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they read a document. 4.17.10 For indeed it also seemed absurd to them for it to be prefaced that it was set forth in 4.17.10 Sirmium in the presence of Constantius the eternal Augustus, during the consulate of Eusebius and Hypatius, just as Athanasius somewhere, writing to his friends, says that it is ridiculous to call Constantius the eternal emperor, but to refuse to say that the Son of God is eternal, and to prefix a specified date to this document for the slander of the faith of the ancients and of those initiated before this time. 4.17.11 But when these things took place in Ariminum, those around Valens and Ursacius, being vexed at their deposition, came in haste to the emperor. 4.18.1 But the synod, putting forward twenty bishops, sent them as envoys; and through them it wrote the following, translated from the Roman tongue: 4.18.2 “We believe what has been determined to have come about by the command of God and the order of your piety; for we, all the bishops, have assembled together in Ariminum from all the cities of the West, so that the faith of the catholic church might be made known and those who think the opposite might be made manifest. For as we have found after examining at great length, it seemed good to maintain the faith that has remained from of old, which the prophets and the gospels and the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ preached, who is also the guardian of your empire and the protector of your strength, 4.18.3 so that holding this fast we may guard it, preserving it to the end. For it seemed absurd and unlawful to alter anything of what was rightly and justly defined and of what was examined in Nicaea jointly with the most glorious Constantine, your father and emperor, whose teaching and sentiment 4.18.4 both passed through and were proclaimed to all the ears and minds of men; which alone was the adversary and destroyer of the Arian heresy, by which not only this, but also all the other heresies were overthrown, in which indeed both to add anything is treacherous and to take anything away is dangerous; so that if either should happen, there will be license for the enemies to do whatever they wish. 4.18.5 Whence Ursacius and Valens, since they had long ago been established as partners and counselors of the Arian dogma, were also declared separated from our communion; in order that they might partake of it, for which things they themselves had acknowledged they had erred, they sought to obtain repentance and pardon, as also the documents produced by them testify, through all of which forbearance has been granted and pardon for their offenses (and the time at which these things were done was when the council of the synod was convened in Mediolanum, with the presbyters of the church of the Romans also being present). 4.18.6 Knowing at the same time that Constantine, of worthy memory after his death, had set forth the written faith with all exactness and examination, and since, as is the way of men, he was baptized and departed to the peace that was his due, it is absurd to innovate anything after him and to disregard so many holy confessors and martyrs, and the writers and originators of the dogma, who have remained, holding all beliefs in accordance with the ancient ordinance of the catholic church. Whose faith God has transmitted also into the times of your reign through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom it has been granted to you to reign so as also to have dominion over our world. 4.18.7 Again, therefore, the pitiable and wretched men in their thinking, with the unlawful daring of their impious sentiment, have announced themselves as heralds and 4.18.8 are attempting to overthrow every ordinance of truth. For when, according to your command, the council of the synod was convened, they also were stripping bare their mind of its own deceit; for they were attempting, with a certain cunning and confusion, by introducing some innovation, of such a company

