30. A copy of the letter of Constantius against Athanasius.

Victor Constantius Maximus Augustus to the Alexandrians.

Your city, preserving its national character, and remembering the virtue of its founders, has habitually shewn itself obedient unto us, as it does at this day; and we on our part should consider ourselves greatly wanting in our duty, did not our good will eclipse even that of Alexander himself. For as it belongs to a temperate mind, to behave itself orderly in all respects, so it is the part of royalty, on account of virtue, permit me to say, such as yours, to embrace you above all others; you, who rose up as the first teachers of wisdom who were the first to acknowledge89    On the reading, cf. infr. note 6. God; who moreover have chosen for yourselves the most consummate masters; and have cordially acquiesced in our opinion, justly abominating that impostor and cheat, and dutifully uniting yourselves to those venerable men who are beyond all admiration. And yet, who is ignorant, even among those who live in the ends of the earth, what violent party spirit was displayed in the late proceedings? with which we know not anything that has ever happened, worthy to be compared. The majority of the citizens had their eyes blinded, and a man who had come forth from the lowest dens of infamy obtained authority among them, entrapping into falsehood, as under cover of darkness, those who were desirous to know the truth;—one who never provided for them any fruitful and edifying discourse, but corrupted their minds with unprofitable subtleties. His flatterers shouted and applauded him; they were astonished at his powers, and they still probably murmur secretly; while the majority of the more simple sort took their cue from them. And thus all went with the stream, as if a flood had broken in, while everything was entirely neglected. One of the multitude was in power;—how can I describe him more truly than by saying, that he was superior in nothing to the meanest of the people, and that the only kindness which he shewed to the city was, that he did not thrust her citizens down into the pit. This noble-minded and illustrious person did not wait for judgment to proceed against him, but sentenced himself to banishment, as he deserved. So that now it is for the interest of the Barbarians to remove him out of the way, lest he lead some of them into impiety, for he will make his complaint, like distressed characters in a play, to those who first fall in with him. To him however we will now bid a long farewell. For yourselves there are few with whom I can compare you: I am bound rather to honour you separately above all others, for the great virtue and wisdom which your actions, that are celebrated almost through the whole world, proclaim you to possess. Go on in this sober course. I would gladly have repeated to me a description of your conduct in such terms of praise as it deserves; O you who have eclipsed your predecessors in the race of glory, and will be a noble example both to those who are now alive, and to all who shall come after, and alone have chosen for yourselves the most perfect of beings as guide for your conduct, both in word and deed, and hesitated not a moment, but manfully transferred your affections, and gave yourselves up to the other side, leaving those grovelling90    τῶν χαμαί, vid. contr. Euseb. H. E. vii. 27. and earthly teachers, and stretching forth towards heavenly things, under the guidance of the most venerable George91    Of Cappadocia, de Syn. 37, note 3., than whom no man is more perfectly instructed therein. Under him you will continue to have a good hope respecting the future life, and will pass your time in this present world, in rest and quietness. Would that all the citizens together would lay hold on his words, as a sacred anchor, so that we might need neither knife nor cautery for those whose souls are diseased! Such persons we most earnestly advise to renounce their zeal in favour of Athanasius, and not even to remember the foolish things which he spoke so plentifully among them. Otherwise they will bring themselves before they are aware into extreme peril, from which we know not any one who will be skilful enough to deliver such factious persons. For while that pestilent fellow Athanasius is driven from place to place, being convicted of the basest crimes, for which he would only suffer the punishment he deserves, if one were to kill him ten times over, it would be inconsistent in us to suffer those flatterers and juggling ministers of his to exult against us; men of such a character as it is a shame even to speak of, respecting whom orders have long ago been given to the magistrates, that they should be put to death. But even now perhaps they shall not die, if they desist from their former offences, and repent at last. For that most pestilent fellow Athanasius led them on, and corrupted the whole state, and laid his impious and polluted hands upon the most holy things.

