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the emperor, since, as the religion had recently begun to grow,1.16.2 the disagreement of the doctrines was deterring many from becoming Christians. And for this reason he was clearly holding both Arius and Alexander at fault. And writing to them he reproached them, that they had brought out into the open this question which could have remained hidden, and with excessive eagerness for the opposition had contentiously stirred it up, things which it was necessary neither to investigate in the first place, nor to consider, and having considered them, to consign to silence, it being possible not to be separated from one another, even if they differ concerning some part of the doc1.16.3 trine. For concerning divine providence it is necessary to hold one and the same faith; but the minute discussions concerning such questions, even if they do not agree on one opinion, it is fitting to keep secret in the mind. And he commanded them to refrain from idle talk about these things and to be of one mind; for he was not moderately distressed, and for this reason, though eager to see the cities in the east, he held back. 1.16.4 To Alexander, therefore, and to Arius, partly blaming and partly advising, he wrote such things. And he was greatly displeased to learn that some, contrary to all, were celebrating the feast of Easter. For at that time in the cities towards the east, some who disagreed about this did not abstain from communion with one another, but celebrated the feast in a more Jewish manner, and as was likely, by the discord concerning this, they were damaging the splendor 1.16.5 of the festival. On both accounts therefore he was eager for the church to be free from dissension; and thinking he could anticipate the evil before it spread further, he sent a man from his circle, distinguished in faith and life and well-regarded in former times for his confessions for the sake of the faith, to reconcile those in Egypt who were in dissension because of the doctrine and those in the east who were in disagreement about the festival; and this man was Hosius, the bishop of Cordova. 1.17.1 But since the matter proceeded contrary to expectations and the strife was too strong for reconciliation, and he who had been sent to award peace returned unsuccessful, he convened a synod at Nicaea in Bithynia and wrote to the leaders of the churches everywhere 1.17.2 to be present on a stated day. And there participated in this assembly, from the apostolic thrones, Macarius of Jerusalem and Eustathius who had already been entrusted with the church of Antioch on the Orontes and Alexander of Alexandria by Lake Mareotis. But Julius the bishop of the Romans was absent on account of old age; but in his place were present Vito and