Letter of Michael of Alexandria to the Emperors

¹ To the divinely-appointed emperors, Basil, Leo, and Alexander, Michael, archbishop of Alexandria.

² The understanding of men, ⟦well⟧ furnished with wisdom and intelligence; every tongue truly eloquent and nimble, and trained its whole life long for quickness of speech; and the mind of men, dispassionate and free, undefiled and unclouded by the cares of this life—these, O most gentle and most wise of emperors, ⟦are not⟧ sufficient, clearly, for anyone who wishes to extol the magnitude of your achievements, and to match in their ⟦praises⟧ the deeds of one [so worthy of] praise. And [it is enough] only that, with the sleepless eye of the soul, and with tireless and unwearied foot ranging up and down everywhere over earth and sea, you cleansed away the barbarous and alien nations—some ⟦through⟧ yourself, others through your invincible and unconquerable armies—and so procure ⟦through it⟧ much salvation for your subjects; so that this very [thing] [becomes for] them a love that is freely chosen, more lasting ⟦and⟧ more secure. And because there ⟦is one⟧ upon a mountain, like a banner upon a hill, according to the voice of the prophet, [a flock] led astray by the sloth and negligence of those who reigned before, and seeking rest—this [flock], standing in need of ⟦the perception⟧ of your care, you yourself, having taken up upon the shoulders of your compassion, made to encamp in a place of green pasture and beside the water of rest of your mighty ⟦hand⟧; and from a thing slackened and failing you ⟦showed⟧ it to be most flourishing again. So that it has confidence toward God and may say:

³ Behold, I and the children whom God ⟦has given⟧ me. ⟦Lord⟧, ⟦those⟧ whom You gave me, I have kept. But because the great and ⟦untroubled⟧ body of Christ—I mean the Church, the holy nation, the royal priesthood, for whom the good shepherd, Christ our God, ⟦bowing⟧ the heavens, came down, and shed His own blood ⟦willingly⟧; and, ⟦having torn⟧ them out of the snares of the evil one, brought them as a gift offered to God and the Father—this [body], ⟦through⟧ love of rule, or rather, through the envy and wrestling of the demon, and through men who had set at naught the fear of God, having been ⟦torn asunder⟧ and ravaged, so that one clung to one opinion and another to another—this you could not bear to see; and again you reconciled and fitted them into ⟦one⟧ harmony of spirit and ⟦one⟧ will, and fitted and joined them together unto Christ the chief shepherd; and you showed yourself a ⟦guardian⟧ not only ⟦of⟧ things that perish, but also of things that stand ⟦well⟧ and abide, as one pious and God-loving in [your] oversight and care. And [you caused] not only the realm under the Romans to be filled with your good works, but well-nigh as much as the sun ⟦reaching⟧ beholds, [the sun] which by its own bright ⟦light⟧ ⟦sends forth⟧ its radiance. For behold, even to us who are far off and ⟦cut off⟧ from your serenity ⟦on this side⟧, after a very long and protracted sojourn for Christ’s sake, there has ⟦come⟧ Kosmas, the most reverend monk and presbyter, the zealot of Mark the evangelist and his truest disciple, welcoming us with ⟦longed-for⟧ and gladdening, delightful and desirable ⟦tidings⟧: namely, that the all-holy and consubstantial Trinity, which brought all things in the heavens and on the earth from non-being into being, ⟦and⟧ preserves them, in ⟦three⟧ ⟦Suns⟧ that are of one nature and of one mind, has commanded you—the all-good emperor, with Leo and Alexander, the sons like-minded in piety—to direct the Roman race, a race ⟦ever⟧ being magnified; and, placing the deniers of her all-holy name ⟦under⟧ his feet, ⟦deemed⟧ their necks worthy to be trodden ⟦underfoot⟧ by his honored and holy feet, bringing low to the earth their arrogance and blotting it out. At which things we, rejoicing, and ⟦breathing again⟧ from the grievous evils ⟦round about⟧ us, O all-good and God-watched emperors of ours, lifting up our hands to the heavens with one accord, and rendering accordingly the fitting ⟦thanksgiving⟧ to the supersubstantial and all-holy Trinity, beseech her goodness to keep your reign unto ages and beyond ages, and yet more; and to make your days as the days of heaven, and to strengthen you, so as to scatter before you and before your armies the nations that desire wars; granting you, together with the things of earth, the heavenly good things also, together with Eudokia, the most august Augusta, and the God-given branches of her, the Porphyrogennetoi—the most holy Mother of God interceding, and the God-like angels, and all the saints. Amen.

