Letter 12: Leontius, bishop of Arles, to the most holy Pope Hilary, greetings.

Year 462. From Leontius, bishop of Arles, to Pope Hilarus [Hilary]. He congratulates Hilarus on his having undertaken the pontificate, and commends to him the rights of his own church. p. 3 1. That death has carried off your most holy predecessor Leo, who kept watch against the heresies and was rooting out the tares which, alas, were sprouting all too profusely in the field of the Lord, we grieve; that it has made good the loss through your holiness, we rejoice. For a son rejoices at the honor of his mother, and since the Roman church is the mother of all, we had cause to rejoice that, amid so great a consternation of affairs and infirmity of the ages, [...] has raised [you] up, so that you may judge the peoples in equity and direct the nations upon the earth. Wherefore, when that news was reported to us through Concordius, the deacon of our church, who was present at the time when your holiness was raised up to that lofty summit of honor, we rendered thanks to our God, and we resolved to greet you as soon as possible by this letter of our humility: so that thus the affection which has long since grown up between your holiness and us might be strengthened in the Lord and henceforth increased, with the due reverence wherewith it befits sons to attend their father. 2. Blessed therefore is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Now your holiness must strenuously toil and strive, so that what the most holy Pope Leo began you may bring through to its appointed boundary, and that, with the army of Gideon, by the trumpets blaring in the mouths of the strong [Judges 7:20] and by the torches brandished and waved in the sturdy hand, your holiness may cause the accursed walls of Jericho, already so many times anathematized and shaken [Joshua 6:20], to be cast down. [Editorial apparatus: manuscript variant readings, here illegible/garbled — "...to convey to the knowledge of all, as we have said." In the lordship of Severus Augustus, consul. p. 3.] EPISTLES 4 — 6. 139 3. For the rest, since our church of Arles has always been adorned by the apostolic see with ample favors and privileges [year 462], we ask your holiness that through it nothing be diminished for us, but rather be increased: so that we may be able both to labor together with you in the vineyard of the Lord God of hosts, and to break the attempts of the envious; for if there were no authority to restrain them, it is certain that from day to day they would press on for the worse, because the malice with which they hate us is ever mounting. Given on the Kalends of [...], in the consulship of Severus Augustus.

a.462. Leontii episcopi Arelatensis ad Uilarum papam. Hilaro de suscepio pontificatu gratulatur et Jura suae ecclesiae recommendai. p. 3 1. Quod Leonem sanctissimum praedecessorem tuum mors abs- tulerit contra haereses invigilantem et lolium in agro Domini heu V nimis fruticans eradicantem, dolemus; quod de tua sanctitate repa- raverit, gratulamur. Nam gaudet filius de honore matris^ et quum ecclesia Romana sit onmium mater, fuit nobis gaudendum, quod in tanta constematione rerum et infirmitate saeculorom Ponlm 66 5 ^^V^^ ^*™ ^ erexerit, ut judices popuios in aequitate et gentes in terra dirigas, Unde quum nobis nuntius ille per Concordium eccle- siae nostrae diaconum, qui tmic praesens erat quum sanctitas tua ad id honoris fastigatum cubnen evecta est, relatus est, gratias Deo uostro reddidimus, et te decrevimus quam primum hac humilitatis nostrae epistola salutare: ut et sic affectus, qui inter tuam sancti- tatem et nos jamdiu coaluit, in Domino corroboraretur et de cetero augeatur cum debita reverentia, qua decet fiiios patrem prosequi. 2. Benedictus itaque qui venit in nomine Do^nini! Jam forti- ter sanctitati tuae insudandum et anhelandiun est, ut quod sanctis- simus Leo papa incepit, ad terminabilem perducas limitem, et cum Jud.7,20. exercitu Gedeonis per tubas in ore fortium concrepantes etperlam- pades in robusta manu agitatas et ventilatas maledictos muros Jos.6,20. Jericho jam toties anathematizatos et quassatos sanctitas tua faciat prostemere. ') afi in ommum notiiiam quemadmodum diximus perferre. L' m omnimn nostro- rum (b nostrum, c* fratrum) quemadmodum diximus noiitiam perferre (c* deferre), Domino Severo Aug. cons. >- 3. EPISTOLAE 4 — 6. 139 3. Cetermn quum ecclesia uostra Arelatensis semper ab apo-a. 462. &\olica sede amplis favoribus et privilegiis fuerit decorata^ rogamus sanctitatem tuam^ ut per eam nihil nobis decedat, sed potius augea- tur: ut et coUaborare tecum in vinea Domini Dei 8abaoth valeamus, et iiiTidorum conatus^) infringere; quos, si non esset auctoritas re- primens, -eertum est de die in diem grassaturos in pejus, quia ma- Htia, qua') nos oderuut, ascendit semper. Data Cal. ... Severo Au- gusto consule.