Athanasius: Letter to the Bishops of Egypt and Libya
| Latin Title: | Epistula ad episcopos Aegypti et Libyae |
| Reference: | CPG 2092 |
| Incipit: | Πάντα μεν ὅσα ὁ Κύριος ἡμῶν καί Σωτήρ ᾿Ιησοῦς Χριστός, |
| Date: | 356 |
| Text: | PG 25, 537-593 H.G. Opitz, Athanasius Werke ., pp. 109-132 |
| English Translation: | M. Atkinson, trans., “Circular to Bishops of Egypt and Libya (ad Episcopos Aegypti)” revised by A. Roberson, in NPNF2, vol. 4 (Grand Rapids, 1980), pp. 223-235; adapted for FCC by AGC |
| Greek | English |
| 5.1 Ἤκουσα διατρίβων ἐν τοῖς μέρεσι τούτοις – ἀδελφοὶ γὰρ γνήσιοι καὶ τῆς ὀρθῆς ὄντες δόξης ἀπήγγειλαν -, ὡς ἄρα τινὲς συνελθόντες τῶν τὰ Ἀρείου φρονούντων ἔγραψαν δῆθεν περὶ πίστεως, ὡς ἠθέλησαν, καὶ θέλουσιν ἀποστεῖλαι πρὸς ὑμᾶς, ἵνα ἢ ὑπογράψητε ἢ ὁ ἀντιλέγων ὑπερόριος γένηται· καὶ γὰρ καὶ τοῖς ἐπισκόποις τῶν μερῶν τούτων ἤδη διοχλεῖν ἄρχονται. | 5.1 I heard during my sojourn in these parts (and they were true and orthodox brethren that informed me), that certain professors of Arian opinions had met together, and drawn a confession of faith to their own liking, and that they intend to send word to you, that you must either subscribe to what pleases them, or rather to what the devil has inspired them with, or in case of refusal must suffer banishment. They are indeed already beginning to molest the Bishops of these parts; |
| 5.2 ἐντεῦθεν μὲν οὖν ὁ τρόπος τῶν γραφόντων δῆλος γίνεται· οἱ γὰρ οὕτως γράφοντες, ὥστε τὸ τέλος τῶν γραμμάτων αὐτῶν ἐξορισμὸν καὶ ἄλλας τιμωρίας ἔχειν, τί ἂν εἶεν οἱ τοιοῦτοι ἢ Χριστιανῶν μὲν ἀλλότριοι, διαβόλου δὲ καὶ τῶν ἐκείνου δαιμόνων φίλοι; μάλιστα ὅτι τοῦ θεοσεβεστάτου βασιλέως Κωνσταντίου φιλανθρώπου ὄντος παρὰ γνώμην αὐτοῦ θρυλλοῦσιν ἃ θέλουσιν αὐτοί. | and thereby are plainly manifesting their disposition. For inasmuch as they frame this document only for the purpose of inflicting banishment or other punishments, what does such conduct prove them to be, but enemies of the Christians, and friends of the devil and his angels? and especially since they spread abroad what they like contrary to the mind of that gracious Prince, our most religious Emperor Constantius. |
| 5.3 καὶ γὰρ καὶ τοῦτο ποιοῦσι μετὰ πολλῆς μὲν πανουργίας, δύο δὲ τούτων μάλιστα χάριν, ὥς γέ μοι φαίνεται· ἑνὸς μέν, ἵνα καὶ ὑμῶν ὑπογραψάντων δόξωσι παύειν μὲν τὴν Ἀρείου κακωνυμίαν, λανθάειν δὲ αὐτοὶ ὠς μὴ τὰ Ἀρείου φρονουῦντες· ἑτέρου δέ, ἵνα ταῦτα γράφοντες δόξωσι πάλιν ἐπικρύπτειν τὴν ἐν Νικαίᾳ γενομένην σύνοδον καὶ τὴν ἐκτεθεῖσαν ἐν αὑτῇ κατὰ τῆς Ἀρειανῆς αἱρέσεως πίστιν. | And this they do with great craftiness, and, as appears to me, chiefly with two ends in view; first, that by obtaining your subscriptions, they may seem to remove the evil repute that rests upon the name of Arius, and may escape notice themselves as if not professing his opinions; and again, that by putting forth these statements they may cast a shade over the Council of Nicæa, and the confession of faith which was then put forth against the Arian heresy. |
| 5.4 ἀλλὰ τοῦτο καὶ μᾶλλον αὑτῶν ἐλέγχει τὴν κακοήθειαν καὶ τὴν ἑτεροδοξίαν. εἰ γὰρ ἐπίστευον ὀρθῶς, ἠρκοῦντο τῇ ἐν Νικαίᾳ ἐκτεθείσῃ πίστει παρὰ πάσης τῆς οἰκουμενικῆς συνόδου· καὶ εἰ ἐνόμιζον ἑαυτοὺς συκοφαντεῖσθαι καὶ μάτην λεγομένους Ἀρειανούς, ἐχρῆν αὐτοὺς μὴ σπουδάζειν ἐναλλάττειν τὰ κατὰ Ἀρείου γραφέντα, ἵνα μὴ ὡς κατ᾽ αὑτῶν ἢ ὁρισθέντα τὰ κατ᾽ ἐκείνου γραφέντα. νῦν δὲ τοῦτο μὲν οὐ ποιοῦσιν, ὡς δὲ αὐτοὶ ὄντες Ἄρειος ὑπὲρ αὑτῶν ἀγωνίζονται. | But this proceeding does but prove the more plainly their own maliciousness and heterodoxy. For had they believed aright, they would have been satisfied with the confession put forth at Nicæa by the whole Ecumenic Council; and had they considered themselves calumniated and falsely called Arians, they ought not to have been so eager to innovate upon what was written against Arius, lest what was directed against him might seem to be aimed at them also. This, however, is not the course they pursue, but they conduct the struggle in their own behalf, just as if they were Arius. |
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