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to attain by zeal. But this was the beginning of the greatest misfortunes, and a disturbance similar to those mentioned arose throughout the entire empire, and a persecution all but held the churches everywhere, 4.26.4 similar to those formerly under the Hellenist emperors. For if it seemed more moderate in its punishments to the body, it appeared with reason more grievous to the right-minded on account of the shame. For both, the persecutor and the persecuted, were from the church. And the evil was especially shameful, because the priestly rule forbade committing acts of hostility against one’s own people, a thing it also forbade with respect to foreigners. 4.26.5 But the innovation, being praised, increased still more and crept toward revolution, growing insolent and, despising the traditions of the fathers, it established its own laws. And it did not think it worthy to hold the same opinions about God as the ancients, but, always devising strange doctrines, it was not at rest, striving for things newer than the new, just as indeed happened now. 4.27.1 For when Macedonius was deprived of the church of Constantinople, he no longer held similar opinions to those of Acacius and Eudoxius; but he taught that the Son was God, in all respects and in substance like the Father, but declared the Holy Spirit to be without share in the same prerogatives, calling it a deacon and a servant and whatever one might say about the divine angels without error. 4.27.2 And Eleusius and Eustathius and all those who at that time were deposed in Constantinople by those of the opposite heresy shared this opinion with him, to whom no small portion of the people was persuaded in Constantinople 4.27.3 and Bithynia and Thrace and the Hellespont and the surrounding nations. For indeed, regarding their way of life, to which the multitudes especially pay attention, they were not of a mean sort. For their bearing was grave and their conduct similar to that of monks, 4.27.4 and their speech was not ungraceful and their character capable of persuading. Such a one, they say, was Marathonius at that time; who, having collected much wealth as a public paymaster of the soldiers under the prefects, when he retired from military service, took care of communities of the sick and the poor, and after this, at the persuasion of Eustathius the bishop of Sebasteia, he praised the ascetic life and established a community of monks in Constantinople, which even from that time until now 4.27.5 is preserved in its successions. And to such an extent did he support this heresy with zeal and his own money, that