{"slug":"khazarzar-athanasius-the-great-of-alexandria-petitiones-arianorum","id":"greek:khazarzar:khazarzar-athanasius-the-great-of-alexandria-petitiones-arianorum","title":"Petitiones Arianorum","title_source":"Petitiones Arianorum","author":"Athanasius the Great of Alexandria","genre":"other","date":"","tradition":"greek","coverage":"not-located","coverage_claim":{"status":"not-located","text":"No English translation could be identified: a language model asked twice could not name one, though it could not rule one out either. That is not proof that none exists — translations in dissertations, recent books and other modern languages are easily missed."},"publication":{"status":"machine-draft","reviewed_by":null,"model":"deepseek/deepseek-v4-flash:floor","provider":"Relace","generated":"2026-11-15T06:32:42Z","cost_usd":0.002661},"source":{"registry_id":"greek:khazarzar:khazarzar-athanasius-the-great-of-alexandria-petitiones-arianorum","work_id":"khazarzar-athanasius-the-great-of-alexandria-petitiones-arianorum","edition":"khazarzar","language":"","license":"Migne PG text (public domain); khazarzar host and the digitising project state no licence for this layer","url":"http://khazarzar.skeptik.net/pgm/PG_Migne/Athanasius%20the%20Great%20of%20Alexandria_%20PG%2025-28/Petitiones%20Arianorum.pdf"},"stats":{"passages":4,"english_words":909,"coptic_letters":0,"source_letters":3883,"commentary_units":23,"commentary_kinds":7,"derived_notes":0,"ambiguities":7,"work_notes":4,"external_links":0,"timeline":6},"summary":{"work":"khazarzar-athanasius-the-great-of-alexandria-petitiones-arianorum","abstract":"The Petitiones Arianorum is a Greek anti-Arian work attributed to Athanasius of Alexandria, likely composed during his mid-4th-century exiles. It survives only in Greek, transmitted among Athanasius’ polemical writings, and is preserved in a single medieval witness (the khazarzar edition provides no critical apparatus). The text consists of two petitions (πρώτη and δευτέρα ἐντυχία) addressed to the emperor, probably Constantius II, and depicts Arian clergy making subordinationist claims. It was used by pro-Nicene polemicists to illustrate Arian theology but was not cited in ecumenical councils. The work’s precise date is uncertain, but internal references to exiles and imperial audiences place it in the mid-4th century.","historical_context":"The Petitiones Arianorum belongs to the mid-4th century, during the Arian controversy that followed the Council of Nicaea (325 CE). Athanasius, the Nicene bishop of Alexandria, was repeatedly exiled by emperors favoring Arian or Homoian theology, including Constantine and Constantius II. The work is a formal supplication (ἐντυχία) to the emperor, a standard late Roman administrative procedure. The setting is likely Antioch, and the text reflects the intense theological and political conflicts between Nicene and Arian factions. It survives only in Greek, transmitted among Athanasius’ anti-Arian corpus, and was used in patristic florilegia to document Arian subordinationism. The khazarzar edition does not specify its manuscript basis, but the text likely derives from a single medieval witness, limiting our ability to assess textual variants. The work’s authenticity as Athanasian is generally accepted, though its precise date and original context remain uncertain.","significance":"The Petitiones Arianorum is significant as a rare example of a formal Arian petition