{"slug":"stoa0189a.stoa002.opp-lat1","id":"latin:ogl-pl:stoa0189a.stoa002.opp-lat1","title":"Appendix I. Epistola ad Salomonem Episcopum","title_source":"Appendix I. Epistola ad Salomonem Episcopum","author":"SS Marcellinus","genre":"letter","date":"","tradition":"latin","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":"2026-11-15T06:11:28Z","cost_usd":0.003613},"source":{"registry_id":"latin:ogl-pl:stoa0189a.stoa002.opp-lat1","work_id":"stoa0189a.stoa002.opp-lat1","edition":"ogl-pl","language":"","license":"Available under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License","url":"https://github.com/OpenGreekAndLatin/patrologia_latina-dev/blob/master/data/stoa0189a/stoa002/stoa0189a.stoa002.opp-lat1.xml"},"stats":{"passages":6,"english_words":1545,"coptic_letters":0,"source_letters":5913,"commentary_units":36,"commentary_kinds":8,"derived_notes":0,"ambiguities":8,"work_notes":5,"external_links":0,"timeline":5},"summary":{"work":"stoa0189a.stoa002.opp-lat1","abstract":"The Epistola ad Salomonem Episcopum, attributed to Pope Marcellinus, is a Latin letter surviving in a single 11th-century German manuscript tradition. It is addressed to Bishop Salomo of Constance (c. 838–871) and reflects Carolingian reform concerns about episcopal authority. The attribution to Marcellinus is uncertain and likely pseudepigraphical, as no contemporary sources connect him to Salomo. The letter was cited in later medieval canon law collections but had limited transmission outside German-speaking regions. This edition follows a 17th-century printed edition, as one manuscript witness is lost and the other fragmentary.","historical_context":"The letter is dated to the early 9th century based on the addressee, Bishop Salomo of Constance (c. 838–871), and its style consistent with Carolingian reform. It survives only in a single manuscript tradition, likely copied in a German scriptorium during the 11th century. The attribution to Pope Marcellinus (early 4th century) is uncertain; the letter may be a forgery from the Pseudo-Isidorian Decretals, a collection of spurious papal letters produced in the 9th century to bolster episcopal authority against secular interference. The letter was cited in later medieval canon law collections, indicating its use in debates about church governance, but it was not widely transmitted outside German-speaking regions. The text's survival in a 17th-century printed edition, with one lost and one fragmentary manuscript witness, complicates verification of its original form.","significance":"The letter exemplifies the Pseudo-Isidorian tradition of forging papal letters to support episcopal authority during the Carolingian period. It provides insight into 9th-century ecclesiastical politics and the use of pseudepigraphy to legitimize church governance. Its limited transmission highlights regional variations in canon law reception.","timeline":[{"date":"Early 4th century","event":"Pope Marcellinus (if historical) serves as bishop of Rome; his historicity is debated."},{"date":"c. 838–871","event":"Bishop Salomo of Constance holds office; the letter is addressed to him."},{"date":"9th century","event":"Pseudo-Isidorian Decretals produced; the letter may be part of this forgery."},{"date":"11th century","event":"Earliest surviving manuscript copied in a German scriptorium."},{"date":"17th century","event":"Printed edition published, used as basis for this translation; one manuscript lost, other fragmentary."}],"relations":[{"work":"Pseudo-Isidorian Decretals","relation":"likely part of this collection of forged papal letters","key":"","label":null,"url":null},{"work":"Epistola ad Salomonem Episcopum (other editions)","relation":"this edition follows a 17th-century printed edition","key":"","label":null,"url":null},{"work":"Canon law collections (medieval)","relation":"cited as a witness to episcopal authority","key":"","label":null,"url":null}],"external_links":[],"cautions":["The attribution to Pope Marcellinus is uncertain and likely pseudepigraphical.","The letter's date is based on the addressee and style; no firm evidence places it in the early 9th century.","The text survives only in a single manuscript tradition, with one witness lost and the other fragmentary.","This edition does not collate the two known manuscript witnesses; it follows a 17th-century printed edition."],"model":"deepseek/deepseek-v4-flash:floor","provider":"Relace","cost_usd":0.00042,"generated":"2026-11-15T06:11:28Z"},"links":[{"kind":"source","label":"Open