PL 54 · cols. 809–812

Leo the Great, Letters

Letters XXXVI–XXXVIII

quamvis habeat quaedam propria quibus humanae conditionis initia transcendat, sive quod solus ab inviolata Virgine sine concupiscentia est conceptus et natus, sive quod ita visceribus matris est editus, ut et fecunditas pareret et virginitas permaneret; non alterius tamen naturae erat ejus caro quam nostrae; nec alio illi quam caeteris hominibus anima est inspirata principio, quae excelleret, non diversitate generis, sed sublimitate virtutis. Nihil enim carnis suae habebat adversum nec discordia desideriorum gignebat compugnantiam voluntatum]. Sensus corporei vigebant sine lege peccati, et veritas affectionum sub moderamine Deitatis et mentis, nec tentabatur illecebris nec cedebat injuriis. Verus homo vero unitus est Deo, nec secundum existentem prius animam deductus est e coelo, nec secundum carnem creatus ex nihilo; eamdem gerens in Verbi Deitate personam, et tenens communem nobiscum in corpore animaque naturam. Non enim esset Dei hominumque mediator (I Tim. II, 5), nisi idem Deus idemque homo in utroque et unus esset et verus. Incitat quidem nos ad latitudinem disserendi materiae magnitudo; sed apud eruditionem tuam non est copiose laborandum: praesertim cum jam per nostros ad fratrem Flavianum sufficientes litteras miserimus, ad confirmandos animos non solum sacerdotum, sed etiam laicorum. Praestabit, ut credimus, misericordia Dei, ut absque cujusquam animae detrimento possint adversum diaboli dolos, et sana defendi, et vulnerata curari.

[…] although it has certain properties by which it transcends the beginnings of the human condition, whether because He alone was conceived and born of an inviolate Virgin without concupiscence, or because He was so brought forth from His mother's womb that both fruitfulness gave birth and virginity remained; yet His flesh was not of another nature than ours; nor was the soul breathed into Him from another principle than into other men, a soul which excelled not by a difference of kind but by the loftiness of its power. For He had nothing contrary from His flesh, nor did a discord of desires beget a conflict of wills]. The bodily senses were vigorous without the law of sin, and the reality of the affections was under the governance of the Godhead and of the mind; it was neither tempted by allurements nor yielded to injuries. True man was united to true God, neither brought down from heaven according to a soul existing beforehand, nor created from nothing according to the flesh; bearing the same person in the Godhead of the Word, and holding in body and soul the nature common with us. For He would not be the mediator of God and men (1 Tim. 2:5), unless the same One, God and man, were both one and true in each. The greatness of the matter indeed urges us to breadth of discussion; but with your learning there is no need to labour at length: especially since through our men we have already sent a sufficient letter to our brother Flavian, to strengthen the minds not only of the priests but also of the laity. The mercy of God, as we believe, will grant that, without loss to any soul, both what is sound may be defended and what is wounded may be healed against the wiles of the devil.

Data idibus Junii, Asturio et Protogene viris clarissimis consulibus.

Given on the Ides of June, in the consulship of Asturius and Protogenes, most illustrious men.

EPISTOLA XXXVI.

LETTER XXXVI.

AD FLAVIANUM EPISCOPUM CONSTANTINOPOLITANUM.

TO FLAVIAN, BISHOP OF CONSTANTINOPLE.

FLAVIANO charissimo fratri LEO papa.

LEO, pope, to his dearest brother FLAVIAN.

Litteras tuae dilectionis accepi cum gestis, quae

I have received the letter of your Beloved with the acts which […]

Editors' notes and page, col. 809

Footnotes

(a) ‹sive quod solus› · printed under col 809

Omnes mss. libri collect. Chalcedon. et Graeca versio, nec non Sichardus cum codd. collect. 24 et vulgatis Quesnello anterioribus addunt, ex Spiritu sancto. Caeteri nostri codd. et novem Quesnelli ab eo citati not. 5 has voces ignorant. Mox, sine concupiscentia carnis in codd. collect. 11 et 21 atque in vulgatis ante Quesn., qui vocem carnis in aliis nostris et Baluzii mss. omissam auctoritate suorum codicum rectius expunxit.

