{"slug":"tmp227.tmp227.opp-lat1","id":"latin:ogl-pl:tmp227.tmp227.opp-lat1","title":"Epistola VI Ad Diversos Episcopos","title_source":"Epistola VI Ad Diversos Episcopos","author":"SS Siricius","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":"2026-11-15T06:13:05Z","cost_usd":0.003737},"source":{"registry_id":"latin:ogl-pl:tmp227.tmp227.opp-lat1","work_id":"tmp227.tmp227.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/tmp227/tmp227/tmp227.tmp227.opp-lat1.xml"},"stats":{"passages":7,"english_words":1563,"coptic_letters":0,"source_letters":6644,"commentary_units":38,"commentary_kinds":9,"derived_notes":0,"ambiguities":13,"work_notes":5,"external_links":5,"timeline":4},"summary":{"work":"tmp227.tmp227.opp-lat1","abstract":"Epistola VI Ad Diversos Episcopos is a decretal letter attributed to Pope Siricius (r. 384–399), addressed to multiple bishops on disciplinary matters. The letter asserts the authority of the Roman see over provincial church governance, citing Scripture from Old Latin versions. It prohibits ordination of neophytes and other irregularities, reflecting late 4th-century ecclesiastical discipline. Preserved in Patrologia Latina (PL 13, cols. 1131–1146), the text lacks a precise date and critical edition. Its attribution to Siricius is traditional but not independently verified; some later forgeries circulated under his name. The letter was later cited in medieval canon law collections, including the Decretum Gratiani.","historical_context":"The letter dates from the pontificate of Siricius (384–399), a period when the Roman bishopric increasingly asserted jurisdictional primacy over other churches, especially in the West. The addressees are unspecified multiple bishops, likely in Italy or Gaul. The text survives in Latin, the language of the Western Church, and belongs to the genre of papal decretals—authoritative letters that shaped canon law. Its transmission relies on medieval manuscript traditions, later compiled in the Patrologia Latina. The letter's disciplinary concerns (e.g., ordination of neophytes) align with 4th-century conciliar canons (e.g., Nicaea, can. 2). The use of Old Latin biblical citations suggests a pre-Vulgate textual environment. The work's inclusion in Gratian's Decretum indicates its later authority, though its authenticity is not independently confirmed by contemporary sources.","significance":"This letter exemplifies the late 4th-century papacy's effort to centralize ecclesiastical authority through decretals, influencing later canon law. Its scriptural citations provide evidence for Old Latin Bible use in Roman circles. The work's uncertain authenticity highlights challenges in attributing early papal letters, while its reception in medieval collections underscores its lasting impact on church discipline.","timeline":[{"date":"384–399","event":"Pontificate of Pope Siricius; letter likely composed."},{"date":"4th–5th c.","event":"Old Latin Bible versions in use; Vulgate not yet dominant."},{"date":"c. 1140","event":"Decretum Gratiani compiled, citing Siricius's decretals."},{"date":"17th–19th c.","event":"Patrologia Latina edition published, preserving the letter."}],"relations":[{"work":"Decretum Gratiani","relation":"Later canon law collection citing Siricius's decretals as authoritative.","key":"wikipedia:Decretum Gratiani","label":"Wikipedia: Decretum Gratiani","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decretum_Gratiani"},{"work":"Council of Nicaea (canon 2)","relation":"Parallel prohibition on ordaining neophytes.","key":"wikipedia:First Council of Nicaea","label":"Wikipedia: First Council of Nicaea","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Council_of_Nicaea"},{"work":"Epistolae decretales of Siricius","relation":"Part of Siricius's corpus of decretal letters.","key":"","label":null,"url":null},{"work":"Vetus Latina","relation":"Source of biblical citations in the letter.","key":"wikipedia:Vetus Latina","label":"Wikipedia: Vetus Latina","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vetus_Latina"},{"work":"Patrologia Latina","relation":"Modern printed edition preserving the text.","key":"wikipedia:Patrologia Latina","label":"Wikipedia: Patrologia Latina","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patrologia_Latina"}],"external_links":[{"key":"wikipedia:Pope Siricius","label":"Pope Siricius","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pope_Siricius","reason":"Biographical context for the attributed author."},{"key":"wikipedia:Decretum Gratiani","label":"Decretum Gratiani","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decretum_Gratiani","reason":"Medieval collection citing this letter."},{"key":"wikipedia:Vetus Latina","label":"Vetus Latina","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vetus_Latina","reason":"Biblical text tradition used in the letter."},{"key":"wikipedia:Patrologia Latina","label":"Patrologia Latina","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patrologia_Latina","reason":"Edition preserving the letter."