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embracing a life of asceticism, and openly championing the apostolic doctrines, they directly refuted the plots of Leontius against piety, saying that the man was reared in wicked practices, and contrived to gain prominence from his impiety, and had been deemed worthy of the title of deacon for the ruin of the church; they also threatened to withdraw from ecclesiastical communion and to go to the West and make known the things being plotted. Fearing these things, Leontius stopped Aetius from his ministry, but he deemed him worthy of other service. But that admirable pair, Flavian and Diodorus, who had not yet attained to priestly office, but were numbered among the laity, night and day stirred up everyone to zeal for piety. These were the first to divide the choirs of singers into two parts and taught them to sing the Davidic melody in succession; and this, beginning first in Antioch, spread everywhere and reached the ends of the inhabited world. These men, gathering the lovers of divine things into the shrines of the martyrs, spent all night with them praising God. But Leontius, seeing these things, did not think it safe to prevent them (for he saw that the multitude was very well disposed toward those excellent men), but coloring his words with mildness, he requested that this service be performed by them in the churches. But they, knowing his wickedness very precisely, did what was commanded, 155 and gathered their fellow lovers into the churches very eagerly, exhorting them to praise the good Lord. Nothing, however, persuaded Leontius to curb his wickedness, but putting on the mask of moderation, he concealed the abomination of both Stephen and Flacillus. For those who had accepted the corruption of the doctrines, even if they embraced an intemperate life, he enrolled in the orders of presbyters and deacons, but those adorned with every kind of virtue and holding to the apostolic doctrines, he left without honor. For this reason, the clergy had more of those who partook of the heretical pestilence, but the majority of the laity championed the orthodox doctrines. For not even those who offered the teachings dared to lay bare the blasphemy. Therefore, all the impious and lawless things that Flacillus and Stephen and Leontius did in Antioch, require their own narrative on account of their number, and the lament of David on account of their magnitude. For concerning these things one must say: "For behold, your enemies have made a noise, and those who hate you have lifted up their heads. They have devised a