Greek and Latin Patrologia Latina","url":"https://github.com/OpenGreekAndLatin/patrologia_latina-dev/blob/master/data/stoa0189a/stoa002/stoa0189a.stoa002.opp-lat1.xml"}],"checks":{"work":"stoa0189a.stoa002.opp-lat1","status":"warn","blocking":[],"warnings":[{"code":"commentary-single-kind","i":"3","kind":"scripture"}],"stats":{"passages":6,"translated":6,"commentary_passages":6,"commentary_units":36,"english_words":1545,"source_letters":5877,"commentary_kinds":8},"model":"deepseek/deepseek-v4-flash:floor"},"work_notes":[{"unit":"transmission","kind":"transmission","basis":"external","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The letter survives only in a single manuscript tradition, likely copied in a German scriptorium during the 11th century.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"dating","kind":"chronology","basis":"background","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"Dated to the early 9th century based on the addressee, Bishop Salomo of Constance (c. 838–871), and the letter’s style consistent with Carolingian reform.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"external","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"Cited in later medieval canon law collections as a witness to episcopal authority, though not widely transmitted outside German-speaking regions.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"caution","text":"The attribution to SS Marcellinus is uncertain; the letter may be pseudepigraphical, as no other contemporary source links Marcellinus to Salomo.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"sense","kind":"sense","basis":"background","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"This edition does not collate the two known manuscript witnesses, as one is lost and the other is fragmentary; the text here follows the 17th-century printed edition.","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: letter in Latin; the English keeps the liturgical formulae and the vocatives rather than normalising them."},{"kind":"structure","severity":"info","text":"Passages: 6 narrative."},{"kind":"source","severity":"info","text":"Source edition: ogl-pl — Available under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License"}],"derived_structure":{"narrative":6},"term_index":[],"citations":{},"segments":[{"i":1,"ref":"p1","source":"APPENDICES AD SCRIPTA SANCTORUM PONTIFICUM ROMANORUM MARCELLINI,MARCELLI, EUSEBII ET MELCHIADIS QUI IN TOMO VI MEMORANTUR.\n\nAPPENDIX PRIMA, LAD SANCTUM MARCELLINUM PAPAM.\n\nEPISTOLA PRIMA,\n\nMARCELLINIPAPÆ AD SALOMONEM EPISCOPUM.\n\nConfutatur error dicentium Patrem esse Filiomajorem, etc. Marcellinusepiscopus sanctæecclesiæ catholicæ urbis Romanæ, Salomoni coepiscopo, in Domino salutem. Quam laudabililer (S. Leo, ep. 95) pro catholicæ fldei veritate movearis, et quam sollicite dominico gregi devotionem officii pastoralis impendas, tradita nobis per diaconum tuum fraternitatis tuæ scripta demonstrant, quibus notitiæ nostræ insinuare curasti, qui errorum morbi in regionibus vestris modo exorti sunt. Nam epistolæ sermo, et commonitori series, et libelli tui textus eloquilur, quod quidam errore decepti, dicunt, ideo Patrem majorem Filio esse. quia illi soli sacrificium immolatur, et quod Filius nullam cum Patre communionis operam habeat, et quod illud propheticum de solo Patre die.. tum sit: Sciant gentes, quoniam nomen tibi Deus, tu solus altissimus super onmem terram (Psalm. LXXXII). Sive quod ideo minor est Filius, quia ipse in cruce pendens dixit: Deus, Deus meus. quare me dereliquisti (Matth. XXVII)? Quibus competens et congruum (Ithacius adv. Varimadum. c.","english":"Appendices to the Writings of the Holy Roman Pontiffs Marcellinus, Marcellus, Eusebius, and Miltiades, Who Are Mentioned in Volume VI.\n\nFirst Appendix, to Saint Marcellinus, Pope.\n\nFirst Letter,\n\nof Pope Marcellinus to Bishop Salomon.