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

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 Alexandrians, without giving knowledge to Theophilus, so that he, having taken them, might not spend them on stones (for a certain Pharaonic madness for stones possessed him for buildings, which the church in no way needs—and let such things be put in second place; but hear the urgent matter concerning Isidore). Therefore Isidore, having taken the coins, spends them on the poor women and the widows. Theophilus learned of it from somewhere (for nothing of what was done or said everywhere escaped his notice, since he had spies of deeds and spies of words—that I may not say it otherwise), and he summons Isidore, asking with moderation, 36 if these things were so. Not denying it, he confessed the ministry of the matter. But he, upon hearing, changes the scene, and he who a moment before was gentle and appeared kindly in his questioning, after the moment swelled up completely, changing his expressions, when Isidore's response came in. and having kept quiet for a short time, like a dog that bites secretly, after two months he brings forth a paper, having assembled the clergy, saying in the presence of Isidore, that "I received this eighteen years ago, Isidore, against you; and since I became very busy, I consigned the matter to oblivion. But now, while seeking other papers, I have found this paper concerning you. Defend yourself against it." Now the paper contained the crime of the Sodomites. To this Isidore, defending himself, says to Theophilus: "Let us grant it to be true, that you both received the paper, and it was mislaid; was not the one who gave the accusation present, that he might be questioned about it a second time?" To this Theophilus: "But the boy was not present, being a sailor." And Isidore: "Was he not present at once, as you say, papa? Was he not present after the voyage? Was he not present in the second year, nor in the third? And now if he is present, order the man to stand forth." To this Theophilus, about to become easily despised by the truth itself, postpones it to another day. And having beseeched a certain young man with many promises, he anointed him for the accusation against Isidore, giving him, as they say, fifteen gold pieces; who immediately reports it to his mother. But she on the one hand did not approve this because of her unswerving eye, and on the other hand, being overturned by fear of the laws, considering that Isidore, being falsely accused, might appeal to the ruler of the people, came and confessed the plot to Isidore, showing him the gold pieces, which she said she had received 37 from the sister