Letter 195: Part of the papal correspondence surrounding the Acacian Schism (484-519), the major breach between Rome and...

We know that the spirit of your magnificence is so vigorous with the affection of religion that you wish the benefit of the perfection of the Church's peace to be exacted from you rather than requested, judging that it profits the merits of your excellence what you happen to offer at the desire of all. Whence we too presumptuously seek from you as a debt what we know will be profitable to your merits. And so, my lord and son, greeting you with every love, we hope that you will press on with the work which you have founded with the Lord's help, mindful of the divine testimony: "The one who endures to the end will be saved" [Matthew 10:22]. Furthermore, the monks whom you indicated in your letters had come to Rome, we wanted to send back to their own country at once. But because under the invocation of divine power they claimed they could face the danger to their life from ambushes prepared on the road, and were unwilling to return to Constantinople, we did not allow them to be expelled by force. Wherefore we shall need, when our legates arrive, to inquire what cause truly stirred up discord among them. We have indeed sent the sanctuaries of the most blessed apostles Peter and Paul, as you requested with most devout affection, through the bearer of this letter, with all veneration, hoping that the offering and desires of your mind may be acceptable to the Divinity by their prayers. We ask, therefore, that you report to our concern, by a running page of letters, the joy both of those things which are being done for concord and of the blessing of your well-being. Given on the fourth day before the Nones of September [September 2], in the consulship of the most distinguished Eutharicus [519 AD].

*> S^e)t Hormisdae papae ad Jastinianum comitem. Monachos Scylhas usque ad legatorum advenlum Romae necessario manere signi- p. U ficat, Jpostolorum sanctuaria, ut petierat Justinianus, transmittit. Hormisda Justiniano viro illustri. 1. Tta magnificentiae vestrae animum vigere novimus religionis 89 •) Non saDgiiine, ut Amoldus Wion perperam intellezit, sed ut Nicobuis Alemannus notis in cap. 6 histor. arc. Procopii interpretatur, ea fratemitate quae adsX(poniatia a Graecis vocatur. Nam Vitalianust ut ibidem Alemannua proscquitur , oh affcctatarn sub Anastasio tyrannidem sibi timens, publicetm postulavit fidenif quam Justinianus nomine Caesaris non solum dedit, sed etiam super sacram mensatn ritu Ckristianis consueio dSsX(poniaxca, id est jurata mutuo fraterna fide^ yitalianum sibi devinxit. Ad hunc autem ritum respicere putat idem vir erudi- tus Procopium hist. arc. cap. 6, ubi ait: Justinianus Viiatianum tyrannum aecertiit, et cui prius fidem {yn\Q xri^ dotpaXsiag) una cum eo susceptis Christiamorum fl^yxle- riis dederat, paulo post dato suspicioni atque offensioni loco hunc cum neeessariis in aula impie trucidavit , nihil veritus fidem fallere tam formidandam, De htgosmodi fraternitate plura quae in nota laudata disseruntur videsis. ') Ut poutificis litterae ad Vitalianum et Justinianum per Paolinum misMe (conf. ep. 73) , ita et horum responsa jam desiderantur. Conf. not. epist Honn. uon exstant. n. XX et XXI. Is defensor, de quo sermo ante habitus fuit, est Pauliuus. Ideo vero Jutriuaak- nus Scytharum monachorum causam citius ezpediri nunc expetit, qoia timebat» ne si Hormisda litteras per Eulogium missas ante reciperet, secos quam vellet cum illis ageretur. EPISTOLAE 89 — 91. 887 affectu, ut beneficium a vobis in perfectione pacis Ecclesiae velitis a. 519. magis exigi quani rogari, judicantes meritis excellentiae vestrae pro- ficere, quod vos generalitatis desiderio contingit oflFerre. Unde et nos a vobis praesumpte quaerimus tamquam debitum, quod meritis vestris novimus esse profuturum. Et ideo, domine fili, sub omni earitate salutantes speramus, ut immineatis operi, quod Domino ad- juvante fundastis, memores divini testimonii: Qui perseveraverii in i^ ^^. finem, hic salvus erit. 2. Praeterea monachos, quos venisse Romam significastis litte- ris^) vestris, ad propria mox voluimus reverti. Sed quia sub testi- ep. 78. ficatione potentiae divinae dicebant per insidias in itinere paratas vitae sese sustinere posse discrimen, nolentes^) redire Constantino- ^ polim, passi non sumus violenter expeUi. Quapropter necesse habe- bimus venientibus legatis nostris inquirere, qua revera faciente causa inter eos fuerit commota discordia. 3. Beatissimorum vero apostolorum Petri et Pauli sanctuaria, sicut religiosissimo quaesistis affectu, per harum portitorem^) sub omni veneratione transmisimus, optantes, orationibus eorum*) mentis vestrae oblatio et desideria gratiae sint Divinitatis accepta. Petimus itaque, ut tam de his quae geruntur pro concordia, quam de inco- lumitatis vestrae bono nuntietis soUicitudini nostrae gaudium currente pagina litterarum. Data FV Nonas Septembris, Eutharico*) viro cla- rissimo consule.