[1] A letter from Eusebius to Queen Constantia.
[2] Since you have written about a certain image, as if it were of Christ, desiring that such an image be sent to you by us; [3] what do you mean and what is this image that you say is of Christ? [4] I do not know where this idea originated from that you command us to draw an image of our Savior. [5] What image of Christ do you seek? [6] Do you seek the true and unchanging one, bearing the natural features of Himself? [7] Or do you seek the one which He took upon Himself for us, putting on the form of a servant? [8] For the Word of God and God, taking the form of a servant, condemned sin in the likeness of sinful flesh, as the divine Apostle says.
[9] Thus, He redeemed us from the old bitterness and demonic bondage with His precious blood, setting us free. [10] Therefore, since two forms of Him are presented, I do not think that you seek the form of God, having been taught by Him once, that no one knows the Father except the Son, nor does anyone know the Son properly except the Father who generated Him…
[11] But surely you seek the form of the servant, and that which He put on for our sake, that is, flesh. [12] But we have also learned that this is mingled with the glory of the divinity, and that the mortal has been swallowed up by life. [13] And it is not at all surprising if, after His ascension into heaven, He appeared in such a way, when even while still living among men, the Word of God, giving His chosen ones an earnest of the vision of His own kingdom, having changed the form of the servant, revealed that very form on the mountain above human nature; [14] when His face shone like the sun, and His garments were as white as light.
[15] Who, then, would be able to inscribe on dead and lifeless colors and shadows the gleaming and flashing radiance of such great worth and glory, when even the divine disciples could not bear to look at Him when He appeared in this way, but fell on their faces, confessing that the sight was unbearable for them? [16] If, therefore, His form in the flesh then received such power, being transformed by the divinity dwelling in Him, what shall we say when, having put off mortality and washed away corruption, He changed the form of the servant into the glory of the Lord and God, after the victory over death, and after the ascension into heaven, and after being seated on the royal throne at the right hand of the Father, after the rest in the ineffable and indescribable bosom of the Father, into which, when He ascended and was seated, the heavenly powers cried out, saying, [17] “Lift up your heads, O gates, and be lifted up, O eternal doors; and the King of glory shall come in.”
[18] Therefore, even the form of the servant, when it became such, was completely transformed and shone with an ineffable and indescribable light, a light worthy of God the Word Himself, a light which eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor has it entered the heart of man. [19] How then could any of the weak attain to it? [20] And how could anyone paint an image of such a marvelous and incomprehensible form, if indeed it should still be called a form, this divine and intellectual essence? [21] Unless, like the unbelieving nations, someone were to paint things that are in no way like themselves, just as a painter paints things that are nothing like them. [22] For such people, when they made idols, as they thought, or any so-called heroes, or anything of that kind, they would want to mold and represent nothing similar or even close, being able to paint only strange shadows, carving out misshapen figures.
[23] Surely you too would agree that it is not right for us to do such things. [24] But if you say that you are not asking for an image of His form transformed into God, but rather the form of His flesh before the transformation, that is, of His mortal body, did the reading escape you where God commanded not to make any likeness of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath? [25] Or have you heard such a thing in the Church, either from yourself or from someone else? [26] Has not such a thing been banished throughout the whole world and exiled far from the Churches, and has it not been proclaimed to all that we alone are not permitted to do such a thing?
[27] For I do not know how a certain woman once held two tablets, as if they were philosophers, and declared them to be of Paul and the Savior; [28] I cannot say where she got them or where she learned this. [29] In order that neither she nor others might be scandalized, I took them from her and kept them myself, not thinking it right to bring these things out to others, lest we might seem to carry around our God in an image, as idolaters do. [30] I hear that Paul teaches us all not to be conformed to this world. [31] For if we have known Christ according to the flesh, he says, yet now we know Him no more.
[32] It is said among the godless heretics that Simon Magus is worshiped in an inanimate material image. [33] And we ourselves have seen the namesake of madness being supported by an image among the Manicheans. [34] But such things are forbidden to us. [35] For since we confess the Lord our Savior as God, we prepare ourselves to see God, diligently purifying our own hearts, so that we might see Him when we are purified. [36] For blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. [37] If, out of abundance, before the future face-to-face vision of our Savior, you value His images so highly, what better painter of the Word of God could we have? [38] Surely….
Translated from Migne’s Patrologia Graeca 20, 1545 f.
