Now John, formerly steward, surnamed Talaia, is ordained by his fellow-communicant bishops, clerics, and monks, who knew his faith and his manner of governance. At that same time, under the reign of Zeno, Simplicius presided over the Roman Church, and Acacius over that of Constantinople. Moreover the heretics, as has already been said, had secretly installed Peter, whom the emperor Zeno ordered to be expelled as a heretic and an adulterer; concerning whom Acacius also sent a synodical letter to the Roman pope, asking that he not receive into episcopal dignity a man who was both an adulterer and a heretic. But John Talaia, regarding his own ordination, neglected to send his synodical letters to Acacius, bishop of Constantinople;
for, having as a friend the aforesaid Illus the master, he wrote to him indeed about his own ordination; writing also to the emperor, that through Illus the master all his affairs might be arranged, thinking that Illus would remain at Constantinople. He therefore entrusted his synodical letters to a magistrian official, delegating to him the doing of all things according to Illus's will. But it happened at that time that Illus the master was sent by the emperor Zeno to Antioch, to detain Leontius, who had been ordained there by the army with the consent of the empress Verina. And when the magistrian, who had been sent by John, did not find Illus the master, he neither presented the letters to Acacius (the emperor) but went on to Antioch.
After this Acacius, hearing of John's ordination and being grieved that he had not sent his synodical letters, and acting together with Gennadius, bishop and kinsman of the blessed Timothy, wishing to harm John, disparaged him before Zeno and accused him, having as helpers the patrons...
...the patrons of Peter Mongus—alleging that John was not suitable for the episcopate, because, while the catholic Timothy was still alive, he had contrived to depart from the Church, and that Timothy had been persuaded by him to receive Dioscorus into the diptychs after his death; and that Peter, on the other hand, was beloved by the people and could gather the people into communion. Certain men came on Peter's behalf, wishing as it were to bring about unity, whom Acacius received most gladly and presented to the emperor, and persuaded him to write to Apollonius the Augustal and to Pergamius the commander, that they should expel John from the Alexandrian see, as one who had seized it against his own oath which he had given in the royal city, and that they should cooperate with Peter Mongus so that he might return to the see—yet not do this beforehand unless he accepted the emperor's Henoticon and sent synodical letters to Acacius of Constantinople, and to Simplicius of Rome, and to the other archbishops.
But Acacius, since Peter promised to bring about unity though not yet lawfully fulfilling it, permitted his name to be recited in the diptychs, as though he were already set in the list of prelates of Alexandria. John Talaia is adjudged by Zeno to be expelled from the episcopate. Acacius, with the help of Peter's patrons, persuaded Zeno that the Henoticon should be issued; at its publication, or profession, he received into his communion those who communicated with him—the heretical clerics of Peter, and the laymen found at Constantinople. Peter Mongus also communicated with those who came down with the Henoticon, and he wrote a synodical letter to Acacius, and received one from him. Now the Henoticon of Zeno, which in Latin we may call 'unitive,' is as follows:
'The Emperor Caesar Zeno, pious, victor, triumphant, greatest, ever Augustus, to all the holy bishops and peoples throughout Alexandria, Egypt, Libya, and the Pentapolis. Knowing that the beginning and stability, the strength, and the impregnable shield of our empire is the one right and true faith (which those three hundred and eighteen holy Fathers gathered at Nicaea set forth by divine inspiration, and which the one hundred and fifty holy Fathers who assembled at Constantinople likewise confirmed), we strive night and day, by prayer and zeal and laws, that this faith may be multiplied through the holy catholic and apostolic Church, the incorrupt and undying mother of our scepters.
Indeed, that the pious peoples, persevering in the peace and concord which is centered upon God, should offer supplications acceptable on behalf of our empire, together with the most holy archbishops and the God-worshipping clerics and archimandrites. For to the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ, incarnate and born of the holy Virgin Mary, Mother of God, when out of concord they offer praise of glorification and worship, and when He likewise receives it, the generations of the enemies are crushed, and all, after God, shall bow their neck to our power; and peace, and the goods that flow from it—the temperateness of the air and the abundance of fruits, and other things useful to mankind—shall be granted.
