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They said these things 357 as worthy of being pardoned; for that man, even if he had all the things that are being said, nevertheless, the ordination from of old and the fact that he did not seem to have communed with those who were consecrated yesterday and the day before to the scandal of the church, were able to save him in the end. Saying these things they were clearly relaxing their strictness, so that they might then wish to act according to strictness. But the emperor nevertheless, having once set his aim on winning them over, did not quibble at these things, but was confident in his undertaking, knowing accurately, which was also evident, that it would be in their power and theirs alone to heal even what seemed reprehensible, having taken up opinions of strictness, as being believed from the beginning to suffer hardships on account of this. Therefore, and with much confidence, he placed the whole matter in their hands, and it was clear he would attend to whatever they might do. And they secured what had been agreed upon in writing. And the only thing was for the bishops to agree on the acceptance of John's resignation, but if not, then to make an oath on what was said and renounce his pastoral office, even if he himself should reclaim the priesthood out of repentance. So those who assembled disputed with one another on all days and were of divided opinion about 358 John. But the majority and the more distinguished, taking an oath on what was said, completely disregarded that resignation, whether he would abide by it or not having submitted it, and that it was not possible for him to be a priest from now on, unless, of course, the bishop of Selybria had paid the penalty for his insolence towards him; for it was not possible for one who had not stood in the manner of an accuser nor openly acted with insolence to be punished. However, Theoleptos of Philadelphia, disputing with the whole synod about the appointment of John of Ephesus, thinking that the removal of the patriarch, who agreed with him about this, would be the complete undoing of his own opinion, held tightly to this, and considered the penalties of deposition for the bishop of Selybria to be just, because of which he thought it was of necessity ineffectual and what was decided upon an oath. But most spoke against it, especially for this very reason, among whom the emperor also judged what was said to be a most solemn oath. But nevertheless, if the patriarch should wish, he said, to take up the throne and the honor even so, he was ready 359 to receive him again, trusting, I think, in the outcome, that the old man would not accept to cling blameworthily to that from which he willingly withdrew. 