All the manuscript books of the Chalcedonian collection and the Greek version, and also Sichard with the codices of collection 24 and the printed editions earlier than Quesnel, add ex Spiritu sancto. Our other codices and nine of Quesnel's, cited by him in note 5, do not know these words. Shortly after, sine concupiscentia carnis in the codices of collections 11 and 21 and in the printed editions before Quesnel, who more rightly struck out the word carnis, omitted in other manuscripts of ours and of Baluze, on the authority of his own codices.

(b) ‹erat ejus caro quam› · printed under col 809

Ita ex Ratisponensi ac tribus mss. collect. Chalcedon. et ex Vat. collect. 11. Alias, nostra.

So from the Ratisbon codex and three manuscripts of the Chalcedonian collection and from the Vatican of collection 11. Otherwise, nostra.

Unus noster codex cum editis conciliorum, nec discordiam desideriorum gignebat compugnatio (editi, compugnantia) voluntatum. Ratisponensis: Nec discordia desideriorum gignebat compugnantia voluntatum; ubi vel discordia pro discordiam perperam scriptum fuit, vel compugnantia pro compugnantiam.

One codex of ours, with the editions of the councils, has nec discordiam desideriorum gignebat compugnatio (the editions, compugnantia) voluntatum. The Ratisbon codex: Nec discordia desideriorum gignebat compugnantia voluntatum; where either discordia was wrongly written for discordiam, or compugnantia for compugnantiam.

(d) ‹Sensus corporei vigebant› · printed under col 809

Cod. Corb. Quesnelli, sine sorde peccati.

Quesnel's Corbie codex: sine sorde peccati.

(e) ‹animam deductus est› · printed under col 809

Ms. Ratisp., ex alto. Quidam codd., deductus e coelo, omisso verbo est.

The Ratisbon manuscript has ex alto. Some codices have deductus e coelo, omitting the word est.

(f) ‹creatus ex nihilo;› · printed under col 809

In Graeca versione, Quesnello observante not. 7, sic: Sed eamdem habens in divinitate et humanitate personam.

In the Greek version, as Quesnel observes in note 7, thus: But having the same person in divinity and humanity.

(g) ‹et unus esset et verus› · printed under col 809

Cod. Ratisp., Incitat enim nos. Chig. collect. Chalcedon.: At incitet quidem nos. Graeca versio addit, frater honorabilissime.

The Ratisbon codex: Incitat enim nos. The Chigi codex of the Chalcedonian collection: At incitet quidem nos. The Greek version adds: most honourable brother.

(h) ‹tuam non est› · printed under col 809

Melior visa est haec lectio cod. Florentini quam aliorum et editorum, copia laborandum.

This reading of the Florentine codex seemed better than that of the others and of the editions, copia laborandum.

(i) ‹et vulnerata curari› · printed under col 809

Graeca versio addit: Deus te servet incolumem, honorabilissime frater.

The Greek version adds: God keep you safe, most honourable brother.

(j) ‹EPISTOLA› · printed under col 809

Al. 32. Quae autem 36 erat, nunc 40. Scripta 20 Junii an. 449.

Otherwise 32. The one that was 36 is now 40. Written 20 June in the year 449.

(k) ‹XXXVI.› · printed under col 809

Edita fuit haec epistola a Merlino ex mss. collect. 12. Quesnellus eamdem invenit in cod. Grimanico collect. 18. Nos solos codices collect. 12 conferre potuimus. Leo autem hac epistola respondet epistolae 26 Flaviani.

This letter was published by Merlin from the manuscripts of collection 12. Quesnel found it in the Grimani codex of collection 18. We were able to collate only the codices of collection 12. In this letter Leo answers Flavian's letter 26.

Editors' prose

SYNOPSIS. — Litteras et gesta synodi adversus Eutychem se accepisse monet.

SYNOPSIS. — He informs him that he has received the letter and the acts of the synod against Eutyches.

