Alexandria to the Council of Tyre (CPG 2123.24)
| Reference: | Mel. 27, CPG 2123.24, CPG 8546, FNS 69 |
| Incipit: | Ἔπρεπεν ὑμᾶς ἐρχομένους |
| Date: | 335 |
| Greek Text: | Athanasius, Apol. Sec. 73 |
| English Translation: | NPNF2 vol. 4, pp. 138-139, adapted for FCC by SMT and JTS |
During the proceedings at the Council of Tyre, the Melitians and Arians were unable to convict Macarius of breaking the sacred chalice, so a group was commissioned to go the Mareotis region, where the act was accused of happening, to investigate. However, the group left behind Macarius and took along Ischyras who accused Macarius of this act. Because of this act, Athanasius clearly saw a conspiracy forming here, and so did those presbyters of Alexandria and the Mareotis. Those presbyters had asked to be a part of the investigations to keep it impartial, but they were refused. Therefore, they wrote this letter and Mel. 28 accusing this group of conspiring unfairly against Athanasius and Macarius.
The Greek text below is that of Opitz as found in AW 2.4:73. The English translation has been adapted from NPNF2 vol. 4, p. 138-139 by SMT and JTS for FCC.
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The derivative translation below is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0.
| Θεογνίῳ, Μάρι καὶ Μακεδονίῳ, Θεοδώρῳ καὶ Οὐρσακίῳ καὶ Οὐάλεντι τοῖς ἀπὸ Τύρου ἐλθοῦσιν ἐπισκόποις παρὰ τῶν πρεσβυτέρων καὶ διακόνων τῆς καθολικῆς ἐκκλησίας Ἀλεξανδρείας ὑπὸ τὸν αἰδεσιμώτατον ἐπίσκοπον Ἀθανάσιον. | To Theognius, Maris, Macedonius, Theodorus, Ursacius and Valens, the Bishops who have come from Tyre, these from the presbyters and deacons of the catholic church of Alexandria under the most reverend Bishop Athanasius. |
| Ἔπρεπεν ὑμᾶς ἐρχομένους καὶ ἄγοντας μεθ᾽ ἑαυτῶν τὸν κατήγορον ἀγαγεῖν καὶ Μακάριον τὸν πρεσβύτερον. αἱ γὰρ κρίσεις οὕτως συνίστανται κατὰ τὰς ἁγίας γραφάς, ὥστε τὸν κατήγορον μετὰ τοῦ κατηγορουμένου ἑστάναι. ἐπειδὴ δὲ οὔτε Μακάριον ἠγάγετε οὔτε ὁ αἰδεσιμώτατος ἡμῶν ἐπίσκοτος Ἀθανάσιος μεθ’ ὑμῶν εἰσῆλθεν, ἠξιώσαμεν κἂν αὐτοὶ παρεῖναι ἐν τῇ κρίσει, ἵνα παρόντων ἡμῶν ἀσφαλὴς ἡ ἐξέτασις γένηται καὶ πεισθῶμεν καὶ ἡμεῖς. | It was incumbent upon you when you came here and brought with you the accuser, to bring also the presbyter Macarius; for trials are appointed by Holy Scripture to be so constituted, that the accuser and accused may stand up together. But since you neither brought Macarius, nor our most reverend Bishop Athanasius here with you, we claimed for ourselves the right of being present at the investigation, that we might see that the enquiry was conducted impartially, and might ourselves be convinced of the truth. |
| ἐπειδὴ δὲ οὐ τοῦτο συνεχωρήσατε, ἀλλὰ μόνοι μετὰ τοῦ ἐπάρχου τῆς Αἰγύπτου καὶ τοῦ κατηγόρου ἠθελήσατε πράττειν ἃ βούλεσθε, ὁμολογοῦμεν ὅτι ὑποψίαν εἴδομεν ἐν τῷ πράγματι πονηράν, καὶ ἐθεωρήσαμεν ὅτι συσκευὴ καὶ ἐπιβουλὴ μόνον ἐστὶν ἡ εἴσοδος ὑμῶν. διὰ τοῦτο ταύτην ὑμῖν ἐπιδίδομεν τὴν ἐπιστολὴν μαρτύριον ἐσομένην εἰς ἀληθινὴν σύνοδον, ἵνα γνωσθῇ πᾶσιν ὅτι κατὰ μονομέρειαν, ἅπερ ἠθελήσατε, ἐπράξατε καὶ οὐδὲν ἕτερον ἢ συσκευὴν ἠθελήσατε συνθεῖναι καθ᾽ ἡμῶν. | But when you refused to allow this, and wished, in company only with the Prefect of Egypt and the accuser, to do whatever you pleased, we confess that we saw a suspicion of evil in the affair, and perceived that you coming was only the act of a cabal and a conspiracy. Therefore we address to you this letter, to be a testimony before a genuine council, that it may be known to all men, that you have carried on an ex parte proceeding and for you own ends, and have desired nothing else but to form a conspiracy against us. |
| τούτῶν δὲ τὰ ἴσα ἐπιδεδώκαμεν καὶ Παλλαδίῳ τῷ κουριώσῳ τοῦ Αὐγούστου, ἵνα μὴ κρυβῇ παρ᾽ ὑμῶν. ἃ γὰρ ἐπράξατε, τοιαῦτα λοιπὸν ἡμᾶς ὑποπτεύειν καὶ λογίζεσθαι ποιεῖ περὶ ὑμῶν. | A copy of this, lest it should be kept secret by you, we have handed in to Palladius also the Controller of Augustus. For what you have already done causes us to suspect you, and to reckon on the like conduct from you hereafter. |
| Διονύσιος πρεσβύτερος ἐπιδέδωκα | I, Presbyter Dionysius have handed in this letter. |
| Ἀλέξανδρος πρεσβύτερος | Presbyter Alexander, |
| Νειλαρᾶς πρεσβύτερος | Presbyter Nilaras, |
| Λόγγος πρεσβύτερος | Presbyter Longus, |
| Ἀφθόνιος πρεσβύτερος | Presbyter Aphthonius, |
| Ἀθανάσιος πρεσβύτερος | Presbyter Athanasius, |
| Ἀμύντιος πρεσβύτερος | Presbyter Amyntius, |
| Πιστὸς πρεσβύτερος | Presbyter Pistus, |
| Πλουτίων πρεσβύτερος | Presbyter Plution, |
| Διόσκορος πρεσβύτερος | Presbyter Dioscorus, |
| Ἀπολλώνιος πρεσβύτερος | Presbyter Apollonius, |
| Σαραπίων πρεσβύτερος | Presbyter Sarapion, |
| Ἀμμώνιος πρεσβύτερος | Presbyter Ammonius, |
| Γάιος πρεσβύτερος | Presbyter Gaius, |
| Ῥῖνος πρεσβύτερος | Presbyter Rhinus, |
| Αἰθαλὴς πρεσβύτερος | Presbyter Aethales. |
| Διάκονοι | Deacons: |
| Μαρκελλῖνος διάκονος | Deacon Marcellinus, |
| Ἀππιανὸς διάκονος | Deacon Appianus, |
| Θέων διάκονος | Deacon Theon, |
| Τιμόθεος διάκονος | Deacon Timotheus, |
| καὶ Τιμόθεος ἄλλος διάκόνος. | and another Deacon Timotheus. |
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