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
terrifying, just as bogeymen do children? Alas! Those who are clothed in worldly powers and ecclesiastical wealth with authority, with command even of affairs, fearing the priest, the one who is alone, without a city, weak in the flesh, the exile, grow pale while convulsing." Therefore, no longer enduring to hide the snake in the tent, sending to the camp they procure again a more severe rescript with a fine: that within a short deadline he be transported to Pityus, a completely deserted place of the Tzani, situated on the shore of the Pontic sea. And the soldiers of the praetorian prefect who were conducting him hurried him so much along the way, saying that they had such orders, that if he should die on the road, they would be deemed worthy of higher ranks. And one of them, caring less 67 for his present military service, stealthily showed some small humanity; but the other was so harsh and difficult as to consider the entreaties made to him by those who met them for the sake of sparing the holy man as insults, caring only for this, that John should die a hard death. For when the rain was violent, he would go out without a care, so that the streams of water would run down his back and chest. And again he considered the fierce heat of the sun a delicacy, knowing that in this the Elisha-like skull of the blessed one would suffer. And into a city or village, where there was the comfort of a bath, the wretch would not permit him to stay for even a moment. And in all these things for three months, traveling that most difficult road, the saint remained gleaming like a star, having his little body like an apple reddened by the sun on the tips of the branches. And approaching Comana, they passed it by as if a bridge, remaining outside the wall in the martyrium about five or six stades away. And during that very night there stood by him the martyr of that place, Basiliscus his name, who was martyred, being bishop of Comana, in Nicomedia under Maximian, along with Lucian who was a presbyter of Antioch in Bithynia, saying: "Take courage, brother John; for tomorrow we shall be together." And they say, he had also foretold to the presbyter who remained there: "Prepare 68 a place for brother John; for he is coming." And John, holding faithfully to the oracle for the morrow, begged them to remain there until the fifth hour. But they, not being persuaded, rode out; but having gone about thirty stades, they return again to the place of the martyrium from which they had set out, as he was severely ill. Thus therefore, having arrived, he seeks the splendid garments worthy of his life, and having taken off his former ones, he put them on soberly, having changed even to his shoes; and the rest he distributed to those present. And having partaken of the Lordly symbols, he makes the final prayer in the presence of those there, saying the customary phrase: "Glory to God for all things," and sealing it at the end with an amen, "he drew up his feet," those that had run beautifully for the salvation of those who chose repentance and for the reproof of those who richly cultivated sin (and if the reproofs did not