Letter 181: Part of the papal correspondence surrounding the Acacian Schism (484-519), the major breach between Rome and...

Pope Hormisdas, to the same persons. April 29. [Editorial heading:] He makes known to them his anxious concern for their affairs, sending the defender Paulinus. Hormisdas to those named above. Our mind is rendered anxious by the long waiting: especially since you had been dispatched to so great a prince, you ought to have made us more certain with all speed. For we believed that we would be able to receive your letters before the day of the Lord's Ascension. For that reason we long to learn both the tokens of your well-being and the progress of the cause which, with the help of our God, you undertook to carry through. We have taken care to dispatch Paulinus, defender of the Roman Church, together with the present writings, directing letters both to the prince and to the several persons to whom it was fitting. Wherefore we entreat our God with fitting prayers, that He Himself may guard your safety by His mercy, and may deign to grant to the cause such an outcome as we desire: for nothing greater is reckoned among the titles of an excellent emperor than if the Greek Church, present and to come, should be worthy to proclaim him the author of peace. Given on the third day before the Kalends of May [April 29], in the consulship of Eutharic, most illustrious man. [Editorial note 72:] The printed edition reads "that you might be able to reveal your thought." By comparing this passage with that other one in Epistle 74 ("which you ought to do for the relief of our thought"), the corrections are made. [Editorial note 73:] Since Easter had fallen this year on the 31st day of March, the solemnity of the Ascension, to be celebrated only on the 9th day of May, had not yet arrived when he was writing this.

Hormisdae papae ad eosdem. 29 Apnl Suam de eorum gesiis soUidAidinem Paulino defensore misso significai. Hormisda quibus supra. Animus noster diuturna redditur exspectatione sollicitus: prae- cipue ad tantum principem destinati, sub celeritate nos certiores debuissetis ef ficere. Nam ante ^) diem ascensionis dominicae litteras vestras credebamus nos posse suscipere. Idcirco tam vestrae sospi- tatis indicia quam profectum causae, quam peragendam cum Dei nostri juvamine suscepistis, desideramus agnoscere. Paulinum eccle- siae Romanae defensorem cum scriptis praesentibus destinare cura- vimus, tam principi litteras, quam singulis, quibus oportuit, diri- gentes. Quapropter Deum nostrum congruis precibus oramus, ut ipse salutem vestram sua propitiatione custodiat, et causae qualem desideramus concedere dignetut effectum: quia nihil majus inter titulos optimi imperatoris adscribitur, quam si eum ecelesia Graeca praesens et futura praedieare mereatur pacis auctorem. Data III Calendas Majas, Euthjirico viro clarissimo cousule. 72 ^) Ed. vesiram cogiiationem ... revelare possiiis. Collatione facta hujus loci cum hoc altero epist. 74 (quod ei facere pro nosirae cogiiaiionis relevaiione debe- tis) emendantur. 73 *) Quirni Pascha hoc anno in diem 31 Martii incidisset, Ascensionis soUe- mnitas Maji dumtaxat 9 die ceh^branda nondum attulserat, quum haec scriberet. 65