34. But while matters were in this state (and may God show how these things were also done) a certain monk, one of those who seemed devout and esteemed, Menas by name, surnamed Skolekes, known to the church and also known to the emperor, who was accustomed to make visits to Athanasios who had formerly been patriarch, this man, as the emperor said and everyone naturally believed, on the fifteenth of the month of Hekatombaion, as the day was ending, having approached the emperor, he asked those in charge of messages to announce him, as having something necessary to say. And they announced him, but the emperor, being occupied with necessary business, postponed his admission for the time being, but sending a message, he commanded him to wait so that he might be brought in at his leisure. And he, waiting outside, since it was already night and he was sitting idly, sends a message again and urges his entrance. And when the emperor postponed again and promised that he would order him to enter after a little while, he, growing angry, says, "And what indeed will we accomplish as the hour passes, it being necessary to speak about the things for which we have come, before it becomes late in the night." Having said these things, he persuaded him immediately, as it seemed to the emperor that he was about to hear something new and 360 worthy of haste. And being brought in alone to the emperor alone, he said, "My lord and emperor, it is customary for me to visit the lord Athanasios at certain timely intervals. And indeed, having visited today, I found the man full of dejection and filled with thought, as far as one could guess. Wherefore, also speaking to me about what was causing his dejection, out of the confidence which I have toward him, he says, 'I perceive a divine wrath let loose upon those here, and would that someone might go and announce to the emperor my counsel, to command all the monasteries, except from the

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ἔλεγον ταῦτα 357 ὡς ἄξια συγγινώσκεσθαι· ἐκεῖνον γάρ, κἂν πάντ' ἔχοι τὰ φημι ζόμενα, ἀλλ' οὖν τὴν ἐκ παλαιοῦ χειροτονίαν καὶ τὸ μὴ συγκε κοινωνηκέναι δόξαι τοῖς χθὲς τελεσθεῖσι καὶ πρώην εἰς τὸ τῆς ἐκ κλησίας σκάνδαλον ἐς τέλος περιποιεῖν δύνασθαι. ταῦτα λέγον τες δῆλοι ἦσαν ἀκριβείας καθυφεικότες, ἵνα ἄρα τὰ τῆς ἀκρι βείας πράττειν ἐβούλοντο. βασιλεὺς δ' ὅμως ἅπαξ διὰ σκοποῦ θέμενος αὐτοὺς προσλαβέσθαι, οὐδὲν ἐφυλοκρίνει πρὸς ταῦτα, ἀπεθάρρει δὲ τὴν ἐγχείρησιν, ἀκριβῶς εἰδώς, ὅπερ καὶ φανερὸν ἦν, ὡς παρ' αὐτοῖς ἂν εἴη καὶ μόνοις καὶ τὸ ἐπίμωμον δοκοῦν ἐξιᾶσθαι, ἀκριβείας δόξασιν ἐπειλῆφθαι ὡς καὶ διὰ ταύτην ἀρ χῆθεν πιστευομένοις κακοπαθεῖν. τῷ τοι καὶ ὑπὸ πολλῇ πληρο φορίᾳ ἐπ' αὐτοῖς τὸ πᾶν ἐτίθει, καὶ δῆλος ἦν ἐκείνοις προσέξων ὅ τι καὶ πράττοιεν. γράμμασί τε τὰ συντεθειμένα ἠσφαλίζοντο. καὶ μόνον ἦν τὸ ἀρχιερεῖς ὁμοφωνεῖν ἐπὶ τῇ τῆς παραιτήσεως τοῦ Ἰωάννου παραδοχῇ, εἰ δ' οὖν ἀλλ' ὅρκον τὸ λεχθὲν τιθεμένους