Since therefore the immaculate faith thus preserves both us and the Roman commonwealth, supplications have been offered to us by the most God-loving archimandrites and hermits and other reverend men, beseeching the unity of the most holy Church, that the members may be joined to the members, which the enemy of goodness has from long ages past attempted to separate, knowing that he is overcome whenever he wages wars against the united body of the Church;
and that from this it has come about that countless generations, in so many years, have been deprived of life—some indeed dying defrauded of the laver of regeneration, others, never partaking of the holy communion, being led to the inevitable departure of men; and that murders beyond counting have been presumed, and not only the earth but even the very air has been polluted by the overflowing of blood. Who would not wish these things to be transformed into good?
Therefore we have been zealous to make known that neither we, nor the most holy orthodox churches everywhere, have held, nor hold, nor shall hold, nor do we know anyone holding, any other creed or teaching or definition of faith or faith, apart from the aforesaid holy creed of the three hundred and eighteen Fathers, which the aforementioned one hundred and fifty holy Fathers also confirmed; and if anyone should hold such, we deem him a stranger. For this alone, as we have said, we trust to save our empire. And all the peoples who attain to the saving baptism are baptized receiving this alone—which all the holy Fathers who assembled at Ephesus followed, who also deposed the impious Nestorius together with Eutyches.
We anathematize those who think the contrary, while accepting also the twelve chapters which are said to have been composed by Cyril of God-beloved memory, who was archbishop of the catholic Church of the Alexandrians. We confess moreover the only-begotten Son of God and God, who was truly made man, our Lord Jesus Christ, consubstantial with the Father according to His divinity, and consubstantial with us according to His humanity; the same who came down and was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and of Mary, the Virgin Mother of God; that He is one Son, and not two. For we say that the miracles and the sufferings, which He of His own will endured in the flesh, belong to one and the same only-begotten Son of God.
But those who divide, or confound, or introduce a phantasm, we do not at all receive; since the incarnation truly accomplished without sin from the Mother of God made no addition to the Son; for the Trinity remained a Trinity, even when one of the Trinity, God the Word, was incarnate. Knowing therefore that neither the most holy orthodox churches everywhere, nor their most God-loving priests, nor our empire, have received or do receive any creed or definition of faith apart from the aforesaid holy teaching, unite yourselves, doubting nothing. For we have written these things not innovating the faith, but giving you satisfaction;
but everyone who has thought, or thinks, anything else—whether now, or at any time, or at Chalcedon, or in any synod whatsoever—we anathematize, and especially the aforesaid Nestorius and Eutyches, and those who hold their opinions. Be joined therefore to your spiritual mother, the Church, thinking the same things with us, set in the same communion, according to the aforesaid one and only definition of faith of the same holy Fathers. For our most holy mother the Church, as one who gave you birth, awaits to embrace you, her sons, after a long time, and longs to hear your sweet voice; consider yourselves indeed; for by doing these things you will both draw to yourselves the propitiation of our Savior the Lord, and you will be praised by our empire.'
On the word 'Letter.' A fragment is found in the 14th letter of Gelasius. On the words 'Synodical letters.' Note the origin of a vast schism: it was the custom, namely, that the prelates of each greater see, even the apostolic one, as soon as they had been ordained, should from the synod of their ordination send letters to the other patriarchs, which was the token of communion. They were indeed sent by John to Simplicius of Rome through Isidore the presbyter and Peter the deacon; they were likewise sent to Calendion of Antioch through the magistrian assigned to Illus; but none were sent to Acacius, whether through negligence or by design; and Acacius, turning this into a matter of contempt, stirred up the troubles which miserably vexed the whole Church. Bernardinus Ferrarius, in book II On the Antiquity of Ecclesiastical Letters, chapter...
—chapter 6—seems timidly to assent to Baronius, who writes that such letters sent by the supreme pontiffs are for this reason called 'synodical,' because they were given from the synods in which they were ordained; and he inclines rather to the view that they took their name from this, that they either contained the faith composed in the preceding synods, or had to be read aloud when received in synods. But constant custom ought either to lessen such timidity or to overthrow such an opinion—which I marvel did not return to the memory of so learned a man, since it is attested in all such histories and letters. For the supreme pontiffs were not ordained except in synods, from which letters were given to the other bishops.
