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The Ecclesiastical History of Theodoret (CCEL)

Chapter XXIX. Consecration of the Church of Jerusalem. Banishment of St. Athanasius.

All the bishops who were present at the council of Tyre, with all others from every quarter, were commanded by the emperor to proceed to Ælia ¹ to consecrate the churches which he had there erected. The emperor despatched also a number of officials of the most kindly disposition, remarkable for piety and fidelity, whom he ordered to furnish abundant supplies of provisions, not only to the bishops and their followers, but to the vast multitudes who flocked from all parts to Jerusalem. The holy altar was decorated with imperial hangings and with golden vessels set with gems. When the splendid festival was concluded, each bishop returned to his own diocese. The emperor was highly gratified when informed of the splendour and magnificence of the function, and blessed the Author of all good for having thus granted his petition.

Athanasius having complained of his unjust condemnation, the emperor commanded the bishops against whom this complaint was directed to present themselves at court. Upon their arrival, they desisted from urging any of their former calumnies, because they knew how clearly they could be refuted; but they made it appear that Athanasius had threatened to prevent the exportation of corn. The emperor believed what they said, and banished him to a city of Gaul called Treves ². This occurred in the thirtieth year of the emperor’s reign ³.

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ΕΠΙΣΚΟΠΟΥ ΚΥΡΟΥ ΕΚΚΛΗΣΙΑΣΤΙΚΗΣ ΙΣΤΟΡΙΑΣ ΤΟΜΟΣ ΠΡΩΤΟΣ

κθʹ.

Ἐπιστολὴ τοῦ βασιλέως Κωνσταντίνου πρὸς τὴν σύνοδον.

« Κωνσταντῖνος Σεβαστὸς τῇ ἁγίᾳ συνόδῳ τῇ κατὰ Τύρον.

Ἦν μὲν ἴσως ἀκόλουθον καὶ τῇ τῶν καιρῶν εὐκαιρίᾳ μάλιστα πρέπον ἀστασίαστον εἶναι τὴν καθολικὴν ἐκκλησίαν καὶ πάσης λοιδορίας τοὺς τοῦ Χριστοῦ νῦν ἀπηλλάχθαι θεράποντας. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ οὐχ ὑγιοῦς φιλονεικίας οἴστρῳ τινὲς ἐλαυνόμενοι (οὐ γὰρ ἂν εἴποιμι βιοῦντες ἑαυτῶν ἀναξίως) τὰ πάντα συγχέειν ἐπιχειροῦσιν, ὅπερ πάσης συμφορᾶς ἐπέκεινα κεχωρηκέναι μοι δοκεῖ, τούτου χάριν ἀδελφοὺς ἰατρεῦσαι κινδυνεύοντας, εἰς ὁμόνοιαν ἐπαναγαγεῖν τὰ διεστῶτα τῶν μελῶν, διορθώσασθαι τὰ πλημμελούμενα ὡς καιρὸς ἐπιτρέπει, ἵνα ταῖς τοσαύταις ἐπαρχίαις τὴν πρέπουσαν ἀποδῶτε συμφωνίαν, ἥν, φεῦ τῆς ἀτοπίας, ἐλαχίστων ἀνθρώπων ἀπώλεσεν ὑπεροψία.

Ὅτι δὲ τοῦτο καὶ τῷ δεσπότῃ τῶν ὅλων θεῷ ἐστιν ἀρεστόν, καὶ ἡμῖν πάσης εὐχῆς ὑπέρτερον, καὶ ὑμῖν αὐτοῖς, ἐάν γε τὴν εἰρήνην ἀνακαλέσησθε, οὐ τῆς τυχούσης ἄξιον εὐδοξίας, πάντας ἀνθρώπους συνομολογεῖν ἡγοῦμαι. Μὴ τοίνυν μέλλετε λοιπόν, ἀλλ´ ἐπιτείναντες ἐντεῦθεν ἤδη τὰ τῆς προθυμίας, τοῖς προκειμένοις ὅρον ἐπιθεῖναι σπουδάσατε τὸν προσήκοντα, μετὰ πάσης εἰλικρινείας δηλαδὴ καὶ πίστεως συνελθόντες, ἣν ἑκασταχοῦ μόνον οὐχὶ φωνὴν ἀφιεὶς ὁ σωτὴρ ἐκεῖνος ᾧ λατρεύομεν ἀπαιτεῖ μάλιστα παρ´ ἡμῶν. Οὐδὲν δὲ τῶν εἰς τὴν ἐμὴν εὐλάβειαν ἡκόντων ἐνδεήσει. Πάντα μοι πέπρακται ὅσα γράφοντες ἐδηλώσατε. Ἀπέστειλα πρὸς οὓς ἐβουλήθητε τῶν ἐπισκόπων, ἵνα παραγενόμενοι κοινωνήσωσιν ὑμῖν τῶν φροντισμάτων· ἀπέστειλα Διονύσιον τὸν ἀπὸ ὑπατικῶν, ὃς καὶ τοὺς ὀφείλοντας εἰς τὴν σύνοδον ἀφικέσθαι μεθ´ ὑμῶν ὑπομνήσει, καὶ τῶν πραττομένων ἐξαιρέτως δὲ τῆς εὐταξίας κατάσκοπος παρέσται. Ἐὰν γάρ τις, ὡς ἔγωγε οὐκ οἴομαι, τὴν ἡμετέραν κέλευσιν καὶ νῦν διακρούσασθαι πειρώμενος μὴ βουληθῇ παραγενέσθαι, ἐντεῦθεν παρ´ ἡμῶν ἀποσταλήσεται ὃς ἐκ βασιλικοῦ προστάγματος αὐτὸν ἐκβάλλων, ὡς οὐ προσῆκεν ὅροις αὐτοκράτορος ὑπὲρ τῆς ἀληθείας ἐξενεχθεῖσιν ἀντιτείνειν διδάξει. Λοιπὸν ἔσται τῆς ὑμετέρας ὁσιότητος ἔργον ὁμογνώμονι κρίσει, μήτε πρὸς ἀπέχθειαν μήτε πρὸς χάριν, ἀκολούθως δὲ τῷ ἐκκλησιαστικῷ καὶ ἀποστολικῷ κανόνι, τοῖς πλημμεληθεῖσιν εἴτ´ οὖν κατὰ σφάλμα συμβεβηκόσι τὴν ἁρμόττουσαν θεραπείαν ἐπινοῆσαι, ἵνα καὶ πάσης βλασφημίας ἐλευθερώσητε τὴν ἐκκλησίαν καὶ τὰς ἐμὰς ἐπικουφίσητε φροντίδας καὶ τὴν τῆς εἰρήνης χάριν τοῖς νῦν στασιαζομένοις ἀποδόντες μεγίστην εὔκλειαν ὑμῖν αὐτοῖς προξενήσητε. Ὁ θεὸς ὑμᾶς διαφυλάττοι, ἀδελφοὶ ἀγαπητοί. »

Οὕτω δὴ τῶν ἐπισκόπων εἰς τὴν Τύρον συναλισθέντων, ἀφίκοντο μὲν καὶ ἄλλοι τινὲς δογμάτων διαφθορὰν ἐγκαλούμενοι, ὧν εἷς ἦν καὶ Ἀσκληπᾶς ὁ Γαζαῖος· ἀφίκετο δὲ καὶ ὁ θαυμάσιος Ἀθανάσιος. Βούλομαι δὲ πρῶτον τὴν τῆς κατηγορίας διηγήσασθαι τραγῳδίαν, εἶθ´ οὕτως συγγράψαι τὰ κατὰ τὸ πολυθρύλητον δικαστήριον.