A The Arians said: We entreat you, if you wish for anyone other than Athanasius. The Emperor said: I told you that the matters concerning Athanasius have already been decided; and being angered, he said: Strike, strike. The Arians said: We entreat you, if you send Athanasius, our city will be ruined, and no one will assemble with him. The Emperor said: Although I have inquired diligently, I know that he thinks rightly, and is orthodox, and teaches well. The Arians said: By his mouth he speaks well, but in his soul he thinks deceitfully. The Emperor said: This is sufficient, that you have testified concerning him that he speaks well and teaches well. But if with his tongue he teaches and speaks well, but in his soul thinks wickedly, that is a matter between him and God; for being men, we hear the word, but God knows the hearts. The Arians said: Order us to hold assemblies. The Emperor said: Who prevents you? The Arians said: We entreat you, he declares us to be heretics and dogmatists. The Emperor said: That is his duty, and the duty of those who teach correctly. The Arians said: We entreat your majesty; we cannot bear this man, and he has taken away the estates of the churches. The Emperor said: Have you come here for the sake of money, then, and not for the sake of the faith? And again he said: Depart, and be at peace. Furthermore, he added to the Arians: Go to the church; tomorrow is your assembly. And after the dismissal, the bishops are here, and Nemesinus is here; each of you shall subscribe according to what he believes. Athanasius is also here. Whoever does not know the word of faith, let him learn it from Athanasius. You have tomorrow and the day after. For I am going out into the field. B
A certain scholastic from among the Cynics approached the Emperor. I entreat your majesty, on the pretext of Athanasius the bishop, the catholic took my houses. The Emperor said: If the catholic took your houses, what is that to Athanasius? Another scholastic, Patalas, said: I have an accusation against Athanasius. The Emperor said: And what have you to do with Christians, since you are a pagan?
Some of the multitude of the Antiochians seized Lucius and brought him to the Emperor, saying: We entreat your power and your majesty, see whom they wished to make bishop.
Another petition made to Lucius at the palace gate.
I entreat your power, hear me. The Emperor halted and said: To you yourself, Lucius, I say: how did you come here, by ship or on foot? Lucius said: I entreat you, by ship. The Emperor said: I say to you, C
A Lucius, may the God of the universe and the sun 16 and the moon be angered at those very people who sail with you, because they did not throw you into the sea; and may that ship never enjoy favorable winds for all time, nor, when tossed by the waves, may it reach port with the sailors. 17
And through Euzoius, Probatio and his companions, the successors of Eusebius and Bardion, as well as the eunuchs, petitioned B that the unbelieving Arians might receive a recommendation. When the Emperor learned of this, he applied torture to the eunuchs and said: "Let anyone who wishes to denounce Christians suffer this." And thus the Emperor dismissed them.
PREFATORY NOTE ON THE LIFE OF ANTONY
I. We believe that the Life of Antony, an outstanding work of Athanasius, was published not long after the times of Jovian, around the year 365, when the persecution had been settled and the invincible defender of the faith was finally living in peace at Alexandria. He wrote it at the request of monks beyond the sea—and, as it truly seems, Westerners—as he himself testifies at the beginning. Furthermore, we do not agree with those who think that, because it is inscribed "To the monks in a foreign land" (πρὸς τοὺς ἐν τῇ ξένῃ μοναχούς), it was sent to the monks of a certain monastery named Xene, or of a region of that name near Scetis; how they could consider this "beyond the sea" we do not know. For here, in every way, it must be understood as "in a foreign land," just as above, p. 99, C μετὰ τὴν ἐπὶ ξένης, ἀντὶ τῆς οἰκείας, καὶ ποῤῥοτάτω διατριβήν, after his time abroad, that is, once he had left his fatherland and was living in a foreign region (in Gaul). And on p. 136, "For you too have been a consolation to him in his stay abroad" (Καὶ γὰρ τῆς ἐπὶ ξένης αὐτοῦ διατριβῆς ὑμεῖς παραμυθία γεγόνατε) — for you were a consolation to him while he was dwelling in a foreign region (in Italy). And from these places perhaps one might suspect that the name "foreign land" sometimes indicates specifically Western regions, both because they were far removed and beyond the sea, and also because a different language prevailed there. Certainly, it must have been sent to Italy in Greek, since Evagrius translated it into Latin there, as we say below; nor is it surprising that it was sent written in Greek to the Latins, where many at that time understood Greek. Certainly, Athanasius seems to have Occidentals in view when he congratulates them on the propagation of monasteries and monks: "For now, even among you, monasteries are being established and the name of monks is esteemed" (Καὶ γὰρ καὶ παρ' ὑμῖν λοιπὸν μοναστήρια, καὶ τὸ τῶν μοναχῶν ὄνομα πολιτεύεται). For among you, too, are there now finally monasteries, and the name of monks is celebrated. Which could hardly be said to be referring to Syrians, Cilicians, or other transmarine peoples more than to Westerners. We leave our conjecture, however, to the judgment of the prudent reader.
II. This was first published in Greek in the year 1611, at the care of David Hoeschel of Augsburg, who rendered it into Latin and illustrated it with notes, from which the Parisian editors borrowed it. But since the codices Hoeschel used were sprinkled with nearly infinite errors and were sometimes mutilated, he published it quite imperfectly; had he consulted the version of Evagrius, he could have restored many places and purged them thoroughly. We have certainly been able, through the abundance and excellence of manuscripts, to publish it unblemished. We have also judged the version of Evagrius to be printed alongside it, which, being nearly contemporary with the Greek of Athanasius, is of great importance for restoring and asserting the Greek text. We have attempted to restore that version as well to its pristine fidelity with the help of manuscripts—and very ancient ones at that—as well as ancient editions. It was published near the very beginnings of printing by Mombritius, and then inserted into almost all collections of the Lives of the saints that were printed, and finally published more accurately by Rosweyde, and later by Bollandus.
III. Moreover, there is no reason to doubt that the work is a genuine product of Athanasius, nor would there be cause for us to dwell too long on proving it, were it not necessary to resist the attempts of innovators who contend and fight to strip this egregious work from Athanasius; indeed, they bring forth grave curses against its author, calling him a man of no sense, the author of notable lies and notable fornication. Naturally, it is much easier for them to fight with insults than with arguments. The missiles they have hurled thus far are utterly futile, and although they have long since been shattered and long since crushed, they do not cease to hurl them anew day after day. It will not be burdensome to repel these again, when we shall have brought forward the testimonies of the ancient Fathers. D
IV. And so that the beginning may be drawn from Athanasius himself, the holy doctor says below: "When he was leaving, and we escorted him..."