30 Ἀντίγραφον ἐπιστολῆς· Νικητὴς Κωνστάντιος Μέγιστος Σεβαστὸς Ἀλεξανδρεῦσιν. Ἡ μὲν πόλις τὸ πάτριον σχῆμα φυλάττουσα, καὶ τῆς τῶν οἰκιστῶν ἀρετῆς μεμνημένη, πειθηνίαν ἑαυτὴν συνήθως καὶ νῦν παρέσχηκεν· ἡμεῖς δέ, εἰ μὴ καὶ τὸν Ἀλέξανδρον ἀποκρύψαιμεν εὐνοίᾳ τῇ περὶ τὴν πόλιν τὴν ὑμετέραν, οὐ τὰ τυχόντα πλημμελεῖν συνεισόμεθα. Ὡς μὲν γὰρ σωφροσύνης ἴδιον, κοσμίαν ἑαυτῷ διὰ πάντων ἄγειν· βασιλείας δὲ τῆς ἀρετῆς (δότε δὲ εἰπεῖν) τῆς ὑμετέρας πρὸ ἁπάντων ἀσπάζεσθαι, πρώτους μὲν σοφίας ἐξηγητὰς καταστάντας, πρώτους δὲ Θεὸν τὸν ὄντα συνιέντας, οἳ καὶ τῶν ἐξηγητῶν τοὺς ἄκρους εἵλεσθε καὶ τὴν ἡμετέραν ψῆφον ἑκόντες ἐστέρξατε, τὸν μὲν ἀπατεῶνα καὶ φένακα δικαίως ἀποστραφέντες, τοῖς δὲ σεμνοῖς καὶ παντὸς ἑπέκεινα θαύματος δεόντως προσθέμενοι. Καίτοι τίς ἀγνοεῖ καὶ τῶν τὰς ἐσχατιὰς οἰκούντων τὴν ἐπὶ τοῖς πραχθεῖσι φιλοτιμίαν; οἷς οὐκ ἴσμεν καὶ τί δεῖ παραβάλλεσθαι ὧν συμβέβηκεν. Ἐτύφλωττον μὲν γὰρ οἱ πλεῖστοι τῶν κατὰ τὴν πόλιν· ἐπεκράτει δὲ ἀνὴρ βαράθρων ἀπὸ ἐσχάτων ὁρμώμενος, ὥσπερ ἐν σκότῳ τοὺς τῆς ἀληθείας ἐφιεμένους πρὸς τὸ ψεῦδος ἀπατῶν, λόγον μὲν ἔγκαρπον οὐδέποτε παρασχόμενος, τερθρείας δὲ καὶ τηνάλλως τὰς ψυχὰς λυμαινόμενος· οἱ μὲν κόλακες ἐβόων καὶ ἐκρότουν, ἐξεπλήττοντο, οὓς ἔτι γρύζειν εἰκὸς ὑπὸ ὀδόντα· οἱ δὲ πλεῖστοι τῶν ἀφελεστέρων, πρὸς τὸ τούτων ἔζων σύνθημα· τὰ δὲ πράγματα κατὰ ῥοῦν ἐφέρετο ὥσπερ ἐν κατακλυσμῷ, πάντων ἄρδην ὀλιγωρουμένων. Ἡγεῖτο δὲ ἀνὴρ τοῦ πλήθους (πῶς ἂν ἀληθέστερον αὐτὸ εἴποιμι;) οὐδὲν τῶν βαναύσων διαφέρων, τοῦτο μόνον τῇ πόλει συναράμενος, τὸ μὴ κατὰ βαράθρων ὦσαι τοὺς ἐν αὐτῇ. Ἀλλ' ὁ γενναῖος καὶ λαμπρὸς οὐδὲ κρίσιν ἔμεινε κατ' αὐτοῦ, φυγὴν ἐν δίκῃ καταγνούς· ὡς ἔστι γε καὶ ὑπὲρ τῶν βαρβάρων ὑφελέσθαι, μή τινας αὐτῶν δυσσεβεῖν ἀναπείσῃ, καθάπερ ἐν δράματι πρὸς τοὺς πρώτους ἐντυγχάνοντας ὀλοφυρόμενος. Τούτῳ μὲν οὖν μακρὰν χαίρειν