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using their weapons against one another. But the spectators of the slaughter, becoming angry and receiving the Bacchic frenzy of the demon who delights in that blood, stoned the president of the peace. Learning this, the admirable emperor numbered him among the victorious martyrs, and he stopped that wicked spectacle. And in Constantinople, when Nectarius, who shepherded that church, died, Arcadius, who had been allotted to direct that empire, learning that John, the great luminary of the world, had been enrolled in the choir of presbyters in Antioch, both brought him and exhorted the assembled bishops to bring him to divine grace and to appoint him shepherd of that great city. This alone is sufficient to show the emperor's zeal for divine things. At this time the divine Flavian presided over Antioch, and Elpidius over Laodicea, having been a companion of the great Meletius and having molded himself on his way of life more than wax on the impressions of signet rings (this one, then, succeeded the great Pelagius, 329 and the all-praised Agapetus succeeded the divine Marcellus, whom I said excelled in the ascetic training grounds during the time of the heretical storm), and Maximus over Seleucia by the Taurus, a fellow student of the great John, and Theodore of Mopsuestia. Both were also brilliant teachers. And the divine Acacius, who governed Beroea, shone with intelligence and life; and Leontius shepherded the nation of the Galatians, being adorned with many forms of virtue. The great John, having received the rudders of the church, frankly rebuked the injustices committed by some, and advised the emperor and empress on what was fitting, and he demanded that the priests live according to the established laws, and he prevented those who dared to transgress them from entering the palace, saying that it was not right to enjoy the honor of priests, but not to emulate the life of true priests. And he exercised this providence not only for that city, but also for all of Thrace (which is divided into six provinces) and for all of Asia (and this is governed by eleven rulers). And indeed he also ordered the Pontic diocese with these laws; and this has governors equal in number to Asia. And learning that Phoenicia was still raging with the rites of the demons, 330 he gathered ascetics fired with divine zeal, and arming them with imperial laws, he sent them out against the idolatrous precincts. And the funds supplied to the craftsmen who were tearing them down and to their assistants he did not spend from the imperial