⁴ A very great good, O master, has come to pass, in that our child, the presbyter Kosmas, has been sent on this service—a man instructed in all sorts of different languages, knowing how to handle affairs, and capable of guarding the secrets of emperors. And had it seemed good to your divinely-[established] majesty, O master, to send concerning the ten metropolitans ⟦indeed⟧ before our ⟦departure⟧, we would not so [readily] have ⟦been disposed⟧ toward the ⟦mission⟧

⁵ to our most holy ⟦pope and⟧ ecumenical patriarch. And though we pressed the presbyter Kosmas hard to remain with us, by whom [we sent] the agreements [made] with your majesty and with the ecumenical patriarch, the most holy Photios, we could not persuade him; for he made it his earnest endeavor to keep the truth uncut. For he was not willing even to be made like the accursed Joseph, who lied before your holy majesty, [claiming] that he was archdeacon of the lord Michael, the patriarch of Alexandria; and when the patriarch learned of his wickedness, he anathematized him. And likewise also the impious Elias, who himself too dared to deceive the crowds, and to say that he was syncellus of Sergios, the patriarch of Jerusalem; and coming here, ⟦stricken with leprosy⟧, he ended his wicked life. To these the presbyter Kosmas, not ⟦willing⟧ to be made like, was not ⟦content⟧ to remain with us. And so much concerning him. But the chief point of our thanksgiving, and the debt of our so great joy, we here declare: the same most reverend Kosmas the presbyter ⟦has assured⟧ ⟦us⟧, O master, that your mighty majesty has given back to the Church her glory; that is to say, Photios the most holy patriarch, the man of light and the giver of light, the perfection of the priesthood, the undistorted standard of the truth, the most ⟦upright⟧ canon of virtue, the ⟦abode⟧ of wisdom, the venerable treasury of good things, the unfailing hand of almsgiving, the refuge of the ⟦destitute⟧—him you have again raised up and set upon the lampstand of the high priesthood, to illumine with words of wisdom and knowledge the fullness of the Church. For we, having received him, being such a man, from Michael of blessed repose, both hold and have him as fellow shepherd and fellow minister, and we receive him until our ⟦last⟧ day and our last breath. And whoever does not commune with him and does not accept him to be a ⟦lawful⟧ patriarch, his portion is with the slayers of God. For we, exhorting every man and every soul, counsel them, through this our imperfect letter, and we are ⟦kept⟧ in communion with the man, apart from all evil counsel and defiled conscience. For he who communes with him, clearly communes with us also. But if any should attempt to break themselves off from the body of the Church, let such as these be strangers to the hope of Christians. Yet this too it is good ⟦to set forth⟧, O master: that if the Lord God should incline your holy soul, and you should wish to make some charitable provision for the holy [places], on equal [terms], as did the emperors before you, be eager to send such charity not by another, but by the presbyter Kosmas; for in another we have no assurance. For if we had prepared to send some ⟦other⟧ with him, we were held back by the fear of the nations. But may God, who created all things, and who set up emperors for the salvation of those under [their] hand, who also ⟦set you apart⟧, the most faithful emperor, from your ⟦mother’s⟧ womb, and ⟦crowned⟧ your holy head with a ⟦diadem⟧ and precious stones—may He Himself hold fast your right hand, and [the hand] of your sons and co-emperors; and by His own counsel may He guide you, together with the God-watched Augusta and the Porphyrogennetoi, ⟦granting⟧ you, with the things of earth, the ⟦heavenly⟧ things also. So be it. Amen.

⁶ And