Letter 241

From: Unknown correspondent To: Pope Hormisdas, Rome (unknown) Date: ~515-523 AD Context: Part of the papal correspondence surrounding the Acacian Schism (484-519), the major breach between Rome and Constantinople over the condemnation of the Monophysite patriarch Acacius. Pope Hormisdas (514-523) worked tirelessly to resolve this schism, which was finally healed in 519 under Emperor Justin I. [This letter is part of the extensive diplomatic correspondence generated by the resolution of the Acacian Schism. The schism had divided the Eastern and Western churches for thirty-five years over the condemnation of Patriarch Acacius of Constantinople, who had promoted a compromise formula (the Henotikon) that Rome rejected as insufficiently orthodox. Hormisdas conducted negotiations through multiple embassies to Constantinople, exchanging letters with emperors, patriarchs, imperial officials, and powerful aristocratic women at court. The correspondence reveals the machinery of late antique ecclesiastical diplomacy: formal theological demands, careful diplomatic language, networks of lay and clerical allies, and the constant anxiety of a pope trying to manage events happening months away by letter.]

26Ma]^ Hormisdao papae ad Epiphauium GonstantinopoUtaimm. Vices suas ei ad redintegrandas reliquas Orientales ecclesias committit^ et quas in p. i^. hoc opere regulas servari deceat praescribit (n. 1 — 6). Tkessalonicensium tamen causam sibi reseruat (n. 6 et 7). Legatos a regia urbe missos laudat, 'OQ^iodag 'EjtKpavic) i%C- Hormisda^) Epiphanio 0x6n(p K(av(SzavxLvov- episcopo Constantino- noksiog, politano. 1. IloXX^g iTtkrjadTiv xaQag^ 1. Multo gaudio sum repleh^; «) Ita G« a'. b cc delenda, ") Ed. omitt. e/, moxque quia. Deinde G* nos inhumana, 141 «) Ita G' a' et text. graec. ; J 0 c< c« i« Dilectisimo frairi Epiphamo episeepo Hormisda, EPISTOLAE 140. 141. 971 OTL tcbqI tiqv elQijvriv trjg ixxXri- iSiag xal tov &yi(atdtov fiadikiiog xal tiig 6ijg dydnrig tOLavtrjv 6novSifv oiav Sid tAv yQa^^d- tav iiLrjvv6ag, xal Svd trjg t(Sv ififSv 7CQi6^B(QV %ata^i6£G}g iy- v(ov, £aq>rlg yaQ ivtev^sv trjg ovQavCov Bv<snkay%vlag dnoSnl^cg jCQOBLifLVj otav xal ot tov xoiS^ov §a6ikElg tdg vno^iCBig tdg nsQl trjg nl(Sts(og iiitd t^g SiOLxrliSecag trjg nokiteCag 6vlevyvv(o6i ^ xal o[ rc5v ixxXrj^KOV ^yovfifwot td OvvteCvovta elg tf^v ISCav olxo- vo(LCav (lenvriiiivoL tov xad^ijxov- tog ixteX(o0L, ToLovtov exQviae lietd tdg trig S^xovoCag xataiyC- dag riXQi6tiavixri^Qri6xeCa Idvv- Tr]Q(oVj 01 tiveg xatevva6^ei6av TtQOvorjtixcatdtrj SiatvndoeL tiov ^veXXiov^ triv invnolv iev(o^el- dav elQ7]vriv H^caad^ivtog rot; x£t- ^(ovog inavdl^c36ij xal eCg tovg ^iXlovtag ^etd taika aCdvag f^g CSCag nQO^i^ecag td vno- SeCyiiata inexteCvovteg . eavtolg inLyeyQd(p^aL dvayiipi^oXciig ini- SeCi^ovaiv^ et ti tm &ep dQiiSxov ot netayeviateQOL dno trjg avtcav fLL^^ifecog noLrjaovaLV, 2. EvXoyrlacDiiev tov 0e6v, dSeXifol, tatg iJftcJv Tovro fj(ii- QaLg avyxexGiQVI^i^^ov yeyovivai, xai ndaaLg evx(ov xal (ieQLiivc5v Swd^eaLV ineQeLa^aiiev , Iva SneQ SLd t^g tov &eov ^(i(ov quod circa Ecclesiae pacem eta.52i. sanctissiini imperatoris et dile- ctionis tuae tale studium^ quale litteris indicasti; legatorum^) quo- et 130. que meorum assertione cognovi. Manifesta enim hinc supemae misericordiae documenta produn- tur, quando et mundani^) prin- cipes causam fidei cum reipubli- cae ordinatione conjungunt, et ecclesiarum praesules, quod ad dispensationem suam pertinet, officii memores exsequuntur. Ta- libus indigebat post discordiae procellas religio Christiana recto- ribus, qui compressis provida dispositione *) turbinibus diu per- egrinatam pacem depulsa tem- pestate reducerent, et in futura post saecula propositi sui exem- pla tendenteS; sibi adscribendum indubitanter ostendorent, quidquid Deo placitum posteri pro sua imitatioue fecissent. 