Vita Porphyrii episcopi Gazensis

 I was a witness to the man's virtue, having lived with him and sailed with him and suffered hardships with him until the last day of his life here. An

 Thessaloniki, and after showing the written instruction, I divided the property with his brothers. And I sold to them the estates allotted to me for t

 he distributed, so that he himself was in need of daily food. Therefore he gave himself to the shoemaker's craft, washing and stitching hides, in all

 a letter to the aforementioned holy Praulius, the bishop of Jerusalem, to send the blessed Porphyry to him for the sake of a certain question of scrip

 16 And on that night, the blessed John sends for the Gazans and says to them: Be ready for the departure for today you receive your priest, a man who

 of the orthodox faith, whose life and works are written in the paradise of delight. So, having come to the aforementioned church, we made so many pray

 23 But when the idol-worshippers saw him being carried, and thinking he was dead, they were turned to madness because they thought it was an abominati

 of the ordinations of the deacons, both I and the God-loving Barochas, I being very unworthy, but he worthily and justly having received this gift.

 29 And she had a faithful nurse, who, being in great distress, made prayers in the houses of prayer on her behalf. Therefore, on one day as she was pr

 33 And the most holy Porphyry answered and said to him: I adjure you before the invisible God and our hope Jesus Christ, the Lord of all creation, and

 the Lord has revealed to my humble self. When you go up to Byzantium, first meet with the most holy bishop John and together with him make prayers to

 39 On the next day, the Cubicularius Amantius sent for us by two deans to go to the palace, and rising up in haste we went. We found him waiting for u

 her face was red and beauty was added to her appearance beyond what she had for the visible things make manifest the invisible things.

 Having gone away, we made the supplication, arranging many things on the charter, not only that the temples of the idols be destroyed, but also that p

 Next I will send for the quaestor and in your sight I will command him that in accordance with the power of your petition a divine letter be made in t

 my child, and many and great are the things that have been granted to us. And immediately the emperor ordered the prefects to bequeath to them from th

 the sign of the precious cross, and they themselves chanting. And the people of the two places mingled, and became no small crowd for those from the

 63 But after the tenth day, the wonderful Cynegius arrived, having with him the consular and the duke and a great military and civil force. But many o

 leave the outer one with the enclosure. And after it is burned, having cleansed the place, build a holy church there. And he also said this: I adjure

 inner doors, and having made a prayer they set the fire, and immediately the whole temple caught and was burned. As many of the soldiers and the forei

 that if they are not found worthy of the faith, having already become settled in evil, those born of them are able to be saved by associating with the

 the former Marneion, and he himself followed carrying the holy gospel and having the devout clergy around him, truly imitating Christ with the discipl

 the Lord, for the three children are alive. And when the holy bishop among the saints and the people heard, they rejoiced, and sending a large basket,

 they speak of astrology, so that they may sin without fear, as if the power to sin is not in us, but from the necessity of fate.

 being glorified, will strike your tongue and muzzle your mouth, so that it may not speak blasphemies.

 of those in need of his gifts. And in the days of the fasts of the holy Pascha he supplied to each poor person 10 obols for forty days. Having command

 the blessed one again, being moved to compunction, wept, having foreseen the faith she was about to have in Christ. And rising and saying the customar

 a tongue, Photine to her he entrusted Salaphtha, giving her the monastic habit, and committing them to God he sent them away in peace. And she undert

the Lord has revealed to my humble self. When you go up to Byzantium, first meet with the most holy bishop John and together with him make prayers to God and entrust the matter to him, and he himself will advise you what the Lord reveals to him. For he is not able to speak in the palace, because the empress Eudoxia is vexed with him. He, therefore, will commend you to Amantius the cubicularius of the empress, a God-fearing man who honors the habit of the priests, and he will bring you in to the empress, and when you enter to her, she will receive you favorably. Entrust, therefore, the whole matter to her and take your leave of her and depart. And on your second visit, after you have reminded her about the matter, say to her that 'We hope in Christ the Son of God, that if you attend diligently to the present matter, he will give you a male child.' And hearing this she will become overjoyed (for she is pregnant and this is the ninth month of her pregnancy) and she will do everything to accomplish your matter, with God's approval.

37 And we, having heard the word of the holy man and having believed what he said, took our leave and departed, and setting sail that day we voyaged, and after another ten days we reached Byzantium, and having taken lodging, on the next day we went to the most holy bishop John. And knowing who we were, he received us with much honor and attention. And he asked us for what reason we had endured trouble, and we related it to him, and knowing this he remembered that some time before we had made this request by letters, and recognizing me he greeted me kindly. And he urged us not to be disheartened, but to have our hopes in the mercies of God. And he said to us: 'I am not able to speak to the emperor; for the empress has provoked him against me, because I reproached her concerning a property which she coveted and seized. And for my part I do not care that she is angry, nor do I worry, for they have harmed themselves, not me; for even if they harm my body, they benefit my soul much more; but nevertheless let us leave this to the compassion of God. But concerning your matter, if it seems good to the Lord, tomorrow I shall send for the eunuch Amantius, who is a chamberlain of the empress, who has great influence with her and is truly a servant of God, and I will entrust the matter to him, and he will be very diligent, with Christ's approval.' And we, having received such instructions and our leave, went to our lodging.