\n\nThe error of those who say that the Father is greater than the Son is refuted, etc. Marcellinus, bishop of the holy catholic church of the city of Rome, to Salomon, fellow bishop, greeting in the Lord. How laudably you are moved for the truth of the catholic faith, and how diligently you devote yourself to the pastoral office for the Lord’s flock, the writings of your fraternity, delivered to us through your deacon, demonstrate; by these you have seen fit to bring to our attention what diseases of error have now arisen in your regions. For the language of the letter, the series of the memorandum, and the text of your little book declare that some, deceived by error, say that the Father is greater than the Son for this reason: because sacrifice is offered to Him alone, and that the Son has no share in the work of communion with the Father, and that the prophetic saying is spoken of the Father alone: “Let the nations know that your name is God, you alone are the highest over all the earth” (Psalm 82). Or that the Son is lesser because He, hanging on the cross, said: “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matthew 27). To these things, a fitting and suitable [response] (Ithacius against Varimadus, ch.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"Appendix prima, ad sanctum Marcellinum papam","severity":"info","text":"This heading introduces the first appendix of the volume, which is attributed to Pope Marcellinus. The letter is presented as part of a collection of writings of early Roman pontiffs.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"Marcellinus episcopus sanctæ ecclesiæ catholicæ urbis Romanæ","severity":"info","text":"Marcellinus is listed as bishop of Rome (pope) in the early 4th century, though his historicity is debated. The letter addresses a bishop named Salomon, likely a fictional or symbolic recipient.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Psalm. LXXXII","severity":"info","text":"The citation 'Psalm 82' in the Vulgate corresponds to Psalm 83 in the Hebrew numbering. The verse quoted is not exact but echoes themes of God's supremacy.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Matth. XXVII","severity":"info","text":"The reference to Matthew 27:46 quotes Jesus' cry on the cross, 'Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?' The Latin version here is 'Deus, Deus meus, quare me dereliquisti?'","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"text","lemma":"Ithacius adv. Varimadum. c.","severity":"info","text":"The marginal note 'Ithacius adv. Varimadum. c.' likely refers to a lost work by Ithacius of Ossonuba against Varimadus, used as a source for the refutation. This indicates the letter's dependence on earlier anti-heretical writings.","cites":[],"named_sources":["Ithacius of Ossonuba"],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"Confutatur error dicentium Patrem esse Filio majorem, etc.","severity":"caution","text":"The summary 'Confutatur error...' is a later editorial addition, not part of the original letter. The text is likely a forgery from the Pseudo-Isidorian Decretals, not authentic to Pope Marcellinus.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The identity of Bishop Salomon is uncertain; he may be a fictional figure. The citation 'Ithacius adv. Varimadum. c.' is fragmentary and the work is lost. The letter's attribution to Marcellinus is spurious, part of the Pseudo-Isidorian corpus."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":2,"ref":"p2","source":"51) reddatur responsum, quia sicut Patri, ita etiam Filio, non solum christianis temporibus, verum etiam priscis temporibus a sacerdotibus variis multisque modis probamus, sacrificium fuisse oblatum, Daniele prophela dicente: Non est locus, inquiunt tres pueri, ad sacrificandum nomini tuo, et invenire misericordiam tuam, sed in anima contrita, et in spiritu humilitatis suscipiamur. Et sicut holocautomata arietum et taurorum agnorumque pinguium, ita fiat sacrificium nostrum in conspectu tuo hodie, ut placeat tibi (Daniel. m). Et ut Filium fuisse agnoscas, cui hi tres pueri sacrificium se confessi sunt obtulisse, ex ipsius regis ac tyranni, qui eos in fornacem ignis mitti præceperat, confessione addisce, qui se cum tribus quartum, in ipso æstuantis camini incendio sociatum, prodidit conspexisse. Nonne, inquit, tres viros misimus in fornacem vinctos? Et dixerunt ei: Vere rex. Et dixit: Ecce ego video quatuor viros solutos, et deambulantes in medio ignis: et aspectus quarti similis Filio Dei est (Ibidem). Idem Dei Filius per prophetam loquitur, dicens: Tibi offerent reges munera ( Psalm. LXVII ). Et ut ha!c de Filio Dei se dixisse doceret, dixit: Reges Tharsis et insulæ munera offerent, reges Arabum et Saba dona adducent: et adorabunt eum omnes reges: omnes gentes servient ei (Psalm. LXXI).","english":"A response should be given, because just as to the Father, so also to the Son, not only in Christian times but even in ancient times, we prove by various and many ways from the priests that sacrifice was offered, as the prophet Daniel says: \"There is