The Presbyters Project

Letter 34

Leo thanks Julian for his letter and asserts that he finds Eutyches to hold heretical views.

2. Et quia clementissimus imperator, pro benevolentia ac pietate animi sui, de statu huius, qui ante honorabilis videbatur, diligentius voluit iudicari, atque ob hoc indicendum credidit episcopale concilium, per fratres nostros Iulium episcopum, et Renatum presbyterum, sed et filium meum diaconem Hilarum, quos ex latere meo vice mea misi, ad fratrem nostrum Flavianum sufficientia pro qualitate causae scripta direxi, quibus et vestra dilectio, et Ecclesia universa cognoscat, de antiqua et singulari fide, quam indoctus impugnator incessit, quid divinitus traditum teneamus, et quid incommutabiliter praedicemus. Quia tamen non debemus partes miserationis omittere, congruere moderationi credidimus sacerdotum, ut si condemnatus presbyter plena satisfactione corrigitur, sententia, qua obstrictus est, relaxetur: si vero in eodem insipientiae suae luto iacere delegerit, statuta permaneant; et cum eis habeat sortem, quorum est secutus errorem. Data idibus Iunii, Asturio et Protogene viris clarissimis consulibus.

(Patrologia Latina 54, 801-802 = Ballerini 1753: 868-870)

Letter 34

Leo thanks Julian for his letter and asserts that he finds Eutyches to hold heretical views.

2. And because our most clement Emperor in the loving-kindness and godliness of his mind wished a more careful judgment to be passed about the position of one who hitherto has seemed to be in high esteem, and for this purpose has thought fit to convene a council of bishops, by the hands of our brothers Julius the bishop, and Renatus the presbyter, and also my son Hilary, the deacon whom I have sent ex latere in my stead, I have addressed a letter suited to the needs of the case to our brother Flavian, from which you also, beloved, and the whole Church may know about the ancient and unique Faith, which this unlearned opponent has assailed, what we hold as handed down from God and what we preach without alteration. Yet, because we must not forget the duty of mercy, we have considered it consonant with our moderation as priests, that, if the condemned presbyter corrects himself unreservedly, the sentence by which he is bound should be remitted: if, however, he chooses to lie in the mire of his foolishness, let the decree remain, and let him have his lot with those whose error he has followed. Dated on the Ides of June in the consulship of the illustrious Asturius and Protogenes [= 13 June AD 449].

(trans. Ch. Lett Feltoe 1895: 47; slightly adapted)

Discussion:

Presbyter Renatus never arrived to Ephesus because he died during the travel on the isle of Delos, see [1565].

Place of event:

Region

Rome
East

City

Rome
Constantinople

About the source:

Author: Leo the Great
Title: Letters, Epistulae
Origin: Rome (Rome)
Denomination: Catholic/Nicene/Chalcedonian

Leo the Great was the bishop of Rome from AD 440 to his death in AD 461. We have the collection of 173 letters of Leo.

Eutyches was a presbyter and an archimandrite in Constantinople who got involved in the theological discussions against Nestorius and was inclined toward the monophysite Christology. These views were considered heretical by Bishop Flavian of Constantinople and Eutyches was excommunicated by the so-called Home Synod in AD 448 (σύνοδος ἐνδημοῦσα, the synod of the bishops who happened to be in the capital). Eutyches sent in protest the letters to the bishops all over the world, from which the letter to Pope Leo is still extant. Eutyches also tried to obtain the support of Emperor Theodosius. In fact, the emperor eventually agreed on organizing the Council which was supposed to condemn Bishop Flavian and his supporters. Leo was warned of the preparations by Bishop Flavian and in June AD 449 he sent his legacy consisting of Bishop Julius of Puteoli, the Presbyter Renatus, and the Deacon Hilary. He entrusted to the envoys the dogmatical letter on Christ, the Tomus ad Flavianum. Although Leo tried to prevent through the letters the gathering, the council met in Ephesus on 8 August 449. The legates from Rome tried to read out the Tome at the council but were successfully hindered by Dioscorus of Alexandria and Eutyches (see Grillmeier 1975: 523-528).

There was a long scholarly discussion about the possible participation of Prosper of Aquitaine in the composition of the Tome of Leo, see Green 2008: 193-201.

Edition:

P. and G. Ballerini eds., Sancti Leoni Magni Romani pontificis opera, vol. 1, Venice 1753

Patrologia Latina, vol. 54

Translation:

Leo the Great, Letters, trans. Ch. Lett Feltoe, [in:] The Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers of the Christian Church, 2nd series, vol. 12, Edinburgh 1895, 1-114

Bibliography:

B. Green, The soteriology of Leo the Great, Oxford; New York 2008.

A. Grillmeier, Christ in Christian tradition, v. 1, Atlanta 1975.

Categories:

Travel and change of residence

PR718.

Described by a title - Presbyter/πρεσβύτερος

PR718.

Ecclesiastical administration - Ecclesiastical envoy

PR718.

Relation with - Bishop/Monastic superior

PR718.

Relation with - Deacon

PR718.

Please quote this record referring to its author, database name, number, and, if possible, stable URL: M. Szada, Presbyters in the Late Antique West, ER1690, http://www.presbytersproject.ihuw.pl/index.php?id=6&SourceID=1690