Dialogus de vita Joannis Chrysostomi
honor, but he who is called by God. Thus 5 also Aaron, he says, did not glorify himself to become high priest. For although there were six hundred
the flight of concord, most of us who are active and eager for it have become fugitives from the country, being unable to live safely and without trou
he met with us, he did not share in words, nor in prayer, nor in communion but disembarking from the ship and running past the doors of the church, h
to share in the suffering and to do everything, so as to stop these evils. For he put a stop to none of their lawlessness here, but even after this he
and lamentations and fountains of tears in the marketplaces and the houses and in the desolate places and the whole part of the city was filled with
you are exhorted to contribute zeal from yourselves. For thus you will gratify not only us, 16 but also the community of the churches, and you will re
had fled on account of the threat contained in the imperial decree, that If anyone is not in communion with Theophilus and Arsakius and Porphyry, let
of Bishop John of the Constantinopolitans and, as it seems, it has not been accomplished. Therefore, I wrote again through the bishops and presbyters
savagery. This also the Savior God did, illuminating them with various revelations, so that also to Paul, the deacon of Saint Emilius, a most gentle
He who speaks a lie is not of God, and again from David, Because the mouth of those who speak unjust things was stopped. For he who lies truly wro
by his own choice, he was trained in the discourses for the ministry of the divine oracles. From there, being in the eighteenth year of his physical a
of those who have believed in him will be bound. {THE DEACON} But where did they recognize the presence of the Savior? {THE BISHOP} When they cried ou
of the rich, cutting away the abscesses of the soul, teaching them humility, to be of a humble mind towards other people, obeying the apostolic word,
she gives one thousand gold pieces, having made him swear by the table of the Savior that he would buy clothes and clothe the poorer women of the Alex
with his own hands on his neck, and after inflicting blows on his jaws, with clenched fingers he bloodied his nostrils, shouting 38 with a loud voice:
by an excess of conceit. But those men, driven by great necessity because they were changing places from place to place, arrive at the camp, where Bis
of the church, Dioscorus the bishop, who had grown old in the church but to the bishop John he writes: I think you are not ignorant of the decree of
of John for unlawful offenses, he took advantage of their fickleness and persuades them to submit bills of accusation against John, promising them to
Elijah was taken up did not Elisha prophesy? Paul was beheaded did he not leave behind Timothy, Titus, Apollos and ten thousand others? After these
these of the council but if as accusers, set them up for the trial, so that I may know how I should contend, whether as against adversaries or as jud
(for he is impetuous by nature, and rash and bold and exceedingly contentious—for there is nothing that appears to him by sight, <towards> which he do
brother Acacius and Antiochus whom they put forward as canons of the orthodox, because We are of the faith of those who set them forth, and our doub
reading the oracles, and others baptizing the catechumens, as was fitting because of Easter. These very things the corruptors of minds and deceivers o
a proof of the diligence of teachers, unceasingly setting right the unconquerable quality of their resolve. Theodore said: {THE DEACON} You have spoke
near him to the west), but in the western part, where the gate of the church is, the mule-team, on which he was accustomed to sit, having ordered it t
of a hierophant, a man more silent than a fish and more idle than a frog (for there are times when even action speaks, especially when the good is don
terrifying, just as bogeymen do children? Alas! Those who are clothed in worldly powers and ecclesiastical wealth with authority, with command even of
on the one hand, that he ate alone but I did not wish you, most harmonious Theodore, to ask about the things of gluttonous infants. For being a man,
