Letter 2

Pope Pelagius IUnknown|c. 556 AD|pelagius i|From Rome

Pope Pelagius I to Unknown.

not 4. infra l. 35, epp. 1 and 6, l. 8, ei passim in fine epp. 4-11, where recte codd., aliquando and, incolum. descrip¬ serunt) \ incolomitatem (cf, ep, 9,1. 5) 6. their a* 6 dis¬ 1. Felice uiro honesto: Aliunde ignotus. Viri honesti for titulo donabantur at the time illo liberi or liberti people, who arte or officio quo¬ dam lucrativo victum to himself quaerebant. Cf. B. MayER, 0. c., p. 76. Negotiato¬ rem quendam, in the name of Petrum, invenies hocce decoratum titulo, whom illi restitui, in ep. 9,1, p. 28. 2. Sicut true laus... castigat: Operis incerti Aurelii Symmachi. XXV, in Max. Bibi. Patv., t, VIII, p. 845 = Sermo CCXXXVI.. '4 (Dom [ibidem, p. 863). true and genuina lectio Symmachi forsitan was: so that true laus ornat, thus falsa castigat, prout inferri can from diversis locis adlegatis, which eadem verba to us servaverunt. PEI.AGII I PAPAE sanctorum omnium praecibus and uestris orationibus faciat we God tales existere, quales you to be from bona uoluntate pinxistis. Atque therefore, salutantes debito of love affectu, indicamus, we, 3 inuenta before this paruum time occasione quorundam concerning prouincia uestra Romanx uenientium, tanto amoris uestri feruore to have been succensos, so that inpatienter ferremus huiusmodi oportunitatem silentio praeterire. Scribentes for indeed gloriosissimo commu4 ni filio, regi Childeberto, also to love tuam letters quales under breuitate temporis potuimus dictare transmisimus. which5 dam moreover to us, sicut scripsistis, proprio ore, litterarum uestrarum in compendio portitor intimauit, which we not mediocriter permouerunt, ammirantes nimium qua ratione so noua res may have been usurpata; and necesse habemus to be solliciti, so that, if who uenerit, not facile to us tamquam ignaris subripere aliquid uideatur. Melius however fraternitas tua facit, if cognoscens illos quos suspi6 camini to we to be uenturos, also you personam instructam from postea) «2 14 pincxistis 16 this] this alterum praemissum of God,. 26 subrepere 3. inuenta occasione: Bp. 1 scilicet. 4. scribentes for indeed... regi: that epistula, data niminim die 4 iul. a. 556 when ep. 1, deperdita it seems. gloriosissimo: this honoris appellatio, propria maximorum quorumque virorum, illis barbarorum regibus who when Romano imperatore amicitiae foedera pepigerant facile tribuebatur. that refert to his usum pridem, cf. M. Bridget, 0. c., p. 133-134; 155; 159; 166. Quoad gloriosi titulum, cf. adnotationes in ep. 20,1, p. 62. which among the churches Arelatensem and Viennensem agitabatur to Galliae primatum adipiscendum. Btsi facile not may be probare, textum epistulae this alio spectare, however more textui and sensui litterarum harum consentaneum duco, eandem to be cause concerning qua this loquitur pontifex atque illam which movetur in ep. 8. Verba for adhibita in utraque epistula are similia: 2,5... ammirantes nimium qua ra8,2... passi estis subripi uohis... tione so noua res may have been usurpata. illum who usurpauit necesse may be concerning and necesse habemus to be soliciti so that if inlicita praesumptione culpari... who uenerit, not facile to us tamquam ignaris subripere aliquid uideatur... Huic adde that not so noua res esset controversia, which iain saecu¬ laris evaserat. nor pontifex, to whom praesto erant in archiviis Romanis every parte dirigitis, which to them may be able obsistere; because, when epistula uestra nihil concerning cause contineat, if this who to us modo from uoluntate uestra uerbo suggessit