Reference Dok. 30; Urk. 26; CPG 3496/8519
Incipit Πεῖραν λαβὼν
Date fall 325
Ancient sources Eusebius, Life of Constantine 3.17-20
Socrates, Church History 1.9.32-46
Theodoret, Church History 1.9
Anonymous Church History 2.37.10
Modern editions Eusebius Werke 1.12 (GCS 7):89-93
W. Bright, Socrates’ ecclesiastical history, 2nd edition (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1893)

One of the subjects discussed at the Council of Nicaea was resolving differences in dating the annual celebration of Easter. The council settled on the dating practiced by Rome and Alexandria. Constantine in this letter commends this decision to the churches for implementation. The letter was probably sent out within a few months of the closing of the council. This letter can also be accessed in Table 6 of our Ancient Descriptions of the Council of Nicaea documents. 

The Greek text below is that of F. Winkelmann, Eusebius Werke 1.12: Über das Leben des Kaisers Konstantin (GCS 7, 1991): 89-93.  The English translation was adapted from that of McGiffert (NPNF2 1:524-525) and Zenos (NPNF2 2:14-16) by Aaron West, Austin Claflin, and Glen Thompson.

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3.17.1  Κωνσταντῖνος Νικητὴς Μέγιστος Σεβαστὸς ταῖς ἐκκλησίαις.3.17.1  Constantine Augustus, to the churches.
Πεῖραν λαβὼν ἐκ τῆς τῶν κοινῶν εὐπραξίας, ὅση τῆς θείας δυνάμεως πέφυκε χάρις, τοῦτόν πρὸ γε πάντων ἔκρινα εἶναί μοι προσήκειν σκοπόν, ὅπως παρὰ τοῖς μακαριωτάτοις τῆς καθολικῆς ἐκκλησίας πλήθεσι πίστις μία καὶ εἰλικρινὴς ἀγάπη ὁμογνώμων τε περὶ τὸν παγκρατῆ θεὸν εὐσέβεια τηρῆται.Since the general prosperity of the empire has shown how great the favor of God has been towards us, I have judged that my primary endeavor, before all else, should be that a unity of faith, a sincerity of love, and a unanimity in devotion to the worship of Almighty God, might be preserved among the most blessed assemblies of the catholic church.
3.17.2  ἀλλ’ ἐπειδὴ τοῦτο οὐχ οἷόν τ’ ἦν ἀκλινῆ καὶ βεβαίαν τάξιν λαβεῖν, εἰ μή, εἰς ταὐτὸν πάντων ὁμοῦ ἢ τῶν γοῦν πλειόνων ἐπισκόπων συνελθόντων, ἑκάστου τῶν προσηκόντων τῇ ἁγιωτάτῃ θρησκείᾳ διάκρισις γένοιτο, τούτου ἕνεκεν πλείστων ὅσων συναθροισθέντων (καὶ αὐτὸς δὲ καθάπερ εἷς ἐξ ὑμῶν ἐτύγχανον συμπαρών· οὐ γὰρ ἀρνησαίμην ἄν, ἐφ’ ᾧ μάλιστα χαίρω, συνθεράπων ὑμέτερος πεφυκέναι), ἄχρι τοσούτου ἅπαντα τῆς προσηκούσης τετύχηκεν ἐξετάσεως, ἄχρις οὗ ἡ τῷ πάντων ἐφόρῳ θεῷ ἀρέσκουσα γνώμη πρὸς τὴν τῆς ἑνότητος συμφωνίαν εἰς φῶς προήχθη, ὡς μηδὲν ἔτι πρὸς διχόνοιαν ἢ πίστεως ἀμφισβήτησιν ὑπολείπεσθαι.3.17.2  This could not be effectively and absolutely ensured, unless all of the bishops, or at least the greater part, were convened in the same place for a council where they could discuss every point of our most holy religion. So we assembled as many as possible, and I myself was also present as one of you; for I will not deny what I especially rejoice in—that I am your fellow-servant. All points were then minutely investigated, until a decision was brought to light which was found acceptable to him who is the inspector of all things, and brought a unified agreement, leaving nothing which could cause dissension or controversy in matters of faith