he says, urging us to imitation Do not forget hospitality, he says, for by this some have entertained angels unawares. But the host must have the
fell from blessing? was it not when he served his belly, deceived by the food? When did Saul fall from the kingdom? was it not when he ate the best of
to eat bread and to put on a garment, all that you give me, I will tithe a tenth of it to you -he did not say, I will consume it at tables. That sp
to give glory to God <in> persecutions. in the refutations of error, is there any mention of a table? But again to Titus, the bishop of Crete, let us
they were seeking luxury. It was absurd to squander the food of the sick or the poor on the intemperance of the healthy. And what sort of law is this,
from seeing evil. For many of the so-called bishops, wishing to cut off the reasonable hatred directed at them on account of their own ways and their
First, that having melted down treasures he fashioned a silver object in the name of his son second, that having taken marbles from the entrance of t
love of money is a source of evils. For he who took bribes against the innocent and thought to sell the distribution of the Holy Spirit for silver,
Antoninus dies, with whom Eusebius had the lawsuit. Again a decree comes from Asia, this one from the clergy of the church of the Ephesians, and this
to buy the priesthood. They say that the ravager and falsely-named patriarch of the Jews changes the rulers of the synagogue every year, or even more
of those who deposed him and concluded the trial. <CHAPTER 19> {THE DEACON.} Forgive me, father, such things surpass drunkenness and madness and sport
ambidextrous (for even his so-called left hand was better than the right hand of others) who at first, having served in letters, was found blameles
slandering their life, waiting to have help from God. To these things Theodore, being astonished, said: {Ο ∆ΙΑΚ.} I see the facts as contrary to the n
Or is it proper at all to cast out any disciple, much less a monk? 100 {THE DEACON} Because they provoked him or spoke ill of him. {THE BISHOP} And ou
having led them back from vice to virtue, it will be clear that their persecutor deserves not to be persecuted, but to be pitied, as one who always ab
having provoked the physician and enchanter of souls and removed his interpreter from the workshop of salvation, 105 they were handed over to the phys
imitating him who, having found the one crushed by robbers, half-dead, on the way down to Jericho, placed him on his own beast of burden, having broug
did he give? And when Optimus died in Constantinople, he closed his eyes with his own hands. In addition to these things, he also refreshed in no smal
desiring to chasten the herd of men for their various desires towards the more austere part of life, he became his own judge and lawgiver, being stren
toward the north, and each man's axe in his hand and one man in the midst of them, clothed in a full-length robe, and a sapphire belt on his loins a
in many ways Who will boast that he has a pure heart? Or who will boldly claim to be pure from sin? but yet the blessed John did not know how to us
happen to us anonymously and beneficially? sifting the reasons, not obeying him who said: Eat whatever is sold in the meat-market, asking no question
two? {THE BISHOP} Especially if it is an unprofitable and charlatan crowd such as the one who said to Jesus: Teacher, I will follow you wherever you
an intemperate old man, and an old man who loves learning above an unlearned younger man, and a poor layman above an educated lover of money, and a vi
enjoying his disease nor raging with the same desires. For this is a fitting way of life for a teacher, not to linger with the crowds, but in quiet an
having subjected his body to shameful tortures by the cruelty of judges, to the point of knocking out his teeth, as the story goes, 127 they confined
knocking, they made the two-day journey into one, arriving late in the evening and departing in the dark of dawn, so that the stomach could not even k
and that these things are done and are prolonged and are strong, and that the good are afflicted and plundered, brings me to shudder at his approachin
Why shall I not be angry? looking upon me, marvel, and lay your hand upon your jaw. For if I remember, I am troubled, and pains take hold of my flesh.