the followers of Macedonius were also named Marathonians by some, not unreasonably, it seems to me. For it appears that he alone with his fellow residents was the cause of this heresy not being entirely extinguished 4.27.6 in Constantinople. For from the time Macedonius was deposed, they had neither churches nor bishops until the reign of Arcadius. For the followers of Arius did not permit it, expelling all those holding contrary opinions from 4.27.7 the churches and punishing them cruelly. To list, then, all the priests who were driven from their own cities at that time would be a task indeed; for I think no nation of the Roman world remained untouched by such a calamity. 4.28.1 At that time when Eudoxius held the church of Constantinople, many were zealous to secure for themselves the throne of Antioch, and as is likely in such matters, various contentions and factions of the clergy 4.28.2 and of the people occurred. For each group chose the one who was expected to agree with their own faith to rule the church. For they had not yet ceased from their difference concerning doctrine, nor did they agree with one another in their psalmody, but to their own opinion, as was said before, they adapt4.28.3ed what was sung. And while the church of Antioch was in this state, it seemed good to those around Eudoxius to transfer Meletius here from Sebasteia, as he was able to speak and to persuade and good in the matters of life 4.28.4 and had formerly been of the same opinion as them. For they thought that in every way by the reputation of the man they would win over to their own heresy the
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σπουδῆς ἐπιτεύξασθαι. τὸ δὲ ἦν ἀρχὴ μεγίστων συμφορῶν, ἐμφερὴς δὲ ἦν τοῖς εἰρημένοις τάραχος ἀνὰ πᾶν τὸ ὑπήκοον, καὶ τὰς πανταχοῦ ἐκκλησίας μονονουχὶ διωγμὸς εἶχε 4.26.4 παραπλήσιος τοῖς πρὶν ἐπὶ τῶν ῾Ελληνιστῶν βασιλέων. εἰ γὰρ ταῖς εἰς σῶμα τιμωρίαις μετριώτερος ἐδόκει, χαλεπώτερος εἰκότως τοῖς εὖ φρονοῦσι διὰ τὴν αἰσχύνην ἐφαίνετο. ἄμφω γάρ, ὅ τε διώκων καὶ ὁ διωκόμενος, ἐκ τῆς ἐκκλησίας ὥρμηντο. καὶ τοσοῦτον αἰσχρὸν τὸ κακόν, ὅσον πρὸς τῷ ὁμοφύλους τὰ πολεμίων δρᾶν καὶ περὶ ἀλλοφύλους τοιούτους εἶναι ὁ ἱερατικὸς θεσμὸς ἀπηγόρευεν. 4.26.5 ῾Η δὲ καινότης ἐπαινουμένη ἔτι μᾶλλον ἐπεδίδου καὶ πρὸς νεωτερισμὸν εἷρπεν, ἀπαυθαδιαζομένη τε καὶ τῶν πατρικῶν ὑπερφρονοῦσα ἰδίους ἐτίθει νόμους. καὶ τὰ αὐτὰ τοῖς ἀρχαιοτέροις περὶ θεοῦ δοξάζειν οὐκ ἠξίου, ἀεὶ δὲ ξένα περινοοῦσα δόγματα οὐκ ἠρέμει τῶν καινῶν καινοτέροις σπουδάζουσα, ὥσπερ δὴ καὶ νῦν συνέβη. 