The Ecclesiastical History of Theodoret.
The ECCLESIASTICAL HistorY of Theodoret.
Chapter I.— Origin of the Arian Heresy.
Chapter II.— List of the Principal Bishops
Chapter IV.— The Letter of Arius to Eusebius, Bishop of Nicomedia
Chapter V.— The Letter of Eusebius, Bishop of Nicomedia, to Paulinus, Bishop of Tyre .
Chapter VI.— General Council of Nicæa .
Chapter VII.— Confutation of Arianism deduced from the Writings of Eustathius and Athanasius .
Chapter XIII.— Extract from the Letter of Athanasius on the Death of Arius .
Chapter XIV.— Letter written by the Emperor Constantine respecting the building of Churches .
Chapter XVIII.— The Unlawful Translation of Eusebius, Bishop of Nicomedia .
Chapter XXII.— Conversion of the Indians .
Chapter XXIII.— Conversion of the Iberians .
Chapter XXV.— An account of the plot formed against the Holy Athanasius .
Chapter XXVI.— Another plot against Athanasius .
Chapter XXVII.— Epistle of the Emperor Constantine to the Council of Tyre .
Chapter XXVIII.— The Council of Tyre .
Chapter XXIX.— Consecration of the Church of Jerusalem.—Banishment of St. Athanasius .
Chapter XXX.— Will of the blessed Emperor Constantine .
Chapter XXXI.— Apology for Constantine .
Chapter XXXII.— The End of the Holy Emperor Constantine .
Chapter II.— Declension of the Emperor Constantius from the true Faith .
Chapter III.— Second Exile of St. Athanasius.—Ordination and Death of Gregorius .
Chapter IV.— Paulus, Bishop of Constantinople .
Chapter V.— The Heresy of Macedonius .
Chapter VI.— Council held at Sardica .
Chapter VIII.— Stephanus Deposed .
Chapter IX.— The Second Return of Saint Athanasius .
Chapter X.— Third exile and flight of Athanasius .
Chapter XI.— The evil and daring deeds done by Georgius in Alexandria.
Chapter XII.— Council of Milan .
Chapter XIII.— Conference between Liberius, Pope of Rome, and the Emperor Constantius .
Chapter XIV.— Concerning the Banishment and Return of the Holy Liberius .
Chapter XV.— Council of Ariminum .
Chapter XVIII.— The Letter of Athanasius, Bishop of Alexandria, concerning the same Council.
Chapter XX.— Concerning the innovations of Eudoxius, of Germanicia, and the zeal of Basilius .
Chapter XXI.— Of the Second Council of Nicæa .
Chapter XXII.— Of the Council held at Seleucia in Isauria .
Chapter XXIII.— Of what befell the orthodox bishops at Constantinople .
Chapter XXIV.— Synodical Epistle written against Aetius .
Chapter XXV.— Of the causes which separated the Eunomians from the Arians .
Chapter XXVII.— Of the Council of Antioch and what was done there against the holy Meletius .
Chapter XXVIII.— About Eusebius, Bishop of Samosata .
Chapter II.— Of the return of the bishops and the consecration of Paulinus .
Chapter IV.— Of the laws made by Julian against the Christians .
Chapter V.— Of the fourth exile and flight of the holy Athanasius .
Chapter VI.— Of Apollo and Daphne, and of the holy Babylas .
Chapter VII.— Of Theodorus the Confessor .
Chapter VIII.— Of the confiscation of the sacred treasures and taking away of the allowances .
Chapter IX.— Of what befell Julianus, the Emperor’s Uncle, and Felix .
Chapter X.— Of the Son of the Priest .
Chapter XI.— Of the Holy Martyrs Juventinus and Maximinus .
Chapter XII.— Of Valentinianus the great Emperor .
Chapter XIII.— Of other confessors .
Chapter XIV.— Of Artemius the Duke. Of Publia the Deaconess and her divine boldness .
Chapter XVI.— Of the expedition against the Persians .
Chapter XVII.— Of the boldness of speech of the decurion of Berœa .
Chapter XVIII.— Of the prediction of the pedagogue .
Chapter XIX.— Of the Prophecy of St. Julianus the monk .
Chapter XX.— Of the death of the Emperor Julian in Persia .
Chapter XXII.— Of the heads discovered in the palace at Antioch and the public rejoicings there .
Chapter II.— Of the return of Athanasius .
Chapter III.— Synodical letter to the Emperor Jovian concerning the Faith .
Chapter IV.— Of the restoration of allowances to the churches and of the Emperor’s death.
Chapter V.— Of the reign of Valentinianus, and how he associated Valens his brother with him.
Chapter VI.— Of the election of Ambrosius, the Bishop of Milan .
Chapter VIII.— Synodical Epistle of the Synod in Illyricum concerning the Faith .
Chapter IX.— Of the heresy of the Audiani .
Chapter X.— Of the heresy of the Messaliani .
Chapter XI.— In what manner Valens fell into heresy .
Chapter XII.— How Valens exiled the virtuous bishops .
Chapter XIII.— Of Eusebius, bishop of Samosata, and others .
Chapter XIV.— Of the holy Barses, and of the exile of the bishop of Edessa and his companions .
Chapter XVII.— Of the death of the great Athanasius and the election of Petrus .