Greek Text:
[00001] Εὐσεβίου ἐπιστολὴ πρὸς Κωνσταντίαν τὴν βασίλισσαν.
[00002] Ἐπεὶ δὲ καὶ περί τινος εἰκόνος ὡς δὴ τοῦ Χριστοῦ γέγραφας, εἰκόνα βουλοµένη σοι ταύτην ὑφ’ ἡµῶν πεµφθῆναι·
[00003] τίνα λέγεις καὶ ποίαν ταύτην, ἣν φῂς τοῦ Χριστοῦ εἰκόνα;
[00004] Οὐκ οἶδα πόθεν αὐτὴ ὁρµηθεῖσα τοῦ Σωτῆρος ἡµῶν διαγράψαι εἰκόνα προστάττεις.
[00005] Ποίαν τοῦ Χριστοῦ εἰκόνα ἐπιζητεῖς;
[00006] Πότερον τὴν ἀληθῆ καὶ ἀµετάλλακτον, καὶ φύσει τοὺς αὐτοῦ χαρακτῆρας φέρουσαν·
[00007] ἢ ταύτην ἣν δι’ ἡµᾶς ἀνείληφεν, τῆς τοῦ δούλου µορφῆς περιθέµενος τὸ σχῆµα;
[00008] Ὁ γὰρ τοῦ Θεοῦ Λόγος καὶ Θεὸς, µορφὴν δούλου λαβὼν, ἐν ὁµοιώµατι σαρκὸς ἁµαρτίας τὴν ἁµαρτίαν κατέκρινεν, ᾗ φησιν ὁ θεῖος Ἀπόστολος.
[00009] Οὕτως ἡµᾶς τῆς παλαιᾶς πικρίας καὶ δαιµονικῆς δουλείας τῷ τιµίῳ αἵµατι λυτρωσάµενος ἀπηλευθέρωσεν.
[00010] ∆ύο οὖν µορφῶν αὐτῷ παρισταµένων, περὶ µὲν τῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ µορφῆς οὐδὲ αὐτὸς ἡγοῦµαί σε ζητεῖν, ἅπαξ παρ’ αὐτοῦ παιδευοµένην, ὅτι οὔτε τὸν Πατέρα
τις ἔγνω, εἰ µὴ ὁ Υἱὸς, οὐδ’ αὐτὸν Υἱὸν γνοίη ποτέ τις ἐπαξίως, εἰ µὴ µόνος ὁ γεννήσας αὐτὸν Πατήρ …
[00011] Ἀλλὰ γὰρ πάντως τῆς τοῦ δούλου µορφῆς ἐπιζητεῖς, καὶ οὗ δι’ ἡµᾶς περιεβλήθη σαρκίου.
[00012] Ἀλλὰ καὶ τοῦτο τῇ δόξῃ τῆς θεότητος ἀνακεχρᾶσθαι µεµαθήκαµεν, καὶ καταπεπόσθαι τὸ θνητὸν ὑπὸ τῆς ζωῆς.
[00013] Καὶ οὔ τί που θαυµαστὸν, εἰ µετὰ τὴν εἰς οὐρανοὺς ἄνοδον τοιοῦτόν που πέφηνεν, ὁπότε καὶ ἐν ἀνθρώποις ἔτι βιοτεύων ὁ Θεὸς Λόγος, τοῖς ἐγκρίτοις
τῶν ἑαυτοῦ λόγων προαῤῥαβωνιζόµενος τὴν θέαν τῆς αὑτοῦ βασιλείας, µεταβαλὼν τὴν τοῦ δούλου µορφὴν, αὐτὴν ἐκείνην ἐπὶ τοῦ ὄρους ὑπὲρ τὴν ἀνθρωπείαν
φύσιν ἐπιδέδεικται·
[00014] ὅτε τὸ µὲν πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ ἀπήστραψεν ὡς ὁ ἥλιος, τὰ δὲ ἱµάτια ὡς τὸ φῶς.
