Reference Dok. 28; Urk. 33; CPG 2041
Incipit Τοὺς πονηροὺς καὶ ἀσεβεῖς
Date late 325
Ancient sources Greek: Athanasius, De decr. Nicenae 39.1-2; Socrates, H. E.  1.9.30; Anonymous Church History 2.36.1
Latin: Verona, Cod. 60; Some Latin canon law collections
Syriac: Brit. Mus.,  Add. 14,528; Vatican, Borg. Syr. 82
Modern edition Opitz, AW 3:37-38

In Athanasius’s De decretis this edict is preceded by the heading given below, stating that what follows was a copy (antigrafon) of what the imperial magistrates (agentes in rebus) Syncletius and Gaudentius delivered. Since a similar heading with the same two names appears at the end of Dok. 29 (which follows immediately in De decretis Nicaenae 39.43b), Opitz concluded that these two edicts were composed and delivered at the same time. Again, disagreeing with Opitz’s dating to 333, Heil argues (AW 3.3:38) that this is part of the official imperial condemnation that came in the immediate aftermath of the council (and after Arius did not respond to Dok. 27).

The Greek text below is taken from AW 3.1:66-68 where Opitz provided also both Latin versions and the Syriac (the latter taken from (F. Schulthess, “Die syrischen Kanones der Synoden von Nicaea bis Chalcedon,” Abh. der Königl. Ges. der Wissenschaften zu Göttingen, Phil.-Hist. Klasse N.F. 10, no. 2 [Berlin: Weidmannsche Buchhandlung, 1908], 1-2). Opitz gives all three because he concludes they were all independent of Athanasius’s Greek text. The English translation below is that of Aaron West from the Greek text. See also the translation of Socrates text by Zenos (NPNF2 2:4). This document is not included in NPNF2 4 which ends its translation of De decr. Nic. at section 32.

Click here to access a downloadable pdf of this document.

This work is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Ἀντίγραφον ὧν ἐκόμισαν Συγκλήτιος καὶ Γαυδέντιος μαγιστριανοί. Copy of those things which the imperial couriers Synkletios and Gaudentios carried.
Νικητὴς Κωνσταντῖνος Μέγιστος Σεβαστὸς ἐπισκόποις καὶ λαοῖς. The great and victorious Constantine Augustus to the bishops and laity:
1. Τοὺς πονηροὺς καὶ ἀσεβεῖς μιμησάμενος Ἀρειος δίκαιός ἐστι τὴν αὐτὴν ἐκείνοις ὑπέχειν ἀτιμίαν. ὥσπερ τοίνυν Πορφύριος ὁ τῆς θεοσεβείας ἐχθρὸς συντάγματα ἄττα παράνομα κατὰ τῆς θρησκείας συστησάμενος ἄξιον εὕρατο μισθὸν καὶ τοιοῦτον ὥστε ἐπονείδιστον μὲν αὐτὸν πρὸς τὸν ἑξῆς γενέσθαι χρόνον καὶ πλείστης ἀναπλησθῆναι κακοδοξίας, ἀφανισθῆναι δὲ τὰ ἀσεβῆ αὐτοῦ συγγράμματα, οὕτω καὶ νῦν ἔδοξεν Ἄρειόν τε καὶ τοὺς Ἀρείῳ ὁμογνώμονας Πορφυριανοὺς μὲν καλεῖσθαι, ἵν’ ὧν τοὺς τρόπους μεμίμηνται, τούτων ἔχωσι καὶ τὴν προσηγορίαν. 1. Since Arius is an imitator of the wicked and the ungodly, it is only right that he should suffer the same dishonor as they. Porphyry, who was hostile to anyone who feared God, composed a book which transgressed against our religion, and has found a suitable reward: namely that he has been disgraced from that time onward, his reputation is completely terrible, and his ungodly writings have been destroyed. In the same way it seems appropriate that Arius and those of like mind with Arius should from now on be called Porphyrians, so that their name is taken from those whose ways they have imitated. 
2. πρὸς δὲ τούτῳ καὶ εἴ τι σύγγραμμα ὑπὸ Ἀρείου συντεταγμένον εὑρίσκοιτο, τοῦτο πυρὶ παραδίδοσθαι, ἵνα μὴ μόνον τὰ φαῦλα αὐτοῦ τῆς διδασκαλίας ἀφανισθείη, ἀλλὰ μηδὲ ὑπόμνημα αὐτοῦ ὅλως ὑπολείττοιτο. ἐκεῖνο μέντοι προαγορεύω, ὡς εἴ τις σύγγραμμα ὑπὸ Ἀρείου συνταγὲν φωραθείη κρύψας καὶ μὴ εὐθέως προσενεγκὼν καὶ πυρὶ καταναλώσας, τοὐτῴ θάνατος ἔσται ζημία. παραχρῆμα γὰρ ἁλοὺς ἐπὶ τοὐτῳ κεφαλῇς ὑποστήσεται τιμωρίαν. 2. In addition, if any writing composed by Arius should be found, it should be handed over to the flames, so that not only will the wickedness of his teaching be obliterated, but nothing will be left even to remind anyone of him. And I hereby make a public order, that if someone should be discovered to have hidden a writing composed by Arius, and not to have immediately brought it forward and destroyed it by fire, his penalty shall be death. As soon as he is discovered in this offense, he shall be submitted for capital punishment.
καὶ ἄλλῃ χειρί᾽ ὁ θεὸς ὑμᾶς διαφυλάξει, ἀδελφοὶἀγαπητοί. And in another hand:
God will watch over you, beloved brothers.

Back to Early Arian Documents – Next Arian Document

Back to Arius

Last updated 5/8/24 by AGC

No Responses yet