Documents of the Early Arian Controversy
This page lists the survivng background documents leading up to the Arian controversy. The chart below lists those 80 items according to the expanded list of Samuel Fernández in Fontes Nicaenae Synodi (Brill, 2024). The hotlink for each document leads to a subpage the provides the text and our English translation together with a short introduction.
Such a list was first compiled by Hans-Georg Opitz in connection with his edition of Athanasius’s works. He published the ancient texts in volume 3, fascicles 1-2 of the German Athanasius Werke (AW) in 1934. He numbered each document, Urkunde in German; hence Urkunde 1, Urkunde 2, etc. in column 7 below. Since English translations were not similarly available in one place, our Fourth-Century Christianity website provided them in 2008. The previous year, however, the German continuators of Opitz’s AW project published German translations of the items in a new volume 3.3; in doing so they re-evaluated the chronology and order of the documents, almost all of which are undated. They designated the items as Dokumente 1, Dokumente 2, to distinguish their suggested chronological order from that of Opitz.
We have also included separate pages displaying the competing chronologies of AW 3.3, H.-G. Opitz, Rowan Williams (2002) and Sarah Parvis (2006). We have now, however, redone this home page to give priority to Fernández’s scholarship, so in the table below the items are listed in the order proposed in his Fontes Nicaenae Synodi. Fernández explains his reconstruction and dating in his accompanying volume Nicaea 325: Reassessing the Contemporary Sources (Brill, 2025).
Click here to see the issues related to chronology.
The source designated below as the Anonymous Church History has often been erroneously attributed to Gelasius. Our translation of it can be accessed here.
Historical background
Sometime between 318-320, a dispute between Arius, a priest in the Baucalis suburb of Alexandria, and his bishop Alexander (r. 313-328) arose about the proper way to describe the relationship between the Father and the Son. This continued a pattern of dissension within the Christian community that had started during the Great Persecution a decade earlier and which had led to a breakaway “Church of the Martyrs” led by Melitius, the bishop of Lycopolis. After several hearings in which the two sides could not come to agreement, the dispute rapidly heated up. Alexander soon excommunicated Arius and his supporters. Arius sent letters and representatives to sympathetic clergy around the eastern Mediterranean garning support for his theology.
Patristic scholars today warn against lumping together as “Arians” all the early theologians who had reservations about granting the Son full equality with the Father. They argue that it was the opponents of Arius who created this persona of Arius as the leader and arch-heretic of this theological tendency. Even his role as originator of the open controversy has been questioned, with men such as Eusebius of Caesarea, Asterius the Sophist and Lucian of Antioch numbered among the other instigators. Arius and those with similar ideas are seen as continuing an already existent theological trajectory which emphasized the Son as “substantially different” than the Father while yet distinct from the rest of creation. On the other hand, the key role of Arius in both the theological and public debate is clearly seen in the writings below.
Map: For a map showing the geographical diversity among early Arian supporters, click here.
Key to the chart:
Appx. date: The date given is normally those assigned by Fernández.
FNS: The document number assigned by Fernández in Fontes Nicaenae Synodi.
Ancient source(s): Gives the location in the ancient sources where the document has been preserved.
Translation(s): List of English translations. Our own FCC (Fourth-Century Christianity) translation can be accesed by clicking the hotlink in the “Description” column
Dok.: The document number in vol. 3.3 of Athanasius’ Werke.
Urk.: Provides the document number (Urk.) in Opitz’s 1934 Athanasius Werke 3.1-2: See the contents of this volume by page number.
CPG: Clavis Patrum Graecorum reference number.
Anonymous Church History: This is CPG 6034, often erroneously attributed to Gelasius. Our translation of it can be accessed here.