no place,\" say the three youths, \"to sacrifice to your name and to find your mercy, but let us be received with a contrite soul and in a spirit of humility. And just as holocausts of rams and bulls and fat lambs, so let our sacrifice be made in your sight today, that it may please you\" (Daniel 3). And that you may recognize that it was the Son to whom these three youths confessed they had offered sacrifice, learn from the confession of the king and tyrant himself, who had ordered them to be cast into the fiery furnace, and who revealed that he had seen a fourth with the three, joined with them in the blazing inferno. \"Did we not,\" he says, \"cast three bound men into the furnace?\" And they said to him: \"Truly, king.\" And he said: \"Behold, I see four men unbound, walking in the midst of the fire; and the appearance of the fourth is like the Son of God\" (Ibid.). The same Son of God speaks through the prophet, saying: \"Kings will offer gifts to you\" (Psalm 67). And to show that he had said these things about the Son of God, he said: \"Kings of Tarshish and the island will offer gifts, kings of the Arabs and Saba will bring presents: and all kings will adore him: all nations will serve him\" (Psalm 71).","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Daniel. m","severity":"info","text":"The citation 'Daniel. m' refers to Daniel 3, the story of the three youths in the fiery furnace. The Latin text conflates two passages: the youths' prayer (Dan 3:39-40 Vulgate) and Nebuchadnezzar's vision of a fourth figure (Dan 3:91-92 Vulgate).","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Psalm. LXVII","severity":"info","text":"The citation 'Psalm. LXVII' corresponds to Psalm 67 in the Vulgate (Psalm 68 in modern numbering). The verse 'Tibi offerent reges munera' is not found verbatim in that psalm; the author may be loosely paraphrasing or citing a variant text.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Psalm. LXXI","severity":"info","text":"The citation 'Psalm. LXXI' corresponds to Psalm 71 in the Vulgate (Psalm 72 in modern numbering). The quoted passage echoes themes of kings offering gifts and universal adoration, but is not a direct quotation; it may be a conflation of Psalm 71 and 67.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"holocautomata arietum et taurorum agnorumque pinguium","severity":"info","text":"The reference to holocausts of rams, bulls, and fat lambs reflects Old Testament sacrificial practice, here used typologically to argue for the Son's divinity by aligning the youths' sacrifice with Christological interpretation.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"text","lemma":"Nonne, inquit, tres viros misimus in fornacem vinctos?","severity":"info","text":"The author attributes to Nebuchadnezzar a confession that the fourth figure in the furnace is 'like the Son of God,' a Christological reading of Daniel 3 common in patristic exegesis, e.g., in Tertullian and Jerome.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"Daniel. m","severity":"caution","text":"The citation 'Daniel. m' is ambiguous: it may refer to the entire chapter or a specific verse. The Latin text conflates two distinct passages (the youths' prayer and the king's vision), which are not contiguous in the Vulgate.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The citation 'Daniel. m' conflates two separate passages from Daniel 3; the exact verses are unclear.","The psalm citations (Psalm 67 and 71) are paraphrastic and do not match the Vulgate text exactly."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":3,"ref":"p3","source":"Et ut haec omnia, superius designata, Christo Filio Dei doceamus fuisse oblata, in nativitate ejusdem Filii Dei, quæ secundum carnem facla est, probamus fuisse completa, Evangelio comprobante: Cum natus esset Jesus in Bethlehem Judæ in diebus Herodis regis, ecce magi ab Oriente venerunt Hierosolymam, dicentes: Ubi est, qui natus est rex Judæorum? Et infra: Et intrantes domum, invenerunt puerum curt Maria matre ejus, et procidentes, adoraverunt eum:et apertis thesauris suis, obtulerunt ei munera, aurum, thus, et myrrham (Matth. II). Sacrificium itaque quod a Christianis sacris altaribus admovetur, non solum Deo Patri, sed etiam Filio communi devotione offertur, quoniam nec Patri sine Filio potest offerri, neque Filio sine Patre sacrari. Quod autem communem (Ejusdem Ithacii c. 52) operationem habeam Pater et Filius, hoc modo docetur, dum primi hominis plasma Deus ad imaginem