A Anglican codex number 6 has Pistus, not Gregory, in the same way we shall say below that Nannius read. But if Pistus is read in this place, all agree that Gregory elsewhere must be read: for in the same number Pistus is called the predecessor of him to whom this history pertains, and no one is unaware that Pistus was held by the Arians to be the predecessor of Gregory. 3. The bishop of whom we are treating here is said to have invaded the Alexandrian see with Philagrius, the prefect of Egypt, assisting: this rightly applies to Gregory, but not to George, who occupied the Alexandrian see by the aid of Cataphronius, the prefect of Egypt. 4. The bishop whom this Epistle concerns was ordained for the reason that all the prelates of the Churches had condemned his predecessor and had deposed him from his episcopate. But, I ask, how can you refer this to George, who was ordained by the Arians only seven years after the death of his predecessor, Gregory? 5. Athanasius, while reviewing the calamities brought upon him by the Eusebians, makes mention only of his exile into Gaul; yet why would he have been silent about that more severe and longer exile by which he was afflicted for about eight years before the intrusion of George, at the instigation of these same Eusebians? 6. Between those things which are recounted below in the Apology (no. 30) by the Roman pontiff, Julius, concerning the entry of Gregory into Alexandria, and those which Athanasius reviews in the present Epistle, there exists such a great similarity that no one can deny that the intrusion of Gregory is recounted here. Behold the words of Julius: *«Καθὼς οἱ ἐπίσκοποι ἔγραψαν, ἡ ἐκκλησία ἐμπρησμὸν ὑπέμεινε, παρθένοι ἐγυμνώθησαν, μονάζοντες κατεπατήθησαν, πρεσβύτεροι καὶ πολλοὶ τοῦ λαοῦ ᾐκίσθησαν.»* As the bishops wrote, the church suffered a conflagration, virgins were stripped, monks were trampled, presbyters and many of the people were lacerated with blows. Things most similar to these are read in this epistle, no. 3: *«Ἡ μὲν ἐκκλησία καὶ τὸ ἅγιον βαπτιστήριον πυρπολεῖται..... παρθένοι ἅγιαι καὶ ἁμίαντοι ἐγυμνοῦντο..... μονάζοντες κατεπατοῦντο καὶ ἀπέθνησκον.»* The church and sacred baptistery are set on fire..... holy and immaculate virgins were stripped..... monks were trampled and expired. And no. 4: *«πρεσβύτεροι καὶ λαϊκοὶ ᾐκίσθησαν,»* presbyters and laity were lacerated with blows. On both sides you see the church burned, on both sides the stripping of virgins, the monks trampled, the presbyters and laity mangled by blows, so that you cannot doubt that the same entry is narrated in both. Yet I do not deny that some things similar to these occurred at the entry of George; but nothing is read in his intrusion about a burned church or about monks being trampled. Finally, the bishop who is the subject of this discussion was sent by Eusebius and his associates; since Eusebius passed from this life fourteen years before the intrusion of George, how could he have sent him? Moreover, the phrase *«οἱ περὶ Εὐσέβιον,»* which occurs throughout this epistle, always signifies Eusebius, sometimes alone, but more often with his followers. For the followers of Eusebius, who was already dead, are never called *«οἱ περὶ Εὐσέβιον»* by Athanasius; but *«κοινωνοὶ τῶν περὶ Εὐσέβιον,»* Eusebius's associates, as below in the Apology, or *«κληρονόμοι τῆς ἀσεβείας τοῦ Εὐσεβίου,»* the heirs of the impiety of Eusebius, as [he is called] often in the Epist. ad solitarios. But why say more? If it pleases anyone to search further into a matter otherwise sufficiently explored, let him compare the history of George's entry into Alexandria with this epistle, and he will find that they disagree with each other in many other important matters. Let these things be said about the genuine context of this epistle.
III. But some things remain to be investigated. Namely, whether Gregory was sent by the whole Council of Antioch, or only by the Eusebians remaining there after the council was dissolved, which we shall examine more conveniently in the book on the councils. Whether Athanasius travelled to Rome twice after his return from Gaul, and whether a double council was celebrated by Julius of Rome for the cause of Athanasius, both of which will come to be investigated in the following Monition to the Apology.