| Appx Date | FNS | Description | Ancient Source(s) | Translation(s) | Dok. | Urk. | CPG |
| late 304 or early 305 | 1 | Four Egyptian Bishops, Letter to Melitius | Kettler, ZNW, 35, 159–161; Codex Veronensis, lx, ed. M.J. Routh, Reliquae Sacrae, IV, 91–93; Migne, P.G. X, 1565–1568 | FCC; ANF 6:163 | 1667 | ||
| 305 | 2 | Peter of Alexandria, Letter to the People of Alex. | Kettler, ZNW, 35, 162–163; Codex Veronensis, LX, ed. M.J. Routh, Reliquae Sacrae, IV, 94; Migne, P.G. XVIII, 509–510 | FCC; ANF 6:280 | 1641 | ||
| April 306 | 3 | Peter of Alexandria, Canonical Letter | 1639 | ||||
| Easter 314 | 4 | Synod of Ancyra, Canons | 8501 | ||||
| 314/319 | 5 | Synod of Neocaesarea, Canons | 8504 | ||||
| 322/323 | 6 | Arius, Letter to Eusebius of Nicomedia | Theodoret, H.E. 1.5; Epiphanius, Panarion 69.6 | FCC; New Eusebius, no. 283; Sec.8: Hanson, 39; Sec. 4-5: Hanson, 6; NPNF2 3:41 | 15 | 1 | 2025 |
| 322/323 | 7 | Eusebius of Nicomedia, Letter to Arius | Athanasius, De Synodis 17.2 | FCC; Hanson, 31; NPNF2 4:459 | 16 | 2 | 2046 |
| 322/323 | 8 | Alexander of Alexandria, Letter to Alexander | Theodoret, H.E. 1.4.1-61 | FCC; CLA no. 21; NPNF2 3:35-41 | 17 | 14 | 2002 |
| 322/323 | 9 | Alexander of Alexandria, Letter to Philogonius | Greek (reconstruction): Schwartz, “Zur Geschichte des Athanasius,” pp. 265-7; Syriac: Pitra, vol. 4, pp. 196-7 | FCC | 14 | 15 | 2010 |
| 321/323? | 10 | Alexander of Alexandria, Festal Homily | 2010 | ||||
| 323 | 11 | Arius and Companions, Letter to Alexander | Athanasius, De Synodis 16.2-6; Epiphanius, Panarion 69.7-8; Hilary, De Trinitate, 4.12-13 | FCC; CLA no. 22; Hanson, 7-8; NPNF2 4:458; NPNF2 9:74; New Eusebius, no. 284 | 1 | 6 | 2026 |
| 323 | 12 | Eusebius of Caesarea, Letter to Alexander | 2nd Council of Nicaea, Session 6: ACO2 3:734-736 | FCC | 9 | 7 | 3501 |
| ca. 323 | 13 | Eusebius of Caesarea, Letter to Euphration | 2nd Council of Nicaea, Sessions 5 and 6: ACO2 3:560-562, 736 | FCC | 10.1-3 | 3.1-3 | 3500 |
| ca. 323 | 14 | Eusebius of Caesarea, Letter to an Unknown Recipient | Eusebius, Contra Marcellum1.4.40-41, 57; Athanasius, De synodis 17.3 | FCC | 10.4-5 | 3.4-5 | 3500 |
| ca. 323 | 15 | Eusebius of Nicomedia, Letter to Paulinus | Theodoret, Historia ecclesiastica 1.6 | FCC; NPNF2 3:42 | 4 | 8 | 2045 |
| ca. 323 | 16 | Paulinus of Tyre, Letter | Eusebius, Contra Marcellum 1.4.18-21, 49-51 | FCC; Hanson, 45 | 5 | 9 | 2065 |
| 323 | 17 | Asterius of Cappadocia, Theological Fragments | 2817–2818 | ||||
| 323/324 | 18 | Arius, Hymn [Thalia] | Athanasius, De synodis 15.3 Athanasius, Or. c. Ar. I,5-6, 9, 11 | FCC | 2028 | ||
| 324 | 19 | George [of Laodicea], Letter to Alexander of Alexandria (fr.) | Athanasius, De synodis 17.5 | FCC; Hanson, 44; NPNF2 4:459 | 6 | 12 | 3555 |
| 324 | 20 | George [of Laodicea], Letter to Those of Arius (fr.) | Athanasius, De synodis 17.6 | FCC; NPNF2 4:459; Hanson, 44 | 7 | 13 | 3556 |
| 324 | 21 | Athanasius of Anazarbus, Letter to Alexander of Alexandria (fr.) | Athanasius, De synodis 17.4 | FCC; NPNF2 4:458; Hanson, 42. | 11 | 11 | 2060 |
| ? | 22 | Athanasius of Anazarbus, Letter (fr.) | Codex Vaticanus lat. 5750, p. 275 (Frag. 4 [235 Gryson, Scripta Arriana]) | FCC | 12 | 2061 | |
