Theodoret - Arius letter to Eusebius of Nicomedia

THEODORET - ARIUS' LETTER TO EUSEBIUS OF NICOMEDIA

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Historia Ecclesiastica, 1.4. (or 5),1-4

Greek text from Migne PG, Vol. 82, Col. 909

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Κυρίῳ ποθεινοτάτῳ, ἀνθρώπῳ θεοῦ, πιστῷ, ὀρθοδόξῳ, Εὐσεβίῳ, Ἄρειος ὁ διωκόμενος ὑπὸ Ἀλεξάνδρου τοῦ πάπα ἀδίκως, διὰ τὴν πάντα νικῶσαν ἀλήθειαν, ἧς καὶ σὺ ὑπερασπίζῃ, ἐν Κυρίῳ χαίρειν.
Τοῦ πατρός μου Ἀμμωνίου ἐρχομένου εἰς τὴν Νικομήδειαν, εὔλογον ὀφειλόμενον ἐφάνη προσαγορεῦσαί σε δι' αὐτοῦ, ὁμοῦ τε ὑπομνῆσαι τὴν ἔμφυτόν σου ἀγάπην, καὶ διάθεσιν, ἣν ἔχεις εἰς τοὺς ἀδελφοὺς διὰ τὸν Θεὸν καὶ τὸν Χριστὸν αὐτοῦ, ὅτι μεγάλως ἡμᾶς ἐκπορθεῖ καὶ ἐκδιώκει, καὶ πάντα κάλων κινεῖ καθ' ἡμῶν ὁ ἐπίσκοπος, ὥστε καὶ ἐκδιῶξαι ἡμᾶς ἐκ τῆς πόλεως ὡς ἀνθρώπους ἀθέους, ἐπειδὴ οὐ συμφωνοῦμεν αὐτῷ δημοσίᾳ λέγοντι· Ἀεὶ Θεός, ἀεὶ Υἱός· ἅμα Πατήρ, ἅμα Υἱός· συνυπάρχει ἀγεννήτως ὁ Υἱὸς τῷ Θεῷ· ἀειγενής ἐστιν, ἀγεννητογενής ἐστιν· οὔτε ἐπινοίᾳ, οὔτε ἀτόμῳ τινὶ προάγει ὁ Θεὸς τοῦ Υἱοῦ· ἀεὶ Θεός, ἀεὶ Υἱός, ἐξ αὐτοῦ ἐστι τοῦ Θεοῦ ὁ Υἱός. Καὶ ἐπειδὴ Εὐσέβιος ὁ ἀδελφός σου ὁ ἐν Καισαρείᾳ, καὶ Θεόδοτος, καὶ Παυλῖνος, καὶ Ἀθανάσιος, καὶ Γρηγόριος, καὶ Ἀέτιος, καὶ πάντες οἱ κατὰ τὴν Ἀνατολὴν, λέγουσιν ὅτι προϋπάρχει ὁ Θεὸς τοῦ Υἱοῦ ἀνάρχως, ἀνάθεμα ἐγένοντο, δίχα μόνου Φιλογονίου, καὶ Ἑλλανικοῦ, καὶ Μακαρίου, ἀνθρώπων αἱρετικῶν, ἀκατηχήτων, τὸν Υἱὸν λεγόντων, οἱ μὲν ἐρυγήν, οἱ δὲ προβολήν, οἱ δὲ συναγέννητον. Καὶ τούτων τῶν ἀσεβειῶν οὐδὲ ἀκοῦσαι δυνάμεθα, ἐὰν μυρίους θανάτους ἡμῖν παραπειλήσωσιν οἱ αἱρετικοί. Ἡμεῖς δὲ τί λέγομεν καὶ φρονοῦμεν καὶ ἐδιδάξαμεν καὶ διδάσκομεν; Ὅτι ὁ Υἱὸς οὐκ ἔστιν ἀγέννητος, οὐδὲ μέρος ἀγεννήτου κατ' οὐδένα τρόπον, οὔδε ἐξ ὑποκειμένου τινός· ἀλλ' ὅτι θελήματι καὶ βουλῇ ὑπέστη πρὸ χρόνων καὶ πρὸ αἰώνων πλήρης Θεός, μονογενής, ἀναλλοίωτος, καὶ πρὶν γεννηθῇ, ἤτοι κτισθῇ, ἢ ὁρισθῇ, ἢ θεμελιωθῇ, οὐκ ἦν· ἀγέννητος γὰρ οὐκ ἦν. Διωκόμεθα ὅτι εἴπαμεν· Ἀρχὴν ἔχει ὁ Υἱός, ὁ δὲ Θεὸς ἄναρχός ἐστι. Διὰ τοῦτο διωκόμεθα, καὶ ὅτι εἴπαμεν ὅτι ἐξ οὐκ ὄντων ἐστίν· Οὕτω δὲ εἴπαμεν καθότι οὐδὲ μέρος Θεοῦ, οὐδὲ ἐξ ὑποκειμένου τινός· διὰ τοῦτο διωκόμεθα· λοιπὸν σὺ οἶδας. Ἐρρῶσθαί σε ἐν Κυρίῳ εὔχομαι μεμνημένοντῶν θλίψεων ἡμῶν, Συλλουκιανιστὰ ἀληθῶς, Εὐσέβιε.