Page

running head: EPISTOLA XXXVI. (centred across the page; column number 809 at the left)
marginal letters: A ‹quamvis habeat quaedam›; B ‹apud vos de fidei› (in the gutter beside the caption of Letter XXXVI and the head of col 810's lower half); C ‹(c) Unus noster codex› (in the footnotes); D ‹(j) Al. 32.› (in the footnotes)
old-edition numerals: 883 after ‹initia transcendat,›; 885 before ‹EPISTOLA XXXVI.›
signature: PATROL. LIV. (at the foot of col 809)
other: page 410 has three layers of layout. (1) At the head, col 809 holds Leo's Latin to "compugnantiam voluntatum]. Sensus corporei vigebant" and col 810 the end of the Greek version (n810). (2) Then the Latin runs in full-width lines from "sine lege peccati" to the date "… consulibus." (the end of Letter XXXV); by reading order these are set under the col 809 rail, after the left column's upper half. (3) Below, two columns again: Letter XXXVI begins in col 809 (caption, title, synopsis, address, first line) and continues in col 810, where the col 810 rail stands. The closing bracket after "voluntatum" has no opening bracket in cols 807–809 after "plectatur.]" (col 807); set as printed. Notes (d)–(i) belong to calls in the full-width lines.

PL 54:810

apud vos de fidei quaestione confecta sunt. Et quia clementissimus imperator pro Ecclesiae pace sollicitus synodum voluit congregari, quamvis evidenter appareat, rem, de qua agitur, nequaquam synodali indigere tractatu; tamen, frater charissime, subsecutos esse significo, quos in hac re placuit destinare

[…] were drawn up among you on the question of the faith. And since the most clement emperor, anxious for the peace of the Church, has wished a synod to be assembled, although it is evidently plain that the matter in question in no way needs synodal treatment, yet, dearest brother, I inform you that those whom it has pleased [us] to appoint in this matter have followed.

Editors' notes and page, col. 810

Footnotes

(l) ‹accepi cum gestis, quae apud vos› · printed under col 809

Editi ante Quesn. cum mss. collect. 12, super fidei quaestione.

The editions before Quesnel, with the manuscripts of collection 12, have super fidei quaestione.

(m) ‹tamen, frater charissime,› · printed under col 810, continued under col 811

Ita anteriores editiones cum nostris codd. collect. 12, Vat. et Veneto. Quesnellus ex Grimanico emendandum putavit subsecuturos, quia legatos nondum profectos liquere censuit tum ex hac epistola ob verbum futuri temporis portabunt, tum ex epist. 38 data 23 Julii, ubi legati profecti traduntur. Haec paucis indicavit in marginali postilla scribens: At nondum profectos esse legatos constat ex hac epistola, et ex 34, nunc 38. Sed haec nihil evincunt. Portabunt enim dici potuit de legatis jam profectis, qui tamen noni dum Constantinopolim pervenerant. Profecti autem affirmantur legati epist. 38, cum Basilius Flavian⟨i⟩ litteras attulit: quod verum est, etiamsi illi ante diem 20 Julii dicessisse credantur. Id autem nobis satis probabile est tum ex data iduum Junii, qua praecedentes epistolae per legatos transmissae paulo ante eorum profectionem signatae videntur, tum ex die kalendarum Augusti Ephesino concilio praestituta, quae longiores legatorum moras in Urbe nequaquam ferebat. Haec satis videntur ad praeferendam vocem subsecutos. Hinc epist. 39 frequenter per occasiones idoneas litterae ad Flavianum scriptae dicuntur, quod epistolam 38 per legatos tunc transmissos directam, hanc vero et epist. 38 aliis occasionibus post legatorum discessum missas, non obscure indicat. Quod si Flaviani litterae cum Constantinopolitanis in Eutychem gestis a Leone acceptae, quae hic indicantur, quaeque procul dubio sunt secundae ejusdem litterae (priores enim Leo acceperat ante diem 27 Maii ex epist. 27); si, inquam, hae secundae Flaviani litterae eaedem sunt, ac scripta ejusdem ad Leonem memorata in epist. 38, ut Quesnellus praesumpsit (vide annot. 2 (Colb. 812, º) in eamdem epist. 38), cum haec scripta per Basilium allata Leo acceperit profectis legatis; multo evidentius demonstratur legendum subsecutos; nec Quesnellus satis cohaerenter subsecuturos potuit inserere in laudata ejus hypothesi; de qua tamen confer quae in citata annot. 2 (inf., º) observabimus.

