Letter 26: Simplicius congratulates the emperor and urges him to continue in his defense of the Catholic faith.

Simplicius, bishop, to the Emperor Zeno. 1. I received with joy the letters of your piety concerning the church of Antioch, always worthy of veneration, by which we found that with your innate zeal for the Catholic religion, after the defense of the faith which preserves and guards you, the audacity of impiety and the crimes perpetrated at Antioch have been punished. We exult that you possess the spirit of a most faithful priest and prince, so that the imperial authority, joined to Christian devotion, might be made more acceptable to God, and integrity might be apparent, when those who engaged in sacrilegious slaughter of bishops are ordered to perish by fitting punishments. In this you provide for both the peace of the Church and your own empire, because when the insult to God is avenged, the grace of the Avenger is won, and the aid of divine favor is secured for those whose care has not left sacrilege unpunished. 2. But to speak frankly to a Christian prince: if the sequence of previous letters which I recall having written long ago to my brother and fellow bishop Acacius concerning Peter and others had been maintained, things could not have come to this point which now rightfully merits vengeance. For I had directed that a suggestion be made to your piety, so that the aforesaid man and the rest who through the opportunity of tyrannical domination had invaded the churches of God should be expelled beyond the borders of your empire, lest the pestilent ones pour their sacrilegious poison of their teaching into any of the more simple-minded, and wound innocent souls with impious words against the orthodox faith. As appears, while such things are neglected and thought to be trivial, it came about that, as you report, not only the common people persuaded by them, but the very bishops themselves — the leaders and preachers of the faith — perished by murderous swords among the altars. Wherefore if any other remnants are found under your rule, order them now at least to be driven into foreign lands, so that henceforth there may be no necessity or cause for punishment in this matter, because it is better to have blocked the entrance than to exact the penalty of sin. 3. And since you judged that the seditions at Antioch should be settled by a most religious plan — namely that, without prejudice to the venerable Council of Nicaea, a bishop should be ordained at Constantinople at their request — you have stated that this was done only for this one person, so that henceforth, following the ancient custom, and in accordance with the definitions of the Fathers, the ordination of the bishop of Antioch be reserved to the synod of the East, and that what our brother and fellow bishop Acacius has now carried out at your command should not become a precedent for posterity and confound the statutes of the Fathers, which you are especially zealous to maintain inviolate. Therefore we cannot reject what you have ordained in a holy and religious spirit out of love for peace, lest the state of the Antiochene church seem uncertain through our hesitation — especially since he who is reported to have been ordained is supported by the testimony of your clemency and by such commendation that, setting aside only the grief of these wounds, we can rejoice both in him and in the church that has merited him. 4. I have been at pains to respond with reciprocal words and with the duty of veneration, so that you may order these great frauds and crimes of the heretics — which deserve to be prosecuted by both divine and human laws, and which you have so often proven to be so harmful — to be removed from the memory and society of mankind: for their impiety, as you see, can be restrained by no authority.

