From: The Senate of Rome
To: Emperor Anastasius I, Constantinople
Date: ~516 AD
Context: The Roman Senate replies to the Emperor, reporting that they have petitioned Pope Hormisdas as instructed, and that the Pope eagerly joined his prayers to theirs — quoting Scripture on the blessings of peace and the dangers of the Acacian Schism.
Reply of the Senate of the City of Rome to the Emperor Anastasius Augustus. Delivered by Theopompus and Severianus, men of distinction.
If the devotion of suppliants is always the first thing rulers look for, unconquered Emperor, and if the favor of one's lords is won by obedience alone, then you will surely recognize with what joy the oracles of your sacred command were received by your Senate — especially since the spirit of our lord, the most unconquered King Theoderic, your son, added his own command that we should obey your instructions. And we know that above all your benefits, we are lifted highest when you consider us worthy to be given orders.
Immediately, then, with eager intent to carry out your sacred command, we approached the most blessed Pope Hormisdas with our petition. It is not enough to say that he anticipated the wishes of his suppliants with his generosity — he even joined his own prayers to ours, that what you urge might come to pass, supporting his purpose with the testimony of the Gospels. He showed that the world is weighed down more by the scandals piled upon its multitude of sins, since the Lord's own words declare: "Woe to the world because of scandals" [Matthew 18:7], and that it is better to cut off the part of the body that causes scandal than to be cast into eternal fire by not renouncing scandals [cf. Matthew 18:8].
Beyond this, he showed by examples from divine Scripture what good fruits peace bears, noting that even the apostle Paul, full of God's grace, found nothing better to wish for those he loved than that "the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding" [Philippians 4:7] should abound in their hearts, and that in the Gospel the Lord's own voice declares: "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God" [Matthew 5:9]. And returning again to that teacher of all the Scriptures, he showed how much greater than even faith — by which we claim the heavenly kingdom and are saved by believing from the torments of sin — is love, citing the testimony: "Faith, hope, love — but the greatest of these is love" [1 Corinthians 13:13].
RESCRIPTVX SEXATVS URBIS ROMAE AD AXASTASirM AUGUSTVir. PER THEOPOMPUM ET SEUERIANUM UU. CC.
Si prima semper est, imperator inuicte, a regentibus sup- plicum spectata deuotio, si solo gratia dominorum conciliatur & obsequio, indubitanter agnosces, sacrae iussionis oracula quanta senatus uestri fuerint gratulatione suscepta, maxime cum ad hoc et aniraus domini nostri inuictissimi regis Theoderici filii uestri mandatorum uestrorum oboedientiam praecipientis acce- deret et sciamus supra omnia beneficia uestra tunc magis lo
2 nos erigi, cum dignos creditis, quibus debeat imperari. mox igitur sacrae studio iussionis implendae beatissimum papam Hormisdam credicdi >mus deprecandum. de quo parum est dicere, quia uota supplicantium benignitate praecessit; sed et nobis- cum suas preces, ut quod hortamini fiat, adiunxit euangelicis is uoluntatem suam testimoniis adserendo, ostendens mundum supra multitudines peccatorum suorum scandalis plus grauatum, dum uox sit ista dominica: uae mundo ab scandalis, et <absc>idere oportere homines scandalizantem paiiem membro- rum, quam ut in ignem non renuntiando scandalis mittantur 20
3 aeternum. sed et post haec diuinae lectionis exemplis, quam boni sint fructus pacis, ostendit, cnm diceret et apostolum Paulum gratia dei plenum nihil tamen, quibus bene cupiebat, quod optaret, melius inuenisse, nisi ut pax dei, quae est supra
18 Matth. 18, 7 19 sq. cf. Matth. 18, 8 24 cf Philipp. 4, 7
Epist. CXIV 1-8.
