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 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 Bishop John had been enthroned by the divine hand for the care of the powerful; and falling at his knees, they begged him to help souls who were being slandered and plundered by those accustomed to do this rather than to do good. John stood and saw fifty chosen men wearing a gray garment dyed by sacred labors, and stung by a passion of brotherly love, like Joseph, he was overcome with tears, asking them what "boar from the wood or wild beast" had bewitched "this" fruitful "vineyard." And they say: "Sit, father, and bind up our wounds, for we have been wounded not in some random way by the madness of Pope Theophilus, if perhaps you might be able to heal the swellings of our wounds; for if you too deceive us, either out of respect for or fear of Theophilus like the other bishops, nothing else remains for us but to approach the emperor and inform him of his evil deeds, to the dishonor of the church. If, therefore, you care for the reputation of the church, consent and persuade him to allow us our dwelling in Egypt, since we have offended in nothing, neither against the law of the Savior, nor against 41 that man himself." At this, John, thinking that Theophilus's grudge against them would easily change, gladly took up the matter; and he exhorted the men to keep quiet before all with a God-loving silence about the reason for their presence, "until I send to my brother Theophilus." And giving them cells in the church called Anastasia for their rest, he himself did not assist with their needs; but God-loving women supplied their sustenance, with them also contributing in part through the work of their hands. It happened then at that time that there were clerics of Theophilus in Constantinople, buying up in advance the promotions of magistrates who were being appointed in the Egyptian diocese, securing their favor toward himself for the destruction of those who vexed him. John, therefore, summoning them, inquired if they knew the ascetics who were present. And they truthfully bore witness to the men, saying to John, that "We both know them, and they have suffered great violence. And if you wish, master, do not share spiritual communion with them, so that you do not grieve the pope, but be kind in other matters—for it is fitting for you, as a bishop." Thus John did not receive them into communion, but wrote beseechingly to Theophilus: "Grant me this favor as your son and brother, by embracing the men." To this, Theophilus did not grant the favor to John, but sent certain persons skilled in verbal contests (about whom we have spoken above) and prepares them to submit petitions, which he himself, as was his custom, had dictated, containing 42 admitted falsehood, but clothed in the many-branched slander concerning things unseen, since he had nothing with which to slander their way of life; and he arranges for them to be pointed out in the palace as sorcerers. But when the ascetics saw that not only were they not correcting him, but were also moving him to greater anger, bringing many worthy men to him, along with anathematizing every false doctrine, they deliver petitions to John, informing him of the forms of tyranny, along with certain charges—which I am for the present ashamed to speak of in the presence of the more simple, lest I drive them from the faith, perhaps not being believed even by the more mature. Again, both by himself and through other bishops, John exhorted them to cease their accusation against him because of the hardship resulting from the trial, writing to Theophilus that, "The men have been driven to such a point of grief as even to accuse you in writing; therefore write back what seems good to you; for they will not bear to depart from my camp." At this, Theophilus, all inflamed with rage, also shuts out the brother of the monks from his own
ὑπερβολῇ τῆς οἰήσεως. οἱ δὲ ὑπὸ τῆς πολλῆς ἀνάγκης φερόμενοι διὰ τὸ τόπους ἐκ τόπων ἀμείβειν, κατα λαμβάνουσι τὸ στρατόπεδον,
ἔνθα ἐνεθρόνιστο ὁ ἐπίσκοπος Ἰωάννης ὑπὸ τῆς θείας χειρὸς εἰς ἐπιμέλειαν τῶν δυναστευόν των· καὶ προσπεσόντες αὐτοῦ τοῖς γόνασιν,
ἐδέοντο βοηθῆσαι ψυχαῖς συκοφαντουμέναις καὶ λεηλατουμέναις ὑπὸ τῶν τοῦτο μᾶλλον ἢ εὖ ποιεῖν εἰθισμένων. ἔστη ὁ Ἰωάννης καὶ
εἶδεν πεντήκοντα λογάδων ἀνδρῶν πολιὰν πόνοις ἱεροῖς βαφεῖσαν <στολὴν> ἠμφιεσμένην, καὶ δριμυχθεὶς φιλαδελφίας πάθει, κατὰ
τὸν Ἰωσήφ, δάκρυσι συνεσχέθη, πυνθανόμενος παρ' αὐτῶν, ποῖος "ὗς ἐκ δρυμοῦ ἢ μονιὸς ἄγριος τῇ" πολυκάρπῳ "ταύτῃ ἀμπέλῳ" ἐβάσκηνεν.