profit the wicked, this is not a weakness of the one who spoke boldly, but the impudence of those who would not bear it), "being gathered to his fathers," having wiped away the dust, and having passed over to Christ, as it is written: "But you shall come to your grave like ripe grain harvested in its season; but the souls of transgressors shall die prematurely." And so great a swarm of virgins and ascetics and those renowned for their piety was present from Syria and Cilicia and Pontus and Armenia, that many thought they 69 had arrived by a prearranged signal. And having been prepared for burial and celebrated, his little body like a victorious athlete, he is buried with Basiliscus in the same martyrium. <CHAPTER ΙΒʹ> In addition to these things Theodore, marveling, asked, saying the scriptural word: {Ο ∆ΙΑΚ.} Since it is written, "Do not miss the discourse of the elders, for they too learned from their fathers," tell us without hesitation what the reason is for his eating alone, and if he truly ate alone, as they say. {Ο ΕΠΙΣΚ.} It is agreed
διαπτοοῦντα, καθάπερ τοὺς παῖδας τὰ μορμολυκεῖα; βαβαί! οἱ τὰς κοσμικὰς δυναστείας καὶ τὸν ἐκ κλησιαστικὸν ἐνημμένοι πλοῦτον
μετ' ἐξουσίας, μετὰ καὶ τῆς τῶν πραγμάτων ἀρχῆς, τὸν ἱερέα, τὸν μόνον, τὸν ἄπολιν, τὸν ἀσθενῆ τῇ σαρκί, τὸν ἐξόριστον δεδιότες,
ὠχριῶσι σφαδά ζοντες." μηκέτι οὖν καρτερήσαντες τῇ σκηνῇ κρύπτειν τὸν ὄφιν, ἀποστείλαντες εἰς τὸ στρατόπεδον ἐκπορίζουσι πάλιν
ἀντιγραφὴν σφοδροτέραν μετὰ προστίμου· ἐντὸς στενῆς προ θεσμίας μετενεχθῆναι αὐτὸν εἰς Πιτυοῦντα, τόπον πανέρημον τῶν Τζάνων,
ἐπικείμενον τῇ ὄχθῃ τῆς Ποντικῆς θαλάσσης. οἱ δὲ διάγοντες αὐτὸν στρατιῶται τοῦ ἐπάρχου τῶν πραιτωρίων ἐπὶ τοσοῦτον κατήπειγον
διὰ τῆς ὁδοῦ, λέγοντες τοιαύτας ἔχειν τὰς ἐντολάς, ὡς, εἰ ἀποθάνοι κατὰ τὴν ὁδόν, μειζόνων ἀξιωθή σονται τῶν βαθμῶν. καὶ ὁ
μὲν εἷς ἐξ αὐτῶν, ἔλαττον φροντίσας 67 τῆς παρούσης στρατείας, φιλανθρωπίαν τινὰ ποσῶς διακλέπτων ἐνεδείκνυτο· ὁ δ' ἕτερος
ἐπὶ τοσοῦτον ἦν ἀπηνὴς καὶ δύσκολος, ὡς τὰς εἰς αὐτὸν γινομένας κολακείας παρὰ τῶν προστυγχα νόντων ἐπὶ φειδοῖ τοῦ ἁγίου ὕβρεις
νομίζειν, τούτου μόνον φροντίζων τὸν Ἰωάννην δυσθανατῆσαι. ὑετοῦ μὲν γὰρ λάβρου ὄντος, ἀφροντίστως ἐξῄει, ὡς διὰ νώτου καὶ
στέρνων φέρεσθαι τὰς τῶν ὑδάτων λιβάδας. σφοδρὸν δὲ πάλιν καῦμα ἡλίου ἀντὶ τρυφῆς ἡγεῖτο, εἰδὼς ἐν τούτῳ δυσφορεῖν τὸ Ἐλισσαϊκὸν
κρανίον τοῦ μακαρίου. εἰς πόλιν δὲ ἢ κώμην, ἔνθα λουτροῦ παραμυθία ἦν, οὐδὲ στιγμὴν ὁ δύστηνος συνεχώρει ποιεῖν. καὶ ἐν τούτοις
πᾶσιν ἐπὶ τρίμηνον τὴν ἀργαλεωτάτην ἐκείνην βαδίζων ὁδόν, ἔμενεν ὁ ἅγιος ὡς ἀστὴρ διαστίλβων, ἔχων τὸ σωμάτιον καθάπερ μῆλον
ἐπ' ἄκρων κλάδων ἡλιοφοινισσό μενον. πλησιάσαντες δὲ τῇ Κομάνῃ, καθάπερ γέφυραν, αὐτὴν παρῆλθον, ἔξω τοῦ τείχους ἐν τῷ μαρτυρίῳ
μείναντες ἀπὸ πέντε ἢ ἓξ σημείων. κατ' αὐτὴν δὲ τὴν νύκτα παρέστη αὐτῷ ὁ τοῦ τόπου ἐκείνου μάρτυς, Βασιλίσκος ὄνομα αὐτῷ,
ὃς μαρτυρεῖ, ἐπίσκοπος ὢν Κομανῶν, ἐν Νικομηδείᾳ ἐπὶ Μαξιμιανοῦ, ἅμα Λουκιανῷ τῷ ἐν Βιθυνίᾳ πρεσβυτέρῳ ὄντι Ἀντιοχείας, φήσας·
"Θάρσει, ἀδελφὲ Ἰωάννη· αὔριον γὰρ ἅμα ἐσόμεθα." φασὶ δέ, προειρήκει καὶ τῷ παραμένοντι πρεσβυτέρῳ· "Ἑτοίμασον 68 τόπον τῷ
ἀδελφῷ Ἰωάννῃ· ἔρχεται γάρ." ἔχων δὲ πιστῶς τὸν χρησμὸν ὁ Ἰωάννης ἐπὶ τὴν αὔριον παρεκάλει αὐτοὺς ἕως πέμπτης ὥρας ἐκεῖ παραμεῖναι.
