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they drove out others. For indeed the excellent men deposed the lord Domnus, as one who did not accept the chapters, calling these things all-glorious and confessing to abide by them. For I have read their depositions; but they renounced me as the leader of the heresy, and likewise cast out the others for the same reason. For that they supposed that practical virtue was legislated by the Savior for the Hamaxobii rather than for them, the facts themselves proclaim. For some submitted libelli against Candidianus the Pisidian, accusing him of many adulteries and other transgressions. And they say the leader of the synod said: If you are accusing of matters of dogma, we accept the libelli; for we have not come to judge adulteries. For this very reason they ordered both Athenius and Athanasius, who had been expelled by the eastern synod, to receive back their own Churches; as though our Savior legislated nothing about life, but commanded only to keep the dogmas, which these wisest of men corrupted before all others. Let them not, therefore, jest nor hide the impiety which they have confirmed both with their tongues and with their hands. But if these things are not so, let them state the causes of the slaughters, let them confess in writing the distinction of the natures of our Savior, the unconfused character of the union; let them say that even after the union both the divinity and the humanity remained unmixed. God is not mocked. Let them now deny the chapters, which they often renounced, but now have confirmed in Ephesus. Let them not deceive your holiness, using false words. They praised what was said by me in Antioch, being both brothers, and having become readers, and having been ordained deacons, and presbyters, and bishops; and after the end of the discourse they embraced me, and kissed me, both my head, and breast, and hands; and some of them even touched my knees, calling our teaching apostolic; and this they have now renounced, this they have anathematized. And I, whom they used to call a luminary, not of the East only, but also of the world, have been renounced, and, as far as it is up to them, I do not partake even of bread. For they have also anathematized those who converse with us; but him whom they deposed a short while ago, and said held the opinions of Valentinus and Apollinarius, this man they paraded as a victor for the faith, and they prostrated themselves before his feet, and sought forgiveness, and called him spiritual father. What octopuses so change their color against the rocks, or chameleons their hue against the leaves, as these men change their opinion according to the times? But we yield to them both thrones and dignities and temporary luxury; but with the apostolic dogmas we await the exiles that are considered harsh, having as sufficient consolation the judgment of the Lord. For we hope that the Lord will forgive many of our sins on account of this injustice. But I beseech your holiness to beware of communion with impiety and to propose to them to deny what has been done; but if they should not be willing, to flee them as traitors to the faith. Meanwhile, we have in no way blamed your piety for waiting to see if there will be some change from this winter. After the ordination, however, of the president of the East, the opinion of each will surely become clear. But deign to pray for us, my lord. For now we especially need this help, so that we may be able to withstand the things being planned against us. 126 TO APHTHONIUS, THEODORITUS, NONNUS, SCYLACIUS, APHTHONIUS, JOHN, MAGISTRATES OF ZEUGMA. I have learned of the steadfastness and firmness of your faith, and of the gladness