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ἀνέγνωσαν γραφήν. 4.17.10 καὶ γὰρ δὴ καὶ ἄτοπον αὐτοῖς ἔδοξεν εἶναι προγεγράφθαι ταύτης, ὡς ἐν 4.17.10 Σιρμίῳ ἐξετέθη παρόντος Κωνσταντίου τοῦ αἰωνίου Αὐγούστου ὑπατευόντων Εὐσεβίου καὶ ῾Υπατίου, ὥς που καὶ ᾿Αθανάσιος πρὸς τοὺς ἐπιτηδείους γράφων φησὶ γελοῖον εἶναι βασιλέα αἰώνιον τὸν Κωνστάντιον ὀνομάζειν, ἀίδιον δὲ λέγειν τὸν υἱὸν τοῦ θεοῦ παραιτεῖσθαι, καὶ ῥητὸν χρόνον προτάττειν τῆς γραφῆς ταύτης ἐπὶ διαβολῇ τῆς πίστεως τῶν παλαιοτέρων καὶ τῶν πρὸ τούτου τοῦ χρόνου μυηθέντων. 4.17.11 ᾿Επεὶ δὲ τάδε ἐν ᾿Αριμήνῳ ἐγένετο, οἱ μὲν ἀμφὶ Οὐάλεντα καὶ Οὐρσά-κιον χαλεπῶς φέροντες ἐπὶ τῇ καθαιρέσει σπουδῇ πρὸς βασιλέα παρεγένοντο. 4.18.1 ῾Η δὲ σύνοδος εἴκοσιν ἐπισκόπους προβαλλομένη πρέσβεις ἀπέστειλεν· ἔγραψε δὲ δι' αὐτῶν τάδε μεταφρασθέντα ἐκ τῆς ῾Ρωμαίων φωνῆς· 4.18.2 «Τά τε ἐκ τῆς τοῦ θεοῦ κελεύσεως καὶ τοῦ τῆς σῆς εὐσεβείας προστάγ"7ματος δογματισθέντα γενέσθαι πιστεύομεν· εἰς γὰρ ᾿Αρίμηνον ἐκ πασῶν "7τῶν πρὸς δύσιν πόλεων ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτὸ πάντες οἱ ἐπίσκοποι συνήλθομεν, ἵνα "7καὶ ἡ πίστις τῆς καθολικῆς ἐκκλησίας γνωρισθῇ καὶ οἱ τὰ ἐναντία φρο"7νοῦντες ἔκδηλοι γένωνται. ὡς γὰρ ἐπὶ πλεῖον διασκοποῦντες εὑρήκαμεν, "7ἀρεστὸν ἐφάνη τὴν πίστιν τὴν ἐκ παλαιοῦ διαμένουσαν, ἣν καὶ οἱ προφῆται "7καὶ τὰ εὐαγγέλια καὶ οἱ ἀπόστολοι τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν ᾿Ιησοῦ Χριστοῦ ἐκή"7ρυξαν, τοῦ καὶ τῆς σῆς βασιλείας ἐφόρου καὶ τῆς σῆς ῥώσεως προστάτου, 4.18.3 "7ἵνα ταύτην κατασχόντες φυλάττωμεν μέχρι τέλους διατηροῦντες. ἄτο"7πον γὰρ καὶ ἀθέμιτον ἐφάνη τῶν ὀρθῶς καὶ δικαίως ὡρισμένων τι μεταλ"7λάσσειν καὶ τῶν ἐν Νικαίᾳ κοινῇ μετὰ τοῦ ἐνδοξοτάτου Κωνσταντίνου τοῦ "7σοῦ πατρὸς καὶ βασιλέως ἐσκεμμένων, ὧν ἡ διδασκαλία καὶ τὸ φρόνημα 4.18.4 "7διῆλθέ τε καὶ ἐκηρύχθη εἰς πάσας ἀνθρώπων ἀκοάς τε καὶ διανοίας· ἥτις "7ἀντίπαλος μόνη καὶ ὀλετὴρ τῆς ᾿Αρείου αἱρέσεως ὑπῆρξε, δι' ἧς οὐ μόνον "7αὕτη, ἀλλὰ καὶ αἱ λοιπαὶ πᾶσαι αἱρέσεις καθῃρέθησαν, ἐν ᾗ ὄντως καὶ "7<τὸ> προσθεῖναί τι σφαλερὸν καὶ τὸ ἀφελέσθαι τι ἐπικίνδυνον ὑπάρχει· "7ὡς εἴπερ τι θάτερον γένηται, ἔσται τοῖς ἐχθροῖς ἄδεια τοῦ ποιεῖν ἅπερ "7βούλονται. 4.18.5 "7῞Οθεν Οὐρσάκιός τε καὶ Οὐάλης, ἐπειδὴ πάλαι μέτοχοί τε καὶ σύμβουλοι "7τοῦ ᾿Αρειανοῦ δόγματος ἦσαν καθεστηκότες, καὶ τῆς ἡμετέρας κοινωνίας "7χωρισθέντες ἀπεφάνθησαν· ἧς ἵνα μετάσχωσιν, ἐφ' οἷς ἑαυτοῖς συνεγνώ"7κεισαν πλημμελήσαντες, μετανοίας τε καὶ συγγνώμης ἠξίουν τυχεῖν, ὡς "7καὶ τὰ ἔγγραφα τὰ ὑπ' ἐκείνων γεγενημένα μαρτυρεῖ, δι' ὧν ἁπάντων "7φειδὼ γεγένηται καὶ τῶν ἐγκλημάτων συγγνώμη (ἦν δὲ ὁ καιρὸς καθ' ὃν "7ταῦτα ἐπράττετο, ὅτε ἐν Μεδιολάνῳ τὸ συνέδριον τῆς συνόδου συνεκροτεῖτο, "7συμπαρόντων δὲ καὶ τῶν πρεσβυτέρων τῆς τῶν ῾Ρωμαίων ἐκκλησίας). 4.18.6 "7ἐγνωκότες ἅμα καὶ τὸν μετὰ τελευτὴν ἄξιον μνήμης Κωνσταντῖνον μετὰ "7πάσης ἀκριβείας καὶ ἐξετάσεως τὴν συγγραφεῖσαν πίστιν ἐκτεθεικότα, "7ἐπειδὴ δὲ ὡς ἐξ ἀνθρώπων ἐγένετο βαπτισθεὶς καὶ πρὸς τὴν ὀφειλομένην "7εἰρήνην ἀνεχώρησεν, ἄτοπον εἶναι μετ' ἐκεῖνόν τι καινοτομεῖν καὶ τοσούτους "7ἁγίους ὁμολογητὰς καὶ μάρτυρας, τοὺς δὲ καὶ τοῦ δόγματος συγγραφέας "7τε καὶ εὑρετὰς ὑπεριδεῖν, οἵτινες κατὰ τὸν παλαιὸν τῆς ἐκκλησίας θεσμὸν "7τῆς καθολικῆς ἅπαντα φρονοῦντες διαμεμενήκασιν. ὧν ὁ θεὸς τὴν πίστιν "7καὶ εἰς τοὺς σοὺς χρόνους τῆς βασιλείας μεταδέδωκε διὰ τοῦ δεσπότου "7ἡμῶν ᾿Ιησοῦ Χριστοῦ, δι' οὗ σοι καὶ τὸ βασιλεύειν οὕτως ὑπῆρξεν ὡς καὶ "7τῆς καθ' ἡμᾶς οἰκουμένης κρατεῖν. 4.18.7 "7Πάλιν γοῦν <οἱ> ἐλεεινοὶ καὶ οἰκτροὶ τῷ φρονήματι ἀθεμίτῳ τολ"7μήματι τῆς δυσσεβοῦς φρονήσεως κήρυκάς τε ἑαυτοὺς ἀνήγγειλαν καὶ 4.18.8 "7ἐπιχειροῦσιν ἀνατρέπειν πᾶν ἀληθείας σύνταγμα. ὡς γὰρ κατὰ τὸ σὸν "7πρόσταγμα τὸ συνέδριον τῆς συνόδου συνεκροτεῖτο, κἀκεῖνοι τῆς ἰδίας ἀπά"7της ἐγύμνουν τὴν σκέψιν· ἐπειρῶντο γὰρ πανουργίᾳ τινὶ καὶ ταραχῇ προσφέ"7ροντές τι καινοτομεῖν, τῆς τοιαύτης ἑταιρείας