Letter 42

From: Theodoret, Bishop of Cyrrhus To: Constantius, Praetorian Prefect Date: ~440 AD Context: Theodoret writes to the prefect defending his district against false accusations brought by a renegade cleric who fled excommunication and is now acting as an informer at court. To Constantius, Prefect, If no pressing need compelled me to write to your greatness, I might rightly be accused of presumption -- of failing to measure myself or to recognize the weight of your office. But the last remnants of the city and district God has entrusted to my care are in danger of complete ruin, and certain men have dared to bring slanderous charges against a recent tax assessment [a "visitation" -- an official review of tax obligations]. I am confident your magnificence will pardon my boldness once you understand the circumstances. I groan at being forced to write against a man whose errors I would rather cover with a veil, since he belongs to the clergy. Nevertheless, I write to defend the poor he is wronging. Here are the facts: after being charged with numerous offenses, this man was excluded from communion pending a synod's investigation. Terrified of the bishops' verdict, he fled -- trampling the laws of the Church underfoot and, by his contempt for excommunication, revealing his true character. He has taken up the role of informer -- a trade unfit even for men of the lowest occupations -- and out of personal hatred for the distinguished Philip, he has attacked the wretched taxpayers of our district. I will spare your excellency a full account of his character and history. I ask only this: do not believe his lies. Ratify the tax assessment. Spare the wretched taxpayers. Spare the thrice-wretched decurions [city councilors personally liable for tax collection] who cannot extract the sums demanded of them. Everyone knows how severe the taxation is in our region.

Letter 42 Please help support the mission of New Advent and get the full contents of this website as an instant download. Includes the Catholic Encyclopedia, Church Fathers, Summa, Bible and more — all for only $19.99... To Constantius the Prefect. Did no necessity compel me to address a letter to your greatness, I might haply be found guilty of presumption, for neither taking due measure of myself nor recognising the greatness of your power. But now that all that is left of the city and district which God has committed to my charge is in peril of utterly perishing, and certain men have dared to bring calumnious charges against the recent visitation, I am sure your magnificence will pardon the boldness of my letter when you enquire into the necessity of the case, my own object in writing. I groan and lament at being compelled to write against a man over whose errors one ought to throw a veil, because he is of the clerical order. Nevertheless I write to defend the cause of the poor whom he is wronging. After being charged with many crimes and excluded from the Communion, pending the assembly of the sacred Synod, in alarm at the decision of the episcopal council he has made his escape from this place, thereby trampling, as he supposed, on the laws of the Church, and, by his contempt of the sentence of excommunication has laid bare his motive. He has undertaken an accusation not even fit for men of mean crafts, and in consequence of his ill-feeling towards the illustrious Philip has proceeded against the wretched tax-payers. I feel that it is quite needless for me to mention his character, his course of life from the beginning and the greatness of his wrong-doings, but this one thing I do beseech your Excellency, not to believe his lies, but to ratify the visitation, and spare the wretched tax-payers. Aye, spare the thrice wretched decurions who cannot exact the moneys demanded of them. Who indeed is ignorant of the severity of the taxation of the acres among us? On this account most of our landowners have fled, our hinds have run away, and the greater part of our lands are deserted. In discussing the land there will be no impropriety in our using geometrical terms. Of our country the length is forty milestones, and the breadth the same. It includes many high mountains, some wholly bare, and some covered with unproductive vegetation. Within this district there are fifty thousand free jugers, and besides that ten thousand which belong to the imperial treasury. Now only let your wisdom consider how great is the wrong. For if none of the country had been uncultivated, and it had all furnished easy husbandry for the hinds, they would nevertheless have sunk under the tribute, unable to endure the severity of the taxation. And here is a proof of what I say. In the time of Isidorus of glorious memory, fifteen thousand acres were taxed in gold, but the exactors of the Comitian assessment, unable to bear the loss, frequently complained, and by offerings besought your high dignity to let them off two thousand five hundred for the unproductive acres, and your excellency's predecessors in this office ordered the unproductive acreage to be taken off the unfortunate decurions, and an equivalent number to be substituted for the Comitian; and not even thus are they able to complete the tale. So with many words I ask your favour, and beseech your magnificence to put aside the false accusations that are made against the wretched tax-payers, to stem the tide of distress in this unhappy district, and let it once more lift its head. Thus you will leave an imperishable memory of honour to future generations. I am joined in my supplication to you by all the saints of our district, and especially by that right holy and pious man of God, the Lord Jacobus, who holds silence in such great esteem that he cannot be induced to write, but he prays that our city, which is made illustrious by having him as neighbour and is protected by his prayers, may receive the boon which I ask.