of Theophilus, "as payment against the innocent man." And she, for many reasons, but especially for this, paying the worthy penalty, died, having her breasts operated on. At this, Isidore remained at home, beseeching God. But the young man, on the one hand fearing the laws, and on the other hand thinking Theophilus more terrible in his failure, flees to the advantageous wall, the church, taking refuge at the altar. Thus Theophilus, by a silent judgment excommunicates Isidore from the church, having charged him with incurable evils, assuming a guise of solemnity for his injustice. In addition to this, Isidore, fearing that Theophilus, pressed by a more grievous anger, might devise a plot against his life (for he goes, as they say, even to these lengths), proceeds at a run to the mountain of Nitria to the order of the monks, where he had practiced the disciplines of his youth; and sitting in his cell he prayed, petitioning the long-suffering God. At this, Theophilus, conscious of the unseemly and obscure nature of his victory, sends letters to the neighboring bishops, and orders certain of the first men, the monks in charge, to be cast out of the mountain and of the inner desert, without stating the reason. These monks, with the presbyters, having come down to Alexandria, entreated Theophilus to state the reason, for which they were condemned to be cast out. But he with bloodshot eyes, staring like a dragon, looked at them like a bull, at one time livid, at another pale, and at another even sneering, being carried away by unrestrained anger; he wraps his pallium around Ammonius, an elderly man, in

δίδωσι χιλίους χρυσίνους, ὁρκώσασα αὐτὸν κατὰ τῆς τοῦ Σωτῆρος τραπέζης συναγοράσαντα ἄμφια ἐνδῦσαι τὰς πτωχοτέρας τῶν Ἀλεξανδρέων, μὴ μεταδόντα γνώσεως τῷ Θεοφίλῳ, ἵνα μὴ λαβὼν αὐτὰ τοῖς λίθοις προσανα λώσῃ (λιθομανία γάρ τις αὐτὸν Φαραώνιος ἔχει εἰς οἰκοδομή ματα, ὧν οὐδαμῶς χρῄζει ἡ ἐκκλησία-καὶ τὰ μὲν τοιαῦτα ἐν δευτέρῳ κείσθω· τὸ δὲ κατεπεῖγον περὶ τοῦ Ἰσιδώρου ἄκουσον). λαβὼν τοιγαροῦν ὁ Ἰσίδωρος τὰ νομίσματα ἀναλίσκει ταῖς πενομέναις καὶ ταῖς χήραις. ἔγνω ποθὲν ὁ Θεόφιλος (οὐδὲν γὰρ αὐτῷ ἐλάνθανε τῶν πανταχοῦ πραττομένων ἢ λαλουμένων, ἔχοντι ἐργοσκόπους καὶ λογοσκόπους-ἵνα μὴ ἄλλως εἴπω), καὶ προσκαλεῖται τὸν Ἰσίδωρον, μετριοπαθῶς πυνθανόμενος, 36 εἰ ταῦθ' οὕτως ἔχει. οὐκ ἀρνησάμενος ὡμολόγησε τὴν τοῦ πράγματος διακονίαν. ὁ δὲ ἀκούσας τὴν σκηνὴν ἐναλλάσσει, καὶ ὁ πρὸ ῥοπῆς ἐπιεικὴς καὶ χρηστοφανὴς ἐν τῇ ἐρωτήσει, μετὰ τὴν ῥοπὴν οἴδησεν ὅλος, τὰς μορφὰς ἐναλλάττων, τῆς ἀποκρίσεως εἰσελθούσης τοῦ Ἰσιδώρου. καὶ μικρὸν ἐφησυ χάσας χρόνον, καθάπερ λαθροδάκτης κύων, μετὰ δύο μῆνας προφέρει χαρτίον, συγκροτήσας τὸ ἱερατεῖον, παρόντος τοῦ Ἰσιδώρου