Chapter XVIII.— On the overthrow of Petrus and the introduction of Lucius the Arian .
Chapter XX.— Of Mavia, Queen of the Saracens, and the ordination of Moses the monk.
Chapter XXII.— How Flavianus and Diodorus gathered the church of the orthodox in Antioch .
Chapter XXIII.— Of the holy monk Aphraates .
Chapter XXIV.— Of the holy monk Julianus .
Chapter XXV.— Of what other monks were distinguished at this period .
Chapter XXVI.— Of Didymus of Alexandria and Ephraim the Syrian .
Chapter XXVII.— Of what bishops were at this time distinguished in Asia and Pontus.
Chapter XXIX.— Of the piety of Count Terentius .
Chapter XXX.— Of the bold utterance of Trajanus the general .
Chapter XXXI.— Of Isaac the monk of Constantinople and Bretanio the Scythian Bishop.
Chapter XXXIII.— How the Goths became tainted by the Arian error .
Chapter II.— Of the return of the bishops .
Chapter IV.— Of Eusebius Bishop of Samosata .
Chapter V.— Of the campaign of Theodosius .
Chapter VI.— Of the reign of Theodosius and of his dream .
Chapter VII.— Of famous leaders of the Arian faction.
Chapter VIII.— The council assembled at Constantinople .
Chapter IX.— Synodical letter from the council at Constantinople .
Chapter X.— Synodical letter of Damasus bishop of Rome against Apollinarius and Timotheus.
Chapter XII.— Of the death of Gratianus and the sovereignty of Maximus
Chapter XIII.— Of Justina, the wife of Valentinianus, and of her plot against Ambrosius.
Chapter XIV.— Of the information given by Maximus the tyrant to Valentinianus .
Chapter XV.— Of the Letter written by the Emperor Theodosius concerning the same .
Chapter XVI.— Of Amphilochius, bishop of Iconium .
Chapter XVIII.— Of the Empress Placilla .
Chapter XIX.— Of the sedition of Antioch .
Chapter XX.— Of the destruction of the temples all over the Empire.
Chapter XXI.— Of Marcellus, bishop of Apamea, and the idols’ temples destroyed by him.
Chapter XXV.— Of the death of the Emperor Theodosius .
Chapter XXVI.— Of Honorius the emperor and Telemachus the monk .
Chapter XXVII.— Of the piety of the emperor Arcadius and the ordination of John Chrysostom.
Chapter XXVIII.— Of John’s boldness for God .
Chapter XXIX.— Of the idol temples which were destroyed by John in Phœnicia .
Chapter XXX.— Of the church of the Goths .
Chapter XXXI.— Of his care for the Scythians and his zeal against the Marcionists
Chapter XXXII.— Of the demand made by Gainas and of John Chrysostom’s reply .
Chapter XXXIII.— Of the ambassage of Chrysostom to Gainas .
Chapter XXXIV.— Of the events which happened on account of Chrysostom .
Chapter XXXV.— Of Alexander, bishop of Antioch .
Chapter XXXVII.— Of Theodotus bishop of Antioch .
Chapter XXXVIII.— Of the persecutions in Persia and of them that were martyred there.
Chapter XIX.—Of the Prophecy of St. Julianus the monk.
A man who in the body imitated the lives of the bodiless, namely Julianus, surnamed in Syrian Sabbas, whose life I have written in my “Religious History,” continued all the more zealously to offer his prayers to the God of all, when he heard of the impious tyrant’s threats. On the very day on which Julian was slain, he heard of the event while at his prayers, although the Monastery was distant more than twenty stages from the army. It is related that while he was invoking the Lord with loud cries and supplicating his merciful Master, he suddenly checked his tears, broke into an ecstasy of delight, while his countenance was lighted up and thus signified the joy that possessed his soul. When his friends beheld this change they begged him to tell them the reason of his gladness. “The wild boar,” said he, “the enemy of the vineyard of the Lord, has paid the penalty of the wrongs he has done to Him; he lies dead. His mischief is done.” The whole company no sooner heard these words than they leaped with joy and struck up the song of thanksgiving to God, and from those that brought tidings of the emperor’s death they learnt that it was the very day and hour when the accursed man was slain that the aged Saint knew it and announced it.424 The emperor Julian was wounded in the neighbourhood of Symbria or Hucumbra on the Tigris on the morning of June 26th, 363, and died at midnight. On the somewhat similar stories of Apollonius of Tyana mounting a lofty rock in Asia Minor and shouting to the crowd about him ‘well done, Stephanus; excellent, Stephanus; smite the blood-stained wretch; thou hast struck, thou hast wounded, thou hast slain,’ at the very moment when Domitian was being murdered at Rome (Dion Cass, 67. 18); and of Irenæus at Rome hearing a voice as of a trumpet at the exact hour when Polycarp suffered at Smyrna proclaiming ‘Polycarp has been martyred’ (Vid. Ep. Smyrn.). Bp. Lightfoot (Apostolic Fathers 1. 455) writes “The analogies of authenticated records of apparitions seen and voices heard at a distance at the moment of death have been too frequent in all ages to allow us to dismiss the story at once as a pure fiction.” Such narratives at all events testify to a wide-spread belief.