Letter 168: Part of the papal correspondence surrounding the Acacian Schism (484-519), the major breach between Rome and...

We reported to your blessedness in another letter the manner in which we arrived, with God's help, at the city of Aulon [modern Vlore, Albania], and how we were received by the bishop of that city, and what was done, and what response they gave, and that he promised to subscribe the libellus [formula of submission] together with his metropolitan. Now as for what took place in the city of Scampis [city in Epirus Nova], we have not permitted ourselves, aided by your prayers, to keep silent. Before we entered the city, the venerable bishop Trojus came forth with his clergy and people to meet us. And how God was blessed on that very day, and what festivity followed through his piety, we report to the knowledge of your apostleship. In our presence and that of his clergy and the noble men of that city, he subscribed the libellus, presented it, and we received it; and in the presence of all the clergy and people, it was read aloud on the steps by your servant Peter, notary of the holy Roman Church. The assembly was in the basilica of Saint Peter. We confess to your blessedness: such devotion, such praises to God, such tears, such joys we have rarely seen in another people. Nearly all of them — men with women, soldiers — received us into the city with candles and crosses. Mass was celebrated; no name burdened by religious offense was recited except only that of your blessedness. Our bishop, the venerable Germanus, celebrated the mass. And they promised that thereafter none would be recited except those whom the apostolic see has received. How much has been accomplished through us, may a gracious God preserve in you. We wrote this letter thirty miles from Lychnidus [modern Ohrid, North Macedonia], hoping to arrive that very day in the same city, with God's help. And as information has reached us, we hope that the bishop of that city will do likewise. If this happens, we will report at the first opportunity. While we were in Scampis, after mass at the dinner hour, Stephanus and Leontius, distinguished men sent by the emperor to meet us, arrived, still not knowing that we were in the regions of Greece, because the instructions given to the count Stephanus were to cross to the regions of Italy to meet us. (This Stephanus is said to be a relative of your son, the master of soldiers Vitalian [a powerful general and champion of Chalcedonian orthodoxy].) They reported to us that the senator Patricius has been proscribed and sent into exile. For what cause, however, unless we learn how the news reached us, we cannot say, because in such matters it is not easy to make judgments. It is also said that the apocrisiarii [ambassadors/representatives] of the church of Thessalonica are being detained, and that letters were found in their possession; for what cause, we do not know. Together with them, Philumenus, Demetrius the magistrianus [imperial courier], and other persons whose names we do not know have also been detained. These things are, as we said, what we have heard. Concerning the ecclesiastical matter, however, with God's mercy, favorable things are being reported. Nevertheless, we have been wholly unable to determine for what reason Cosmates the physician came to Italy, except that he is being vigorously sought. About which you ought to be concerned, so that you may learn for what reason he came there.

seu Exemplum suggestionis secundae Germani et Johannis tioMart) EflSTOLAE ROMAN. PONTIP. I. 54 (a.619.) episooporum^), Feliois et Diosoori diaoonomm et Blandi presbyteri, De geitis in Scampina dvitaie referuni et qtdbusdam nuniHs sibi primUim oMi. p. ' 1. In civitate Aulonitana^) quo ordine cum Dei adjutorio per- venimuS; et quomodo sumus suscepti ab episcopo civitatis ipsins, et quid est actum, vel quale responsum dederunt^ et quia hoc promisit; ut cum metropolitano suo faceret libellum; in alia epistola beatita- dini vestrae significavimus. 2. Nam quod in Scampina^) civitate factum est^ vestris orationi- bus tacere non permisimus*). Antequam nos ingrederemur in dvi- tatem ipsam, venerabilis Trojus episcopus cum suo clero vel plebe in occursum nobis egressus est. Et quomodo Deus in ipsa die ben^ dictus est^ et quae festivitas per ipsius pietatem est subsecata, ad notitiam apostolatus vestri referimus. Nobis praesentibus vel suo clero et nobilibus viris ipsius civitatis, libellum subscripsit, porrexit: suscepimus, et praesente omni clero vel plebe, in gradu*) a servo vestro Petro notario sanctae ecclesiae Romanae est relectns. Erat conventus in basilica sancti Petri. Confitemur beatitudini vestrae: tantam devotionem, tantas Deo laudes, tantas lacrymas, tanta gan* dia difficile in alio populo vidimus. Prope omnes cum cereis viri cum mulieribus, milites. cum crucibus in civitate nos susceperunt Celebratae sunt missae, nullius nomen obnoxium religionis est reci- tatum, nisi tantum beatitudinis vestrae. Noster episcopus venera- bilis Germanus missam celebravit. Et promiserunt nec postea reci- tari; nisi quos sedes apostolica suscepit. Quanta a nobis operata sunt, Deus propitius in vobis conservet. Istam epistolam ante tri- ginta millia ^) de Lignido fecimus, sperantes ipsa die in eadem ci?i- tate cum Dei adjutorio pervenire. Et quomodo ad nos pervenit'), 59 *) Ed. episcopi et mox diaconi; emendantur ex epistolis 64^ 76 etc. ') Et haec Epiri novae, ut ex dtato loco constat, civitas erat DjirachimB inter ad occasum et Lignidum ad ortum sita, eed nunc in vicnm redacta. ®) b cc milliaria a Lignido, Hoc ita interpretamur, ut legati e loco ampliai triginta millibus a Lignido distaute scribere se significent. Quod consolto no- tant, ut 36 maximis itineribus celerare fidem faciant. Secundum Baudrandiun autem Scampi a Lignido 55 millibus distant. EPISTOLAE 59. 60. . 851 speramus et ipsius civitatis episcopum similia facere. Quod si fa- (a. 519.) cium fiierit, data occasione rescribemus. 3. Scampis uobis^) positis; post missas hora coenatoria Ste- phanus et Leontius vv. ss. ab imperatore missi in occursum nobis venerunt, adbuc nescientes nos in partibus Graeciarum positos, quia talia mandata fuerunt comiti Stephano data^ ut ad partes Italiae transirent in occursum nostrum. (Est Stephanus iste, quomodo dicitur, de parentela filii vestri magistri militum Vitaliani.) Qui nobis nuntiaverunt Patricium senatorem proscriptum et in exsilium missum. Pro qua tamen causa, nisi quomodo ad nos pervenerit, non possumus dicere, quia non est de talibus rebus facile deliberare. Dicitur tamen, et apocrisiarios") Thessalonicensis ecclesiae teneri, apud quos dicuntur et epistolas inventas; pro qua causa, nescimus: cum ipsis et Philumenum et Demetrium magistrianum et alias per- sonas, quarum nomina ignoramus. Ista sunt, quomodo praediximus, quae audivimus. De causa tamen ecclesiastica cum Dei misericor- dia prospera nuntiantur. Cosmatem tamen medicum, pro qua causa in Italiam venit, penitus intelligere non potuimus, nisi hoc, quia fortiter quaeritur. De quo debetis esse solliciti, ut sciatis, pro qua causa ibidem venit.