3. Outrages of the Arians against the Bishops.

For whom have they ever persecuted and taken, that they have not insulted and injured as they pleased? Whom have they ever sought after and found, that they have not handled in such a manner, that either he has died a miserable death, or has been ill-treated in every way? Whatever the magistrates appear to do, it is their work; and the others are merely the tools of their will and wickedness. In consequence, where is there a place that has not some memorial of their malice? Who has ever opposed them, without their conspiring against him, inventing pretexts for his ruin after the manner of Jezebel? Where is there a Church that is not at this moment lamenting the success of their plots against her Bishops? Antioch is mourning for the orthodox Confessor Eustathius9    Vid. Hist. Arian. §4. also Theodoret Hist. i. 20. [Prolegg. ch. ii. §4.] The name of Euphration occurs de Syn. 17 as the Bishop to whom Eusebius of Cæsarea wrote an heretical letter. Balaneæ is on the Syrian coast. Paltus also and Antaradus are in Syria, and these persecutions took place about a.d. 338; that of Eutropius, and of Lucius his successor, about 331, shortly after the proceedings against Eustathius. Cyrus too was banished under pretence of Sabellianism about 338. For Asclepas, Theodulus, and Olympius vid. Hist. Arian. §19. and supr. Apol. Ar. 44, 45.; Balaneæ for the most admirable Euphration10    Hist. Arian. 5.; Paltus and Antaradus for Kymatius11    Tom. ad Ant. and Carterius; Adrianople for that lover of Christ, Eutropius, and his successor Lucius, who was often loaded with chains by their means, and so perished; Ancyra mourns for Marcellus, Berrhœa12    Berœa, Hist. Ar. 5. for Cyrus13    Tom. ad Ant., Gaza for Asclepas. Of all these, after inflicting many outrages, they by their intrigues procured the banishment; but for Theodulus and Olympius, Bishops of Thrace, and for us and our Presbyters, they caused diligent search to be made, to the intent that if we were discovered we should suffer capital punishment: and probably we should have so perished, had we not fled at that very time contrary to their intentions. For letters to that effect were delivered to the Proconsul Donatus against Olympius and his fellows, and to Philagrius against me. And having raised a persecution against Paul, Bishop of Constantinople, as soon as they found him, they caused him to be openly strangled14    a.d. 350, infr. Hist. Arian. §4; for Cucusus, see D.C.B. i. 529, 530. at a place called Cucusus in Cappadocia, employing as their executioner for the purpose Philip, who was Prefect. He was a patron of their heresy, and the tool of their wicked designs.

3 Τίνα γάρ ποτε διώκοντες καὶ καταλαβόντες οὐχ ὕβρισαν ὡς ἠθέλησαν; τίνα ζητοῦντες καὶ εὑρόντες οὐχ οὕτω διέθηκαν, ὡς ἢ τελευτῆσαι κακῶς ἢ λωβηθῆναι πανταχόθεν; Ἃ γὰρ οἱ δικασταὶ δοκοῦσι ποιεῖν, ταῦτ' ἐκείνων ἐστὶν ἐνεργήματα· καὶ μᾶλλον οὗτοι τῆς ἐκείνων προαιρέσεως καὶ πονηρίας εἰσὶν ὑπηρέται. Ποῖος τοίνυν τόπος οὐκ ἔχει τῆς κακίας αὐτῶν ὑπόμνημα; Τίνα φρονοῦντα κατ' αὐτῶν οὐ συνεσκευάσαντο πλασάμενοι προφάσεις κατὰ τὴν Ἰεζάβελ; Ποία ἐκκλησία νῦν οὐ θρηνεῖ διὰ τὰς ἐκείνων κατὰ τῶν ἐπισκόπων αὐτῶν ἐπιβουλάς; Ἀντιόχεια μὲν δι' Εὐστάθιον τὸν ὁμολογητὴν καὶ ὀρθόδοξον, Βαλανέαι δὲ δι' Εὐφρατίωνα τὸν θαυμασιώτατον, καὶ Πάλτος μὲν καὶ Ἀντάραδος διὰ Κυμάτιον καὶ Καρτέριον, ἡ δὲ Ἀδριανούπολις δι' Εὐτρόπιον τὸν φιλόχριστον καὶ τὸν μετ' αὐτὸν Λούκιον, τὸν πολλάκις παρ' αὐτῶν καὶ ἁλύσεις φορέσαντα καὶ οὕτως ἀποθανόντα, καὶ Ἄγκυρα μὲν διὰ Μάρκελλον, Βέρροια δὲ διὰ Κῦρον καὶ Γάζα δι' Ἀσκληπᾶν. Τούτους μὲν γὰρ πολλὰ πρότερον ὑβρίσαντες, ἐξορισθῆναι πεποιήκασιν οἱ δόλιοι. Θεόδουλον δὲ καὶ Ὀλύμπιον ἀπὸ τῆς Θρᾴκης ἐπισκόπους, καὶ ἡμᾶς, καὶ πρεσβυτέρους ἡμετέρους, οὕτως ἐποίησαν ζητηθῆναι, ὥστε, εἰ εὑρεθείημεν, κεφαλῆς ὑποστῆναι τιμωρίαν. Καὶ τάχα ἂν ἀπεθάνομεν οὕτως, εἰ μὴ παρὰ γνώμην αὐτῶν ἐφύγομεν καὶ τότε. Τοιαῦτα γάρ ἐστι τὰ μὲν κατὰ τῶν περὶ Ὀλύμπιον πρὸς τὸν ἀνθύπατον ∆ονάτον, τὰ δὲ καθ' ἡμῶν πρὸς Φιλάγριον δοθέντα γράμματα. Τὸν γὰρ τῆς Κωνσταντινου πόλεως ἐπίσκοπον Παῦλον, διώξαντες καὶ εὑρόντες, προφανῶς ἀποπνιγῆναι πεποιήκασιν ἐν τῇ λεγομένῃ Κουκουσῷ τῆς Καππαδοκίας, δήμιον ἐσχηκότες εἰς τοῦτο Φίλιππον τὸν γενόμενον ἔπαρχον· ἦν γὰρ καὶ τῆς αἱρέσεως αὐτῶν προστάτης καὶ τῶν πονηρῶν βουλευμάτων ὑπηρέτης.