(479?)^a Simplicii papae ad Zeuonem imperatorem. — . cMi. Sintp/irius Zenoms laudat studium in punicndis caedis episcopi Antiocheni, «wcio- p.l rihus (n. 1). J/inc recolit. (/uam neccssaria fuerint sua ipsitts consilia de peltendis crtra impcrii mctas hujusmodi hominibus ( «. 2). Antiocheni episcopi ordinaiioHem Constantinopoti factani ohlatis conditionihus confinnat {n. 3). Ut hacreticos ab hominum societate auferri Zeno jubeat repetito sermone instat (n. 4). Simplicius episcopus Zenoni Augusto. 1 . De ecclesia Antiochena venerandos mihi semper vestrae pie- liic locus a Nicolao I op. 47 ad llincmanim, sicut a Gratiano c. 7 D. 74 et (eed ibi falsc ex Regesto Gregorii im?cript.) c. 63 C. XI qu. 3. ') 11® noster. ®) cc ejc co, rectius \V W IV^ h' h* a' ab eo h. e. si vel ipse pro se vel alii advcrsus eum nostrum examcn petant, adco ut SimpUcnis sibi ejua causaB re- servet, sive reus sit sive actor. lo^ Ipo secunda manu cofLsulimus, moxque in omuibus mss. ibi datum, '«) Sic plerique mss. (etiam IP 1P<') et h' h«. At IV cc /// Kal. Unde au- tcm Barouius hauc ei^istolam X Kalendas Julias scriptam dixerit, U08 fugit. EPISTOLAE 14. 15. 203 tatis apices gavisus aecepi^ quibus iiigenit<j vobis studio catholicae a. 482 religiouis post defensiouem fidei, quae vos servat ac custodit, ini- ^*^^^*^^ pietatis audaciam et facinora apud Antiochiani perpetrata coercita reperimus: exsultantes, vobis inesse animum fidelissimi sacerdotis et principiSy ut imperialis auctoritas et jimcta Christianae devotioni acceptabilior Deo fieret, et appareret integritas, quum hi, qui in epi- seoporum neees*) sacrilega caede versati sunt, dignis jubentur per- ire supplieiis. In quo et quieti ecclesiasticae et vestro consuletis imperio : quia vindicata Dei contumelia ulciscentis est gratia, et con- cdliatur his divini favoris auxilium, quorum cura sacrilegium non reliquerit impunitum. 2. Sed ut loquar fiducialiter principi Christiano, si praeterita- nmi litterarum ^), quas de Petri aliorumque nomine jamdu(him ad fratrem et coepiscopum meum Acacium scripsisse niemini, ordo teiie- retur, ad hoc non potuit pervenire, quod jure nunc meruit vindi-^ care. Mandaveram namque, ut facta suggestione pietati vestrae, praedictus ut^) et ceteri, qui per occasionem tyrannicae dominatio- nis invaserant ecclesias Dei, extra metas vestri j)ellerentur imperii, ne pestiferi*) sensus quibusquam simplicioribus ore sacrilego virus infuaderent, et verbis impiis contra fidem ortliodoxam innocentiores auimas sauciarent. Quantum '') apparet, quum niinus ista curantur et levia esse creduntur, actum est, ut, quemadmodum })erhil)etis, inter altaria non jam plebs persuasionibus eorum, sed ipsi quoque . praesules et praedicatores fidei perirent funestis gladiis sacerdotes. Unde si quae et aliae reiiquiae sub vestro rej)eriuntur innierio, eas vel nunc in exteriores terras jubete j)ropelli, ne qua deinceps in eo sit necessitas et causa supplicii 5 quia inelius est aditum obstruxisse quam poenam exegfsse peccati. 3. Et quoniam seditiones Antiochenas religiossissimo j)roj)osit« sedandas non aliter existimastis, iiisi praeter praejudicium veiierandi illius coHcilii Nicaeni apud Constantinoj)olim iisdem jietcntibus or- '> Episcoporum neces pro Stephani Antioclieni nece dictuni ad majoreni em- phasim; id quod Simplicio est familiare, ut in snj)crioribu8 litteris in unum Basiliscum inveheng tyrannos, incubatores casuros et Himilia indamat. Stcjihanum aiitem praeacutis Antiochensiiun puerorum calamis miserabiliter confoHdum et iiiteifectimi fui^e, Evagrius H. E. III, 10 ex Johanne rhetore tradit, quibus Theophauea coucinit et Bynodicns hbellus. Unde infra Simj)licius, ubi eum inter altaria giadiit peremptum iimuit, generali gladiorum vocabulo cruentam omnino Docem indicare volnisae intelligendus est. Hoc facinus Theophanes patratum €«8« docet in s. martyris Barlaam baptisterio. ») cf. supra epist. 