Letter 181: Part of the papal correspondence surrounding the Acacian Schism (484-519), the major breach between Rome and...

Our mind is rendered anxious by long waiting: having been dispatched to so great a prince, you ought to have made us certain with speed. For we believed we could receive your letters before the day of the Lord's Ascension. Therefore we desire to learn both the signs of your safety and the progress of the cause which you undertook to accomplish with the help of our God. We have taken care to send Paulinus, defender of the Roman Church, with the present writings, directing letters both to the emperor and to the individual persons to whom it was proper. Wherefore we pray our God with fitting entreaties that he may deign to guard your safety with his own favor, and grant the kind of result to the cause that we desire: for nothing is more inscribed among the titles of an excellent emperor than that the Greek church, present and future, should merit to proclaim him the author of peace. Given on the third day before the Kalends of May [April 29], in the consulship of the most distinguished Eutharicus [519 AD].

Hormisdae papae ad eosdem. 29 Apnl Suam de eorum gesiis soUidAidinem Paulino defensore misso significai. Hormisda quibus supra. Animus noster diuturna redditur exspectatione sollicitus: prae- cipue ad tantum principem destinati, sub celeritate nos certiores debuissetis ef ficere. Nam ante ^) diem ascensionis dominicae litteras vestras credebamus nos posse suscipere. Idcirco tam vestrae sospi- tatis indicia quam profectum causae, quam peragendam cum Dei nostri juvamine suscepistis, desideramus agnoscere. Paulinum eccle- siae Romanae defensorem cum scriptis praesentibus destinare cura- vimus, tam principi litteras, quam singulis, quibus oportuit, diri- gentes. Quapropter Deum nostrum congruis precibus oramus, ut ipse salutem vestram sua propitiatione custodiat, et causae qualem desideramus concedere dignetut effectum: quia nihil majus inter titulos optimi imperatoris adscribitur, quam si eum ecelesia Graeca praesens et futura praedieare mereatur pacis auctorem. Data III Calendas Majas, Euthjirico viro clarissimo cousule. 72 ^) Ed. vesiram cogiiationem ... revelare possiiis. Collatione facta hujus loci cum hoc altero epist. 74 (quod ei facere pro nosirae cogiiaiionis relevaiione debe- tis) emendantur. 73 *) Quirni Pascha hoc anno in diem 31 Martii incidisset, Ascensionis soUe- mnitas Maji dumtaxat 9 die ceh^branda nondum attulserat, quum haec scriberet. 65