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Defence before Constantius
9.Athanasius could not write to one who did not even know him.
For myself, I am so surprised at the enormity of the thing, that I am quite uncertain what I ought to say in my defence. I can only declare, that I condemn myself to die ten thousand deaths, if even the least suspicion attaches to me in this matter. And to you, Sire, as a lover of the truth, I confidently make my appeal. I beseech you, as I said before, investigate this affair, and especially with the testimony of those who were once sent by him as ambassadors to you. These are the Bishops Sarvatius 1 and Maximus and the rest, with Clementius and Valens. Enquire of them, I beseech you, whether they brought letters to me. If they did, this would give me occasion to write to him. But if he did not write to me, if he did not even know me, how could I write to one with whom I had no acquaintance? Ask them whether, when I saw Clementius and his fellows, and spoke of your brother of blessed memory, I did not, in the language of Scripture, wet my garments with tears 2, when I remembered his kindness of disposition and his Christian spirit. Learn of them how anxious I was, on hearing of the cruelty of the beast, and finding that Valens and his company had come by way of Libya, lest he should attempt a passage also, and like a robber murder those who held in love and memory the departed Prince, among whom I account myself second to none.
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Sarbatius, or Servatius, and Maximus occur in the lists of Gallic subscriptions [supr.p. 127]. The former is supposed to be S. Servatius or Servatio of Tungri, concerning whom at Ariminum, vid. Sulp. Sev.Hist.ii. 59. vid. also Greg. Turon.Hist. Francii. 5. where however the Bened. Ed. prefers to read Aravatius, a Bishop, as he considers, of the fifth century. ↩
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Ps. vi. 6 . ↩
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Apologie de Saint Athanase à l'Empereur Constance
9.
Je suis ici en terre étrangère et ne sais ce qu’il faut dire pour mon apologie; seulement je me condamne moi-même à mille morts, si le moindre soupçon tombe sur moi. Mais devant toi, ô empereur ami de la vérité, je me justifie avec confiance. Je t’en supplie, comme je l’ai déjà dit, fais une enquête. Tu as d’excellents témoins, les ambassadeurs qu’autrefois t’envoya cet homme, les évêques Servatius et Maxime, et ceux qui les accompagnaient, Clément et Valens. Apprends, je t’en conjure, s’ils m’apportèrent des lettres qui eussent été un motif d’écrire à mon tour. Mais, s’il ne m’a pas écrit, s’il ne me connaissait pas, comment lui eussè-je écrit, moi qui ne le connaissais pas davantage? Demande si, à la vue de Clément, je ne rappelai point le prince d’heureuse mémoire; si, comme il est écrit, je ne mouillai point mes vêtements de larmes, pensant à cette âme si humaine et amie du Christ. Apprends comme, au récit de la cruauté du monstre, quand je voyais Valens s’avancer à travers la Libye, je tremblais qu’il ne tentât quelque coup d’audace et, comme un brigand, ne massacrât ceux qui conservaient l’amour et le souvenir du bienheureux: et, parmi eux, je prétends ne venir après personne.