Fourth Century Christianity

Reference:	CPG 5318/8645
Incipit:	Ὀψὲ μὲν καὶ μόλις ἤλθομεν
Date:	Nov. 430
Greek Text:	ACO 1.1.1:113-114
Latin Text:	ACO 1.3:35-36
English Translations:	FCC: L. Rogatzke; Price, CE #21 ; McEnery, FC 76: 93-95

In November 430, Cyril wrote his Third Letter to Nestorius (CPG 5317/8644). As the time of grace set by Celestine of Rome had run out, this letter confirmed the excommunication of Nestorius, appending twelve anathemas. With this letter, Cyril repeats all of these facts to the clergy of Constantinople, i.e. those under the direct authority of Nestorius. For their own spiritual well-being, they must separate themselves from Nestorius and his teaching or share the same fate.

The Greek text below is that of the ACO; the English translation was produced by L. Rogotzke for FCC. The ACO text provides no section numbers, but we have added numbers to reflect the ACO editor’s division of the text into two large paragraphs.

Greek	English	Latin
Τοῖς ἀγαπητοῖς καὶ ποθεινοτάτοις πρεσβυτέροις καὶ διακόνοις καὶ λαῷ Κωνσταντινουπόλεως Κύριλλος ἐπίσκοπος καὶ ἡ συνελθοῦσα σύνοδος ἐν Ἀλεξανδρείᾳ ἐκ τῆς Αἰγυπτιακῆς διοικήσεως ἐν κυρίῳ χαίρειν.	To the beloved and most dear elders and deacons and people of Constantinople, Bishop Cyril and the council of the Egyptian diocese assembled in Alexandria. Greetings in the Lord.	Dilectissimis et desiderabilibus presbyteris et diaconibus et populo Constantinopoleos Cyrillus episcopus et synodus quae conuenit in Alexandria ex Aegyptiaca diocesi, in domino salutem.
1. Ὀψὲ μὲν καὶ μόλις ἤλθομεν ἐφ’ ὅπερ ἦν ἄμεινον ἐν ἀρχαῖς ἐλθεῖν, τὸ φροντίδα θέσθαι φαμὲν τῆς ἁπάντων ὑμῶν σωτηρίας καὶ τοῦ μὴ χρῆναι παθεῖν τὸν ἐπὶ τῇ πίστει θόρυβον· απολογούμεθα δὲ ταῖς ἁπάντων ὑμῶν διὰ τοῦτο λύπαις.	1. Only recently and with difficulty did we come to the place where it would have been better if we had been at the beginning: we declare our concern for the salvation of all of you, and that it was not necessary to suffer the disturbance concerning the faith; but on this account we give here a reasoned explanation because of all of your griefs.	1. Vix quidem et aliquando peruenimus ad quod fuerat melius ab initio uenire, dicimus uero ut curam haberemus omnium uestrum salutis et ut non oporteret pati super fide tumultum; satisfacimus autem omnium uestrorum super hoc contristationibus.
διετελέσαμεν γὰρ οὐκ ἀδακρυτὶ τὸν παρῳχηκότα καιρόν, προσεδοκῶμεν δὲ ὅτι συμβουλαῖς καὶ παραινέσεσιν ἐκκλησιαστικαῖς καὶ τοῖς παρὰ πάντων ὑμῶν ἐλέγχοις μεταστήσεται μὲν τῶν ἀπηχεστάτων ἑαυτοῦ δογμάτων ὁ εὐλαβέστατος ἐπίσκοπος Νεστόριος, τιμήσει δὲ μεθ’ ἡμῶν τὴν πίστιν τὴν παραδοθεῖσαν ταῖς ἐκκλησίαις παρά τε τῶν ἁγίων ἀποστόλων καὶ εὐαγγελιστῶν καὶ παρὰ παντὸς ἱεροῦ γράμματος καὶ ταῖς διὰ τῶν ἁγίων προφητῶν φωναῖς εἰς τὸ ἔχειν ὀρθῶς κατεσφραγισμένην.	