A. D. 385.] ARIAN HERESY ESPOUSED BY JUSTINA.

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at innovation; and she represented to her son that he had insulted her. Valentinian believed this calumny, and determining to avenge the supposed wrongs of his mother, he sent a party of soldiers against the church. On their reaching the edifice, they forced their way into the interior, arrested Ambrose, and were about to lead him into exile, when the people assembled in crowds, and evinced a resolution to die rather than submit to the banishment of their bishop. Justina was still further incensed at this occurrence; and with a view of enforcing her project by law, she sent for Benevolus, one of the legal secretaries, and commanded him to draw up, as quickly as possible, an edict confirmatory of the decrees of Ariminum. Benevolus,1 being firmly attached to the Catholic church, refused to write the document, and the empress tried to bribe him by promises of honours and promotion. He still, however, refused compliance, and, tearing off his belt, he threw it at the feet of Justina, and declared that he would neither retain his present office, nor accept of promotion, as the reward of impiety. As he remained firm in his refusal, others were intrusted with the compilation of the document. By this law, all were prohibited from holding assemblies except those who conformed to the doctrines set forth at Ariminum, and ratified at Constantinople; and it was enacted, that death should be the punishment of those who should violate this decree.

While Justina was planning the means of carrying this cruel law into execution, intelligence was brought of the murder of Gratian, through the treachery of Andragathos, the general of Maximus. Andragathos obtained possession of the chariot of the empress, and sent word to the emperor, that his consort was travelling towards his camp. Gratian, who was but recently married, and was exceedingly attached to the empress, hastened across the river, and, in his anxiety to meet her, fell into the hands of Andragathos, and was put to death. He was in the twenty-fourth year of his age, and had reigned fifteen years. This calamity diverted the thoughts of Justina from her angry altercation with Ambrose.

Maximus in the mean time raised a large army of Britons,

1 Socrates, as Valesius remarks, has borrowed much of what follows from the 11th Book of Rufinus' Ecclesiastical History. Sozomen is, however, mistaken here in his chronology, the events which he mentions as happening before the death of Gratian, not having occurred till a. D. 386

The

Gauls, Celts, and other nations, and marched into Italy. pretext which he advanced for this measure was, that he desired to prevent the introduction of innovations in the ancient form of religion and of ecclesiastical discipline; but he was, in reality, actuated by the desire of dispelling any suspicion that might have been excited as to his aspiring to tyranny; he wished it to appear that it was not by force, but by the sanction of the laws and the consent of the people, that he had been invested with the imperial power. Valentinian, who was compelled by the exigencies of the times to recognise him as emperor, soon after fled with his mother Justina and Probus, the prætorian prefect, to Thessalonica.

CHAP. XIV.-BIRTH OF HONORIUS. THEODOSIUS LEAVES ARCADIUS AT CONSTANTINOPLE, AND PROCEEDS TO ITALY. SUCCESSION OF THE NOVATIAN AND OTHER PATRIARCHS. AUDACITY OF THE ARIANS. TRIUMPH OF THEODOSIUS.

WHILE Theodosius was making preparations for a war against Maximus, his son Honorius was born.1 On the completion of these warlike preparations, he left his son Arcadius to govern at Constantinople, and proceeded to Thessalonica, where he saw Valentinian. He refused either to dismiss or to give audience to the embassy sent by Maximus, but continued his journey at the head of his troops towards Italy.

About this period, Agelius, bishop of the Novatians at Constantinople, feeling his end approaching, nominated Sisinius, one of the presbyters of his church, as his successor. The people, however, murmured that the preference had not rather been given to Marcian, who was noted on account of his piety, and Agelius therefore ordained him, and addressed the people who were assembled in the church in the following words: "After me you shall have Marcian for your bishop, and after him, Sisinius." Agelius died soon after he had uttered these words: he had governed his church forty years with the greatest approbation of his own party; and some assert that, during the times of Pagan persecution, he had openly confessed the name of Christ.

Not long after, Timothy and Cyril died; Theophilus suc1 Compare Socrates, Eccl. Hist. v. 12-14.

A. D. 385.]

TRIUMPH OF THEODOSIUS.

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ceeded to the bishopric of Alexandria, and John to that of Jerusalem. Demophilus, bishop of the Arians at Constantinople, likewise died, and was succeeded by Marinus; but. he was superseded by Dorotheus, who soon after arrived from Antioch in Syria, and who was considered by his sect to be better qualified for the office than Marinus.

Theodosius having in the mean time entered Italy, various conflicting reports were spread as to the success of his arms. It was rumoured among the Arians that the greater part of his army had been cut to pieces in battle, and that he himself had been captured by the tyrant; and assuming this report to be true, these sectarians ran to the house of Nectarius and set it on fire, from indignation at the power which the bishop had obtained over the churches. The emperor, however, was completely successful in this war, for the soldiers of Maximus, impelled by fear or treachery, slew the tyrant. Andragathos, the murderer of Gratian, no sooner heard of the death of Maximus, than he leaped into the river with his armour, and perished. The war having been thus terminated, and the death of Gratian avenged, Theodosius, accompanied by Valentinian, entered Rome in triumph, and restored order in the churches in Italy, for the empress Justina was dead.