| ? | 23 | Theognis of Nicaea, Letters (fr.) | Codex Vaticanus lat. 5750, p. 275-76 (Frag. 4 [235 Gryson, Scripta Arriana]) | FCC | 13 | 2070 | |
| late 324 | 24 | Constantine, Letter to Alexander and Arius | Eusebius, Vita Constantini, 2.64 Sections 6-15: Socrates, Historia ecclesiastica 1.7; Sections 6-15: Anonymous Church History 2.4 | FCC; NPNF2 1:515-8; New Eusebius, no. 287; Coleman, no. 47; Sec. 6-15: NPNF2 2:6-7 | 19 | 17 | 2020 |
| 324 | 25 | Alexander of Alexandria, Deposition of Arius | Athanasius, De decretis 34 | FCC; NPNF2 4:69 | 2.1 | 4a | 2001/2120,2 |
| 324 | 26 | Alexander of Alexandria, Encyclical Letter | Athanasius, De decretis 35; Socrates, Historia ecclesiastica 1.6.; Anonymous Church History 2.3.1-21 | FCC; NPNF2 2:3-5; New Eusebius, no. NPNF2 4:69-72; 282; Sec. 2-3: Hanson, 16 | 2.2 | 4b | 2000/2120,3 |
| 324 | 27 | Alexander of Alexandria, Letter to Silvester (fr.) | 2005 | ||||
| 324/5 | 28 | Synod of Antioch, Synodical Letter | Greek and Syriac: Schwartz, “Zur Geschichte des Athanasius,” pp. 271-9; Syriac: Schulthess, “Die syrischen Kanones,” pp. 160-2 | FCC; New Eusebius, no. 288; Sec. 8-11: Hanson, 149 | 20 | 18 | 8509 |
| 325 | 29 | Narcissus of Neronias, Testimony of a Letter (fr.) | Eusebius, Contra Marcellum, 1.4.39 | FCC | 21 | 19 | |
| beginning of 325 | 30 | Constantine, Letter to the Bishops (fr.) | Greek: Schwartz, “Zur Geschichte des Athanasius,” pp. 289 Syriac: Schulthess, “Die syrischen Kanones,” p. 1 | FCC; New Eusebius, no. 289; Coleman, no. 48 | 22 | 20 | 8511 |
| June 325 | 31 | Constantine, Speech to the Nicene Synod | 3496 | ||||
| June 325 | 32 | Synod of Nicaea, Creed | Athanasius, De decretis 37 | FCC; NPNF2 4:75 | 26 | 24 | 8512/2120,5 |
| 325 | 33 | Synod of Nicaea, Canons | FCC; NPNF2 14:8-42 | 8513 | |||
| 325 | 34 | Synod of Nicaea, Letter to the Church of Egypt, Libya, and Pentapolis | Athanasius, De decretis 36; Socrates, Historia ecclesiastica 1.9; Theodoret, Historia ecclesiastica 1.9.2 (1.8.2 in NPNF); Anonymous Church History 2.34.2 | FCC; NPNF2 2:12-3; New Eusebius, no. 292; NPNF2 3:46 | 25 | 23 | 8515/2120,4 |
| 325 | 35 | Constantine, Letter to All the Churches | Eusebius, Vita Constantini 3.17-20; Socrates, Historia ecclesiastica 1.9.32; Theodoret, Historia ecclesiastica 1.10 (1.9 in NPNF); Anonymous Church History 2.37.10 | FCC; NPNF2 1:524-5 and NPNF2 2:14-16; Coleman, no. 52; NPNF2 3:47-8 | 30 | 26 | 8518 |
| 325 | 36 | Constantine, Letter to the Alexandrian Church | Athanasius, De decretis 38; Socrates, Historia ecclesiastica 1.9.17; Anonymous Church History 2.37 | FCC; NPNF2 2:13-4; Coleman, no. 53; New Eusebius, no. 293 | 29 | 25 | 8517/2120,6 |
| mid 325 | 37 | Eusebius of Caesarea, Letter to his Church | Athanasius, De decretis 33; Theodoret, Historia ecclesiastica 1.12 (1.11 in NPNF); Anonymous Church History 2.35; Socrates, Historia ecclesiastica 1.8 (section 16 omitted) | FCC; NPNF2 4:74-76; New Eusebius, no. 291; NPNF2 2:10; NPNF2 3:51 (partial); Sec. 3-6: Hanson, 159; Sec. 7: Hanson, 165; Sec 16: Hanson, 166 | 24 | 22 | 3502/2120,1 |