For we continued, not without tears, having resisted for a time, but we hoped that, with counsel and with advice from the churches and with the proofs of all of you, the most pious bishop Nestorius would be changed from his most extreme doctrines, and he would honor with us the faith handed down to the churches both by the holy apostles and the evangelists and by every scribe of the temple and by the voices of the holy prophets in order to hold what was rightly sealed.	Peregimus enim non sine lacrimis praeteritum tempus, sperabamus autem quia consiliis et ammonitionibus ecclesiasticis et omnium uestrum increpationibus transmutaret quidem semet ipsum a discordantissimis dogmatibus reuerentissimus episcopus Nestorius, honoraret autem nobiscum fidem traditam ecclesiis et a sanctis apostolis et euangelistis et ab omnibus sacris litteris et uocibus quae per sanctos prophetas, ad habendum recte obsignatam.
ἐπεὶ δὲ καὶ ἐξ ὧν παρ’ ὑμῖν ἐπ’ ἐκκλησίας λαλῶν οὐ παύεται καὶ ἐκ τῶν ἐγγράφων ἐξηγήσεων αὐτοῦ πεπλανημένον εὑρίσκομεν καὶ οὐ μετρίως δυσσεβοῦντα περὶ τὴν πίστιν, λοιπὸν ἀναγκαίως ἤλθομεν ἐπὶ τὸ χρῆναι διὰ συνοδικοῦ γράμματος αὐτῷ διαμαρτύρασθαι ὡς εἰ μὴ ἀπόσχοιτο τὴν ταχίστην τῶν ἑαυτοῦ καινοτομιῶν καὶ κατὰ τὴν ὁρισθεῖσαν προθεσμίαν παρὰ τοῦ ὁσιωτάτου καὶ θεοσεβεστάτου τῆς Ῥωμαίων ἐκκλησίας ἐπισκόπου Κελεστίνου ἀναθεματίσειε μὲν ἐκεῖνα ἐγγράφως ἅπερ ἔιρηκέ τε παρ’ ὑμῖν καὶ βίβλιος ἐνέθηκεν ἢ γοῦν ἐντεθῆναι παρεσκεύασεν, αἳ καὶ παρ’ ἡμῖν εἰσιν, οὐδένα κοινωνίας ἔχει τόπον πρὸς τοὺς ἱερέας τοῦ θεοῦ, ἀλλ’ ἔσται πάντων ἀλλότριος.	But since he does not stop speaking these things among you in the church, and since we find by his written explanations that he has been misled and has acted very impiously concerning the faith, therefore we came to the necessary conclusion that we must through a synodical letter to him testify solemnly: unless he abstain as soon as possible from his own innovations, and within the time determined by the most holy and the most pious bishop Celestine of the Roman church anathematize in writing those things which he has spoken among you, has set forth or prepared to publish in his writings, which are also among us, he has no communion with or place among the priests of God, but he will be an alien to all.	Quia uero et ex his quae apud uos in ecclesiis loqui non cessat, et ex scriptis expositionibus eius errantem inuenimus et non mediocriter impium circa fidem, iam necessarie uenimus ad hoc ut debeat per synodicas litteras contestari quia nisi abstinuerit uelocissime a suis nouitatibus et secundum definitas indutias a sanctissimo et deocolentissimo Romanae ecclesiae pontifice Caelestino et anathematizauerit quidem illa in scripto quae uel dixit apud uos uel codicibus interposuit siue interponi praeparauit, qui etiam apud nos sunt, nullum communionis habet locum cum sacerdotibus dei, sed erit omnium alienus.