when reviled, we bless when persecuted, we endure when slandered, we entreat we have become as the refuse of the world, the offscouring of all thi
sleepless or troubled in sleep, he suspects plots even from his own family, not trusting even himself, distrusting everyone as liars. Being such a per
each other, for which it was also fitting, having learned something, did you not decide to be quiet and remain still by yourselves even for the future
to his father and to his mother, I have not seen you, and his brothers he did not acknowledge he guarded your oracles, and kept your covenant. He d
foot-soldiers' machinations for the hindering of those who travel for the truth). How then do they dare to say: By God's economy John has been cast o
by his own choice, he was trained in the discourses for the ministry of the divine oracles. From there, being in the eighteenth year of his physical age, he outstripped the sophists of petty words; but having become a man in mind, he fell in love with the sacred teachings. At that time, the blessed Meletius the confessor, an Armenian by race, was ruling the church in Antioch; who, having observed the talented youth, allowed him to approach continually, having fallen in love with the beauty of his heart, foreseeing with a prophetic eye the outcome of the youth. And when he had attended upon him, having been initiated into the "washing of regeneration," for about three years, he was advanced to be a reader. But being pricked by his conscience not to be satisfied with the labors in the city, with his youth vigorous, even if his mind was sound, he takes to the nearby mountains; and having met an old Syrian man, who was practicing self-control, he imitates his hard discipline, having spent twice two years with him, fighting off the rocks of sensual pleasure. And when he had rather easily overcome these, not so much by toil as by reason, he withdraws alone into a cave, longing for obscurity; and having stayed there for three times eight months, he remained sleepless for the most part, learning by heart the testaments of Christ for the banishment of ignorance. And not having lain down during the 29 two-year period, neither by night nor by day, his parts below the stomach were mortified, the powers around his kidneys being struck by the cold. But not being able to serve himself, he again takes to the ecclesiastical harbor. And this was of the Savior's providence, which for the benefit of the church drove him out through the weakness from the labors of asceticism, so that, being hindered by his infirmity, he would abstain from the caves. From there he is ordained a deacon by Meletius, having served the altar for five years. And now, with his teaching virtue shining forth, and the people being sweetened from the saltiness of life by his company, he is ordained a presbyter by Flavian the bishop. And having excelled for three times four years in the church of the Antiochians, he