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they were destroying them, and were tearing down their temples and sacred precincts which had been raised to a great height, though no one commanded this, and raising churches from their foundations they exchanged them for their former error. 4.39.3 But to write in detail of the deeds of the God-beloved would not be our task so much as that of those who were deemed worthy to be with him all the time; but we, having delivered in this writing what has been discerned by us in brief, shall pass on to the last period of his life. 4.40.1 Thirty years of his reign were being completed; and three sons, most illustrious Caesars, were appointed partners in the empire at different times, the one, Constantine, named after his father, being the first to share the honor around his father’s tenth anniversary, the second, Constantius, adorned with the name of his grandfather, having been proclaimed around the twentieth anniversary festival, and the third, Constans, signifying by the title of his name what is present and established, having been advanced around the third decade. 4.40.2 Thus, indeed, having acquired a threefold and God-beloved offspring in the likeness of the Trinity, and having honored this offspring by admission to the empire at each period of ten years, he considered the time of his own thirtieth anniversary to be a suitable occasion for thanksgivings to the King of all, and he thought it fitting to make the dedication of the martyrium in Jerusalem which had been constructed by him with all zealous love of beauty. 4.41.1 But beauty-hating envy, in this instance also, like a dark cloud encountering the far-shining rays of the sun, attempted to disturb the brightness of the festival, 4.41.2 again troubling the churches throughout Egypt with its cavils. But he who was a care to God, having armed a synod again full of bishops like an army of God, set himself in array against the malignant demon, having commanded them from all of Egypt and Libya, and Asia and Europe to hasten first to the resolution of the dispute, and from there to make the dedication of the aforementioned temple. 4.41.3 He ordered that, as a side-task on their journey, they should settle the cavils in the metropolis of Phoenicia; for it was not permitted for those divided in opinion to be present for the worship of God, since divine law declares that those who are at variance should not offer their gifts before making peace 4.41.4 and settling their differences with one another peacefully. The emperor, kindling these salutary instructions in his own mind, made known through a letter which ran as follows