To his lord Pope Nicetius, Florianus from the Roman monastery. Blessed be the one Trinity, our God, who has placed you upon the pontifical summit by pontifical merits, so that not did dignity precede your blessedness, but blessedness preceded the dignity. And not undeservedly: since from your earliest boyhood you have served in the Lord's camp, that you might there more safely and strongly learn with what darts that intelligible Amalek is laid low, namely when you yourself are also a victor in name. For you were so instructed in the monastic statutes, with God as your guide, that you crossed through the sea of the world without the worldly waves, with unstumbling step, and worthily singing the triumphal hymn with Moses: 'Let us sing to the Lord, for he is gloriously honoured;'
'the horse and his rider he has cast into the sea' (Exod. xv). Thus you are the inseparable companion of Elijah, so that, never forsaking the higher things to which you had climbed by humility, you might thence with the apostles behold on the mount the Lord and Saviour glorified. Since therefore you are supported by the prerogatives of such great sanctity, I beseech you to pray for me, you who have obtained your own request. For God, foreknowing things to come, who has made the things that are to be, knowing that I have need of the solace of holy living men, as the good Lord has prepared aids.
See therefore with what great helpers you avail yourself, when you begin to intercede for me to the lord Ennodius of holy memory, bishop of the Church of Ticinum, who advanced the nobility of his generous blood by humility unto glory, so that in the senate of the heavenly fatherland he became a senator there also, whose incomparable eloquence of doctrine not only the West attests, but the East too, being instructed, marvels at. The thunderbolt against Nestorius, the extinguisher of Eutyches, he by apostolic authority thoroughly taught that my glorious and inviolable Lady Mary is Christotokos and Theotokos. He therefore is my father from the font of baptism, whom I believe to intercede with the eternal Father, through the Son, for his son.
But also the companion of your crown, the lord Caesarius of blessed memory, bishop of Arles, who lived godly among the barbarians, peaceful amid wars, the father of orphans, the shepherd of the needy, who lost nothing by the pouring out of so great a wealth, demonstrating in word and deed the rule of catholic discipline. He it was who set before me the alphabet in Latin letters; and this one too I trust to obtain on behalf of his servant and disciple.
I add a third, unequal indeed in dignity, but equal in merits, my abbot and archimandrite Theodatus of holy memory, the enemy of this world, to whom the world was crucified, a temple truly most worthy of the Trinity, full of the reverence of Christianity, most gentle out of his serene goodness, chastened by fastings, refreshed by prayers, most pure in purity, who expounded to me the sacred Scriptures, and himself received the flowers of my tender down of youth; who, on behalf of his son, disciple, and successor, though unworthy, I doubt not but that he gladly prays. Therefore the prayer of so many righteous men overcomes that of sinners, O my Lord. Since therefore your conversation is in heaven, as the Apostle says:
'Your conversation, however, is in heaven' (Phil. iii), pray with these, and entreat that most sacred confessor of mine, Ambrose, that he may guard me as his peculiar servant, may cherish me as his own citizen, may rescue me as his familiar foster-child: he who, whatsoever he asks of the Lord Jesus, shall obtain. Wherefore, slavishly tendering the homage of my salutation, I beg that you ever pray for the most blessed man, my lord Datius the bishop, your brother. For it is fitting that for him, whom the enclosures of the monastery have consecrated your successor, you also, the distinguished successor of the blessed confessors, should not cease to pray. And if you judge it worthy, we beseech that you make our littleness more assured of your Beatitude's well-being, as we ask, [making us] your successor.