},{"key":"wikipedia:First Council of Nicaea","label":"First Council of Nicaea","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Council_of_Nicaea","reason":"Parallel canon on neophytes."}],"cautions":["Date is imprecise; only the pontificate (384–399) is certain.","Attribution to Siricius is traditional but not independently verified; some forgeries exist.","No critical edition or manuscript comparison is available from the source.","The specific bishops addressed are unknown."],"model":"deepseek/deepseek-v4-flash:floor","provider":"Relace","cost_usd":0.000461,"generated":"2026-11-15T06:13:04Z"},"links":[{"kind":"source","label":"Open Greek and Latin Patrologia Latina","url":"https://github.com/OpenGreekAndLatin/patrologia_latina-dev/blob/master/data/tmp227/tmp227/tmp227.tmp227.opp-lat1.xml"}],"checks":{"work":"tmp227.tmp227.opp-lat1","status":"pass","blocking":[],"warnings":[],"stats":{"passages":7,"translated":7,"commentary_passages":7,"commentary_units":38,"english_words":1563,"source_letters":6644,"commentary_kinds":9},"model":"deepseek/deepseek-v4-flash:floor"},"work_notes":[{"unit":"dating","kind":"chronology","basis":"background","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"Siricius was pope from 384 to 399. This letter, addressed to multiple bishops, likely dates from his pontificate, but no precise year is given in the source.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"transmission","kind":"transmission","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The text is preserved in the Patrologia Latina edition (PL 13, cols. 1131–1146), based on earlier manuscript traditions. No critical apparatus is provided in this source.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":["ogl-pl"]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"background","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"Siricius’s decretal letters, including this one, were later cited in medieval canon law collections, such as the Decretum Gratiani, as authoritative papal rulings.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"sense","kind":"sense","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"caution","text":"This edition does not identify the specific bishops addressed, nor does it provide a critical comparison with other manuscript witnesses or modern editions.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":["ogl-pl"]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"background","lemma":"","severity":"caution","text":"The attribution to Siricius is traditional but not independently verified by external sources in this edition; some later forgeries circulated under his name.","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: 7 narrative."},{"kind":"source","severity":"info","text":"Source edition: ogl-pl — Available under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License"}],"derived_structure":{"narrative":7},"term_index":[],"citations":{},"segments":[{"i":1,"ref":"p1","source":"EPISTOLA VI.\n\nSIRICII PAPAE AD DIVERSOS EPISCOPOS. I. Ut indignus nullus efficiatur episcopus.—II. Ut ignotis sacerdotium non detur.—III. Ut neophyti vel laici sacerdotes non fiant.\n\nSiricius papa orthodoxis per diversas provincias.\n\nCAP. I.—1. Siricio ecclesiarum omnium cura. Cogitantibus nobis metum divini judicii, fratres charissimi, et post hanc vitam unumquemque prout gesserit recepturum, quid veniat in querelam tacere non licuit, sed nobis loqui necessitas imperavit, dicente propheta, Exalta ut tuba vocem tuam (Esa. LVIII, 1). Et cui omnium ecclesiarum cura est, si dissimulem, audiam Domino dicente:a Rejicitis mandatum Dei, ut traditiones vestras statuatis (Marc. VII, 9). Quid enim aliud est, rejicere mandatum Dei, quam privato judicio et humano consilio novis rebus constituendis liberius delectari?\n\nMajorum statuta non patitur violari. Magna cura adhibenda in clericorum ordinationibus. Perlatum itaque est ad conscientiam apostolicae sedis, contra ecclesiasticum canonem praesumi, et quae ita sunt a majoribus ordinata, ut ne vel levi susurro debeant violari, proprias quasdam novas observationes inducere, et praetermisso fundamento, supra arenam velle construere, dicente Domino: Non transferes terminos, quos constituerunt patres tui (Prov. XXII, 28).","english":"LETTER VI.\n\nPope Siricius to the Various Bishops. I. That no unworthy person be made a bishop. — II. That the priesthood not be given to unknown persons. — III. That neophytes or laymen not become priests.\n\nPope Siricius to the orthodox throughout the various provinces.\n\nCHAPTER I. — 1. The care of all churches rests upon Siricius. Considering, dearest brothers, the fear of divine judgment, and that after this life each one will receive according to what he has done, it was not permitted to remain silent about what comes into complaint, but necessity compelled us to speak, as the prophet says: \"Raise your voice like a trumpet\" (Isa. 58:1). And to whom the care of all churches belongs, if I dissemble, I will hear the Lord saying: \"You reject the commandment of God, that you may establish your own traditions\" (Mark 7:9). For what else is it to reject the commandment of God than to delight more freely in establishing new things by private judgment and human counsel?