that they should attend to the matters before them with all concord and harmony: 4.42.1 Victor Constantinus, Maximus Augustus, to the holy synod at Tyre. It was perhaps consistent and most fitting to the opportunity of the times for the catholic church to be free from faction and for the servants of Christ now to be free from all reproach. But since some, driven by the gadfly of an unhealthy contentiousness (for I would not say they are living worthily of themselves), are attempting to throw everything into confusion, a thing which seems to me to have gone beyond every calamity, for this reason I urge you, running, so to speak, to assemble in the same place without any delay, to fill the synod, to defend those in need of aid, to heal the brothers who are in danger, to bring back to concord the divided members, to correct what is at fault, while the time permits, so that you may restore to so many provinces the fitting harmony which, alas for the absurdity, 4.42.2 the arrogance of a very few men has destroyed. And I think all men would agree that this is pleasing to the Master of all, God, and is beyond all prayer for us, and for yourselves, if you indeed recall peace, will be the cause of no ordinary good repute. Therefore do not delay any longer, but from this moment intensifying your zeal, hasten to put a fitting end to the matters before you, having come together, that is, with all sincerity and faith, which that Savior whom we serve, all but crying aloud everywhere, especially demands from you. 4.42.3 And none of the things pertaining to my piety to you

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ἠφάνιζον, ναούς τ' αὐτῶν καὶ τεμένη εἰς ὕψος ἠρμένα μηδενὸς ἐπικελεύοντος καθῄρουν, ἐκκλησίας δ' ἐκ θεμελίων ἀνιστῶντες τῆς προτέρας ἀντικατηλλάττοντο πλάνης. 4.39.3 Ἀλλὰ γὰρ καθ' ἕκαστα γράφειν τῶν τοῦ θεοφιλοῦς πράξεων οὐχ ἡμέτερον ἂν εἴη μᾶλλον ἢ τῶν τὸν πάντα χρόνον αὐτῷ συνεῖναι κατηξιωμένων· ἡμεῖς δ' ἐν ὀλίγῳ ἡμῖν διεγνωσμένα τῇδε παραδόντες τῇ γραφῇ ἐπὶ τὸν ὕστατον αὐτοῦ τῆς ζωῆς διαβησόμεθα χρόνον. 4.40.1 Ἐπληροῦντο μὲν αὐτῷ τριάκοντα ἐνιαυτῶν περίοδοι τῆς βασιλείας· τρεῖς δ' αὐτῷ παῖδες, καίσαρες περιφανέστατοι, κοινωνοὶ τῆς βασιλείας διαφόροις ἀνεδείκνυντο χρόνοις, ὁ μὲν ὁμώνυμος τῷ πατρὶ Κωνσταντῖνος πρῶτος μετασχὼν τῆς τιμῆς ἀμφὶ τὴν τοῦ πατρὸς δεκαετηρίδα, ὁ δὲ δεύτερος τῇ τοῦ πάππου κοσμούμενος ὁμωνυμίᾳ Κωνστάντιος ἀμφὶ τὴν εἰκοσαετηρικὴν πανήγυριν ἀνηγορευμένος, ὁ δὲ τρίτος Κώνστας, τὸν ἐνεστῶτα καὶ συνεστῶτα τῷ τῆς ἐπωνυμίας προσρήματι σημαίνων, ἀμφὶ τὴν τρίτην δεκάδα προηγ4.40.2 μένος. οὕτω δὴ τριάδος λόγῳ τριττὴν γονὴν παίδων θεοφιλῆ κτησάμενος, ταύτην τ' ἐφ' ἑκάστῃ περιόδῳ δεκαετοῦς χρόνου εἰσποιήσει τῆς βασιλείας τιμήσας, τῷ παμβασιλεῖ τῶν ὅλων εὐχαριστηρίων καιρὸν εὔκαιρον εἶναι τὸν τῆς αὐτοῦ τριακονταετηρίδος ἡγεῖτο, καὶ δὴ τοῦ ἐν Ἱεροσολύμοις αὐτῷ σὺν πάσῃ φιλοκάλῳ σπουδῇ κατειργασμένου μαρτυρίου προσήκειν τὴν ἀφιέρωσιν ποιήσασθαι εὖ ἔχειν ἐδοκίμαζεν. 