3.18.1  Ἔνθα καὶ περὶ τῆς τοῦ πάσχα ἁγιωτάτης ἡμέρας γενομένης ζητήσεως, ἔδοξε κοινῇ γνώμῃ καλῶς ἔχειν ἐπὶ μιᾶς ἡμέρας πάντας τοὺς ἁπανταχοῦ ἐπιτελεῖν. τί γὰρ ἡμῖν κάλλιον, τί δὲ σεμνότερον ὑπάρξαι δυνήσεται τοῦ τὴν ἑορτὴν ταύτην, παρ’ ἧς τὴν τῆς ἀθανασίας εἰλήφαμεν ἐλπίδα, μιᾷ τάξει καὶ φανερῷ λόγῳ παρὰ πᾶσιν ἀδιαπτώτως φυλάττεσθαι;3.18.1 At this meeting the question about our holiest day, Easter, was also discussed, and it was resolved  by common consent that everyone, everywhere should celebrate it on one and the same day. For what can be more appropriate, or what more solemn, than that this festival from which we have received  the hope of immortality should be observed by everyone without variation, using the same order and clear arrangement?
3.18.2  καὶ πρῶτον μὲν ἀνάξιον ἔδοξεν εἶναι τὴν ἁγιωτάτην ἐκείνην ἑορτὴν τῇ τῶν Ἰουδαίων ἑπομένους συνηθείᾳ πληροῦν, οἳ τὰς ἑαυτῶν χεῖρας ἀθεμίτῳ πλημμελήματι χράναντες εἰκότως τὰς ψυχὰς οἱ μιαροὶ τυφλώττουσιν. ἔξεστι γὰρ τοῦ ἐκείνων ἔθνους ἀποβληθέντος ἀληθεστέρᾳ τάξει, ἣν ἐκ πρώτης τοῦ πάθους ἡμέρας ἄχρι τοῦ παρόντος ἐφυλάξαμεν, καὶ ἐπὶ τοὺς μέλλοντας αἰῶνας τὴν τῆς ἐπιτηρήσεως ταύτης συμπλήρωσιν ἐκτείνεσθαι. μηδὲν τοίνυν ἔστω ἡμῖν κοινὸν μετὰ τοῦ ἐχθίστου τῶν Ἰουδαίων ὄχλου.3.18.2  First of all, it seemed most unworthy that in celebrating this most holy festival we should follow the practice of the Jews, who have impiously defiled their hands with enormous sin and are, therefore, deservedly afflicted with spiritual blindness. Since we have put aside their way of calculating the date of the festival, we can ensure that future generations can celebrate this observance at the more accurate time which we have kept from that first day when the passion occured until the present time. Let us then have nothing in common with that detestable mass of Jews.
3.18.3  εἰλήφαμεν γὰρ παρὰ τοῦ σωτῆρος ἑτέραν ὁδόν, πρόκειται δρόμος τῇ ἱερωτάτῃ ἡμῶν θρησκείᾳ καὶ νόμιμος καὶ πρέπων. τούτου συμφώνως ἀντιλαμβανόμενοι τῆς αἰσχρᾶς ἐκείνης ἑαυτοὺς συνειδήσεως ἀποσπάσωμεν, ἀδελφοὶ τιμιώτατοι. ἔστι γὰρ ὡς ἀληθῶς ἀτοπώτατον ἐκείνους αὐχεῖν, ὡς ἄρα παρεκτὸς τῆς αὐτῶν διδασκαλίας ταῦτα φυλάττειν οὐκ ἦμεν ἱκανοί.3.18.3  For we have received from our Savior a different way. A course at once legitimate and honorable lies open to our most holy religion. Let us with one mind adopt this course, and withdraw ourselves from that detestable assoication. For it is truly most absurd for them to boast that we are incapable of rightly observing these things without their instruction. 
