From: Emperor Anastasius I, Constantinople
To: The Senate of Rome
Date: ~516 AD
Context: A formal imperial letter to the Roman Senate in the full ceremonial style, asking the senators to join with King Theoderic and Pope Hormisdas in working toward church unity and peace — a remarkable document showing the Emperor trying to use Rome's secular elite to pressure its pope.
The Emperor Caesar Flavius Anastasius, Renowned Pontiff, Renowned Conqueror of the Germans, Renowned Conqueror of the Alamanni, Renowned Conqueror of the Franks, Renowned Conqueror of the Sarmatians, in the 25th year of his Tribunician Power, Consul for the Third Time, Pious, Fortunate, Victor and Triumphant, Ever Augustus, Father of the Fatherland, to the Proconsuls, Consuls, Praetors, Tribunes of the Plebs, and his Senate: Greetings.
If you and your children are well, it is good; I and my army are well.
Whenever the public affairs of both our states are consulted with good will, not only encouragement but also petition is thought fitting — so that with two causes converging as one, the energized spirit may succeed in attaining what is fortunate and good for both sides. For if Christ our God and Lord, both through his most gentle will and through a kind of dispensation's petition, called us back to himself and, having redeemed us with his own blood, restored us to freedom in order to grant salvation to our mortality, it does not seem absurd that the conscript fathers — joined with the imperial petition both before the most glorious King [Theoderic] and before the most blessed Pope of the gracious city of Rome — should hope for those things which, God willing, may benefit us all in common. That is: let them not listen to the contrived speeches of fugitives, composed of nothing but lies, but rather — having accepted the satisfaction which both truth and the investigation of our envoys has made plain — let them come together with a will acceptable to God toward the longed-for peace.
It is beyond doubt that from the long course of years, your constancy has claimed a great share in public affairs. Therefore your most holy assembly ought to strive with careful study and prudent labor — both before the exalted King to whom the power and responsibility of governing you has been entrusted, and before the venerable Pope to whom the power of interceding before God has been granted — to direct the goodness of their hearts toward that goal by which the members of both our states may be healed with the health they hope for. For you will be fulfilling your ancient custom, well known for its wisdom, if by deliberating, hoping, and petitioning, you succeed — God willing — in bringing about what serves the public good.
ANASTASIUS AUGUSTUS SENATUI URBIS ROMAE. PER THEOPOMPUJI ET SEVERIANUM UU. CC. IMPERATOR CAESAR FLAUIUS ANASTASIUS PONTIFEX INCLITUS SO GERMANICUS INCLITUS ALAMANNICUS INCLITUS FRANCICUS INCLITUS SARMATICUS INCLITUS TRIBUNICI IMPERII XXV CONS. TERTIO PIUS FELIX UICTOR AC TRIUMPHATOR SEMPER AUGUSTUS PATER PATRIAE PROCONSULIBUS CONSULIBUS PRAETORIBUS TRIBUNIS PLEBIS 8ENATUI
suo SALUTEM DiciT. Si uos Hberique uestri ualetis, bene est; 25 2ego exercitusque meus ualemus. quotiens utrisque publicis rebus prospera uoluntate consulitur, non solum exhortatio
4 suplicat y 5 hortetur Bar. 13 sursum F, corr. 16 ^osi data lacMnam 12 fere litierarum reliquit V
Epist. CXII 9 — CXIII 5.