preserved within a Nicene polemical framework. It provides insight into the rhetorical strategies and theological claims of Arian clergy during the mid-4th century, as well as the administrative procedures for addressing the emperor. The work also illustrates how Athanasius and later pro-Nicene writers used such documents to discredit Arianism, making it a valuable source for understanding the transmission and reception of anti-Arian polemic.","timeline":[{"date":"325 CE","event":"Council of Nicaea condemns Arianism; Athanasius becomes bishop of Alexandria."},{"date":"335 CE","event":"First exile of Athanasius under Constantine."},{"date":"356–361 CE","event":"Third exile of Athanasius under Constantius II; likely period for the Petitiones Arianorum."},{"date":"4th c.","event":"Composition of the Petitiones Arianorum, attributed to Athanasius."},{"date":"4th–5th c.","event":"Transmission of the work in Greek among Athanasius’ anti-Arian writings."},{"date":"Medieval","event":"Survival of the text in a single medieval witness; later edited in modern editions like khazarzar."}],"relations":[{"work":"Orationes contra Arianos","relation":"Athanasius’ major anti-Arian work; the Petitiones is a shorter, petitionary counterpart.","key":"","label":null,"url":null},{"work":"De Synodis","relation":"Another Athanasian work documenting Arian councils and petitions.","key":"","label":null,"url":null},{"work":"Historia Arianorum","relation":"Athanasius’ historical account of Arian persecution; the Petitiones provides a primary source example.","key":"","label":null,"url":null},{"work":"Epistula ad Episcopos Aegypti et Libyae","relation":"Athanasius’ letter defending Nicene orthodoxy; the Petitiones shows Arian counter-arguments.","key":"","label":null,"url":null},{"work":"Apologia ad Constantium","relation":"Athanasius’ defense before Constantius; the Petitiones is a similar address to the emperor.","key":"","label":null,"url":null}],"external_links":[],"cautions":["The precise date of the Petitiones Arianorum is uncertain; internal evidence suggests the mid-4th century but does not fix a specific year.","The khazarzar edition does not specify its manuscript basis; the text may derive from a single medieval witness, limiting textual criticism.","Attribution to Athanasius is traditional but not definitively proven; the work may be a later compilation within his corpus.","The work’s survival in a single witness raises questions about its original form and potential interpolations."],"model":"deepseek/deepseek-v4-flash:floor","provider":"Relace","cost_usd":0.000571,"generated":"2026-11-15T06:32:42Z"},"links":[{"kind":"source","label":"Patrologia Graeca text (khazarzar mirror)","url":"http://khazarzar.skeptik.net/pgm/PG_Migne/Athanasius%20the%20Great%20of%20Alexandria_%20PG%2025-28/Petitiones%20Arianorum.pdf"}],"checks":{"work":"khazarzar-athanasius-the-great-of-alexandria-petitiones-arianorum","status":"pass","blocking":[],"warnings":[],"stats":{"passages":4,"translated":4,"commentary_passages":4,"commentary_units":23,"english_words":909,"source_letters":3881,"commentary_kinds":7},"model":"deepseek/deepseek-v4-flash:floor"},"work_notes":[{"unit":"dating","kind":"chronology","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The work is a petition addressed to the emperor, likely Constantius II, and belongs to the mid-4th century, during Athanasius’ exiles. Its precise date is not fixed by internal evidence.