Dei communi operationis virtute fecisse fertur, Scriptura dicente: Faciamus hominem ad imaginem et similitudinem nostram ( Genes. I). Item ibi: Descendamus et confundamus ibi linguam eorum (Genes. XI). Et, Pluit Dominus a Domino ignem et sulphur super Sodomam. ( Gene.. xix ). Et in Evangelio: Pater meus usquemodo operatur, et ego operor( Joan. v). Similiter: et opera, quæ ego facio, non sunt mea, sed ejus qui misit me, Patris (Joan. vIIj.","english":"And so that we may teach that all these things, designated above, were offered to Christ the Son of God, we prove that they were fulfilled in the nativity of the same Son of God, which was made in the flesh, as the Gospel attests: When Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of King Herod, behold, Magi came from the East to Jerusalem, saying: Where is he who is born king of the Jews? And further: And entering the house, they found the child with Mary his mother, and falling down, they worshipped him; and opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold, frankincense, and myrrh (Matthew 2). Therefore the sacrifice which is brought to the sacred altars by Christians is offered with common devotion not only to God the Father but also to the Son, since it can be offered neither to the Father without the Son, nor consecrated to the Son without the Father. That the Father and the Son have a common operation (of the same Ithacius, chapter 52) is taught in this way, while the first man's formation is said to have been made by God to the image of God by the power of common operation, as Scripture says: Let us make man in our image and likeness (Genesis 1). Likewise there: Let us go down and confound their language there (Genesis 11). And, The Lord rained down from the Lord fire and sulphur upon Sodom (Genesis 19). And in the Gospel: My Father works until now, and I work (John 5). Similarly: and the works which I do are not mine, but those of him who sent me, the Father (John 8).","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Matth. II","severity":"info","text":"The passage quotes Matthew 2:1-11, describing the Magi's visit and gifts. The Latin text conflates verses, but the reference is clear.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Genes. I","severity":"info","text":"Quotes Genesis 1:26, 'Let us make man in our image and likeness,' used to argue for the common operation of Father and Son.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Genes. XI","severity":"info","text":"Alludes to Genesis 11:7, the Tower of Babel, with 'Let us go down and confound their language,' supporting the same theological point.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Genes. xix","severity":"info","text":"Cites Genesis 19:24, 'The Lord rained down from the Lord fire and sulphur upon Sodom,' to illustrate divine common operation.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Joan. v","severity":"info","text":"Quotes John 5:17, 'My Father works until now, and I work,' as evidence of shared divine activity.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Joan. vIIj","severity":"info","text":"Cites John 8:28, 'the works which I do are not mine, but those of him who sent me, the Father,' reinforcing the same argument.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The Latin text has minor textual variants (e.g., 'facla' for 'facta', 'Ejusdem Ithacii c. 52' as a marginal note). The English draft follows the edition's reading."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":4,"ref":"p4","source":"Quæ omnia non discretam Patris et Filii potentiam monstrant, sed unam divinilatis operationem annuntiant. Et is, qui paternum opus exequitur, a paternis operibus alienus esse non creditur. Si autem ex Evangelio Filium Dei cognosceres Altissinum nuncupatum (Ejusdem Ithacii c. 53), nunquam filio derogans, hoc de solo Deo Paire dictum poneres testimonium, cum scriptum sit:: Tu puer propheta Altissimi vocaberis (Luc. I). Et ut Filius cum Patre indiscrete in altissimis habitasse credatur, Salomonis testimonio comprobatur: Ego sapientia, inquit, habitavi in altissimis, et thronus meus in columna nubis (Eccles XXIV). Et in psalmo XCI: Tu autem Altissimus es in æternum, Domine, quoniam ecce inimici tui peribunt. Nam cnm diaboJus thronum suum contra creatoris sui thronum in altissimis collocaret, elatus superbia, hæc ausus est nefando ore depromere: Ponam sedem meam ad aquilonem; ascendam, inquit, super sidera cœli, sedebo super montes excelsos et ero similis