Documents of the Early Arian Controversy – Chronology of H.-G. Opitz (1934)
Links to letters are FCC translations.
There are a few notable changes between this and the later Athanasius Werke chronology (AW2007):
1. Opitz places letters involving Eusebius of Nicomedia (Urk. 1, 2 and 8, Doc. 4, 15 and 16) earlier than AW2007, suggesting that he joined the controversy earlier than AW2007 supposes.
2. Constantine’s angry letters about Arius (Urk. 33 and 34, Doc. 27 and 28) are placed in 333 instead of during or just after the Council of Nicaea in 325, as AW2007 suggests.
(H.-G. Opitz, Athanasius Werke 3.1:1-74)
| Date | Urk. | Description | Ancient Source(s) | Translation(s) | FNS | CPG |
| c. 318 | 1 | 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 | 6 | 2025 |
| c. 318 | 2 | Eusebius of Nicomedia, Letter to Arius | Athanasius, De Synodis 17.2 | FCC; Hanson, 31; NPNF2 4:459 | 7 | 2046 |
| c. 318-19 | 3.1-3 | Eusebius of Caesarea, Letter to Euphration | 2nd Council of Nicaea, Sessions 5 and 6: ACO2 3:560-562, 736 | FCC | 13 | 3500 |
| c. 318-19 | 3.4-5 | Eusebius of Caesarea, Letter to an Unknown Recipient | Eusebius, Contra Marcellum1.4.40-41, 57; Athanasius, De synodis 17.3 | FCC | 14 | 3500 |
| c. 319 | 4a | Alexander of Alexandria, Deposition of Arius | Athanasius, De decretis 34 | FCC; NPNF2 4:69 | 25 | 2001/2120,2 |
| c. 319 | 4b | 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 | 26 | 2000/2120,3 |
| c. 320 | 5 | Summary of the letter issued by a council in Bithynia | Sozomen, H.E. 1.15.10 | FCC | ||
| c. 320 | 6 | 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 c. 3204:458; NPNF2 9:74; New Eusebius, no. 284 | 11 | 2026 |
| c. 320 | 7 | Eusebius of Caesarea, Letter to Alexander | 2nd Council of Nicaea, Session 6: ACO2 3:734-736 | FCC | 12 | 3501 |
| c. 320-21 | 8 | Eusebius of Nicomedia, Letter to Paulinus | Theodoret, Historia ecclesiastica 1.6 | FCC; NPNF2 3:42 | 15 | 2045 |
| c. 320-21 | 9 | Paulinus of Tyre, Letter | Eusebius, Contra Marcellum 1.4.18-21, 49-51 | FCC; Hanson, 45 | 16 | 2065 |
| c. 321-22 | 10 | Summary of a letter issued by a council in Palestine | Sozomen, H.E. 1.15.11-12 | FCC; NPNF2 2:252. | ||
| c. 322 | 11 | Athanasius of Anazarbus, Letter to Alexander of Alexandria (fr.) | Athanasius, De synodis 17.4 | FCC; NPNF2 4:458; Hanson, 42. | 21 | 2060 |
| c. 322 | 12 | George [of Laodicea], Letter to Alexander of Alexandria (fr.) | Athanasius, De synodis 17.5 | FCC; Hanson, 44; NPNF2 4:459 | 19 | 3555 |
| c. 322 | 13 | George [of Laodicea], Letter to Those of Arius (fr.) | Athanasius, De synodis 17.6 | FCC; NPNF2 4:459; Hanson, 44 | 20 | 3556 |
| c. 324 | 14 | Alexander of Alexandria, Letter to Alexander | Theodoret, H.E. 1.4.1-61 | FCC; CLA no. 21; NPNF2 3:35-41 | 8 | 2002 |
| c. 324 | 15 | Alexander of Alexandria, Letter to Philogonius | Greek (reconstruction): Schwartz, “Zur Geschichte des Athanasius,” pp. 265-7; Syriac: Pitra, vol. 4, pp. 196-7 | FCC | 9 | 2010 |
| c. 324 | 16 | Alexander of Alexandria, Letter to Sylvester of Rome | Latin: Hilary: Fragmenta historia, (CPL 436), A, 7 (VII); Greek (reconstruction): Marcel Richard, Symbolae Osloensis 38:82; Syriac: Musée national d’Ochrid (North Macedonia), Ms. 86 (cat. 84) | FCC | 2003 | |
| Oct 324 | 17 | 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 | 24 | 2020 |
| 325 | 18 | 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 | 28 | 8509 |
| 325 | 19 | Narcissus of Neronias, Testimony of a Letter (fr.) | Eusebius, Contra Marcellum, 1.4.39 | FCC | 29 | |
| 325 | 20 | 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 | 30 | 8511 |
| June 325 | 21 | Eusebius (?), Fragment | Ambrose, De fide 3.15 | FCC; Hanson, 31; NPNF2 10:260 | 38 | 2047 |
| June 325 | 22 | 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 | 37 | 3502/2120,1 |
| June 325 | 23 | 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 | 34 | 8515/2120,4 |
| June 325 | 24 | Synod of Nicaea, Creed | Athanasius, De decretis 37 | FCC; NPNF2 4:75 | 32 | 8512/2120,5 |
| June 325 | 25 | 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 | 36 | 8517/2120,6 |
| June 325 | 26 | 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 | 35 | 8518 |
| Nov/Dec 325 | 27 | 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 | 42 | 2120,9 |
| Nov/Dec 325 | 28 | 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) | 43 | 2120,10 |
| Nov 325 | 29 | Constantine, Letter to Arius | Socrates, Historia ecclesiastica 1.25.7 | FCC; Coleman, no. 58; NPNF2 2:28 | 64 | 2040 |
| end of 327 | 30 | 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 | 65 | 2027 |
| end of 327 | 31 | [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 | 66 | 2048 |
| early 328 | 32 | Constantine, Letter to Alexander [of Constantinople] (fr.) | Anonymous Church History, 3.15.1-5 | FCC | 80 | 2021 |
| 333 | 33 | 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 | 44 | 2041/2120,7 |
| 333 | 34 | 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 | 63 | 2042/2120,8 |
Last updated 9/29/2026 by JSW
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