Athanasius: Letter to Jovian (Letter 56)
| Latin Title: | Epistula ad Iouianum |
| Reference: | CPG 2135 |
| Incipit: | Πρέπουσα θεοφιλεῖ Βασιλεῖ φιλομαθής προαίρεσις |
| Date: | 363 |
| Text: | PG 26, 813-820 |
| English Translation: | Archibald Robertson, trans., “Ad Imperatorem Jovianum” in NPNF2, vol. 4 (Grand Rapids, 1980), pp. 567-568; updated for FCC by AGC and JSW |
| Greek | English |
| Τῷ εὐσεβεστάτῳ καὶ φιλανθρωποτάτῳ Νικητῇ Αὐγούστῳ Ἰοβιανῷ ᾿Αθανάσιος καὶ οἱ λοιποὶ ἐπίσκοποι οἱ ἐλθόντες ἐκ προσώπου πάντων τῶν ἀπὸ τῆς Αἰγύπτου καὶ Θηβαίδος καὶ Λιβυῶν ἐπισκόττων. | To the most pious and philanthropic, the Augustus Jovian the Victorious, Athanasius and the other bishops who came from all the bishops of Egypt, the Thebaid, and Libya |
| 1.1 Πρέπουσα θεοφιλεῖ βασιλεῖ φιλομαθὴς προαίρεσις καὶ πόθος τῶν οὐρανίων· οὕτω γὰρ ἀληθῶς καὶ τὴν καρδίαν ἕξεις ἐν χειρὶ θεοῦ καὶ τὴν βασιλείαν μετ᾽ εἰρήνης πολλαῖς ἐτῶν περιόδοις διατελέσεις. | 1.1 A desire to learn and a yearning for heavenly things is suitable to a religious Emperor; for thus you will truly have ‘your heart’ also ‘in the hand of God.’ |
| 1.2 θελησάσης τοίνυν τῆς σῆς εὐσεβείας μαθεῖν παρ᾽ ἡμῶν τὴν τῆς καθολικῆς ἐκκλησίας πίστιν εὐχαριστήσαντες ἐπὶ τούτῳ τῷ κυρίῳ ἐβουλευσάμεθα πάντων μᾶλλον τὴν παρὰ τῶν πατέρων ὁμολογηθεῖσαν ἐν Νικαίᾳ πίστιν ὑπομνῆσαι τὴν σὴν θεοσέβειαν. | 1.2 Since then your Piety desired to learn from us the faith of the Catholic Church, giving thanks for these things to the Lord, we counselled above all things to remind your Piety of the faith confessed by the Fathers at Nicæa. |
| 1.3 ταύτην γὰρ ἀθετήσαντές τινες ἡμῖν μὲν ποικίλως ἐπεβούλευσαν, ὅτι μὴ ἐπειθόμεθα τῇ ἀρειανῇ αἱρέσει, αἴτιοι δὲ γεγόνασιν αἱρέσεως καὶ σχισμάτων τῇ καθολικῇ ἐκκλησίᾳ. ἡ μὲν γὰρ ἀληθὴς καὶ εὐσεβὴς εἰς τὸν κύριον ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦν Χριστὸν πίστις φανερὰ πᾶσι καθέστηκεν ἐκ τῶν θείων γραφῶν γινωσκομένη τε καὶ ἀναγινωσκομένη· ἐν ταύτῃ γὰρ καὶ οἱ ἅγιοι τελειωθέντες ἐμαρτύρησαν καὶ νῦν ἀναλύσαντές εἰσιν ἐν κυρίῳ. ἔμεινεν δ᾽ ἂν ἡ πίστις διὰ παντὸς ἀβλαβής, εἰ μὴ πονηρία τινῶν αἱρετικῶν παραποιῆσαι ταύτην ἐτόλμησεν. | 1.3 For this certain set at nought, while plotting against us in many ways, because we would not comply with the Arian heresy, and they have become authors of heresy and schisms in the Catholic Church. For the true and pious faith in the Lord has become manifest to all, being both ‘known and read’ from the Divine Scriptures. For in it both the saints were made perfect and suffered martyrdom, and now are departed in the Lord; and the faith would have abode inviolate always had not the wickedness of certain heretics presumed to tamper with it. |