then at we nequeat inueniri, uidebimur we accusatoris duty suscepisse. that if a tua with love 7 persona dirigitur, our is, and for affectu whom to you inpendimus, and for rei gestae nouitate, salua aequitate, conpetentem illi whom love tua miserit praebere fauorem. God you safe 8 may guard brother dearest. Data XVI Kalendas Octobres anno XV 9 after consulatum Basilii uiri most distinguished. dirigatis 30 concerning cause] concerning cause alterum praemiss. of God. 31 aput 32 -mus a 3 *. basili a- . documenta, where testimonia explicita exstabant concerning concesso of the church Arelatensi primatu (cf. ep. 5. and notulas, p. 14) then locum accusatoris ullo modo tenere potuisset, if Sapaudus quam petiit expertem personam to eum not miserit. this mea contectura: Bpiscopus quidam, a Sapaudo ordi¬ natus (ep. 8,2), insidias ei molitur, so that iudicio eum tradat (ibid.); to istud moreover adsequendum, consensum Pelagii obtinere oportet. Sapaudus vero, who that all things noverat, misso Felice (ep, 2,5), which res agitetur pontificem monet. Machinator that papam not aditus, or his favorem not adeptus, to regem recurrere statuit. Tum Sapaudus, so that machinationem his infirmet, ipsemet a pontifice exposcit vices his and Galliarum primatum (ep. 4,3); verum, before moram ab ipso papa propositam (ibid.), intra quinquaginta dies, ab ipso rege now postulatam, primatus impetrat grace (ep. 6,2-3). Interim that ambitiosi of the bishop machinatio suos parit fructus and Childebertus rex praecipit so that iudicetur Sapaudus, quo a' papa recte carpitur (ep. 8,2-3), that ratio the prince vices Galliarum concedendi may be Sapaudi not vero Pelagii commodum, confirmare videntur, when negatio ponti¬ ficis to ea sponte praebenda, for says: superfluum iudicauimus ultro transmittere (ep. 4,3), tum commendatio to regem delata, so that whom thus postulavit evehi tueatur atque honoret (ep. 6,3), Verbis ibidem expressis voluit veri similiter Pelagius impedire, quominus archiepiscopus Arelatensis that inuretur iniuria qua now in ep. 8 dedecoratus apparet. 7. that if: Formula often a our auctore usurpata (epp. 10,6; 24,2; 38,4; 60,5), while for if, ni fallor, nusquam in Pelagii epistulis reperies. Correctio for in that probabiliter e sup excidit loco in cod. a 2 and thus perperam mutavit infra whom in that. Cf. apparatum. PEIyAGII I PAPAE so that Childeberti and of the bishops Galliae animos sedet, all illos exsecrat, who a in faith Leonis papae, a concilio Chalcedonensi confirmata, recedant. Insidias and calumnias haereticorum, who of the church divisionem quaerunt, deprehendit. Reliquias monachis Lirinensibus now traditas confirmat; nihilo however minus ope subdiaconi Homobom alias sends. J-K 942 11 decembris a. MIGNE, PL, 69, c. 402-403. to the Lord FILIO GLORIOSISSIMO ATQUE PRAECELLENTISSIMO CHILDEBERTO REGI PELAGIUS bishop. Rufinus, uir magnificus, legatus excellentiae your, to us said <concerning> eo that and in prouinciis Galliarum quidam semina scandalorum sparserint, dicendo aliquid against faith catholi¬ cam, that God not patietur, admissum. and quamuis a transitu adque 2 childiberto ag. 5<*5 and 48) 5 sparserunt Us aliquid] what as 6 God] the Lord as pa¬ liam, gaudebant also magistratus excellentissimorum graduum. Cf. P. Koch, 0. c., p. 82 ss. praecellentissimo: this generatim decorabantur in the name of Germani principes. Cf. P. Koch, o. c., p. 102. Re true Childeberto tribuit Pelagius in epistulis to all. concerning usu eiusdem at the time antiquiore, cf. M. BRiDGEr, 0. c., p. 150; 166. legati uestri. furthermore expresse nominatur in ep, 7,2. 