[00015] Τίς οὖν τῆς τοσαύτης ἀξίας τε καὶ δόξης τὰς ἀποστιλβούσας, καὶ ἀπαστραπτούσας µαρµαρυγὰς οἷός τε ἂν εἴη καταχαράξαι νεκροῖς καὶ ἀψύχοις χρώµασι
καὶ σκιογραφίαις, ὁπότε µηδὲ ἐµβλέψαι αὐτῷ, τοῦτον ὀφθέντι τὸν τρόπον, οἱ θεσπέσιοι ὑπέµειναν µαθηταὶ, οἵ γε ἔπεσον ἐπὶ πρόσωπον, ἀφόρητον αὐτοῖς τὸ
θεώµενον ὁµολογήσαντες;
[00016] Εἰ δ’ οὖν τότε ἡ ἐν σαρκὶ αὐτοῦ µορφὴ τοσαύτης ἔλαχε δυνάµεως, πρὸς τῆς ἐνοικούσης αὐτῇ θεότητος [20.1548] µεταβληθεῖσα, τί χρὴ λέγειν, ὅτε τὴν
θνητότητα ἀποδὺς, καὶ τὴν φθορὰν ἀπονιψάµενος, τῆς τοῦ δούλου µορφῆς τὸ εἶδος εἰς τὴν τοῦ δεσπότου καὶ Θεοῦ δόξαν µετεσκευάσατο, µετὰ τὴν κατὰ τοῦ
θανάτου νίκην, καὶ µετὰ τὴν εἰς οὐρανοὺς ἄνοδον, καὶ µετὰ τὴν ἐν τῷ βασιλικῷ θρόνῳ ἀµφὶ τὰ δεξιὰ τοῦ Πατρὸς ἵδρυσιν, µετὰ τὴν ἐν τοῖς ἀκατονοµάστοις
καὶ ἀῤῥήτοις κόλποις τοῦ Πατρὸς ἀνάπαυσιν, εἰς ἣν ἀνιόντα καὶ ἀποκαθισάµενον αἱ οὐράνιαι δυνάµεις ἀνηυφήµουν, λέγουσαι·
[00017] Ἄρατε πύλας, οἱ ἄρχοντες, ὑµῶν, καὶ ἐπάρθητε, πύλαι αἰώνιοι, καὶ εἰσελεύσεται ὁ βασιλεὺς τῆς δόξης.
[00018] Οὐκοῦν καὶ ἡ τοῦ δούλου µορφὴ ἐν τοιούτοις γινοµένη, ἐξόλων ὅλη µεταβέβληται ἐπὶ φῶς αὐτοῦ ἄῤῥητον καὶ ἀνεκδιήγητον, αὐτῷ τῷ Θεῷ Λόγῳ πρέπον
φῶς, ὅπερ ὀφθαλµὸς οὐκ εἶδεν, καὶ οὖς οὐκ ἤκουσεν, καὶ ἐπὶ καρδίαν ἀνθρώπου οὐκ ἀνέβη.
[00019] Πῶς οὖν τις τῶν ἀδυνάτων ἐφίκοιτο;
[00020] Πῶς δὲ τῆς οὕτω θαυµαστῆς, καὶ ἀλήπτου µορφῆς, εἴ γε χρὴ µορφὴν ἔτι καλεῖν τὴν ἔνθεον καὶ νοερὰν οὐσίαν, εἰκόνα τις ζωγραφήσειεν;
[00021] Εἰ µὴ τοῖς ἀπίστοις ἔθνεσιν ὁµοίως τὰ µηδαµῆ µηδαµῶς ἐοικότα ἑαυτῷ τις ἀναζωγραφήσειεν, ὥσπερ γραφεὺς µηδὲν ἐοικότα γράφων.
[00022] Τοιοίδε γᾶρ κἀκεῖνοι ἀνειδωλοποιοῦντες ἤ ποτε Θεὸν, ὡς ἡγοῦνται, ἤ τινα ὡς ἂν φαῖεν ἡρώων, ἤ τι τῶν τοιούτων πλάττειν καὶ ἀπεικάζειν ἐθέλοιεν,
οὐδὲν ὅµοιον, οὐδὲ ἐγγὺς, οἷοί τε ὄντες γράφειν, ἀλλόκοτα σκιογραφοῦσιν, ἀνδρείκελα σχήµατα διαχαράττοντες.
[00023] Επιτρέπετα
[00024] Ἡµῖν δὲ ὅτι µὴ δίκαιον τὰ τοιαῦτα, πάντως που καὶ αὐτὴ συµβάλλεις.