4.41.1 Μισόκαλος δὲ κἀν τούτῳ φθόνος οἱονεὶ σκότιον νέφος τηλαυγεστάταις ἡλίου μαρμαρυγαῖς ὑπαντήσας, τὸ φαιδρὸν τῆς πανηγύρεως θορυβεῖν ἐπείρα, 4.41.2 τὰς κατ' Αἴγυπτον αὖθις ἐκκλησίας ταῖς αὐτοῦ ταράττων ἐρεσχελίαις. ἀλλ' ὅ γε τῷ θεῷ μεμελημένος σύνοδον αὖθις πληθύουσαν ἐπισκόπων ὥσπερ θεοῦ στρατόπεδον καθοπλίσας, ἀντιπαρετάττετο τῷ βασκάνῳ δαίμονι, ἐξ ἁπάσης Αἰγύπτου καὶ Λιβύης, Ἀσίας τε καὶ Εὐρώπης σπεύδειν πρῶτα μὲν ἐπὶ τὴν τῆς διαμάχης λύσιν, ἐντεῦθεν δὲ τὴν ἀφιέρωσιν τοῦ προλεχθέντος νεὼ ποιεῖσθαι 4.41.3 διακελευσάμενος. ὁδοῦ δὴ πάρεργον ἐπὶ τῆς Φοινίκων μητροπόλεως προσέταττε διαλύσασθαι τὰς ἐρεσχελίας· μὴ γὰρ ἐξεῖναι τὰς γνώμας διῃρημένους ἐπὶ τὴν τοῦ θεοῦ παρεῖναι λατρείαν, θείου νόμου διαγορεύοντος μὴ πρότερον τὰ δῶρα προσφέρειν τοὺς ἐν διαφορᾷ τυγχάνοντας ἢ φιλίαν σπεισα4.41.4 μένους καὶ τὰ πρὸς ἀλλήλους εἰρηνικῶς διαθέντας. ταῦτα βασιλεὺς τὰ σωτήρια παραγγέλματα τῇ αὐτὸς αὐτοῦ διανοίᾳ ζωπυρῶν, σὺν ὁμονοίᾳ καὶ συμφωνίᾳ τῇ πάσῃ ἔχεσθαι τῶν προκειμένων διὰ γραφῆς οὕτως ἐχούσης ἐδήλου· 4.42.1 Νικητὴς Κωνσταντῖνος Μέγιστος Σεβαστὸς τῇ ἁγία συνόδῳ τῇ κατὰ Τύρον. Ἦν μὲν ἴσως ἀκόλουθον καὶ τῇ τῶν καιρῶν εὐκαιρίᾳ μάλιστα πρέπον ἀστασίαστον εἶναι τὴν καθολικὴν ἐκκλησίαν καὶ πάσης λοιδορίας τοὺς τοῦ Χριστοῦ νῦν ἀπηλλάχθαι θεράποντας. ἐπεὶ δ' οὐχ ὑγιοῦς φιλονεικίας οἴστρῳ τινὲς ἐλαυνόμενοι (οὐ γὰρ ἂν εἴποιμι βιοῦντες ἑαυτῶν ἀξίως), τὰ πάντα συγχέειν ἐπιχειροῦσιν, ὅπερ πάσης συμφορᾶς ἐπέκεινα κεχωρηκέναι μοι δοκεῖ, τούτου χάριν θέοντας ὑμᾶς, τὸ τοῦ λόγου, προτρέπομαι χωρίς τινος ὑπερθέσεως εἰς ταὐτὸ συνδραμεῖν, πληρῶσαι τὴν σύνοδον, ἐπαμῦναι τοῖς χρῄζουσιν ἐπικουρίας, τοὺς ἀδελφοὺς ἰάσασθαι κινδυνεύοντας, εἰς ὁμόνοιαν ἐπαναγαγεῖν τὰ διεστῶτα τῶν μελῶν, διορθώσασθαι τὰ πλημμελούμενα, ἕως καιρὸς ἐπιτρέπει, ἵνα ταῖς τοσαύταις ἐπαρχίαις τὴν πρέπουσαν ἀποδώσητε συμφωνίαν, ἥν, φεῦ τῆς ἀτοπίας, 4.42.2 ἐλαχίστων ἀνθρώπων ἀπώλεσεν ὑπεροψία. ὅτι δὲ τοῦτο καὶ τῷ δεσπότῃ τῶν ὅλων θεῷ ἐστιν ἀρεστὸν καὶ ἡμῖν πάσης εὐχῆς ὑπέρτερον καὶ ὑμῖν αὐτοῖς, ἐάν γε τὴν εἰρήνην ἀνακαλέσησθε, οὐ τῆς τυχούσης αἴτιον εὐδοξίας, πάντας ἀνθρώπους συνομολογεῖν ἡγοῦμαι. μὴ τοίνυν μέλλετε λοιπόν, ἀλλ' ἐπιτείναντες ἐντεῦθεν ἤδη τὰ τῆς προθυμίας, τοῖς προκειμένοις ὅρον ἐπιθεῖναι σπουδάσατε τὸν προσήκοντα, μετὰ πάσης εἰλικρινείας δηλαδὴ καὶ πίστεως συνελθόντες, ἣν ἑκασταχοῦ μόνον οὐχὶ φωνὴν ἀφιεὶς ὁ σωτὴρ ἐκεῖνος ᾧ λατρεύομεν ἀπαιτεῖ μάλιστα παρ' ὑμῶν. 4.42.3 Οὐδὲν δὲ τῶν εἰς τὴν ἐμὴν εὐλάβειαν ἡκόντων ὑμῖν