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53.1 He returns, therefore, to you now more glorious than when he departed from you. For if fire tests precious materials, gold and silver indeed, for purity, what could one say worthy of so great a man, who, having conquered the dangers of so many afflictions, is given back to you innocent, proven so not only by us, but also by the whole synod? 53.2 Receive, therefore, beloved brethren, with all glory and joy according to God, your bishop Athanasius, together with these who have been his companions in so many labors, and rejoice in obtaining your prayers, you who nourished and gave drink with salutary 53.3 writings to your shepherd who was, so to speak, longing for and thirsting for your piety. 53.3 For you have been a consolation to him during his sojourn in a foreign land and you have cherished him when he was persecuted with your most faithful souls and minds. 53.4 But it already gladdens me as I consider and foresee in my mind the joy of each of you at his return and the most pious greetings of the multitude and the glorious festival of those running together. And what and what sort of a day that will be for you, when my brother returns, and when the former things cease, and the most precious and longed-for 53.5 return joins all together in a gladness of fullest joy? 53.5 And such joy extends in the highest degree even to us, if this also happens to be granted from God, that we may be able to come to the knowledge of so great a man. It is good, therefore, to end 53.6 the letter with a prayer. 53.6 May God the almighty and His Son our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ grant you perpetual grace, giving a reward for your wonderful faith, which you showed for your bishop with glorious testimony, that he may bestow upon you and those after you, both here and in the age to come, the better things, which “eye has not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God has prepared for them that love him” through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom be glory to God the almighty for ever and ever. Amen. I pray that you may be strong in the Lord, beloved brethren.

54.1 When I came with these letters, the emperor saw me and received me kindly, and he sent me to my country and my church, writing to the bishops and presbyters and laity as follows: 54.2ν The Victor Constantius, Maximus Augustus, to the bishops and presbyters of the Catholic Church. The most reverend Athanasius was not abandoned by the grace of God. But although for a short time he was subjected to a trial according to men, yet he has received the sentence due to him from the all-seeing Providence, receiving back by the will of the Higher Power and by our judgment his country together with the Church, of which he was president by the divine will. 54.3 In consequence of this, it was necessary for our clemency to grant the following: that all the decrees previously made against those who had been in communion with him should now be consigned to amnesty, 54.4 and that all suspicion against them should cease for the future. The immunity from public services, which the clergy with him formerly enjoyed, it is fitting should be confirmed to them—moreover, we have also thought it right to add this to our grace towards him, that all who are on the sacred roll should know that freedom from fear has been granted to all who attach themselves to him, whether they be bishops or 54.5 clergy. 54.5 And a sufficient proof of each man's right choice will be his union with him. For as many as, having arrived at a better judgment and portion, shall choose communion with him, all these we have commanded to enjoy, in like manner to the former provision and now to the grace granted by us by the will of the Higher Power. May God preserve you.

55.t A second letter

55.1ν The Victor Constantius, Maximus Augustus, to the people of the Catholic Church in Alexandria. Making it our aim your good order in all things, and knowing that for a long time

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53.1 Ἐπανέρχεται τοίνυν πρὸς ὑμᾶς λαμπρότερος νῦν, ἢ ὅτε παρ' ὑμῶν ἀπεδήμησεν. εἰ γὰρ καὶ τὰς τιμίας ὕλας, χρυσὸν δὴ καὶ ἄργυρον, εἰς καθαρότητα τὸ πῦρ δοκιμάζει, τί ἄν τις εἴποι κατ' ἀξίαν τοῦ τοσούτου ἀνδρὸς, ὃς κινδύνους τοσούτων θλίψεων νικήσας ἀποδί δοται ὑμῖν ἀθῶος οὐ παρ' ἡμῶν μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ παρὰ πάσης τῆς συνόδου ἀποδειχθείς; 53.2 ὑποδέξασθε τοίνυν, ἀγαπητοὶ ἀδελφοί, μετὰ πάσης τῆς κατὰ θεὸν δόξης καὶ χαρᾶς τὸν ἐπίσκοπον ὑμῶν Ἀθανάσιον μετὰ τούτων, οἵτινες αὐτῷ καὶ τῶν τοσούτων καμάτων κοινωνοὶ γεγόνασι καὶ χαίρετε τῶν εὐχῶν ἑαυτῶν ἀπολαύοντες, οἳ τὸν ποιμένα τὸν ὑμέτερον, ἵν' οὕτως εἴπω, ποθοῦντα καὶ διψῶντα τὴν ὑμετέραν θεοσέβειαν, σωτηρίοις 53.3 γραφαῖς ἐθρέψατε καὶ ἐποτίσατε. καὶ γὰρ τῆς ἐπὶ ξένης αὐτοῦ διατριβῆς ὑμεῖς παρα μυθία γεγόνατε καὶ διωκόμενον ἐθάλψατε ταῖς πιστοτάταις ἑαυτῶν ψυχαῖς καὶ διανοίαις. 53.4 ἐμὲ δὲ ἤδη εὐφραίνει ἐννοούμενον καὶ προορῶντα τῷ λογισμῷ τὴν ἐπὶ τῇ ἐπανόδῳ ἑκάστου ὑμῶν χαρὰν καὶ τοῦ πλήθους τὰς θεοσεβεστάτας ἀπαντήσεις καὶ τὸ ἔνδοξον τῆς τῶν συντρεχόντων ἑορτῆς. καὶ τίς ἐκείνη ἡ ἡμέρα ὑμῖν καὶ ποία ἔσται, ἐπανερχομένου μὲν τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ μου, παυομένων δὲ τῶν προγενομένων καὶ τῆς πολυτιμήτου καὶ κατ' εὐχὴν 53.5 ἐπανόδου εἰς εὐφροσύνην τινὰ πληρεστάτης χαρᾶς συναπτούσης τοὺς πάντας; ἡ τοιαύτη δὲ χαρὰ κατὰ τὸ μέγιστον μέχρις ἡμῶν φθάνει, εἰ θεόθεν καὶ τοῦτο συγχωρεῖσθαι συνέστηκεν, ὅπως εἰς γνῶσιν τοῦ τηλικούτου ἀνδρὸς ἐλθεῖν δυνηθῶμεν. εἰς εὐχὴν δὴ οὖν 53.6 τὴν ἐπιστολὴν τελειῶσαι καλόν. ὁ θεὸς ὁ παντοκράτωρ καὶ ὁ τούτου υἱὸς ὁ κύριος καὶ σωτὴρ ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦς Χριστὸς διηνεκῆ τὴν χάριν ὑμῖν παράσχοι διδοὺς ἔπαθλον τῇ θαυμαστῇ ὑμῶν πίστει, ἣν περὶ τὸν ἐπίσκοπον ὑμῶν ἐνδόξῳ μαρτυρίᾳ ἐνεδείξασθε, ἵνα ὑμῖν τε καὶ τοῖς μεθ' ὑμᾶς ἐνταῦθα καὶ ἐν τῷ μέλλοντι τὰ βελτίονα νέμοι, ἃ «ὀφθαλμὸς οὐκ εἶδε καὶ οὖς οὐκ ἤκουσε καὶ ἐπὶ καρδίαν ἀνθρώπου οὐκ ἀνέβη, ἃ ἡτοίμασεν ὁ θεὸς τοῖς ἀγαπῶσιν αὐτὸν» διὰ τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, δι' οὗ τῷ παντοκράτορι θεῷ ἡ δόξα εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. ἀμήν. ἐρρῶσθαι ὑμᾶς ἐν κυρίῳ εὔχομαι, ἀγαπητοὶ ἀδελφοί.

