Letter 16: Hilary, bishop of Rome, to Leontius of Arles, greetings.

Of Pope Hilary to Leontius of Arles. [Heading:] That he is to investigate, in the assembly of a synod, the presumption of Mamertus, bishop of Vienne, who had been reported to have consecrated a bishop at Die [Dea, the Dienses]. To his most beloved brother Leontius, Hilary. 1. In what manner, transgressing against the enactments of the Apostolic See, Mamertus, bishop of Vienne, has overstepped priestly moderation, we were bound to learn through the report of your affection [i.e. your dear self], so that against such audacious acts we might bring forth a ripe judgment, conformable to the order of the ecclesiastical rules. For so far as has been disclosed to us by the discourse of our son, the illustrious gentleman, the master of soldiers Gundioc, the aforesaid bishop, against the will of the people of Die [the Dienses] -- who furthermore did not in the least belong to the number of churches assigned to him by the authority of the Apostolic See, as we have read in our archives -- occupying the city in hostile fashion, as it is said, presumed to consecrate a bishop. 2. In which matter, dearest brother, if it is so, we could pronounce how manifold the fault is, were it not that, as we have said, a measured restraint and due order must be preserved by us in judgment. And therefore, mindful of the watchful care which you know to have been committed to your affection [i.e. to you], whatever has now been brought to our notice by a brief report, you ought, in the synodal assembly which according to our statutes is to be convened every year with you presiding over it, to examine as to what things have been done, and to require the aforesaid account of his deed under the whole assembly of the brotherhood, and thereafter to communicate it to our notice by the letters of all: so that what is to be done at the dictation of the Holy Spirit, we may ordain for the suppression of unlawful undertakings. May God keep you safe and sound, dearest brother! Given on the sixth day before the Ides of October [October 10], in the consulship of the most renowned gentleman Basilius [462 AD]. [The remainder of the source consists of editorial apparatus and footnotes, not part of the letter.]

lo^Oct Hilari papae ad Leontium Arelatensem. Ui in synodoli conocnlu fic aiisu Mamerti episcopi Viennensis inquiral, qm inmii» p. I Dcensibus episcopum consccrasse nuntiatus fuerat. Dilectissimo fratri Leontio Hilarus. 1. Quahter contra sedis apostoUcae veniens constituta, sacerdo- '*) Ita cc («') L^; alii a praedecessore. Ac sane probabiliuB videtur, invito Hilario opiscopo ct Leonis iudignatioui obnoxio paroecias illas distractas, qoam Bpontc translatns in alios (L* h in aliis) fuisBO. ^®) a parata, L'' spreta, h scripta. *^ Haec a synodo Bellovacensi apud Ivonem p. III c. 232 citata. Confenui- tur etiam Leonis opist. 17 et Gelasii epist. 16, fragm. 24. EPISTOLAE 8. 9. 147 talem modestiam Mamertus^) episcopus Vieimeusis exccsserit, dile-a. 403. ctionis tuae debuimus relatione cognoscere, ut ausibus^) talibus ma- turum et juxta ecclesiasticarum ordinem regularum congruimi judi- cium proferremus. Quantum enira filii nostri viri illustris magistri militum Gunduici^) sermone est indicatum, praedictus episcopus in- vitis Deensibus, et qui ad ecclesiarum ejus numerum, quas^) ei apostolicae sedis deputavit auctoritas, sicut in scriniis nostris legi- mus, minime pertinebant, hostili more ut dicitiu* occupans civitatem, episcopum consecrare praesumpsit. 2. In quo, frater carissime, si ita est, quam multiplex culpa sit, pronuntiare possemns^), nisi judicii, ut diximus, et moderatio nobis esset et ordo servandus. Atque ideo menior sollicitudinis, quam dilectioni tuae scis esse commissam, quidquid nunc ad noti- tiam nostram brevi insinuatione delatum est, in conventu synodali, qui secundum statuta nostra annis singulis te sibi praesidente est congregandus, discutere quae sunt acta debebis, et praedictam*^) ra- tionem facti sui sub imiverso coetu fraternitatis exigere, ac deinde omuium litteris^) nostrae intimare notitiae: ut quod sancto Spiritu dictante est faciendum, ad comprimendos conatus illicitos ordinemus. Deus te incolumem custodiat^ frater carissime! Data »VI Idus Octo- bris, Basilio viro clarissimo consule. Sidomos Apollinaris (epistol. VII, 1) et s. Avitus (orat. de rogationib. in Sirmoudi Opp. II, 89 88., Mignc Patr. lat. LIX, 289 ss.) scripserunt. StrenuiHsimum siqui- dem ac piissimum pastorem cum exhibent dignumquc praedicant, per quem Dcus magna et mirabilia pro ecclesiarum aedificationo operatus sit (c*'). ') a^ ce* ausis taUhus ... ecclesiasticum ordinem regularem. ^ L^ Ounduicii, alii Gundiud, Bex Burgundioniun is erat, qui Rheno circ. ann. 406 transmisso multa cum Bomanis in Gallia et vario eventu proelia com- misit, ac demum pactis conditionibus magistri militum honorem adeptus cst. Quod ab Hilaro /?/iii« nominetur, signum est, eum fidei catholicae cultorem fuisse. Qua non multo post abdicata Burgimdiones ad Arianos defedsse satis notum cst •) Ita «•; similitcr a' praedictum rationem; a* L* praedictum ratione^ Editi a praedicto sdl. Mamerto. ^ L' b Ktteras, 10