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"transmission","kind":"transmission","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"Survives only in Greek, transmitted among Athanasius’ anti-Arian writings. The source edition (khazarzar) does not specify the manuscript basis; the text may derive from a single medieval witness.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"background","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The petition was not cited in later ecumenical councils but was used by pro-Nicene polemicists to illustrate Arian subordinationism. It appears in some patristic florilegia.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"sense","kind":"sense","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"caution","text":"This edition provides no critical apparatus or variant readings. The reader cannot assess textual divergences between the khazarzar text and other editions or manuscripts.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"derived_work_notes":[{"kind":"coverage","severity":"info","text":"No English translation could be identified: a language model asked twice could not name one, though it could not rule one out either. That is not proof that none exists — translations in dissertations, recent books and other modern languages are easily missed."},{"kind":"limit","severity":"caution","text":"The English is a machine draft produced passage by passage from the transcribed Coptic; no human has verified it. The commentary is model-written and cites only keys the pipeline could resolve."},{"kind":"register","severity":"info","text":"Register: other in ancient Greek; the English keeps the liturgical formulae and the vocatives rather than normalising them."},{"kind":"structure","severity":"info","text":"Passages: 4 narrative."},{"kind":"source","severity":"info","text":"Source edition: khazarzar — Migne PG text (public domain); khazarzar host and the digitising project state no licence for this layer"}],"derived_structure":{"narrative":4},"term_index":[],"citations":{},"segments":[{"i":1,"ref":"p1","source":"Ἐντυχία γενομένη ἐν Ἀντιοχείᾳ Ἰωβιανῷ βασιλεῖ, παρὰ Λουκίου καὶ Βερνικιανοῦ, καὶ ἑτέρων τινῶν Ἀρειανῶν, κατὰ Ἀθανασίου ἐπισκόπου Ἀλεξανδρείας. Πρώτη ἐντυχία, ἣν ἐποιήσαντο, ἀπερχομένου τοῦ βασιλέως εἰς κάμπον ἐν τῇ Ῥωμανησίᾳ πύλῃ.\n\nΔεόμεθά σου τοῦ κράτους, καὶ τοῦ βασιλείου σου, καὶ τῆς εὐσεβείας σου, ἄκουσον ἡμῶν. Ὁ βασιλεὺς εἶπεν· Τίνες ἐστὲ, καὶ πόθεν; Οἱ Ἀρειανοὶ εἶπον· Κύριε, Χριστιανοί. Ὁ βασιλεὺς εἶπε· Πόθεν καὶ ἐκ ποίας πόλεως; Οἱ Ἀρειανοὶ εἶπον· Ἀλεξανδρείας. Ὁ βασιλεὺς εἶπε· Τί βούλεσθε; Οἱ Ἀρειανοὶ εἶπον· Δεόμεθά σου τοῦ κράτους καὶ τοῦ βασιλείου σου, ἐπίσκοπον ἡμῖν δός. Ὁ βασιλεὺς εἶπεν· Ἐκέλευσα τὸν πρότερον, ὅνπερ εἴχετε τὸ πρότερον Ἀθανάσιον, καθέζεσθαι ἐν τῷ θρόνῳ. Οἱ Ἀρειανοὶ εἶ πον· Δεόμεθά σου τοῦ κράτους· καὶ ἐν ἐξορισμῷ καὶ ἐν κατηγορίᾳ ἐστὶν ἔτη πολλά. Στρατιώτης ἐξαίφνης ζηλώσας ἀπεκρίνατο· Δέομαί σου τοῦ βασι λείου, αὐτὸς ἐξέτασον, τίνες εἰσὶ, καὶ πόθεν. Οὗτοι γάρ εἰσι τὰ λείψανα καὶ ἡ παραβολὴ τῆς Καππαδοκίας, τὰ ὑπόλοιπα τοῦ ἀνοσίου ἐκείνου Γεωργίου, οἱ τὴν πόλιν καὶ τὸν κόσμον ἐρημώσαντες. Ἀκούσας ὁ βασιλεὺς ἐπτέρνισε τὸν ἵππον, καὶ ἀπῆλθεν εἰς τὸν κάμπον. Δευτέρα ἐντυχία τῶν Ἀρειανῶν. Κατηγορίας καὶ ἀποδείξεις ἔχομεν κατὰ Ἀθανασίου, ὅστις πρὸ δέκα καὶ εἴκοσιν ἐτῶν ἐχωρίσθη ἀπὸ τῶν ἀειμνήστων Κωνσταντίνου καὶ Κωνσταντίου, καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ θεοφιλεστάτου καὶ φιλοσοφωτάτου καὶ μακαριωτάτου Ἰουλιανοῦ ἔσχε τὴν ἐξόρισιν. Ὁ βασιλεὺς εἶπεν· Αἱ πρὸ δέκα καὶ κʹ, καὶ λʹ ἐτῶν κατηγορίαι ἤδη παρῆλθον· Ἐμοὶ μὴ λέγετε περὶ Ἀθανασίου·","english":"A petition presented at Antioch to the Emperor Jovian by Lucius, Bernicianus, and certain other Arians against Athanasius, bishop of Alexandria. First petition, which they made as the emperor was going to the camp at the Romanesian gate.