| 325 | 38 | Eusebius (?), Fragment | Ambrose, De fide 3.15 | FCC; Hanson, 31; NPNF2 10:260 | 23 | 21 | 2047 |
| 325 | 39 | Eustathius of Antioch, On Prov 8:22 (fr. 79) | 3354 | ||||
| 325/328 | 40 | Eustathius of Antioch, Against the Ariomaniacs and on the Soul (fr. 6) | 3353 | ||||
| ? | 41 | Eustathius of Antioch, Contra Arianos (fr. 107) | 3357 | ||||
| late 325 | 42 | Constantine, Letter to the Church of the Nicomedians | Athanasius, De decretis 41; Anonymous Church History 3. appendix 1; Sections 9-17: Theodoret, Historia ecclesiastica 1.20 (1.19 in NPNF) | FCC; Coleman, no. 50; Sec. 9-17: New Eusebius, no. 294; NPNF2 3:56 | 31 | 27 | 2120,9 |
| late 325 | 43 | Constantine, Letter to Theodotus of Laodicea | Athanasius, De decretis 42; Anonymous Church History 3.appendix 2 | FCC; Coleman, no. 51; New Eusebius, no. 305 (1957 edition only) | 32 | 28 | 2120,10 |
| late 325 | 44 | Constantine, Letter to the Bishops and the People | Athanasius, De decretis 39; Socrates, Historia ecclesiastica 1.9.30; Anonymous Church History 2.36.1 Syriac: Schulthess, “Die syrischen Kanones,” pp. 1-2 | FCC; Coleman-Norton, no. 66; NPNF2 2:14 | 28 | 33 | 2041/2120,7 |
| late 325 | 45 | Constantine, Against the Heretics | 3496 | ||||
| Sept. 326 | 46 | Constantine, Mandate on Clerical Privileges | |||||
| Sept. 326 | 47 | Constantine, Mandate on Novationists | |||||
| late 327 | 48 | Melitius, Report to Alexander | Athanasius, Apol. Sec. 71.6 | FCC; NPNF2 4:137 | 35 | 2123,23 | |
| after June 328 | 49 | Constantine, Letter to Athanasius (fr.) | |||||
| 328/331 | 50 | Constantine, Letter to Athanasius (fr.) | Athanasius, Apol. Sec. 59.6; Sozomen, HE 2.22.3-5; Socrates, HE 1.27.4-5 | FCC; NPNF2 4:132 | 38 | 2123.15 | |
| first months of 329 | 51 | Synod of Antioch, Letter and Canons | FCC; NPNF2 14:108-121 | 8536 | |||
| early 329 | 52 | Constantine, Letter to the People of Antioch | 3496 | ||||
| early 329 | 53 | Constantine, Letter to the Synod of Antioch | 3496 | ||||
| early 329 | 54 | Constantine, Letter to Eusebius of Caesarea | 3496 | ||||
| c. Feb. 332 | 55 | Constantine, Letter to the Church of Alexandria | Athanasius, Apol. Sec. 61-62; Socrates, HE 1.27.9-10; Sozomen, HE 2.22.8-9; portion in Theodoret, HE 1.27 | FCC: NPNF2 4:132-3 | 47 | 2123,16 | |
| 332/333 | 56 | Ischyras, Letter to Athanasius | Athanasius, Apol. Sec. 64 | FCC; NPNF2 4:133-4 | 48 | 2123,17 | |
| March 334 | 57 | Pageus Presbyter, Letter to the Priors of the Monks of Hathor | P. Lond. 6 1913 | FCC | |||
| 334 | 58 | Alexander of Thessalonica, Letter to Athanasius | Athanasius, Apol. Sec. 66 | FCC; NPNF2 4:134-135 | 55 | 2123,18 | |
| 334 | 59 | Pinnes, Letter to John of Memphis [Archaph] | Athanasius, Apol. Sec. 67 | FCC; NPNF2 4:135 | 50 | 2123,19 | |
| c. 334 | 60 | Arsenius, Letter to Athanasius (fr.) | Athanasius, Apol. Sec. 69.2-4 | FCC; NPNF2 4:136 | 75 | 2123,21 | |
| 334 | 61 | Constantine, Letter to Athanasius | Athanasius, Apol. Sec. 68; Sozomen, HE 2.23 | FCC; NPNF2 4:135-6 | 52 | 2123,20 | |
| 334 | 62 | Constantine, Letter to John of Memphis [Archaph] | Athanasius, Apol. Sec. 70.2 | FCC; NPNF2 4:136-7 | 54 | 2123,22 | |