ENCYCLICAL LETTER
Beati Athanasii episcopi Alexandriae.
Ad omnes ubique comministros, dominos dilectos, Athanasius in Domino salutem.1. Usque adeo atrocia et intoleranda sunt quæ sustinuimus mala, ut pro rei gravitate enarrari nequeant. Ut autem rerum in nos gestarum indignitas citius dignoscatur, operæ pretium duxi historiam ex Scripturis petitam recitare. Vir olim levita,
A having suffered the injury of the crime committed against his wife, and weighing with himself the atrocity of the deed (for the woman was a Hebrew, and belonged to the tribe of Judah), [Judic. XIX] struck with the gravity of such a crime, as the divine Scripture of the Judges declares, cut the woman into pieces and sent them to all the tribes of Israel, that they might consider the injury not as peculiar to him, but as common to all; and that, if they sympathized, they might take vengeance; but if they neglected it, they might be put to shame as if they themselves were the authors of such a crime. The messengers, therefore, recounted what had happened. But they, having heard and seen these things, said that such things had never occurred since the day the children of Israel went up from Egypt. Therefore, the whole tribe of Israel was stirred up, B and all, as though the injury had been inflicted upon each one of them, gathered together against the authors of such a flagrant crime; and finally, the wicked were overcome in war and became an abomination to all. For those who had gathered did not look to kinship, but to the crime that had been committed. You know the history, brothers, and what is accurately set forth concerning it in the Scriptures; for I do not wish to pursue it at greater length, writing to those who know it, and being constrained to signify to your piety things much graver than those which are now taking place. For I have remembered this history so that, comparing what was done then with present events, and knowing that these have surpassed the cruelty of those, you may be more indignant than they were against those who then committed such lawless deeds. For indeed, the bitter persecutions that have happened against us C have far exceeded them; and the calamity of the Levite is small compared to the things that have now been dared against the Church; and, what is more, these things have never been heard of in the world, nor has anyone experienced such evils. For then a single woman was the one wronged, and one Levite was the one who suffered violence; but now the whole Church has been wronged, and the priesthood has been insulted, and what is greater, piety is persecuted by impiety. And then each tribe, seeing the parts of one woman, was struck with awe; but now the members of the whole Church are seen torn apart, and some being sent to you, and others to others, reporting the insult and the injury which they have suffered. Move yourselves, therefore, I beseech you, not as if we alone were injured, D but as if you yourselves were injured, and let each one bring aid as if he himself had suffered, so that in a short time the ecclesiastical canons and the faith of the Church may not be corrupted. For both are in danger if God does not speedily reform through you the things that have been transgressed, and if vengeance—
A should fall upon such things. For it is not now that canons and statutes were given to the Churches, but they were rightly and securely delivered to us from our Fathers; nor did this faith begin now, but it has come down to us from the Lord through the disciples. In order, therefore, that what has been preserved in the Churches from ancient times until our day should not perish, and that we should not be held to account for what has been entrusted to us, be stirred up, brethren, as those who are stewards of the mysteries of God, seeing as you do these things being snatched away by others. You will indeed hear more from the letter-bearers, but I have hastened to signify these things shortly, so that you may truly know that never have such things happened against the Church from the day the Savior, having been taken up, commanded the disciples, saying: Go, B teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit*.
2. The wicked deeds committed against us and against the Church have happened in this way. When we were assembling according to our custom in peace, and the people were rejoicing in the gatherings and progressing in the life according to God, and our fellow-ministers throughout Egypt, the Thebaid, and Libya were maintaining love and peace toward one another and toward us, suddenly the prefect of Egypt publicly posted letters, in the form of an edict, by which he declared that a certain Gregory from Cappadocia had been brought from the comitatus as my successor. When these things were heard, everyone was dismayed: for that was new and unheard of until now. But the C people gathered all the more into the churches, because they kept reflecting that neither they, nor a bishop, nor a presbyter, nor anyone at all had ever made a complaint against us. And they saw only the Arians with him, and they recognized that he himself was an Arian, sent to the Arians by Eusebius and his associates. For you know, brethren, that the partisans of Eusebius have always been the patrons and associates of the impious heresy of the Ariomanites, and through them have always plotted against us, and were even the authors of our exile to the Gauls. This was the reason why the people, rightfully indignant, protested with a loud cry to the other judges and to the whole city, that since no accusation had been made by those in the Church, but the heretical Arians themselves were contriving this against us, so new and unjust a thing was being perpetrated against the D Church. For if there were any charge at all against us that held weight, it would have been fitting that neither an Arian, nor a man of the Arian persuasion, should be ordained.