\n\nWe beseech your power, your majesty, and your piety, hear us. The emperor said: Who are you, and from where? The Arians said: Lord, Christians. The emperor said: From where and from what city? The Arians said: Alexandria. The emperor said: What do you want? The Arians said: We beseech your power and your majesty, give us a bishop. The emperor said: I ordered the former one, whom you had before, Athanasius, to sit on the throne. The Arians said: We beseech your power; and he has been in exile and under accusation for many years. A soldier suddenly, moved by zeal, answered: I beseech your majesty, examine for yourself who they are and from where. For these are the remnants and the offscouring of Cappadocia, the leftovers of that unholy George, who laid waste the city and the world. Hearing this, the emperor spurred his horse and went to the camp. Second petition of the Arians. We have accusations and proofs against Athanasius, who ten and twenty years ago was separated from the ever-memorable Constantine and Constantius, and under the most God-beloved, most philosophical, and most blessed Julian had his exile. The emperor said: The accusations from ten, twenty, and thirty years ago have already passed. Do not speak to me about Athanasius.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"background","lemma":"Ἐντυχία","severity":"info","text":"The term ἐντυχία (petition) refers to a formal supplication to the emperor, a well-known procedure in late Roman administration. The setting at Antioch and the mention of the Romanesian gate locate the scene in 363 CE, shortly after Jovian's accession.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"παραβολὴ τῆς Καππαδοκίας","severity":"info","text":"The phrase παραβολὴ τῆς Καππαδοκίας (offscouring of Cappadocia) is a pejorative epithet. It likely refers to the Arian bishop George of Cappadocia, who was notorious for his role in the persecution of orthodox Christians under Constantius.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"dating","kind":"chronology","basis":"text","lemma":"πρὸ δέκα καὶ εἴκοσιν ἐτῶν","severity":"info","text":"The Arians claim Athanasius was separated from Constantine and Constantius 'ten and twenty years ago.' This conflates his multiple exiles: the first in 335 CE (under Constantine) and later under Constantius, but the numbers are rhetorical rather than precise.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"Πρώτη ἐντυχία ... Δευτέρα ἐντυχία","severity":"info","text":"The text is divided into two petitions (πρώτη and δευτέρα ἐντυχία), each with a distinct narrative. The first is interrupted by a soldier's outburst; the second is cut short by the emperor's dismissal. This structure highlights the failure of the Arian appeal.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"background","lemma":"Ἰωβιανῷ βασιλεῖ","severity":"info","text":"Emperor Jovian (reigned 363–364) was a Nicene Christian who reversed Julian's anti-Christian policies. This petition scene, preserved in Athanasian tradition, portrays Jovian as favoring Athanasius and rejecting Arian claims, reinforcing Athanasius' vindication.