St Athanasius the Great LETTERS, Part I, Complete

Translated by Cardinal Newman.

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Page 13

VIII. 12. Now Olympus the same prefect, in the month Mensor, xxvi day, Coss. Julianus Augustus IV. and Sallustius (Aug. 20, 363), announced that Julian the Emperor was dead, and that Jovianus a Christian was Emperor. And in the following month, Thoth xviii, a letter of the Emperor Jovianus came to Olympus the prefect that only the most high God should be worshipped, and Christ, and that the peoples, holding communion in the Churches, should practise religion. Moreover Paulus and Astericius, the aforesaid presbyters, returned from exile at the town of Andropolis, and entered Alexandria, on the x day of Thoth, after x months.

13. Now Bishop Athanasius, having tarried as aforesaid at Thereon, went up to the higher parts of Egypt as far as Upper Hermopolis in the Thebaid, and as far as Antinoopolis. And while he was staying in these places, it was learned that the Emperor Julian was dead, and that Jovian a Christian was Emperor. So the Bishop entered Alexandria secretly, his arrival not being known to many, and went by sea to meet the Emperor Jovian, and afterwards, Church affairs being settled [3795] , received a letter, and came to Alexandria and entered into the Church on the xix day of Athyr [3796] Coss. Jovianus and Varronianus. From his leaving Alexandria according to the order of Julian until he arrived on the aforesaid xix day of Athyr [3797] after one year and iii months, and xxii days.

IX. Now at CP. Eudoxius of Germanicia held the Church, and there was a division between him and Macedonius; but by means of Eudoxius there went forth another worse heresy from the spurious [teaching] of the Arians, Aetius and Patricius [3798] of Nicaea, who communicated with Eunomius, Heliodorus, and Stephen. And Eudoxius adopting this, communicated with Euzoius, Bishop at Antioch, of the Arian sect, and they deposed on a pretext Seleucius [3799] and Macedonius, and Hypatian [3800] , and other xv Bishops belonging to them, since they would not receive 'Unlike' nor 'Creature of the Uncreated.' Now their Exposition is as follows:--

[3795] Used by Soz. vi. 5.

[3796] Read Mechir, i.e. Feb. 14, 364.

[3797] Read Mechir, i.e. Feb. 14, 364.

[3798] Can this be the Hypatius of Philst. ix. 19? For Heliodorus and Stephen, see Hist. Ar. p. 294; de Syn. 12; Theod. H. E. ii. 28 and Gwatkin, Studies, pp. 226, 180 note.

[3799] i.e. Eleusius.

[3800] i.e. Eustathius.

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