Letter 130: Part of the papal correspondence surrounding the Acacian Schism (484-519), the major breach between Rome and...

[This is an indiculus — a set of instructions given to the subdeacon Pullio for his mission to Nicopolis.] Coming with the help of God and the prayers of the holy apostles Peter and Paul to Nicopolis, you should act as follows: after the bishop of Nicopolis has received our letters, he should gather the bishops whom he has in his diocese and have them subscribe to the libellus [formula of submission] which they have appended to their letters. If, however, the aforesaid bishop says it is burdensome to gather the bishops, let him send persons with you to each individual bishop, so that you [may obtain their subscriptions and return to us].

S6U (a. 516 ,. ^ Indiculus perM Fullionem subdiaoonum. 19 Nov.) ^ Quid in Nicopolitana ecclesia agendum sit. Cum Dei adjutorio et orationibus sanctorum apostolorum Petn et Pauli veniens ad Nicopolim, sic debes agere, ut postquam episco- pus Nicopolitauus acceperit litteras nostras, episcopos, quos in sua 19 ^) Videlicet duabus epistolis superioribus subter annexam, nt in epdoh sequenti planius declaratur, quique in cditiouibus conciliorum cpistolae huiciab' jicitur veluti data XV. Kal, Aprilis Agapito v, c, cons, Kcet Agapitog anno tan- tum 517 consulatum adeptus sit. Nos eum, vestigia G* secuti, epistolae 7 n. ^ subjccimus; eumdem nobis epistola 26 suspeditabit. •) Nominatim Illyrici, ad quod Epiri veteris provincia pertinebat^ paw OBffl^ sacerdotes inter eos, qui ad communionem sedis apostolicae eo pacto zedieW epist. 9 n. 1 memorantur. 20 ^) Seu potius datus Pullioni suhdiacono, ut Bupra epist. 7 imdiemlms fid dMif ^ Ennodio , non per Ennodium legitur. Hunc indicidum una cnm saperioci epif^ conscriptum ao datum fuisse, cx cadcm cpistola liquet. EPI8T0LAE 19 — 21. 781 ecia habet; coUigat, et faciat subscribere libellum; quem in epi- (a. 516.) ) ^) suis habent annexum. Si tamen dixerit praedictus episcopus laboriosum episcopos colligere, dirigat tecum personas per sin- 3( episcopos, ut te praesente subscribant^) in praedictum libel- Sic tamen cum Dei misericordia facere debes, ut epistolae, a nobis missae sunt, publice legantur; aut si videris prae timore episcopos facere nolle, saltem clericis suis haec relegant. Quae n in ipsorum dimitte potestatem, et scripta episcoporum et i episcopi, hoc est Johannis metropolitani, ad nos cum miseri- la reporta. Post hoc factum nullas moras te volumus ibidem •€; propter insidias et calliditates inimicorum. Per Johannem >num ejus.