Κυρίῳ ποθεινοτάτῳ, ἀνθρώπῳ θεοῦ, πιστῷ, ὀρθοδόξῳ, Εὐσεβίῳ, Ἄρειος ὁ διωκόμενος ὑπὸ Ἀλεξάνδρου τοῦ πάπα ἀδίκως, διὰ τὴν πάντα νικῶσαν ἀλήθειαν, ἧς καὶ σὺ ὑπερασπίζῃ, ἐν Κυρίῳ χαίρειν.

Τοῦ πατρός μου Ἀμμωνίου ἐρχομένου εἰς τὴν Νικομήδειαν, εὔλογον ὀφειλόμενον ἐφάνη προσαγορεῦσαί σε δι' αὐτοῦ, ὁμοῦ τε ὑπομνῆσαι τὴν ἔμφυτόν σου ἀγάπην, καὶ διάθεσιν, ἣν ἔχεις εἰς τοὺς ἀδελφοὺς διὰ τὸν Θεὸν καὶ τὸν Χριστὸν αὐτοῦ, ὅτι μεγάλως ἡμᾶς ἐκπορθεῖ καὶ ἐκδιώκει, καὶ πάντα κάλων κινεῖ καθ' ἡμῶν ὁ ἐπίσκοπος, ὥστε καὶ ἐκδιῶξαι ἡμᾶς ἐκ τῆς πόλεως ὡς ἀνθρώπους ἀθέους, ἐπειδὴ οὐ συμφωνοῦμεν αὐτῷ δημοσίᾳ λέγοντι· Ἀεὶ Θεός, ἀεὶ Υἱός· ἅμα Πατήρ, ἅμα Υἱός· συνυπάρχει ἀγεννήτως ὁ Υἱὸς τῷ Θεῷ· ἀειγενής ἐστιν, ἀγεννητογενής ἐστιν· οὔτε ἐπινοίᾳ, οὔτε ἀτόμῳ τινὶ προάγει ὁ Θεὸς τοῦ Υἱοῦ· ἀεὶ Θεός, ἀεὶ Υἱός, ἐξ αὐτοῦ ἐστι τοῦ Θεοῦ ὁ Υἱός. Καὶ ἐπειδὴ Εὐσέβιος ὁ ἀδελφός σου ὁ ἐν Καισαρείᾳ, καὶ Θεόδοτος, καὶ Παυλῖνος, καὶ Ἀθανάσιος, καὶ Γρηγόριος, καὶ Ἀέτιος, καὶ πάντες οἱ κατὰ τὴν Ἀνατολὴν, λέγουσιν ὅτι προϋπάρχει ὁ Θεὸς τοῦ Υἱοῦ ἀνάρχως, ἀνάθεμα ἐγένοντο, δίχα μόνου Φιλογονίου, καὶ Ἑλλανικοῦ, καὶ Μακαρίου, ἀνθρώπων αἱρετικῶν, ἀκατηχήτων, τὸν Υἱὸν λεγόντων, οἱ μὲν ἐρυγήν, οἱ δὲ προβολήν, οἱ δὲ συναγέννητον. Καὶ τούτων τῶν ἀσεβειῶν οὐδὲ ἀκοῦσαι δυνάμεθα, ἐὰν μυρίους θανάτους ἡμῖν παραπειλήσωσιν οἱ αἱρετικοί. Ἡμεῖς δὲ τί λέγομεν καὶ φρονοῦμεν καὶ ἐδιδάξαμεν καὶ διδάσκομεν; Ὅτι ὁ Υἱὸς οὐκ ἔστιν ἀγέννητος, οὐδὲ μέρος ἀγεννήτου κατ' οὐδένα τρόπον, οὔδε ἐξ ὑποκειμένου τινός· ἀλλ' ὅτι θελήματι καὶ βουλῇ ὑπέστη πρὸ χρόνων καὶ πρὸ αἰώνων πλήρης Θεός, μονογενής, ἀναλλοίωτος, καὶ πρὶν γεννηθῇ, ἤτοι κτισθῇ, ἢ ὁρισθῇ, ἢ θεμελιωθῇ, οὐκ ἦν· ἀγέννητος γὰρ οὐκ ἦν. Διωκόμεθα ὅτι εἴπαμεν· Ἀρχὴν ἔχει ὁ Υἱός, ὁ δὲ Θεὸς ἄναρχός ἐστι. Διὰ τοῦτο διωκόμεθα, καὶ ὅτι εἴπαμεν ὅτι ἐξ οὐκ ὄντων ἐστίν· Οὕτω δὲ εἴπαμεν καθότι οὐδὲ μέρος Θεοῦ, οὐδὲ ἐξ ὑποκειμένου τινός· διὰ τοῦτο διωκόμεθα· λοιπὸν σὺ οἶδας. Ἐρρῶσθαί σε ἐν Κυρίῳ εὔχομαι μεμνημένοντῶν θλίψεων ἡμῶν, Συλλουκιανιστὰ ἀληθῶς, Εὐσέβιε.