Free English Translation
To Stephen of Rome, on the Peace of the Eastern Churches
Epistolae Dionysii Alexandrini Episcopi ad Stephanum Papam Fragmentum
~1 min read · by Dionysius of Alexandria
About To Stephen of Rome, on the Peace of the Eastern Churches
This short fragment preserves part of a letter from Dionysius, bishop of Alexandria, to Stephen, bishop of Rome, written during Stephen's episcopate in the mid-250s AD. Dionysius reports with evident joy that the churches of the East and the regions beyond, long divided, have returned to unity, with bishops everywhere now of one mind. He names the leading bishops of Antioch, Caesarea, Jerusalem, Tyre, Laodicea, Tarsus, and Cappadocia as sharing in the reconciliation, and notes that all of Syria, Arabia, Mesopotamia, Pontus, and Bithynia rejoice together in the restored peace. The fragment offers a rare firsthand glimpse of communication between the sees of Alexandria and Rome and of how news of ecclesiastical reconciliation traveled across the ancient Christian world.
By Dionysius of Alexandria, bishop of Alexandria and pupil of Origen. Collected in Patrologia Latina, Volume 3.
Know, brother, that all the Churches throughout the East and those situated yet further, which were formerly divided, have now at last returned to unity, and that all the bishops of churches everywhere think one and the same thing, and exult with incredible joy on account of the peace restored beyond hope: namely, Demetrianus the bishop of Antioch, Theoctistus of Caesarea, Mazabenes of Aelia, after the death of Alexander, Marinus of Tyre, Heliodorus of Laodicea after the death of Thelymidris, Helenus of Tarsus and all the Churches of Cilicia, Firmilianus with all of Cappadocia. For I have named only the more distinguished bishops, lest perhaps our letter should be made too lengthy and the discourse more burdensome. All Syria indeed and Arabia, to which you continually supply what is needful, and to which you have now written letters, and likewise Mesopotamia and Pontus and Bithynia, and, to sum up in one word, all people everywhere throughout the lands rejoice and exult, praising God on account of this concord and brotherly charity.
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