treasuries, but he persuaded women who prided themselves on their wealth and were illustrious in faith to provide these things generously, pointing out the blessing that grows from the contribution. In this way, then, he tore up from their foundations the remaining shrines of the demons. And seeing the Scythian multitude hunted by the Arian net, he himself devised a counter-stratagem and found a way of catching them. For by appointing presbyters and deacons of the same language as them and those who read the divine oracles, he assigned one church to them, and through these he caught many of those who were wandering. For he himself, visiting there often, would discourse, using as an interpreter someone who knew both languages; and he prepared those who knew how to speak to do this. These things, then, he continued to do inside the city and captured many of the deceived, demonstrating the truth of the apostolic proclamations. And learning that some of the nomadic Scythians encamped by the Ister were thirsting for salvation, but were deprived of one to bring them the stream, 331 he sought out men who emulated the apostolic philosophy, and he set them over them. And I have also come across letters written by him to Leontius, the bishop of Ancyra, through which he indicated the conversion of the Scythians and asked for men suited for their guidance to be sent to him. And in our country

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ἀλλήλων κεχρημένους τοῖς ὅπλοις. τῆς δὲ μιαιφονίας οἱ θεαταὶ χαλεπήναντες καὶ τοῦ τοῖς αἵμασιν ἐκείνοις ἐπιτερπομένου δαίμονος εἰσδεξάμενοι τὴν βακχείαν, κατέλευσαν τῆς εἰρήνης τὸν πρύτανιν. τοῦτο μαθὼν ὁ θαυμαστὸς βασιλεὺς τὸν μὲν τοῖς νικηφόροις συνηρίθμησε μάρτυσι, τὴν δὲ πονηρὰν ἐκείνην ἔπαυσε θεωρίαν. Ἐν δὲ Κωνσταντινουπόλει Νεκταρίου τελευτήσαντος ὃς τὴν ἐκ κλησίαν ἐκείνην ἐποίμαινεν, Ἀρκάδιος ὁ ταύτην ἰθύνειν τὴν βασιλείαν λαχών, μαθὼν Ἰωάννην τὸν μέγαν τῆς οἰκουμένης φωστῆρα ἐν Ἀντιοχείᾳ τῷ τῶν πρεσβυτέρων ἐγκατειλέχθαι χορῷ, ἤγαγέ τε καὶ τοῖς συνειλεγμένοις ἐπισκόποις αὐτὸν τῇ θείᾳ προσαγαγεῖν παρηγ γύησε χάριτι καὶ τῆς μεγίστης ἐκείνης πόλεως ἀποφῆναι ποιμένα. ἱκανὸν δὲ τοῦτο καὶ μόνον δηλῶσαι τοῦ βασιλέως τὴν περὶ τὰ θεῖα σπουδήν. Κατὰ τοῦτον τὸν χρόνον Ἀντιοχείας μὲν ὁ θεῖος ἡγεῖτο Φλα βιανός, Λαοδικείας δὲ Ἐλπίδιος, τοῦ μεγάλου Μελετίου γενόμενος σύσκηνος καὶ τὴν ἐκείνου πολιτείαν ἐκμαξάμενος μᾶλλον ἢ ὁ κηρὸς τῶν δακτυλίων τοὺς τύπους (οὗτος μὲν οὖν τὸν μέγαν Πελάγιον 329 διεδέξατο, τὸν δὲ θεῖον Μάρκελλον Ἀγαπητὸς ὁ πανεύφημος, ὃν ἐν ταῖς ἀσκητικαῖς παλαίστραις διαπρέπειν ἔφην κατὰ τὸν τῆς αἱρετικῆς ζάλης καιρόν), Σελευκείας δὲ τῆς