3.18.4  τί δὲ φρονεῖν ὀρθὸν ἐκεῖνοι δυνήσονται, οἳ μετὰ τὴν κυριοκτονίαν τε καὶ πατροκτονίαν ἐκείνην ἐκστάντες τῶν φρενῶν ἄγονται οὐ λογισμῷ τινι ἀλλ’ ὁρμῇ ἀκατασχέτῳ, ὅπῃ δἂν αὐτοὺς ἡ ἔμφυτος αὐτῶν ἀγάγῃ μανία; ἐκεῖθεν τοίνυν κἀν τούτῳ τῷ μέρει τὴν ἀλήθειαν οὐχ ὁρῶσιν. ὡς δὴ κατὰ τὸ πλεῖστον αὐτοὺς πλανωμένους ἀντὶ τῆς προσηκούσης ἐπανορθώσεως ἐν τῷ αὐτῷ ἔτει δεύτερον τὸ πάσχα ἐπιτελεῖν. τίνος οὖν χάριν τούτοις ἑπόμεθα, οὓς δεινὴν πλάνην νοσεῖν ὡμολόγηται; δεύτερον γὰρ τὸ πάσχα ἐν ἑνὶ ἐνιαυτῷ οὐκ ἄν ποτε ποιεῖν ἀνεξόμεθα. ἀλλ’ εἰ καὶ ταῦτα μὴ προὔκειτο, τὴν ὑμετέραν ἀγχίνοιαν ἐχρῆν καὶ διὰ σπουδῆς καὶ δι’ εὐχῆς ἔχειν πάντοτε, ἐν μηδενὸς ὁμοιότητι τὸ καθαρὸν τῆς ὑμετέρας ψυχῆς κοινωνεῖν δοκεῖν ἀνθρώπων ἔθεσι παγκάκων. 3.18.4  For how should they be capable of forming a sound judgment, who, since their parricidal guilt in slaying their Lord, lost their senses, and are led not by any rational motive but by ungoverned passion, and they are swayed by an uncontrollable impulsiveness from the mad spirit that is in them? This is why even in this matter they do not perceive the truth, so that they constantly err in the utmost degree, and will celebrate the Feast of Passover a second time in the same year instead of making a suitable correction. Why then should we follow those who are acknowledged to be in serious error? Surely we should never consent to keep this feast a second time in the same year! But even if these reasons were not sufficient, still it would be incumbent on your good judgment to strive and pray continually that the purity of your souls may not seem in anything to be tarnished by sharing the customs of these most wicked men.
3.18.5  πρὸς τούτοις κἀκεῖνο πάρεστι συνορᾶν, ὡς ἐν τηλικούτῳ πράγματι καὶ τοιαύτης θρησκείας ἑορτῇ διαφωνίαν ὑπάρχειν ἐστὶν ἀθέμιτον. μίαν γὰρ ἡμῖν τὴν τῆς ἡμετέρας ἐλευθερίας ἡμέραν, τουτέστιν τὴν τοῦ ἁγιωτάτου πάθους, ὁ ἡμέτερος παρέδωκε σωτήρ, μίαν εἶναι τὴν καθολικὴν αὐτοῦ ἐκκλησίαν βεβούληται, ἧς εἰ καὶ τὰ μάλιστα εἰς πολλοὺς τε καὶ διαφόρους τόπους τὰ μέρη διῄρηται, ἀλλ’ ὅμως ἑνὶ πνεύματι, τουτέστι τῷ θείῳ βουλήματι, θάλπεται.3.18.5  We must consider, too, that in a matter so important and of such religious significance, the slightest disagreement is most irreverent.. For our Savior left us a single festival to commemorate the day of our deliverance, the day of his most holy passion. And he has willed that his catholic church should be one, the members of which, are yet cherished by one pervading spirit, that is, by the will of God. even though they are scattered in many and diverse places.
