Ecclesiastical History

Of the church of Rome at this period Silvester held the reins. His predecessor in the see was Miltiades, the successor of that Marcellinus who had so nobly distinguished himself during the persecution.

In Antioch, after the death of Tyrannus, when peace began to be restored to the churches, Vitalis received the chief authority, and restored the church in the “Palæa” which had been destroyed by the tyrants. He was succeeded by Philogonius, who completed all that was wanting in the work of restoration: he had, during the time of Licinius, signalised himself by his zeal for religion.

After the administration of Hermon, the government of the church in Jerusalem was committed to Macarius, a man whose character was equal to his name, and whose mind was adorned by every kind of virtue.

At this same period also, Alexander, illustrious for his gifts, governed the church of Constantinople.

It was at this time that Alexander, bishop of Alexandria, perceiving that Arius, enslaved by the lust of power, was assembling those who had been taken captive by his blasphemous doctrines, and was holding private meetings, communicated an account of his heresy by letter to the rulers of the principal churches. That the authenticity of my history may not be suspected, I shall now insert in my narrative the letter which he wrote to his namesake, containing, as it does, a clear account of all the facts I have mentioned. I shall also subjoin the letter of Arius, together with the other letters which are necessary to the completeness of this narrative, that they may at once testify to the truth of my work, and make the course of events more clear.

The following letter was written by Alexander of Alexandria, to the bishop of the same name as himself.