So the earlier editions, with our codices of collection 12, the Vatican and the Venetian. Quesnel thought it should be emended from the Grimani codex to subsecuturos, because he judged it clear that the legates had not yet set out, both from this letter, on account of the future-tense word portabunt, and from letter 38, given on 23 July, where the legates are said to have set out. He indicated this briefly in a marginal gloss, writing: 'But it is certain that the legates had not yet set out, from this letter and from 34, now 38.' But these things prove nothing. For portabunt could be said of legates who had already set out but had not yet reached Constantinople. And the legates are declared to have set out in letter 38, when Basil brought Flavian's letter: which is true even if they are believed to have departed before 20 July. And this seems to us probable enough, both from the date of the Ides of June, on which the preceding letters, sent by the legates, seem to have been signed a little before their departure, and from the day of the Kalends of August fixed for the council of Ephesus, which by no means allowed the legates longer delays in the City. These things seem enough for preferring the word subsecutos. Hence in letter 39 letters to Flavian are said to have been written frequently, on suitable occasions, which plainly indicates that letter 38 was dispatched by the legates then sent, but this one and letter 38 were sent on other occasions after the departure of the legates. But if the letter of Flavian received by Leo together with the Constantinopolitan acts against Eutyches, which is indicated here, and which is without doubt the second letter of the same man (for Leo had received the first before 27 May, from letter 27); if, I say, this second letter of Flavian is the same as the writings of the same man to Leo mentioned in letter 38, as Quesnel supposed (see note 2 (col. 812, º) on the same letter 38), since Leo received these writings, brought by Basil, after the legates had set out, then it is shown much more evidently that subsecutos must be read; nor could Quesnel consistently enough insert subsecuturos in his cited hypothesis; concerning which, however, compare what we shall observe in the cited note 2 (below, º).

1 ‹διὰ τῶν› · printed under col 810 Abest ἡμετέραν, sed perperam, a ms. Ven.

ἡμετέραν is absent, but wrongly, from the Venice manuscript.

2 ‹λογισμοὺς,› · printed under col 810 Ms. Ven. ἀλλὰ γὰρ καί τους.

The Venice manuscript: ἀλλὰ γὰρ καί τους.

3 ‹ὑγιαίνοντά σε› · printed under col 810 Sic ex ⟨ ⟩ Vat. Latino cohaerentius. Vulgati φυλάξ

So, from the Vatican [manuscript], more consistently with the Latin. The printed editions: φυλάξ

Ancient version (Greek)

ἀληθής. Καὶ κινεῖ ἡμᾶς, ἀδελφὲ τιμιώτατε, πρὸς διαλέξεως πλάτος τὸ τῆς ὑποθέσεως μέγεθος· ἀλλὰ πρὸς τὴν ἀγάπην τὴν σὴν οὐ διὰ πλειόνων ἐστὶ καμεῖν, ὁπότε μάλιστα καὶ περ ἤδη διὰ τῶν ἡμετέρων, ὡς προείρηται, πρὸς τὸν ἀδελφὸν ἡμῶν Φλαυιανὸν τὰ ἀρκοῦντα ἀπεστάλκαμεν γράμματα, πρὸς τὸ μὴ μόνον τοὺς τῶν ἱερέων βεβαιοτέρους ἐράσασθαι λογισμοὺς, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοὺς τῶν λαϊκῶν. Π⟨α⟩ράσχοι δὲ, ὥσπερ πιστεύομεν, ὁ ἔλεος τοῦ Θεοῦ, ὥστε δίχα τοῦ γενέσθαι ζημίαν ψυχῆς τινος δυνηθῆναι κατὰ τῶν τοῦ διαβόλου βελῶν καὶ τὰ ὑγιῆ διαφυλαχθῆναι, καὶ τὰ τραυματισθέντα θεραπευθῆναι. Ὁ Θεὸς ὑγιαίνοντά σε διαφλάξοι, ἀδελφὲ τιμιώτατε.