[00025] Ἀλλ’ εἰ µὴ τῆς εἰς Θεὸν µεταβληθείσης µορφῆς, ἀλλὰ τοῦ πρὸ τῆς µεταβολῆς σαρκίου αὐτοῦ δὴ τοῦ θνητοῦ τὴν εἰκόνα φῂς παρ’ ἡµῶν αἰτεῖν, ἆρα γὰρ
Cooperatorum Veritatis Societas Excerpta ex “Documenta Catholica Omnia” 1/8
τοῦτό σε µόνον διέλαθεν τὸ ἀνάγνωσµα, ἐν ᾧ ὁ Θεὸς νοµοθετεῖ µὴ ποιεῖν ὁµοίωµα, µήτε τῶν ὅσα ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ, µήτε τῶν ὅσα ἐν τῇ γῇ κάτω;
[00026] ἢ ἔστιν ὅτε ἐν Ἐκκλησίᾳ τὸ τοιοῦτον ἢ αὐτὴ, ἢ καὶ παρ’ ἄλλου τοῦτο ἤκουσας;
[00027] Οὐχὶ δὲ καθ’ ὅλης τῆς οἰκουµένης ἐξώρισται καὶ πόῤῥω τῶν Ἐκκλησιῶν πεφυγάδευται τὰ τοιαῦτα, µόνοις τε ἡµῖν µῆ ἐξεῖναι τὸ τοιοῦτον ποιεῖν παρὰ
πᾶσι βεβόηται;
…
[00028] Οὐκ οἶδα γὰρ, ὅπως γύναιόν τι µετὰ χεῖράς ποτε δύο τινὰς φέρουσα καταγεγραµµένους, ὡς ἂν φιλοσόφους, ἀπέῤῥιψε λόγον, ὡς ἂν εἶεν Παύλου καὶ
τοῦ Σωτῆρος·
[00029] οὐκ ἔχω λέγειν, οὔτε ὁπόθεν λαβοῦσα, οὔτε ὅθεν τοῦτο µαθοῦσα.
[00030] Ἵνα µὴ δὲ αὐτὴ, µηδὲ ἕτεροι σκανδαλίζοιντο, ἀφελόµενος ταύτην, παρ’ ἐµαυτὸν κατεῖχον, οὐχ ἡγούµενος καλῶς ἔχειν εἰς ἑτέρους ὅλως ἐκφέρειν ταῦτα,
ἵνα µὴ δοκῶµεν δίκην εἰδωλολατρούντων τὸν Θεὸν ἡµῶν ἐν εἰκόνι περιφέρειν.
[00031] Παύλου τε ἀκούω πάντας ἡµᾶς παιδεύοντος, µηκέτι τοῖς σαρκικοῖς προσανέχειν.
[00032] Εἰ γὰρ ἔγνωµεν, φησὶ, κατὰ σάρκα Χριστὸν, ἀλλὰ νῦν οὐκέτι γινώσκοµεν.
[00033] Σίµωνα τὸν Μάγον λόγος ἔχει παρὰ τοῖς ἀθέοις αἱρεσιώταις προσκυνεῖσθαι, ἐν ἀψύχῳ ὕλῃ καταγεγραµµένον.
[00034] Ἐθεωρήσαµεν δὲ καὶ αὐτοὶ τὸν τῆς µανίας ἐπώνυµον ὑπὸ τῶν Μανιχαίων εἰκόνι δορυφορούµενον.
[00035] Ἡµῖν δὲ ἀπείρηται τὰ τοιαῦτα.
[00036] Θεὸν γοῦν Κύριον τὸν Σωτῆρα ἡµῶν ὁµολογοῦντες, [20.1549] ὡς Θεὸν ἰδεῖν εὐτρεπιζόµεθα, πάσῃ σπουδῇ καθάραντες αὐτοὶ τὰς ἑαυτῶν καρδίας, ὡς ἂν
ἴδοιµεν αὐτὸν κεκαθαρµένοι.
[00037] Μακάριοι γὰρ οἱ καθαροὶ τῇ καρδίᾳ ὅτι αὐτοὶ τὸν Θεὸν ὄψονται.
[00038] Εἰ δὲ ἐκ περιουσίας, πρὸ τῆς µελλούσης πρόσωπον εἰς πρόσωπον ὄψεώς τε καὶ θέας, τοῦ Σωτῆρος ἡµῶν τὰς εἰκόνας αὐτοὶ περὶ πολλοῦ τίθεσθε, τίνα
µᾶλλον ἀγαθὸν ζωγράφον αὐτοῦ τοῦ Θεοῦ Λόγου ἔχοιµεν ἄν;
[00039] Επιτρέπετα