Vincentius, presbyters of the same church. And in addition to these, many other excellent and good men from various nations came together, some able in thought and speech and distinguished for their knowledge of the sacred books and of other learning, or excelling in virtue of life, while others were esteemed for 1.17.3 both. And there were bishops numbering over about three hundred and twenty; and of presbyters and deacons attending them, as was natural, the multitude was not small. And there were present with them men skilled in debate, eager to assist them with arguments. And as is accustomed to happen, many of the priests, having come together as if to contend for their own private affairs, thought they had an opportunity for the correction of things that grieved them; and concerning which each blamed the other, giving a petition to the emperor 1.17.4 reported the offenses committed against him. And since this happened readily every day, the emperor commanded that on a stated day each should make clear the things of which he accused another. And when the appointed day came, receiving the petitions that had been submitted, "These accusations," he said, "have their proper time, the day of the great judgment, and for a judge, him who is then to judge all; but it is not lawful for me, being a man, to draw upon myself such a hearing, of priests accusing and being accused, who least of all ought to present themselves in such a way as to be judged by another. Come then, imitating the divine love for mankind in forgiveness towards one another, let the accusations be wiped away and let us make a truce, and let us diligently attend to the matters concerning the faith, for the sake of which 1.17.5 we have come together here." Having said these things, the emperor... each written charge to be void

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βασιλεύς, καθότι προσφάτως τῆς θρησκείας αὔξειν ἀρχομέ1.16.2 νης πολλοὺς χριστιανίζειν ἀπέτρεπεν ἡ διαφωνία τῶν δογμάτων. καὶ τούτου χάριν δῆλος ἦν ἐν αἰτίᾳ ποιούμενος ῎Αρειόν τε καὶ ᾿Αλέξανδρον. καὶ γράψας αὐτοῖς ἐνεκάλει, ὡς δυναμένην λαθεῖν εἰς τὸ φανερὸν ἐξήγαγον ταύτην τὴν ζήτησιν καὶ τῇ ἄγαν πρὸς τὸ ἐναντίον σπουδῇ φιλονίκως ἀνεκίνησαν, ἃ μήτε ζητεῖν τὴν ἀρχὴν ἔδει μήτε ἐνθυμεῖσθαι καὶ ἐνθυμηθέντας σιωπῇ παραδοῦναι, ἐξὸν ἀλλήλων μὴ χωρίζεσθαι, εἰ καὶ περί τι μέρος τοῦ δόγ1.16.3 ματος διαφέρονται. περὶ μὲν γὰρ τῆς θείας προνοίας μίαν καὶ τὴν αὐτὴν πίστιν ἔχειν ἀναγκαῖον· τὰς δὲ περὶ τῶν τοιούτων ζητήσεων ἀκριβολογίας, κἂν μὴ πρὸς μίαν συμφέρωνται γνώμην, προσήκειν ἐν ἀπορρήτῳ κατὰ διάνοιαν ἔχειν. ἀφεμένους τε τῆς περὶ ταῦτα λέσχης ἐκέλευσεν ὁμονοεῖν· ἄχθεσθαι γὰρ οὐ μετρίως, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο σπουδάζοντα τὰς ἐπὶ τῆς ἕω πόλεις ἰδεῖν ἐπισχεῖν. 