507
sed postulatio quoque creditur esse coDueniens, ut duabus in unum coDCurrentibus causis animus incitatus, quod felix et bonum partibus sit. ualeat adipisci. si euim Cbristus deus 3 et domiuus noster et per mitissimam uoluntatem et quandam dispensationis petitionem nos reuocauit ad se et redemptos proprio sanguine libertati restituit, ut salutem mortalitati praestaret, dod uidetur absurdum tam apud gloriosissimum regem quam apud beatissimum papam almae urbis Romae patres conscriptos imperiali petitioni coniunctos ea sperare, quae et nobis et sibi deo annuente in commune proficiant, lioc est, ne fugitiuomm audiant concinnatos sermones et men- dacio solo compositos sed satisfactione suscepta, quam et ueritas et legatorum qui directi sunt inquisitio patefecit, ad desideratam pacem acceptabili deo uoluntate concurrant. in- 4 dubitatum siquidem est ex longa annorum serie multam partem rei publicae uestram uindicare constantiam. proinde oportet sanctissimum coetum uestrum soUerti studio ac pro- uido labore contendere tam apud excelsum regem, cui regendi uos potestas uel soUicitudo commissa est, quam apud uenera- bilem papam, cui intercedendi apud deum facultas est prae- stita, ut in ea parte animi sui bonitatem dignentur impendere, in qua utriusque rei publicae membra sperata sanitate sal- uentur. implebitis enim ueterem consuetudinem et nimis 5 consilio uestro notissimam, si ea, quae publicae utilitati con- ueniunt, tractando sperando postulando effectum adipisci deo auspice feceritis. Data V. Kal. Aug. Chalcedone Petro cons.
9 ea sperare V: ad ea adspirare Usener in Commentat. in honorem Th. Mommsetit 765 adn. 22, sed cf. Indicem 8. u. 'sperare' 11 au- deant V, corr, 15 niultum V, corr. Bar, 16 uendicare Bar.x
iudicare V 21 in ea o^: mea V 22 sperat V, corr. 26 chal-
CEDON V
508
Bercriptum senatus nrbis Roinae ad Anastasinm
◆
From:Emperor Anastasius I, Constantinople
To:The Senate of Rome
Date:~516 AD
Context:A formal imperial letter to the Roman Senate in the full ceremonial style, asking the senators to join with King Theoderic and Pope Hormisdas in working toward church unity and peace — a remarkable document showing the Emperor trying to use Rome's secular elite to pressure its pope.
The Emperor Caesar Flavius Anastasius, Renowned Pontiff, Renowned Conqueror of the Germans, Renowned Conqueror of the Alamanni, Renowned Conqueror of the Franks, Renowned Conqueror of the Sarmatians, in the 25th year of his Tribunician Power, Consul for the Third Time, Pious, Fortunate, Victor and Triumphant, Ever Augustus, Father of the Fatherland, to the Proconsuls, Consuls, Praetors, Tribunes of the Plebs, and his Senate: Greetings.
If you and your children are well, it is good; I and my army are well.
Whenever the public affairs of both our states are consulted with good will, not only encouragement but also petition is thought fitting — so that with two causes converging as one, the energized spirit may succeed in attaining what is fortunate and good for both sides. For if Christ our God and Lord, both through his most gentle will and through a kind of dispensation's petition, called us back to himself and, having redeemed us with his own blood, restored us to freedom in order to grant salvation to our mortality, it does not seem absurd that the conscript fathers — joined with the imperial petition both before the most glorious King [Theoderic] and before the most blessed Pope of the gracious city of Rome — should hope for those things which, God willing, may benefit us all in common. That is: let them not listen to the contrived speeches of fugitives, composed of nothing but lies, but rather — having accepted the satisfaction which both truth and the investigation of our envoys has made plain — let them come together with a will acceptable to God toward the longed-for peace.
It is beyond doubt that from the long course of years, your constancy has claimed a great share in public affairs. Therefore your most holy assembly ought to strive with careful study and prudent labor — both before the exalted King to whom the power and responsibility of governing you has been entrusted, and before the venerable Pope to whom the power of interceding before God has been granted — to direct the goodness of their hearts toward that goal by which the members of both our states may be healed with the health they hope for. For you will be fulfilling your ancient custom, well known for its wisdom, if by deliberating, hoping, and petitioning, you succeed — God willing — in bringing about what serves the public good.
Modern English rendering for readability. See the 19th-century translation or original Latin/Greek for scholarly use.