4. to legationem regis (ep. 6,1) addidit missionem pontificis to Sapaudum, so that apparet in ep. 4,3. Vir was altae dignitatis, uti monstratur titulis quibus decoratur: uir magnificus this and in ep. 7,2 nuncupatur, and uiri inlustris in the name of dona¬ tur in ep. 7,4. Quoad dignitates which his respondebant titulis in imperio, epistulis deducitur, nondum perfecta was distinctio among titulos magnifici and inlustris. that God not patietur: Nescio utrum this verbum futuro tem¬ pore, that servare debui when codd., may be re ipsa usus Pelagii peculiaris, diue memoriae Theodorae augustae, nullas concerning in faith questiones the church of God in partibus orientis, to God miserante, formidet, but which¬ dam capitula extra faith fuerint agitata, concerning quibus longum is, so that epistulari possint conplecti sermone, this breuiter secundum ammonitionem praefati magnifici uiri Rufini, to sanandum animum your or omnium fratrum and coepiscoporum nostrorum in Galliae regionibus consistentium, faciendum to be perspeximus, dicentes, anathematizare we and alienos ab aeternae uitae praemiis indicare, quicumque ab that in faith quam blessed recordationis papa Leo in suis epistulis praedicauit, and quam Calchidonense the council sequens eundem praesulem edita definitione suscepit, in una sylla¬ ba or in uno uerbo or in sensu errauit or errauerit aliquando, or declinauit or declinauerit aliquando. Quibus himself thus habentibus, not adtendat celsitudo uestra, nor brothers our of the bishop, fabulas their hominum who scandalis delectantur. since this ipsa thus contigerunt so that, when father your, dementissimus impeas, chalchidonensls ai 17 sequens] in marg, as praesolem as sillaa 20 atten¬ gives as, adtendit as 21 homini «i 22 contegerunt ag. a, an mendum scribis imputandum, and legendum rather foret: patiatur or pateretur. Theodorae augustae: Decessit die 28 iun. a. 548. Cf. A Nage, capitula extra faith: at last, against id that adhuc diaconus tenuerat, sincera so that it seems mente, cognovit quaestionem Trium Capitu¬ lorum, in Cone. Constantinopolitano a. 553 damnatorum, faith Chalcedonensem not tetigisse. 2. celsitudo uestra: Praeter imperatores and reges hac also dona¬ bantur appellatione nobilissimi quique. Cf. P. Koch, o. c., p. 109-111, and notulas in ep. 52,15, p. 138. 3. father your: Ob this verba praesertim P. A. Pagi, Critica historico-chronologica... in Annales Ecclesiasticos... card. Baronii, t. II, Antdamnavit hanc epistulam tamquam fictum quoddam consarcinatum dua¬ bus aliis, alia Pelagii to Childebertum, altera Vigilii to Constantinum. Perperam moreover this was adsertum, for imperatori this tribuebatur noruen ab iis who supremis imperii muneribus fungebantur. Honoris eigo, not ge¬ nerationis carnalis cause, this utitur titulo pontifex. Cf. P. Koch, o. c., p. 101. rator, omnium hereses, which Constantinopoli episcopos suos and the churches when magnis reditibus and uasorum diuersitate usque to tempora imperii his habuerunt, euerterit, and sublatis basilicis their atque reditibus omnibusque aliis rebus catholicis tradide¬ rit; hi therefore who in ipsis erroribus remanserunt, conglobati are in unum and agunt uehementer qualiter the church catholicam scindant atque perturbent, for and this in Italia, quamdiu we in Constanti¬ nopoli fuimus, concerning in the name of our cartas mittebant, dicendo, quasi omnium hereses] coni, to sensum servdm. and explicds. quadamten. codd. lects.: omnium heresum (which lect. quamvis teneri vid. not posse, unless autum. aliqd. verb., so that puta, sectas, diuisiones, that so. codd. ignorant, excidisse after heresum, forte may be genuina) all hereses (lect. confiet, and falsam to be arguit lect. codd. ax a 2 ) constantinopolim i 24 reuitibus 25. in fine sumus clementissimus emperor: thus or consimili modo, often Pela¬ gius lustinianum nominat, tum in epistulis (epp. 3,9; 73,2), tum also bis in Def. Trium Cap., V, VI (R. Devreesse, o. c., p. 41, 1. 