38 On the next day we went to the holy man and found with him the cubicularius Amantius; for he had taken thought for our matter, having sent for him and informed him of our circumstances. And when we entered and Amantius knew that we were the ones about whom he had spoken to him, he rose and did reverence to the most holy bishops, bowing his face to the ground, and they, knowing who he was, embraced him and kissed him. And the most holy archbishop John also permitted them to inform the cubicularius of their matter from their own mouths. And the most holy Porphyry related to him everything concerning the idolaters, how they openly do their lawless deeds and how they oppress the Christians. And hearing this he wept, and was filled with divine zeal and said to them: 'Do not be disheartened, fathers; for the Lord Christ will defend His religion. Pray, therefore, and I will speak with the Augusta, and I hope in the God of all that He will work His mercy as is His custom. And on the next day I will also bring you to her and you may inform her from your own mouths of whatever you wish, and you will find her already instructed by me.' And having said these things, taking his leave of us he departed, and we, having discussed many spiritual things with the most holy archbishop John and having taken our leave, withdrew.

κύριος ἀπεκάλυψεν τῇ ἐμῇ ταπεινώσει. Ἀνερχόμενοι ἐπὶ τὸ Βυζάντιον, πρῶτον συντύχετε τῷ ὁσιωτάτῳ ἐπισκόπῳ Ἰωάννῃ καὶ ἅμα αὐτῷ δεήσεις ποιήσασθε πρὸς τὸν θεὸν καὶ ἀνάθεσθε αὐτῷ τὸ πρᾶγμα, καὶ ἔχει ὑμῖν συμβουλεῦσαι καὶ αὐτὸς ὃ ἀποκαλύπτει αὐτῷ ὁ κύριος. Λαλῆσαι γὰρ οὐ δύναται ἐν τῷ παλατίῳ, ἐπειδὴ ἡ βασίλισσα Εὐδοξία λυπεῖται κατ' αὐτοῦ. Αὐτὸς οὖν παρατίθεται ὑμᾶς Ἀμαντίῳ τῷ κουβικουλαρίῳ τῆς δεσποίνης, ἀνθρώπῳ θεοσεβεῖ καὶ τιμῶντι τὸ πρόσχημα τῶν ἱερέων, καὶ αὐτὸς εἰσάγει ὑμᾶς πρὸς τὴν βασίλισσαν, καὶ ὅταν εἰσέλθητε πρὸς αὐτήν, εὐμενῶς ἔχει δέξασθαι ὑμᾶς. Ἀνάθεσθε οὖν αὐτῇ τὸ πᾶν πρᾶγμα καὶ συντάξασθε αὐτῇ καὶ ἐξέλθατε. Ἐν δὲ τῇ δευτέρᾳ εἰσόδῳ, μετὰ τὸ ὑμᾶς ὑπομνῆσαι αὐτὴν χάριν τοῦ πράγματος, εἴπατε αὐτῇ ὅτι Ἐλπίζομεν εἰς τὸν Χριστὸν τὸν υἱὸν τοῦ θεοῦ, ἐὰν σπουδάσῃς εἰς τὸ παρὸν πρᾶγμα, ἔχει δοῦναί σοι τέκνον ἄρρεν. Ἀκούσασα δὲ τοῦτο περιχαρὴς ἔχει γενέσθαι (ἔστιν γὰρ ἐγκύμων καὶ οὗτος μήν ἐστιν ἔνατος τῆς κυήσεως αὐτῆς) καὶ ἔχει πάντα πρᾶξαι εἰς τὸ ποιῆσαι τὸ πρᾶγμα ὑμῶν, θεοῦ ἐπινεύοντος.

