THE RESCRIPT OF HADRIAN TO CAIUS MINUCIUS FUNDANUS, PROCONSUL OF ASIA

 

 

Subscription Version of Text
With translation,
more background info & notes

Info about Subscription Site

$5 for trial, $30 a year for individuals ($15 students).

Latin text from Rufinus' translation of Eusebius Historia Ecclesiastica (from text of N. Ketelaer and G. Leempt: Utrecht, 1474).

Greek text from Migne PG, Vol. 20, Cols 326-328, Eusebius, Historia Ecclesiastica, book 4, chapter 9.

An English translation of this text, placed alongside the Latin and Greek text, can be found on the subscription version of the site.

 

(Click on Latin and Greek words to link to the Perseus Morphology. If there are problems with the Perseus website click here for a version of the page with a locally based morphology* and lexicon.)

 

Accepi litteras ad me scriptas a decessore tuo serennio gramuano clarissimo viro. et non placet michi relationem silentio praeterire, ne et innoxii perturbentur: et calumpniatoribus latrocinandi tribuatur occasio. Itaque si evidenter provinciales huic petitioni suae adesse valent adversum cristiunos: ut pro tribunali eos in aliquo arguant, hoc eis exequi non prohibeo: precibus autem in hoc solis et acclamationibus uti eis non permitto. Etenim multo aequius est, si quis volet accusare: te cognoscere de obiectis. Si quis igitur accusat et probat adversum leges quidquam agere memoratos homines: pro merito peccatorum etiam supplicia statues. Illud methercule magnopere curabis, ut si quis calumpniae gratia quemquam horum postulaverit reum in hunc pro sui nequitia suppliciis severioribus vindices.

An English translation is here on the subscription version of the site.

ἐπιστολὴν ἐδεξάμην γραφεῖσάν μοι ἀπὸ Σερεννίου Γρανιανοῦ λαμπροτάτου ἀνδρός, ὅντινα σὺ διεδέξω. Οὐ δοκεῖ μοι οὖν τὸ πρᾶγμα ἀζήτητον καταλιπεῖν, ἵνα μή τε οἱ ἄνθρωποι ταράττωνται, καὶ τοῖς συκοφάνταις χορηγία κακουργίας παρασχεθῇ. Εἰ οὖν σαφῶς εἰς ταύτην τὴν ἀξίωσιν οἱ ἐπαρχιῶται δύνανται διϊσχυρίζεσθαι κατὰ τῶν Χριστιανῶν, ὡς καὶ πρὸ βήματος ἀποκρίνασθαι, ἐπὶ τοῦτο μόνον τραπῶσιν, ἀλλ' οὐκ ἀξιώσεσιν οὐδὲ μόναις βοαῖς. Πολλῷ γὰρ μᾶλλον προσῆκεν εἴ τις κατηγορεῖν βούλοιτο, τοῦτό σε διαγινώσκειν. Εἴ τις οὖν κατηγορεῖ καὶ δείκνυσίν τι παρὰ τοὺς νόμους πράττοντας, οὕτως ὅριζε κατὰ τὴν δύναμιν τοῦ ἁμαρτήματος· ὡς, μὰ τὸν Ἡρακλέα, εἴ τις συκοφαντίας χάριν τοῦτο προτείνοι, διαλάμβανε ὑπὲρ τῆς δεινότητος καὶ φρόντιζε ὅπως ἂν ἐκδικήσειας.