crafty plan against your people, and have consulted against your holy ones. They have said: Come, and let us destroy them from being a nation, and let the name of Israel be remembered no more." But let us write down the rest of the history. Germanicia is a city situated on the border of the Cilicians and Syrians and Cappadocians, and it belongs to the province called Euphratensis. Eudoxius, presiding over the church of this city, then learning that Leontius had died, seized Antioch, and snatched the 156 presidency, ravaging the divine vineyard like a wild boar. For he did not, like Leontius, conceal his malevolence, but raged openly against the apostolic doctrines and afflicted those who dared to speak against them with all kinds of calamities. At this time, Basil held the helm of the church of Ancyra, the metropolis of the Galatians, having succeeded Marcellus, and Eustathius was leader of Sebasteia, which was the first city of Armenia. These men, having learned of the lawlessness and rage of Eudoxius, made known to the emperor Constantius what had been dared through letters. He was still lingering in the western part, healing the damage done by the usurpers after their destruction. These men were acquainted with the emperor and enjoyed the greatest freedom of speech on account of their praiseworthy life. When Constantius learned these things, he wrote to the Antiochenes that he himself had not given Eudoxius the church's

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ἀσπαζόμενοι πολιτείαν, προφανῶς δὲ τῶν ἀποστολικῶν ὑπερμαχοῦντες δογμάτων, ἄντικρυς τοῦ Λεοντίου διήλεγξαν τὰς κατὰ τῆς εὐσεβείας ἐπιβουλάς, ἄνδρα φήσαντες πονηροῖς μὲν ἐπιτηδεύμασιν ἐντραφέντα, ἐκ δὲ τῆς δυσσεβείας περιφάνειαν κτήσασθαι μηχανώμενον, ἐπὶ λύμῃ τῆς ἐκκλησίας τοῦ τῆς διακονίας ὀνόματος ἠξιῶσθαι· ἠπείλουν δὲ καὶ τῆς ἐκκλησιαστικῆς ἀποστήσεσθαι κοινωνίας καὶ τὴν Ἑσπέραν καταλήψεσθαι καὶ δῆλα ποιήσειν τὰ τυρευόμενα. ταῦτα δείσας ὁ Λεόντιος τῆς μὲν λειτουργίας ἔπαυσε τὸν Ἀέτιον, τῆς δέ γε ἄλλης αὐτὸν θεραπείας ἠξίου. Ἡ δὲ ἀξιάγαστος ξυνωρὶς Φλαβιανὸς καὶ ∆ιόδωρος, ἱερατικῆς μὲν λειτουργίας οὐδέπω τετυχηκότες, τῷ δὲ λαῷ συντεταγμένοι, νύκτωρ καὶ μεθ' ἡμέραν εἰς τὸν ὑπὲρ τῆς εὐσεβείας ζῆλον διήγειρον ἅπαντας. οὗτοι πρῶτοι διχῆ διελόντες τοὺς τῶν ψαλλόντων χοροὺς ἐκ διαδοχῆς ᾄδειν τὴν ∆αυϊτικὴν ἐδίδαξαν μελῳδίαν· καὶ τοῦτο ἐν Ἀντιοχείᾳ πρῶτον ἀρξάμενον πάντοσε διέδραμε καὶ κατέλαβε τῆς οἰκουμένης τὰ τέρματα. οὗτοι τῶν θείων τοὺς ἐραστὰς εἰς τοὺς τῶν μαρτύρων σηκοὺς συναγείροντες, πάννυχοι διετέλουν σὺν ἐκείνοις τὸν θεὸν ἀνυ μνοῦντες. ταῦτα δὲ ὁρῶν ὁ Λεόντιος κωλύειν μὲν οὐκ ἐνόμιζεν