but rather, according to the ecclesiastical canons and the word of Paul, that all things should be examined and carried out canonically, with the gathering of the people and the spirit of those ordaining, and the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, in the presence of the people and the clergy who requested him. It did not befit him, having been brought from another region by the Arians, to intrude himself—as if the name of bishop were something to be bought—upon those who did not seek him, did not want him, and were entirely ignorant of what was taking place, and to do so by the patronage and force of secular judges. A For that is a true abrogation of the ecclesiastical canons, and it leads the pagans to blaspheme and to suspect that ordinations are made not according to divine law, but through huckstering and political patronage.
3. That admirable ordination of Gregory, therefore, was done by B the Arians, and this was its beginning. As for his entry into Alexandria, and what a cause of how many and what great evils it was, it is possible for you to inquire and learn from our letters, and from those who set out to travel to you. As the people were indignant, and for that reason had gathered in the churches because of such an innovation, so that the impiety of the Arians might not be mixed with the faith of the Church, Philagrius—who had long ago wronged the Church and its virgins, and who now happened to be the prefect of Egypt, having become a renegade, C a fellow-countryman of Gregory, a man not at all of reputable character, but having as his patrons those around Eusebius, and for this reason busily working against the Church—persuades the pagan crowds, as well as the Jews and other petulant men, with promises which he later fulfilled, and incites them, and suddenly lets them loose with swords and clubs against the people in the churches.
What came to pass from these things is no longer easy to describe; for it is neither possible to recount them worthily, nor could anyone mention even a small part of them without tears and lamentations. For what tragedy among the ancients is like this? Or what such thing has ever happened in persecution and war? For the church and the holy baptistery are set on fire; and immediately there was wailing, and cries of distress, and lamentation throughout the city, as the citizens indignantly bore these outrages and cried out against the leader, D protesting the violence being inflicted upon them. For holy and undefiled virgins were stripped and made to suffer abominable things; if they resisted,
they were in danger; monks were trampled underfoot and perished; some were put to the disc, others slain with swords and clubs, and others were wounded and beaten. And what B impiety and lawlessness took place upon the holy table! They offered birds and pinecones in sacrifice, glorifying their own idols while reviling our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, the Son of the living God, within those very churches, and burning the divine books of the Scriptures that they found in the church. And into the holy baptistery—oh, the audacity!—the Christ-killing Jews and the godless heathens entered without restraint, committing such shameful acts and speaking, while exposing themselves, words so obscene that it is shameful even to repeat them. And certain impious men, imitating the bitterness of persecutions, seized the hands B of virgins and continent women, dragging them along, and by force compelled them to blaspheme and deny the Lord; and those who refused to deny Him they beat and trampled underfoot.
4. In addition to these things, the wonderous and illustrious arrival of the Arian Gregory, who rejoiced in such evils, as if providing a prize and reward for such an unlawful victory to the heathens and the Jews, and to those who had committed such outrages against us, delivered the church over to them as plunder. And with such lawlessness and disorder being permitted, what was done thereafter was worse than war and crueler than brigandage. For some would plunder whatever they came across; others would divide up the deposits of certain people; they would drink up, pour out, or carry off the large quantity of wine stored there; they would seize the oil kept in store; they would carry off the doors and the chancel screens as spoils of war, each taking what he could; they would place the lamps directly onto the wall, and they would light the church’s candles for the idols; and, in a word, there was pillage and death in the church. Nor did the impious Arians feel any shame as these things were happening; nay, they added even worse and crueler deeds: for presbyters and laity were lacerated with scourges, virgins were stripped of their head-veils, dragged to the tribunal of the leader, and cast into prison; others were proscribed.