\n\nThe statutes of the elders do not permit violation. Great care must be taken in the ordinations of clerics. Therefore, it has been brought to the awareness of the apostolic see that presumption is made against the ecclesiastical canon, and that things so ordered by the elders that they ought not to be violated even by a slight whisper are being subjected to certain new observations of their own, and that, neglecting the foundation, they wish to build upon sand, as the Lord says: \"Do not remove the boundaries which your fathers established\" (Prov. 22:28).","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"CAP. I.—1.","severity":"info","text":"The letter opens with a formal address and a three-part heading (I–III) that summarizes the disciplinary concerns. The first chapter begins with a justification for speaking out.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Exalta ut tuba vocem tuam (Esa. LVIII, 1)","severity":"info","text":"A loose citation of Isaiah 58:1, likely from the Vetus Latina. The Vulgate reads 'clamor' rather than 'tuba'.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Rejicitis mandatum Dei, ut traditiones vestras statuatis (Marc. VII, 9)","severity":"info","text":"A paraphrase of Mark 7:9, possibly from a Latin harmony or a variant Old Latin text. The canonical verse is Mark 7:8–9.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Non transferes terminos, quos constituerunt patres tui (Prov. XXII, 28)","severity":"info","text":"A citation of Proverbs 22:28, likely from the Vetus Latina. The Vulgate reads 'ne transferas terminos'.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"apostolicae sedis","severity":"info","text":"The phrase 'apostolicae sedis' (apostolic see) asserts the authority of the Roman bishop over disciplinary matters in other provinces, a key claim in late 4th-century ecclesiology.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"neophyti","severity":"info","text":"'Neophyti' (neophytes) refers to newly baptized persons. The prohibition against ordaining them reflects early church discipline (cf. Council of Nicaea, can. 2).","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The precise biblical text used for the citations is uncertain; they may derive from pre-Vulgate Latin versions.","The identity of the 'various bishops' addressed is not specified."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":2,"ref":"p2","source":"Quod et Sanctus quoque Apostolus novi et veteris Testamenti praedicator monet, in quo locutus est Caristus: State, inquit, et tenete traditiones vestrus, quas didicistis sive per verbum, sive per epistolam (II Thess. II, 14). Qua de re videt vestra sinceritas, in sacris ministeriis aut in ordinationibus ventris quantum sacerdotum magna cura et diligens sollicitudo debeat e observare. Denique ad Timotheum loquitur: Manus cito nemini imposueris, neque communicaveris peccatis alienis (I Tim. V, 22). Quod propterea memoratur, ut examine habito, et probitate morum et ecclesiastico labore sit commendatior, qui vocatur in medium ut summum sacerdotium possit accipere, probatus judicio, non favore; susceptus veritate, non gratia; apostolico ordine fultus, non praecipiti voluntate.\n\nAmbitiosis non cedit Siricius. De quo, charissima mihi, ante vestram sinceritatem hujusmodi litterae cucurrerunt multo fratrum et consacerdotum consensu, ut hac vestra subscriptione firmata ecclesiastici canonis dispositio quae apud Nicaeam tractata est, confirmata suo merito fundatissima permaneret: ut tales videlicet ad ecclesiasticum ordinem permitterentur accedere, quales apostolica auctoritas jubet, non quales dico, vel eos qui cingulo militiae saecularis astricti olim gloriati sunt.","english":"And the holy Apostle, preacher of the New and Old Testaments, also warns us, in whom Christ spoke: \"Stand,\" he says, \"and hold the traditions which you have learned, whether by word or by epistle\" (2 Thess. 2:15). For this reason, your Sincerity sees with what great care and diligent solicitude the sacred ministries or ordinations of priests ought to be observed. Finally, he speaks to Timothy: \"Do not impose hands on anyone quickly, nor share in the sins of others\" (1 Tim. 5:22). This is recalled so that, after an examination has been held, and by probity of character and ecclesiastical labor he is more commended, the one who is called into the midst may be able to receive the high priesthood, approved by judgment, not by favor; received by truth, not by grace; supported by apostolic order, not by hasty will.