Page

running head: EPISTOLA XXXVI. (centred across the page; column number 810 at the right)
marginal letters: A ‹ἀληθής. Καὶ κινεῖ›; B ‹apud vos de fidei›; C ‹affirmantur legati epist. 38› (in the footnotes); D ‹eaedem sunt, ac scripta› (in the footnotes)
old-edition numerals: none
signature: 26 (at the foot of col 810)
other: the upper part of col 810 holds the end of the ancient Greek version of Letter XXXV (to "ἀδελφὲ τιμιώτατε."). Below it the Latin of Letter XXXV runs in full-width lines, set under the col 809 rail (see n809). Then col 810 resumes with Leo's Latin of Letter XXXVI ("apud vos de fidei quaestione"), where the col 810 rail stands; it ends "desti-/nare", set whole here. Note (l), printed under col 809, has its call in col 810. Note (m) ends at the foot of col 810 with the catchword "per" and continues at the head of the footnotes under col 811 (to "observabimus."); it is set whole here. In note 3 a blank space stands between "ex" and "Vat." (a word dropped from the type), recorded as ⟨ ⟩; the note breaks off at "φυλάξ" as printed. The Greek "διαφλάξοι" is set as it appears.

PL 54:811

Nec necessarium fuit nunc amplius scribi, cum, propitio Deo, de his quae causae credimus convenire per ea quae ipsi portabunt scripta sis plenius instruendus.

Nor was it necessary for more to be written now, since, God being favourable, you are to be more fully instructed about the things we believe to befit the case by the writings which they themselves will carry.

Dato duodecimo kalendas Julii, Asturio et Protogene viris clarissimis consulibus.

Given on the twelfth day before the Kalends of July, in the consulship of Asturius and Protogenes, most illustrious men.

EPISTOLA XXXVII.

LETTER XXXVII.

AD THEODOSIUM AUGUSTUM.

TO THEODOSIUS AUGUSTUS.

LEO THEODOSIO Augusto.

LEO to THEODOSIUS Augustus.

Acceptis clementiae vestrae litteris, multum universali Ecclesiae gaudendum esse perspexi, quod christianam fidem, qua divina Trinitas honoratur et colitur, in nullo dissimilem, in nullo vultis esse discordem. Quid enim rebus humanis ad exorandam misericordiam Dei efficacius suffragetur, quam si una gratiarum actio, et unius confessionis sacrificium majestati ejus ab omnibus offeratur? In quo sacerdotum et cunctorum fidelium ita demum erit plena devotio, si in his quae per unicum Dei Filium Deum Verbum pro nostra redemptione sunt gesta, nihil aliud sentiatur, quam quod ipse de se et praedicari jussit et credi. Unde quamvis ad diem, quem concilio episcopali pietas vestra constituit, occurrere me ratio nulla permittat; cum nec aliqua ex hoc ante exempla praecesserint, et temporalis necessitas me non patiatur deserere civitatem praesertim

Having received the letter of Your Clemency, I perceived that the universal Church has much to rejoice at, because you wish the Christian faith, by which the divine Trinity is honoured and worshipped, to be in nothing unlike itself, in nothing at discord. For what could more effectively help human affairs in entreating the mercy of God than that one thanksgiving and the sacrifice of one confession should be offered to His majesty by all? In this the devotion of the priests and of all the faithful will only then be full, if, in the things which were done for our redemption through the only Son of God, God the Word, nothing else is thought than what He Himself commanded to be both preached and believed about Himself. Hence, although no reason allows me to attend on the day which Your Piety appointed for the council of bishops, since no precedents for this have gone before, and the necessity of the times does not allow me to leave the city, especially […]

Editors' notes and page, col. 811

Footnotes

(m) continued from col 810, set in n810

(a) ‹instruendus. Dato› · printed under col 811

Ita melius ex cod. Grimanico. Quesnellus emendavit, quam in editis ex mss. collect. 12 xv kal., ubi facile librariorum lapsu II in V junctis unitatibus migrare potuit. Eodem scilicet die XII kalendarum Julii data fuit subsequens ad Theodosium epistola, cujus occasione hanc quoque ad Flavianum Leo statim reddidisse videtur.

So, better, from the Grimani codex. Quesnel emended it, rather than [keep] xv kal. of the editions from the manuscripts of collection 12, where through an easy slip of the copyists II could change into V when the units were joined. For on the same day, the twelfth before the Kalends of July, the following letter to Theodosius was given, on the occasion of which Leo seems at once to have sent this one to Flavian too.