αἰτιάσθω δὲ μηδεὶς τὴν μέλλησιν· οὐ γὰρ ἐνυστάξαμεν θορυβουμένης οὕτω μεγάλης ἀγέλης, μᾶλλον δὲ καὶ τῶν ἁπανταχόθεν λαῶν καὶ ἐκκλησιῶν, ἐμιμησάμεθα δὲ τοὺς ἰατρικὴν ἔκοντας ἐμπειρίαν, οἳ τὰ ἐν τοῖς σώμασι γινόμενα τῶν παθῶν οὐκ εὐθὺς ταῖς διὰ σιδήρου καὶ πυρὸς ὑποφέρουσιν ἀνάγκαις, ἀλλ’ ἠπίοις ἐν ἀρχαῖς φαρμάκοις καταμαλάσσουσι περιμένοντες τὸν ταῖς τομαῖς πρέποντα καιρόν.	And let no one blame is for the delay. For we were not asleep while such a great flock (rather people and churches everywhere) was in turmoil, but we imitated those having the experience of a physician, who do not immediately cut into and cauterize those experiencing sufferings in their bodies, but rather at first soothe them with gentle medicines while waiting for the suitable time for incisions.	Nullus autem accuset segnitiem; non enim dormitauimus sic magno grege turbato, magis autem et ubique populis et ecclesiis, sed imitati sumus eos qui medicinale habent experimentum, quique passionibus quae in corporibus fiunt, non continuo ferri et ignis inferunt necessitates, sed mitioribus in principio medicamentis maturant, expectantes conueniens incisionibus tempus.
2. Ἀνδρίζεσθε τοίνυν ἐν κυρίῳ καὶ τὴν ἑαυτῶν πίστιν τηροῦντες ἀπαρακόμιστον εὐαρεστεῖν σπουδάζετε τῷ Χριστῷ τῷ ἑνὶ καὶ μόνῳ καὶ ἀληθῶς υἱῷ τοῦ θεοῦ, μεμνημένοι καὶ τῶν ἁγίων ἡμῶν πατέρων τῶν ἱερατευσάντων ὀρθῶς καὶ ἁγίως παρ’ ὑμῖν, οἳ καὶ ἔτι περιόντες <καὶ> θεοτόκον ὠνόμαζον τὴν ἁγίαν παρθένον (τέτοκε γὰρ τὸν Ἐμμανουήλ, ὅς ἐστι θεὸς ἀληθῶς· γέγονε γὰρ σὰρξ ὁ λόγος καὶ γεγέννηται σαρκικῶς ἐκ γυναικός, ἵνα ἡμεῖς εὑρεθῶμεν ἀδελφοὶ τοῦ ὑπὲρ πᾶσαν τὴν κτίσιν), ἐκήρυσσον δὲ οὐ δύο παρ’ ὑμῖν Χριστούς, ἀλλ’ ἕνα τὸν αὐτὸν θεὸν λόγον καὶ ἄνθρωπον κατὰ σάρκα ἐκ γυναικὸς οὐ συναφείαι ψιλῇ καὶ ὡς ἐν ἰσότητι μόνῃ τῶν ἀξιωμάτων συνημμένον ἄνθρωπον θεῷ (ταῦτα γὰρ ἐκείνου τὰ ψυχρὰ καὶ ἀνωφελῆ καὶ γραώδη δόγματα), τὸν αὐτὸν δὲ καὶ παθεῖν ἔφασκον σαρκικῶς ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν τὸν θάνατον καὶ ἀναστῆναι θεικῶς πατήσαντα τοῦ θανάτου τὸ κράτος ἥξειν τε ἔφασκον τῶν ὅλων κριτήν.	2. Act like men, therefore, in the Lord, and, guarding your own faith, unmovingly strive to please Christ, who is truly the one and only Son of God, remembering both our holy fathers who properly and piously ministered among you, who, while still among you were calling the holy virgin Theotokos (for she has begotten Immanuel, who is truly God; for “the Word became flesh” and he was born according to flesh from a woman, so that we might be found brothers of him who is beyond all creation); they were not preaching two Christs among you, but one and the same God, Word and man according to the flesh from a woman; not a man united with God by a mere linking and as an equality in rank alone (for these are his lukewarm, useless, and barren doctrines); but they [the holy fathers] were claiming that he even suffered bodily death on our behalf and that he rose in a godly manner having trampled the power of death, and that he will come, as they are