Letter 16: Felix, bishop of Rome, to his most beloved brother Zeno, greetings in Christ.

(Year 483.) From Pope Felix to Bishop Zeno. Terentianus is commended. Felix to his most beloved brother Zeno. Your son, the most illustrious gentleman Terentianus, when he came to Italy some time ago, proved a singular herald of your love, and made it widely known that you are such a man, one who so overflows with the grace of Christ that amid the whirlwinds of the world you appear as a foremost steersman of the Church. Therefore, dearest brother, when he was journeying to your province and earnestly begged that our letter be sent to your love, we gladly assented; for we both desired to embrace with our discourse a bishop worthy of God, and we wished this to be done especially through him, by whose praises he had been made known to us. Although, then, the aforesaid man has affirmed your brotherhood to be furnished on every side with holy works, and already held much confidence in your benevolence, it is nevertheless just that he should obtain what he greatly desired: namely, that one who was formerly pleasing to your heart may, by regard for us, be rendered the more acceptable, and at the same time be cherished both materially and with priestly consolation, and may find in your pastoral devotion a safeguard for his pilgrimage, so that by the affection of your dignity it may appear that, in your sincerity, our discourse too, by which you are greeted, has had no small weight. May God keep you safe, dearest brother! [Editorial notes:] 1) The printed editions add "bishop." Formerly in the heading: "To Zeno bishop of Hispalis" (in one manuscript, "of Spalis"). 2) Several manuscripts read "to be sent." Then the printed editions read "who both ... the aforesaid brotherhood." 3) [In one manuscript:] "of whom doubtless ... and may he be approved ... by the affection of your dignity, our [discourse] of no small weight in your sincerity, by which it is exceedingly salutary, has prevailed as a discourse." Since the sources of this rather rough reading are not stated, we retain the common reading, with the single exception of "by which you are greeted" (for "of the one greeting"), which all the manuscripts have (one manuscript omits "by which"). 4) [One manuscript adds:] "I, the same Felix, bishop of the holy Catholic Church of the city of Rome, have subscribed. Given on the fifth day before the Kalends of August, in the second consulship of Venantius. Together seven and sixty bishops subscribed apart from the pope." That this is a mere Pseudo-Isidorian addition of some codex (which is absent in one manuscript) the false consular note already proves. For Venantius is found as consul the first time together with Theodoric king of the Goths in the year 484, and the second time only in the year 507 (together with Anastasius Augustus, in his second consulship). Then from the whole context it is proved that this is by no means a synodical letter, but one that was sent by the pontiff on a single occasion that presented itself. Moreover this entire subscription has merely been transferred from the following letter, except that in place of "most illustrious gentleman" is set "this man." LETTERS 5. 6. 243

(a. 483.) Felicis papae ad Zenonem episcopnm. Terenlianus commendatur. Dilectissimo fratri Zenoiii Felix^). Filius uoster*^) vir elarissimus Terentiauus ad Italiam dudum veniens dilectionis tuae singularis exstitit praedicator, talemque te esse vulgavit, qui ita Christi gratia redundares, ut inter mundi tur- bines gubernator Ecclesiae praecip\ms appareres. Quapropter, frater carissime, quuni ad provinciam commearet seduloque deposceret no- stras ad dilectionem tuam litteras^) destinari, gratanter annuimus; quia et diguum l)eo sermone complecti cuperemus antistitem, et per eum maxime vellemus id fieri^ cujus nobis fuerat laudibus intimatus. Quamvis ergo sanctis operibus ex omni parte praeditam fratemitatem tuam vir praefatus adstruxerit, multumque fiduciae de tua benevolen- tia jam teneret, aequum tamen est, ut quod desideravit magnopere, consequatur: (piatenus qui tuis olim gratus est animis, contempla- tione nostri reddatur acceptior, simidque matetiia et sacerdotali con- solatione foveatur^) peregrinationisque praesidium pastorali pietate reperiat^), ut vestrae dignitatis aftectu appareat, apud sinceritatem tuam nostrum quoque non minimum, quo salutaris, valuisse collo- quium. Deus te incolumem custodiat, frater carissime^)! ') Editi addiint c^iscopus. Antea iu inscriptione J*" ad Zenonem /lispalensem {W^ Spalensem) episcopion. ') Alioquot inss. dcslinnre. Mox editi qui et ... praedictam fraternUatem. *•) i* cujus proculdubio ct probetur diynitalis affcctu non parvi apud sinceritaiem tuam nostrum, quo nimium salularis. valuisse coUoquium. Cnjus lectiouid satis sale- brosae fontes quum non dicdntur, retinemus vulgatam solo excepto quo saluta^ ris (^pro salutantis), quod onuies mss. habent {O^ omitt. quo). **) o* addit: (yciius Fclix cpiscopus sanclae Ecclcsia^ cathoticae ttrbis Ramse subscripsi. Data V Kalendarum Autpisti l'enatUio II consule. Simut septem ei sexaginta episcopi absque papa suhsciipserunt. Ciuain nieram Pseudo • Isidoriaiii aliciyus codicis (^nani in 0' deest) appositionem esse, jam nota consularia falaa evincit. Siquidem Venantius priino consul una cum Theodorico rege Gortthomm anno 484 invenitur, secundo demum anno 507 (^una cum Anastasio Augusto II). Deinde toto contextu probatur, eam minime epistohun synodicani esse, sed quae solo a pontifice oblata occasione missa sit. Est autem tota ista subscriptio mere de ei)istohi sequenti transhita, nisi quod loco v. c. positum //. EPISTOLAE 5. 6. 243