Furthermore you will read 'synodical letters' more often in the plural than in the singular, not because the word 'letters' is to be understood, but because they were written in pairs—one by the pontiff, the other by the synod—so that, namely, the pontiff might render an account of his faith and might give and receive mutual communion, while the synod might add the authority of the pontiff to the letters and bear witness to the consent of the Church. On the words 'As though he were not suitable for the episcopate.' He seems to bring two reasons why John was not fit to be made bishop, but it is difficult to understand the first, if indeed it differs from the second;
for what is it 'to have contrived to depart from the Church,' unless perhaps it could seem that he then wished to go over to the heretics, when he urged Timothy to enter the name of Dioscorus into the sacred diptychs—for this communion with a heretic is a kind of defection from the Church—or unless he attempted, while discharging the legation of Timothy, having abandoned the Alexandrian Church in which he served, to cross over to another, namely to that of Constantinople? For a cleric was once deemed unworthy of the governance of a Church which he had despised in favor of another. The other reason, far more probable, Liberatus touches upon presently, which Evagrius, book III, chapter 12, expounds from Zacharias the rhetor in these words:
'John the presbyter, to whom the administration of the august temple of the divine John the Baptist and forerunner of the Lord had been committed, prompted by the counsel of certain persons, came to Constantinople to entreat the emperor, that if perchance the bishop of Alexandria should depart this life, he might be permitted to nominate to the citizens of that city whatever prelate he wished; who indeed, as Zacharias records, was caught by the emperor seeking the episcopate for himself; and when he had bound himself by an oath that he would never seek the episcopal see of Alexandria, he returned home: wherefore Zeno decreed that after the death of Timothy he should be made bishop, whomever the clergy and the multitude of the laity might choose.
Not long after, when Timothy had died, John, by a sum of money given (as is likewise related by the same Zacharias) and with the oath which he had given to the emperor neglected, is chosen bishop of the Alexandrians: which when it became known, the emperor commanded that he be driven out of Alexandria.' On the words 'To receive Dioscorus.' Timothy committed that deed at John's persuasion, in order that he might have peace with the people, who were incredibly devoted to Dioscorus; but repenting of the deed, he sought pardon from the supreme pontiff Simplicius, as is clear from the letter of Simplicius which is addressed to Acacius of Constantinople.
On the words 'He presented him to the emperor.' It was a custom established that the prefects of the royal city should bring before the prince bishops coming from elsewhere, even the legates of the apostolic see, into the presence of the prince—which Pope Hormisdas teaches in the instruction given to his legates sent to Anastasius. On the words 'The Henoticon should be issued.' Concerning the Henoticon, that is, the decree of union, receive these few points. 1. It is found in Greek in Evagrius, book III, chapter 14. 2. The version which Liberatus used is that of a man ignorant of Latinity, perverting the sense everywhere throughout. 3. It was composed by the emperor usurping the right of the pontiff, or rather by Acacius inscribing the emperor's name, and by the very ministers of Peter. 4.
It was directed to the Alexandrians by itself, whence it contains nothing—not even the name of Dioscorus—by which they might even slightly be offended. 5. The Alexandrians received it with a favorable mind, on account of the twelve chapters of Cyril which were approved therein, by which they boasted that their faith was contained. 6. It is conceived in ambiguous words, so that it could in some way or other be twisted to its own meaning by any of the contending parties. 7. It decrees that no other creed is to be admitted than the Nicene, which was confirmed at Constantinople and at Ephesus. 8. It is silent about Chalcedon, by which silence the Chalcedonian definition of faith may be believed to be rejected.
On the words 'But everyone, etc.' This whole passage, without naming them, refers to Theodoret and Ibas, whom the Synod of Chalcedon received, although by their adversaries they were said to favor Nestorius and to have anathematized him only feignedly. See the Constantinopolitan colloquy of the catholics with the Severians.