4.27.1 ᾿Επειδὴ γὰρ Μακεδόνιος ἀφῃρέθη τὴν Κωνσταντινουπόλεως ἐκκλησίαν, οὐκέτι παραπλησίως ἐδόξαζε τοῖς ἀμφὶ τὸν ᾿Ακάκιον καὶ Εὐδόξιον· εἰσηγεῖτο δὲ τὸν υἱὸν θεὸν εἶναι κατὰ πάντα τε καὶ κατ' οὐσίαν ὅμοιον τῷ πατρί, τὸ δὲ ἅγιον πνεῦμα ἄμοιρον τῶν αὐτῶν πρεσβείων ἀπεφαίνετο διάκονον καὶ ὑπηρέτην καλῶν καὶ ὅσα περὶ τῶν θείων ἀγγέλων λέγων τις οὐκ ἂν ἁμάρτοι. 4.27.2 ταύτης δὲ τῆς δόξης ἐκοινώνουν αὐτῷ ᾿Ελεύσιός τε καὶ Εὐστάθιος καὶ ὅσοι τότε παρὰ τῶν ἐκ τῆς ἐναντίας αἱρέσεως ἐν Κωνσταντινουπόλει καθῃρέθησαν, οἷς οὐκ ὀλίγη μοῖρα τοῦ λαοῦ ἐπείθετο κατὰ τὴν Κωνσταντινούπολιν 4.27.3 Βιθυνίαν τε καὶ Θρᾴκην καὶ ῾Ελλήσποντον καὶ τὰ πέριξ ἔθνη. καὶ γὰρ δὴ τὰ περὶ τὸν βίον, ᾧ μάλιστα τὰ πλήθη προσέχει τὸν νοῦν, οὐ φαύλως εἶχον. πρόοδός τε γὰρ ἦν αὐτοῖς σεμνὴ καὶ παραπλησία μοναχοῖς ἡ ἀγωγὴ 4.27.4 καὶ λόγος οὐκ ἄκομψος καὶ ἦθος πείθειν ἱκανόν. οἷον δὴ τότε καὶ Μαραθώνιον γενέσθαι φασίν· ὃς ἀπὸ ψηφιστοῦ δημοσίου τῶν ὑπὸ τοὺς ὑπάρχους στρατιωτῶν πλοῦτον πολὺν συλλέξας, ἐπειδὴ τῆς στρατείας ἐπαύσατο, συνοικίας νοσούντων καὶ πτωχῶν ἐπεμελεῖτο, μετὰ δὲ ταῦτα πείσαντος Εὐσταθίου τοῦ Σεβαστείας ἐπισκόπου τὸν ἀσκητικὸν βίον ἐπῄνεσε καὶ συνοικίαν μοναχῶν ἐν Κωνσταντινουπόλει συνεστήσατο, ἣ καὶ ἐξ ἐκείνου εἰσέτι νῦν 4.27.5 ἐστι ταῖς διαδοχαῖς σῳζομένη. ἐπὶ τοσοῦτον δὲ ταύτῃ τῇ αἱρέσει σπουδῇ καὶ χρήμασιν ἰδίοις συνελάβετο, ὡς καὶ πρός τινων Μαραθωνιανοὺς τοὺς Μακεδονίου ὀνομάζεσθαι, ἐμοὶ δοκεῖ, οὐκ ἀπεικότως. φαίνεται γὰρ μόνος οὗτος μετὰ τῶν συνοίκων τοῦ μὴ παντελῶς ἀποσβῆναι ταύτην τὴν αἵρεσιν 4.27.6 ἐν Κωνσταντινουπόλει αἴτιος γενόμενος. ἀφ' οὗ γὰρ καθῃρέθη Μακεδόνιος, οὔτε ἐκκλησίας οὔτε ἐπισκόπους εἶχον μέχρι τῆς ᾿Αρκαδίου βασιλείας. οὐ γὰρ συνεχώρουν οἱ ᾿Αρείου, πάντας τοὺς ἐναντίως δοξάζοντας ἐκ 4.27.7 τῶν ἐκκλησιῶν ἐξελαύνοντες καὶ ὠμῶς τιμωρούμενοι. πάντας μὲν οὖν, ὅσοι τότε τῶν ἱερέων ἐκ τῶν ἰδίων πόλεων ἠλάθησαν, ἔργον ἄρα καταλέγειν· οὐδὲν γὰρ ἔθνος τῆς ῾Ρωμαίων οἰκουμένης ἀπείρατον οἶμαι διαμεῖναι τῆς τοιαύτης συμφορᾶς. 4.28.1 ᾿Εν δὲ τῷ τότε Εὐδοξίου κατασχόντος τὴν Κωνσταντινουπόλεως ἐκκλησίαν πολλοὶ τὸν ᾿Αντιοχείας θρόνον περιποιεῖν ἑαυτοῖς ἐσπούδαζον, καὶ ὡς εἰκὸς ἐπὶ πράγμασι τοιούτοις, φιλονικίαι καὶ στάσεις διάφοροι τοῦ κλήρου 4.28.2 καὶ τοῦ λαοῦ συνέβησαν. ἕκαστοι γὰρ τὸν ὁμόφρονα περὶ τὴν ἰδίαν πίστιν προσδοκώμενον ᾑροῦντο τῆς ἐκκλησίας ἄρχειν. οὔπω γὰρ πεπαυμένοι ἦσαν τῆς περὶ τὸ δόγμα διαφορᾶς οὐδὲ ἐν ταῖς ψαλμῳδίαις συνεφρόνουν ἀλλήλοις, πρὸς δὲ τὴν οἰκείαν δόξαν, ὡς ἐν τοῖς πρόσθεν εἴρηται, μεθήρμο4.28.3 ζον τὸ ψαλλόμενον. οὕτω δὲ διακειμένης τῆς ᾿Αντιοχέων ἐκκλησίας ἔδοξε τοῖς ἀμφὶ τὸν Εὐδόξιον καλῶς ἔχειν μεταστῆσαι ἐνθάδε Μελέτιον ἐκ τῆς Σεβαστείας, οἷά γε λέγειν τε καὶ πείθειν ἱκανὸν καὶ τὰ περὶ τὸν βίον ἀγαθὸν 4.28.4 καὶ ὁμόδοξον αὐτοῖς τὸ πρὶν ὄντα. κατὰ πάντα γὰρ ᾤοντο τῇ δοκήσει τοῦ ἀνδρὸς πρὸς τὴν οἰκείαν αἵρεσιν θηράσειν τοὺς