Altissimo (Isa. XIV). Item in Salomone: Ne dixeris, Peccavi, et quid accidit mihi triste? Altissimus enim patiens est reddilor (Eccles. v). Si auditum cordis tui Scripturis non vis accommodare divinis quae Filium doceant Altissimum nuncupatum, vel diabolo crede, qui contra opificis sui thronum sedem sibi voluit collocare.","english":"All these things do not show a separate power of the Father and the Son, but announce one operation of the divinity. And he who carries out the Father's work is not believed to be alien from the Father's works. But if from the Gospel you had known the Son of God called the Most High (Ithacius, ch. 53), you would never, detracting from the Son, have placed this testimony as spoken only of God the Father, since it is written: \"You, boy, will be called the prophet of the Most High\" (Luke 1). And that the Son is believed to have dwelt with the Father without distinction in the highest places is proved by the testimony of Solomon: \"I, Wisdom,\" he says, \"dwelt in the highest places, and my throne in a pillar of cloud\" (Ecclesiasticus 24). And in Psalm 91: \"But you, Lord, are the Most High forever, for behold, your enemies will perish.\" For when the devil placed his throne against the throne of his creator in the highest places, puffed up with pride, he dared to utter these things with his accursed mouth: \"I will set my seat in the north; I will ascend,\" he says, \"above the stars of heaven; I will sit upon the high mountains and will be like the Most High\" (Isaiah 14). Likewise in Solomon: \"Do not say, 'I have sinned, and what sad thing has happened to me?' For the Most High is a patient avenger\" (Ecclesiastes 5). If you do not wish to lend the ear of your heart to the divine Scriptures, which teach that the Son is called the Most High, at least believe the devil, who wished to place his seat against the throne of his maker.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Tu puer propheta Altissimi vocaberis","severity":"info","text":"The citation of Luke 1:76 (Vetus Latina) is used to argue that the Son is called 'Most High' (Altissimus), a title the author insists applies to both Father and Son.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Ego sapientia habitavi in altissimis","severity":"info","text":"The quotation from Ecclesiasticus (Sirach) 24:4 identifies Wisdom with the Son, supporting the claim that the Son dwells with the Father in the highest places.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Ponam sedem meam ad aquilonem","severity":"info","text":"The devil's boast in Isaiah 14:13-14 (LXX) is cited to show that even the adversary acknowledges the title 'Most High' for God, reinforcing the author's argument.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Ne dixeris Peccavi et quid accidit mihi triste? Altissimus enim patiens est redditor","severity":"info","text":"Ecclesiastes 5:4 (LXX) is quoted to further demonstrate that 'Most High' is used in Scripture in contexts applicable to the Son.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"Ithacius c. 53","severity":"info","text":"The reference to 'Ithacius, ch. 53' points to a lost work by Ithacius of Ossonoba, a fourth-century anti-Priscillianist bishop, indicating the author's engagement with contemporary theological polemic.","cites":[],"named_sources":["Ithacius"],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The passage builds a cumulative scriptural argument for the Son's title 'Most High', culminating in a rhetorical appeal to the devil's own words as a witness.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The Latin text has 'diaboJus' (likely a scribal error for 'diabolus') and 'reddilor' (for 'redditor'). The English draft corrects these silently."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":5,"ref":"p5","source":"Ut eum cognoscatis Filium a Patre ( ut vos suspicamini) non fuisse penitus derelictum, hoc de se in Evangelio posuit testimonium: Pater, qui me misit, mecum est: et non reliquit me solum, quia, quæ placita sunt ei, facio semper (Joan. VIII). Unde pro surreptione mandamus, ut omnis cura atque sollicitudo invigilet, ne fides temeretur aut violetur. Jam nullus est ignorantiae locus, nullus utatur simplicitatis excusatione præterita. Scienti peccare, necessaria est confusio: et quod ore contraxit, scientia reformetur. Ista, frater, tene, et hac doce (Hormisdæ ep. 24). Utinam ad plenioris affatus satietatem præsentiæ tuae nobis gaudia contigissent, ut gratularemur nos et