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Sozomen, The Ecclesiastical History. — Prefatory Remarks, by Valesius
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Prefatory Remarks, by Valesius,
Chapter IX.— Constantine enacts a Law in favor of Celibates and of the Clergy .
Chapter X.— Concerning the Great Confessors who survived .
Chapter XI.— Account of St. Spyridon: His Modesty and Steadfastness .
Chapter XII.— On the Organization of the Monks: its Origin and Founders .
Chapter XIII.— About Antony the Great and St. Paul the Simple .
Chapter XIV.— Account of St. Ammon and Eutychius of Olympus .
Chapter XVII.— Of the Council convened at Nicæa on Account of Arius .
Chapter XIX.— When the Council was assembled, the Emperor delivered a Public Address.
Chapter IV.— What Constantine the Great effected about the Oak in Mamre he also built a Temple .
Chapter VII.— How the Iberians received the Faith of Christ .
Chapter VIII.— How the Armenians and Persians embraced Christianity .
Chapter X.— Christians slain by Sapor in Persia .
Chapter XI.— Pusices, Superintendent of the Artisans of Sapor .
Chapter XII.— Tarbula, the Sister of Symeon, and her Martyrdom .
Chapter XIII.— Martyrdom of St. Acepsimas and of his Companions .
Chapter XV.— Constantine writes to Sapor to stay the Persecution of the Christians .
Chapter XX.— Concerning Maximus, who succeeded Macarius in the See of Jerusalem .
Chapter XXII.— The Vain Machinations of the Arians and Melitians against St. Athanasius .
Chapter XXIII.— Calumny respecting St. Athanasius and the Hand of Arsenius .
Chapter XXV.— Council of Tyre Illegal Deposition of St. Athanasius .
Chapter XXX.— Account given by the Great Athanasius of the Death of Arius .
Chapter XXXIII.— Marcellus Bishop of Ancyra his Heresy and Deposition .
Chapter III.— Paul, Bishop of Constantinople, and Macedonius, the Pneumatomachian .
Chapter IV.— A Sedition was excited on the Ordination of Paul .
Chapter XV.— Didymus the Blind, and Aëtius the Heretic .
Chapter XVI.— Concerning St. Ephraim .
Chapter XXI.— Letter of Constantius to the Egyptians in behalf of Athanasius. Synod of Jerusalem .
Chapter XXII.— Epistle written by the Synod of Jerusalem in Favor of Athanasius .
Chapter III.— Martyrdom of the Holy Notaries .
Chapter IX.— Council of Milan. Flight of Athanasius .
Chapter XIV.— Letter of the Emperor Constantius against Eudoxius and his Partisans .
Chapter XVII.— Proceedings of the Council of Ariminum .
Chapter XVIII.— Letter from the Council at Ariminum to the Emperor Constantius .
Chapter XXII.— Council of Seleucia .
Chapter II.— The Life, Education, and Training of Julian, and his Accession to the Empire .
Chapter IX.— Martyrdom of the Saints Eusebius, Nestabus, and Zeno in the City of Gaza .
Chapter XIV.— The Partisans of Macedonius disputed with the Arians concerning Acacius .
Chapter III.— The Reign of Jovian he introduced Many Laws which he carried out in his Government .
Chapter VIII.— Election of Nectarius to the See of Constantinople his Birthplace and Education .
Chapter IX.— Decrees of the Second General Council. Maximus, the Cynical Philosopher .
Chapter XXI.— Discovery of the Honored Head of the Forerunner of our Lord, and the Events about it .
Chapter XXIV.— Victory of Theodosius the Emperor over Eugenius .
Chapter XXVI.— St. Donatus, Bishop of Eurœa, and Theotimus, High-Priest of Scythia .
Chapter XXVII.— St. Epiphanius, Bishop of Cyprus, and a Particular Account of his Acts .
Chapter IV.— Enterprise of Gaïnas, the Gothic Barbarian. Evils which he perpetrated .
Chapter II.— Discovery of the Relics of Forty Holy Martyrs .
Chapter III.— The Virtues of Pulcheria Her Sisters .
Chapter IV.— Truce with Persia. Honorius and Stilicho. Transactions in Rome and Dalmatia .
Chapter VI.— Alaric the Goth. He assaulted Rome, and straitened it by War .
Chapter X.— A Roman Lady who manifested a Deed of Modesty .
Chapter XVII.— Discovery of the Relics of Zechariah the Prophet, and of Stephen the Proto-Martyr .
Chapter XXIII.— Exaction of Tribute in Antioch, and Demolition of the Statues of the Emperor. Embassy headed by Flavian the Chief Priest .
In this time, on account of the necessities of war, it seemed best to the officials whose concern it was, to impose more than
the customary taxes; for this reason the populace of Antioch in Syria revolted;
49
Soz. is again independent. Cf. Theodoret, H. E. v. 20; Chrysost. Homiliæ, xxi.,
de Statuis ad populum Antiochenum habitæ.
the statues of the emperor and empress were thrown down and dragged by ropes through the city, and, as is usual on such occasions,
the enraged multitude uttered every insulting epithet that passion could suggest. The emperor determined to avenge this insult
by the death of many of the citizens of Antioch; the people were struck dumb at the mere announcement; the rage of the citizens
had subsided, and had given place to repentance; and, as if already subjected to the threatened punishment, they abandoned
themselves to groans and tears, and supplicated God to turn away the anger of the emperor, and made use of some threnodic
hymns for their litanies. They deputed Flavian, their bishop, to go on an embassy to Theodosius; but on his arrival, finding
that the resentment of the emperor at what had occurred was unabated, he had recourse to the following artifice. He caused
some young men accustomed to sing at the table of the emperor to utter these hymns with the litanies of the Antiochans. It
is said that the humanity of the emperor was excited; he was overcome by pity at once; his wrath was subdued, and as his heart
yearned over the city, he shed tears on the cup which he held in his hand. It is reported that, on the night before the sedition
occurred, a spectre was seen in the form of a woman of prodigious height and terrible aspect, pacing through the streets of
the city, lashing the air with an ill-sounding whip, similar to that which is used in goading on the beasts brought forward
at the public theatres. It might have been inferred that the sedition was excited by the agency of some evil and malicious
demon. There is no doubt but that much bloodshed would have ensued, had not the wrath of the emperor been stayed by his respect
for this sacerdotal entreaty.