λέγων, ὅτι "Τοῦτο ἐδεξάμην πρὸ δέκα ὀκτὼ ἐτῶν, Ἰσίδωρε, κατὰ σοῦ· καὶ ἐπειδὴ περιάσχολος ἐγενόμην, λήθῃ παρέδωκα τὸ πρᾶγμα. νῦν δὲ ἑτέρους ἐπιζητῶν χάρτας, εὕρηκα τοῦτο τὸ περὶ σοῦ χαρτίον. ἀπολόγησαι πρὸς αὐτό." περιεῖχεν δὲ ὁ χάρτης ἔγκλημα τὸ Σοδόμων. πρὸς ταῦτα ὁ Ἰσίδωρος ἀπολογούμενος λέγει τῷ Θεοφίλῳ· "Συγχωρήσωμεν ἀληθὲς εἶναι, ὅτι καὶ ἐδέξω τὸν χάρτην, καὶ παρέπεσεν, οὐκ ἦν ὁ δοὺς τὸν λίβελλον, ἵνα ἐκ δευτέρου τοῦτον ἀπαιτηθῇ;" πρὸς ταῦτα ὁ Θεόφιλος· "Ἀλλ' οὐ παρῆν ὁ παῖς, πλεύστης ὑπάρχων." καὶ ὁ Ἰσίδωρος· "Οὐ παρῆν πάραυτα, ὡς λέγεις, πάπα; μετὰ τὸν πλοῦν οὐ παρῆν; τῷ δευτέρῳ ἔτει οὐ παρῆν, οὐδὲ τῷ τρίτῳ; καὶ νῦν εἰ πάρεστι, κέλευσον στῆναι τὸν ἄνθρωπον." πρὸς ταῦτα ὁ Θεόφιλος, ὑπ' αὐτῆς τῆς ἀληθείας μέλλων εὐ καταφρόνητος γίνεσθαι, ἀναβάλλεται εἰς ἡμέραν ἑτέραν. καὶ λιπαρήσας τινὰ νεανίσκον ὑποσχέσεσι πολλαῖς, ἤλειψεν εἰς κατηγορίαν κατὰ τοῦ Ἰσιδώρου, δοὺς αὐτῷ, ὥς φασι, πεντε καίδεκα χρυσίνους· ὃς ἐξαυτῆς ἀνατίθεται τῇ μητρί. ἡ δὲ τοῦτο μὲν οὐ κατεδέξατο ὑπὸ τοῦ ἀκλινοῦς ὀφθαλμοῦ, τοῦτο δὲ ὑπὸ τοῦ δέους τῶν νόμων ἀνατραπεῖσα, ἐνθυμουμένη μήποτε ὁ Ἰσί δωρος συκοφαντηθεὶς ἐκκαλέσηται ἐπὶ τὸν ἄρχοντα τῶν δήμων, ἐλθοῦσα ὁμολογεῖ τὴν δραματουργίαν τῷ Ἰσιδώρῳ, δείξασα αὐτῷ τοὺς χρυσίνους, οὓς ἔλεγεν παρὰ τῆς ἀδελφῆς Θεοφίλου 37 εἰληφέναι, "μισθὸν κατὰ τοῦ ἀθῴου." καὶ αὑτὴ μὲν διὰ πολλά, ἐξαιρέτως δὲ διὰ τοῦτο τὴν ἀξίαν τίσασα ποινὴν τελευτᾷ, τοὺς μαστοὺς χειρουργουμένη. πρὸς ταῦτα ὁ Ἰσίδωρος ἔμενεν οἴκοι τὸν Θεὸν ἱκετεύων. ὁ δὲ νεανίσκος, τὸ μὲν τοὺς νόμους φοβού μενος, τὸ δὲ τὸν Θεόφιλον δεινότερον ἐννοῶν τῇ ἀστοχίᾳ, ἐπὶ τὸ λυσιτελὲς καταφεύγει τεῖχος, τὴν ἐκκλησίαν, προσφυγὼν τῷ θυσιαστηρίῳ. οὕτως ὁ Θεόφιλος κωφῇ τῇ δίκῃ ἀποκηρύττει τὸν Ἰσίδωρον τῆς ἐκκλησίας ἀνήκεστα ἐπιφημίσας, σχηματι σάμενος σεμνοπρέπειαν τῇ ἀδικίᾳ. πρὸς τούτοις δείσας ὁ Ἰσίδωρος μήποτε χαλεπωτέρῳ τῷ θυμῷ πιεσθεὶς ὁ Θεόφιλος σκέψηται κατ' αὐτοῦ ἐνέδραν τῆς σωτηρίας (φθάνει γάρ, ὥς φασι, καὶ μέχρι τούτων), δρομαῖος χωρεῖ ἐπὶ τὸ ὄρος τὸ τῆς Νιτρίας πρὸς τὸ τάγμα τῶν μοναχῶν, ἔνθα τὰς τῆς νεότητος ἠσκήκει διατριβάς· καὶ καθίσας ἐν τῷ κελλίῳ αὐτοῦ προσηύ χετο τῷ μακροθύμῳ Θεῷ ἐντυγχάνων. ἐπὶ τούτοις τὸ ἀπρεπὲς καὶ ἄδηλον συνειδὼς ἑαυτῷ τῆς νίκης ὁ Θεόφιλος πέμπει γράμ ματα πρὸς τοὺς σύνεγγυς ἐπισκόπους, καὶ κελεύει τινὰς τῶν πρώτων ῥιφῆναι τοῦ ὄρους καὶ τῆς ἐνδοτέρας ἐρήμου, τοὺς ἐπὶ κεφαλῆς μοναχούς, οὐκ ἐπαγαγὼν τὴν αἰτίαν. οἵτινες μοναχοὶ σὺν τοῖς πρεσβυτέροις κατελθόντες εἰς τὴν Ἀλεξάνδρειαν παρε κάλουν τὸν Θεόφιλον εἰπεῖν τὴν αἰτίαν, δι' ἣν κατεδικάσθησαν ῥιφῆναι. ὁ δὲ ὑφαίμοις ὀφθαλμοῖς δρακοντῶδες ἐνατενίσας ταυρηδὸν ὑπεβλέπετο, ποτὲ μὲν πελιδνός, ποτὲ δὲ ὠχρός, ποτὲ δὲ καὶ σαρκάζων, ὑπ' ἀκράτου ὀργῆς φερόμενος· ἐνειλεῖ τῷ Ἀμμωνίῳ, ἀνδρὶ ἡλικιώτῃ, τὸ ὠμοφόριον ἐν