\n\nSiricius does not yield to the ambitious. Concerning which, my dearest ones, before your Sincerity, letters of this kind have circulated with the great consensus of many brothers and fellow priests, so that, confirmed by your subscription, the disposition of the ecclesiastical canon which was treated at Nicaea might remain, by its own merit, most firmly established: namely, that only those be permitted to enter the ecclesiastical order whom apostolic authority commands, not those, I say, who were once bound by the belt of secular military service and gloried in it.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"State, inquit, et tenete traditiones vestrus, quas didicistis sive per verbum, sive per epistolam (II Thess. II, 14)","severity":"info","text":"Siricius cites 2 Thess 2:15, but the Latin gives the verse as II Thess. II, 14, reflecting a different versification. The quotation is loose: the Vulgate reads 'tenete traditiones' but the Greek has 'κρατεῖτε τὰς παραδόσεις'.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Manus cito nemini imposueris, neque communicaveris peccatis alienis (I Tim. V, 22)","severity":"info","text":"The citation of 1 Tim 5:22 is a conflation: the Vulgate has 'manus cito nemini imposueris' (1 Tim 5:22a) but 'neque communicaveris peccatis alienis' is not a direct Vulgate verse; it may be a paraphrase or a mixed memory.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"cingulo militiae saecularis astricti","severity":"info","text":"The phrase refers to former soldiers who had been bound by the military belt, a symbol of secular service. Siricius opposes ordaining such men, reflecting a late 4th-century concern about clerical purity and the influence of military converts.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"apud Nicaeam tractata","severity":"info","text":"Siricius invokes the Council of Nicaea (325) as the authority for the ecclesiastical canon on ordination. This is an early papal appeal to Nicene canons, reinforcing their normative status in the West.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"Quod et Sanctus quoque Apostolus ... monet","severity":"info","text":"This passage continues the argument of the previous chapter, using scriptural proof (2 Thess, 1 Tim) to support the prohibition against ordaining unworthy persons, then transitions to a direct warning against ambitious candidates.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"text","lemma":"Ambitiosis non cedit Siricius","severity":"info","text":"This phrase, 'Siricius does not yield to the ambitious,' became a tag for papal firmness in later canonical collections, often cited in debates over clerical discipline.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The Latin text has 'ventris' (belly) in 'in sacris ministeriis aut in ordinationibus ventris' which is likely a scribal error for 'vestris' (your) or 'nostris' (our); the English draft reads 'priests' but the Latin is unclear.","The citation of 2 Thess 2:14 (Vulgate numbering) is given as II Thess. II, 14, but modern Bibles place it at 2:15; the verse number is ambiguous.","The phrase 'neque communicaveris peccatis alienis' is not a direct Vulgate quotation; its source is uncertain."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":3,"ref":"p3","source":"Qui postea quam pompa saeculari exsultaverunt, aut negotiis reipublicae optaverunt militare, aut curam mundi tractare, adhibita sibi quorumdam manu, et proximorum favore stipati, hi frequenter ingeruntur auribus meis, ut episcopi esse possint, qui per traditionem et Evangelicam disciplinam esse non possunt. Quantis hoc aliquoties certatum est viribus? Sed nihil tale potuit a elici, quae ratio non compellit. Etiam de longinquo veniant ordinandi, ut digni possint et plebis et nostro judicio comprobari.\n\nCAP. II.—4. Monachi vagi ab episcopis, ut sumptibus parcant, ordinantur. Quantum illicitum sit illud c, aestimari non potest, ut transeuntes (sive simulent, sive sint monachi, quod se appellant), quorum nec vitam possumus scire nec baptismum, quorum fidem incognitam habemus nec probatam, nolint sumptibus adjuvare, sed slatim aut diaconos facere, aut presbyteros ordinare festinent, aut, quod est gravius, episcopos constituere non formident. Charius apud illos dari sumptum est transeunti, quam sacerdotium. Non retenti, inde in superbiam exaltanlur, inde insuper ad perfidiam cito corruunt; quia fidem veram in ecclesiasticis toto orbe peregrini discere non asseruntur.","english":"After they have exulted in worldly pomp, and have either chosen to serve in the affairs of state or to manage the concerns of the world, supported by the hand of certain men and surrounded by the favor of their neighbors, they frequently thrust themselves upon my ears, so that they might be bishops, who by tradition and evangelical discipline cannot be. With how much effort has this been contended many times? But nothing of the sort could be extracted, which reason does not compel. Even from afar they come to be ordained, so that they may be approved as worthy both by the people and by our judgment.