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
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 to stand before the gate as a distraction for the people who were expecting him from there, with the angel also going out with him, not bearing the desolation of the church, which wicked principalities and powers had wrought, having made it like a theatrical display. "For as in a theatre there was a clucking, with the impious hissing, mocking, both Jews and Greeks reviling excessively; and as in a prison, blows and 62 tortures brought against the bowels by the soldiers; and strainings of the whole power of the soul on account of both the removal of the teacher and on account of the blasphemy against the divine"; for where there was "remission of sins," there "shedding of blood" occurred. But after that unspeakable and inexplicable darkness, a flame from the midst of the throne, on which John was accustomed to sit—just as a heart lying in the middle of a body explains to the other members the oracles of the Lord—having appeared, was seeking the interpreter of the Word; not finding him, it consumed the sacristy. And growing like a tree to a height, it crept through the chains to the roof; and like a viper eating its belly, it was carried over the back of the church buildings, "the wages of unrighteousness," as if God were rendering the ordained penalty for this for the chastening and admonition of those who do not know how to be admonished <ἢ> through the sight of such divinely sent evils; and not only this, but also having left behind a monument of the savage synod. And it is no wonder concerning the church, when even the building called the senate house by those outside, lying many steps away opposite the church to the south, the fire wisely destroyed, having crossed the marketplace crowd in between as if it were a bridge, not first the part near the church, so that we should not attribute the disaster to its proximity, but the part towards the court of the emperors, so that the wonder of the event might show the clever action to be divinely sent (for it was possible to see the people crossing unharmed for their own business between two mountains of fire). And so the fire, flying about and surging, like a sea 63 fanned by a violent south wind, proceeding as if under a command, unsparingly catching hold of the surrounding buildings, took thought only for the small house in which the multitude of sacred vessels was stored, not respecting the gold or the other material of silver, but so that it might not provide an occasion for falsehood to the sycophants against the just man, as if he himself had appropriated some of the finest things. And so the fire, moving about, was checked backwards, tracking down the envy of those who had done these things, for a refutation of the madness of Theophilus, who was contriving that he had been cast out on account of the treasures. And indeed no loss of life by fire occurred among so great a crowd, neither of rational nor of irrational being; but the filth of those who behaved impiously there was washed away by the power of the fire, a work of many years being destroyed in three daylight hours from the sixth hour until the ninth. <CHAPTER ΙΑʹ> {Ο ∆ΙΑΚ.} Then, father, while these things were thus being accomplished, where was the blessed John staying, or the rest of the bishops? {Ο ΕΠΙΣΚ.