1.16.4 ᾿Αλεξάνδρῳ μὲν οὖν καὶ ᾿Αρείῳ πῇ μὲν μεμφόμενος πῇ δὲ συμβουλεύων τοιάδε ἔγραψε. χαλεπῶς δὲ ἔφερε πυνθανόμενός τινας ἐναντίως πᾶσι τὴν τοῦ πάσχα ἄγειν ἑορτήν. τηνικαῦτα γὰρ ἐν ταῖς πρὸς ἕω πόλεσι διαφερόμενοί τινες περὶ τοῦτο τῆς μὲν πρὸς ἀλλήλους οὐκ ἀπείχοντο κοινωνίας, ᾿Ιουδαϊκώτερον δὲ τὴν ἑορτὴν ἦγον, καὶ ὡς εἰκὸς τῇ περὶ τούτου διχονοίᾳ τὴν λαμπρότητα 1.16.5 τῆς πανηγύρεως ἔβλαπτον. κατ' ἀμφότερα τοίνυν ἀστασίαστον εἶναι τὴν ἐκκλησίαν ἐσπούδαζε· νομίσας τε δύνασθαι προκαταλαβεῖν τὸ κακόν, πρὶν εἰς πλείους χωρῆσαι, πέμπει ἄνδρα τῶν ἀμφ' αὐτὸν πίστει καὶ βίῳ ἐπίσημον καὶ ταῖς ὑπὲρ τοῦ δόγματος ὁμολογίαις ἐν τοῖς ἔμπροσθεν χρόνοις εὐδοκιμηκότα, διαλλάξοντα τοὺς ἐν Αἰγύπτῳ διὰ τὸ δόγμα στασιάζοντας καὶ τοὺς πρὸς ἕω περὶ τὴν ἑορτὴν διαφερομένους· ἦν δὲ οὗτος ῞Οσιος ὁ Κουρδούβης ἐπίσκοπος. 1.17.1 ᾿Επεὶ δὲ παρ' ἐλπίδας ἐχώρει τὸ πρᾶγμα καὶ κρείττων ἦν διαλλαγῶν ἡ ἔρις, ἄπρακτός τε ἐπανῄει ὁ τὴν εἰρήνην βραβεῦσαι ἀπεσταλμένος, συνεκάλεσε σύνοδον εἰς Νίκαιαν τῆς Βιθυνίας καὶ πανταχῇ τοῖς προεστῶσι 1.17.2 τῶν ἐκκλησιῶν ἔγραψεν εἰς ῥητὴν ἡμέραν παρεῖναι. ἐκοινώνουν δὲ τούτου τοῦ συλλόγου τῶν μὲν ἀποστολικῶν θρόνων Μακάριος ὁ ῾Ιεροσολύμων καὶ Εὐστάθιος ἤδη τὴν ᾿Αντιοχείας τῆς πρὸς τῷ ᾿Ορόντῃ ἐκκλησίαν ἐπι-τραπεὶς καὶ ᾿Αλέξανδρος ὁ ᾿Αλεξανδρείας τῆς παρὰ τὴν Μαρίαν λίμνην. ᾿Ιούλιος δὲ ὁ ῾Ρωμαίων ἐπίσκοπος διὰ γῆρας ἀπελιμπάνετο· παρῆσαν δὲ ἀντ' αὐτοῦ Βίτων καὶ Βικέντιος πρεσβύτεροι τῆς αὐτῆς ἐκκλησίας. ἐπὶ τούτοις δὲ καὶ ἄλλοι πλεῖστοι καλοὶ καὶ ἀγαθοὶ ἐκ διαφόρων ἐθνῶν συνῆλθον, οἱ μὲν νοεῖν καὶ λέγειν ἱκανοὶ εἰδήσει τε τῶν ἱερῶν βίβλων καὶ τῆς ἄλλης παιδεύσεως ἐπίσημοι ἢ ἀρετῇ βίου διαπρέποντες, οἱ δὲ κατ' ἀμφό1.17.3 τερον εὐδοκιμοῦντες. ἦσαν δὲ ἐπίσκοποι ὑπὲρ ἀμφὶ τριακόσιοι εἴκοσι· πρεσβυτέρων τε καὶ διακόνων ὡς εἰκὸς ἑπομένων οὐκ ἦν ὀλίγον πλῆθος. συμπαρῆσαν δὲ αὐτοῖς ἄνδρες διαλέξεως ἔμπειροι ἐκείνοις βοηθεῖν λόγοις σπουδάζοντες. Οἷα δὲ φιλεῖ γίνεσθαι, πολλοὶ τῶν ἱερέων, ὡς ὑπὲρ ἰδίων πραγμάτων ἀγωνίσασθαι συνελθόντες, καιρὸν ἔχειν ἐνόμισαν τῆς τῶν λυπούντων διορθώσεως· καὶ περὶ ὧν ἕκαστος τὸν ἄλλον ἐμέμφετο, βιβλίον ἐπιδοὺς βασιλεῖ 1.17.4 τὰ εἰς αὐτὸν ἡμαρτημένα προσήγγελλεν. ἐπεὶ δὲ ἐφ' ἑκάστης εὐχερῶς τοῦτο συνέβαινε, προσέταξεν ὁ βασιλεὺς εἰς ῥητὴν ἡμέραν ἕκαστον περὶ ὧν ἐνεκάλει δῆλον ποιεῖν. ἀφικομένης δὲ τῆς προθεσμίας τὰ ἐπιδοθέντα βιβλία δεξάμενος «αὗται μέν», ἔφη, «αἱ κατηγορίαι καιρὸν οἰκεῖον ἔχουσι τὴν ἡμέραν τῆς μεγάλης κρίσεως, δικαστὴν δὲ τὸν μέλλοντα πᾶσι τότε κρίνειν· ἐμοὶ δὲ οὐ θεμιτὸν ἀνθρώπῳ ὄντι τοιαύτην εἰς ἑαυτὸν ἕλκειν ἀκρόασιν, ἱερέων κατηγορούντων καὶ κατηγορουμένων, οὓς ἥκιστα χρὴ τοιούτους ἑαυτοὺς παρέχειν, ὡς παρ' ἑτέρου κρίνεσθαι. ἄγε οὖν μιμησάμενοι τὴν θείαν φιλανθρωπίαν ἐν τῇ πρὸς ἀλλήλους συγγνώμῃ ἀπαλειφθέντων τῶν κατηγορουμένων σπεισώμεθα καὶ τὰ περὶ τῆς πίστεως σπουδάσωμεν, οὗ 1.17.5 ἕνεκεν δεῦρο συνεληλύθαμεν.» ταῦτα εἰπὼν ὁ βασιλεὺς τὴν ἑκάστου γραφὴν ἀργεῖν