A Others were confiscated or scourged; the bread of the ministers and of the virgins was withheld. These things took place during that very holy Quadragesima near the time of Pascha, at which time the brethren were indeed fasting, but that illustrious Gregory, having assumed the ways of Caiaphas, along with Pilate the leader, raged against those who were pious worshippers of Christ. On Preparation Day, entering into one of the churches with the leader and the crowds of Gentiles, when he saw the peoples aversion to his violent entry, he provided himself as the author of such cruelty to the leader that within one hour he commanded that thirty-four persons—virgins and married women, as well as noble men—be publicly scourged and cast into prison. Among them, he commanded that a certain virgin who was studious of reading and still held the psalter in her hands be publicly scourged; and her book was snatched away by the executioners, and the virgin herself was shut up in prison. B
5. After these things were accomplished, they did not rest; but took counsel to perpetrate in another church, where I had been accustomed to dwell most of all during those days, the same things they had previously done. They were eager to extend their madness to this church also, so that they might capture me as if hunting and kill me. This would surely have befallen me, had not the grace of Christ brought aid, so that I could barely escape and at least record these few things. For when I observed that they were seized with such great fury, fearing that the church might be harmed, and that the virgins who were there might suffer indignities, C and that slaughters might be committed again, and that the people might again be treated with contumely, I withdrew myself from the people, mindful of the Savior’s words saying: "If they persecute you in this city, flee into another." For I knew from those evils which they had committed in the other church that they would omit no wickedness in this church: for they did not hold even the Lord’s Day of the holy festival in any reverence, but had cast the people of that church into prison; and at the time when the Lord delivered all from the bonds of death, Gregory and those with him, as if having undertaken war against the Savior, and relying on the patronage of the leader, turned that day of freedom for the servants of Christ into mourning. For the Gentiles indeed, who D
* Matt. x, 23.
were gladdened by the humiliation of that day, Gregorios, perhaps fulfilling the commands of Eusebios and his faction, forced the Christians to mourn through the affliction of their chains. By this violence, therefore, the leader seized the churches, and having seized them, handed them over to Gregorios and the Ariomanites. And those who had been excommunicated by us because of their impiety now boast of the seizure of the churches; but the people of God and the clergy of the Catholic Church are forced either to participate in the impiety of the Arian heretics or to be barred from entering the churches. For Gregorios inflicted no small amount of violence and necessity even upon the shipmasters and others sailing the sea, by means of the leader, torturing and scourging them, and arresting others and throwing them into prison, so that they would not only not oppose his lawlessness, but would even receive letters from him. And, not content with these things, but even gorging himself on our blood, he has caused his most brutal accomplice, the leader, to write a decree in the name of the people against me to the most pious Emperor Constantius, B containing hateful slanders, from which it is not only impossible to flee, but rather one must expect thousands of deaths. And the one who wrote the decree is a renegade from the Christians, and one who shamelessly worships idols; and those who signed it are Gentiles and temple-wardens of idols, and the Arians with them. And not to be long in my writing, there is persecution here—a persecution such as has never happened against the Church. For in the previous persecution, at least anyone who fled could pray, and anyone who was in hiding could be baptized; but now the immense cruelty has even mimicked the impiety of the Babylonians. For just as those former men acted against Daniel, so too does the wonderful Gregorios now denounce to the leader those praying at home, and guards the ministers with all manner of insult, so that C because of such great violence many are in danger of dying unbaptized, and many are sick and lamenting without anyone to visit them, deeming such a disaster more bitter than the sickness itself. For as the ministers of the Church are being persecuted, the people, condemning the impiety of the Arian heretics, prefer to be sick and in danger in this way rather than to have the hand of the Arians placed upon their heads.