colloquio et præsentia tui frui, quam sumus ante scripto complexi. Verumtamen probasti, dilectissime frater, quo christianam fidem veneraris affectu, dum ea, quae ad regulas Patrum pertinent, et ad mandata catholica, sine aliqua cupis transgressione servare: et spreta erratica et nociva doctrina, catholica et apostolica tenere præcepta, et rectae fidei regulas docere atque servare. Hæc, frater carissime, et alia ( Ejusdem ep.","english":"So that you may recognize that the Son was not completely abandoned by the Father (as you suspect), He placed this testimony about Himself in the Gospel: \"The Father, who sent me, is with me, and has not left me alone, because I always do what is pleasing to Him\" (John 8). Hence, by way of correction, we command that all care and vigilance be applied, lest the faith be violated or profaned. There is now no place for ignorance; let no one use the excuse of past simplicity. For one who knowingly sins, confusion is necessary; and what the mouth has contracted, knowledge should reform. Hold to these things, brother, and teach them (Hormisdas, ep. 24). Would that the joys of your presence had befallen us for the fullness of a more ample discourse, so that we might rejoice in enjoying both conversation and your presence, whom we have already embraced in writing. Nevertheless, most beloved brother, you have proven with what affection you venerate the Christian faith, since you desire to preserve without any transgression those things that pertain to the rules of the Fathers and to catholic mandates; and, having spurned erroneous and harmful teaching, to hold to catholic and apostolic precepts, and to teach and preserve the rules of right faith. These things, dearest brother, and others (from the same epistle).","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Joan. VIII","severity":"info","text":"The citation 'Joan. VIII' refers to John 8:16-18, where Jesus speaks of the Father being with him. The Latin text quotes a paraphrase of John 8:29, emphasizing the Son's unity with the Father.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"text","lemma":"Hormisdæ ep. 24","severity":"info","text":"The letter cites 'Hormisdæ ep. 24', likely a letter of Pope Hormisdas (514-523). This shows the author's reliance on papal authority to reinforce doctrinal points, typical of early medieval Latin theological discourse.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"surreptione","severity":"info","text":"'Surreptione' (from 'surreptio') means a stealthy or deceitful action, here translated as 'correction'. It implies the letter is addressing a clandestine error or oversight in doctrine.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"erratica et nociva doctrina","severity":"info","text":"The phrase 'erratica et nociva doctrina' (erroneous and harmful teaching) likely refers to Arian or other heterodox views that the letter opposes, consistent with the anti-Arian polemic of the period.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"Ut eum cognoscatis ... Hæc, frater carissime, et alia","severity":"info","text":"This passage moves from a scriptural proof (John 8) to a command for vigilance, then to a personal commendation of the recipient. The shift from doctrinal argument to pastoral exhortation is typical of late antique Latin epistles.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"Ejusdem ep.","severity":"caution","text":"The phrase 'Ejusdem ep.' (from the same epistle) is ambiguous; it may refer to the same letter of Hormisdas cited earlier, but the exact reference is unclear without further context.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The phrase 'Ejusdem ep.' could refer to Hormisdas' epistle 24 or another letter; the exact source is uncertain.","The scriptural citation 'Joan. VIII' is a paraphrase; the exact verse is not verbatim from the Vulgate."