| 1.4 Ἄρειος γάρ τις καὶ οἱ σὺν αὐτῷ διαφθεῖραι ταύτην καὶ ἀσέβειαν κατ᾽ αὐτῆς ἐπεισαγαγεῖν ἐπεχείρησαν φάσκοντες >ἐξ οὐκ ὄντων< καὶ >κτίσμα< καὶ >ποίημα< καὶ >τρεπτὸν< εἶναι τὸν υἱὸν τοῦ θεοῦ. πολλοὺς τε ἐν τούτοις ἠπάτησαν, ὥστε καὶ >τοὺς δοκοῦντας εἶναί τι< συναπαχθῆναι αὐτῶν τῇ βλασφημίᾳ. | 1.4 For a certain Arius and those with him attempted to corrupt it, and to introduce impiety in its place, affirming that the Son of God was from nought, and a creature, and a thing made and changeable. But with these words they deceived many, so that even ‘they that seemed to be somewhat were carried away,’ with their blasphemy. |
| 1.5 καὶ φθάσαντες μὲν οἱ ἅγιοι πατέρες ἡμῶν συνελθόντες, ὡς προείπομεν, ἐν τῇ κατὰ Νίκαιαν συνόδῳ τὴν μὲν ἀρειανῶν αἵρεσιν ἀνεθεμάτισαν, τὴν δὲ τῆς καθολικῆς ἐκκλησίας πίστιν ὡμολόγησαν ἐγγράφως, ὥστε ταύτης πανταχοῦ κηρυττομένης ἀποσβεσθῆναι τὴν ἀναφθεῖσαν αἵρεσιν παρὰ τῶν αἱρετικῶν. ἦν μὲν οὖν αὕτη πανταχοῦ κατὰ πᾶσαν ἐκκλησίαν γινωσκομένη τε καὶ κηρυττομένη· | 1.5 And yet our holy Fathers, as we said before, came promptly together at the Synod at Nicæa, and anathematised them, and confessed in writing the faith of the Catholic Church, so that, this being everywhere preached, the heresy kindled by the heretics might be quenched. This faith then was everywhere in every Church sincerely known and preached. |
| 1.6 ἀλλ᾽ ἐπειδὴ νῦν τὴν ἀρειανὴν αἵρεσιν ἀνανεῶσαι βουλόμενοί τινες μὲν αὐτὴν τὴν ἐν Νικαίᾳ παρὰ τῶν πατέρων ὁμολογηθεῖσαν πίστιν τετολμήκασιν ἀθετῆσαι, τινὲς δὲ σχηματίζονται μὲν ὁμολογεῖν αὐτήν, ταῖς δὲ ἀληθείαις ἀρνοῦνται παρερμηνεύοντες τὸ ὁμοούσιον καὶ αὐτοὶ βλασφημοῦντες εἰς τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον ἐν τῷ φάσκειν αὐτοὺς κτίσμα εἶναι αὐτὸ καὶ ποίημα διὰ τοῦ υἱοῦ γεγονός, ἀναγκαίως θεωρήσαντες τὴν ἐκ τῆς τοιαύτης βλασφημίας βλάβην γινομένην κατὰ τῶν λαῶν ἐπιδοῦναι τῇ σῇ εὐλαβείᾳ τὴν ἐν Νικαίᾳ ὁμολογηθεῖσαν πίστιν ἐσπουδάσαμεν, ἵνα γνῷ σου ἡ θεοσέβεια, μεθ’ ὅσης ἀκριβείας γέγραττται καὶ ὅσον πλανῶνται οἱ παρὰ ταύτην διδάσκοντες. | 1.6 But since now certain who wish to renew the Arian heresy have presumed to set at nought this faith confessed at Nicæa by the Fathers, and while pretending to confess it, do in fact deny it, explaining away the ‘Coessential,’ and blaspheming of their own accord against the Holy Spirit, in affirming that It is a creature, and came into being as a thing made by the Son, we hasten as of bounden duty, in view of the injury resulting to the people from such blasphemy, to hand to your Piety the faith confessed at Nicæa; in order that thy religiousness may know what has been written with all accuracy, and how far wrong they are who teach contrary to it. |
| 2.1 Γίνωσκε γάρ, θεοφιλέστατε Αὔγουστε, ὅτι αὕτη μὲν ἐξ αἰῶνός ἐστι κηρυττομένη, ταύτην δὲ ὡμολόγησαν οἱ ἐν Νικαίᾳ συνελθόντες πατέρες καὶ ταύτῃ σύμψηφοι τυγχάνουσι πᾶσαι αἱ πανταχοῦ κατὰ τόπον ἐκκλησίαι, αἵ τε κατὰ τὴν Σπανίαν καὶ Βρεττανίαν καὶ Γαλλίας καὶ τῆς Ἰταλίας πάσης καὶ Δαλματίας, Δακίας τε καὶ Μυσίας, Μακεδονίας καὶ πάσης Ἑλλάδος καὶ αἱ κατὰ τὴν Ἀφρικὴν πᾶσαι καὶ Σαρδανίαν καὶ Κύπρον καὶ Κρήτην, Παμφυλίαν τε καὶ Λυκίαν καὶ Ἰσαυρίαν καὶ αἱ κατὰ πᾶσαν <τὴν> Αἴγυτττον καὶ τὰς Λιβύας καὶ Πόντον καὶ Καππαδοκίαν καὶ τὰ πλησίον μέρη καὶ αἱ κατὰ τὴν ἀνατολὴν ἐκκλησίαι παρὲξ ὀλίγων τῶν τὰ Ἀρείου φρονούντων. | 2.1 For know, most religious Augustus, that these things have been preached from time immemorial, and this faith the Fathers who met at Nicæa confessed; and to it have assented all the Churches in every quarter, both those in Spain, and Britain, and the Gauls, and all Italy and Dalmatia, Dacia and Mœsia, Macedonia and all Greece, and in all Africa and Sardinia, and Cyprus and Crete, as well as Pamphylia, Lycia and Isauria, and those in Egypt and the Libyas, Pontus and Cappadocia, and those near at hand to us, and the Churches in the East, except a few who hold with Arius. |
| 2.2 πάντων γὰρ τῶν προειρημένων τῇ πείρᾳ ἐγνώκαμεν τὴν γνώμην καὶ γράμματα ἔχομεν. καὶ οἶδας, ὦ θεοφιλέστατε Αὔγουστε, ὅτι, κἂν ὀλίγοι τινὲς ἀντιλέγωσι ταύτῃ τῇ πίστει, οὐ δύνανται πρόκριμα ποιεῖν πάσῃ τῇ οἰκουμένῃ. πολλῷ γὰρ χρόνῳ βλαβέντες ἀπὸ τῆς ἀρειανῆς αἱρέσεως φιλονεικότερον νῦν ἀνθίστανται τῇ εὐσεβείᾳ. καὶ ὑπὲρ τοῦ γινώσκειν τὴν σὴν εὐσέβειαν καίτοι γινώσκουσαν ὅμως ἐσπουδάσαμεν τὴν ἐν Νικαίᾳ πίστιν ὁμολογηθεῖσαν ὑπὸ τριακοσίων ἐπισκόπων ὑποτάξαι. | 2.2 For of all those above mentioned we have both learnt the opinion by experience, and we have letters. And you know, O most religious Augustus, that even if some few speak against this faith, they cannot create a demurrer, inasmuch as the whole world holds the Apostolic faith. For they having long been infected by the Arian heresy, now the more obstinately oppose the truth. And that your Piety may know, although you know already, yet we hasten to append the faith confessed by the 300Bishops at Nicæa. |
| 3.1 Ἔστι μὲν οὖν ἡ τταρὰ τῶν πατέρων ὁμολογηθεῖσα πίστις ἐν Νικαίᾳ αὕτη· | 3.1 The faith then confessed at Nicæa by the Fathers is as follows:— |
| »Πιστεύομεν εἰς ἕνα θεόν, πατέρα παντοκράτορα, πάντων ὁρατῶν τε καὶ ἀοράτων ποιητήν, καὶ εἰς τὸν ἕνα κύριον Ἰησοῦν Χριστόν, τὸν υἱὸν τοῦ θεοῦ, γεννηθέντα ἐκ τοῦ πατρὸς μονογενῆ, τουτέστιν ἐκ τῆς οὐσίας τοῦ πατρός, θεὸν ἐκ θεοῦ, φῶς ἐκ φωτός, θεὸν ἀληθινὸν ἐκ θεοῦ ἀληθινοῦ, γεννηθέντα οὐ ποιηθέντα, ὁμοούσιον τῷ πατρί, δι᾽ οὗ τὰ πάντα ἐγένετο τά τε ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ καὶ τὰ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς, τὸν δι’ ἡμᾶς τοὺς ἀνθρώπους καὶ διὰ τὴν ἡμετέραν σωτηρίαν κατελθόντα καὶ σαρκωθέντα, ἐνανθρωτπήσαντα, παθόντα καὶ ἀναστάντα τῇ τρίτῃ ἡμέρᾳ, καὶ ἀνελθόντα εἰς τοὺς οὐρανούς, ἐρχόμενον κρῖναι ζῶντας καὶ νεκρούς, καὶ εἰς τὸ ἅγιον πνεῦμα. | We believe, in one God, the Almighty Father, maker of all that is seen and unseen, and in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the only-begotten, begotten from the Father, who is of the essence of the Father, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten not made, of one being with the Father, who made all things both in heaven and on earth. For the sake of us men and for our salvation he came down and put on flesh, was incarnate, suffered and rose on the third day, and ascended into the heavenly places. He will come to judge the living and the dead. And [we believe] in the Holy Spirit. |