saying, as the judge of all.	2. Viriliter itaque agite in domino et uestram ipsorum fidem seruantes immutilatam bene complacere festinate Christo, uni et soli et uere filio dei, memores etiam sanctorum uestrorum patrum, qui sacerdoctium tenuerunt recte et sancte apud uos quique adhuc uiuentes dei genetricem nominabant sanctam uirginem (peperit enim Emmanuhel, quod est deus uere; factum est enim caro uerbum et natum est carnaliter ex muliere, ut nos inueniremur fratres eius qui ultra omnem creaturam est), praedicabant autem non duos apud uos Christos, sed unum eundemque deum uerbum et hominem secundum carnem ex muliere, non copulatione pura et tamquam sub aequalitate sola dignitatum compactum hominem deo (haec enim illius sunt tepida et inutilia et anilia dogmata), eundem uero et passum dicebant carnaliter pro nobis mortem et resurrexisse diuine, conculcantem mortis imperium, et uenturum dicebant omnium iudicem.
ταύτην ἑαυτοῖς ἀναζωπυροῦντες ἀεὶ τὴν πίστιν, ἀσπίλους καὶ ἀμώμους ἑαυτοὺς τηρήσατε, μήτε κοινωνοῦντες τῷ μνημονευθέντι μήτε μὴν ὡς διδασκάλῳ προσέχοντες, εἰ μένοι λύκος ἀντὶ ποιμένος καὶ μετὰ ταύτην ἡμῶν τὴν ὑπόμνησιν τὴν πρὸς αὐτὸν γενομένην φρονεῖν ἕλοιτο τὰ διεστραμμένα.	As they were stirring up always this faith for themselves, you also keep yourselves blameless and without blemish, neither communing with the one mentioned, nor paying attention to him as a teacher—if he remains a wolf in the place of a shepherd, and if after this reminder which was made to him he chooses to continue to hold his distorted teachings.	Hanc uobis reaccendentes semper fidem, puros et inmaculatos uosmet ipsos conseruate neque communicantes memorato neque tampquam doctorem respicientes, si lupus pro pastore remanserit et post hanc nostram ammonitionem ad eum factam sapere elegerit quae peruersa sunt.
τοῖς δέ γε τῶν κληρικῶν ἤτοι λαικῶν διὰ τὴν ὀρθὴν πίστιν κεχωρισμένοις ἢ καθαιρεθεῖσι παρ’ αὐτοῦ κοινωνοῦμεν ἡμεῖς, οὐ τὴν ἐκείνου κυροῦντες ἄδικον ψῆφον, ἐπαινοῦντες δὲ μᾶλλον τοὺς πεπονθότας κακεῖνο λέγοντες αὐτοῖς· “εἰ ὀνειδίζεσθε ἐν κυρίῳ, μακάριοι, ὅτι τὸ τῆς δυνάμεως καὶ τὸ τοῦ θεοῦ πνεῦμα ἐφ’ ὑμᾶς ἀναπέπαυται.”	But we are in communion with those of the clergy or the laity who have been separated or deposed by him because they remained in the correct faith; we do not confirm his unjust decision, but rather we commend those who suffered and say to them: “If you are insulted in the Lord, you are blessed, because the Spirit of power and of God rests upon you.”	His autem clericis siue laicis qui propter rectam fidem separati sunt aut depositi ab eo, communicamus nos, non illius confirmantes iniustam sententiam, sed laudantes potius eos qui passi sunt, et illud dicentes eis: “si exprobramini in domino, beati estis, quia uirtutis et dei spiritus in uobis requiescit.”

Created by LR

Last updated 06/16/2026 JTS

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