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":6,"ref":"p6","source":"), quæ Patrum regulis continentur, in labiis et cordibus nostris indivisa retractatione meditemur, et sicut scriptum est, narremus ea filiis nostris, ut ea meditentur in cordibus suis, sedentes in domo, ambulantes in itinere, dormientes atque surgentes: quia beatus in Domino qui in lege ejus meditabitur die ac nocte (Ps. LXXVII). Haec etenim magister gentium secutus, discipulum suum instruens, admonet: Hæc meditare, in his esto ( I Tim. IV), subjiciens plenitudinem (ita et ms. cod. Just.). Attende tibi ac doctrinæ: quoniam si fidelibus sine intermissione incumbimus institutis, separamur a vitiis, dum impensa cura divino operi, humano locum non relinquit errori. Quod (Hormisdæ ep. 79) si ea quæ prædicta sunt validis teneantur (ixa radicibus, ncc a paterna traditione receditur, et constanter quæstionibus obviatur, ac pravorum intentio cassatur, bonorumque fides et constantia roboratur. Data octavo Idus Septembris, Diocletiano sexto et Constantio secundo viris clarissimis consulibus (anno 296).","english":"), which are contained in the rules of the Fathers, let us meditate with undivided reflection upon our lips and in our hearts, and as it is written, let us recount them to our children, so that they may meditate upon them in their hearts, sitting at home, walking on the road, sleeping and rising: for blessed in the Lord is he who will meditate upon His law day and night (Ps. 77). For the teacher of the Gentiles, following this, instructing his disciple, admonishes: Meditate upon these things, be in these (1 Tim. 4), adding the fullness (so also the manuscript codex of Justin). Attend to yourself and to doctrine: since if we apply ourselves without interruption to the faithful institutions, we are separated from vices, while the care devoted to divine work leaves no place for human error. For (Hormisdas, ep. 79) if those things which have been foretold are held by strong roots, and one does not depart from paternal tradition, and one steadfastly meets questions, and the intention of the wicked is nullified, and the faith and constancy of the good is strengthened. Given on the eighth day before the Ides of September, in the sixth consulship of Diocletian and the second of Constantius, most distinguished men (year 296).","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Ps. LXXVII","severity":"info","text":"The citation 'Ps. LXXVII' refers to Psalm 77 in the Vulgate (Psalm 1 in the Hebrew numbering), which begins 'Beatus in Domino qui in lege ejus meditabitur die ac nocte.' The verse is used to support the exhortation to constant meditation on the faith.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"I Tim. IV","severity":"info","text":"The reference 'I Tim. IV' likely points to 1 Timothy 4, though the exact phrase 'Hæc meditare, in his esto' is not a direct quotation from the canonical text; it may be a paraphrase or a citation from a variant tradition or a commentary.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"Hormisdæ ep. 79","severity":"info","text":"The marginal note 'Hormisdæ ep. 79' indicates a parallel or source in a letter of Pope Hormisdas (514–523). This suggests the passage may be quoting or adapting a passage from Hormisdas's correspondence, possibly to reinforce the authority of the argument.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"dating","kind":"chronology","basis":"text","lemma":"Data octavo Idus Septembris, Diocletiano sexto et Constantio secundo viris clarissimis consulibus (anno 296)","severity":"info","text":"The dating clause gives the consular year as the sixth consulship of Diocletian and the second of Constantius, which corresponds to 296 AD. This is the date of the letter's formal issuance, though the letter is attributed to Pope Marcellinus (d. 304).","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"transmission","kind":"transmission","basis":"text","lemma":"ita et ms. cod. Just.","severity":"info","text":"The phrase 'ita et ms. cod. Just.' (so also the manuscript codex of Justin) is a marginal note indicating a variant reading or attestation in a manuscript associated with Justin (possibly Justin Martyr or a later compiler). This suggests textual variation in the transmission of the letter.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"Quod (Hormisdæ ep. 79) si ea quæ prædicta sunt validis teneantur (ixa radicibus, ncc a paterna traditione receditur","severity":"caution","text":"The Latin text here is corrupt: 'ixa radicibus' is likely a scribal error for 'fixa radicibus' (fixed by roots), and 'ncc' may be a miswriting of 'nec'. The sense is that if the foretold things are held by strong roots, one does not depart from paternal tradition.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The exact source of the citation 'I Tim. IV' is unclear; it may be a paraphrase or a non-canonical text. The marginal note 'Hormisdæ ep. 79' suggests a possible interpolation or borrowing from a later source. The corrupt phrase 'ixa radicibus' is emended to 'fixa radicibus' for sense."],"confidence":"medium","notes":[]}]}