Fragmentum synodicae epistulae

FRAGMENTUM SYNODICAE EPISTOLAE,QUAM SCRIPSITPOLYCRATES EPHESINUS EPISCOPUS,AD VICTOREM ROMANAEQUE URBIS ECCLESIAM,FERME EXEUNTE SAECULO SECUNDO.

We, therefore, celebrate the day without tampering; neither adding, nor taking away. For indeed in Asia great luminaries have fallen asleep; who shall rise again on the day of the Lord's coming, in which He comes with glory from heaven, and will raise up all the saints; Philip, one of the twelve apostles, who has fallen asleep 14 in Hierapolis, and his two daughters who grew old as virgins; and his other daughter who lived in the Holy Spirit, who rests in Ephesus; and moreover also John, he who leaned upon the Lord's breast; who became a priest, having worn the petalon, and a martyr and a teacher; this one has fallen asleep in Ephesus. And moreover also Polycarp in Smyrna, both bishop and martyr; and Thraseas, both bishop and martyr from Eumeneia, who has fallen asleep in Smyrna. And what must I say of Sagaris, bishop and martyr, who has fallen asleep in Laodicea? And moreover also the blessed Papirius, and Melito the eunuch, who lived his whole life in the Holy Spir15it; who lies in Sardis awaiting the visitation from heaven, in which he will be raised from the dead. All these observed the fourteenth day of the Pascha according to the Gospel; deviating in nothing, but following according to the rule of faith; and moreover I also, Polycrates, the least of you all, according to the tradition of my kinsmen, some of whom I also have followed. Seven of my kinsmen were bishops, and I am the eighth; and my kinsmen always kept the day when the people put away the leaven. I therefore, brethren, being sixty-five years in the Lord; and having conferred with the brethren from 16 the whole world; and having gone through every Holy Scripture, am not frightened by those who terrify us. For those greater than I have said, We must obey God rather than men. I could mention the bishops who were present with me, whom you requested that I summon, and I summoned them; whose names, if I should write them, are a great multitude. And they, seeing my small person, consented to the letter; knowing that I have not borne these grey hairs in vain, but have always lived my life in the Lord Jesus. He brought these things; Eusebius, Book 8, History, Chapter 24.

Fragmentum synodicae epistulae

FRAGMENTUM SYNODICAE EPISTOLAE,QUAM SCRIPSITPOLYCRATES EPHESINUS EPISCOPUS,AD VICTOREM ROMANAEQUE URBIS

ECCLESIAM,FERME EXEUNTE SAECULO SECUNDO.

ἩΜΕΙΣ οὖν ἀραδιούργητον ἄγομεν τὴν ἡμέραν· μήτε προστιθέντες, μήτε ἀφαιρούμενοι. καὶ γὰρ καὶ κατὰ τὴν Ἀσίαν μεγάλα στοιχεῖα κεκοίμηται· ἅ τινα ἀναστήσεται τῇ ἡμέρᾳ τῆς παρουσίας τοῦ Κυρίου, ἐν ᾗ ἔρχεται μετὰ δόξης ἐξ οὐρανῶν, καὶ ἀναστήσει πάντας τοὺς ἁγίους· Φίλιππον τὸν τῶν δώδεκα ἀποστόλων, ὃς κεκοίμηται 14 ἐν Ἱεραπόλει, καὶ δύο θυγατέρες αὐτοῦ γεγηρακυῖαι παρθένοι· καὶ ἡ ἑτέρα αὐτοῦ θυγάτηρ ἐν ἁγίῳ πνεύματι πολιτευσαμένη, ἣ ἐν Ἐφέσῳ ἀναπαύεται· ἔτι δὲ καὶ Ἰωάννης ὁ ἐπὶ τὸ στῆθος τοῦ Κυρίου ἀναπεσών· ὃς ἐγενήθη ἱερεὺς τὸ πέταλον πεφορεκὼς, καὶ μάρτυς καὶ διδάσκαλος· οὗτος ἐν Ἐφέσῳ κεκοίμηται. ἔτι δὲ καὶ Πολύκαρπος ἐν Σμύρνῃ καὶ ἐπίσκοπος καὶ μάρτυς· καὶ Θρασέας καὶ ἐπίσκοπος καὶ μάρτυς ἀπὸ Εὐμενείας, ὃς ἐν Σμύρνῃ κεκοίμηται. τί δὲ δεῖ λέγειν Σάγαριν ἐπίσκοπον καὶ μάρτυρα, ὃς ἐν Λαοδικείᾳ κεκοίμηται; ἔτι δὲ καὶ Παπείριον τὸν μακάριον, καὶ Μελίτωνα τὸν εὐνοῦχον, τὸν ἐν ἁγίῳ πνεύ15 ματι πάντα πολιτευσάμενον· ὃς κεῖται ἐν Σάρδεσι περιμένων τὴν ἀπὸ τῶν οὐρανῶν ἐπισκοπὴν, ἐν ᾗ ἐκ νεκρῶν ἀναστήσεται. οὗτοι πάντες ἐτήρησαν τὴν ἡμέραν τῆς τεσσαρεσκαιδεκάτης τοῦ πάσχα κατὰ τὸ εὐαγγέλιον· μηδὲν παρεκβαίνοντες, ἀλλὰ κατὰ τὸν κανόνα τῆς πίστεως ἀκολουθοῦντες· ἔτι δὲ κᾀγὼ ὁ μικρότερος πάντων ὑμῶν Πολυκράτης, κατὰ παράδοσιν τῶν συγγενῶν μου, οἷς καὶ παρηκολούθησα τισὶν αὐτῶν. ἑπτὰ μὲν ἦσαν συγγενεῖς μου ἐπίσκοποι, ἐγὼ δὲ ὄγδοος· καὶ πάντοτε τὴν ἡμέραν ἤγαγον οἱ συγγενεῖς μου, ὅταν ὁ λαὸς ἤρνυε τὴν ζύμην. ἐγὼ οὖν, ἀδελφοὶ, ἑξήκοντα πέντε ἔτη ἔχων ἐν Κυρίῳ· καὶ συμβεβληκὼς τοῖς ἀπὸ 16 τῆς οἰκουμένης ἀδελφοῖς· καὶ πᾶσαν ἁγίαν γραφὴν διεληλυθὼς, οὐ πτύρομαι ἐπὶ τοῖς καταπλησσομένοις. οἱ γὰρ ἐμοῦ μείζονες εἰρήκασι, πειθαρχεῖν δεῖ Θεῷ μᾶλλον ἢ ἀνθρώποις. Ἐδυνάμην δὲ τῶν ἐπισκόπων τῶν συμπαρόντων μνημονεῦσαι, οὓς ὑμεῖς ἠξιώσατε μετακληθῆναι ὑπ' ἐμοῦ, καὶ μετεκαλεσάμην· ὧν τὰ ὀνόματα ἐὰν γράφω, πολλὰ πλήθη εἰσίν. οἱ δὲ ἰδόντες τὸν μικρόν μου ἄνθρωπον, συνηυδόκησαν τῇ ἐπιστολῇ· εἰδότες ὅτι εἰκῆ πολιὰς οὐκ ἤνεγκα, ἀλλὰ ἐν Κυρίῳ Ἰησοῦ πάντοτε πεπολίτευμαι. αττυλιτ ηαεξ ευσεβιυς λιβ. ῃ. ηιστ. ξαπ. 24.