54.1 Μετὰ τούτων ἐλθόντα με γνησίως ἑώρακεν ὁ βασιλεὺς καὶ ἀπέστειλε πρὸς τὴν πα τρίδα καὶ τὴν ἐκκλησίαν γράψας τοῖς ἐπισκόποις καὶ πρεσβυτέροις καὶ λαοῖς ταῦτα· 54.2ν Νικητὴς Κωνστάντιος Μέγιστος Σεβαστὸς ἐπισκόποις καὶ πρεσβυτέροις τῆς καθολι κῆς ἐκκλησίας. Οὐκ ἀπελείφθη τῆς τοῦ θεοῦ χάριτος ὁ αἰδεσιμώτατος Ἀθανάσιος. ἀλλ' εἰ καὶ ἐν βραχεῖ χρόνῳ τῇ κατὰ ἀνθρώπους δοκιμασίᾳ ὑπεβλήθη, ὅμως τὴν ὀφειλομένην παρὰ τῆς παντεφόρου προνοίας ἀπηνέγκατο ψῆφον ἀπολαβὼν βουλήσει τοῦ κρείττονος καὶ κρίσει ἡμετέρᾳ τὴν πατρίδα ὁμοῦ καὶ τὴν ἐκκλησίαν, ἧς θείῳ νεύματι προστάτης ἐτύγ 54.3 χανε. τούτῳ τὰ ἀκόλουθα ἔδει παρὰ τῆς ἡμετέρας ὑπάρξαι πραότητος, ὥστε πάντα τὰ πρὸ τούτου κατὰ τῶν αὐτῷ κεκοινωνηκότων ὡρισμένα νῦν ἀμνηστίᾳ παραδοθῆναι 54.4 πᾶσάν τε ὑποψίαν τὴν κατ' αὐτῶν σχολάσαι τοῦ λοιποῦ. τὴν ἀτέλειαν, ἧς ἔτυχον πάλαι οἱ ἅμα αὐτῷ κληρικοί, τούτοις βεβαιωθῆναι προσηκόντως-ἀλλὰ μὴν καὶ τοῦτο τῇ εἰς αὐτὸν χάριτι προστιθέναι ἐδικαιώσαμεν, ὥστε πάντας τοὺς τοῦ ἱεροῦ καταλόγου γινώσκειν ἐνδεδόσθαι τὸ ἄφοβον πᾶσι τοῖς αὐτῷ προστιθεμένοις εἴτε ἐπισκόποις εἴτε 54.5 κληρικοῖς. ἱκανὸν δὲ γνώρισμα τῆς ἑκάστου ὀρθῆς προαιρέσεως ἔσται ἡ πρὸς τοῦτον ἕνωσις. ὅσοι γὰρ ἂν τῆς καλλίονος ὁμοῦ κρίσεώς τε καὶ μοίρας γενόμενοι τὴν τούτου ἕλωνται κοινωνίαν, τούτους πάντας ἐκελεύσαμεν καθ' ὁμοιότητα τῆς φθανούσης προ νοίας καὶ νῦν τῆς ὑφ' ἡμῶν βουλήσει τοῦ κρείττονος παρασχεθείσης χάριτος ἀπολαύειν. ὁ θεὸς ὑμᾶς διαφυλάττοι. 55.τ Ἐπιστολὴ δευτέρα 55.1ν Νικητὴς Κωνστάντιος Μέγιστος Σεβαστὸς τῷ λαῷ τῆς κατὰ Ἀλεξάνδρειαν καθολι κῆς ἐκκλησίας. Σκοπὸν ποιούμενοι τὴν ὑμετέραν ἐν ἅπασιν εὐνομίαν εἰδότες τε ὡς ἐπὶ