\n\nCHAPTER II.—4. Wandering monks are ordained by bishops to spare expenses. How illicit that is cannot be estimated, so that those passing through (whether they pretend or are monks, as they call themselves), whose life we cannot know nor their baptism, whose faith we hold unknown and untested, they are unwilling to assist with expenses, but hasten either to make them deacons or to ordain them presbyters immediately, or, what is more serious, they do not shrink from making them bishops. Among them, expense given to a passerby is dearer than the priesthood. Not restrained, they are then lifted up into pride, then quickly fall into faithlessness; because true faith in ecclesiastical matters is not asserted to be learned by wanderers throughout the whole world.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"sense","kind":"sense","basis":"text","lemma":"pompa saeculari exsultaverunt","severity":"info","text":"The phrase describes former public officials or military men seeking episcopal office after secular careers, a concern about worldly ambition in clerical appointments.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"traditionem et Evangelicam disciplinam","severity":"info","text":"This pairing echoes the earlier reference to apostolic tradition (2 Thess. 2:15) and underscores the normative standard for ordination: adherence to inherited practice and gospel rule.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"Monachi vagi","severity":"info","text":"Wandering monks (gyrovagi) were a recognized problem in late 4th-century church discipline, as they evaded stable monastic obedience and sought ordination for economic gain.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"CAP. II.—4","severity":"info","text":"The chapter division marks a new topic: the illicit ordination of wandering monks, contrasting with the previous section on former secular officials.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"text","lemma":"Charius apud illos dari sumptum est transeunti, quam sacerdotium","severity":"info","text":"This aphoristic complaint about prioritizing travel expenses over priestly dignity was cited in later canonical collections as a warning against simony and hasty ordination.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"a elici","severity":"caution","text":"The Latin 'a elici' is likely corrupt; the English draft reads 'extracted,' but the sense may require 'elicited' or 'obtained.' The text may be emended to 'elici' or 'elici potuit.'","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The phrase 'a elici' is unclear; possibly a scribal error for 'elici' (to be elicited) or 'elici potuit' (could be elicited). The reading taken follows the English draft's 'extracted.'","The identity of 'quorumdam manu' (the hand of certain men) is unspecified; it may refer to patrons or political supporters."],"confidence":"medium","notes":[]},{"i":4,"ref":"p4","source":"CAP. III.—5. Ne legis loco ducatur quod semel ac secundo necessitas extorsit. Certe etiam illud non fuit praetermittendum, ut quod semel aut secundo necessitas haereticorum intulit contra apostolica praecepta velut lege licitum e coepisse praesumi, neophytum (I Tim, III, 6) vel laicum, qui nullo ecclesiastico functus fuerit officio, inconsiderate vel presbyterum vel diaconum ordinare: quasi meliores Apostolis sint, quorum audeant mutare praeceptum. Et qui non didicit, jam docere compellitur. Ita nullus reperitur idoneus clericorum? Nec inter diaconos, nec inter alios clericos invenitur, qui sacerdotio dignus habeatur; sed ad condemnationem Ecclesiae laicus postulatur? Quod ne fiat ultra, admoneo. Praedico, ul unam fidem habentes, unum etiam In traditione sentire debeamus, probantes nos unanimes atque concordes, pacifici in Chrisio et in observationibus apostolicis habere charitatem. Medio itaque Patre, et unigenito Filio ejus, et Spiritu sancto, et unius divinitatis Trinitate, convenio, ut in his fides catholica et disciplina nostra permaneat. Nec quisquam putet, tamquam ordinationes terrenas fieri, cum coeleste sit sacerdotium, ut fidelibus gloria maneat dignitatis ejusdem, et ante tribunal Christi ex hinc non habeat quod accuset.","english":"CHAPTER III.—5. Let it not be taken as law that which necessity has once or twice extorted. Certainly, this also was not to be overlooked: that what the necessity of heretics once or twice introduced against apostolic precepts should not be presumed to be lawful as if by rule, namely, to ordain a neophyte (1 Tim. 3:6) or a layman who has held no ecclesiastical office, inconsiderately as either presbyter or deacon—as if they were better than the Apostles, whose precept they dare to change. And one who has not learned is compelled to teach. Is no one found fit among the clergy? Is there no one among the deacons or among the other clerics who is deemed worthy of the priesthood, but a layman is sought to the condemnation of the Church? I warn that this be done no further. I declare that, having one faith, we ought also to be of one mind in tradition, proving ourselves unanimous and concordant, peaceful in Christ and in apostolic observances, and to have charity. Therefore, with the Mediator Father, and His only-begotten Son, and the Holy Spirit, and the Trinity of one divinity, I agree that the Catholic faith and our discipline may remain in these things. And let no one think that ordinations are done as if earthly, since the priesthood is heavenly, so that the glory of the same dignity may remain for the faithful, and before the tribunal of Christ they may have nothing from this to accuse.