Letter 14

From: The Synod of Old Epirus (bishops John, Matthew, Constantine, Christodorus, Hilarius, Philippus, Julian, and Chrysippus) To: Hormisdas, Pope of Rome Date: ~516 AD Context: The bishops of Old Epirus (roughly modern Albania/northwest Greece) write collectively to Hormisdas, describing their sufferings under the schism and their loyalty to Rome, and reporting the death of their archbishop Alcison — a moving document of resistance to Constantinople's ecclesiastical policy. The Synod of Old Epirus — John, Matthew, Constantine, Christodorus, Hilarius, Philippus, Julian, and Chrysippus — to our lord, all-holy and most blessed father of fathers, fellow minister and prince of bishops, Hormisdas. If we tried to use an opening worthy of our circumstances, we would need to produce it with much weeping. For many of us were in Constantinople when your most holy representatives — the bishops Ennodius and Fortunatus, the priest Venantius, the deacon Vitalis, and the notary Hilarus — were residing there, maintaining the struggle of devotion they had undertaken. With us too was our father and archbishop Alcison, now among the saints, who with every boldness petitioned Your Beatitude with his humble requests and was made worthy to receive communion with the apostolic see on our behalf. But since the One who holds power over all things suddenly called him to himself, we — held back by uncontrollable grief — nevertheless made it home, in no way tolerating error on account of God's grace, but everywhere following your decrees.

EXEMPLAR RELATIONIS SYNODI EPIRI UETERIS. DOMINO NOSTRO . CrXCTA SAXCTISSIMO AC BEATISSIXO PATRI PATRUM COMMIXISTRO AC PRIXCIPI EPISCOPORUM nORMlSDAE SYNODUS 1 qui o': quae V 3 seminum] desinit codicis V fol. 112, nisi quod in eimdem angulo infimo prinmm seqiieniis folii uocabulum radix prae- notatum est. ipsum fol. 113 ueteris scripturae excidit recentique folio saeculi 1 Gjl 7 suppletum {cf. Proleg. I) ; quare in hac quldemparte sequimur codicem a 3 radis a 5 perdito Eutycheti Bar. Acacius Bar, Coust.i acacii a discipulus Bar., discipulis Coust. 9 reuerent^s a, corr. et a man. post. 20 ivn a: xiii Coust.; cf. 'Beitriige . : p. 9 W decembriarum a Epist. CXVm 8 — CXIX 5. 527 VETERIS EPIRI lOHANNES MATTHAEUS COXSTANTIXUS CHRISTODORUS HILARIUS PHILIPPUS lULIANUS ET CHRYSIPPUS. Si dignis pro- oemiis uti teraptemus, necesse est niultis fletibus horum depromptiones efficere. plurimi namque ex nobis in regnante 2 b fuere Constantinopoli, cum uestri sanctissimi uicarii Ennodius et Fortunatus episcopi, Uenantius presbyter, Uitalis diaconus, Hilarus notarius degerent, pietatis agona susceptum tenentes. nobiscum autem fuit et inter sanctos factus pater atque archiepiscopus noster Alcison, qui cum omni praesumptione to supplicibus utens libellis apud uestram beatitudinem dignus efFectus est apostolicae sedi uestrae comraunicare nobiscum. sed quia repente, qui cunctorum retinet potestatem, hunc ad 3 se euocauit, nos inrefrenabili fletu retenti peruenimus tamen ad patriam nullo modo eiTorem propter dei gratiam sustinentes is sed ubique uestra decreta sectantes. flentibus autem nobis 4 atque lamentantibus cum his, qui nobiscum relicti sunt in paroecia comministri, quis possit de orthodoxis recte Christi oues transigere, qui consolatur humiles, consolatus est etiam nos per uestras orationes, demonstrans metropolitanae ciuitati 20 in cunctis sanctissimum lohannem, qui a pueritia in ecclesia sine culpa nutritus, immo laudabiliter in ea degens, ita ut neque eum in Iiac quisquam moribus antecellat, zelo autem circa orthodoxiam iuxta apostolicas ammonitiones uestras nulli omnino cedente. hunc ergo dei prouidentia ordinauimus 5 25 praesulem Nicopolitanorum sanctissiraae ecclesiae et rogamus, ut iuxta antiquam consuetudinem hunc quoque complectamini patemis uisceribus uestris nobisque atque ipsi dei gratia 1 iohannis matheus a 2 hylarius a crisippus a {>miis a 5 ue- stris a, corr. 7 hilarius o et a wan. post. 11 sedis a, corr. Bar. 13 recenti a, correxi: detenti Thiel 15 uobis a, corr. 17 paro- etia a 22 hac («c. ecclesia) a: his Bar. moribus scripsi: tempo- ribus a Bar. zelo] incipit rursus uettis scriptura V (fol. J14J 23 or- thodoxia F, corr. Thiel 24 cedente V\ cedens Bar. 25 praesule F, corr. ©2 XXXV pars 2. 34 528 Hormisda synodo Epiri neteris efficiamini arma inexpugnabilia commonitiouibus uestris atque doctrinis et precantibus nobis inclinetis aurem et pietatem concordiae reperiatis iuita inspiratam uobis diuinitus aposto- licam prouidentiam, ut in pace, quae est ei amabilis, cunctae sanctissimae ecclesiae coaptatae inmarcescibilem uobis coronam nectentes in omni pietate atque humilitate comprehendantur 6 in Christo. uenerabilem uero diaconum Kufinum propter hanc tam necessariam causam directum libenter rogati conspicite et ad nos sub uelocitate remittite portantem doctrinas uestras apostolicas. 7 ET ALiA MANu: Incolomcm me ora, sanctissime pater patrum. ego lohannes episcopus Euroeas retuli. Incolomem me ora in domino, sanctissime ac beatissime pater patrum. ego Matthaeus episcopus Butroiti retuli. <Ego> Constantinus episcopus Hadrianopoleos retuli. Incolomem me in domino ora, sanctissime ac beatissime pater patrum. ego Christodorus episcopus Anciasmu retuli. Ego Hilarius episcopus Fotices retuli. Ego Philippus episcopus Phoenices retuli. Ego lulianus episcopus Dodones retuli. Ego Chrysippus episcopus Cercyres retuli. 3 repperiatis V 4 ei] scilicet deo, quod ex diainituB sub^ plendum amabiles V, corr. o 5 cooptate F, conexi: cooptat^ inmaTcessibilem ex inmarcessibiles corr. V 6 comprehendamur F, corr. Bar. 11 et 14 patrum ex parum corr. V man. rec. 12 Euroeas {uel Eurias) scripsi (cf. Beitrdge 8): eursas F, rursus Car. 13 dno F^ corr. man. rec. 14 matheas V 15 ego inseruit Bar. haonano- poleos F, corr. Bar. 17 Anchiasmi Harduinus 18 illarius F 19 Phoe- nices HardtUnus: photicensis F 21 crisippus F Epist. CXIX 6 - CXX 4. 52d