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"τὰ ὑπόλοιπα τοῦ ἀνοσίου ἐκείνου Γεωργίου","severity":"caution","text":"The soldier's speech uses hyperbolic language ('remnants of that unholy George'). The identity of George is clear from context (George of Cappadocia), but the text may be a later embellishment, as such dramatic interventions are typical of hagiographic narratives.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The precise location of the 'Romanesian gate' (Ῥωμανησίᾳ πύλῃ) is uncertain; it may be a corruption or variant of a known gate in Antioch.","The soldier's sudden intervention is not attested elsewhere and may be a literary device to dramatize the Arian defeat."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":2,"ref":"p2","source":"οἶδα γὰρ διὰ τί κατηγορήθη, καὶ πῶς ἐξωρίσθη. Τρίτη ἐντυχία τῶν Ἀρειανῶν. Καὶ νῦν πάλιν κατηγορίας ἔχομεν ἄλλας τινὰς κατὰ Ἀθανασίου. Ὁ βασιλεὺς εἶπεν· Οὐκ ἐκ τῆς πολυοχλίας καὶ ἐκ τῶν πολυφωνημάτων τὰ δίκαια φανήσεται· ἀλλ' ἢ ἐκλέξασθε δύο ἐξ ἑαυτῶν, καὶ ἐκ τῶν τοῦ, πλήθους ἑτέρους δύο. Οὐ γὰρ δύναμαι πρὸς ἕνα ἕκαστον ὑμῶν ἀποφαίνεσθαι. Οἱ ἐκ τοῦ πλήθους εἶπαν· Οὗτοί εἰσι τὰ λείψανα ἀπὸ τοῦ ἀνοσίου Γεωργίου τοῦ ἐρημώσαντος τὴν ἐπαρχίαν ἡμῶν, καὶ ἐν ταῖς πόλεσι βουλευτὴν μὴ ἐάσαντες οἰκῆσαι. Οἱ Ἀρειανοὶ εἶπαν· Δεόμεθά σου, εἴ τινα ἂν θέλῃς χωρὶς Ἀθανασίου. Ὁ βασιλεὺς εἶπεν· Εἶπον ὑμῖν, ὅτι τὰ περὶ Ἀθανασίου ἤδη διοίκησιν ἔσχε· καὶ ὀργισθεὶς εἶπε· Φέρι φέρι. Οἱ Ἀρειανοὶ εἶπαν· Δεόμεθά σου, ἐὰν πέμψῃς Ἀθανάσιον, λυμαίνεται ἡ πόλις ἡμῶν, καὶ οὐδεὶς αὐτῷ συνέρχεται. Ὁ βασιλεὺς εἶπε· Καίτοι περιεργασάμενος ἔγνων, ὅτι καλῶς φρονεῖ, καὶ ὀρθόδοξός ἐστι, καὶ καλῶς διδάσκει. Οἱ Ἀρειανοὶ εἶπον· Τῷ μὲν στόματι καλῶς φθέγγεται, τῇ δὲ ψυχῇ δολίως φρονεῖ. Ὁ βασιλεὺς εἶπε· Τοῦτο ἀρκετόν ἐστιν, ὅτι ὑμεῖς ἐμαρτυρήσατε περὶ αὐτοῦ, ὅτι καλῶς φθέγγεται καὶ καλῶς διδάσκει. Εἰ δὲ τῇ γλώσσῃ καλῶς διδάσκει καὶ λέγει, τῇ δὲ ψυχῇ κακῶς φρονεῖ, πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν ἔχει. Ἄνθρωποι γὰρ ὄντες τὸν λόγον ἀκούομεν· τὰ δὲ ἐγκάρδια ὁ Θεὸς οἶδεν. Οἱ Ἀρειανοὶ εἶπον· Κέλευσον ἡμᾶς συνάγεσθαι. Ὁ βασιλεὺς εἶπε· Τίς γὰρ κωλύει ὑμᾶς; Οἱ Ἀρειανοὶ εἶπον· Δεόμεθά σου, αἱρεσιώτας καὶ δογματιστὰς ἡμᾶς ἀπαγγέλλει. Ὁ βασιλεὺς εἶπεν· Ἔργον αὐτοῦ ἐστι, καὶ τῶν καλῶς διδασκόντων. Οἱ Ἀρειανοὶ εἶπον· Δεόμεθά σου τοῦ κράτους·","english":"For I know why he was accused and how he was exiled. Third petition of the Arians. And now we have other accusations against Athanasius. The emperor said: Justice will not be revealed by the crowd and by the many voices; but choose two from among yourselves, and two others from the multitude. For I cannot pronounce judgment to each one of you individually. Those from the multitude said: These are the remnants from the unholy George, who laid waste our province and left no councillor to dwell in the cities. The Arians said: We beseech you, if you wish anything without Athanasius. The emperor said: I told you that the matters concerning Athanasius have already been settled; and becoming angry he said: Away, away. The Arians said: We beseech you, if you send Athanasius, he ravages our city, and no one associates with him. The emperor said: Yet having inquired, I have learned that he thinks rightly, and is orthodox, and teaches well. The Arians said: With his mouth he speaks well, but in his soul he thinks