7 n. 3 et 11 n. 2. *') Ita G'; volg. quod ium apparet ... quae aliae. a. 482 dinaretur aiitistes; quod iii ejus tai)tummodo persona sic memo- ^ ' rastis assumptuiu, ut deinceps secundum definitiones patrum Orien- tali synodo creatio Antiocheni pontificis reservetur, nec haberi loco ^'ultis injuriae, quod dissensionis gratia factum est auferendae: tenet hanc pietatis vestrac beatus Petrus apostohis sponsionem, et Chri- stianissimi fidelissimique principis nientem in haec verba jurasse, quod posthac in Antiochena urbe veteri more servato®) a compro- vincialibus suis episcopus ordinetur, ne quod nunc frater et coepi- scopus nieus Acacius vobis est jubentibus exsecutus, in usum poste- ritatis veniat, et statuta patruui, quae praecipue praestatis illaesa, confundat. Unde quae a vobis amore quietis sancte et religiote sunt ordinata, reprobare non j)ossumus, ne status Antiochenae ecde- siae sub nostra dubitatione videatur ambiguus; praecipue quum is ,qui legitur ordinatus"), testinionio dementiae vestrae et tanta 8it praedicatione subnixus, ut'') in eo praeter horum vulnerum dolorem posito j)ossinius et ecclesiae, quae ilhmi meruit, gloriari. 4. Haec repensis sermonibus et venerationis officio respondeie curavi, ut tantas haereticonmi fraudes et facinora divinis et saeeo- laribus legibus persequenda, quae saej)ius probatis esse tam noxia^ de memoria et conversatione hominum jubeatis auferri, quorum im- pietas^) nulla, quantum videtis, potest auctoritate compesci. Data i X Calendas Julias post consuhitum ill. viri clarissimi. ') Calondio vidolicot, ut fidom facit nota in G* epistolae sequentia iziKn- ptioni adjuncta. Quam quidom confirmant quum gesta de nom. Acacii, 8ub quo* rum tinem Calondio al) Acacio ordiuatus dicitur, tum Evagrius H. E. III, 10, qi£ Calendionom Stophano martyri succossisso tradit, ac denique alii. Neque vero admitti uUo modo potost Valesii opinio, qui Stophaniun seniorem a perfidii caesimi pouons, quiio hic narrantur in Stophani juuioriB ordinatione contigiMi existimat, ac nihilominus Calondionom Constantinopoli ab Acacio ordinfttnM osso concodit. Sane quam procul Simjdicius ab oxcusanda hujaamodi orduib- \ tionc abfuissot, si hanc sibi rursus Acacius arrogasBot spretis sacramentiB Hdo, quam post Stoj»hani juuioris consocrationom dodissetl Eo intervallo, qood I a 25 Aprilis ad 22 Junii diom oxcurrit, Calondionom ordinatum esse qanm hac epistohi tum ox Martyrologio Roniano, quod ad praedictum Aprilis diem B. Stophani opiscopi Antiochoni mominit, coUigitur. ") (i' corrupto ut in eo et praeter honim vulnerum dolor posito primi (pmi) ei erclesiae; tuni b gratulnri, rejocto ad marginom gloriari, EPISTOLAE 15. 16. 205 Epistola 16. (a 482.) ^ (479?) Simplieii papae ad Acacium Constantiuopolitauuni. 