3.18.6  λογισάσθω δ’ ἡ τῆς ὑμετέρας ὁσιότητος ἀγχίνοια, ὅπως ἐστὶ δεινόν τε καὶ ἀπρεπὲς κατὰ τὰς αὐτὰς ἡμέρας ἑτέρους μὲν ταῖς νηστείαις σχολάζειν, ἑτέρους δὲ συμπόσια συντελεῖν, καὶ μετὰ τὰς τοῦ πάσχα ἡμέρας ἄλλους μὲν ἐν ἑορταῖς καὶ ἀνέσεσιν ἐξετάζεσθαι, ἄλλους δὲ ταῖς ὡρισμέναις ἐκδεδόσθαι νηστείαις. διὰ τοῦτο γοῦν τῆς προσηκούσης ἐπανορθώσεως τυχεῖν καὶ πρὸς μίαν διατύπωσιν ἄγεσθαι τοῦτο ἡ θεία πρόνοια βούλεται, ὡς ἔγωγε ἅπαντας ἡγοῦμαι συνορᾶν.3.18.6  And let the good sense of your Holiness consider how grievous and scandalous it is that on the same days some should be engaged in fasting while others have festive celebratations; and again, that in the days after Easter some should be present at banquets and amusements, while others are fulfilling the appointed fasts. For this reason Divine Providence has directed us to that we carry out an appropriate correction and establish a uniformity of practice, as I suppose you are all aware.
3.19.1  Ὅθεν ἐπειδὴ τοῦθ᾽ οὕτως ἐπανορθοῦσθαι προσῆκεν, ὡς μηδὲν μετὰ τοῦ τῶν πατροκτόνων τε καὶ κυριοκτόνων ἐκείνων ἔθνους εἶναι κοινόν, ἔστι δὲ τάξις εὐπρεπής, ἣν πᾶσαι αἱ τῶν δυτικῶν τε καὶ μεσημβρινῶν καὶ ἀρκτῴων τῆς οἰκουμένης μερῶν παραφυλάττουσιν ἐκκλησίαι καί τινες τῶν κατὰ τὴν ἑῴαν τόπων, οὗ ἕνεκεν ἐπὶ τοῦ παρόντος καλῶς ἔχειν ἅπαντες ἡγήσαντο, καὶ αὐτὸς δὲ τῇ ὑμετέρᾳ ἀγχινοίᾳ ἀρέσειν ὑπεσχόμην, ἵν’ ὅπερ δἂν κατὰ τὴν Ῥωμαίων πόλιν Ἰταλίαν τε καὶ Ἀφρικὴν ἅπασαν, Αἴγυπτον, Σπανίας, Γαλλίας, Βρεττανίας, Λιβύας, ὅλην Ἑλλάδα, Ἀσιανήν τε διοίκησιν καὶ Ποντικὴν καὶ Κιλικίαν μιᾷ καὶ συμφώνῳ φυλάττηται γνώμῃ, ἀσμένως τοῦτο καὶ ἡ ὑμετέρα προσδέξηται σύνεσις, λογιζομένη ὡς οὐ μόνον πλείων ἐστὶν ὁ τῶν κατὰ τοὺς προειρημένους τόπους ἐκκλησιῶν ἀριθμός, ἀλλὰ καὶ ὡς τοῦτο μάλιστα κοινῇ πάντας ὁσιώτατόν ἐστι βούλεσθαι, ὅπερ καὶ ὁ ἀκριβὴς λόγος ἀπαιτεῖν δοκεῖ καὶ οὐδεμίαν μετὰ τῆς Ἰουδαίων ἐπιορκίας ἔχει κοινωνίαν·3.19.1  Therefore, since this matter needed to be rectified, so that we might have nothing in common with that nation of parricides who killed their Lord, and since the arrangements observed by all the churches of the western, southern, and northern parts of the world, and by some partss of the east as well is quite suitable—for these reasons we are all unanimous on this present occasion in thinking it worthy of adoption. And I myself have undertaken that this decision should meet with the approval of your good judgment, in the hope that all you wise men will cheerfully accept that practice which is already observed with such complete unanimity of sentiment in the city of Rome, and in Africa, throughout Italy, Egypt, Spain, the Gauls, Britain, Libya, and the whole of Greece, in the dioceses of Asia and Pontus, and in Cilicia. And you will consider not only that the number of churches is far greater in the regions I have enumerated than in any other, but also that it is most fitting that all should unite in desiring that which sound reason appears to demand, and in avoiding all participation in the wicked conduct of the Jews. 