οἱ δὲ μὴ πεισθέντες ἐξήλαυνον· ἐλθόντες δὲ ὡς σταδίους τριάκοντα πάλιν ὑποστρέφουσιν εἰς τὸν τόπον τοῦ μαρτυρίου, ἀφ' οὗ ἀπῆραν,
ἔχοντος αὐτοῦ ὀξέως. οὕτως οὖν ἐλθὼν ἐπιζητεῖ τὰ ἄξια τοῦ βίου λαμπρὰ ἱμάτια, καὶ ἀποδυσάμενος τὰ πρότερα ἐνεδύσατο νήφων,
ἀλλάξας ἕως ὑποδημάτων· τὰ λοιπὰ δὲ διένειμεν τοῖς παροῦσιν. καὶ κοινωνήσας τῶν ∆εσποτικῶν συμβόλων ποιεῖ τὴν τελευταίαν ἐπὶ
τῶν παρόντων προσευχήν, εἰπὼν τὸ ἐξ ἔθους ῥῆμα· "∆όξα τῷ Θεῷ πάντων ἕνεκεν," ἐπισφραγισάμενός τε τὸ ὕστερον ἀμήν, "ἐξῆρεν
τοὺς πόδας," τοὺς ὡραίως δραμόντας ἐπὶ σωτηρίᾳ τῶν τὴν μετάνοιαν ἑλαμένων καὶ ἐλέγχῳ τῶν τὴν ἁμαρτίαν πλουσίως γεωργησάντων
(εἰ δὲ οὐδὲν ὤνησαν οἱ ἔλεγχοι τοὺς φαύλους, τοῦτο οὐκ ἀτονία τοῦ παῤῥησιασαμένου, ἀλλ' ἰταμότης τῶν μὴ ἀνασχομένων), "προστεθεὶς
πρὸς τοὺς πατέρας αὐτοῦ," τὴν κόνιν ἀπομαξάμενος, καὶ πρὸς Χριστὸν διαπεράσας, ὡς γέγραπται· "Ηξεις δὲ εἰς τὸν τάφον σου ὥσπερ
σῖτος ὥριμος κατὰ καιρὸν θεριζόμενος· παρανόμων δὲ ψυχαὶ ἄωροι ἀποθανοῦνται." το σοῦτος δὲ ἑσμὸς παρθένων καὶ ἀσκητῶν καὶ
τῶν ἐπὶ σεμνότητι μαρτυρουμένων παρῆν ἀπό τε Συρίας καὶ Κιλικίας καὶ Πόντου καὶ Ἀρμενίας, ὡς τοὺς πολλοὺς νομίσαι ἀπὸ συνθήματος
αὐτοὺς 69 παραγενέσθαι. ἐνταφιασθεὶς δὲ καὶ ἑορτασθείς, καθάπερ ἀθλη τὴς νικηφόρος τὸ σωμάτιον, θάπτεται μετὰ τοῦ Βασιλίσκου
ἐν τῷ αὐτῷ μαρτυρίῳ. <ΚΕΦΑΛΑΙΟΝ ΙΒʹ> Πρὸς τούτοις ὁ Θεόδωρος ἐπιθαυμάσας ἤρετο, λέγων τὸ γρα φικόν· {Ο ∆ΙΑΚ.} Ἐπειδὴ γέγραπται,
"Μὴ ἀστοχήσῃς διηγήματος γερόντων, καὶ γὰρ καὶ αὐτοὶ παρὰ τῶν πατέρων ἔμαθον," ἀόκνως φράσον ἡμῖν τίς ἡ αἰτία τοῦ μόνον αὐτὸν
ἐσθίειν, καὶ εἰ ἀληθῶς μόνος, ὡς λέγουσιν, ἤσθιεν. {Ο ΕΠΙΣΚ.} Ὡμολόγηται
