34

Constantine the emperor of the Romans learned that the Christians in Persia were being warred against, and he was vexed and exceedingly displeased. And being eager to help them, he was at a loss what he should do, so that they too might live in security. And it having happened at that time that ambassadors came to him from the king of the Persians, having granted their requests and acted according to their mind, he sent them away. 2.15.2 And thinking it opportune then to commend to Sapor the Christians in Persia, he wrote to him, professing that he would have a very great and ever unwritten favor, if he would be humane toward those under him who admired the dogma of the Christians; since also in the manner, he says, of their religion there is nothing to find fault with, if indeed they are content with only bloodless prayers for the supplication of God. For the shedding of blood is not dear to Him, but He delights only in a pure soul that looks toward virtue and piety, so that it is necessary even to praise those who believe thus. 2.15.3 Then by his providence for the dogma he promised that he would have God himself gracious, using as proofs the things that had happened to Valerian and to himself. For he himself, through his faith in Christ, using the impulse from God as an ally, beginning from the western ocean, brought the whole Roman world under his own power and won many wars, fighting against foreigners and the tyrants of that time; and he had no need of sacrifices or any divinations, but the symbol of the cross preceding his own ar2.15.4 mies and a prayer pure of blood and filth was sufficient for him for victory. But Valerian, as long as he did not persecute the churches, continued to prosper in his reign; but when he resolved to raise a persecution against the Christians, divine wrath drove him and made him subject to the Persians, by whom he was taken captive 2.15.5 and pitiably ended his life. Having written such things to Sapor, Constantine attempted to persuade him to be well-disposed to the religion. For he exercised the greatest care for the Christians everywhere, both Romans and foreigners. 2.16.1 Not long after the council in Nicaea, Arius, being led away into exile, was recalled, but he was still forbidden to enter Alexandria. Indeed later his return to Egypt was urged, as will be told in due 2.16.2 course. And not long after, they received back their churches: both Eusebius of Nicomedia, having expelled Amphion who had been ordained in his place, and Theognius of Nicaea, Chrestus. And they were recalled after they had given to the bishops a document of