ἀποπροσποιεῖσθαι τὴν ἐκείνου ποιμαντικήν, κἂν αὐτὸς ἀνακαλῆ ται ἱερωσύνην ἐκ μεταγνώσεως. οἱ μὲν οὖν συναγόμενοι ἐφ' ἡμέ ραις ἁπάσαις διημφισβήτουν ἀλλήλοις καὶ ἀμφεγνωμόνουν περὶ 358 τοῦ Ἰωάννου. οἱ πλείους δὲ καὶ περιφανέστεροι, ὅρκον τιθέμε νοι τὸ λεχθέν, παραιτήσεως μὲν ἐκείνης ἠλόγουν πάμπαν, κἂν ἐμμένῃ ταύτῃ κἂν μὴ ἐκθέμενος, μὴ δυνατὸν δ' εἶναι αὐτὸν ἱε ρᾶσθαι τὸ ἀπὸ τοῦδε, μὴ δόντος δηλαδὴ τὰς δίκας τοῦ Σηλυ βρίας τῆς εἰς αὐτὸν ὕβρεως· μηδὲ γὰρ δυνατὸν εἶναι δίκας ὑπέ χειν τὸν μὴ τρόπον κατηγόρου σταθέντα μηδὲ προδήλως ὑβρί σαντα. ὁ μέντοι γε Φιλαδελφείας Θεόληπτος πρὸς τὴν τοῦ Ἐφέσου Ἰωάννου κατάστασιν συνόδῳ πάσῃ διαμφισβητῶν, τὸ ἐκποδὼν γενέσθαι τὸν πατριάρχην ὁμογνωμονοῦντά οἱ περὶ τού του τῆς οἰκείας γνώμης κατάλυσιν τὸ σύμπαν οἰόμενος, ἀπρίξ τε εἴχετο τούτου, καὶ τῷ Σηλυβρίας ἐτίθει δικαίας τὰς δίκας τῆς καθαιρέσεως, δι' ἃς ἀπρακτεῖν καὶ τὸ δοκοῦν εἰς ὅρκον ἐξ ἀναγ καίων ᾤετο. ἀντέλεγον δὲ πλεῖστοι, καὶ μάλιστα ταύτης γε καὶ αὐτοὶ τῆς αἰτίας ἕνεκα, σὺν οἷς καὶ βασιλεὺς ὅρκον ἔκρινε μέγι στον τὸ λεχθέν. πλὴν δ' ἀλλ' εἰ βούλοιτο, φησί, πατριάρχης ἀναλαμβάνειν καὶ οὕτως τὸν θρόνον καὶ τὴν τιμήν, ἕτοιμος εἶ 359 ναι καὶ πάλιν ἐκεῖνον δέχεσθαι, πιστεύων, οἶμαι, τῷ τέλει, ὡς οὐδὲν ἂν καταδεξομένου τοῦ γέροντος ἀντέχεσθαι μωμητῶς οὗπερ προθύμως ἐξίστατο. 34. Ἀλλ' ἐν τούτοις τῶν πραγμάτων ὄντων (θεὸς δ' εἰ δείη πῶς ταῦτα καὶ πέπρακτο) μοναχός τις τῶν εὐλαβῶν δοκούν των καὶ ἐλλογίμων, Μηνᾶς τοὔνομα, Σκωλήκης τοὐπίκλην, γνώριμος μὲν ἐκκλησίᾳ γνώριμος δέ γε καὶ βασιλεῖ, προσόδους εἰς Ἀθανάσιον τὸν πάλαι πατριαρχεύσαντα ἐκ συνηθείας ποιού μενος, οὗτος, ὡς βασιλεὺς ἔλεγε καὶ πάντες ὡς εἰκὸς ἐπίστευον, μηνὸς Ἑκατομβαιῶνος πεντεκαιδεκάτῃ, ἡμέρας ληγούσης προσελ θὼν βασιλεῖ τοὺς ἐπὶ τῶν ἀγγελιῶν ἠξίου ἀναφέρειν περὶ αὐτοῦ ὡς ἐρεῖν τι ἔχοντος ἀναγκαῖον. καὶ οἱ μὲν ἀνέφερον, βασιλεὺς δὲ σχολάζων ἐπ' ἀναγκαίοις τότε μὲν ὑπερετίθετο τὴν εἰσαγω γήν, πέμπων δὲ προσέταττε μένειν ἐφ' ᾧπερ κατὰ σχολὴν εἰσα χθείη. καὶ ὃς ἔξω μένων, ὡς ἤδη νὺξ ἦν καὶ περιαργῶν καθῆ στο, μηνύει καὶ πάλιν καὶ τὴν εἰσέλευσιν ἐπισπεύδει. ὡς δὲ καὶ αὖθις ὑπερετίθετο βασιλεὺς καὶ μετὰ μικρὸν εἰσιέναι κελεύσοντος ὑπισχνεῖτο, ἐκεῖνος "καὶ τί γε" μηνίων φησὶν "ἀνύσομεν διερ χομένης τῆς ὥρας, ἀναγκαῖον ὂν λέγειν περὶ ὧν ἀφίγμεθα, πρὶν καὶ ὀψὲ γενέσθαι νυκτός." ταῦτ' εἰπὼν ἔπειθεν ἐκ τοῦ παρα χρῆμα, δόξαν τῷ βασιλεῖ αὐτόθεν καινόν τι ἀκούειν καὶ σπου 360 δῆς ἄξιον. καὶ εἰσαχθεὶς μόνος μόνῳ τῷ βασιλεῖ "δέσποτά μου" ἔφη "καὶ βασιλεῦ, ἐμοὶ μὲν σύνηθες πρὸς τὸν κύριον Ἀθα νάσιον ἐκ διαλειμμάτων τινῶν καιριακῶν παραγίνεσθαι. καὶ δὴ καὶ παραγεγονὼς τὴν σήμερον κατηφείας εὗρον τὸν ἄνδρα μεστὸν καὶ πλήρη συννοίας ὅσον εἰκάσαι. ὅθεν καὶ πρός με λέγων τὸ ποιοῦν τὴν κατήφειαν ἐκ θάρρους οὗ πρὸς ἐκεῖνον ἔχω, ὀργήν φησι θείαν ἐφειμένην τοῖς ἐνθάδε κατανοῶ καὶ αἴθ' εἴ τις ἴοι καὶ βασιλεῖ ἀγγείλειε τὴν ἐμὴν συμβουλήν, μοναῖς ἁπάσαις προστάξαι, πλὴν ἐκ τῆς