Letter 7: through PETRUN UIRUM SPECTABILEX COMITEM PLACIDIAE NOBILISSINAE FENINAE.

Simplicius the bishop to Zeno Augustus. By the hand of Peter, distinguished man, count of Placidia, most noble lady. Long ago, when the triumphal glory of your reign had been spread abroad in the Lord through exultation at the divine gifts, amid the joy of the universal Church, I recall that I offered the letter of my own humble person; nor, among all the priests of the catholic faith, could I, even alone, keep silent about the works of our God, nor could I be the first to do so, because, in accordance with the blessed Apostle Paul, bearing the care of all the churches, I claimed for myself especially the highest measure of joy at the peace restored to them through your clemency, in that, with God's help, the enemies of religion and of the realm having been cast down, we earned to be victors, and in one and the same outcome, with Christ conquering in you everywhere, both the worship of the true faith and the condition of the empire were restored; both of which had for a time been thrown into confusion by the devil's interposing himself, so that, when the adversaries of each had been scattered, the proclamations of the victor might be made the greater. Therefore, having obtained the fruit of so glorious a victory together with the joy of the universal Church, now also I cannot keep silent (which I do without ceasing) from giving thanks that are without doubt perpetual, because you have restored the Alexandrian church to the ancient and true faith in the person of my brother and fellow bishop Timothy, whose letter, lately reaching me, recorded that, the profanity of the condemned Eutyches and Dioscorus having been expelled, he had recovered the see of the blessed apostle and evangelist Mark for the governing of the orthodox (as was known beforehand), urging us, who are willing, to report these very things to the mind of your piety. Therefore, that the tranquillity of your reign may be perpetual and secure, fortify with ever-watchful protection the peace which you have granted to all in the aforesaid church; and what you have done, with the Lord aiding you, for the salvation of innocent souls, protect with more religious zeal and more attentive diligence, because it is of no less glory to preserve what you have founded than to found it, and it has been proved to all that as much of divine favor has been bestowed upon you as your piety has displayed of devotion to the Christian religion. And although in every part of his realm your providence, which will be of benefit to divine worship, is not lacking, and you set the tranquillity of the Church before public cares, yet I beg that what is earnestly requested through us, indeed what we ourselves more particularly beseech, you would order by your most pious command to be carried out: that Peter, the usurper of the Alexandrian church and on that account justly condemned, because (as has been written to us) he is reported to be plotting certain things in secret in the city of Alexandria against those measures which have been established by you, be transferred to outer regions, lest he infect any of weak faith (as he is said to do) and draw them over to the instruments of his perversity. Let pernicious contagions be far from the innocent, so that through you sincerity may enter within the sheepfold of the Lord's flock, which the imperial authority alone is able to maintain. Given on the eighth day before the Ides of October, in the consulship of [...].

SIMPLICIUS EPISCOPUS ZENONI AUGUSTO. PER PETRUN UIRUM SPECTABILEX COMITEM PLACIDIAE NOBILISSINAE FENINAE. Olim diuinorum exultatione munerum triumphalis in domino regni uestri gloria dilatata cum uniuersalis ecclesiae gaudio medio- eritatis meae litteras optulisse memint nec inter uniuersos catholicae fidei sacerdotes opera dei nostri uel solus potui dilatata est B, dilatatur V gaudio B mediocritati V 21 mee (?) elitterif B —— memnini B 140 | Simplicii papao epistulae tacere uel primus, quia secundum beatum Paulum apostolum ecclesiarum omnium curam sustinens mihi summam gaudii de reddita per clementiam uestram earum quiete specialiter uindicaui, quod uos diuinitatis auxilio deiectis religionis et regni hostibus meruimus habere uictores et in uno eodemque prouentu Christo in uobis ubique uincente et cultus uerae fidei et status est reparatus imperii, quod utrumque ideo fuerat diabolo se ad tempus interserente turbatum, ut al- terutrius aduersariis dissipatis praeconia fierent maiora uin- centis. X unde tam praeclarae fructum uictoriae indeptus cum laetitia uniuersalis ecclesiae nunc quoque, quod sine cessatione faeio, tace;e non possum gratias sine dubio peren- nes, quod antiquae ueraeque fidei in fratre et coepiscopo meo Timotheo Alexandrinam ecclesiam reddidistis, cuius ad me nuper litterae commeantes expulsa profanitate Eutychis atque Dioscori damnatorum ad regendos orthodoxos beati apostoli et euangelistae Marci sedem, quod ante compertum est, se recepisse memorauit incitans nos uolentes, ut haec ipsa pie- tatis uestrae sensibus referremus. ^ ut ergo tranquillitas uestri perpetua et fixa sit regni, quietem, quam cunctis in memorata ecclesia praestitistis, peruigili protectione munite 1 cf. Corinth. II 11, 28 2 de re[ddita per clemen hodie auulsa sunt] tiam uestram B: de red- dita per clementia uestra V — 98 quiaetem peculariter B 4 deiectis V: . deitatis B et B: in V 5 meruimus B: merueremus V, merueri- mus p? 6 prouentum V cubitus B uere VB 7 repparatus B 8 alterutris B 9. uicentis B 10 praeclare VB . uwictorie B: uir- tutis V 12 perennes V : perennes refferens B 18 antique uereque V: antique uere B fratrem et coepm meum timotheum B 14 eccle- siam V: et ecclesiam B ad V:a,B 15 coemeanter B Euty- chis scripsi: eutyches V, eothicetis B 16 discori B ad B: om. V ortodoxos B apostoli scripsi cf. Valesium ad Euseb. H. E. II 24: pauli V, petri B. 17 seom. B 18 memorauit incitans per anacoluthiam «ut uidetur quasi antea dictum esset qui in litteris suis; lacunam suspicatur Hartel proponens 15 litteras commeantes «adferebant quibus» incitare nos uolens B 19 refferiemus B 21 memoratam ecclesiam B protectionem unite V, protectione monete B 5 10 15 Epist. LXII 2—4. 141 et, quod iuuante uos domino pro innocentium salute fecistis animarum, religiosiore studio et diligentia adtentiore protegite, quia non minoris est gloriae quod condideris seruare quam condere et omnibus est probatum tantum uobis diuini fauoris impensum, quantum Christianae religioni uestra pietate est sedulitatis exhibitum. οὐ quamuis in omni parte regni sui profutura diuino cultui prouidentia uestra non desit et curis publieis tranquillitatem ecclesiae praeferatis, precor tamen, ut quod per nos serio postulatur, immo quod ipsi specialius supplicamus, Petrum Alexandrinae ecclesiae peruasorem et ob hoc iure damnatum, quia moliri quaedam latens in Alexan- drina, sicut ad nos scriptum est, ciuitate contra haec, quae a uobis sunt statuta, memoratur, ad exteriora transferri piis- sima praeceptione iubeatis, ne aliquos modieae fidei, quod facere perhibetur, inficiat et ad peruersitatis suae instrumenta traducat. longe sint ab innocentibus perniciosa contagia, ut per uos «intret»? intra dominici gregis ouile sinceritas, quam Sola tenere potest imperialis auctoritas. ^ Dat. VIII. Id. Octobr. Illo ἃ. c. cons. 142 Simplicii papae epistulae