οἱ δέ φασιν· "Καθίσας, πάτερ, μότωσον ἡμᾶς οὐχ ὡς ἔτυχεν τρωθέντας τῇ Θεοφίλου τοῦ πάπα μανίᾳ, εἰ ἄρα δυνηθείης συνουλῶσαι
ἡμῶν τὰ τῶν τραυμάτων οἰδή ματα· ἐὰν γὰρ καὶ αὐτὸς ἡμᾶς παραλογίσῃ, ἢ αἰδεσθεὶς ἢ φοβηθεὶς τὸν Θεόφιλον κατὰ τοὺς λοιποὺς
ἐπισκόπους, οὐδὲν λοιπὸν παρ' ἡμῶν ὑστερεῖται ἢ τῷ βασιλεῖ προσελθόντας ἀνα διδάξαι τὰς αὐτοῦ κακοπραγίας ἐπὶ ὕβρει τῆς ἐκκλησίας.
εἰ τοίνυν φροντίζεις τῆς ἐκκλησιαστικῆς ὑπολήψεως, ἐπινεύσας πεῖσον αὐτὸν συγχωρῆσαι ἡμῖν τὴν οἴκησιν τὴν ἐν Αἰγύπτῳ, μηδὲν
ἐπταικόσι μήτε εἰς τὸν νόμον τοῦ Σωτῆρος, μήτε εἰς 41 αὐτὸν ἐκεῖνον." ἐπὶ τούτοις νομίσας ὁ Ἰωάννης εὐχερῶς μετα βάλλειν τὴν
Θεοφίλου πρὸς αὐτοὺς μνησικακίαν, ἡδέως ἥρπασεν τὸ πρᾶγμα· παρακαλέσας δὲ τοὺς ἄνδρας φιλοθέῳ σιγῇ πρὸς πάντας ἡσυχάσαι τὴν
αἰτίαν τῆς παρουσίας, "μέχρις οὗ ἀπο στείλω πρὸς τὸν ἀδελφὸν Θεόφιλον." καὶ δοὺς αὐτοῖς ἐν τῇ Ἀναστασίᾳ καλουμένῃ ἐκκλησίᾳ
μονὰς πρὸς τὴν ἀνάπαυσιν, αὐτὸς μὲν οὐκ ἐπεκούρει τὰ πρὸς τὴν χρείαν· γυναῖκες δὲ φιλόθεοι ἐπήρκουν αὐτοῖς τὴν δίαιταν, καὶ
αὐτῶν συνεισφε ρόντων ἐκ μέρους τῇ τῶν χειρῶν ἐργασίᾳ. συνέβη οὖν κατ' ἐκεῖνο καιροῦ κληρικοὺς εἶναι τοῦ Θεοφίλου ἐν τῇ Κωνσταντι
νουπόλει, προαγοράζοντας τῶν χειροτονουμένων ἀρχόντων τὰς προαγωγὰς ἐν τῇ Αἰγυπτιακῇ διοικήσει, τὰς εἰς αὐτὸν εὐνοίας περιποιουμένους
ἐπ' ὀλέθρῳ τῶν αὐτὸν λυπούντων. προσκαλε σάμενος οὖν αὐτοὺς ὁ Ἰωάννης ἐπυνθάνετο, εἰ ἐπίστανται τοὺς παρόντας ἀσκητάς. οἱ
δὲ φιλαλήθως ἐμαρτύρησαν τοῖς ἀνδράσι, λέγοντες τῷ Ἰωάννῃ, ὅτι "Καὶ ἴσμεν αὐτούς, καὶ μεγάλην ὑπέ στησαν βίαν. καὶ εἰ βούλει,