45; p. 67, 1. 16). Titulus deest at Koch; clementissimus the prince occurrit in epp. 43,1; 52,15; 53,10; 59,3; 75,1, p. 120; 139; 142; 156; 189. Cf. M. Bridgkt, o. c., p. 130-131; 166; cf. also p. 11-13. omnium hereses... euerterit: Cf. Ch. DiEL, Justinien and la civilisation hyzantine, Paris, 1901, p. 322-340, J. B. Bury, o. c., p. 364-367, E. Stein, Histoire..., p. 376-402; 623-669. 4. who in ipsis erroribus remanserunt: not haeretici Constantinopolitani, but his quondam amici and confoederati in pugna against damna¬ tionem Trium Capitulorum, id is, in primis: Facundus Hermianensis, Victor Tunnunnensis and biberatus diaconus, quorum duo primi eum concerning mutatione versatili reprehenderunt. Cf. R. DevrEESSE, o. c., p. XbH-Xblll; XbVII; E. Caspar, o. c., p. 281; 291. agunt... qualiter: Qualiter = so that. Cf., exempli grace, S. well¬ dicti, Regula, 41, v. 5 (A. EEnTINi, o. c., p. 344); Ph. V. Bagan, o. c., p. 181. this in Italia: Casus where for casu quo. this genuina lectio vide¬ tur. Cf. infra § 5: afferunt this cartas, and epp. 9,3; 56,1. Videas also Coli. Avellana, ep. 77 (O. GuEnTHEr, o. c., p. 206,1. 14). Ceterum, this usus sat fre¬ quenter reperitur at illius aevi scriptores. Cf. Thesaurus..., t. VI, p. 2763. Nihilo moreover minus cf. epp. 9,1; 49,2, where illuc recte exstat usitatum. in the name of our cartas mittebant: that adhuc to do pergebant, so that ait papa paululo after, in § 5. Serio however that umquam fecisse negavit Pelagius in ep. 80. therefore epistula, quam prae manibus habere adserebant of the bishop Aemiliae (cf. ibid.), una from illis to be it seems, concerning quibus men¬ tionem facit papa in praesenti. Una epistula whose auctorem himself Pelagius fatetur (ep. 19,1), not to Italiam Constantinopoli, but Africam versus from Italia missa was. epistula 3, 3-10 we dixerimus, faith catholicam to have been corruptam. now uero 5 also against we afferunt this cartas tacitis nominibus, so that nescia¬ tur who eas sent; but thus faciunt christiani who in Constantino¬ poli are, while eos constet not to be Christianos. especially however 6 gg Nestorianae heresis people, for eo that Nestorius duas naturas in in Christ separatas indeed and diuisas adstruxerit, fraudulenter moliuntur dicere, himself not longe ab intellectu to be Calchedonensis synodi and papae beonis, while Nestorium, for eo that diuisas duas naturas assereret, ipso dogmate blessed papae beonis constat to be condemned. this breuiter insinuanda to be excellentiae your 7 curauimus, so that that ardor of the faith your and unitatis amor not alicuius peruersi hominis fabulas or cartas superfluas permittat adtendi: because and this simplices aliquos episcopos and nescientes prima elementa of the faith sollicitauerunt, so that nor rationem ipsam intellegant nor discernant quantum may be bonum a in faith catholic not errare, but if qua are alia, quibus crimen ab hereticis patitur holy the church, re¬ futare. who for patiatur, so that Nestorii or sectatorum his 8 blasphemias, for eo that duas naturas in in Christ separatas who¬ dem and diuisas to be adstruxerit, catholicae of the faith existimet concordare? so that moreover we diu tribulationes Constantinopoli pateremur, 9 