Leo the Great, Letters

(a) ‹EPISTOLA› · printed under col 841

Al. 42. Quae autem antea 49 erat, nunc 61. Scripta 13 Octob. an. 449.

Otherwise 42. The one which was formerly 49 is now 61. Written 13 October in the year 449.

(b) ‹EPISTOLA XLIX.› · printed under col 841

Haec epistola a nobis inventa fuit in mss. collect. 12 et 23.

This letter was found by us in the manuscripts of collections 12 and 23.

(c) ‹pervenire mereamur.› · printed under col 841

Ita cum Quesnello nostri codices. Alii editi, Sin est, ut fortiter.

So our codices, with Quesnel. Other editions have Sin est, ut fortiter.

(d) ‹Data› · printed under col 841

Editi ante Quesn. ex Merlino. qui codice usus est collect. 12, habent, III kal. Octobris. At duo nostri codices ejusdem collect. 12 Quesnelli emendationem probant. Proxime accedit ms. Ottobon. 297 collect. 23, in quo legitur, idibus Octobris; sed tertio idus magis placet, cum hoc eodem die aliae epistolae signentur, et valde probabile sit S. Leonem prima occasione ad Flavianum scripsisse, ut eum citius consolaretur.

The editions before Quesnel, from Merlin, who used a codex of collection 12, have III kal. Octobris. But two of our codices of the same collection 12 support Quesnel's emendation. Closest comes the Ottoboni manuscript 297 of collection 23, in which is read idibus Octobris; but tertio idus is preferable, since other letters are dated on this same day, and it is very probable that St Leo wrote to Flavian at the first opportunity, so as to console him the sooner.

(e) ‹EPISTOLA› · printed under col 841

Al. 45. Quae autem antea 50 erat, nunc 66. Scripta 15 Octob. an. 449.

Otherwise 45. The one which was formerly 50 is now 66. Written 15 October in the year 449.

(f) ‹EPISTOLA L.› · printed under col 841

Exstat haec epistola in mss. collect. 12, 17, 18, 19, 22 et 23; Graeca autem versio edita fuit a Cotelerio tom. I Monument. Ecclesiae Graecae, pag. 57. Missam vero fuisse hanc epistolam per Epiphanium et Dionysium discimus ex epist. 59, c. 1.

This letter survives in the manuscripts of collections 12, 17, 18, 19, 22 and 23; the Greek version was edited by Cotelier, vol. I of the Monumenta Ecclesiae Graecae, p. 57. That this letter was sent by Epiphanius and Dionysius we learn from Letter 59, ch. 1.

(g) ‹plebi consistenti Constantinopoli,› · printed under cols 841–842

Quinque voces, dilectissimis filiis in Domino salutem, adjecimus ex omnibus mss. tum nostris, tum Baluzii collect. 17 Chalcedon. nec non ex codice Veneto collect. 22, quibus concinit etiam Graeca versio.

The five words dilectissimis filiis in Domino salutem we have added from all the manuscripts, both ours and Baluze's of collection 17 (the Chalcedonian), and also from the Venice codex of collection 22, with which the Greek version also agrees.

(h) ‹credere, nisi› · printed under col 842

Voces ad nos a Quesnello insertas delevimus auctoritate codicis Ratisp. et manuscriptorum collect. Chalcedonensis, nec non interpretationis Graecae, quae mox perperam pro Hilarus praefert Ἰλαρίων, sicut et duo nostri Latini codices Hilarius.

The words ad nos, inserted by Quesnel, we have deleted on the authority of the Regensburg codex and the manuscripts of the Chalcedonian collection, and also of the Greek translation, which a little later wrongly offers Ἰλαρίων for Hilarus, as two of our Latin codices also have Hilarius.

(i) ‹totum solus› · printed under col 842

Ita plures et potiores nostri codices, et omnes Baluzii: ubi impotentia pro immoderata potentia accipitur. Editi, potentiae suae.

So most and the better of our codices, and all of Baluze's: where impotentia is taken for immoderate power. The editions have potentiae suae.

