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the vernal equinox, he himself, and those with him who observed this festival, continued to keep, 6.24.7 until indeed during this reign some of the Novatian bishops throughout Phrygia, having gathered in Pazoucomê (this is a village of the Phrygians whence the sources of the Sagarius river flow), as they did not deign to hold communion in this matter with those who thought differently from them, they established their own law, so as to observe the feast of unleavened bread 6.24.8 and celebrate the Pascha with the Jews. But neither Agelius, the bishop of the Novatians in Constantinople, nor the one of Nicaea, nor of Nicomedia, nor of Cotyaeum (this is a not insignificant city of Phrygia), held communion with this synod, whom the Novatians indeed consider to be lords and summits, so to speak, of matters done concerning their own heresy and their 6.24. churches. And for this reason, how these too fell into dissension and, having divided themselves, held church separately, I will relate at the proper time. 6.25.1 At this time, Apollinaris openly came to preside over the heresy named after him, and having cut off many from the church, he gathered them to himself. And Vitalius, an Antiochene presbyter ordained under Meletius, assisted him in the establishment of his own doctrine, a man distinguished, if any other, by his life and conduct, and zealous for those led under him, 6.25.2 and for this reason revered by the people. For not long after, having separated himself from the communion of Meletius, he attached himself to Apollinaris; and he led those who held the same opinions at Antioch, having a not inconsiderable multitude persuaded by respect for his conduct, who also received their appellation 6.25.3 from him, being called Vitalians among the Antiochenes to this day. And he is said to have suffered this from grief, as having been slighted also by Flavian, who later was entrusted with the throne of Antioch, being at that time his fellow presbyter, having been prevented from seeing the bishop as usual; for thinking he was being overshadowed, he suffered a human failing; and having gone to Apollinaris, he entered into communion and held him as a friend. 6.25.4 From this time, they also held church separately in other cities under their own bishops, and they used customs foreign to the catholic church, chanting certain little metrical songs invented by Apollinaris himself, 6.25.5 instead of the customary sacred hymns. For in addition to his other learning, being also a poet and skilled in all kinds of meters, he persuaded the many to pay attention to him with the enticements from these; for both men at their