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.

Fravitas was consul (A. D. 401) with Vincentius. [SOZOMEN.]

2 B

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 (ẞnua) 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. Astonished 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,

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,' and he therefore ordained Heraclides 2 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 (ovoσKEλíc)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,1 bishop of Cæsarea in Cappadocia, who performed this office the more readily for him because he had been instrumental,

1

2

Compare Socrates, Eccl. Hist. vi. 11.

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 eμπovσa (see Aristoph. Ranæ, 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

1 Πατρὸς βασιλεώς. The Patricians were called the Fathers of the Emperor a title first given to them by Constantine.

HYMNS IN VINDICATION OF ARIANISM.

373

fairs, but caused those who sought an asylum in churches to be thrust out. He treated Pentadia, the wife of Timasius, in this manner. Timasius was a general in the army, possessed of considerable influence; but Eutropius procured an edict for his banishment1 to Pasis in Egypt, under the pretext that he aspired to tyranny. I have been informed that Timasius fell a victim to thirst or the cruelty of his enemies, and was found dead among the sands of the desert. Eutropius issued a law enacting that no one should seek refuge in churches, and that the asylums should be violated if any one should attempt to avail himself of them. He was, however, the first to transgress this law; for not long after its enactment, he offended the empress, and immediately left the palace and fled to the church. While he was lying beneath the altar, John pronounced a discourse in which he reprehended the pride of power, and directed the attention of the people to the instability of human greatness. The enemies of John hence took occasion to cast reproach on him, because he had rebuked instead of compassionating one who was suffering under the calamities of adverse fortune. Eutropius soon after paid the penalty of his impiety, and was beheaded; and the law which he had enacted was effaced from the public inscriptions. The wrath of God having been thus promptly visited on the injustice that had been perpetrated, prosperity was restored to the church, and the people of Constantinople were hence more sedulous than before in attendance at the singing of the morning and the evening hymns.

CHAP. VIII.- HYMNS AGAINST ARIANISM INTRODUCED BY

JOHN. EFFECTS OF HIS PUBLIC MINISTRATIONS.

THE Arians, having been deprived of their churches in Constantinople during the reign of Theodosius, held their assemblies without the walls of the city.3 They assembled by night in the public porticoes, and sung in parts certain hymns 4

1 This happened A. D. 395, or, according to Valesius, 396.

2 ὑπὸ τὴν ἱερὰν τράπεζαν. Compare the passage relating to Alexander in Socrates, Eccl. Hist. i. 36, where the same phrase is used.

3 Compare Socrates, Eccl. Hist. vi. 8.

4 ȧKpOTEλEUTIα. Literally, "endings of verses." Sozomen understands the Arian doxologies mentioned by Socrates (see Valesius' notes on his