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ἄλλους ἐξήλα σαν. Καὶ γὰρ τὸν κύριον ∆όμνον, ὡς τὰ κεφάλαια μὴ δεξάμε νον, καθεῖλον οἱ βέλτιστοι, πανεύφημα ταῦτα καλέσαντες καὶ ἐμμένειν τούτοις ὁμολογήσαντες. Ἐγὼ γὰρ αὐτῶν τὰς κατα θέσεις ἀνέγνων· ἐμὲ δὲ ὡς τῆς αἱρέσεως ἔξαρχον ἀπεκήρυξαν καὶ τοὺς ἄλλους ὡσαύτως διὰ τὴν αὐτὴν αἰτίαν ἐξέβαλον. Ὅτι γὰρ τὴν πρακτικὴν ἀρετὴν τοῖς Ἁμαξοβίοις μᾶλλον ἢ αὐτοῖς νενομοθετῆσθαι παρὰ τοῦ Σωτῆρος ὑπέλαβον, αὐτὰ βοᾷ τὰ πράγματα. Κατὰ γὰρ Κανδιδιανοῦ τοῦ Πισίδου λιβέλλους ἐπέδοσάν τινες, μοιχείας αὐτοῦ κατηγοροῦντες πολλάς, καὶ ἑτέρας παρανομίας. Καί φασιν εἰρηκέναι τῆς συνόδου τὸν ἔξαρχον· Εἰ δογμάτων κατηγορεῖτε, δεχόμεθα τοὺς λιβέλλους· οὐ γὰρ ἤλθομεν μοιχείαις δικάσαι. ∆ιά τοι τοῦτο καὶ Ἀθήνιον καὶ Ἀθανάσιον ὑπὸ τῆς ἀνατολικῆς ἐκβληθέντας συνόδου, τὰς οἰκείας ἀπολαβεῖν Ἐκκλησίας ἐκέλευσαν· ὡς οὐδὲν μὲν περὶ βίου τοῦ Σωτῆρος ἡμῶν νομοθετήσαντος, μόνα δὲ τὰ δόγματα φυλάττειν κελεύσαντος, ἃ πρὸ τῶν ἄλλων διέφθειραν οἱ σοφώ τατοι. Μὴ τοίνυν παιζέτωσαν μηδὲ κρυπτέτωσαν τὴν ἀσέβειαν, ἣν καὶ ταῖς γλώτταις καὶ ταῖς χερσὶν ἐβεβαίωσαν. Εἰ δὲ μὴ ταῦθ' οὕτως ἔχει, εἰπάτωσαν τῶν σφαγῶν τὰς αἰτίας, ὁμο λογησάτωσαν ἐγγράφως τῶν τοῦ Σωτῆρος ἡμῶν φύσεων τὸ διάφορον, τῆς ἑνώσεως τὸ ἀσύγχυτον· εἰπάτωσαν ὡς καὶ μετὰ τὴν ἕνωσιν ἀκραιφνὴς καὶ ἡ θεότης καὶ ἡ ἀνθρωπότης διέμει νεν. Ὁ Θεὸς οὐ μυκτηρίζεται. Ἀρνηθῶσιν νῦν τὰ κεφάλαια, ἃ πολλάκις μὲν ἀπεκήρυξαν, ἐν Ἐφέσῳ δὲ νῦν ἐβεβαίωσαν. Μὴ ἐξαπατάτωσάν σου τὴν ὁσιότητα λόγοις κεχρημένοι ψευ δέσιν. Ἐπῄνουν τὰ παρ' ἐμοῦ ἐν Ἀντιοχείᾳ λεγόμενα, καὶ ἀδελφοὶ ὄντες, καὶ ἀναγνῶσται γενόμενοι, καὶ διάκονοι χειρο τονηθέντες, καὶ πρεσβύτεροι, καὶ ἐπίσκοποι· καὶ μετὰ τὸ τέλος τῆς διαλέξεως περιεπτύσσοντο, καὶ κατεφίλουν, καὶ κεφαλήν. καὶ στήθη, καὶ χεῖρας· τινὲς δὲ αὐτῶν καὶ γονάτων ἥπτοντο, τὴν διδασκαλίαν ἡμῶν ἀποστολικὴν ὀνομάζοντες· καὶ ταύτην νῦν ἀπεκήρυξαν, ταύτην ἀνεθεμάτισαν. Καὶ ἐγὼ μέν, ὃν φωσ τῆρα ἐκάλουν, οὐ τῆς ἀνατολῆς μόνης, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῆς οἰκου μένης, ἀπεκηρύχθην, καὶ οὐδὲ ἄρτου, τό γε εἰς αὐτοὺς ἧκον, μεταλαγχάνω. Καὶ γὰρ τοὺς προσδιαλεγομένους ἡμῖν ἀνεθεμά τισαν· ὃν δὲ πρὸ βραχέος καθεῖλον, καὶ τὰ Βαλεντίνου καὶ Ἀπολιναρίου φρονεῖν ἔφασαν, τοῦτον ὡς νικηφόρον περιεῖπον τῆς πίστεως, καὶ τῶν τούτου προεκυλινδοῦντο ποδῶν, καὶ συγ γνώμην ἐζήτουν, καὶ πατέρα πνευματικὸν ἐκάλουν. Ποῖοι πολύποδες οὕτως πρὸς τὰς πέτρας τὴν οἰκείαν ἐναλλάττουσι χρόαν, ἢ χαμαιλέοντες πρὸς τὰ φύλλα τὸ χρῶμα, ὡς οὗτοι τὴν γνώμην πρὸς τοὺς καιροὺς μεταβάλλουσιν; Ἡμεῖς δὲ αὐτοῖς παραχωροῦμεν καὶ θρόνων καὶ ἀξιωμάτων καὶ τῆς προσκαίρου τρυφῆς· μετὰ δὲ τῶν ἀποστολικῶν δογμάτων τὰς χαλεπὰς νομιζομένας προσμένομεν ἐξορίας, ἀρκοῦσαν ἔχοντες παραψυχὴν τὸ τοῦ ∆εσπότου κριτήριον. Ἐλπίζομεν γὰρ ὡς πολλὰ τῶν ἡμετέρων ἁμαρτημάτων διὰ τήνδε τὴν ἀδικίαν ὁ ∆εσπότης ἀφήσει. Τὴν δὲ σὴν ὁσιότητα παρακαλῶ φυλάξασθαι τῆς ἀσεβείας τὴν κοινωνίαν καὶ προτεῖναι μὲν αὐτοῖς ἀρνη θῆναι τὰ πεπραγμένα· εἰ δὲ μὴ θελήσαιεν, φυγεῖν ὡς προδότας τῆς πίστεως. Τέως δὲ προσμείνασάν σου τὴν θεοσέβειαν ἰδεῖν, εἰ ἄρα τις ἔσται τοῦ χειμῶνος μεταβολή, οὐδαμῶς ἐμεμψάμεθα. Μετὰ μέντοι τὴν χειροτονίαν τοῦ τῆς Ἀνατο λῆς προέδρου, δήλη πάντως ἡ ἑκάστου γενήσεται γνώμη. Εὔξασθαι δὲ ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν, δέσποτα, καταξίωσον. Νῦν γὰρ δια φερόντως τῆσδε τῆς Βοηθείας δεόμεθα, ἵνα δυνηθῶμεν ἀντι σχεῖν πρὸς τὰ καθ' ἡμῶν μελετώμενα. 126 ΑΦΘΟΝΙΩ, ΘΕΟ∆ΩΡΙΤΩ, ΝΟΝΝΩ, ΣΚΥΛΑΚΙΩ, ΑΦΘΟΝΙΩ, ΙΩΑΝΝΗ, ΠΟΛΙΤΕΥΟΜΕΝΟΙΣ ΖΕΥΓΜΑΤΟΣ. Ἔγνων τῆς ὑμετέρας πίστεως τὸ σταθερόν τε καὶ Βέβαιον, καὶ θυμηδίας