} As for the rest of the bishops, some were shut up, others were dragged away, and still others hid themselves; but John with Cyriacus and Eulysius were held as prisoners in Bithynia by the soldiers of the prefect, being threatened with punishment for the burning of the church. But later, Cyriacus and Eulysius, having been brought as prisoners along with other clerics, were found innocent and released; but Saint John, in addition to his other bold statements, also sent them this last one, saying: "Even if in other matters you have not given me an opportunity for defense, at least let me be heard in the matters concerning the church, if indeed I am, as you say, the cause of the burning." Thus, not being heard even in this, he is sent by soldiers to a most desolate little town of Armenia, besieged night and day by the Isaurians, so as 64 to be slain; and this is Cucusus. And Arsacius, the brother of the blessed Nectarius, was brought in to replace John,
παρ' αὐτῷ δυτικόν), τῷ δὲ δυτικῷ μέρει, ἔνθα ὁ τῆς ἐκκλησίας πυλών, τὸ ὀνοζύγιον, ἐν ᾧ εἰώθει καθέζεσθαι, πρὸ τῆς πύλης κελεύσας
στῆναι εἰς περι σπασμὸν τῶν λαῶν ἐκεῖθεν αὐτὸν προσδοκώντων, συνεξελθόντος αὐτῷ καὶ τοῦ ἀγγέλου, μὴ φέροντος τὴν ἐρημίαν τῆς
ἐκκλησίας, ἣν ἀρχαὶ πονηραὶ καὶ ἐξουσίαι εἰργάσαντο, καθάπερ θεατρο νόμιον ἀποδείξασαι. "ὡς μὲν γὰρ ἐν θεάτρῳ κλωσμὸς ἦν,
συριττόντων τῶν ἀσεβῶν, καταμωκωμένων, ἄμετρα διασυρόν των Ἰουδαίων τε καὶ Ἑλλήνων· ὡς δ' ἐν εἱρκτῇ πληγαὶ καὶ 62 κατὰ σπλάγχνων
φερόμεναι βάσανοι ὑπὸ τῶν στρατιωτῶν· κατατάσεις δὲ τῆς ὅλης δυνάμεως τῆς ψυχῆς διά τε τὴν τοῦ διδασκάλου ἀφαίρεσιν καὶ διὰ
τὴν εἰς τὸ θεῖον βλασφημίαν"· ἔνθα γὰρ "ἁμαρτημάτων ἄφεσις," ἐκεῖ "αἱμάτων ἔκχυσις" ἐγίνετο. μετὰ δὲ τὸν ἄφατον καὶ δυσερμήνευτον
ἐκεῖνον σκότον, φλὸξ ἀπὸ μέσου τοῦ θρόνου, ἐν ᾧ εἰώθει ὁ Ἰωάννης καθέζεσθαι, καθάπερ ἐν μέσῳ σώματι κειμένη καρδία τοῖς λοιποῖς
ἐξη γεῖσθαι μέλεσι τὰ τοῦ Κυρίου λόγια, φανεῖσα ἐπεζήτει τὸν ὑπο φήτην τοῦ λόγου· ὃν οὐχ εὑροῦσα κατεβόσκετο τὴν σκευωρίαν.
δενδρωθεῖσα δὲ εἰς ὕφος εἷρψεν διὰ τῶν ἁλύσεων ἐπὶ τὴν στέ γην· ἔχεως δὲ δίκην τὴν γαστέρα φαγοῦσα, ἐπὶ νῶτον ἐφέρετο τῶν
δωμάτων τῆς ἐκκλησίας, "μισθὸν τῆς ἀδικίας" ὥσπερ τὴν ἐπὶ ταύτῃ ὡρισμένην δίκην ἀποδιδόντος Θεοῦ εἰς σωφρονισμὸν καὶ νουθεσίαν
τῶν οὐκ εἰδότων γε νουθετεῖσθαι <ἢ> διὰ τῆς ὄψεως τῶν τοιούτων θεηλάτων κακῶν· οὐ μόνον δέ, ἀλλὰ καὶ μνημεῖον ὑπολείψας τῆς
ἀγρίας συνόδου. καὶ οὐ θαυμαστὸν περὶ τῆς ἐκκλησίας, ὅπου γε καὶ τὴν καλουμένην παρὰ τοῖς ἔξω σύγκλητον, ἀπὸ πολλῶν βημάτων
κειμένην ἀντικρὺ τῆς ἐκκλησίας ἐκ μεσημβρίας, φρονίμως τὸ πῦρ, καθάπερ γέφυραν τὸν ἀγοραῖον δῆμον τὸν διὰ μέσου διαπερᾶσαν,
ἐλυμήνατο, οὐ πρότερον τὸ μέρος τὸ πλησιάζον τῇ ἐκκλησίᾳ, ἵνα μὴ τὸ πάθος τῇ ἐγγύτητι ἐπιγράψωμεν, ἀλλὰ τὸ μέρος τὸ ἐπὶ τὴν
αὐλὴν τῶν βασιλέων, ἵνα τὸ θαῦμα τοῦ πράγματος θεήλατον παρα στήσῃ τὸ σόφισμα (ἦν γὰρ ἰδεῖν μεταξὺ δύο ὀρέων πυρίνων τοὺς
δήμους ἀβλαβῶς ἐπὶ τὰς οἰκείας χρείας διαπερῶντας). οὕτω δὲ περιπετόμενον τὸ πῦρ καὶ κυμαῖνον, καθάπερ θάλασσα 63 βιαίῳ νότῳ
ῥιπιζομένη, ὥσπερ ὑπὸ συνθήματι βαδίζον, ἀφειδῶς ἁπτόμενον τῶν κύκλῳ δωμάτων, μόνου ἐφρόντιζε τοῦ οἰκίσκου, ἐν ᾧ τῶν ἱερῶν
σκευῶν ἀπέκειτο τὸ πλῆθος, οὐ τὸν χρυσὸν αἰδούμενον ἢ τὴν λοιπὴν τοῦ ἀργύρου ὕλην, ἀλλ' ἵνα μὴ τοῖς συκοφάνταις χώραν τοῦ
ψεύδους παράσχῃ κατὰ τοῦ δικαίου, ὡς αὐτοῦ σφετερισαμένου τι τῶν καλλίστων. οὕτω δὲ διακινοῦν τὸ πῦρ ἀνεχαίτιζεν εἰς τοὐπίσω,
τὸν φθόνον ἐξιχνιάζον τῶν ταῦτα πραξάντων, εἰς ἔλεγχον τῆς Θεοφίλου μανίας, ὅπου κατασκευάζει διὰ τὰ κειμήλια αὐτὸν ἐκβεβληκέναι.