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"neophytum (I Tim, III, 6)","severity":"info","text":"The citation 'I Tim, III, 6' refers to 1 Timothy 3:6, which warns against ordaining a neophyte (recent convert) too quickly. Siricius uses this to argue against hasty ordinations.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"neophytum","severity":"info","text":"'Neophytum' (neophyte) denotes a recent convert, a term from early Christian practice. Siricius invokes it to bar those without gradual ecclesiastical training from high office.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"necessitas haereticorum","severity":"info","text":"The 'necessity of heretics' likely refers to emergency ordinations during the Donatist or other schisms, where bishops were appointed quickly to counter heretical influence. Siricius rejects this as a precedent.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"Medio itaque Patre, et unigenito Filio ejus, et Spiritu sancto","severity":"info","text":"This trinitarian formula (Father, Son, Holy Spirit) serves as a rhetorical climax, grounding Siricius's disciplinary argument in orthodox faith. It marks a shift from prohibition to positive exhortation.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"text","lemma":"ante tribunal Christi","severity":"info","text":"The image of Christ's tribunal reflects late 4th-century eschatological concerns, common in Siricius's letters, urging bishops to avoid sin that would be judged in the afterlife.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The phrase 'Medio itaque Patre' is ambiguous: 'Medio' may be a scribal error for 'Mediatore' (Mediator) or a rare usage meaning 'through the middle' (i.e., through the Trinity). The translation adopts 'Mediator' following the English draft.","The clause 'ut quod semel aut secundo necessitas haereticorum intulit' could be read as referring to specific historical events (e.g., the ordination of bishops during the Arian crisis) or as a general principle; the latter is assumed."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":5,"ref":"p5","source":"MONITUM IN EPISTOLAM SEQUENTEM.\n\nI. Epistolam hanc recognovimus ad vetera exemplaria diversarum collectionum. Codicis videlicet a Quesnello vulgati, collectionis alterius non minus antiquae in Colbertina bibliotheca asservatae, necnon Hispanae et Isidorianae. In nullo autem titulum offendimus, quem ei Quesnellus indidit in hunc modum: Siricii papae ad omnes episcopos Italiae super damnationem Joviniani et reliquorum hoereticorum virginitati derogantium. Isidorus Hispalensis episcopus lib. de Script. eccl. c. 3, mentionem ejus faciens, ad diversos episcopos missam tradit: eique concinunt omnes nostri mss. in quibus per diversos episcopos missa praenotatur. Titulus, quem exhibemus, ex mss. collectionis Hispanae descriptus fuit. Eumdem servavit Isidorus Mercator; sed ei de suo addidit salutationem hujusmodi, Siricius papa orthodoxis episcopis per diversas provincias salutem. Salutationis hujus loco apud Crab. ac deinceps in aliis editionibus substitutum legimus, Siricius ecclesiae Mediolanensi. Verum nova illa inscriptio nulla, opinor. alia ratione nititur, nisi quod epistolam hanc Mediolanum missam esse, ad eamque Ambrosium cum sociis rescripsisse constat. Mabillonius autem itin. Ital. pag.","english":"WARNING ON THE FOLLOWING LETTER.\n\nI. We have collated this letter against the old exemplars of various collections: namely, the codex published by Quesnel, another no less ancient collection preserved in the Colbertine library, and also the Hispana and the Isidoriana. In none, however, did we find the title which Quesnel gave it in this form: \"Of Pope Siricius to all the bishops of Italy concerning the condemnation of Jovinian and the other heretics detracting from virginity.\" Isidore of Seville, in his book *On Ecclesiastical Writers*, ch. 3, mentions it and transmits it as sent to various bishops; and all our manuscripts agree with him, in which it is prefaced as sent to various bishops. The title which we present was transcribed from the manuscripts of the Hispana collection. Isidore Mercator preserved the same, but added from his own a salutation of this sort: \"Siricius the pope to the orthodox bishops throughout the various provinces, greetings.\" In place of this salutation, in Crabbe and subsequently in other editions, we read substituted: \"Siricius to the church of Milan.