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And as for the precious vestments and relics of the saints and the books, go and examine them one by one, feel them, and receive them, lest someone should also accuse us of sacrilege. And for the rest, farewell in the Lord, children, and be saved. But as for us, taking again our tunic and pyx and three of the coins, which we possessed according to the rule of monks when we entered the patriarchate, and which were acquired by our own labors from transcribing a psalter, we will depart.” 353 Having said these and other such things to the clergy, so that some even nearly went to take charge of the holy things, among whom he himself was, turning to those who were sent: “Brothers,” he said, “behold, I have prepared myself and I will not be troubled, whatever you may wish for me. So your part, as you say, has been accomplished. Let the emperor do what remains and command from here where we must go, or rather let him send those who will lead us away; for we will not contend at all, even if he prepares a sword or death.” Having said these things, he sent all away in peace, while he himself, neglecting everything, sat down, awaiting the command from the ruler.

8. How the emperor, sending men, removes the patriarch from the patriarchate, and the events of that time. It was night, around the end of Pyanepsion, when the air becomes clearer, having been freed from the hardships of winter, casting off much of the moisture. And indeed, in the first watch of that night, the emperor's men are sent, for the purpose of bringing down the condemned man and taking him wherever they were commanded. As soon, therefore, as he was brought down, he entered the great church, stood at the great gates, and gave thanks in piety to the Lord Christ, venerating and bidding farewell. And as he was about to exit through the eastern gate, in order to reach the little cell of the wonder-worker Nicholas in Barbara, which then stood by the sea and was attached as a dependency to Oxeia—for it was readily decreed that he should go there, and this by the providence, I think, of God, because he had first put on the monastic habit in Oxeia, changing his attire to that of a monk—as he was, then, at the exit of the church, the sky being clear up to that point, suddenly a dark cloud filled everything, and a torrential rain accompanied by hail came pouring down, and an extraordinary display of lightning shooting fire burned the air and continuous crashes of thunder disturbed the ears of those who heard. And he was dragged by those leading him away amid so many terrible things, until they arrived at the monastery. After he spent the day there, on the following night 355 they put him on a fishing boat and exiled him to Proconnesus, having shut him up in the small monastery there which is located above what is locally called Souda, and appointed guards from the imperial household, so that he might not be seen by those who wished.

9. How the patriarchs of the East, both of Alexandria and of Antioch, were disposed concerning the deposition of the patriarch. Having thus arranged the affairs concerning him, since they also considered it necessary for the patriarchs to give their opinion about him, when they were asked, Euthymius of Antioch, having long been inclined to enmity against him, as he was not received into communion by him, bringing an accusation—it being unclear if it was true, but nevertheless bringing it based on rumor—that he was in some communion with the Armenians, then for these reasons he also accepted that he should be removed and consented in giving his opinion. But Nicholas of Alexandria was so far from consenting that he even completely broke with those who had voted for condemnation and remained so until the end, changing none of his decisions.

10. How the patriarch, while in office, wished to recall the bishop of Sardis. Of the bishops, apart from those former ones, Manuel of Thessaloniki and Andronikos of Sardis, there was no other who was in schism. And concerning Andronikos, that he was also tonsured as a monk, we have already said; whom also while in

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καὶ ὅσα ἐν πέπλοις τιμίοις καὶ λειψάνοις ἁγίων καὶ βίβλοις ἀπελθόντες καὶ καθ' ἓν ἰδόντες καὶ ἀναψηλαφήσαντες παραδέξασθε, μὴ καί τις καὶ ἱεροσυλίας ἡμᾶς γράψηται. Καὶ τὸ λοιπὸν χαίρετε ἐν Κυρίῳ, τέκνα, καὶ σῴζεσθε. Ἡμῖν δὲ ὁ ἐπενδύτης καὶ τὸ πυξίον καὶ τρία τῶν νομισμάτων, ἃ δὴ καὶ τῷ πατριαρχείῳ προσβαίνοντες εἴχομεν κατὰ κανόνα τῶν μοναχῶν, καὶ ταῦτα ἰδίοις κόποις τοῖς ἐκ μεταγραφῆς ψαλτῆρος κτηθέντα, πάλιν λαβόντες ἔξιμεν.» 353 Ταῦτα καὶ τοιαῦθ' ἕτερα πρὸς τὸν κλῆρον εἰπών, ὥστε καὶ ἐκ τοῦ σχεδὸν ἀπελθεῖν τινας ἐπὶ τῇ τῶν ἁγίων παραλήψει, ὧν καὶ αὐτὸς ἦν, στραφεὶς πρὸς τοὺς πεμφθέντας· «Ἀδελφοί, εἶπεν, ἰδοὺ ἡτοιμάσθην καὶ οὐ ταραχθή σομαι, κἂν ὅ τι καὶ ἐπ' ἐμοὶ βούλοισθε. Τὸ οὖν ὑμέτερον, ὥς φατε, κατεπρά χθη. Πραττέτω καὶ τὸ λεῖπον ὁ βασιλεὺς καὶ ὅπου ἰτέον ἡμῖν ἐξ αὐτῆς κελευέτω, ἢ μᾶλλον πεμπέτω καὶ τοὺς ἀπάξοντας· οὐδὲ γὰρ ἐρίσομεν τὸ παράπαν, κἂν ξίφος προσετοιμάζοι κἂν θάνατον.» Ταῦτ' εἰπών, ἀπέπεμπε μετ' εἰρήνης πάντας, αὐτὸς δὲ τοῖς ὅλοις ἐξαμελήσας ἐκάθητο, τὸ ἀπὸ τοῦ κρατοῦντος ἀναμένων πρόσταγμα.