6. Gregorios, therefore, is an Arian and was sent to the Arians; for no one else requested him except them alone: and for this reason, as a hireling and as D an alien, he...
works grievous and bitter things against the people of the Catholic Church, as though they were not his own, through the operation of the leader. A For since those around Eusebius had long ago appointed that Pistus to the Arians—after we had written regarding him, all you bishops of the Catholic Church knew well that for his impiety 47 you quite rightly anathematized and deposed him; for this reason they have now sent this same Gregorios to the Arians 48. Then, so that they might not suffer shame a second time, as we wrote again against them, they used external force against us, so that, by seizing the churches, they might seem to escape 49 the suspicion of Arianism. But they were deceived even in this; for no man of the Church is with them, except only the heretics, and those who have been cast out for their crimes, and as many as pretend [to be with them] because of the necessity imposed by the leader. This is the drama of those around Eusebius: these B things those around Eusebius had long ago meditated and conspired to do; but now they have even had the power to execute them through the calumnies with which they slandered 50 us to the Emperor. Indeed, they do not even now remain quiet, but they still seek to kill us, and they show themselves terrible to our acquaintances, so that 51 all flee and expect death from them. But you ought not, for these reasons, to fear their malice, but rather to take vengeance, and to be indignant at those who have made such innovations against us. For if, when one member suffers, all the members suffer with it, and according to the blessed Apostle, one ought to weep with those who weep, C when such a great Church is suffering, let each one, as if he himself were suffering, avenge the deed. For common is the Savior whom they revile, and universal are the canons 52 which are being violated by them. For if, while you were sitting in the church and the people were gathered together without any cause for complaint, someone were suddenly to arrive by decree as a successor to one of you, and such things had happened against you, would you not be indignant? Would you not seek 53 to be avenged? For this reason, it is just for you to be indignant, so that, if these things are passed over in silence, such evil may not gradually spread to every Church, and finally our school be turned into a marketplace D and a forum.
7. You know the things concerning the Arians, brethren [sæpe enim eorum impietatem et singuli pri...] (for you know their impiety often, individually and...)
A publicly, you have condemned), nor are you ignorant, as I said above, of Eusebius and his associates, who are of the same heresy as they, for the sake of which they long ago plotted against us. I have made known to you the things that have now been done by them and because of them—things truly more bitter than wars—so that, having taken up a zeal for hating evil according to the history recounted at the beginning, you may remove those who have wrought such wicked deeds against the Church. For if, last year, our brethren who are in Rome, though these things had not yet happened, wrote that a synod should be held on account of the former matters, in order that those crimes also might be punished—which Eusebius and his associates, fearing, anticipated by disturbing the Church and seeking to destroy us, so that they might thereafter act with impunity in whatever they wish, having no one to rebuke them—how much more ought you to be indignant at such great crimes and condemn them, in proportion as they have added these fresh deeds to the former ones? I beseech you, do not overlook such great matters, nor permit the renowned Church of the Alexandrians to be trampled underfoot by heretics. For this reason, the people and the ministers B rightfully keep to themselves, silent indeed for fear of the prefect, yet cursing the impiety of the Ariomanites. If, therefore, Gregory, or anyone else on his behalf, should write to you, do not receive his letters, brethren, but tear them up and put the bearers to shame as ministers of impiety and malice. Even if he should dare to write in a peaceful manner, do not receive those either; for those who receive and bring them do so out of fear of the ruler, because of his many acts of violence. Since, however, it is likely that the followers of Eusebius will also write to you in his favor, for this reason I have been eager to warn you beforehand, that, imitating God who is no respecter of persons, you may expel those sent by them. For at this time, on account of the Ariomanites, they have caused persecutions, the ravishing of virgins, murders, the desolation of churches, arson, and blasphemies to be committed within the churches by heathens and Jews. Nor will that impious and maddened Gregory be able to deny that he is an Arian, C since the man who signs his letters provides evidence to the contrary. For this Ammon, who signs them, was long ago cast out of the Church by the blessed Alexander, the bishop before me, for many crimes and for impiety. Therefore, I ask that you write back to us on all these matters and condemn the impious, so that the ministers here and the people, seeing your orthodoxy and your hatred of evil, may rejoice in your unanimous faith in Christ, and so that those who have acted so lawlessly against the Church may…
those who are the authors of these crimes against the Church may be recalled by your letters to a better way of life, or at least finally repent, even if late. Salutation to the brotherhood that is among you. All the brethren who are with me salute you. May the Lord keep you safe and mindful of us, O truly most desired masters.
