Letter 171: Part of the papal correspondence surrounding the Acacian Schism (484-519), the major breach between Rome and...

[Editorial heading:] Copy of the letter of Theodoritus, bishop of Lygdae, to Pope Hormisdas. He signifies to him his joy concerning the churches recalled to unity by his own efforts. To our holy lord, blessed, praiseworthy, and to be venerated, the apostolic father Hormisdas, pope of the city of Rome, your humble servant Theodoritus. It would not befit my own littleness to presume upon things so great, and as one of small account to address these little pages by my words to your pious and holy apostolate. But because, out of the humane kindness implanted in you, with a pious mind of propitiation you have been accustomed to protect all things by the nod of the Divinity, you have rendered to the whole world a bright day filled with all festivity, and by your praiseworthy prayers you have recalled all things to the former state of unity; and by your praiseworthy and venerable merits you have granted that they should agree together in one and be subjected. And therefore, although I am overwhelmed by my own iniquities and oppressed on every side by them, yet recreated out of those very depths of hell, now that my fellow servant the religious man Pullio is hastening back to your glorious footsteps, I have taken upon myself to present myself, both through him and also by these small and slight pages, to your praiseworthy and venerable footsteps, entreating the divine favor with all my strength, and singing with a clear voice together with all men whatsoever: Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men of good will [Luke 2:14]; who, by his incomprehensible piety, through your wondrous prayers has illuminated and delivered all things; and a bright day filled with all festivity he has granted throughout the whole world through your prayers worthy of God, and has rescued it from all iniquity; and he has loosed every knot of binding, and opened every path. Therefore, offering to your apostolate this peace filled with such thanksgiving in your piety, I beseech that, for the littleness of my lamentable state, you may deign by your pious prayers to be mindful of me, holy, blessed, apostolic lord fathers! Received on the thirteenth day before the Kalends of July [June 19], in the consulship of the most illustrious man, the lord Eutharicus.

seu a. 5i9d. Exemplum epistolae Theodoriti episcopi LignideiiBis M ad 22ApriL — . . , acc. d. Honnisdam papam. ' Suam ei laetitiam de ecclesiis ad unitatem ipsius opera revocatis significat, p Domino sancto, beato, praedicabili et adorando apostolico patri, Hormisdae papae urbis Ro- mae, humilis famulus tuus Theodoritus. Meae quidem exiguitatis non esset, tam magna praesmnere, et ad vestrum pium sanctum apostolatum pusilli sermone pracsentes parvulas destinare paginas. Sed quia pro insita vobis humanitate pio propitiationis aiiimo omnia nutu Divinitatis protegere consuevi- stis, lucidum diem et totius festivitatis repletum omui reddidistis mundo, et omnia') veatris praedicandis precibus ad pristinum uni- ") G^ J' a^ b cci* duhitare. B? correxit deviare. ") J 0 c* c* i* add. Ora pro nobis sanctissime et beatissime frater. •3) G' a' b cc die XXVI I, Verius JO i* die vicesimo octavo^ utpote quum feria quiuta hebdomadae sauctae , quac hoc anno 519 in 28 Martii diem incide- bat, libellum a Johanne subscriptum legati iu epistola 64 n. 2 testentar. '^) JO c' c' i* consulibus domno Justino imperatore et EracUo (seu Uer&cHo^ vv. cc. consulibus era DLVll^ corrupte. 62 *) G' Litunideftsis f al. Litanidensis. Ex epist. 60 liquet, legendum esse Ltgm- densis. — Mox ed. non essc tam. BPISTOLAB 61 — 63. 855 tatis reyocastis statani; et in unmn concordare vel subjugare vestris a. 619. praedicabilibus et adorandis meritis annuistis. Ideoque etsi meis obrutus iniquitatibus et ab eis undique oppressus, ex ipsis^) recrea- tus infernis, recurrente ad gloriosa vestigia vestra confamulo meo viro religioso Pullione, usurpavi me tam per eum quam etiam his parvulis et exiguis ^), vestris praedicandis et adorandis repraesentare vestigiis, divinum omnibus viribus exorans favorem, et clara voce cum omnibus omnino cantans : Gloria in excelsis Deo, et in terra Luc. pax hominibus bonae voluntatis: qui pro sua incomprehensibiK pietate^'^^* vestris mirificis precibus omnia illuminavit et liberavit; et lucidum et totius festivitatis repletum diem in toto orbe vestris Deo dignis precibus praestitit, et ab omni iniquitate eripuit; et omnem nodum coUigationis absolvit, et omnem semitam aperuit. Hanc itaque gra- tulationis repletam pio vestro pacem *) offerens apostolatui, deprecor, uti pro meae flebilitatis exiguitate vestris piis precibus memores esse dignemini, domini sancti beati apostolici patres ! Accepta XTTI Calendas Julias, domino Eutharico viro clarissimo consule.