dignified the priesthood there by the exactness of his life, salting some with temperance, enlightening others with teaching, and watering others with the streams of the spirit. And while these things were thus running before a fair wind by the governance of Christ, the blessed Nectarius, the bishop of the church of the Constantinopolitans, fell asleep. Thence some of the unsolicited run together, seeking the presidency, certain men who were not men, presbyters in rank, but unworthy of the priesthood, some making a noise at the praetorium, others giving bribes, and others kneeling before the people. At this the orthodox people are shaken, vexing the emperor, seeking one knowledgeable in the priesthood. But Eutropius the eunuch was in charge of affairs, the prefect of the imperial bedchambers. Wishing therefore to present him to the city (for he had experience of the virtue of John, an imperial matter having brought him to the inner 30 East), he prepares the emperor to write letters to the count of Antioch, to send John away without a sound, so as not to disturb the people of Antioch. Who, having immediately received the letter, asks him to go outside the city as far as the martyria near the gate called Romanesia, and having put him on a public carriage, he hands him over to the sent eunuch with the soldier of the magister. Thus having been brought, he is ordained bishop of the church of the Constantinopolitans. From the beginning, therefore, Theophilus, the bishop of the Alexandrians, having observed his appointment, and the irreproachable character of his boldness, was opposing the ordination. For he is clever at discerning from the visible appearance (for it is invisible) a man's will and judgment. {THE DEACON} Hold on, father, let me object a little. {THE BISHOP} What is it? {THE DEACON} And if Theophilus is such a person, with respect to seeing with sharpness, how did he not know that he would disturb the whole world by casting him out? {THE BISHOP} This is not surprising, most excellent one; for even the demons, having recognized the coming of the Savior, did not know that with one breath of the
γνώμης ἐξησκήθη τοῖς λόγοις πρὸς διακονίαν τῶν θείων λογίων. ἐκεῖθεν ὀκτωκαιδέκατον ἔτος ἄγων τὴν τοῦ σώματος ἡλικίαν, ἀφηνίασεν
τοὺς σοφιστὰς τῶν λεξυ δρίων· ἀνδρυνθεὶς δὲ τὴν φρένα, ἤρα τῶν ἱερῶν μαθημάτων. ἦρχεν δὲ τὸ κατ' ἐκεῖνο καιροῦ τῆς κατὰ Ἀντιόχειαν
ἐκκλησίας ὁ μακάριος Μελέτιος ὁ ὁμολογητής, τὸ γένος Ἀρμένιος· ὃς προσσχὼν εὐφυῆ τὸν νεανίσκον ἐπέτρεπεν αὐτῷ συνεχῶς πλη
σιάζειν, ἐρασθεὶς τοῦ κάλλους τῆς τούτου καρδίας, προφητικῷ ὄμματι προορῶν τοῦ νεανίσκου τὴν ἔκβασιν. ὡς δὲ παρήδρευσε, μυσταγωγηθεὶς
τὴν τοῦ "λουτροῦ παλιγγενεσίαν," ἀμφὶ τὰ τρία ἔτη, προάγεται ἀναγνώστης. νυττόμενος δὲ ὑπὸ τοῦ συνειδότος μὴ ἀρκεῖσθαι τοῖς
ἐν τῇ πόλει πόνοις, σφριγώσης τῆς νεότητος, εἰ καὶ σῶον ἦν τὸ φρονοῦν, καταλαμβάνει τὰ πλησίον ὄρη· καὶ περιτυχὼν γέροντι