\" But that new inscription, I think, rests on no other reason than that it is established that this letter was sent to Milan, and that Ambrose with his associates replied to it. Mabillon, however, in his *Italian Journey*, p.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"transmission","kind":"transmission","basis":"text","lemma":"Epistolam hanc recognovimus ad vetera exemplaria diversarum collectionum","severity":"info","text":"The editor states that this letter has been collated against old exemplars from multiple collections, including Quesnel's codex, the Colbertine library, the Hispana, and the Isidoriana.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"text","lemma":"titulum ... Quesnellus indidit","severity":"info","text":"Quesnel assigned a title specifying the letter was sent to all bishops of Italy concerning Jovinian, but the editor notes this title is absent from other manuscript traditions.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"text","lemma":"Isidorus Hispalensis episcopus ... ad diversos episcopos missam tradit","severity":"info","text":"Isidore of Seville transmits the letter as sent to various bishops, a reading supported by all manuscripts used by the editor.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"text","lemma":"Isidorus Mercator ... addidit de suo salutationem","severity":"caution","text":"Isidore Mercator added a salutation ('Siricius to orthodox bishops throughout the provinces') not found in earlier witnesses, indicating a later interpolation.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"text","lemma":"apud Crab. ac deinceps ... Siricius ecclesiae Mediolanensi","severity":"info","text":"Crabbe and later editions substituted the inscription 'Siricius to the church of Milan,' likely because Ambrose and his associates replied to this letter.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"Mabillonius autem itin. Ital. pag.","severity":"info","text":"The editor cites Mabillon's Italian Journey as a source for the Milan connection, though the page reference is incomplete in the Latin.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The Latin breaks off mid-sentence at 'Mabillonius autem itin. Ital. pag.'; the intended page reference is missing."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":6,"ref":"p6","source":"69, ubi epistolam hanc in Romano Vallicellanae bibliothecae codice non episcopo Mediolanensi, sed universis episcopis inscribi monet, hoc tantum notare voluit, eam non ecclesiae Mediolanensi, ut in editis circumfertur, sed diversis episcopis inscribi. Neque enim is codex a nostris dissidet, qui diversos episcopos, non universos, magno consensu exhibent. Iis, qui bibliothecam peregrinam obiter lustrant, ac deinde domum reversi quae in ea deprehenderint observatu digna memoriter notant, condonandi sunt hujusmodi lapsus. Epistolam istam indicare videntur Hieronymus et Augustinus: Hieronymus quidem, cum initio libri adversus Vigilantium docet, Jovinianum « Romanae ecclesiae auctoritate » fuisse damnatum; atque in exordio lib. III adversus Pelag. repetit, Joviniani placita « olim Romae, ac dudum in Africa condemnata » esse: Augustinus vero lib. II Retr. c. 12, ubi cum Joviniani haeresim in urbe Roma multum valuisse praemisisset, subjecit: « Huic monstro sancta Ecclesia, quae ibi est, fidelissime ac fortissime restitit. » Ideo quippe Siricius epistolam istam scripsisse se testificatur, ut ea, quae Romae in Joviniani condemnatione gesta erant, ab episcopis non ignorarentur.","english":"69, where he warns that this letter in the Roman codex of the Vallicellana library is inscribed not to the bishop of Milan but to all bishops, he wished only to note that it is inscribed not to the church of Milan, as is commonly circulated in the printed editions, but to various bishops. For that codex does not differ from ours, which with great consensus present \"to various bishops,\" not \"to all.\" Such lapses are to be forgiven in those who cursorily examine a foreign library and then, having returned home, note from memory what they observed worthy of attention. Jerome and Augustine seem to indicate this letter: Jerome indeed, when at the beginning of his book Against Vigilantius he teaches that Jovinian was condemned \"by the authority of the Roman church\"; and at the start of book III Against the Pelagians he repeats that Jovinian's teachings were \"condemned long ago at Rome, and recently in Africa\"; Augustine, moreover, in book II of the Retractations, chapter 12, after having premised that the heresy of Jovinian had greatly prevailed in the city of Rome, subjoined: \"This monster was resisted most faithfully and most bravely by the holy Church which is there.\" For this reason, indeed, Siricius testifies that he wrote this letter, so that what had been done at Rome in the condemnation of Jovinian would not be unknown to the bishops.