8. lia ejccusai SimpHcius, quod Acacius imperatoris Jussu et quietis causa Antioche- num antislitem ordinarit, ut deinceps Antiochenae ecclesiae sua velit jura servari. Simplicius episcopus Acacio eijiscopo Oonstanti- politauo^). Clementissimi principis litteris tuaeque dileetionis de sacrilega et fuiiestissima caede^ quae apud Antioehiam faeta est^ saueiatus et nimium affectus moerore, respondeo: adstruens, si, quae jamdudum de Petro atque^) aliis complicibus eorum scripseram, et ut pietati ejas cmn ceteris qui aderant fratribus suggerere postularam, ut opor- tuerat, ordiuatum fuisset, haereticorum temeritas ad tantuni facinus non veniret, nec^) aliquid necessitatis exsistcret, ut Jion aliter praedi- ctae subveniretur ecclesiae, nisi ut aliquid de jure ejus curatio ipsa mi- nueret. Quamvis enim profecerit ad quieteni, quod Christianissimi principis jussione vel sine praejudicio canonum a tua caritate fuerit Autiochensibus episcopus ordinatus, tamcn non est sine invidia fa- ctvmGL, cujus cavendum deinceps etiam ille testatur, qui praeeepit, hanc esee notam conaularera, monet Pagius ac pro lUi legendum vult Placidi. Certe si quae hic de Antiocheni episcopi nece et de eju8 eonsecratione deliban- tar, cum his, quae in duabuB sequentibus epistolis de eadeni re disaeruntur» ctinferamuB, haec in annum 482, non in a. 479, qui Illi consulatuni excepit, con- Tenire largieudum est. Hinc tamen moveri quis posset, quod (pnun quinque aliaji SiuipUcii epistolas habeamus anuo 18*2 datas, earum nidlae post consuiatum Flaeidij sed onmes excepta una, quae nota chronica caret, Severino cons. con- si^entar. Quamquam recte monet laudatus Pagius, ab usu haud abhorrere, nt idem aniius vel eorum consulum, qui hoc munus gerereut, vel eorum, qui juite ^essissent, nominibus promiscue indicaretur. Ac dihicidatur error, sive ciun Pagio loco Placidi detritis aliquo casu prioribus litteris Illi erronee lectum ▼olueiis, Biye fidem archetypi retiuens vocem ill. loco nostri A'. N. provisorie pro nomine proprio a librario positum fuisse malueris. Quod eo magis arridet, qoia ab Odoacris invasione (anno 47C) per plures annos consulum creatio ita tarbat& eat, ut vel Oriens vel Occidens eorum nomina aut onmino ignoraret, wat cert-e Berius, saepe demum circa finem anni, rescisceret, aut etiam repro- baret itaqne consulto sileret (conf. Rossi Inscript. Christian. Urb. Homae. n. 840, 86d, 878, 882, 899, 900 al.}. Quamq^^am Placidi quidem anni 481 consuUs nomen notum et UBurpatum fuisse iUius aetatis inscrif^tiones fidem faciunt (conf. 1. e. n. 873-^76). Coutra autem Severiui Occideutahs anni 482 consu- i latuB in aula Zenonis aut non innotuisse aut agnitus non fuisse videtur (conf. Ro«BiuB 1. c. pag. 390). >> G' ita inscribit hanc epistolam: Simplicius eps acacio ordinato ab eo Ka- lendione j4ntioeAeno epo. 20G S. SIMPLICII PAPAE a. 482. exemplum. Iii quo pietati ejus gratias (Jigiium est nos referre; quo- (•^79?; jiijiu^ ita gloriae suae moderatus est potestatem, ut fidelissima devo- ticme patnmi regulis submittere^), quae juberet, nec iu auctoritatem recipi, quod sequenti constituit aetate prohiberi: ut scilicet in hae tantummodo persona, quani jussu ejus et studio quietis Antiochen- sibus, non tua usur])ati(>ne, antistitem consecrasti, quod factom est necossitato, sufticerot. In quo tuae dilectionis iiou irrationabilem cognoscinuis fuisso famulatum: quia occlosiarum jura respiciens, diu te non immerito susj)ondisse testaris, ne videreris ambire quod tanto princi^i ot in tam gravi causa non poteras abnegare. i^uaproptery frator carissimo, institutorum vetorum, quae in te sunt probata, non innnemor, sicut veniale judicare non pervides, quod tibi certum est imperatum, ita ipse dans honorem patribus labora, ue neeessitas sit uUa faciendi, quod 0})tas nunc satisfactione purgari'^).