Letters

Petition made at Antioch to Jovian the Emperor on the part of Lucius and Bernicianus, and certain other Arians against Athanasius, Bishop of Alexandria.

First Petition which they made as the Emperor was departing to Camp, at the Roman Gate.

May it please your Might and your Majesty and your Piety to hear us. The Emperor: 'Who are you and where from?' The Arians: 'Christians, my Lord.' Emperor: 'Where from, and from what city?' The Arians: 'Alexandria.'— Emperor: 'What do you want?' The Arians: 'May it please your Might and your Majesty, give us a Bishop.' Emperor: 'I ordered the former one, whom you had before, Athanasius, to occupy the See.' The Arians: 'May it please your Might: he has been many years both in banishment, and under accusation.' Suddenly a soldier answered in indignation: 'May it please your Majesty, enquire of them who they are and where from, for these are the leavings and refuse of Cappadocia, the remains of that unholy George who desolated the city and the world.' The Emperor on hearing this set spurs to his horse, and departed to the Camp.

Second Petition of the Arians.

'We have accusations and clear proofs against Athanasius, in that ten and twenty years ago he was deprived by the ever memorable Constantine and Constantius, and incurred banishment under the most religious and philosophical and blessed Julian.' Emperor: 'Accusations ten, twenty, and thirty years old are now obsolete. Don't speak to me about Athanasius, for I know why he was accused, and how he was banished.'

Third Petition of the Arians.

'And now again, we have certain other accusations against Athanasius.' Emperor: 'The rights of the case will not appear by means of crowded numbers, and clamours, but choose two from yourselves, and from the party of the majority other two, for I cannot answer each one severally.' Those from the majority: 'These are the leavings from the unholy George, who desolated our province, and who would not allow a counsellor to dwell in the cities.' The Arians: 'May it please you, any one you will except Athanasius.' Emperor: 'I told you that the case of Athanasius was already settled,' (and then angrily) 'feri, feri! ' The Arians: 'May it please you, if you send Athanasius, our city is ruined, and no one assembles with him.' Emperor: 'Yet I took pains, and ascertained that he holds right opinions and is orthodox, and teaches aright.' The Arians: 'With his mouth he utters what is right, but in his soul he harbours guile.' Emperor: 'That will do, you have testified of him, that he utters what is right and teaches aright, but if he teaches and speaks aright with his tongue, but harbours evil thoughts in his soul, it concerns him before God. For we are men, and hear what is said; but what is in the heart God knows.' The Arians: 'Authorise our holding communion together.' Emperor: 'Why, who prevents you?' The Arians: 'May it please you, he proclaims us as sectarians and dogmatisers.' Emperor: 'It is his duty, and that of those who teach aright.' The Arians: 'May it please your Might; we cannot bear this man, and he has taken away the lands of the Churches.' Emperor: 'Oh then, it is on account of property you have come here, and not on account of the faith'—then he added—'go away, and keep the peace.' Once more he added to the Arians: 'Go away to the Church, tomorrow you have a Communion, and after the dismissal, there are Bishops here, and here is Nemesinus, each one of you shall sign as he believes: Athanasius is here too; whoever does not know the word of faith, let him learn from Athanasius. You have tomorrow and the day after, for I am going out to Camp.' And a certain lawyer belonging to the Cynics petitioned the Emperor: 'May it please your Majesty, on account of Bishop Athanasius, the Receiver-General seized my houses.' Emperor: 'If the Receiver-General seized your houses what has that to do with Athanasius?' Another lawyer, Patalas, said: 'I have a complaint against Athanasius.' Emperor: 'And what have you to do with Christians, being a heathen?' But certain of the majority of them of Antioch took Lucius and brought him to the Emperor, saying: 'May it please your Might and your Majesty, look whom they wanted to make a Bishop!'

Another petition made at the porch of the palace on the part of Lucius:—'May it please your Might, listen to me.' The Emperor stopped and said: 'I ask you, Lucius, how did you come here, by sea or by land?' Lucius: 'May it please you, by sea.' Emperor: 'Well, Lucius, may the God of the world, and the radiant sun, and moon, be angry with those men that made the voyage with you, for not casting you into the sea; and may that ship never again have fair winds, nor find a haven with her passengers when in a storm.' And through Euzoius the unbelieving Arians asked Probatius and his fellows, the successors of Eusebius and Bardio as eunuchs, that they might be granted an audience. The Emperor learned this, and tortured the eunuchs and said: 'If any one wants to make a petition against Christians let this be his fate.' And so the Emperor dismissed them.