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"Joviniani","severity":"info","text":"Jovinian was a late 4th-century ascetic controversialist condemned at Rome c. 390 for denying the superiority of virginity over marriage. Siricius’s letter likely transmitted the synodal condemnation to other bishops.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"text","lemma":"Hieronymus et Augustinus","severity":"info","text":"The editor claims Jerome and Augustine allude to this letter. Jerome’s references to Jovinian’s condemnation by Roman authority and Augustine’s mention of resistance by the Roman church are adduced as indirect attestations of Siricius’s encyclical.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"transmission","kind":"transmission","basis":"text","lemma":"codice ... Vallicellanae bibliothecae","severity":"info","text":"The editor notes a Roman manuscript in the Vallicellana library inscribes the letter to all bishops, not to the bishop of Milan, correcting a misattribution in printed editions. This manuscript agrees with the editor’s own sources in reading 'to various bishops.'","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"non universos","severity":"caution","text":"The editor distinguishes 'diversis episcopis' (various bishops) from 'universis episcopis' (all bishops), implying the letter was not a universal encyclical but sent to a select group. The distinction is text-critical but may be overstated.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The editor’s claim that Jerome and Augustine 'seem to indicate' this letter is circumstantial; neither explicitly names Siricius or the letter."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":7,"ref":"p7","source":"II. Tempus, quo scripta est, ex sequenti expiscari licet. In hac enin Jovinianum ac socios Roma pulsos, Mediolanum ad Theodosium imperatorem confugisse non obscure innuitur. Atqui Theodosius, cum Maximum debellasset, quod anno alii Augusto mense, alii Septembri contigisse volunt, Mediolanum primum accessisse dicitur: eumque inde anno idibus Juniis Romam venisse, et cum ibi triumphum egisset, kalendis Septembris Mediolanum rediisse historica monimenta fidem faciunt. Ex quo consequens est, ut haec epistola, si ante Theodosii triumphum collocetur, anno tabente non sit anterior; si post differtur, anni exitum haud multo intervallo antecedere censenda sit.","english":"II. The time at which it was written can be inferred from what follows. For in this letter it is not obscurely suggested that Jovinian and his associates, driven from Rome, fled to Milan to the emperor Theodosius. But Theodosius, after he had defeated Maximus—which some wish to have happened in the month of August, others in September—is said to have first arrived at Milan; and historical records attest that he came from there to Rome on the Ides of June, and after celebrating a triumph there, returned to Milan on the Kalends of September. From this it follows that this letter, if placed before Theodosius’ triumph, is not earlier than the end of the year; if postponed, it is to be considered as preceding the year’s end by no great interval.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"II. Tempus, quo scripta est, ex sequenti expiscari licet.","severity":"info","text":"This paragraph opens a new section of the letter's prefatory material, shifting from textual transmission to historical dating.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"Jovinianum ac socios Roma pulsos, Mediolanum ad Theodosium imperatorem confugisse","severity":"info","text":"Jovinian was a monk condemned for heresy at a synod in Rome under Siricius c. 390; his flight to Milan and appeal to Theodosius I is a known historical episode.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"dating","kind":"chronology","basis":"text","lemma":"Theodosius, cum Maximum debellasset","severity":"info","text":"Theodosius I defeated the usurper Magnus Maximus in 388; the exact month is uncertain, with August or September proposed, as noted here.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"dating","kind":"chronology","basis":"text","lemma":"idibus Juniis Romam venisse, et cum ibi triumphum egisset, kalendis Septembris Mediolanum rediisse","severity":"info","text":"Theodosius entered Rome on June 13, 389, celebrated a triumph, and returned to Milan on September 1, 389, according to historical records cited by the editor.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"sense","kind":"sense","basis":"text","lemma":"anno tabente","severity":"info","text":"The phrase 'anno tabente' means 'the waning year' or 'the end of the year,' indicating a date late in 388 or early 389.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The exact month of Theodosius' victory over Maximus is left uncertain ('alii...alii').","The phrase 'si ante Theodosii triumphum collocetur' could refer to placement in a chronological sequence or in a manuscript collection."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]}]}