ADMONITION ON THE APOLOGY AGAINST THE ARIANS
I. The *Apology against the Arians*, which, because it embraces most of the documents, is called by some more recent writers the *Collection of Documents*, is inscribed in all editions and manuscripts as the *Second Apology*, because it is placed after the *Apology for his Flight*; although it is certain that it was written before the other apologies of Athanasius. For we shall state in its proper place that the *Apology to Constantius* and the *Apology for his Flight* belong to the year 356. But the *Apology against the Arians* could not have been written long after Athanasius’s return from his second exile, which took place in the year 349. For it is clear from several passages of this *Apology*, and especially from the very beginning, that it was published before Ursacius and Valens—who had deserted the Arian party and confessed their calumny against Athanasius—fell back into impiety and joined themselves again to the Arians against Athanasius, which, as will be demonstrated elsewhere, happened later, in the year 352. To this is added the testimony of Athanasius himself in number 59 of this *Apology*, where, speaking of his last exile, he says ἃ νῦν πέπονθα, "what I have now suffered," by which he indicates that he wrote this *Apology* shortly after his return. And nothing in our opinion is contradicted by the passages found toward the end concerning the exile of Liberius and Hosius, for we shall prove there that these things were added long after the *Apology* was written.
II. This was the cause of its being written. Athanasius, having been restored to his country and his Church by the decree of the Synod of Sardica and by the order of the emperors Constans and Constantius, when he discovered that those accusations—so long bruited about and so often refuted—concerning the murder of Arsenius, the broken cup, and the overturned table, etc., were being spread abroad again by the Arians, who were even attempting to bring these same matters to judgment again, published an *Apology* in which he collected into one place various documents and letters written on this matter, thinking that nothing would contribute as much to his own vindication as the sincerity of his cause appearing from the acts of the events themselves. Of these documents, there are two parts, arranged by Athanasius himself in reverse order. The first contains synodical letters and others written on Athanasius’s cause, from the year 340 to the year 350, the common argument of which is the refutation of the calumnies constructed against Athanasius by the Eusebians at the Synod of Tyre, in Mareotis, and elsewhere. The second part comprises the history of Meletius and the things carried out by Ischyras, Arsenius, and the Eusebians against Athanasius, and at the same time the documents of these same events from the year 300 to 338. Some things must be discussed concerning the documents collected in each part.
III. In the first part, there first occurs the encyclical letter of the Alexandrian synod sent to all bishops and to Pope Julius, by which Athanasius is vindicated from the calumnies of the Eusebians. For the heretics accused him of having been the author of many slaughters after his return from the Gauls, of having invaded the Alexandrian episcopate and having been ordained clandestinely, and of having diverted to his own profit grain destined for the sustenance of widows. The Egyptian bishops refute all these accusations, as well as the old ones concerning the murder of Arsenius, etc., with most powerful arguments, and at the same time they briefly touch upon the ordination of Pistus, whom the Arians had made bishop. This was the reason for convening this synod; but the year in which it was celebrated and this letter written is not agreed upon among authors; for some refer it to the year 339, but others to 340, to whom we more readily assent. For it is certain from the letter of Julius himself that the legates of Athanasius and the Alexandrian synod set out for Rome in that very year 340, and having met with the Eusebians, requested a synod together with them: which Athanasius explicitly testifies in the preceding encyclical letter, written in the year 341; for he says πέρυσι, that is, "last year," the brethren requested a synod at Rome. Furthermore, it is entirely likely that the synod and its legation fall in the same year. This opinion, which is otherwise most probable, will be beyond doubt if credit is given to Socrates, who refers the intrusion of Eusebius into the see of Constantinople to the year 340, following of course the death of Constantine the younger. Since this letter mentions that invasion of Eusebius, it will be evident that it was not written before the year 340.