Letter 168: Part of the papal correspondence surrounding the Acacian Schism (484-519), the major breach between Rome and...

A copy of the second report of Germanus and John, bishops, of Felix and Dioscorus, deacons, and of Blandus, presbyter. They report what was done in the city of Scampae, and certain matters first made known to them. 1. By what route, with God's help, we arrived at the city of Aulon, and how we were received by the bishop of that city, and what was done, and what manner of reply they gave, and that he promised this, that he would draw up a libellus [a formal written declaration] together with his metropolitan, we have indicated to Your Beatitude in another letter. 2. For as to what was done in the city of Scampae, your prayers did not permit us to keep silent. Before we entered the city itself, the venerable bishop Trojus, with his clergy and people, came out to meet us. And how God was blessed on that very day, and what festivity followed through his piety, we report to the notice of your apostolate. In our presence and that of his clergy and the noblemen of that city, he subscribed and presented the libellus; we received it, and in the presence of all the clergy and people, it was read out from the step [of the sanctuary] by your servant Peter, notary of the holy Roman Church. The assembly was in the basilica of Saint Peter. We confess to Your Beatitude: such devotion, such praises to God, so many tears, such joys, we have scarcely seen among any other people. Almost all the men, with the women, and the soldiers, received us in the city with candles and with crosses. Masses were celebrated; the name of no one liable to censure in religion was recited, but only that of Your Beatitude. Our venerable bishop Germanus celebrated the Mass. And they promised that henceforth none would be recited except those whom the Apostolic See has received. May God in his favor preserve among you how great things have been accomplished by us. We composed this letter thirty miles before [reaching] Lychnidus, hoping with God's help to arrive that same day in that same city. And how it reached us [...], we hope that the bishop of that city too will do the like. And if this is done, when the occasion is given we will write back. 3. While we were stationed at Scampae, after the Masses, at the supper hour, Stephanus and Leontius, most distinguished men, sent by the emperor, came to meet us, not yet knowing that we were placed in the regions of Greece, because such instructions had been given to the count Stephanus, that they should cross over to the parts of Italy to meet us. (This Stephanus is, as it is said, of the kindred of your son Vitalianus, the master of soldiers.) These men informed us that the senator Patricius had been proscribed and sent into exile. For what cause, however, except as it has come to us, we cannot say, because it is not easy to deliberate about such matters. It is said, however, that the apocrisiarii [legates] of the church of Thessalonica are also being held, with whom letters too are said to have been found; for what cause, we do not know: along with them, both Philumenus, and Demetrius the magistrianus [an imperial agent], and other persons whose names we do not know. These are the things, as we said before, which we have heard. As to the ecclesiastical matter, however, prosperous things are reported by the mercy of God. As for Cosmas the physician, for what cause he came into Italy, we could not at all understand, except this, that he is being sought after vigorously. About whom you ought to be concerned, that you may know for what cause he came thither.

seu Exemplum suggestionis secundae Germani et Johannis tioMart) EflSTOLAE ROMAN. PONTIP. I. 54 (a.619.) episooporum^), Feliois et Diosoori diaoonomm et Blandi presbyteri, De geitis in Scampina dvitaie referuni et qtdbusdam nuniHs sibi primUim oMi. p. ' 1. In civitate Aulonitana^) quo ordine cum Dei adjutorio per- venimuS; et quomodo sumus suscepti ab episcopo civitatis ipsins, et quid est actum, vel quale responsum dederunt^ et quia hoc promisit; ut cum metropolitano suo faceret libellum; in alia epistola beatita- dini vestrae significavimus. 2. Nam quod in Scampina^) civitate factum est^ vestris orationi- bus tacere non permisimus*). Antequam nos ingrederemur in dvi- tatem ipsam, venerabilis Trojus episcopus cum suo clero vel plebe in occursum nobis egressus est. Et quomodo Deus in ipsa die ben^ dictus est^ et quae festivitas per ipsius pietatem est subsecata, ad notitiam apostolatus vestri referimus. Nobis praesentibus vel suo clero et nobilibus viris ipsius civitatis, libellum subscripsit, porrexit: suscepimus, et praesente omni clero vel plebe, in gradu*) a servo vestro Petro notario sanctae ecclesiae Romanae est relectns. Erat conventus in basilica sancti Petri. Confitemur beatitudini vestrae: tantam devotionem, tantas Deo laudes, tantas lacrymas, tanta gan* dia difficile in alio populo vidimus. Prope omnes cum cereis viri cum mulieribus, milites. cum crucibus in civitate nos susceperunt Celebratae sunt missae, nullius nomen obnoxium religionis est reci- tatum, nisi tantum beatitudinis vestrae. Noster episcopus venera- bilis Germanus missam celebravit. Et promiserunt nec postea reci- tari; nisi quos sedes apostolica suscepit. Quanta a nobis operata sunt, Deus propitius in vobis conservet. Istam epistolam ante tri- ginta millia ^) de Lignido fecimus, sperantes ipsa die in eadem ci?i- tate cum Dei adjutorio pervenire. Et quomodo ad nos pervenit'), 59 *) Ed. episcopi et mox diaconi; emendantur ex epistolis 64^ 76 etc. ') Et haec Epiri novae, ut ex dtato loco constat, civitas erat DjirachimB inter ad occasum et Lignidum ad ortum sita, eed nunc in vicnm redacta. ®) b cc milliaria a Lignido, Hoc ita interpretamur, ut legati e loco ampliai triginta millibus a Lignido distaute scribere se significent. Quod consolto no- tant, ut 36 maximis itineribus celerare fidem faciant. Secundum Baudrandiun autem Scampi a Lignido 55 millibus distant. EPISTOLAE 59. 60. . 851 speramus et ipsius civitatis episcopum similia facere. Quod si fa- (a. 519.) cium fiierit, data occasione rescribemus. 3. Scampis uobis^) positis; post missas hora coenatoria Ste- phanus et Leontius vv. ss. ab imperatore missi in occursum nobis venerunt, adbuc nescientes nos in partibus Graeciarum positos, quia talia mandata fuerunt comiti Stephano data^ ut ad partes Italiae transirent in occursum nostrum. (Est Stephanus iste, quomodo dicitur, de parentela filii vestri magistri militum Vitaliani.) Qui nobis nuntiaverunt Patricium senatorem proscriptum et in exsilium missum. Pro qua tamen causa, nisi quomodo ad nos pervenerit, non possumus dicere, quia non est de talibus rebus facile deliberare. Dicitur tamen, et apocrisiarios") Thessalonicensis ecclesiae teneri, apud quos dicuntur et epistolas inventas; pro qua causa, nescimus: cum ipsis et Philumenum et Demetrium magistrianum et alias per- sonas, quarum nomina ignoramus. Ista sunt, quomodo praediximus, quae audivimus. De causa tamen ecclesiastica cum Dei misericor- dia prospera nuntiantur. Cosmatem tamen medicum, pro qua causa in Italiam venit, penitus intelligere non potuimus, nisi hoc, quia fortiter quaeritur. De quo debetis esse solliciti, ut sciatis, pro qua causa ibidem venit.