(b) ‹EPISTOLA› · printed under col 811

Al. 33. Quae autem antea 37 erat, nunc 43. Scripta 20 Junii an. 449.

Otherwise 33. The one that was formerly 37 is now 43. Written 20 June in the year 449.

Exstat haec epistola in mss. collect. 12, 18 et 19. Hac autem Leonem respondere credimus eidem imperiali evocatoriae epistolae ad synodum Ephesinam, cui per legatos antea responderat epistola 29. Duplicem enim evocatoriam a Theodosio ad Leonem datam fuisse, cui duplex responsio reddita fuerit, incredibile est. In ea vero rerum perturbatione et angustia temporis synodo praefiniti, cum S. Pontifex fortassis timeret ne legati, Ephesum potius quam Constantinopolim condentes, priores illas litteras Theodosio traderent, novam hanc epistolam alia occasione Constantinopolim ad eumdem scribendam putavit.

This letter is extant in the manuscripts of collections 12, 18 and 19. We believe that in it Leo answers the same imperial letter summoning him to the synod of Ephesus to which he had earlier replied by the legates in letter 29. For it is incredible that a double summons was given by Theodosius to Leo, to which a double answer was returned. But in that disturbance of affairs and shortness of the time fixed for the synod, since the holy Pontiff perhaps feared that the legates, heading for Ephesus rather than Constantinople, would not deliver that earlier letter to Theodosius, he thought this new letter should be written to him at Constantinople on another occasion.

(d) ‹christianam fidem, qua› · printed under col 811

Ita Ratisponem. collect. 19 cum Grimanico et Herovalliano Quesnelli. Aliae editiones cum ms. Veneto collect. 12, Divinitas honoratur, et postea, in nullo vult.

So the Ratisbon codex of collection 19 with Quesnel's Grimani and Hérouval codices. The other editions, with the Venetian manuscript of collection 12, have Divinitas honoratur, and afterwards in nullo vult.

(e) ‹ab omnibus offeratur?› · printed under col 811

Sic ex nostris codicibus collect. 12 et 19 cum editis ante Quesn., apud quem in qua.

So from our codices of collections 12 and 19 with the editions before Quesnel, in whom in qua is read.

(f) ‹aliud sentiatur, quam quod› · printed under col 811

Hanc Quesnelli lectionem approbat cod. Ven. collect. 12. Ratisp. omittit primum et. Alii editi, ipse praedicari de se jussit.

The Venetian codex of collection 12 approves this reading of Quesnel's. The Ratisbon omits the first et. Other editions have ipse praedicari de se jussit.

(g) ‹Unde quamvis› · printed under col 811

Praetulimus lectionem cod. Ratisponensis. Alias, ad diem concilii episcopalis, quem pietas.

We have preferred the reading of the Ratisbon codex. Otherwise, ad diem concilii episcopalis, quem pietas.

(h) ‹cum nec aliqua› · printed under col 811

Sic codex Venetus cum Quesnello. Ratisp., ex hac parte exempla. Caeterae editiones omittunt ante.

So the Venetian codex with Quesnel. The Ratisbon has ex hac parte exempla. The other editions omit ante.

Editors' prose

SYNOPSIS. — Fidei et confessionis unitatem esse servandam. Legatos ad synodum Ephesinam missos, ad quam ut se conferret, necessitas non sinit.

SYNOPSIS. — That the unity of faith and confession must be preserved. The legates sent to the synod of Ephesus, to which necessity does not allow him to go himself.

Page

running head: S. LEONIS MAGNI EPISTOLAE. (centred across the page; column number 811 at the left)
marginal letters: A ‹nare. Nec necessarium›; B ‹cordem. Quid enim›; C ‹nec Quesnellus satis› (in the footnotes); D ‹fortassis timeret ne legati› (in the footnotes)
old-edition numerals: 886 before ‹EPISTOLA XXXVII.›; 887 after ‹pietas vestra constituit,›
signature: none
other: col 811 opens with "nare", the end of desti-/nare, set whole at the end of col 810. Letter XXXVI ends with its date; Letter XXXVII (to Theodosius) begins within the column. The last word "prae-/sertim" is set whole at the end of col 811. Note (m) of col 810 runs over into the head of this column's footnotes.