that res did, quam breuiter superius tetigimus: since, uiuente augusta, quicquid in ecclesiasticis causis mouebatur, suspectum habuimus; for father your, clementissimus emperor, and blessed papae beonis dogmata and Calchedonensis synodi faith nullo modo umquam patitur uiolari. Reliquias uero, so beatorum aposto10 lorum quam sanctorum martyrum, now indeed through seruos of God huc «3 33 who] who 34 -polim. calchidonensis 49 excellentiae] n sup. ras. «2 41 that cartas], from carthas (h of God.) ’ carthas (forte in orig. chart., but cf. supra l. 30-32; epp. 31, l. 1 and 78, l. 12) 42 attendi « 3, from attenda nestori... (duas litter. eras., and ultima rescripta interpr. nequit) 48 eo] id himself¬ paratos «1 43-49 indeed and], (cf. supra l. 36): idem ai, id is 49 astruxerit «1 «3 59. constantinopolim «g 53. 54 pappa dog¬ ma 3, docmata ai calchidonensis, calcidonensis quasi we dixerimus...: this indeed crediderat Pelagius, while adhuc diaconus constantissimus Trium Capitulorum exstiterat defensor. 7. excellentiae your: was generatim epithetum ordinum modo excellentiorum. Cf. P. Koch, o. c., p. 113; M. BridgET, o. c., p. 45; 166. 10. reliquiae... apostolorum: Videlicet SS. Petri and Pauli. Cf. ep. 4, 1 and ep. 20, p. 11 and 63. PKI/AGII I PAPAK monasterii lyirenensis direximus; but and now, quas legati uestri poposcerunt, we misisse signamus, deputantes Hominembonum subdiaconum from clero of the church nostrae, a quo usque to brother and coepiscopum our Sapaudum, iubente to the Lord, deferantur. Given on the III of the Iduum of Decembrium, in the year XV <after consulatum) Basili 11 uiri most distinguished. through Rufinum legatum. Pelagius, misericordia of God 12 bishop of the church catholicae urbis Romae, exemplaria epistulae nostrae subscripsimus. lirinensis y lyrenen. from lerenen. sive lirenen. ai 59 subdiaconem 60 quoepiscopum ai. ai deferatur 61 iduum] id. codd. decemb(ris) (?) a, basilii 63 to the bishop orbis exemplaria] (cf, ep. 59y l. 2): exemplariae a, epistolae 64 suscripsimus (cf. ep. 19y l. 121). Hominembonum: Cf. ep. 4,1, p. 11. rus...y t. V, 2, p. 1324-1325. subscripsimus: from which eruitur not ipse papa to himself suas scripsisse letters, ideoque in cassum in his suam propriam scribendi rationem (sive orthographiam) quaereres. Pontifex and so suas letters dictasse — so that always tulit mos scriptorum and principum— sui scrinii scribis it seems. Cf. N. BrTi,, Diktatoren fruhmittelalterlicheny in Archiv f. Urkundenforschungy t. XV, 1938, p. 61-66, that opus ipse met conferre not valui. in opere that a manu Pelagii was probabiliter exaratum, id is, in def. Trium Cap.y cons¬ tanter subscribimus reperitur; verum at Vicrbiuisi (PkI/AGIUM) Constitu¬ tum concerning Tribus Capitulis, in Coli. Avellana, ep. 83, 313 (O. GuKNThi r, o, c., p. 320) dicitur: Pelagius, miserante to God diaconus holy of the church Romanae, huic constituto consentiens sxiscripsi. to hanc subscriptionem concerning manu pon¬ tificis praesentium litterarum referitur ep. 7,3 p. 21, and fortassis ep. 19,25. KPiSTUivAB 3,10-12; 4,1-3 so that subdiaconus Homobonus redeat, hortatur. so that primum aliquis epistulam adferat petitoriam, honorem abs himself petitum a Sapaudo libenter praestabit. to pauperas sublevandos vestes ei mittendas rogat / from expensis quas the church Romana has in Gallia. Monet so that Anastasius, brother Pauli defensoris, before papam himself sistat.

Modern English rendering for readability. See the 19th-century translation or original Latin/Greek for scholarly use.

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