509
omnem excellentiam, in eorum sensibiis abundaret, quodque in euangelio domini sit uox ista dicentis: quoniam pacifici filii dei uocabuntur. et iterum ad ipsum scripturarum omnium 4 reuertendo doctorem, quanto ipsa uel fide, qua et caelestia regna praesumimus et a peccatorum cruciatibus credendo sal- uamur, caritas sit maior, ostendit testimonium tale subiciens: spes fides caritas, maior autem omnium caritas. idem spiritus gratia donante diuina caritatem uirtutibus omnibus euacuat non habentes. ergo si et propter poenam scandala decli- 5 namus etpacem propter pacis bona sectamur et ad caritatem nos, qui est caritas, Christus hortatur: quid est enim, quod retinet catholico ardore festinos? quid est, quod deliuquentis Acacii impedit uolentes Christum uidere persona? quid est, quod a suo liberi alieno grauantur eiTore? haec cum uenerabilis 6 papae latius fuerint expedita rescriptis, pro nostrae tamen obsequio credidimus deuotionis indenda, ne non rogasse puta- remur recondendo responsum, quod accepimus deprecantes. proinde, piissime imperator, haec suo nomine senatus sereni- 7 tatis tuae clementia prouocatus adiunxit, ut animo quam benigno in utraque re publica concordanda fuisti, tam esse pio in ecclesiae redintegranda unitate noscaris. nam ut pax illa regnorum tantum scitur prodesse subiectis, sic haec reli- gionis cum populo suo proficit imperanti. etenim quis non 8 haeresum perfidarum sequaces plus quam ipsos deliquisse putet auctores? quis non post patibulum crucis diuidentes iterum Christi membra condemnet? utinam haec iam uobis regnantibus causa coepisset, ut facilius mala reprimerentur nascentia quam prouecta! nam quis ambigat non potuisse eius existere, cuius corrigi temporibus uideret errorem?
2 Matth. 5, 9 7 Cor. I 13, 13 8 cf. Cor. I 13, 1—3
corr. a* 11 hortamur F, corr. cod. Angelic. 12 delinquentis Bar.: delinquentium F 13 impendit F, corr. persona ex persona corr, V 14 cuw os^: quam F, quamquam 17 recondendo Bar.: recedendo F, reticendo p^ 21 redintegrandae F, corr. cod. Arujelic. 22 sic o*; si F
510
Hormisda Anastasio Augusto
◆
From:The Senate of Rome
To:Emperor Anastasius I, Constantinople
Date:~516 AD
Context:The Roman Senate replies to the Emperor, reporting that they have petitioned Pope Hormisdas as instructed, and that the Pope eagerly joined his prayers to theirs — quoting Scripture on the blessings of peace and the dangers of the Acacian Schism.
Reply of the Senate of the City of Rome to the Emperor Anastasius Augustus. Delivered by Theopompus and Severianus, men of distinction.
If the devotion of suppliants is always the first thing rulers look for, unconquered Emperor, and if the favor of one's lords is won by obedience alone, then you will surely recognize with what joy the oracles of your sacred command were received by your Senate — especially since the spirit of our lord, the most unconquered King Theoderic, your son, added his own command that we should obey your instructions. And we know that above all your benefits, we are lifted highest when you consider us worthy to be given orders.
Immediately, then, with eager intent to carry out your sacred command, we approached the most blessed Pope Hormisdas with our petition. It is not enough to say that he anticipated the wishes of his suppliants with his generosity — he even joined his own prayers to ours, that what you urge might come to pass, supporting his purpose with the testimony of the Gospels. He showed that the world is weighed down more by the scandals piled upon its multitude of sins, since the Lord's own words declare: "Woe to the world because of scandals" [Matthew 18:7], and that it is better to cut off the part of the body that causes scandal than to be cast into eternal fire by not renouncing scandals [cf. Matthew 18:8].
Beyond this, he showed by examples from divine Scripture what good fruits peace bears, noting that even the apostle Paul, full of God's grace, found nothing better to wish for those he loved than that "the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding" [Philippians 4:7] should abound in their hearts, and that in the Gospel the Lord's own voice declares: "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God" [Matthew 5:9]. And returning again to that teacher of all the Scriptures, he showed how much greater than even faith — by which we claim the heavenly kingdom and are saved by believing from the torments of sin — is love, citing the testimony: "Faith, hope, love — but the greatest of these is love" [1 Corinthians 13:13].
Modern English rendering for readability. See the 19th-century translation or original Latin/Greek for scholarly use.