(j) ‹voluntatis invitos› · printed under col 842

Sic melius ex Ratisp. ex codd. collect. Chalcedon. et ex Veneto collect. 22, quam in editis, protrahens.

So, better, from the Regensburg [codex], from the codices of the Chalcedonian collection and from the Venice [codex] of collection 22, than in the editions, protrahens.

(k) ‹ausus pio et› · printed under col 842

Vulgati, christianissimo. Secuti sumus praestantissimos codices Ratisp. et collect. Chalcedon., quibus suffragatur Graeca versio.

The editions have christianissimo. We have followed the most excellent codices, the Regensburg and those of the Chalcedonian collection, which the Greek version supports.

(l) ‹minime placituros› · printed under col 842

Quesnellus cum duobus nostris codd. inferiorum collectionum, Nunc qui. Alii editi, At nunc quia. Mss. collect. Chalcedon., Sed nunc quia. Lectionem optimi codicis Ratisponensis praetulimus. Mox pro hac ratione ex Graeco legendum esset hac actione.

Quesnel, with two of our codices of the lesser collections, has Nunc qui. Other editions have At nunc quia. The manuscripts of the Chalcedonian collection, Sed nunc quia. We have preferred the reading of the excellent Regensburg codex. Just after, for hac ratione one should read, from the Greek, hac actione.

(m) ‹vos esse› · printed under col 842

Ita fere ommes nostri codices et editi ante Quesnellum, apud quem, credimus.

So nearly all our codices and the editions before Quesnel; in him, credimus.

SYNOPSIS. — Flavianum, in quem Dioscorus immaniter saevierat, consolatur, eique opem promittit.

SYNOPSIS. — He consoles Flavian, against whom Dioscorus had savagely raged, and promises him help.

SYNOPSIS. — I. Post pseudosynodum Ephesinam hortatur Constantinopolitanos ut fidei et Flaviano adhaereant. — II. Consolatur de Flaviani injusta depositione.

SYNOPSIS. — I. After the false synod of Ephesus he exhorts the people of Constantinople to adhere to the faith and to Flavian. — II. He consoles them concerning Flavian's unjust deposition.

(g) end, and (h)–(m): printed under col 842, calls in col 841, set in n841.

Λέων ἐπίσκοπος, καὶ ἡ ἁγία σύνοδος ἡ ἐν τῇ πόλει Ῥωμαίων συναχθεῖσα, κλήρῳ, ἀξιωματικοῖς, καὶ παντὶ τῷ λαῷ, τοῖς οἰκοῦσιν ἐν Κωνσταντινουπόλει, ἀγαπητοῖς υἱοῖς, ἐν Κυρίῳ χαίρειν. Εἰς γνῶσιν ἡμῖν ἐλθόντων ἅπερ ἐν τῇ Ἐφέσῳ παρὰ τὴν προσδοκίαν πάντων πέπρακται, μεγάλῃ λύπῃ τὴν ψυχὴν ἡμῶν ὁμολογοῦμεν συγχυθῆναι, οὐδὲ τοσοῦτον ἐξεῖναι τῇ ἀνομίᾳ εὐχερῶς ἠδυνήθημεν πιστεῦσαι, εἰ μὴ ὁ υἱὸς ἡμῶν Ἰλαρίων ὁ διάκονος, ὅς τις εἰς τόπον τὸν ἡμέτερον μετ' ἄλλων ἵνα παραγένηται ἐν τῇ συνόδῳ ἀποσταλεὶς, φεύγων ὑπέστρεψεν, ἐκκλίνων τῆς ἀδικίας κοινωνὸς γενέσθαι. Εἰ καὶ τὰ μάλιστα φωνὴ ἀντιλογίας ἐκεῖσε ἀπὸ τῶν ἡμετέρων προβέβληκεν· ἥν τινα ὁ τῆς Ἀλεξανδρείας ἐπίσκοπος, ὅς τις ἑαυτῷ διὰ τῆς ἀμέτρου δυναστείας τὸ πᾶν ἐξεδίκει, ἀκοῦσαι κατέπτυσεν, εἰς κοινωνίαν τῆς αὐτοῦ προαιρέσεως ἄκοντας ἕλκων τοὺς ἐπισκόπους, ἵνα διὰ τὴν βίαν ἀναγκασθῶσιν ὑπογράψαι, οἵ τινες οὐδὲ μίαν καθαιρέσεως ἀφορμὴν ἱκανὴν εὑρεῖν ἠδυνήθησαν. Ἀλλὰ ταύτην τὴν τόλμαν τῷ εὐσεβεῖ καὶ Χριστιανῷ βασιλεῖ πιστεύομεν οὐδαμῶς ἀρέσαι δύνασθαι. Νῦν †μέντοι ἐπειδὴ τὴν ἐκκλησίαν ὑμῶν ταύτῃ τῇ πράξει †ἔγνωμεν διασκορπισθεῖσαν, παραμυθητέους καὶ †προτρεπτέους ὑμᾶς εἶναι πιστεύομεν διὰ τῶν ἡμετέρων ἐπιστολῶν