ἀσφαλές (ἑώρα γὰρ τὸ πλῆθος εὖ μάλα περὶ τοὺς ἀρίστους ἐκείνους διακείμενον ἄνδρας), ἐπιεικείᾳ δὲ τοὺς λόγους χρωννὺς ἐν ταῖς ἐκ κλησίαις ταύτην γίνεσθαι παρ' αὐτῶν τὴν λειτουργίαν ἠξίου. οἱ δὲ καὶ λίαν ἀκριβῶς τὴν ἐκείνου πονηρίαν εἰδότες τὸ κελευόμενον ἔδρων, 155 καὶ τοὺς συνεραστὰς εἰς τὰς ἐκκλησίας συνήθροιζον μάλα προθύμως, ὑμνεῖν τὸν ἀγαθὸν δεσπότην παρεγγυῶντες. Τὸν μέντοι Λεόντιον οὐδὲν ἔπεισε κολάσαι τὴν πονηρίαν, ἀλλὰ τὸ τῆς ἐπιεικείας περιθέμενος προσωπεῖον καὶ Στεφάνου καὶ Φλακίτου τὴν βδελυρίαν ἀπέκρυψε. τοὺς γὰρ τῶν δογμάτων τὴν διαφθορὰν εἰσδεξαμένους, εἰ καὶ τὸν ἀκόλαστον ἠσπάζοντο βίον, τοῖς τῶν πρε σβυτέρων καὶ διακόνων ἐγκατέλεγε τάγμασι, τοὺς δὲ τοῖς παντοδαποῖς εἴδεσι τῆς ἀρετῆς κοσμουμένους τῶν τε ἀποστολικῶν δογμάτων ἀντε χομένους ἀγεράστους κατέλειπε. τούτου δὴ χάριν ὁ μὲν κλῆρος πλείους εἶχε τοὺς τῆς αἱρετικῆς λύμης μετειληχότας, τοῦ δὲ λαοῦ τὸ πλεῖστον τῶν ὀρθῶν ὑπερεμάχει δογμάτων. οὐδὲ γὰρ οἱ τὰς διδα σκαλίας προσφέροντες γυμνοῦν ἐθάρρουν τὴν βλασφημίαν. ὅσα μὲν οὖν Φλάκιτος καὶ Στέφανος καὶ Λεόντιος δυσσεβῆ καὶ παράνομα ἐν Ἀντιοχείᾳ δεδράκασι, συγγραφῆς μὲν οἰκείας δεῖται διὰ τὸ πλῆθος, τῆς δὲ τοῦ ∆αβὶδ θρηνῳδίας διὰ τὸ μέγεθος. καὶ περὶ τούτων γὰρ λέγειν χρή· " ὅτι ἰδοὺ οἱ ἐχθροί σου ἤχησαν, καὶ οἱ μισοῦντές σε ἦραν κεφαλήν· ἐπὶ τὸν λαόν σου κατεπανουργεύσαντο γνώμην, καὶ ἐβουλεύσαντο κατὰ τῶν ἁγίων σου. εἶπον· δεῦτε καὶ ἐξολοθρεύσωμεν αὐτοὺς ἐξ ἔθνους, καὶ οὐ μὴ μνησθῇ τὸ ὄνομα Ἰσραὴλ ἔτι ". ἡμεῖς δὲ τὰ λοιπὰ τῆς ἱστορίας συγγράψωμεν. Γερμανίκεια πόλις ἐστὶν ἐν μεθορίῳ τῆς Κιλίκων καὶ Σύρων καὶ Καππαδοκῶν κειμένη, εἰς δὲ τὴν Εὐφρατησίαν καλουμένην ἐπαρ χίαν τελεῖ. τῆσδε τῆς ἐκκλησίας προστατεύων Εὐδόξιος, εἶτα Λεόν τιον τεθνηκέναι μαθών, κατέλαβε μὲν τὴν Ἀντιόχειαν, ἥρπασε δὲ 156 τὴν προεδρίαν, συὸς ἀγρίου δίκην λυμαινόμενος τὸν ἀμπελῶνα τὸν θεῖον. οὐδὲ γὰρ Λεοντίῳ παραπλησίως τὴν κακοήθειαν συνε κάλυπτεν, ἀλλ' ἄντικρυς κατὰ τῶν ἀποστολικῶν ἐλύττα δογ μάτων καὶ τοὺς ἀντιλέγειν τολμῶντας παντοδαπαῖς περιέβαλλε συμφοραῖς. κατὰ τοῦτον δὲ τὸν χρόνον Ἀγκύρας μὲν τῆς Γαλατῶν μητροπόλεως Βασίλειος κατεῖχε τὰ τῆς ἐκκλησίας πηδάλια, Μάρκελλον διαδεξάμενος, Εὐστάθιος δὲ Σεβαστείας ἡγεῖτο, ἣ τῆς Ἀρμενίας ἐπρώτευεν. οὗτοι τὴν Εὐδοξίου παρανομίαν καὶ λύτταν μεμαθηκότες Κωνσταντίῳ τῷ βασιλεῖ τὰ τολμηθέντα διὰ γραμμάτων ἐδήλωσαν. ἔτι δὲ οὗτος ἐν τῷ πρὸς δυόμενον ἥλιον διέτριβε τμήματι, τὴν παρὰ τῶν τυράννων γεγενημένην βλάβην ἰώμενος μετὰ τὴν ἐκείνων ἀναίρε σιν. συνήθεις δὲ ἦσαν οὗτοι τῷ βασιλεῖ καὶ πλείστης ὅσης διὰ τὴν ἀξιέπαινον βιοτὴν ἀπήλαυον παρρησίας. Ταῦτα μαθὼν ὁ Κωνστάντιος Ἀντιοχεῦσι μὲν ἐπέστειλεν ὡς οὐκ αὐτὸς Εὐδοξίῳ τὴν τῆς ἐκκλησίας