| 334 | 63 | Constantine, Letter to Arius and His Companions | Athanasius, De decretis 40; Anonymous Church History 3.19.1 | FCC; Coleman-Norton, no. 67; Sec. 14-15: Hanson, 189 | 27 | 34 | 2120,8 |
| 334 | 64 | Constantine, Letter to Arius | Socrates, Historia ecclesiastica 1.25.7 | FCC; Coleman, no. 58; NPNF2 2:28 | 33 | 29 | 2040 |
| 335 | 65 | Arius and Euzoius, Letter to Constantine | Socrates, Historia ecclesiastica 1.26.2; Sozomen, Historia ecclesiastica 2.27.6-10 | FCC; NPNF2 2:28; New Eusebius, no. 295; NPNF2 2:277 | 34 | 30 | 2027 |
| 335 | 66 | [Secundus and Theonas], Pamphlet of Apology | Socrates, Historia ecclesiastica 1.14.2; Sozomen, Historia ecclesiastica 2.16.3-7; Anonymous Church History 3.13 | FCC; NPNF2 2:19-20; New Eusebius, no. 296; NPNF2 2: 68 | 36 | 31 | 2048 |
| first half of 335 | 67 | Callistus, Letter to Paiêou and Patabeit | P. Lond. 6 1914 | FCC; Bell, Jews and Christians in Egypt (OUP, 1924) doc. 1914, 58-63 | |||
| first half of 335 | 68 | Constantine, Letter to the Synod of Tyre | Eusebius, Vita Const. 4.42; Theodoret, HE 1.29.1-6 | FCC; NPNF2 3:61-62 | 3496 | ||
| ca. Sept. 335 | 69 | The Clergy of Alexandria, Letter to the Commission of Mareotis | Athanasius, Apol. Sec. 73 | FCC; NPNF2 4:138-139 | 64 | 2123,24/8546 | |
| ca. Sept. 335 | 70 | The Clergy of Mareotis, Letter to the Synod of Tyre | Athanasius, Apol. Sec. 74-75 | FCC; NPNF2 4:139-140 | 65 | 2123,25/8548 | |
| 8 Sept. 335 | 71 | The Clergy of Mareotis, Letter to Prefect Philagrius | Athanasius, Apol. Sec. 76 | FCC; NPNF2 4:140 | 66 | 2123,26/8547 | |
| ca. Sept. 335 | 72 | The Egyptian Bishops in Tyre, Letter to the Synod of Tyre | Athanasius, Apol. Sec. 77 | FCC; NPNF2 4:140-141 | 60 | 2123,27/8541 | |
| ca. Sept. 335 | 73 | The Egyptian Bishops in Tyre, Letter to Count Dionysius I | Athanasius, Apol. Sec. 78 | FCC; NPNF2 4:141-142 | 61 | 2123,28/8542 | |
| ca. Sept. 335 | 74 | The Egyptian Bishops in Tyre, Letter to Count Dionysius II | Athanasius, Apol. Sec. 79 | FCC; NPNF2 4:142 | 67 | 2123,29/8543 | |
| ca. Sept. 335 | 75 | Alexander of Thessalonica, Letter to Dionysius | Athanasius, Apol. Sec. 80 | FCC; NPNF2 4:142, | 62 | 2123,30/8544 | |
| ca. Sept. 335 | 76 | Count Dionysius, Letter to the Commission of Mareotis (fr.) | Athanasius, Apol. Sec. 81 | FCC; NPNF2 vol. 4:142-3 | 63 | 2123,31/8545 | |
| Sept. 335 | 77 | Synod of Jerusalem, Synodical Letter | Athanasius, De Synodis 21 | FCC; NPNF2 4:460 | 39 | 70 | 2128,6 |
| ca. Oct. 335 | 78 | Flavius Hemerius, Letter to the Tax-collector of Mareotis | 83 | 2123,33 | |||
| ca. Nov. 335 | 79 | Constantine, Letter to the Bishops Gathered in Tyre | Athanasius, Apol. Sec. 86; Anonymous Church History 3.18; Sozomen, HE 2.28.2-12; Socrates, HE 1.34 | FCC; NPNF2 4:145-146 | 71 | 2123,34/8549 | |
| late 335 | 80 | Constantine, Letter to Alexander [of Constantinople] (fr.) | Anonymous Church History, 3.15.1-5 | FCC | 37 | 32 | 2021 |
Three additional pages are devoted to alternative chronologies of the period:
For a simpler table comparing the alternative chronologies side-by-side, click here.
Created by AJW and JTS
Last updated 08/02/2026 GLT
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