PL 54:812

cum tam evidens fidei causa sit, ut rationabilius ab indicenda synodo fuisset abstinendum tamen in quantum Dominus juvare dignatur, meum studium commodavi, ut Clementiae vestrae statutis aliquatenus pareatur, ordinatis hinc fratribus meis, qui amputandis scandalis pro causae qualitate sufficiant, quique praesentiae meae impleant vicem: quia non talis quaestio orta est de qua aut possit, aut debeat dubitari.

[…] since the cause of the faith is so evident that it would have been more reasonable to refrain from calling a synod; yet, as far as the Lord deigns to help, I have lent my zeal so that the decrees of Your Clemency may be obeyed to some extent, by appointing from here my brethren, who may suffice for cutting away the scandals according to the nature of the case, and who may fill the place of my presence: because the question that has arisen is not such that it either can or ought to be doubted.

Data duodecimo kalendas Julii, Asturio et Protogene viris clarissimis consulibus.

Given on the twelfth day before the Kalends of July, in the consulship of Asturius and Protogenes, most illustrious men.

EPISTOLA XXXVIII.

LETTER XXXVIII.

AD FLAVIANUM EPISCOPUM CP.

TO FLAVIAN, BISHOP OF CONSTANTINOPLE.

LEO FLAVIANO episcopo Constantinopolitano.

LEO to FLAVIAN, bishop of Constantinople.

Profectis jam nostris, quos ad vos in fidei causa direximus, per filium nostrum Basileum diaconum scripta tuae dilectionis accepimus, quibus merito parum de negotio communis sollicitudinis indidisti, quoniam et gesta ante delata, de omnibus nos sufficienter instruxerant, et ad familiarem interrogationem idoneus, erat sermo praedicti, per Dei nostri alloquia reddentes, dilectionem tuam per quem nunc gratiam, in qua fidimus, cohortamur, utentes verbis apostolicis, atque dicentes: In nullo terreamini ab adversariis, quae est illis causa perditionis, vobis autem salutis (Philip. I, 28). Quid enim tam exitiabile,

When our men, whom we dispatched to you in the cause of the faith, had already set out, we received the writings of your Beloved through our son Basil the deacon, in which you rightly put little about the business of our common concern, since both the acts delivered earlier had sufficiently instructed us about everything, and the speech of the aforesaid man was suitable for familiar questioning; returning our address now through him, we exhort your Beloved through the grace of our God, in which we trust, using the apostle's words and saying: Be in nothing terrified by the adversaries, which is to them a cause of perdition, but to you of salvation (Phil. 1:28). For what is so ruinous […]

Editors' notes and page, col. 812

Footnotes

(i) ‹causa sit, ut› · printed under col 812

Sic nostri codices cum duobus Quesnelli. Alii editi, rationabilibus causis. Mox in Ratisp., abstentum pro abstinendum.

So our codices with two of Quesnel's. Other editions have rationabilibus causis. Shortly after, in the Ratisbon, abstentum for abstinendum.

(j) ‹pro causae› · printed under col 812

Ita Ratisp. cum Grim. et epist. 34. Codex Venetus cum aliis editis, aequitate.

So the Ratisbon with the Grimani and letter 34. The Venetian codex, with the other editions, has aequitate.

(k) ‹quaestio orta est› · printed under col 812

Sic nostri codd. cum Grim.; al., unde pro de qua. Ratisp. omittit primum aut.

So our codices with the Grimani; otherwise, unde for de qua. The Ratisbon omits the first aut.

(l) ‹dubitari. Data› · printed under col 812

Solus Griman. cod., XIII kal.

The Grimani codex alone has XIII kal.

(m) ‹EPISTOLA› · printed under col 812

Al., 34. Quae autem antea 38 erat, nunc 42. Scripta 23 Julii an. 449.

Otherwise 34. The one that was formerly 38 is now 42. Written 23 July in the year 449.

(n) ‹XXXVIII.› · printed under col 812

Continetur haec epistola in mss. collect. 12 et Ratisp. collect. 19.

