Letter 59
Hormisdas→Unknown|hormisdas
From: Pope Hormisdas, Rome
To: Unknown recipient (unknown)
Date: ~515-523 AD
Context: Part of the papal correspondence surrounding the Acacian Schism (484-519), the major breach between Rome and Constantinople over the condemnation of the Monophysite patriarch Acacius. Pope Hormisdas (514-523) worked tirelessly to resolve this schism, which was finally healed in 519 under Emperor Justin I.
[This letter is part of the extensive diplomatic correspondence generated by the resolution of the Acacian Schism. The schism had divided the Eastern and Western churches for thirty-five years over the condemnation of Patriarch Acacius of Constantinople, who had promoted a compromise formula (the Henotikon) that Rome rejected as insufficiently orthodox. Hormisdas conducted negotiations through multiple embassies to Constantinople, exchanging letters with emperors, patriarchs, imperial officials, and powerful aristocratic women at court. The correspondence reveals the machinery of late antique ecclesiastical diplomacy: formal theological demands, careful diplomatic language, networks of lay and clerical allies, and the constant anxiety of a pope trying to manage events happening months away by letter.]
HORMiSDA lusTiNiANO ILLU8TRI. Benedicimus inelfabile diui- nitatis auxilium, quia de ecclesianim pace uniuersitatis desi- derium sub tranquillitate agnouimus fuisse completum. quod
5 quidem non praeter opinionem nostram contigit fieri, quia rellgiosissimi Augusti praesumpti genere spem semper gessimus de quiete et credidimus faciendum sub principe Christiano, <quod> de adunatione erat in uoto. quare habebit gloriosus 2 imperator de hac causa triumphorum titulos, non quibus se
10 obliuio mortalitatis interserat, sed quos diuinitatis gratia sub perpetuitate confirmat, et uobis quoque caelestis remunerationis non deerit praemium, qui adiuuistis boni principis institutum atque obsequio conuenienti desiderio horrorem segregationis fecistis excludi. benedictus dominus deus noster,
i5qui uisitauit et fecit redemptionem plebis suae! superest nunc ut, quia uobis huiusmodi officium certum est 3 prouidentia diuinitatis iniunctum, adcingatis, ut ait, lumbos et pacificae adhortationis uiribus persequamini, a quibus pacem non uidetis agnosci, maxime quia gloriae uestrae detra-
M hitur, si quid in hac causa fuerit minus impletum. circum- inspicite omnia fide qua uiuitis et diligentia qua uigetis occurrite omnibus incursibus, quibus religionis Christianae reuerentiam uidetis esse uexatam, ut instantiae uestrae boni possimus cum exultatione dicere: reminiscentur et con-
U Luc. 1, 68 17 cf. Esai. 32, 11 24 Psalm. 21, 28
176. Dat ut ep, 168. Edd. Car. I* 503; CoUect. Concil; BTA
I 426; Thiel 881. 6 agusti psumti V 7 et <quod> Car. 8 quod inserui uoium F, correxi; id quod restitui, requiritur etiam exeuntium syllaharum consonantia (auzilium . . desiderium . . completuni, genere . . quiete, Christiano . . uoto etc.) 10 sq. super petuitate F, corr. a man. rec.
II confirmet edit. reg. euersa syllabarum consonantia (interserat . . con- firmat) 12 descrit F, corr. adiuuisti F, corr. Car. 13 con- uenientis F, corr. edit. reg. 16 huiuscemodi uulgo cum a 19 ga quod ante gloriae exliibet V del. Hartel: gra (= gratia) a, gratiae Car. 22 hoc currite F, corr. o 23 boni V: bene o*
634 Hormisda Grato, lalianae Aniciae, Anastasiae
4 uertentur ad dominum omnes fines terrae. quae cum ita sint, uos qui ecclesiae catholicae tranquillitatis fecistis initium, procurare decet effectum : non deerit saluatoris nostri fauor in perfectione, qui uobis hoc opus inspirauit incipere. Data die quo (supra) cons. ss.
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From: Pope Hormisdas, Rome
To: Unknown recipient (unknown)
Date: ~515-523 AD
Context: Part of the papal correspondence surrounding the Acacian Schism (484-519), the major breach between Rome and Constantinople over the condemnation of the Monophysite patriarch Acacius. Pope Hormisdas (514-523) worked tirelessly to resolve this schism, which was finally healed in 519 under Emperor Justin I.
[This letter is part of the extensive diplomatic correspondence generated by the resolution of the Acacian Schism. The schism had divided the Eastern and Western churches for thirty-five years over the condemnation of Patriarch Acacius of Constantinople, who had promoted a compromise formula (the Henotikon) that Rome rejected as insufficiently orthodox. Hormisdas conducted negotiations through multiple embassies to Constantinople, exchanging letters with emperors, patriarchs, imperial officials, and powerful aristocratic women at court. The correspondence reveals the machinery of late antique ecclesiastical diplomacy: formal theological demands, careful diplomatic language, networks of lay and clerical allies, and the constant anxiety of a pope trying to manage events happening months away by letter.]
Modern English rendering for readability. See the 19th-century translation or original Latin/Greek for scholarly use.