δέσποτα, τῆς μὲν πνευματικῆς κοινωνίας αὐτοῖς μὴ μεταδῷς, ἵνα μὴ λυπήσῃς τὸν πάπαν, φιλοφρόνησαι δὲ ἐν τοῖς ἄλλοις-πρέπει
γάρ σοι, ὡς ἐπισκόπῳ." οὕτως ὁ Ἰωάννης οὐκ ἐδέξατο μὲν αὐτοὺς εἰς κοινωνίαν, γράφει δὲ λιπαρῶν τῷ Θεοφίλῳ· "Ταύτην μοι παράσχου
τὴν χάριν ὡς τέκνῳ σῷ καὶ ἀδελφῷ, ἐναγκαλισάμενος τοὺς ἄνδρας." πρὸς τούτοις ὁ Θεόφιλος τὴν μὲν χάριν οὐ παρέσχεν τῷ Ἰωάννῃ,
ἀποστέλλει δέ τινας περισεσυρμένους εἰς λογικὰς ἁμίλλας (περὶ ὧν προείπομεν ἀνωτέρω) καὶ παρασκευάζει δεήσεις αὐτοὺς ἐπιδοῦναι,
ἃς συνήθως αὐτὸς ὑπηγόρευσεν, περιεχούσας μὲν 42 ψεῦδος ὡμολογημένον, ἠμφιεσμένον δὲ τὴν πολυσχιδῆ συκο φαντίαν τὴν ἐν τοῖς
ἀοράτοις, μηδὲν ἔχων αὐτῶν διαβάλλειν τὸν βίον· καὶ παρασκευάζει αὐτοὺς ἐν τῷ παλατίῳ ὡς γόητας δακτυλοδεικτεῖσθαι. ὡς δὲ
εἶδον οἱ ἀσκηταί, ὅτι οὐ μόνον αὐτὸν οὐ διορθοῦνται, ἀλλὰ καὶ εἰς ὀργὴν πλείονα κινοῦσιν, ἀξιώτας αὐτῷ προσάγοντες πολλούς,
μετὰ τοῦ ἀναθεματίζειν πᾶσαν ψευδοδοξίαν, ἐπιδιδόασι λιβέλλους ἐντευκτικοὺς τῷ Ἰωάννῃ, ἀναδιδάξαντες τὰ τῆς τυραννίδος εἴδη,
μετὰ καὶ κεφαλαίων τινῶν-ἃ αἰσχύνομαι ἐπὶ τῶν νηπιωτέρων τέως λέγειν, ἵνα μὴ καὶ τῆς πίστεως αὐτοὺς ἀπελάσω, ἴσως καὶ παρὰ
τοῖς τελειο τέροις οὐ πιστευόμενος. πάλιν καὶ δι' ἑαυτοῦ καὶ δι' ἑτέρων ἐπισκόπων ὁ Ἰωάννης παρακαλεῖ αὐτοὺς παύσασθαι τῆς
κατ' αὐτοῦ κατηγορίας διὰ τὴν ἐκ τῆς δίκης κακοπάθειαν, γράψας τῷ Θεοφίλῳ, ὅτι "Εἰς τοσοῦτον ἠλάθησαν λύπης οἱ ἄνδρες, ὡς
καὶ ἐγγράφως σου κατηγορεῖν· λοιπὸν τὸ δοκοῦν σοι ἀντί γραψον· οὐ γὰρ ἀνέχονταί μου ἀποστῆναι τοῦ στρατοπέδου." ἐπὶ τούτοις
διαπυρωθεὶς ὅλος ὁ Θεόφιλος εἵργει καὶ τὸν ἀδελφὸν τῶν μοναχῶν τῆς ἑαυτοῦ