This letter is contained in the manuscripts of collection 12 and in the Ratisbon of collection 19.

(o) ‹Basileum diaconum› · printed under col 812

Haec scripta Quesnellus in postilla ad marginem vocavit secundam Flaviani ad Leonem epistolam: quod iterum ingerit diss. 1 ad an. 449, num. 3. Indicaretur ergo epistola 26, quam cum Constantinopolitanis in Eutychem gestis a Flaviano secundo missam probavimus in admonitione ad epist. 22. Sed non videmus quomodo de epist. 26, vel, si placet, de epist. 22, quam Quesnellus secundum censuit, Leo hic potuerit affirmare, in ea Flavianum parum de negotio indidisse; et quomodo epist. 39, de Basilio diacono, qui has litteras detulit, potuerit scribere: Basilium ad te, ut volueras, ipsi remisimus; quae indicant aliquid in iisdem litteris fuisse insertum de remittendo citius Basilio, cujus tamen nec in epist. 26 nec in epist. 22 ulla mentio est. Serius etiam multo videretur remissus, si delata per ipsum epistola secunda Flaviani cum Constantinopolitanis gestis ante diem 20 Junii ex epist. 27. Solum paulo ante diem 23 Julii fuisset remissus. Hinc autem tertiam, quae desideratur, Flaviani epistolam a Basilio Julio mense allatam hic indicari probabilius credimus.

Quesnel, in a gloss in the margin, called these writings Flavian's second letter to Leo: which he urges again in dissertation 1, on the year 449, number 3. So letter 26 would be indicated, which we proved, in the admonition to letter 22, to have been sent second by Flavian together with the Constantinopolitan acts against Eutyches. But we do not see how Leo could here affirm of letter 26, or, if you like, of letter 22, which Quesnel judged to be the second, that Flavian had put little about the business in it; and how letter 39 could write of Basil the deacon, who brought this letter: 'We ourselves have sent Basil back to you, as you wished'; which indicates that something was inserted in that same letter about sending Basil back quickly, of which, however, there is no mention in either letter 26 or letter 22. He would also seem to have been sent back much later, if Flavian's second letter with the Constantinopolitan acts was brought by him before 20 June, from letter 27. He would have been sent back only a little before 23 July. Hence we believe it more probable that a third letter of Flavian, which is lost, brought by Basil in the month of July, is indicated here.

(p) ‹communis sollicitudinis› · printed under col 812

Mss. collect. 12 cum editis ante Quesn. indidisses, et in margine indidisti, ut in nostro Ratisponensi.

The manuscripts of collection 12, with the editions before Quesnel, have indidisses, and in the margin indidisti, as in our Ratisbon codex.

(q) ‹quoniam et gesta› · printed under col 812

Indicantur gesta ante Basilii adventum delata primum cum epist. 22, dein cum epist. 26.

The acts are indicated that were delivered before Basil's arrival, first with letter 22, then with letter 26.

(r) ‹per quem nunc gratiam,› · printed under col 812

Sic ex nostris codd. Ratisp. et collect. 12 cum editis ante Quesnellum, apud quem in quo.

So from our codices, the Ratisbon and those of collection 12, with the editions before Quesnel; in Quesnel, in quo.

Editors' prose

SYNOPSIS. — Eum de receptis litteris monet; de fide defensa laudat; ad misericordiam, si haereticus resipiscit, hortatur.

SYNOPSIS. — He informs him about the letter received; praises him for defending the faith; exhorts him to mercy, if the heretic comes to his senses.

Page

running head: S. LEONIS MAGNI EPISTOLAE. (centred across the page; column number 812 at the right)
marginal letters: A ‹sertim cum tam evidens›; B ‹Profectis jam nostris›; C ‹(i) Sic nostri codices› (in the footnotes); D ‹quam Quesnellus secundum censuit› (in the footnotes)
old-edition numerals: 888 after ‹atque dicentes:›
signature: none
other: col 812 opens with "sertim", the end of prae-/sertim, set whole at the end of col 811. Letter XXXVII ends with its date; Letter XXXVIII begins within the column (caption, title, synopsis, address). The note letters (i)–(r) of this column continue the sequence of col 811; the caption note is (m), distinct from note (m) of col 810.