Letter 130: Part of the papal correspondence surrounding the Acacian Schism (484-519), the major breach between Rome and...

A set of instructions [indiculus] sent through the subdeacon Pullio. What is to be done in the church of Nicopolis. Coming to Nicopolis with God's help and through the prayers of the holy apostles Peter and Paul, you ought to act in such a way that, after the bishop of Nicopolis has received our letters, he may gather the bishops whom he has in his own province, and have them subscribe the document [libellus] which they have attached to the [...] letter. If, however, the aforesaid bishop should say that it is burdensome to assemble the bishops, let him send representatives with you among the individual bishops, so that in your presence they may subscribe the aforesaid document. Yet you ought to act, with God's mercy, in such a way that the letters which have been sent by us are read publicly; or, if you see that out of fear they are unwilling to make the bishops do this, let them at least read these over again to their own clergy. Leave these matters within their own power, and bring back to us, with mercy, both the writings of the bishops and those of the bishop, that is, of John the metropolitan. After this has been done, we do not wish you to linger there any longer, on account of the plots and cunning schemes of our enemies. [Carried] through John, his [...].

S6U (a. 516 ,. ^ Indiculus perM Fullionem subdiaoonum. 19 Nov.) ^ Quid in Nicopolitana ecclesia agendum sit. Cum Dei adjutorio et orationibus sanctorum apostolorum Petn et Pauli veniens ad Nicopolim, sic debes agere, ut postquam episco- pus Nicopolitauus acceperit litteras nostras, episcopos, quos in sua 19 ^) Videlicet duabus epistolis superioribus subter annexam, nt in epdoh sequenti planius declaratur, quique in cditiouibus conciliorum cpistolae huiciab' jicitur veluti data XV. Kal, Aprilis Agapito v, c, cons, Kcet Agapitog anno tan- tum 517 consulatum adeptus sit. Nos eum, vestigia G* secuti, epistolae 7 n. ^ subjccimus; eumdem nobis epistola 26 suspeditabit. •) Nominatim Illyrici, ad quod Epiri veteris provincia pertinebat^ paw OBffl^ sacerdotes inter eos, qui ad communionem sedis apostolicae eo pacto zedieW epist. 9 n. 1 memorantur. 20 ^) Seu potius datus Pullioni suhdiacono, ut Bupra epist. 7 imdiemlms fid dMif ^ Ennodio , non per Ennodium legitur. Hunc indicidum una cnm saperioci epif^ conscriptum ao datum fuisse, cx cadcm cpistola liquet. EPI8T0LAE 19 — 21. 781 ecia habet; coUigat, et faciat subscribere libellum; quem in epi- (a. 516.) ) ^) suis habent annexum. Si tamen dixerit praedictus episcopus laboriosum episcopos colligere, dirigat tecum personas per sin- 3( episcopos, ut te praesente subscribant^) in praedictum libel- Sic tamen cum Dei misericordia facere debes, ut epistolae, a nobis missae sunt, publice legantur; aut si videris prae timore episcopos facere nolle, saltem clericis suis haec relegant. Quae n in ipsorum dimitte potestatem, et scripta episcoporum et i episcopi, hoc est Johannis metropolitani, ad nos cum miseri- la reporta. Post hoc factum nullas moras te volumus ibidem •€; propter insidias et calliditates inimicorum. Per Johannem >num ejus.