37 Ἡμεῖς δὲ ἀκούσαντες τὸν λόγον τοῦ ἁγίου ἀνδρὸς καὶ πιστεύσαντες οἷς ἐλάλησεν, λαβόντες παράθεσιν ἐξήλθομεν, καὶ ἀναχθέντες ἐκείνῃ τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ἐπλεύσαμεν, καὶ δι' ἄλλων ἡμερῶν δέκα ἐφθάσαμεν τὸ Βυζάντιον, καὶ λαβόντες ξενίαν τῇ ἑξῆς ἐπορεύθημεν πρὸς τὸν ὁσιώτατον ἐπίσκοπον Ἰωάννην. Γνοὺς δὲ τίνες ἐσμὲν ἐδέξατο ἡμᾶς μετὰ πολλῆς τιμῆς καὶ θεραπείας. Ἐπηρώτησεν δὲ ἡμᾶς δι' ἣν αἰτίαν σκυλμὸν ὑπεμείναμεν, καὶ διηγησάμεθα αὐτῷ, καὶ γνοὺς ἀνεμνήσθη ὅτι καὶ πρὸ χρόνου τοῦτο διὰ γραμμάτων ἐδεήθημεν, καὶ ἐπιγνούς με φιλοφρόνως ἠσπάσατο. Παρεκάλει δὲ ἡμᾶς μὴ ἀθυμῆσαι, ἀλλ' ἔχειν τὰς ἐλπίδας εἰς τὰ ἐλέη τοῦ θεοῦ. Εἶπεν δὲ πρὸς ἡμᾶς· Ἐγὼ μὲν οὐκ ἰσχύω τῷ βασιλεῖ λαλῆσαι· παρώργισεν γὰρ αὐτὸν κατ' ἐμοῦ ἡ βασίλισσα, διότι ἐνεκάλεσα αὐτῇ χάριν κτήματος οὗ ἐπιθυμήσασα ἀφήρπασεν. Καὶ ἐμοὶ μὲν εἰς τοῦτο οὐ μέλει ὅτι ὀργίζεται οὐδὲ φροντίζω, ἑαυτοὺς γὰρ ἔβλαψαν, οὐκ ἐμέ· κἂν γὰρ βλάψωσίν μου τὸ σῶμα, τὴν ψυχήν μου πολλῷ πλέον ὠφελοῦσιν· ὅμως δὲ τοῦτο καταλείψωμεν τῇ εὐσπλαγχνίᾳ τοῦ θεοῦ. Περὶ δὲ τοῦ ὑμετέρου πράγματος, εἰ δόξει τῷ κυρίῳ, αὔριον μεταπέμπομαι τὸν εὐνοῦχον Ἀμάντιον, καστρήσιον ὄντα τῆς βασιλίσσης, πολλὰ δυνάμενον παρ' αὐτῇ καὶ ὄντως δοῦλον θεοῦ, καὶ ἀνατίθημι αὐτῷ τὸ πρᾶγμα, καὶ πάνυ ἔχει σπουδάσαι, τοῦ Χριστοῦ ἐπινεύοντος. Ἡμεῖς δὲ λαβόντες τοιαύτας συνταγὰς καὶ παράθεσιν, ἐπορεύθημεν εἰς τὴν ξενίαν ἡμῶν.

38 Τῇ δὲ ἑξῆς ἀπήλθομεν πρὸς τὸν ὅσιον καὶ εὑρίσκομεν παρ' αὐτῷ τὸν κουβικουλάριον Ἀμάντιον· ἦν γὰρ φροντίσας τοῦ ἡμετέρου πράγματος, μεταπεμψάμενος αὐτὸν καὶ διδάξας τὰ καθ' ἡμᾶς. Ὡς δὲ εἰσήλθομεν καὶ ἔγνω ὁ Ἀμάντιος ὅτι ἡμεῖς ἐσμεν περὶ ὧν αὐτῷ ἐλάλησεν, ἀναστὰς προσεκύνησεν τοὺς ὁσιωτάτους ἐπισκόπους, κλίνας τὸ πρόσωπον εἰς τὴν γῆν, κἀκεῖνοι δὲ γνόντες τίς ὑπῆρχεν περιεπτύξαντο αὐτὸν καὶ κατεφίλησαν. Ἐπέτρεψεν δὲ καὶ αὐτοῖς ὁ ἁγιώτατος ἀρχιεπίσκοπος Ἰωάννης ἐκ στόματος διδάξαι τὸν κουβικουλάριον τὸ κατ' αὐτοὺς πρᾶγμα. Ὁ δὲ ὁσιώτατος Πορφύριος πάντα αὐτῷ διηγήσατο τὰ κατὰ τοὺς εἰδωλολάτρας, πῶς παρρησίᾳ ποιοῦσι τὰ ἀθέμιτα καὶ πῶς καταπονοῦσι τοὺς Χριστιανούς. Ὃ δὲ ἀκούων ἐδάκρυεν, καὶ ἐμπιπλᾶται ζήλου θεϊκοῦ καὶ λέγει αὐτοῖς· Μὴ ἀθυμήσητε, πατέρες· ἔχει γὰρ ὁ δεσπότης Χριστὸς ὑπερασπίσαι τῆς θρησκείας αὐτοῦ. Εὔξασθε οὖν ὑμεῖς καὶ διαλέγομαι τῇ αὐγούστῃ, καὶ ἐλπίζω εἰς τὸν τῶν ὅλων θεὸν ὅτι συνήθως ποιεῖ τὸ ἔλεος αὐτοῦ. Εἰσφέρω δὲ καὶ ὑμᾶς τῇ ἑξῆς πρὸς αὐτὴν καὶ διδάσκετε αὐτὴν ἐκ στόματος ὅσα βούλεσθε, ἔχετε δὲ αὐτὴν προδιδαγμένην εὑρεῖν ὑπ' ἐμοῦ. Εἰπὼν δὲ ταῦτα, συνταξάμενος ἡμῖν ἀπῆλθεν, καὶ ἡμεῖς δὲ διαλεχθέντες πολλὰ πνευματικὰ μετὰ τοῦ ὁσιωτάτου ἀρχιεπισκόπου Ἰωάννου καὶ λαβόντες παράθεσιν ἀνεχωρήσαμεν.