drinking parties and at their work, and women at their looms, sang his songs. For idylls for work and relaxation and festivals and other occasions, suited to each time, had been composed by him, all tending to the praise of God. 6.25.6 Therefore, when Damasus the bishop of the Romans and Peter of Alexandria first learned that this heresy was spreading to many, a synod having been held in 6.25.7 Rome, they voted it foreign to the catholic church. And Apollinaris is also said to have similarly innovated concerning doctrine out of faintheartedness for the following reason. For when Athanasius, who was in charge of the church of the Alexandrians, was ordered to return to Egypt after his exile under Constantius, as he was passing through Laodicea, he became an intimate and a very great friend to him. 6.25.8 But since communion with him was forbidden by oath to those of the opposite heresy, among whom was also George the bishop there, he was insolently cast out of the church, as having associated with Athanasius contrary to the canons and the laws of the priests. And he accused him on these grounds, and reproached him with accounts of old sins 6.25. that had been absolved by repentance. For while Theodotus, his predecessor, was still governing the church of the Laodiceans, at that time the distinguished sophist Epiphanius was reciting a hymn to Dionysus; and Apollinaris, using him as a teacher (for he was still young), was present at the reading with his father; who had the same name as he, 6.25.10 a not undistinguished grammarian. And when Epiphanius, beginning his speech, as is the custom for those displaying such things to say,

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ἐαρινὴν ἰσημερίαν διετέλεσεν αὐτός τε καὶ οἱ μετ' αὐτὸν ταύτην ἄγοντες τὴν ἑορτήν, 6.24.7 εἰσότε δὴ ἐπὶ ταύτης τῆς ἡγεμονίας τινὲς τῶν ἀνὰ τὴν Φρυγίαν Ναυατιανῶν ἐπισκόπων συνελθόντες ἐν Παζουκώμῃ (χωρίον δὲ τοῦτο Φρυγῶν ὅθεν Σαγαρίου τοῦ ποταμοῦ αἱ πηγαὶ ῥέουσιν) ὡς οὐδὲ ταύτῃ κοινωνεῖν ἀξιοῦντες τοῖς ἑτέρως αὐτοῖς δοξάζουσιν ἴδιον ἔθεντο νόμον, ὥστε τὴν τῶν ἀζύμων 6.24.8 ἐπιτηρεῖν ἑορτὴν καὶ σὺν τοῖς ᾿Ιουδαίοις τὸ πάσχα ἐπιτελεῖν. οὐκ ἐκοινώνει δὲ ταύτῃ τῇ συνόδῳ οὔτε ᾿Αγέλιος ὁ τῶν ἐν Κωνσταντινουπόλει Ναυατιανῶν ἐπίσκοπος οὔτε ὁ Νικαίας ἢ ὁ Νικομηδείας ἢ ὁ Κοτυαείου (πόλις δὲ αὕτη Φρυγίας οὐκ ἄσημος), οὓς δὴ κυρίους καὶ κολοφῶνας, ὡς εἰπεῖν, οἱ Ναυατιανοὶ νομίζουσι τῶν περὶ τὴν οἰκείαν αἵρεσιν καὶ τὰς αὐτῶν ἐκκλη6.24. σίας πραττομένων. ἐκ ταύτης δὲ τῆς αἰτίας ὅπως καὶ οὗτοι εἰς διαφορὰν κατέστησαν καὶ σφᾶς αὐτοὺς διατεμόντες χωρὶς ἐκκλησίαζον, κατὰ καιρὸν ἐρῶ. 6.25.1 ᾿Εν τούτῳ δὲ εἰς τὸ προφανὲς προΐστατο ᾿Απολινάριος τῆς ἀπ' αὐτοῦ ὀνομαζομένης αἱρέσεως, καὶ πολλοὺς ἀποτεμὼν