1 seen. Gaïnas intended to seize first upon the stores of the silversmiths, and to appropriate their enormous wealth. The silversmiths, however, received timely notice of his designs, and concealed the precious commodities, which were usually kept exposed to the view of the public. Gaïnas then sent some of the barbarians by night to set fire to the palace; but fear fell upon them, and they returned without executing the mandate. For when they drew near the edifice, they fancied that they saw before them a multitude of armed men of immense stature, and they returned to inform Gaïnas that fresh troops had just arrived. Gaïnas disbelieved their report, for he was confident that no troops had entered the city. As, however, other individuals whom he despatched to the palace for the same purpose, on the following night, returned with the same report, he went out himself to be an eye-witness of the extraordinary spectacle. Imagining that the army before him consisted of soldiers who had been withdrawn from other cities, and that these troops protected the city and palace by day, and concealed themselves by night, Gaïnas feigned to be possessed of a demon; and under the pretext of offering up prayer, went to the church which the father of the emperor had erected in honour of John the Baptist, at Hebdoma. Some of the Goths remained in Constantinople, and others accompanied Gaïnas, having first clandestinely provided themselves with weapons of war, which they placed in their chariots. The soldiers who guarded the gates of the city, stopped the chariots, and forbad them to carry away arms. The Goths, thereupon, slew the guards, and the city was immediately filled with as much confusion and uproar, as if it had suddenly fallen under the power of an enemy. A timely thought, however, occurred to the emperor at this perilous juncture, which was, to declare Gaïnas a public enemy, and to command that all the Goths within the city should be slain. No sooner was this mandate issued, than the soldiers rushed upon the Goths, and slew the greater number of them; they then set fire to the church which belonged to that people, and in which those who had escaped the sword had taken refuge; as the doors were closed, the barbarians could not effect an exit,2 and they all perished. On hearing "Tov πρóxεоv πλоυтоv" mean "gems, gold and silver vases, and all precious household goods," according to the interpretation of Valesius. 2 By the words “ Οἷς οὐκετι φυγεῖν ἐξεγενετο ” is meant either that those 66 PUBLIC DISCOURSES OF JOHN CHRYSOSTOM. 369 of this calamity, Gaïnas passed through Thrace, and proceeded towards the Chersonesus, intending to cross the Hellespont, and to subdue some of the Eastern provinces. His expectations proved as futile, however, on this occasion as before; and the Romans were again aided by the intervention of Divine power on their behalf. The emperor sent naval and military forces against the insurgents, under the command of Fravitas, who, although a barbarian by birth, was a good man, and an able general. The Goths, having no ships, imprudently attempted to cross the Hellespont on rafts, which, when the wind arose, were dashed to pieces against the Roman vessels. The greater part of the barbarians and their horses were drowned; but many were slain by the military. Gaïnas, however, with a few of his followers, escaped; but not long after, when making their way through Thrace, they fell in with another detachment of the Roman army, and Gaïnas, with all his barbarians, perished. Such was the termination of the life and daring schemes of Gaïnas. Fravitas had rendered himself very conspicuous in this war, and was therefore appointed consul. During his consulate, and that of Vincent, a son was born to the emperor. The young prince was named after his grandfather, and, at the commencement of the next consulate, was proclaimed Augustus. CHAP. V.-PUBLIC DISCOURSES OF JOHN. CONCERNING THE MACEDONIAN WOMAN, AND THE CONVERSION OF BREAD INTO STONE. JOHN governed the church of Constantinople with exemplary prudence, and induced many of the Pagans and of the heretics to unite themselves with him. Crowds of people daily resorted to him; some for the purpose of being edified by listening to his discourses, and others with the intention of tempting him. He, however, pleased and attracted all classes, and led them to embrace the same religious sentiments as himself. As who were in that church could not go out because the doors were shut, or that, not being able to escape with Gaïnas because the gates of the town were closed, they had taken refuge in that church. This last interpretation Valesius thinks the right one. 1 Fravitas was consul (A. D. 401) with Vincentius. the people pressed around him, and, so far from feeling any weariness, crowded to hear him in such numbers as even to molest each other, he placed himself in the midst of them at the desk (ẞñμa) of the readers, and having taken a seat, taught the multitude. It seems to me, that this is a suitable place in my history for the insertion of the account of a miracle which was performed during the life of John. A certain man, of the sect of the Macedonians, who was married and lived with his wife, chanced to hear John discoursing concerning the Divine nature; he was convinced by the argument he heard advanced, and strove to persuade his wife to embrace the same sentiments. Her previous habits of mind, and the conversation of other women, deterred her from complying with his wishes; and, when he found that all his efforts to convince her were futile, he told her that, unless she would be of one mind with him on Divine subjects, she should not continue to live with him. The woman, therefore, promised to do as she was required; but, at the same