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Athanasius of Alexandria · On the Decrees of the Council of Nicaea §2.1-2.3

Constantine's Letter to Theodotus

Passage 3 of 3 · Greek

Summary

Emperor Constantine informs Theodotus of the divine punishment and exile suffered by Eusebius and Theognis, warning him to remain untainted by their errors and steadfast in the faith.

§2.1Νικητὴς Κωνσταντῖνος Σεβαστὸς Θεοδότῳ· Ὅση τῆς θείας ὁργῆς ἡ ἰσχὺς πέφυκε, καὶ ἐξ ὡν Εὐσέβιός τε καὶ >Θεόγνιος πεπόνθασιν εὐχερὲς καὶ σὲ μαθεῖν, οἳ εἰς τὴν ἁγιωτάτην >παροινοῦντες θρησκείαν τὸ τοῦ σωτῆρος θεοῦ ὄνομα τῷ συστήματι >ποῦ οἰκείου λῃστηρίου καὶ μετὰ τὸ τυχεῖν συγγνώμης ἐμίαναν.
Victor Constantine Augustus to Theodotus: How great the power of the divine wrath is, it is easy for you also to learn from what Eusebius and Theognis have suffered, who, acting insolently toward the most holy religion, defiled the name of the savior God with the association of their own band of robbers, even after obtaining forgiveness.
ὅτε >γὰρ μάλιστα μετὰ τὴν τῆς συνόδου ὁμογνώμονα συμφωνίαν ἐχρῆν >τὴν προτέραν ἐπανορθώσασθαι πλάνην, τότε τοῖς αὐτοῖς ἀτοπημασιν >σιν ἐμμένοντες ἑάλωσαν.
For when, especially after the unanimous agreement of the council, they ought to have corrected their former error, they were then caught persisting in the same offenses.
§2.2διὰ τοῦτο γοῦν ἡ θεία πρόνοια αὐτοὺς ποῦ ἑαυτῆς ἀπώσατο λαοῦ· ἐπειδὴ μηδὲ ἔφερε τὰς ἀκάκους ψυχὰς ὀλίγων ἀπονοίᾳ φθειρομένας καθορᾶν.
For this reason, at any rate, divine providence cast them out from its own people, since it could not bear to look upon innocent souls being corrupted by the madness of a few.
καὶ νῦν μὲν ἀξίαν παρ’ αὐτῶν ᾔτησε δίκην, μείζονα δὲ καὶ εἰς τὸ ἐξῆς διὰ τοῦ παντὸς αἰῶνος λήψεται.
And now indeed it has demanded a fitting penalty from them, and will exact a greater one also in the future through all eternity.
§2.3Ὅπερ τῇ σῇ ἀγχινοίᾳ δηλωθῆναι δεῖν ἡγησάμην, ἕν εἴ τις κακὴ >παραίνεσις τῶν τοιούτων, ὡς ἔγωγε οὐκ εἶμαι, τῇ σῇ ένεκαθέσθη προαιρέσει, ταύτην τῆς ψυχῆς ἀφελόμενος καθαρὰν ὡς προσῆκε τὴν διάνοιαν, εἰλικρινῆ τε καθοσίωσιν καὶ ἄχραντον πίστιν τῷ σωτῆρι θεῷ παρασχέσθαι προθυμηθῇς.
Which thing I thought necessary to be made known to your intelligence, in order that, if any evil counsel of such men—as I at least do not believe—has been implanted in your disposition, you, removing this from your soul, may be eager to offer a mind pure as is fitting, and a sincere devotion and unblemished faith to the savior God.
καὶ γὰρ τοῦτο προσῆκόν ἐστιν ὑπὸ τούτου πράττεσθαι, ὃς δἂν ἀκεραίων τῶν τῆς αἰωνίου ζωῆς ἐπάθλων ἀξιοῦσθαι βουλεύηται.
For indeed it is fitting for this to be done by him whoever wishes to be deemed worthy of the uncorrupted rewards of eternal life.
ὁ θεός σε διαφυλάξειαν, ἀδελφὲ ἀγαπητέ«.
May God preserve you, beloved brother.

Notes

  1. 2.1Ὅση... πέφυκε, καὶ ἐξ ὧν... εὐχερὲς καὶ σὲ μαθεῖν — The impersonal adjective εὐχερές (it is easy) is followed by the infinitive μαθεῖν (to learn), with the accusative σέ acting as its subject. The indirect question clause Ὅση... πέφυκε and the relative clause with an absorbed antecedent ἐξ ὧν... πεπόνθασιν are coordinated as objects of μαθεῖν.
  2. 2.3ἕν εἴ τις... ἐνεκαθέσθη — The word ἕν in the text is a corruption or variant reading for the conjunction ἵνα (in order that), and εἶμαι for οἶμαι (I think). The clause εἴ τις... ἐνεκαθέσθη is a simple condition using the aorist indicative (passive of ἐγκαθίζω), expressing a possibility that might have occurred in the past, accompanied by a parenthetical caveat.

Cite this passage

Athanasius of Alexandria, On the Decrees of the Council of Nicaea §2.1-2.3. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg2035.tlg003.humanitext-grc1:2.1-2.3

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