The Emperor’s Letter to the Alexandrians

Victor Constantius Maximus Augustus to the Alexandrians. [a]

Your city, keeping its national character and remembering the virtue of its founders, has habitually shown itself obedient to us, as it does to this day. And we for our part would think ourselves greatly failing in our duty if our goodwill did not outshine even that of Alexander himself. For as it belongs to a self-controlled mind to behave in an orderly way in all respects, so it is the part of royalty, because of virtue such as yours, if I may say so, to embrace you above all others. For you rose up as the first teachers of wisdom, the first to acknowledge God. You have also chosen for yourselves the most accomplished masters, and have heartily agreed with our opinion, rightly loathing that impostor and cheat, and dutifully uniting yourselves to those venerable men who are beyond all admiration. [b]

And yet who does not know, even among those who live at the ends of the earth, what violent party spirit was shown in the recent proceedings? We know of nothing that has ever happened worthy to be compared with it. Most of the citizens had their eyes blinded, and a man who had come out of the lowest dens of infamy gained authority among them. As if under cover of darkness, he trapped in falsehood those who wanted to know the truth. He never provided them with any fruitful and edifying teaching, but corrupted their minds with useless subtleties. His flatterers shouted and applauded him; they were amazed at his powers, and probably they still mutter in secret, while most of the simpler sort took their cue from them. And so all were swept along with the current, as if a flood had broken in, while everything was utterly neglected. One of the crowd was in power. How can I describe him more truly than by saying that he was in no way better than the meanest of the people, and that the only kindness he showed the city was that he did not thrust its citizens down into the pit? This noble-minded and illustrious person did not wait for judgment to proceed against him, but sentenced himself to banishment, as he deserved. So now it is in the interest of the barbarians to put him out of the way, lest he lead some of them into ungodliness; for, like the distressed characters in a play, he will pour out his complaint to whoever first falls in with him. To him, however, we now bid a long farewell.

As for yourselves, there are few I can compare you with; rather, I am bound to honor you separately above all others, for the great virtue and wisdom which your actions, celebrated almost throughout the whole world, show you to possess. Go on in this sober course. I would gladly hear your conduct described again in such terms of praise as it deserves. You have outshone your predecessors in the race for glory, and you will be a noble example both to those now living and to all who come after. You alone have chosen the most perfect of beings as the guide of your conduct, in word and in deed. You did not hesitate a moment, but bravely transferred your affections and gave yourselves to the other side, leaving those groveling and earthly teachers and reaching out toward heavenly things, under the guidance of the most venerable George, than whom no one is more perfectly instructed in them. Under him you will continue to have a good hope about the future life, and will spend your time in this present world in rest and quiet. If only all the citizens together would take hold of his words as a sacred anchor, so that we would need neither the surgeon’s knife nor the burning iron for those whose souls are diseased!

Such people we most earnestly advise to give up their zeal for Athanasius, and not even to remember the foolish things he said so freely among them. Otherwise, before they know it, they will bring themselves into extreme danger, and we know of no one skillful enough to rescue such factious people from it. For while that pestilent fellow Athanasius is driven from place to place, convicted of the basest crimes, for which he would only suffer the punishment he deserves if one were to kill him ten times over, it would be inconsistent of us to let those flatterers and tricksters who serve him exult against us. They are men of such a character that it is shameful even to speak of them, and orders were given long ago to the magistrates that they be put to death. But even now, perhaps, they will not die, if they stop their former offenses and at last repent. For that most pestilent fellow Athanasius led them on, corrupted the whole state, and laid his ungodly and polluted hands on the most holy things.