repentance as follows: 2.16.3 "Having now been condemned before a trial by your piety, "7we ought to keep silent about the things judged by your piety. But since "7it is unfitting to give proof against ourselves to those who slander us by our silence, "7for this reason we report, that we too have concurred in the faith and, "7having examined the meaning of the homoousios, we have become entirely for peace, in no way 2.16.4 "7having followed the heresy. And having suggested for the security of the church"7es, as many things as ran through our reasoning, and having been fully assured and fully "7assuring those who ought to be persuaded by us, we subscribed to the faith; "7but we did not subscribe to the anathema, not as finding fault with the faith, "7but as not believing the one accused to be such, from his private communications to "7us both through letters and through face-to-face discussions, be2.16.5 "7ing fully assured that he is not such. But if your holy synod has been persuaded, "7not opposing, but agreeing with the things judged by you, even through "7this letter we declare our consent, not bearing the exile heavily, 2.16.6 "7but putting off the suspicion of heresy. For if you "7should deem it worthy now at least to receive us into your presence, you will have us like-minded in all things, "7following the things judged by you, and especially when it has seemed good to your piety to treat humanely "7and to recall him "7who is accused in these matters. 2.16.7 for it is unfitting when he who seems to be responsible has been re"7called

34

πολεμεῖσθαι τοὺς ἐν Περσίδι Χριστιανοὺς ἔγνω Κωνσταντῖνος ὁ ῾Ρωμαίων βασιλεύς, ἤσχαλλέ τε καὶ σφόδρα ἐδυσφόρει. καὶ βοηθεῖν αὐτοῖς σπουδάζων ἠπόρει ὅ τι ποιήσοι, ὡς ἂν καὶ αὐτοὶ βεβαίως διάγοιεν. καὶ συμβὰν κατ' ἐκεῖνο καιροῦ πρέσβεις παρ' αὐτὸν ἐλθεῖν τοῦ Περσῶν βασιλέως, ἐπινεύσας τοῖς αἰτουμένοις κατὰ γνώμην πράξαντας ἀπέπεμψεν. 2.15.2 εὔκαιρον δὲ τότε νομίσας παραθέσθαι Σαβώρῃ τοὺς ἐν Περσίδι Χριστιανούς, ἔγραψε πρὸς αὐτόν, μεγίστην καὶ ἀνάγραπτον ἀεὶ χάριν ὁμολογῶν ἕξειν, εἰ φιλάνθρωπος γένοιτο περὶ τοὺς ὑπ' αὐτὸν τὸ δόγμα τῶν Χριστιανῶν θαυμάζοντας· ἐπεὶ καὶ τῷ τρόπῳ, φησί, τῆς θρησκείας οὐδὲν ἐγκαλεῖν ἔστιν, εἴ γε μόναις εὐχαῖς ἀναιμάκτοις πρὸς ἱκεσίαν θεοῦ ἀρκοῦνται. οὐ γὰρ αὐτῷ φίλον αἱμάτων χύσις, μόνῃ δὲ χαίρει ψυχῇ καθαρᾷ πρὸς ἀρετὴν καὶ εὐσέβειαν ὁρώσῃ, ὥστε καὶ ἐπαινεῖν χρῆναι τοὺς ὧδε πιστεύοντας. 