CHAP. XV.-FLAVIAN AND EVAGRIUS, BISHOPS

DEMOLITION OF IDOLATROUS TEMPLES.

OF ANTIOCH.

PAULINUS,2 bishop of Antioch, died about this period, and those who had assembled with him, persisted in their aversion to Flavian, although his religious sentiments were precisely the same as their own, because he had violated the oath he had formerly made to Meletius. They, therefore, elected Evagrius as their bishop. Evagrius did not long survive this appointment, and although Flavian prevented the election of another bishop, those who had seceded from communion with him, still continued to hold their assemblies apart.

About this period, the bishop of Alexandria, to whom the

1 Namely, in the war itself. "Neque enim bello jam finito, Theodosius Gratianum ultus est; sed in ipso bello cædem Gratiani vindicavit, sumpto de Maximo Gratiani interfectore supplicio." Vales.

2 Compare Socrates, Eccl. Hist. v. 15, 16.

temple of Bacchus had, at his own request, been granted by the emperor, converted the edifice into a Christian church. The statues were removed, the most secret recesses of the temple explored, and in order to cast contumely on the Pagan, mysteries, the most absurd and indecorous objects appertaining thereto, that had been concealed within the temple, were exposed to the public gaze. The Pagans, amazed at so unexpected an exhibition, could not suffer it in silence, but conspired together to attack the Christians. They slew many of the Christians, wounded others, and seized the temple of Serapis, a large and beautiful structure seated on an eminence. This they converted into a temporary citadel, and here they conveyed their prisoners, put them to the torture, and compelled them to offer sacrifice. Those who refused compliance were crucified, had their legs broken, or were put to death in some cruel manner. When the sedition had lasted some time, and had attained a fearful height, the rulers, with Romanus, the general of the Egyptian troops, and Evagrius, the Alexandrian prefect,1 hastened to the spot, and urged the people to obey the laws, to lay down their arms, and to give up the temple of Serapis. As their efforts, however, to reduce the people to submission were utterly in vain, they made known what had transpired to the emperor. Those who had shut themselves up in the temple of Serapis were averse to yield, from fear of the punishment that they knew would await their audacious proceedings, and they were further instigated to revolt by the inflammatory discourses of a man named Olympius, attired in the garments of a philosopher, who told them that they ought to die rather than neglect the gods of their fathers. Perceiving that they were greatly intimidated by the destruction of the idolatrous statues, he assured them that such a circumstance did not warrant their renouncing their religion; for that the statues were composed of corruptible materials, subject to decay; whereas, the powers which had dwelt within them, had flown to heaven. By such representations as these, he retained the multitude with him in the temple of Serapis.

1

When the emperor was informed of these occurrences, he

1 vraрxoç. He held the office of Præfectus Augustalis, A. D. 391, and also that of Romanus Comes rei familiaris in the same year, as we learn from the Codex Theodosianus, Lex xi. de Paganis, &c.

A. D. 390.] DEMOLITION OF IDOLATROUS TEMPLES.

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declared that the Christians who had been slain were blessed, inasmuch as they had been admitted to the honour of martyrdom, and had suffered in defence of the faith. He offered free pardon1 to those who had slain them, hoping that by this act of clemency they would be the more readily induced to embrace Christianity; and he commanded the demolition of the temples which had been the cause of the sedition. It is said that, when this edict was read in public, the Christians uttered loud shouts of joy, because the emperor laid the odium of what had occurred upon the Pagans. The people who were guarding the temple of Serapis were so terrified at hearing these shouts, that they took to flight, and the Christians immediately obtained possession of the spot, which they have retained ever since. I have been informed that, on the night preceding this occurrence, Olympius heard the voice of one singing hallelujah in the temple of Serapis.2 The doors were shut, and as he could see no one, but could only hear the voice of the singer, he at once understood what the sign signified; and unknown to any one he quitted the temple and embarked for Italy. It is said that when the temple was being demolished, some stones were found, on which were hieroglyphic characters in the form of a cross, which, on being submitted to the inspection of the learned, were interpreted as signifying the life to come.3 These characters led to the conversion of several of the Pagans, as did likewise other inscriptions found in the same place, and which contained predictions of the destruction of the temple. It was thus that the temple of Serapis was converted into a church; it received the name of the emperor Arcadius.

4

There were still Pagans in many cities, who contended zealously in behalf of their temples; as, for instance, the inhabitants of Petræa and of Areopolis, in Arabia; of Raphi and Gaza, in Palestine; of Hieropolis, in Phoenicia; and of Apamea, on the river Axius, in Syria. I have been informed that the inhabitants of the last-named city often armed the men of

1 The opinion of St. Augustine (Ep. 158, ad Marcellin.) is here quoted by Valesius; "lest the sufferings of the servants of God, which ought to be held in esteem in the church, be defiled by the blood of their enemies." See also below, the death of Marcellus of Apamea.

2 It is to be observed that Sozomen reports this story only on hearsay. 3 See Socrates, Eccl. Hist. v. 17, and Rufinus, xi. 29.

Or, in the opinion of Valesius, Aëropolis, which place is mentioned by Eusebius as a town of Arabia.