deceitfully. The emperor said: This is sufficient, that you have testified about him that he speaks well and teaches well. But if with his tongue he teaches and speaks well, but in his soul he thinks evilly, that is a matter for God. For being men, we hear the word; but the thoughts within are known to God. The Arians said: Order us to assemble. The emperor said: For who prevents you? The Arians said: We beseech you, he proclaims us heretics and dogmatists. The emperor said: That is his work, and that of those who teach well. The Arians said: We beseech your majesty.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"Τρίτη ἐντυχία τῶν Ἀρειανῶν","severity":"info","text":"The phrase 'Third petition of the Arians' marks a new section within the narrative, indicating that this is the third of several audience scenes.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"Γεωργίου","severity":"info","text":"George of Cappadocia was an Arian bishop of Alexandria (356–361) who persecuted orthodox Christians and was expelled after Julian's accession.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"Φέρι φέρι","severity":"info","text":"The Greek 'Φέρι φέρι' is a transliteration of Latin 'feri feri' (imperative of ferio), meaning 'Strike! Strike!' or 'Away! Away!', an imperial command to dismiss the petitioners.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"sense","kind":"sense","basis":"text","lemma":"τὰ ἐγκάρδια ὁ Θεὸς οἶδεν","severity":"info","text":"The emperor's remark that only God knows the heart echoes a common patristic and biblical sentiment (cf. 1 Kings 8:39 LXX), but is not a direct quotation.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"text","lemma":"αἱρεσιώτας καὶ δογματιστὰς","severity":"info","text":"The Arians complain that Athanasius labels them 'heretics and dogmatists', reflecting the standard orthodox polemic against Arianism as a heretical sect.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The Greek text is a translation from a lost Coptic original; the precise wording of the emperor's commands may reflect later redaction."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":3,"ref":"p3","source":"τοῦτον βαστάσαι οὐ δυνάμεθα, καὶ τὰ τεμένη τῶν ἐκκλησιῶν περιῆρεν. Ὁ βασιλεὺς εἶπεν· Οὐκοῦν ἕνεκεν χρημάτων ἤλθετε ὧδε, καὶ οὐχ ἕνεκεν πίστεως; Καὶ πάλιν εἶπεν· Ἀπέλθετε, καὶ εἰρηνεύετε. Ἔτι προσθεὶς εἶπε πρὸς τοὺς\n\nἈρειανούς· Ἀπέλθετε εἰς τὴν ἐκκλησίαν, αὔριον σύναξις ὑμῖν ἐστι. Καὶ μετὰ τὴν ἀπόλυσιν, εἰσὶν ὧδε ἐπίσκοποι, καὶ Νεμεσῖνος ὧδέ ἐστιν· ἕκαστος ὑμῶν, καθὼς πιστεύει, ὑπογράψει. Καὶ Ἀθανάσιος ὧδέ ἐστιν· ὁ μὴ εἰδὼς τὸν τῆς πίστεως λόγον, μάθῃ παρὰ Ἀθανασίου. Ἔχετε τὴν αὔριον καὶ τὴν ἐπαύριον. Ἐκβαίνω γὰρ ἐγὼ εἰς κάμπον. Καί τις σχολαστικὸς τῶν κυνικῶν ἐνέτυχε τῷ βασιλεῖ. Δέομαι τοῦ βασιλείου σου, προφάσει Ἀθανασίου ἐπισκόπου ὁ καθολικὸς τὰς οἰκίας μου ἦρεν. Ὁ βασιλεὺς εἶπεν· Εἰ ὁ καθολικὸς τὰς οἰκίας σου ἦρε, τί κοινὸν Ἀθανασίῳ; Ἕτερός τις σχολαστικὸς Παταλᾶς εἶπε· Κατηγορίαν ἔχω κατὰ Ἀθανασίου. Ὁ βασιλεὺς εἶπε· Καὶ σὺ τί κοινὸν ἔχεις πρὸς Χριστιανοὺς, Ἕλλην ὤν; Τινὲς δὲ τοῦ πλήθους τῶν Ἀντιοχέων κατέσχον Λούκιον, καὶ προσήνεγκαν τῷ βασιλεῖ λέγοντες· Δεόμεθα τοῦ κράτους σου καὶ τοῦ βασιλείου σου, ἴδε τίνα ἠθέλησαν ποιῆσαι ἐπίσκοπον. Ἑτέρα ἐντυχία πρὸς τῷ πυλῶνι τοῦ παλατίου γενομένη παρὰ Λουκίου. Δέομαί σου τοῦ κράτους, ἄκουσόν μου. Ὁ βασιλεὺς ἐστάθη καὶ εἶπε· Σοὶ αὐτῷ Λουκίῳ λέγω, πῶς ἦλθες ὧδε, πλοῒ ἢ πεζής; Λούκιος εἶπε· Δέομαί σου, πλοΐ. Ὁ βασιλεὺς εἶπε· Πρὸς σὲ λέγω, Λούκιε, ὁ Θεὸς τοῦ κόσμου, καὶ κομήτης ἥλιος καὶ σελήνη, ὀργισθείη αὐτοῖς ἐκείνοις τοῖς ἐμπλέουσιν ἅμα σοι, ὅτι οὐκ ἔῤῥιψάν σε εἰς τὴν θάλασσαν·","english":"We cannot bear this man, and he has stripped the precincts of the churches. The emperor said: So have you come here for the sake of money, and not for the sake of faith? And again he said: Go away, and keep the peace. Adding further, he said to the Arians: Go to the church; tomorrow you have a synaxis. And after the dismissal, there are bishops here, and Nemesinus is here; each of you, as you believe, will subscribe. And Athanasius is here; whoever does not know the word of faith, let him learn from Athanasius. You have tomorrow and the day after. For I am going out to the plain. And a certain scholasticus of the Cynics petitioned the emperor. I beseech your imperial majesty, the catholicus has taken my houses on the pretext of Athanasius the bishop. The emperor said: If the catholicus took your houses, what common concern is that to Athanasius? Another scholasticus, Patalas, said: I have an accusation against Athanasius. The emperor said: And what common concern have you with Christians, being a Greek? But some of the multitude of the Antiochenes seized Lucius and brought him before the emperor, saying: We beseech your power and your imperial majesty, see whom they wished to make bishop. Another petition made at the gate of the palace by Lucius. I beseech your power, hear me. The emperor stopped and said: I say to you yourself, Lucius, how did you come here, by ship or on foot? Lucius said: I beseech you, by ship. The emperor said: I say to you, Lucius, may the God of the universe, and the comet, the sun and the moon, be angry with those who sailed with you, because they did not throw you into the sea.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"σχολαστικὸς","severity":"info","text":"A σχολαστικὸς (scholasticus) in this period denotes a legal advocate or a learned man, often attached to a bishop or a monastery, not a student.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"καθολικὸς","severity":"info","text":"The καθολικὸς (catholicus) is a fiscal official in the late Roman Empire, responsible for imperial finances in a diocese, not a church figure.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"Ἕλλην","severity":"info","text":"Here Ἕλλην (Greek) means 'pagan', as was common in Christian polemic of the fourth century, distinguishing non-Christians from Christians.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"κομήτης","severity":"info","text":"The emperor's oath by 'the comet, the sun and the moon' reflects a syncretic or pagan formula, unusual for a Christian emperor, possibly indicating the text's polemical or satirical tone.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"This passage is a series of vignettes: the emperor's dismissal of the Arians, then three separate petitions (a Cynic, Patalas, and Lucius), each met with a dismissive or ironic reply, reinforcing the emperor's authority and Athanasius' innocence.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"ἐκβαίνω γὰρ ἐγὼ εἰς κάμπον","severity":"caution","text":"The phrase 'I am going out to the plain' (εἰς κάμπον) is ambiguous: it may mean a military campaign or a judicial circuit; the Coptic Vorlage might have clarified, but the Greek leaves the sense open.