Letter to Emperor Theodosius · §4 · Epiphanius of Salamis

Epiphanius's requests were mocked and ignored

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Epiphanius is closing his letter by reporting how his advice to remove images was received and restating his final requests about the curtains, wall paintings, and shrine images.

He admits that at first his words were set before the many as mockery, on account of the nonsense he babbled, and then that when he advised his fellow bishops and fellow ministers to have these images removed, he was not listened to. We found at the end of the letter an indication containing this: that after speaking many times to my fellow ministers about removing the images, I was not heeded by them, nor did they endure to hear my voice even for a little.

He asks that the curtains bearing such painting be gathered and go forward for the burial of the poor, and that the paintings on the walls be whitewashed.

As for the images already painted in the shrine, since such a removal is difficult, if it is possible to remove them, that is good; but if it is impossible, to be content with what has already happened and no longer to paint anyone in this way.

Greek

28 ὁμολογεῖ, πρῶτα μὲν ὡς χλεύη τοῖς

πολλοῖς ἐπὶ τοῖς ληρῳδουμένοις αὐτῷ προὔκειτο, ἔπειτα δὲ ὅτι καὶ τοῖς συνεπισκόποις καὶ συλλειτουργοῖς συμβουλεύσας ταῦτα περιαιρεθῆναι οὐκ ἠκούσθη. εὕρομεν ἐν τῷ τέλει τῆς ἐπιστολῆς ἔμφασιν τοιάδε περιέχουσαν· ὅτι πολλάκις λαλήσας τοῖς συλλειτουργοῖς μου περιαιρεθῆναι τὰς εἰκόνας οὐκ ἐδέχθην παρ' αὐτῶν οὐδὲ πρὸς βραχὺ ἀκοῦσαι τῆς ἐμῆς φωνῆς ἠνέσχοντο. 29 ὅπως τὰ βῆλα τὰ ἔχοντα τοιαύτην γραφὴν συλλεγέντα εἰς ταφὴν τῶν πτωχῶν προχωρήσειεν, τὰ δὲ ἐν τοίχοις διὰ χρωμάτων λευκανθῆναι. 30 Τὰ δὲ ἐν μουσαρίῳ προληφθέντα γραφῆναι, ἐπειδὴ δυσχερές ἐστι τὸ τοιοῦτον ἀνασκεύασμα, εἰ μὲν δυνατὸν ἀνασκευασθῆναι, καλόν· εἰ δὲ ἀδύνατον, ἀρκεσθῆναι τοῖς προγεγονόσι καὶ μηκέτι τινὰ ζωγραφεῖν οὕτως.

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