(a) ‹hoc moerore percelli,› · printed under col 843

Cod. Ottobon. collect. 23, ut major.

The Ottoboni codex of collection 23 has ut major.

(b) ‹nulla formido› · printed under col 843

Sic rectius ex ms. Ratisp. aliisque collect. Chalcedon. quam in editis, divulserit.

So, more correctly, from the Regensburg manuscript and others of the Chalcedonian collection, than in the editions, divulserit.

(c) ‹in sua perversitate› · printed under col 843

Cod. Ottobon., anathematizamus.

The Ottoboni codex has anathematizamus.

(d) ‹non cujusquam› · printed under col 843

Cod. Ratisp., persuasione.

The Regensburg codex has persuasione.

(e) ‹in oculis cordis› · printed under col 843

Ms. Ottobon. addit vestri. Mox pro idem cod. Veron. 57 habet quidem.

The Ottoboni manuscript adds vestri. Just after, for idem the Verona codex 57 has quidem.

(f) ‹omnia pati,› · printed under col 843

Sic ex pluribus ac potioribus nostris codicibus. Alias, quae fuerint.

So from most and the better of our codices. Elsewhere, quae fuerint.

(g) ‹Data› · printed under col 843

Mss. Ratisp. et Divion. Baluzii, III idus Octobris, ut in anterioribus epistolis praesertim 44 et 45, quae synodi Romanae nomine similiter inscribuntur. Forte melius. Certe ex epist. 59 liquet has litteras ⟨t⟩raditas fuisse Epiphanio tribuno, cui ex epist. 54 tradita pariter fuit epist. 44 ad Theodosium data III idus Octobris; unde omnes synodi nomine inscriptae, uti etiam sequens, eodem die in laudatis duobus, cibus Ratisp. et Divion. notantur.

The Regensburg manuscript and Baluze's Dijon manuscript have III idus Octobris, as in the earlier letters, especially 44 and 45, which are likewise inscribed in the name of the Roman synod. Perhaps better. Certainly it is clear from Letter 59 that this letter was delivered to Epiphanius the tribune, to whom, as appears from Letter 54, Letter 44 to Theodosius, dated III idus Octobris, was likewise delivered; hence all those inscribed in the synod's name, as also the following one, are marked with the same day in the two [codices] cited, the Regensburg and the Dijon.

(h) ‹EPISTOLA› · printed under col 843

Al. 47. Quae autem 51 erat, nunc 67. Scripta 15 Octob. an. 449.

Otherwise 47. The one which was 51 is now 67. Written 15 October in the year 449.

(i) ‹EPISTOLA LI.› · printed under cols 843–844

Haec epistola in iisdem collectionibus invenitur in quibus praecedens. Hujus quoque Graecam interpretationem debemus Cotelerio, qui eamdem ex mss. Regiis edidit tom. I Monum. Eccl. Graecae pag. 61.

This letter is found in the same collections as the preceding one. For its Greek translation too we are indebted to Cotelier, who edited it from the Royal manuscripts in vol. I of the Monumenta Ecclesiae Graecae, p. 61.