2. Benedicamus Dominum, fra- ter carissime, nostris hoc diebus fuisse concessum, et totis ora- tionimi et curarum viribus an- nitamur, ut quae Dei*) ope bene coepta sunt, ipso adjuvante ») Germani scilicet aliorumque qui proxime redierant. Subinde in J 0 c* c* sequitur: Manifestum enim Mnc (J» ri«: manifeste hic (i« fUnc) enim) supemae wi- sericordiae documentum perdocetur (i* documento perdocetur). ') Ita G* J 0. At a^ b cc humani principes. Jam in epistola 40, quae pariter graece exstat, n. 8 legimus: Si enim qui mundani sunl. ■*) 0 cc dispensatione , moxque a* b seq. omitt. posi. 972 9^621. OvvBQyiag xccXdg ^]QX^Vf «i^trov Porid-ovvrog iv na6i xlriQ(o^c56iv, ^Elnlg yaQ i6tvv, onnsQ eig t^v aQfioviav roi) olxaiov ^ciiiatog xal td XotTtd xal iti vvv SiyQri- [liva fiikri 6novdd<fov0i^ xal dno t(3v XQBi666v(ov td fjttova ov di.a<p(DvrJ6ov6LV • elg o inBiitBQ fta 1} 6yi Sid^B6ig tfj 6novdfj t^g XQC6tLavtxrjg dydnr^g TCQOtQiiCB- taCy 6(pEiX6ig elg o SuyeCQSv dxo- Xovd^rj^aL^ xal oitBQ dyand^^ai 6v^PovXBV6t , nBQintv^a6^av, 'OyLoCav ydQ Xomov trjg nC6tB(og (pQOvtCSa XBCQC^ovtBg^ Slu t^g bv- CBfiovg vnoiiovrjg lcov xccl ro ina^Xov tov dyad^ov iQyov ix- ^d6Bi ilnC^o^BV. OvtB yaQ tatg Sv^xBQBCaig i6tl itaQax^oQtitiov ov xatanovBttav tolg tQaxi^iv ij nC^ttgj ovS\ Big td rc5v ovQav(Qv vtl^ciiiata Scd xatco(pBQOvg tvg inBxtBCvBtai^ ovtB trjg dvtaiiBC- iffBcag avBv trjg tov xafidtov yvfi- vadCag ttg d^iovtav, dio Zva ^iri ixxaxcjiiBV ro dyad^ov noiovvtag^ iScxcig vnoiiciivrjtfxioiiBd^a. Kai Psalm. y^Q naxdQCOL^ cjg iiaQtVQBi 6 * ' ipaXiiaSdg^ ot (pvXd66ovtBg xqColv xal noLOVvtBg ScxaL- o6vvriv iv navtl xaLQ(p' or^ ox>xi dQx^ tov xa^idtov trjv dv- tdiLBLtlfLV tov ind^Xov Bta^d^BV BVQL6XBLV dkkd ro tiXog. ToLyaQ- ovv tarjv ^novSrjV trjg iiBQCiivrig dvaXafioiiBVOL^ olg iaxL ^iCa iv tfj xoLVovCa: xcd ty nCotBL ij itaLQCa^ ovtQonov nsQl trjg ivod^BCarjg nBQl ro5 dno6toXLX^ d^Q^v^o trjg Kg)v- atavtLvovn6XB(ag ixxXrjaCag inC- per omnia compleantur. Speran- dum enim est, ra ad compagem corporis sui reliqua quoque, quae adhuc divisa sunt, membra festi- nent, et a potioribus minora bod discrepent. Ad quod quom me dilectio tua Cliristianae stndio caritatis hortatur, debet') qQO invitat sequi^ et quod amandom suadet amplecti. Similem enim jam fidei curam gerentes, per religiosam patientiam par etiam praemium de boni operis spera- mus effectu. Neque enim diffi- cultatibus est cedendum. Non fatigatur asperis fides, nec ad coelorum ardua per proclive con- tenditur, nec remuneratioBem citra^) laboris exercitium quis meretur. Unde ne facientes bona deficiamus^ specialiter admone- mur: Bead etiam, teste Psal- mista^ qm custodhmt judicium et faciunt justitiam in omni tempore; quia non initium laboris remune- rationem praemii consuevit in- venire, sed terminus. Ergo par studium sollicitudinis assumentes, quibus est una in communioue et credulitate societaS; quemad- modum de adunata sedi aposto- licae Constantinopolitana ecclesia pariter exsultamus in Domino, ita de reliquarum quoque, sicut afiectuose admones^ redintegra- tione laetemur^), et euremus pri- mum; ut fidem integritatemque nostram inunaculatam ab omni contagioue servemus.