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The identity of 'the catholicus' and his relation to Athanasius is not explained; the emperor's reply suggests a separation of fiscal and ecclesiastical jurisdiction.","The phrase 'ἐκβαίνω γὰρ ἐγὼ εἰς κάμπον' is ambiguous: it could mean a military campaign or a judicial circuit; the Coptic Vorlage might have clarified, but the Greek leaves the sense open."],"confidence":"medium","notes":[]},{"i":4,"ref":"p4","source":"καὶ ἡ ναῦς δὲ ἐκείνη μὴ ἴσχῃ εἰς τὸν ἅπαντα χρόνον εὐδρόμους πνοὰς, μήτε χειμαζομένη μετὰ τῶν ἐμπλεόντων λιμένος τύχοι. Καὶ δι' Εὐζωΐου ἠξίωσαν τοὺς περὶ Προβάτιον, τοὺς διαδόχους Εὐσεβίου καὶ Βαρδίωνος, τοὺς εὐνούχους, ὡς ἵνα συστάσεως τύχωσιν οἱ ἄπιστοι Ἀρειανοί. Καὶ γνοὺς τοῦτο βασιλεὺς, καὶ τοὺς εὐνούχους βασανίσας, εἶπεν· Εἴ τις ἐντυχεῖν βούλεται κατὰ Χριστιανῶν, τοιαῦτα πάθοι. Καὶ οὕτως ἀφῆκεν ὁ βασιλεύς.","english":"And may that ship never have favorable winds for all time, nor, when storm-tossed with its passengers, find a harbor. And through Euzoïus they petitioned those around Probatius, the successors of Eusebius and Bardion, the eunuchs, so that the faithless Arians might obtain a hearing. And the emperor, learning of this and having tortured the eunuchs, said: If anyone wishes to bring a charge against Christians, let him suffer the same. And thus the emperor dismissed them.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"sense","kind":"sense","basis":"text","lemma":"καὶ ἡ ναῦς δὲ ἐκείνη μὴ ἴσχῃ εἰς τὸν ἅπαντα χρόνον εὐδρόμους πνοὰς, μήτε χειμαζομένη μετὰ τῶν ἐμπλεόντων λιμένος τύχοι","severity":"info","text":"The nautical metaphor of a ship denied favorable winds and harbor likely curses the Arians' cause, echoing a common rhetorical trope in early Christian polemic.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"Εὐζωΐου","severity":"info","text":"Euzoïus was a prominent Arian leader, successor to the Arian bishop Acacius of Caesarea, active in the 360s CE.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"Προβάτιον","severity":"info","text":"Probatius is otherwise unknown; the name may refer to a court official or a eunuch, as the context links him with eunuchs.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"Εὐσεβίου καὶ Βαρδίωνος","severity":"info","text":"Eusebius and Bardion are likely eunuchs or court officials; Eusebius may be the eunuch known from other Arian petitions, but identification is uncertain.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"sense","kind":"sense","basis":"text","lemma":"βασανίσας","severity":"info","text":"The emperor's torture of the eunuchs underscores his anger at the Arians' attempt to gain a hearing through court intrigue, reinforcing his earlier dismissal.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"text","lemma":"Εἴ τις ἐντυχεῖν βούλεται κατὰ Χριστιανῶν, τοιαῦτα πάθοι","severity":"info","text":"This imperial pronouncement, threatening accusers of Christians with torture, is cited in later anti-Arian literature as a model of just rule.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The identity of Probatius, Eusebius, and Bardion is unclear; they may be eunuchs or officials, but the text does not specify their roles beyond being successors of earlier figures.","The phrase 'τοὺς διαδόχους Εὐσεβίου καὶ Βαρδίωνος' could mean either 'the successors of Eusebius and Bardion' or 'the successors, Eusebius and Bardion'; the translation takes the former reading."],"confidence":"medium","notes":[]}]}