(j) ‹LEO et sancta SYNODUS› · printed under col 844, continued under col 845

Mss. collect. Chalcedonensis habent: Leo episcopus et sncta synodus, quae in Romana civitate collecta est, Fausto, Martino, Petro, Magno, Eliae presbyteris et archimandritis monasteriorum Constantinopolitanorum dilectissimis filiis in Domino salutem. Parum absimiliter Vulgati, quos Quesnellus secutus est. Solum in secunda editione post nomem Eliae addidit et Emmanueli qui in Graeca versione legitur, et hanc notationem subjecit: « Cotelerius in notis ad Graec. vers. suspicatur ex Magno et Elia coaluisse Manuelium. Pace viri doctissimi dixerim, contrarium mihi apparet verisimilius. Nam Emmanuel inter archimandritas Constantinopolitanos semper nominatur, et apud Leonem epist. 53 (nunc 71) et in actis Chalced. concilii act. 4, in qua iidem synodum ingredi jubentur, et eorumdem supplex ad Marcianum Augustum libellus refertur: nusquam vero Magnus et Elias leguntur Quamobrem errore librarii Magnus et Elias pro Manuelio positi sunt; vel certe dicendum utrumque post scriptam hanc epistolam vel fato functum esse, vel Eutychi adhaesisse, eamque ob causam esse praetermissos. » Nos ob rationem ejusmodi praetulimus lectionem codicis Ratisponensis, quae dum Magnum et Eliam omittit, Emmanuel autem exhibet. Graeca etiam antiqua versione confirmatur, probabilissimamque demonstrat Quesnelli conjecturam Magnum et Eliam pro Manuele perperam irrepsisse.

The manuscripts of the Chalcedonian collection have: Leo the bishop and the holy synod which has been gathered in the Roman city, to Faustus, Martin, Peter, Magnus and Elias, presbyters and archimandrites of the monasteries of Constantinople, most beloved sons in the Lord, greeting. The editions, which Quesnel followed, are not very different. Only in his second edition did he add, after the name of Elias, et Emmanueli, which is read in the Greek version, and he appended this note: "Cotelier, in his notes on the Greek version, suspects that Manuelius grew out of Magnus and Elias. With all respect to that most learned man, the contrary seems to me more likely. For Emmanuel is always named among the archimandrites of Constantinople, both in Leo, Letter 53 (now 71), and in the acts of the council of Chalcedon, act 4, in which the same men are ordered to enter the synod and their petition to Marcian Augustus is reported: but Magnus and Elias are nowhere read. Therefore Magnus and Elias were put for Manuelius by a copyist's error; or at least one must say that both, after this letter was written, either died or adhered to Eutyches, and were omitted for that reason." For a reason of this kind we have preferred the reading of the Regensburg codex, which, while it omits Magnus and Elias, shows Emmanuel. It is confirmed also by the ancient Greek version, and it shows Quesnel's conjecture, that Magnus and Elias crept in wrongly for Manuel, to be most probable.

SYNOPSIS. — Adhortatur eos ad constantiam in omni bono, maxime fidei et charitatis, et detestatur acta secundi concilii Ephesini.

SYNOPSIS. — He exhorts them to constancy in every good, above all in faith and charity, and he denounces the acts of the second council of Ephesus.

(i) end and (j): printed under col 844, calls in col 843, set in n843.

