Clergy of Mareotis to Philagrius, Prefect of Egypt (CPG 2123.26)
| Reference: | Mel. 29, CPG 2123.26, CPG 8547, FNS 71 |
| Incipit: | Ἐπειδὴ Θεόγνιος καὶ Μάρις |
| Date: | September 8, 335 |
| Greek Text: | Athanasius, Apol. Sec. 76 |
| English Translation: | NPNF2 vol. 4, p. 140, adapted for FCC by SMT |
This letter is a more truncated version of Mel. 28. This letter is addressed to Philagrius, Prefect of Egypt, and the Controller as mentioned in Mel. 27. In response to the commission to Mareotis leaving Macarius behind, the clergy at Mareotis took it upon themselves to write a testimony to the Council of Tyre asserting that the charge that Athanasius and Macarius broke a chalice is false. They further explain that Ischyras, the accuser, was never an ordained minister.
The Greek text below is that of Opitz as found in AW 2.4:76. The English translation has been adapted from NPNF2 vol. 4, p. 140 by SMT for FCC.
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The derivative translation below is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0.
| Φλαβίῳ Φιλαγρίῳ καὶ Φλαβίῳ Παλλαδίῳ δουκιναρίῳ παλατίνῳ κουριώσῳ καὶ Φλαβίῳ Ἀντωνίνῳ βιάρχῳ κεντηναρίῳ τῶν κυρίων μου τῶν λαμπροτάτων ἐπάρχων τοῦ ἱεροῦ πραιτωρίου παρὰ τῶν πρεσβυτέρων καὶ διακόνων τοῦ Μαρεώτου, νομοῦ τῆς καθολικῆς ἐκκλησίας τῆς ὑπὸ τὸν αἰδεσιμώτατον ἐπίσκοπον Ἀθανάσιον· διὰ τῶν ἑξῆς ὑπογραφόντων τάδε μαρτυρούμενοι ἐπιδιδόαμεν· | To Flavius Philagrius, and to Flavius Paladius, Ducenary, Officer of the Palace, and Controller, and to Flavius Antoninus, Commissary of Provisions, and Centenary of my lords the most illustrious Prefects of the sacred Praetorium, these from the presbyters and deacons of the Mareotis, a nome of the catholic Church which is under the most reverend Bishop Athanasius, we address this testimony by those whose names are under-written. |
| Ἐπειδὴ Θεόγνιος καὶ Μάρις καὶ Μακεδόνιος καὶ Θεόδωρος καὶ Οὐρσάκιος καὶ Οὐάλης ὡς ἀποσταλέντες ὑπὸ πάντων τῶν ἐπισκόπων τῶν συνελθόντων ἐν τῇ Τύρῳ ἀπήντησαν ἐν τῇ ἡμετέρᾳ παροικίᾳ φάσκοντες ἐντολὰς εἰληφέναι, ὡς ζητῆσαί τινα ἐκκλησιαστικὰ πράγματα, ἐν οἷς ἔλεγον καὶ περὶ ποτηρίου κυριακοῦ κεκλασμένου ὑποβληθέντος αὐτοῖς ὑπὸ Ἰσχύρα, ὃν ἤγαγον μεθ᾽ ἑαυτῶν, λέγοντος ἑαυτὸν εἶναι πρέσβύτερον, ὃς οὐκ ἔστι πρεσβύτερος, — | Whereas Theognius, Maris, Macedonius, Theodorus, Ursacius, and Valens, as if sent by all the bishops who assembled at Tyre, came into our Diocese alleging that they had received orders to investigate certain ecclesiastical affairs, among which they spoke of the breaking of a cup of the Lord, of which information was given them by Ischyras, whom they brought with them, and who says that he is a presbyter, although he is not, — |
| ὑπὸ γὰρ Κολλούθου τοῦ πρεσβυτέρου φαντασθέντος ἐπισκοπὴν καὶ ὕστερον ὑπὸ κοινῆς συνόδου Ὁσίου καὶ τῶν σὺν αὐτῷ ἐπισκόπων κελευσθέντος πρεσβυτέρου εἶναι, καθὸ καὶ πρότερον ἦν, κατεστάθη καὶ κατὰ ἀκολουθίαν πάντες οἱ ὑπὸ Κολλούθου κατασταθέντες ἀνέδραμον εἰς τὸν αὐτὸν τόπον, εἰς ὃν καὶ πρότερον ἦσαν, ὡς καὶ αὐτὸς Ἰσχύρας λαικὸς ὤφθη, ἣν τε λέγει ἔχειν ἐκκλησίαν, μηδὲ πώποτε ἐκκλησίαν γεγενῆσθαι, ἀλλ᾽ οἰκητικὸν οἰκημάτιον μικρὸν ὀρφανοῦ παιδίου Ἰσίωνος τοὔνομα, — | for he was ordained by the Presbyter Colluthus who pretended to the episcopate, and was afterwards ordered by a whole council, by Hosius and the bishops that were with him, to take the place of a presbyter, as he was before; and accordingly all that were ordained by Colluthus resumed the same rank which they held before, and so Ischyras himself proved to be a layman; and the church which he says he has, never was a church at all, but a quite small private house belonging to an orphan boy of the name Ision — |
| καὶ διά τοι τοῦτο τῇδε τῇ διαμαρτυρίᾳ ἐχρησάμεθα ἐπορκίζοντές σε κατὰ τοῦ παντοκράτορος θεοῦ καὶ κατὰ τῶν δεσποτῶν ἡμῶν Κωνσταντίνου τοῦ Αὐγούστου, καὶ τῶν ἐπιφανεστάτων Καισάρων παίδων αὐτοῦ ταῦτα αὐτὰ εἰς γνῶσιν ἀνενεγκεῖν τῇ εὐσεβείᾳ αὐτῶν. οὔτε γὰρ πρεσβύτερός ἐστι τῆς καθολικῆς ἐκκλησίας οὔτε ἐκκλησίαν ἔχει οὔτε ποτὲ ποτήριον ἐκλάσθη, ἀλλὰ πάντα ψεύδεται καὶ πλάττεται. | for this reason we have offered this testimony, adjuring you by Almighty God, and by our Lords Constantine Augustus and the most illustrious Caesars his sons, to bring these things to the knowledge of their piety. For neither is he a presbyter of the catholic Church nor does he possess a church, nor has a cup ever been broken, but the whole story is false and an invention. |
| ὑπατείᾳ Ἰουλίου Κωνσταντίου τοῦ λαμπροτάτου πατρικίου ἀδελφοῦ τοῦ εὐσεβεστάτου βασιλέως Κωνσταντίνου τοῦ Αὐγούστου καὶ Ῥουφίνου Ἀλβίνου τῶν λαμπροτάτων, Θὼθ δεκάτῃ. | Dated in the Consulship of Julius Constantius the most illustrious Patrician, brother of the most religious Emperor Constantine Augustus, and of Rufinus Albinus, most illustrious men, on the tenth day of the month Thoth [September 8]. |
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