Σύρῳ, ἐγκράτειαν τημελοῦντι, ἀπομιμεῖται τὴν σκληραγωγίαν, χρονίσας παρ' αὐτῷ δὶς δύο ἔτη, ἀπομαχό μενος ταῖς τῆς ἡδυπαθείας
σπιλάσιν. ὡς δὲ ῥᾷον περιεγένετο τούτων, οὐ πόνῳ τοσοῦτον, ὅσον λόγῳ, ἀναχωρεῖ ἐν σπηλαίῳ μόνος, γλιχόμενος ἀδηλίας· κἀκεῖ
διατρίψας τρὶς ὀκτὼ μῆνας, ἄϋπνος διετέλει τὸ πλεῖστον, ἐκμανθάνων τὰς τοῦ Χριστοῦ διαθήκας πρὸς ἐξοστρακισμὸν τῆς ἀγνοίας.
μὴ ἀναπεσὼν δὲ τὸν 29 τῆς διετίας χρόνον, μὴ νύκτωρ, μὴ μεθ' ἡμέραν, νεκροῦται τὰ ὑπὸ γαστέρα, πληγεὶς ἀπὸ τοῦ κρύους τὰς
περὶ τοὺς νεφροὺς δυνάμεις. οὐκ ἐπαρκῶν δὲ ἑαυτῷ χρησιμεύειν, πάλιν καταλαμ βάνει τὸν ἐκκλησιαστικὸν λιμένα. καὶ τοῦτο τῆς
τοῦ Σωτῆρος προνοίας, πρὸς τὸ χρήσιμον τῆς ἐκκλησίας διὰ τῆς ἀσθενείας τῶν τῆς ἀσκήσεως πόνων αὐτὸν ἀπελασάσης, ἵν' ἐμποδισθεὶς
τῇ ἀδυναμίᾳ ἀπόσχηται τῶν σπηλαίων. ἐντεῦθεν χειροτονεῖται διάκονος διὰ τοῦ Μελετίου, ὑπηρετήσας τῷ θυσιαστηρίῳ δύο πρὸς τοῖς
τρισὶν ἔτεσιν. ἤδη δὲ τῆς διδασκαλικῆς αὐτοῦ ἀρετῆς διαλαμπούσης, καὶ τῶν λαῶν ἐκ τῆς τοῦ βίου ἅλμης γλυκαι νομένων αὐτοῦ
τῇ συντυχίᾳ, πρεσβύτερος χειροτονεῖται διὰ Φλαβιανοῦ τοῦ ἐπισκόπου. καὶ διαπρέψας τρὶς τέσσαρα ἔτη ἐν τῇ τῶν Ἀντιοχέων ἐκκλησίᾳ,
ἀποσεμνύνει τὸ ἐκεῖσε ἱερατεῖον τοῦ βίου τῇ ἀκριβείᾳ, τοὺς μὲν ἁλίζων τῇ σωφροσύνῃ, τοὺς δὲ φωτίζων τῇ διδασκαλίᾳ, τοὺς δὲ
ποτίζων τοῖς τοῦ πνεύματος νάμασιν. τούτων δὲ οὕτως οὐριοδρομούντων τῇ τοῦ Χριστοῦ κυβερνήσει, κοιμᾶται ὁ μακάριος Νεκτάριος
ὁ ἐπίσκοπος τῆς Κωνσταντινουπολιτῶν ἐκκλησίας. ἐντεῦθεν συντρέχουσί τινες τῶν μὴ ζητουμένων, μαστεύοντες τὴν προεδρίαν, ἄνδρες
τινὲς οὐκ ἄνδρες, πρεσβύτεροι μὲν τὴν ἀξίαν, ἀνάξιοι δὲ τῆς ἱερω σύνης, οἱ μὲν πραιτωριοκτυποῦντες, οἱ δὲ καὶ δωροδοκοῦντες,
ἄλλοι δὲ καὶ τοὺς δήμους γονυπετοῦντες. ἐπὶ τούτοις κλονεῖται ὁ λαὸς τῶν ὀρθοδόξων, διασκύλλων τὸν βασιλέα, ἐπιζητῶν τὸν ἐπιστήμονα
τῆς ἱερωσύνης. ἐκράτει δὲ τῶν πραγμάτων Εὐτρό πιος ὁ σπάδων, ἀφηγητὴς τῶν βασιλικῶν κοιτώνων. βουλόμενος οὖν αὐτὸν παραθέσθαι
τῇ πόλει (εἶχεν γὰρ πεῖραν τῆς ἀρετῆς Ἰωάννου, βασιλικῆς αἰτίας αὐτὸν εἰς ἀνατολὴν τὴν ἐνδοτέραν 30 ἀγαγούσης), οὗτος παρασκευάζει
τὸν βασιλέα γράμματα χαρά ξαι πρὸς τὸν κόμητα Ἀντιοχείας, ἀψοφητὶ ἐξαποστεῖλαι τὸν Ἰωάννην, μὴ ταράξαντα τὴν Ἀντιοχέων. ὃς
ἐξαυτῆς δεξάμενος τὸ γράμμα παρακαλεῖ αὐτὸν ἔξω τῆς πόλεως γενέσθαι μέχρι τῶν μαρτυρίων πλησίον τῆς πύλης καλουμένης Ῥωμανησίας,
καὶ ἐπιβιβάσας αὐτὸν δημοσίῳ ῥηδίῳ παραδίδωσι τῷ ἀποστα λέντι εὐνούχῳ σὺν τῷ στρατιώτῃ τοῦ μαγίστρου. οὕτως ἀχθεὶς χειροτονεῖται
ἐπίσκοπος τῆς Κωνσταντινουπολιτῶν ἐκκλησίας. ἀπ' ἀρχῆς οὖν ὁ Θεόφιλος, ὁ τῆς Ἀλεξανδρέων ἐπίσκοπος, προσ σχὼν αὐτοῦ τῇ καταστάσει,
τῷ ἀνεπιλήπτῳ τῆς παῤῥησίας, ἠντισκότει πρὸς τὴν χειροτονίαν. ἔστι γὰρ δεινὸς ἐκ τῆς φανερᾶς ὄψεως (ἀφανὲς γάρ) ἀνθρώπου βούλημα
καὶ γνώμην συνιδεῖν. {Ο ∆ΙΑΚ.} Ἐπίσχες, πάτερ, μικρὸν ἀνθυπενέγκω. {Ο ΕΠΙΣΚ.} Τί τοῦτο μάλιστα; {Ο ∆ΙΑΚ.} Καὶ εἰ τοιοῦτος
ὑπάρχει ὁ Θεόφιλος, ὡς πρὸς τὸ βλέπειν δι' ὀξύτητα, πῶς ἠγνόησεν ὅτι τὴν οἰκουμένην ταράξει ἐξεώσας αὐτόν; {Ο ΕΠΙΣΚ.} Τοῦτο
οὐ θαυμαστόν, ὦ βέλτιστε· καὶ γὰρ οἱ δαίμονες, γνωρίσαντες τὴν τοῦ Σωτῆρος ἐπιδημίαν, ἠγνόησαν ὅτι ἑνὶ φυσήματι τῶν