2.15.3 ἔπειτα δὲ τῇ περὶ τὸ δόγμα προνοίᾳ ἵλεω καὶ αὐτὸ ἕξειν τὸ θεὸν ὑπισχνεῖτο, τεκμηρίοις χρώμενος τοῖς Οὐαλλεριανῷ καὶ αὐτῷ συμβεβηκόσιν. αὐτὸς μὲν γὰρ διὰ τὴν εἰς Χριστὸν πίστιν συμμάχῳ χρώμενος τῇ θεόθεν ῥοπῇ ἐκ τοῦ πρὸς δύσιν ὠκεανοῦ ἀρξάμενος τὴν πᾶσαν ῾Ρωμαίων οἰκουμένην ὑφ' ἑαυτὸν ἐποιήσατο καὶ πολλοὺς πολέμους κατώρθωσε, πρὸς ἀλλοφύλους καὶ τοὺς τότε τυράννους μαχόμενος· καὶ μὴ δεηθῆναι σφαγίων ἢ μαντείων τινῶν, ἀλλ' ἀποχρῆσαι αὐτῷ εἰς νίκην τὸ τοῦ σταυροῦ σύμβολον τῶν οἰκείων στρα2.15.4 τευμάτων προηγούμενον καὶ εὐχὴν καθαρὰν αἱμάτων καὶ ῥύπου. ὁ δὲ Οὐαλλεριανός, ἐφ' ὅσον οὐκ ἐκακούργει τὰς ἐκκλησίας, εὐημερῶν διετέλει τὴν ἀρχήν· ἐπεὶ δὲ διωγμὸν ἐγείρειν ἐβουλεύσατο κατὰ τῶν Χριστιανῶν, θεία μῆνις ἐλάσασα αὐτὸν ὑπὸ Πέρσας ἐποίησε, παρ' ὧν αἰχμάλωτος ληφθεὶς 2.15.5 ἐλεεινῶς τὸν βίον κατέπαυσε. τοιαῦτα Σαβώρῃ γράψας Κωνσταντῖνος ἐπειρᾶτο πείθειν αὐτὸν εὐνοεῖν τῇ θρησκείᾳ. πλείστῃ γὰρ ἐχρῆτο κηδεμονίᾳ περὶ τοὺς πανταχοῦ Χριστιανούς, ῾Ρωμαίους καὶ ἀλλοφύλους. 2.16.1 Οὐ πολλῷ δὲ ὕστερον τῆς ἐν Νικαίᾳ συνόδου ῎Αρειος μὲν ἐπὶ τὴν ἐξορίαν ἀπαγόμενος ἀνεκλήθη, ᾿Αλεξανδρείας δὲ ἔτι ἐπιβαίνειν κεκώλυτο. ἀμέλει τοι ὕστερον ἡ εἰς Αἴγυπτον αὐτῷ κάθοδος ἐσπουδάσθη, ὡς ἐν καιρῷ 2.16.2 λελέξεται. οὐκ εἰς μακρὰν δὲ τὰς αὐτῶν ἐκκλησίας ἀπέλαβον Εὐσέβιός τε ὁ Νικομηδείας, ᾿Αμφίωνα τὸν ἀντ' αὐτοῦ χειροτονηθέντα ἐκβαλών, καὶ Θεόγνιος δὲ ὁ Νικαίας, Χρῆστον. ἀνεκλήθησαν δὲ μετανοίας βιβλίον ὧδε ἔχον τοῖς ἐπισκόποις ἐπιδόντες· 2.16.3 «῎Ηδη μὲν καταψηφισθέντες πρὸ κρίσεως παρὰ τῆς εὐλαβείας ὑμῶν, "7ὠφείλομεν σιωπᾶν τὰ κεκριμένα παρὰ τῆς εὐλαβείας ὑμῶν. ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ "7ἄτοπον καθ' ἑαυτῶν δοῦναι τῶν συκοφαντούντων τὴν ἀπόδειξιν τῇ σιωπῇ, "7τούτου ἕνεκεν ἀναφέρομεν, ὡς ἡμεῖς καὶ τῇ πίστει συνεδράμομεν καὶ τὴν "7ἔννοιαν ἐξετάσαντες ἐπὶ τῷ ὁμοουσίῳ ὅλοι ἐγενόμεθα τῆς εἰρήνης, μηδαμοῦ 2.16.4 "7τῇ αἱρέσει ἐξακολουθήσαντες. ὑπομνήσαντες δὲ ἐπὶ ἀσφαλείᾳ τῶν ἐκκλη"7σιῶν, ὅσα τὸν λογισμὸν ἡμῶν ὑπέτρεχε, καὶ πληροφορηθέντες καὶ πληρο"7φορήσαντες τοὺς δι' ἡμῶν πεισθῆναι ὀφείλοντας, ὑπεσημηνάμεθα τῇ πίστει· "7τῷ δὲ ἀναθεματισμῷ οὐχ ὑπεγράψαμεν, οὐχ ὡς τῆς πίστεως κατηγοροῦντες, "7ἀλλ' ὡς ἀπιστοῦντες τοιοῦτον εἶναι τὸν κατηγορηθέντα, ἐκ τῶν ἰδίᾳ πρὸς "7ἡμᾶς παρ' αὐτοῦ διά τε ἐπιστολῶν καὶ τῶν εἰς πρόσωπον διαλέξεων πε2.16.5 "7πληροφορημένοι μὴ τοιοῦτον εἶναι. εἰ δὲ ἐπείσθη ἡ ἁγία ὑμῶν σύνοδος, "7οὐκ ἀντιτείνοντες, ἀλλὰ συντιθέμενοι τοῖς παρ' ὑμῶν κεκριμένοις καὶ διὰ "7τοῦ γράμματος πληροφοροῦμεν τὴν συγκατάθεσιν, οὐ τὴν ἐξορίαν βαρέως 2.16.6 "7φέροντες, ἀλλὰ τὴν ὑπόνοιαν τῆς αἱρέσεως ἀποδυόμενοι. εἰ γὰρ κατ"7αξιώσητε νῦν γοῦν εἰς πρόσωπον ἐπαναλαβεῖν ἡμᾶς, ἕξετε ἐν ἅπασι συμ"7ψύχους, ἀκολουθοῦντας τοῖς παρ' ὑμῖν κεκριμένοις, καὶ μάλιστα ὅτε αὐτὸν "7τὸν ἐπὶ τούτοις ἐναγόμενον ἔδοξεν ὑμῶν τῇ εὐλαβείᾳ φιλανθρωπεύσασθαι 2.16.7 "7καὶ ἀνακαλέσασθαι. ἄτοπον δὲ τοῦ δοκοῦντος εἶναι ὑπευθύνου ἀνα"7κεκλημένου