τῆς ἐκκλησίας καθ' ἑαυτὸν συνῆγε. συνελάβετο δὲ αὐτῷ πρὸς τὴν τοῦ οἰκείου δόγματος σύστασιν καὶ Βιτάλιος, πρεσβύτερος ᾿Αντιοχεὺς τῶν ὑπὸ Μελέτιον ἱερωμένων, ἀνὴρ εἰ καί τις ἄλλος ἐκ τοῦ βίου καὶ τῆς πολιτείας ἐπιφανὴς καὶ περὶ τοὺς ὑπ' αὐτὸν 6.25.2 ἀγομένους σπουδαῖος καὶ τούτου χάριν τῷ λαῷ σεβάσμιος. μετ' οὐ πολὺ γὰρ ἀποσχίσας ἑαυτὸν τῆς Μελετίου κοινωνίας ᾿Απολιναρίῳ προσέθετο· καὶ τῶν τὰ αὐτὰ δοξαζόντων ἐπὶ τῆς ᾿Αντιοχέων ἡγεῖτο, αἰδοῖ τῆς αὐτοῦ πολιτείας πλῆθος οὐκ ὀλίγον πειθόμενον ἔχων, οἳ καὶ ἀπ' αὐτοῦ τὴν προσηγορίαν 6.25.3 ἔλαχον, Βιταλιανοὶ παρὰ ᾿Αντιοχεῦσιν εἰσέτι νῦν ὀνομαζόμενοι. λέγεται δὲ τοῦτο παθεῖν ὑπὸ λύπης, ὡς ὑπεροφθεὶς καὶ παρὰ Φλαβιανοῦ, ὃς ὕστερον ἐπετράπη τὸν ᾿Αντιοχέων θρόνον, συμπρεσβυτέρου τότε ὄντος αὐτῷ, κωλυθεὶς συνήθως ἰδεῖν τὸν ἐπίσκοπον· παρευδοκιμεῖσθαι γὰρ νομίσας ἀνθρώπειον ὑπέστη· καὶ πρὸς ᾿Απολινάριον ἐλθὼν ἐκοινώνησε καὶ φίλον αὐτὸν 6.25.4 εἶχεν. ἐκ τούτου δὲ καὶ ἐν ἄλλαις πόλεσι χωρὶς ἐκκλησίαζον ὑπὸ ἐπισκόποις ἰδίοις, καὶ θεσμοῖς ἐχρῶντο ἀλλοτρίοις τῆς καθόλου ἐκκλησίας, παρὰ τὰς νενομισμένας ἱερὰς ᾠδὰς ἔμμετρά τινα μελύδρια ψάλλοντες παρ' αὐ6.25.5 τοῦ ᾿Απολιναρίου ηὑρημένα. πρὸς γὰρ τῇ ἄλλῃ παιδεύσει καὶ ποιητικὸς ὢν καὶ παντοδαπῶν μέτρων εἰδήμων καὶ τοῖς ἐντεῦθεν ἡδύσμασι τοὺς πολλοὺς ἔπειθεν αὐτῷ προσέχειν· ἄνδρες τε γὰρ παρὰ τοὺς πότους καὶ ἐν ἔργοις καὶ γυναῖκες παρὰ τοὺς ἱστοὺς τὰ αὐτοῦ μέλη ἔψαλλον. σπουδῆς γὰρ καὶ ἀνέσεως καὶ ἑορτῶν καὶ τῶν ἄλλων πρὸς τὸν ἑκάστου καιρὸν εἰδύλλια αὐτῷ πεπόνητο, πάντα εἰς εὐλογίαν θεοῦ τείνοντα. 6.25.6 Μαθὼν οὖν ταύτην τὴν αἵρεσιν εἰς πολλοὺς ἕρπειν πρῶτος ∆άμασος ὁ ῾Ρωμαίων ἐπίσκοπος καὶ Πέτρος ὁ ᾿Αλεξανδρείας, συνόδου γενομένης ἐν 6.25.7 ῾Ρώμῃ, ἀλλοτρίαν τῆς καθόλου ἐκκλησίας ἐψηφίσαντο. λέγεται δὲ καὶ ᾿Απολινάριος ὁμοίως ὑπὸ μικροψυχίας νεωτερίσαι περὶ τὸ δόγμα ἐξ αἰτίας τοιᾶσδε. ἡνίκα γὰρ ᾿Αθανάσιος ὁ τὴν ᾿Αλεξανδρέων ἐκκλησίαν ἐπιτροπεύσας μετὰ τὴν ἐπὶ Κωνσταντίου φυγὴν προσετάχθη ἐπανελθεῖν εἰς Αἴγυπτον, διοδεύοντι τὴν Λαοδίκειαν συνήθης αὐτῷ ἐγένετο καὶ εἰς τὰ μάλιστα φίλος. 6.25.8 ἀπωμότου δὲ οὔσης τῆς πρὸς αὐτὸν κοινωνίας τοῖς ἀπὸ τῆς ἐναντίας αἱρέσεως, ὧν ἦν καὶ Γεώργιος ὁ ἐνθάδε ἐπίσκοπος, ὑβριστικῶς ἐκβάλλεται τῆς ἐκκλησίας, ὡς παρὰ κανόνας καὶ τοὺς τῶν ἱερέων νόμους ᾿Αθανασίῳ συγγενόμενος. ἐπῃτιᾶτο δὲ αὐτὸν διὰ ταῦτα, καὶ εὐθύνας παλαιῶν ἁμαρτημάτων 6.25. μεταμελείᾳ λελυμένων ὠνείδιζεν. ἔτι γὰρ Θεοδότου τοῦ πρὸ αὐτοῦ τὴν Λαοδικέων ἐκκλησίαν ἰθύνοντος, κατ' ἐκεῖνο καιροῦ διαπρέπων ᾿Επιφάνιος ὁ σοφιστὴς ὕμνον εἰς τὸν ∆ιόνυσον παρῄει· διδασκάλῳ δὲ αὐτῷ χρώμενος ᾿Απολινάριος (ἔτι γὰρ νέος ἦν) παρεγένετο τῇ ἀκροάσει σὺν τῷ πατρί· ὁμώ6.25.10 νυμος δὲ ἦν αὐτῷ, γραμματικὸς οὐκ ἄσημος. ἐπεὶ δὲ τοῦ λόγου ἀρχόμενος ᾿Επιφάνιος, ὡς ἔθος τοῖς τὰ τοιάδε ἐπιδεικνυμένοις λέγειν,