| 3.2 τοὺς δὲ λέγοντας >ἦν ποτε ὅτε οὐκ ἦν< καὶ >πρὶν γεννηθῆναι οὐκ ἦν< καὶ ὅτι >ἐξ οὐκ ὄντων ἐγένετο< ἢ >ἐξ ἑτέρας ὑποστάσεως ἢ οὐσίας< φάσκοντας εἶναι ἢ >κτιστὸν< ἢ >τρεπτὸν< ἢ >ἀλλοιωτὸν< τὸν υἱὸν τοῦ θεοῦ, τούτους ἀναθεματίζει ἡ καθολικὴ καὶ ἀποστολικὴ ἐκκλησία.« | But as for those who say, “There was a time when he was not” and “Before he was begotten he did not exist” and “He came into being from nothing” or “From another substance or essence,” or who say that the Son of God is “created” or “movable” or “changeable,” the catholic and apostolic church condemns them! |
| 4.1 Ταύτῃ τῇ πίστει, θεοσεβέστατε Αὔγουστε, πάντας ἐπιμένειν ἀναγκαῖον ὡς θείᾳ καὶ ἀποστολικῇ καὶ μηδένα μετακινεῖν αὐτὴν πιθανολογίαις καὶ λογομαχίαις, ὅπερ πεποιήκασιν ἐξ ἀρχῆς οἱ Ἀρειομανῖται, >ἐξ οὐκ ὄντων< τὸν υἱὸν τοῦ θεοῦ λέγοντες καὶ ὅτι >ἦν ποτε ὅτε οὐκ ἦν< καὶ >κτιστὸς<. καὶ >ποιητὸς< καὶ >τρεπτός< ἐστι. | 4.1 By this faith, Augustus, all must needs abide, as Divine and Apostolic, and none must unsettle it by plausibilities, and contentions about words, which is what the Arian madmen have done, saying that the Son of God is from nought, and that once there was when He was not, and that He is created, and made and changeable. |
| 4.2 διὰ τοῦτο γάρ, καθὰ προείπομεν, καὶ ἡ ἐν Νικαίᾳ σύνοδος ἀνεθεμάτισε τὴν τοιαύτην αἵρεσιν, τὴν δὲ τῆς ἀληθείας πίστιν ὡμολόγησεν. οὐ γὰρ ἁπλῶς ὅμοιον εἰρήκασι τὸν υἱὸν τῷ πατρί, ἵνα μὴ ἁπλῶς ὅμοιος θεῷ, ἀλλ᾽ ἐκ θεοῦ θεὸς ἀληθινὸς πιστεύηται, ἀλλ’ ὁμοούσιος ἔγραψαν, ὅπερ ἴδιόν ἐστι γνησίου καὶ ἀληθινοῦ υἱοῦ ἐξ ἀληθινοῦ καὶ φύσει πατρός. ἀλλ᾽ οὐδὲ ἀπηλλοτρίωσαν τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον ἀπὸ τοῦ πατρὸς καὶ τοῦ υἱοῦ, ἀλλὰ μᾶλλον συνεδόξασαν αὐτὸ τῷ πατρὶ καὶ τῷ υἱῷ ἐν τῇ μιᾷ τῆς ἁγίας τριάδος πίστει διὰ τὸ καὶ μίαν εἶναι τὴν ἐν τῇ ἁγίᾳ τριάδι θεότητα. | 4.2 For for this cause, as we said before, the Synod at Nicæa anathematised such heresy, but confessed the faith of the truth. For they have not merely said that the Son is like the Father, lest He should be believed merely like God, instead of Very God from God; but they wrote ‘Coessential,’ which was peculiar to a genuine and true Son, truly and naturally from the Father. Nor yet did they make the Holy Spirit alien from the Father and the Son, but rather glorified Him together with the Father and the Son, in the one faith of the Holy Triad, because there is in the Holy Triad also one Godhead. |
This work is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
Last updated 2/20/2025 by JSW
No Responses yet