πρὸς τῷ Ταύρῳ Μάξιμος, Ἰωάννου τοῦ πάνυ συμφοιτητής, καὶ Θεόδωρος τῆς Μοψουεστίας. ἄμφω δὲ καὶ διδασκάλω ἤστην λαμπρώ. διέλαμπε δὲ συνέσει τε καὶ βίῳ ὁ θεῖος Ἀκάκιος, ἰθύνων τὴν Βέροιαν· Λεόντιος δὲ τὸ Γαλατῶν ἐποίμαινεν ἔθνος, πολλοῖς εἴδεσιν ἀρετῆς λαμπρυνόμενος. Ὁ δὲ μέγας Ἰωάννης τοὺς τῆς ἐκκλησίας δεξάμενος οἴακας τάς τε παρά τινων γιγνομένας ἀδικίας σὺν παρρησίᾳ διήλεγχε, καὶ βασιλεῖ καὶ βασιλίδι παρῄνει τὰ πρόσφορα, καὶ τοὺς ἱερέας ἠξίου κατὰ τοὺς κειμένους πολιτεύεσθαι νόμους, τοὺς δὲ τούτους παραβαίνειν τολ μῶντας ἐπιβαίνειν τῶν ἀνακτόρων ἐκώλυεν, οὐ χρῆναι λέγων τῆς μὲν τῶν ἱερέων ἀπολαύειν τιμῆς, τὴν δὲ τῶν ἀληθινῶν ἱερέων μὴ ζηλοῦν βιοτήν. καὶ ταύτην ἐποιεῖτο τὴν προμήθειαν οὐ μόνον ἐκείνης τῆς πόλεως, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῆς Θρᾴκης ἁπάσης (εἰς ἓξ δὲ αὕτη ἡγεμονίας διῄρηται) καὶ τῆς Ἀσίας ὅλης (ὑπὸ ἕνδεκα δὲ καὶ αὕτη ἀρχόντων ἰθύνεται). καὶ μέντοι καὶ τὴν Ποντικὴν τούτοις κατεκόσμει τοῖς νόμοις· ἰσαρίθμους δὲ καὶ αὕτη ἔχει τῇ Ἀσίᾳ τοὺς ἡγουμένους. Μαθὼν δὲ τὴν Φοινίκην ἔτι περὶ τὰς τῶν δαιμόνων τελετὰς 330 μεμηνέναι, ἀσκητὰς μὲν ζήλῳ θείῳ πυρπολουμένους συνέλεξε, νόμοις δὲ αὐτοὺς ὁπλίσας βασιλικοῖς κατὰ τῶν εἰδωλικῶν ἐξέπεμψε τεμενῶν. τὰ δὲ τοῖς καταλύουσι τεχνίταις καὶ τοῖς τούτων ὑπουργοῖς χορη γούμενα χρήματα οὐκ ἐκ ταμιείων βασιλικῶν λαμβάνων ἀνήλισκεν, ἀλλὰ τὰς πλούτῳ κομώσας καὶ πίστει λαμπρυνομένας γυναῖκας φιλο τίμως ταῦτα παρέχειν ἀνέπειθε, τὴν ἐκ τῆς χορηγίας φυομένην εὐ λογίαν ἐπιδεικνύς. τοὺς μὲν οὖν ὑπολειφθέντας τῶν δαιμόνων σηκοὺς τοῦτον τὸν τρόπον ἐκ βάθρων ἀνέσπασεν. Ὁρῶν δὲ καὶ τὸν Σκυθικὸν ὅμιλον ὑπὸ τῆς Ἀρειανικῆς θηρευ θέντα σαγήνης, ἀντεμηχανήσατο καὶ αὐτὸς καὶ πόρον ἄγρας ἐξηῦρεν. ὁμογλώττους γὰρ ἐκείνοις πρεσβυτέρους καὶ διακόνους καὶ τοὺς τὰ θεῖα ὑπαναγιγνώσκοντας λόγια προβαλλόμενος, μίαν τούτοις ἀπένειμεν ἐκκλησίαν, καὶ διὰ τούτων πολλοὺς τῶν πλανωμένων ἐθήρευσεν. αὐτός τε γὰρ θαμινὰ ἐκεῖσε φοιτῶν διελέγετο, ἑρμηνευτῇ χρώ μενος τὴν ἑκατέραν γλῶτταν ἐπισταμένῳ τινί· καὶ τοὺς λέγειν ἐπι σταμένους τοῦτο παρεσκεύαζε δρᾶν. ταῦτα μὲν οὖν ἔνδον ἐν τῇ πόλει διετέλει ποιῶν καὶ πολλοὺς τῶν ἐξηπατημένων ἐζώγρει, τῶν ἀποστολικῶν κηρυγμάτων ἐπιδεικνὺς τὴν ἀλήθειαν. Μαθὼν δέ τινας τῶν νομάδων Σκυθῶν παρὰ τὸν Ἴστρον ἐσκηνημένους διψῆν μὲν τῆς σωτηρίας, ἐστερῆσθαι δὲ τοῦ τὸ νᾶμα 331 προσφέροντος, ἐπεζήτησεν ἄνδρας τὴν ἀποστολικὴν φιλοσοφίαν ἐζηλω κότας, καὶ τούτους ἐκείνοις ἐπέστησεν. ἐγὼ δέ τοι καὶ γράμμασιν ἐντετύχηκα παρ' αὐτοῦ γραφεῖσι πρὸς Λεόντιον τὸν Ἀγκύρας ἐπίσκο πον, δι' ὧν καὶ τῶν Σκυθῶν ἐδήλωσε τὴν μεταβολὴν καὶ πεμφθῆναί οἱ ἄνδρας πρὸς τὴν τούτων ποδηγίαν ἐπιτηδείους ἠξίωσεν. ἐν τῇ χώρᾳ δὲ τῇ ἡμετέρᾳ