(Greek version of Letter L continued from col 842; the column opens with "στολῶν", the end of ἐπιστολῶν, set whole in n842.) ἵνα ὑπὲρ τῆς καθολικῆς πίστεως τῆς ἐκδικίας, τῇ τῶν ἀπίστων ἀνομίᾳ ἐναντιώσησθε. Οὐ γὰρ βουλόμεθα τὴν ἀγάπην ὑμῶν, ταύτῃ τῇ λύπῃ καταφορτίζεσθαι, ὅταν μείζων δόξα τῇ ὑμετέρᾳ παραμονῇ ἐπακολουθῇ, ἵνα ἀπὸ τοῦ δεδοκιμασμένου ἐπισκόπου ὑμῶν, οὐδὲ μία ὑμᾶς ἀπειλὴ, οὐδὲ εἷς φόβος ἀποσπάσαι δυνήσεται· εἴ τις γὰρ ὑγιαίνοντος καὶ ζῶντος Φλαβιανοῦ τοῦ ἐπισκόπου (ὑμῶν) τὴν ἀρχιερωσύνην αὐτοῦ τολμήσει ὑπεισελθεῖν, οὐδέποτε εἰς κοινωνίαν ἡμετέραν γενήσεται, οὐδὲ μεταξὺ τῶν ἐπισκόπων δυνήσεται ἀριθμηθῆναι. Ἡμεῖς γὰρ καθάπερ Νεστόριον ἐν τῇ αὐτοῦ διαστροφῇ ἀναθεματίσαμεν, οὕτως καὶ ἐκείνους οἵ τινες τὴν ἀλήθειαν τῆς σαρκὸς ἡμῶν ἐν τῷ Κυρίῳ Ἰησοῦ Χριστῷ ἀρνοῦνται, ὁμοίᾳ ἀφουσιώσει καταδικάζομεν. Κ. β Στήκετε τοίνυν ἐν τῷ πνεύματι τῆς (καθολικῆς) ἀληθείας, καὶ τὴν ἀποστολικὴν προτροπὴν τῇ διακονίᾳ τοῦ ἡμετέρου στόματος δέξασθε· ἐπειδὴ ὑμῖν κεχάρισται ὑπὲρ τοῦ Χριστοῦ, οὐ μόνον ἵνα εἰς αὐτὸν πιστεύητε, ἀλλὰ καὶ ὑπὲρ αὐτοῦ πάσχειν. Μὴ θέλητε ὑπολαμβάνειν, ἀγαπητοὶ, ὅτι τῇ ἁγίᾳ αὐτοῦ ἐκκλησίᾳ ἀπολειφθήσεται ἢ ἐστερήσει ποτὲ ἡ θεία Ἐκκλησία [Forte ἐκδικία]. Ἐκλάμπει γὰρ τῆς πίστεως τὸ καθαρὸν, ὅταν ἀπ' αὐτῆς ὁ ῥύπος τῆς πλάνης χωρισθῇ. Ὅθεν πάλιν καὶ πάλιν ὑμᾶς ἐνώπιον τοῦ Κυρίου διαμαρτυρόμεθα ὁμοῦ καὶ ὑπομιμνήσκομεν, ἵνα ἀπὸ τῆς πίστεως ἐν ᾗ τεθεμελιωμένοι ἐστὲ, καὶ ἐν ᾗ τὸν Χριστιανικώτατον βασιλέα οἴδαμεν παραμένειν, μήτε ἐνέδραις, μήτε τισὶν ἀπάταις μετακινηθείητε· ἀλλ' εἰς τὸ πρόσωπον τοῦ ἐπισκόπου ὑμῶν ἐκεῖνον τοῖς ὀφθαλμοῖς κατέχητε, ὑπὲρ οὗ αὐτὸς πάντα παθεῖν ἅπερ ἐπηνέχθη οὐκ ἐφοβήθη· οὗτινος ἐν πᾶσι μιμητὰς ὑμᾶς γενέσθαι ἐπιθυμοῦμεν, ἵνα κοινὸν μετ' αὐτοῦ τὸν στέφανον τῆς πίστεως λαμβάνειν δυνηθείητε. (Greek version of Letter LI, below the full-width caption:) Λέων ἐπίσκοπος, καὶ ἡ ἁγία σύνοδος ἡ ἐν τῇ πόλει Ῥωμαίων συναχθεῖσα, Φαυστίνῳ, Μαρτίνῳ, Πέτρῳ, Μανουηλίῳ, πρεσβυτέροις καὶ ἀρχιμανδρίταις μοναστηρίων Κωνσταντινουπόλεως. Εἰ καὶ τὰ μάλιστα ἐκεῖνα ἃ τῇ τῶν Κωνσταντινουπολιτῶν