3.19.2  ἵνα δὴ τὸ κεφαλαιωδέστατον συντόμως εἴπω, κοινῇ πάντων ἤρεσε κρίσει τὴν ἁγιωτάτην τοῦ πάσχα ἑορτὴν μιᾷ καὶ τῇ αὐτῇ ἡμέρᾳ συντελεῖσθαι. οὐδὲ γὰρ πρέπει ἐν τοσαύτῃ ἁγιότητι εἶναί τινα διαφοράν, καὶ κάλλιον ἕπεσθαι τῇ γνώμῃ ταύτῃ, ἐν ᾗ οὐδεμία ἔσται ἀλλοτρίας πλάνης καὶ ἁμαρτήματος ἐπιμιξία.  3.19.2  To briefely sum up these matters, it has been determined by the common consent of all that the most holy festival of Easter should be observed on one and the same day. For on the one hand a discrepancy of opinion on so sacred a question is not proper, and on the other it is surely best to adopt an option which has nothing to do with any strange errors, nor deviates from what is right.
3.20.1  Τούτων οὖν οὕτως ἐχόντων, ἀσμένως δέχεσθε τὴν τοῦ θεοῦ χάριν καὶ θείαν ὡς ἀληθῶς ἐντολήν· πᾶν γὰρ ὅτι δἂν ἐν τοῖς ἁγίοις τῶν ἐπισκόπων συνεδρίοις πράττηται, τοῦτο πρὸς τὴν θείαν βούλησιν ἔχει τὴν ἀναφοράν.3.20.1  Therefore receive with all willingness this heavenly gift and truly divine command. For whatever is decided in the holy assemblies of the bishops is to be regarded as indicative of the divine will.
3.20.2  διὸ πᾶσι τοῖς ἀπαγητοῖς ἡμῶν ἀδελφοῖς ἐμφανίσαντες τὰ προγεγραμμένα, ἤδη καὶ τὸν προειρημένον λόγον καὶ τὴν παρατήρησιν τῆς ἁγιωτάτης ἡμέρας ὑποδέχεσθαί τε καὶ διατάττειν ὀφείλετε, ἵνα ἐπειδὰν πρὸς τὴν πάλαι μοι ποθουμένην τῆς ὑμετέρας διαθέσεως ὄψιν ἀφίκωμαι, ἐν μιᾷ καὶ τῇ αὐτῇ ἡμέρᾳ τὴν ἁγίαν μεθ’ ὑμῶν ἑορτὴν ἐπιτελέσαι δυνηθῶ καὶ πάντων ἕνεκεν μεθ’ ὑμῶν εὐδοκήσω, συνορῶν τὴν διαβολικὴν ὠμότητα ὑπὸ τῆς θείας δυνάμεως διὰ τῶν ἡμετέρων πράξεων ἀνῃρημένην, ἀκμαζούσης πανταχοῦ τῆς ὑμετέρας πίστεως καὶ εἰρήνης καὶ ὁμονοίας.3.20.2  Therefore as soon as you have communicated what is written above to all our beloved brothers, you are bound from that time forward to adopt them for yourselves and to lead others to adopt the arrangement mentioned above, and the due observance of this most sacred day,. In this way, when I come into the presence of your love (which I have long desired to do), I will be able to celebrate the holy festival with you on the same day, and I may rejoice with you on all matters, as I see that the cruel power of Satan has been removed through divine power and through our efforts, while your faith, and peace, and concord are flourishing everywhere.
ὁ θεὸς ὑμᾶς διαφυλάξει, ἀδελφοὶ ἀγαπητοί.God preserve you, beloved brothers!

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