καὶ ἀπο βολὴ μὲν ψυχῆς ἐν τοσούτοις ὄχλοις ὑπὸ πυρὸς οὐδεμία γεγέ νηται, οὐ λογικοῦ, οὐκ ἀλόγου· ὁ δὲ ῥύπος τῶν ἐναγῶς ἐκεῖσε
ἀναστρεφομένων τῇ τοῦ πυρὸς ἀπεπλύνετο δυνάμει, ἀπὸ ἕκτης ὥρας μέχρις ἐνάτης ἐν τρισὶν ὥραις ἡμεριναῖς πολυχρονίου ἔργου ἀφανισθέντος.
<ΚΕΦΑΛΑΙΟΝ ΙΑʹ> {Ο ∆ΙΑΚ.} Εἶτα, πάτερ, τούτων οὕτως ἀνυομένων, ποῦ διέ τριβεν ὁ μακάριος Ἰωάννης ἢ οἱ λοιποὶ τῶν ἐπισκόπων;
{Ο ΕΠΙΣΚ.} Οἱ μὲν λοιποὶ τῶν ἐπισκόπων, οἱ μὲν συνε κλείοντο, οἱ δὲ καὶ ἐσύροντο, ἄλλοι δὲ καὶ ἐκρύβησαν· Ἰωάννης δὲ σὺν Κυριακῷ
καὶ Εὐλυσίῳ παρὰ στρατιωτῶν τοῦ ἐπάρχου δέσμιοι εἰς Βιθυνίαν κατείχοντο κόλασιν ἀπειλούμενοι ἐπὶ τῇ ἐμπρήσει τῆς ἐκκλησίας.
ὕστερον δὲ ὁ μὲν Κυριακὸς καὶ Εὐλύσιος δέσμιοι ἀχθέντες ἅμα λοιποῖς κληρικοῖς, ἀθῷοι ἀπο φανθέντες ἀπελύθησαν· ὁ δὲ ἅγιος
Ἰωάννης πρὸς ταῖς λοιπαῖς παῤῥησίαις καὶ ταύτην τελευτείαν αὐτοῖς ἀπέστειλεν, εἰπών· "Εἰ καὶ ἐν τοῖς ἄλλοις οὐ δεδώκατέ μοι
χώραν ἀπολογίας, κἂν γοῦν εἰς τὰ κατὰ τὴν ἐκκλησίαν ἀκουσθῶ, εἴ γε αἴτιος, ὥς φατε, γέγονα τῆς καύσεως." οὕτως μηδ' ἐν τούτῳ
ἀκουσθεὶς πέμπεται διὰ στρατιωτῶν εἰς ἐρημοτάτην πολίχνην τῆς Ἀρμενίας, νύκτωρ καὶ μεθ' ἡμέραν πολιορκουμένην ὑπὸ τῶν Ἰσαύρων,
ἐπὶ τὸ 64 σφαγῆναι· Κουκουσὸς δέ ἐστιν αὕτη. Ἀρσάκιος δὲ ὁ ἀδελφὸς τοῦ μακαρίου Νεκταρίου ἀντεισήγετο τῷ τόπῳ τοῦ Ἰωάννου,
