Letter 117: Part of the papal correspondence surrounding the Acacian Schism (484-519), the major breach between Rome and...

Pope Hormisdas to the Emperor Anastasius. Through Severianus. Your Clemency rightly trusts, just as you declared to me in the glorious words addressed to me, that it would be of particular benefit to your commonwealth if [...] the cause of the orthodox faith were set before all things. For this is [...] venerable emperor, the more wholesome concern arising from the governance you have undertaken as ruler: that he may win for you his favor through good works, who both bestows and governs the whole empire. Therefore it befits me as well to make supplication to our Lord Jesus Christ, that he who willed your Piety to take thought for the concord of his Church may deign to grant this outcome in this matter: namely, that in your times the whole circle of the lands, endowed with the orthodox faith, may rejoice. But concerning those things which you ordained by the pious synodal assembly, what ought to be done I have entrusted to be conveyed to your Glory through my brothers and fellow-bishops, who will follow shortly after: by whose representation, if divine favor attends my prayers, you will be able to learn the whole matter more fully. Given on the eighth day before the Ides of July [July 8], in the consulship of Florentius [515].

Hormisdae papae ad Anastasiuni imperatorem. ^8 J^^ «"1 studium reipubficae proficere repeiit, Vt imperatoris sollicitudini pro Ec ■-oe concordia Deus praestet effectian supplicat, In concilio quid fieri opor- teat, legatis proxime secuturis se in mandatis dedisse mntiat, Hormisda Anastasio^) Augusto. Per Severianum. Bene clementia vestra confidit, sicut datis ad me gloriosis de- ^^it affatibus, quod reipublicae vestrae specialiter proficiat, si ep. i. '^tm omnibus orthodoxae fidei causa praeponatur. Haec est enim. > Omnino legendum videtur sperabamus, Tadte enim uotat se aliquid aliud ^ , quam quod litteris suis Bignificaverat, desiderare. In bis quippe de ^edonenBi concilio, de Acacii nomine, de iis qui cum damnatiB communi- '^it, altum est silentium. ) ^ln vulgatis et Ecclesia. In pleriBque autem veteribus libris voculae et ^ ex ita pinguntur, ut utra praeferenda sit, ex sola orationis serie d^*udi- * Haec porro hic postulat ex Ecclesia. j Integra in hunc modum fiet oratio: quo cujuslibet aut odiis propriis aut ^itf inteniionibus hominibus in injuHam Dei^ guod nefas est, velint placere, et ^^ffls ... saecularia contemnenies a spe non possint, Multos, dum imperatori ^e cupiebant aut timebant displicere, in Bchismate perseverare non igno- t HormiBda, ideoque huic malo studet occurrere. 0 Ed. secunde nisi; G^ secunde his, voce Ms post. manu cancellata. Unde bie secure mutavimus. ') Respondet superiori epistolae 1, quae quamvis prior missa, seriuBtamen idsdae reddita est. G' ad marg. addit per Severianum, a. 515. veiierabilis imperator, de suseepto moderamiue rectoris cura salu- brior, ut ejus sibi favorem per opera bona conciliet, qui uniYersm et tribuet^) et reget imperiiun. Proinde me quoque et domino nostro Jesu Cliristo convenit supplicare, ut qui de Ecclesiae suae concoi- dia vestram pietatem cogitare voluit^^ hunc super hac parte conce- dere dignetur effectum: quatenus temporibus vestris orthodoxa fide ])raeditus universus t^rrarum orbis exsultet. De his vero, quae pio synodali congregatione praecepistis , quid fieri oporteat, per fratres ] et coepiscopos meos, qui propere subsequentur , gloriae vestrae ia- sinuanda mandavi: quorum suggestione, si divinus favor mea votsi prosequitur, competentius poteritis universa coguoscere, Data Vlll Idiis Julii Florentio consule.