, ἤτοι ὁρισθῇ, ἢ θεμελιωθῇ, οὐκ ἦν· ἀγέννητος γὰρ οὐκ ἦν. διωκόμεθα δὲ ὅτι εἴπομεν· “Ἀρχὴν ἔχει ὁ υἱός, ὁ δὲ θεὸς ἄναρχός ἐστι.” διὰ τοῦτο διωκόμεθα, καὶ ὅτι εἴπομεν, “ἐξ οὐκ ὄντων ἐστίν·” οὕτως δὲ εἴπομεν, “Καθότι οὐδὲ μέρος θεοῦ ἐστιν, οὐδὲ ἐξ ὑποκειμένου τινός.” διὰ τοῦτο διωκόμεθα, λοιπὸν σὺ οἶδας.
ἐρρῶσθαί σε ἐν κυρίῳ εὔχομαι, μεμνημένον τῶν θλίψεων ἡμῶν, συλλουκιανιστὰ ἀληθῶς Εὐσέβιε. I pray that you fare well in the Lord, remembering our tribulations, fellow-Lucianist, truly-called Eusebius [i.e. the pious one]. ἐρρῶσθαί σε ἐν κυρίῳ εὔχομαι, μεμνημένον τῶν θλίψεων ἡμῶν, συλλουκιανιστὰ, ἀληθῶς Εὐσέβιε.

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