time, she made known the matter to one of her servant maids, in whose fidelity she confided, and used her as an instrument in deceiving her husband. At the time of the celebration of the mysteries (the initiated will understand what I mean) this woman kept what was given to her, and held down her head as if engaged in prayer. Her servant, who was standing behind her, placed in her hand a bit of bread which she had brought with her; but, as soon as she had placed it between her teeth, it was converted into stone. tonished at what had occurred, and fearful lest any further calamity should befall her, she ran to the bishop, and informed him of what had happened. She showed him the stone, which bore the marks of her teeth; it was composed of some unknown substance, and was of a very strange and peculiar colour. She implored forgiveness with tears, and continued ever after to hold the same religious tenets as her husband. If any person should consider this narrative incredible, he can inspect the stone in question; for it is still preserved in the treasury of the church of Constantinople. As PROCEEDINGS OF JOHN. 371 CHAP. VI. PROCEEDINGS OF JOHN IN ASIA AND PHRYGIA. HERACLIDES, BISHOP OF EPHESUS, AND GERONTIUS, BISHOP OF NICOMEDIA. JOHN, having been informed that many of the bishops of Asia and of the neighbouring churches were unworthy of their office, and that they sold the priesthood for money, or bestowed that dignity as a matter of private favour, repaired to Ephesus, and deposed thirteen bishops of Lycia, Phrygia, and Asia, and elected others in their stead. The bishop of Ephesus was dead,1 and he therefore ordained Heraclides2 over that church. Heraclides was a native of Cyprus, and was one of the deacons under John: he had formerly joined the monks at Scetis, and had been the disciple of Evagrius. John also deposed Gerontius, bishop of Nicomedia. This latter was a deacon under Ambrosius, of the church of Milan: he declared, either with an intention to deceive others, or because he had been himself deceived by some illusion of the devil, that he had seized a quadruped resembling an ass (ovooKeλic)3 by night, had cut off its head, and flung it into a grinding-house. Ambrose regarded this mode of discourse as utterly unworthy of a servant of God, and commanded Gerontius to remain in seclusion until he had expiated his fault by repentance. Gerontius, however, was a very skilful physician; he was eloquent and persuasive, and knew well how to gain friends; he therefore ridiculed the command of Ambrose, and repaired to Constantinople. In a short time, he obtained the friendship of the most powerful men at court; and, not long after, was elevated to the bishopric of Nicomedia. He was ordained by Helladius,4 bishop of Cæsarea in Cappadocia, who performed this office the more readily for him because he had been instrumental, 1 Compare Socrates, Eccl. Hist. vi. 11. 2 Socrates, in b. vi, ch. 10, says that this Heraclides was the deacon of Chrysostom. 3 The Gentiles gave this name to a certain spectre, because it had the legs and feet of a young ass. By the ancient Greeks it was called μоνσα (sее Aristoph. Rana, 1. 293). This spectre usually presented itself to travellers, as we learn from Harpocrates. 4 Valesius says that he does not see why it is that Helladius, bishop of Cæsarea, ordained Gerontius bishop of Nicomedia. It can be alleged that the bishop of Cæsarea claimed the ordination of the bishop of Nicomedia, as being primate of the diocese of Pontus. through his interest at court, in obtaining a high appointment in the army for his son. When Ambrose heard of this ordination, he wrote to Nectarius, bishop of Constantinople, desiring him to eject Gerontius from the priesthood, and not to permit the discipline of the church to be violated by such gross abuses. However desirous Nectarius might have been to obey this injunction, he could never succeed in carrying it into effect, owing to the determined resistance of the people of Nicomedia. John deposed Gerontius, and ordained Pansophius, who had formerly been preceptor to the wife of the emperor, and who, though a man of decided piety and of a mild and gentle disposition, was not liked by the Nicomedians. They arose in sedition, and declaimed publicly and privately on the charity and beneficence of Gerontius, and on the benefits which all classes, rich and poor, had enjoyed from his skill in medicine; and, as is usual when we applaud those we love, they ascribed many other virtues to him. They went about the streets of Nicomedia and Constantinople as if some earthquake, or pestilence, or other visitation of Divine wrath had occurred, and sang psalms, and offered supplications that they might have Gerontius for their bishop. They were at length compelled to yield to necessity, and parted most reluctantly with Gerontius, receiving in his stead a bishop whom they regarded with fear and aversion. The bishops who had been deposed and all their followers declaimed against John, and alleged that he had violated the laws of the church, and set aside ordinations which had been legally conferred; and, in the excess of their resentment, they condemned deeds which were worthy of commendation. Among other matters, they reproached him with the proceedings that had been taken against Eutropius. CHAP. VII.-CONCERNING EUTROPIUS, CHIEF OF THE EUNUCHS, AND THE LAW ENACTED BY HIM. MURMURS AGAINST JOHN. EUTROPIUS was originally the chief of the eunuchs, and was the first and only person of that rank who attained the consular and patrician dignity. When he was raised to power, he thought not of the future, nor of the instability of human af 1 Пarpòs ẞaoiλews. The Patricians were called the Fathers of the Emperor a title first given to them by Constantine. |