εἰρήσεται· ὑμᾶς δέ με χρὴ μετ' ὀλίγων τάττειν, μᾶλλον δὲ μόνους πρὸ τῶν ἄλλων σεμνύνειν, οἷς τοσοῦτον ἀρετῆς καὶ νοῦ περίεστιν, ὅσον αἱ πράξεις κηρύττουσι, μικροῦ πᾶσαν τὴν οὖσαν ὑμνούμεναι. Εὖγε τῆς σωφροσύνης· εἰ γὰρ ἀγγέλων ἀκροασαίμην τοσούτων καὶ δεύτερον διεξιόντων τὰ ὑμέτερα καὶ σεμνυνόντων, ὦ καὶ τοὺς πρότερον ἀποκρύψαντες φιλοτιμίᾳ, καὶ τοῖς νῦν τε καὶ ὕστερον παράδειγμα καλὸν ἐσόμενοι· μόνοι τε καὶ τοῖς ἤθεσι λόγων καὶ ἔργων ἡγεμόνα τὸν τελειότατον τῶν ὄντων ἑλόμενοι, καὶ οὐδὲ πρὸς βραχὺ διστάσαντες, ἀλλ' ἀνδρείως μεταθέμενοι καὶ τοῖς ἄλλοις προσθέμενοι, ἀπὸ τῶν χαμαὶ τούτων καὶ περιγείων πρὸς τὰ κατουράνια ἐπειχθέντες, ξεναγοῦντος ἐπ' αὐτὰ τοῦ σεμνοτάτου Γεωργίου, ἀνδρὸς τοιαῦτα παντὸς μᾶλλον ἠκριβωκότος. ∆ι' ὃν καὶ κατὰ τὸν ὕστερον βίον, μετὰ καλῆς ἐλπίδος διάξετε καὶ τὸν ἐν τῷ παρόντι μετὰ ῥᾳστώνης βιώσεσθε. Εἴη δὲ κοινῇ πάντας τοὺς κατὰ τὴν πόλιν, ὥσπερ ἱερᾶς ἀγκύρας, τῆς τούτου φωνῆς ἐξηρτῆσθαι, ἵνα μὴ τομῶν ἢ καύσεων δεηθῶμεν, κατὰ τῶν τὰς ψυχὰς λελωβημένων· οἷς ὅτι μάλιστα παραινοῦμεν ἀφίστασθαι τῆς Ἀθανασίου σπουδῆς, καὶ μηδὲ μεμνῆσθαι τῆς περιττῆς ἐκείνης ἀδολεσχίας, ἢ λήσουσι τοῖς ἐσχάτοις ἔνοχοι ὄντες κινδύνοις, ὧν οὐκ ἴσμεν εἴ τις τῶν πάνυ δεινῶν ἐξαιρήσεται τοὺς στασιάζοντας. Καὶ γὰρ ἄτοπον τὸν μὲν ὄλεθρον Ἀθανάσιον γῆν πρὸ γῆς ἀπεληλᾶσθαι, καὶ τοῖς αἰσχίστοις ἁλόντα, ὥς ποτε ἂν ἐκεῖνος τὴν ἀξίαν ἐκτίσειε, καὶ εἰ δέκατόν τις τοῦ ζῇν προσαφέληται· τοὺς δὲ ἐκείνου κόλακας καὶ θεραπευτὰς ἀγύρτας τινὰς καὶ τοιούτους ἀνθρώπους, οἵους ὀνομάζειν αἰσχύνη, περιορᾷν σφαδάζοντας, οὓς πάλαι τεθνάναι διηγόρευται τοῖς δικασταῖς. Καὶ ἴσως οὐδέπω τεθνήξονται, ἢν μή, τῶν φθασάντων ἀποστάντες πλημμελημάτων, ὀψέ ποτε μεταθῶνται· ὧν ὁ μοχθηρότατος Ἀθανάσιος ἡγεῖτο, καὶ τῇ κοινῇ πολιτείᾳ λυμαινόμενος, καὶ τοῖς ἁγιωτάτοις δυσσεβεῖς καὶ ἐναγεῖς προσάγων τὰς χεῖρας.