ηʹ. Ὅπως πέμψας ὁ βασιλεὺς ἐξάγει τοῦ πατριαρχείου τὸν πατριάρχην καὶ τὰ τότε συμβάντα. Νὺξ ἦν, περί που τὰ τελευταῖα πυαντιῶνος, ὅτε καὶ πρὸς τὸ αἰθριώτερον καθίσταται ὁ ἀήρ, τῶν ἀπὸ τοῦ χειμῶνος ἀπαλλαγεὶς δυσχερῶν, τὸ πολὺ τῆς νοτίδος ἀποβαλών. Καὶ δὴ πρώτην φυλακὴν τῆς νυκτὸς ἐκείνης οἱ τοῦ βασιλέως πέμπονται, ἐφ' ᾧπερ, τὸν καταδικασθέντα καταγαγόντας, ἀπαγα γεῖν ὅπου καὶ προσετάχθησαν. Ὡς γοῦν αὐτίκα κατήγετο, ἐπιβὰς τοῦ μεγί στου ναοῦ, στὰς πρὸς ταῖς μεγίσταις πύλαις, ἀφωσίου τῷ δεσπότῃ Χριστῷ τὰ εὐχαριστήρια, προσκυνῶν τε καὶ συνταττόμενος. Ὡς δ' ἔμελλε διὰ τῆς κατ' ἀνατολὰς πύλης ἐξέρχεσθαι, ἐφ' ᾧ καταλαβεῖν τὸ ἐν τῇ Βαρβάρᾳ κελλύδριον τοῦ θαυματουργοῦ Νικολάου, ὃ δὴ καὶ συνίστατο τότε πρὸς τῇ θαλάσσῃ καὶ ὡς μετόχιον τῇ Ὀξείᾳ ἡρμόζετοἐκεῖ γὰρ προχείρως κατε δικάζετο ἀπελθεῖν, καὶ τοῦτο κατ' οἰκονομίαν, οἶμαι, Θεοῦ, ὅτι καὶ τὸ ῥάκος ἐκεῖνος ἐν τῇ Ὀξείᾳ πρώτως ὑπέδυ, τὸν μοναχὸν μεταμφιεννύ μενος, ὡς τοίνυν πρὸς τῇ ἐξόδῳ τῆς ἐκκλησίας ἦν, αἰθρίας ἐς τότε οὔσης κατ' οὐρανόν, ἐξαίφνης νέφος σκοτόεν ἐπλήρου τὸ πᾶν, καὶ ῥαγδαῖος συνάμα χαλάζῃ κατεφέρετο ὑετός, χρῆμά τε ἐξαίσιον ἀστραπῶν τὸν ἀέρα πυρεκβο λοῦν ἐξέκαιε καὶ κτύποι βροντῶν συνεχεῖς τὰ τῶν ἀκουόντων συνετάρασσον ὦτα. Κἀκεῖνος ἐν τόσοις δεινοῖς τοῖς ἀπάγουσιν εἵλκετο, ἕως καὶ ἐς τὴν μονὴν κατηντήκεσαν. Ἐκεῖσε διαγαγόντος τὴν ἡμέραν, τῇ ἐπιγενομένῃ νυκτὶ 355 νηῒ ἁλιάδι ἐνθέμενοι, περιώριζον ἀνὰ τὴν Προικόνησον, τῷ ἐκεῖσε μονυδρίῳ τῷ ἄνω τῆς ἐγχωρίως λεγομένης Σούδας κειμένῳ ἐγκατακλείσαντες, τάξαντες καὶ ὀπτῆρας ἐκ τῶν βασιλικῶν, ὡς μὴ θεῷτο τοῖς βουλομένοις.

θʹ. Ὅπως οἱ τῆς ἀνατολῆς πατριάρχαι, ὅ τε Ἀλεξανδρείας καὶ ὁ Ἀντιοχείας, περὶ τὴν καθαίρεσιν τοῦ πατριάρχου διετέθησαν. Οὕτω μὲν οὖν τὰ κατ' ἐκεῖνον διαταξάμενοι, ἐπεὶ καὶ τοὺς πατριάρχας ἐπ' ἐκείνῳ γνωμοδοτεῖν τῶν ἀναγκαίων ἐνόμιζον, ἀξιουμένων ἐκείνων, ὁ μὲν Ἀντιοχείας Εὐθύμιος, ὡρμημένος καὶ πάλαι εἰς τὴν κατ' ἐκείνου ἀπέ χθειαν, ὡς μὴ παρ' ἐκείνου εἰς κοινωνίαν δεχόμενος, αἰτίαν φέρων, εἰ ἀληθῆ ἄδηλον ὄν, ὅμως δὲ φέρων ἐκ φήμης ὡς συγκοινωνοίη κατά τι τοῖς Ἀρμενίοις, τότε διὰ ταῦτα καὶ προσαπεδέχετο τὸ ἐκποδὼν ἐκεῖνον γενέσθαι καὶ συνῄνει γνωμοδοτῶν, ὁ δ' Ἀλεξανδρείας Νικόλαος τοσούτου συναινεῖν ἐδέησεν ὥστε καὶ καθάπαξ τῶν καταψηφισαμένων ἐσχίζετο καὶ ἔμεινεν ἕως τέλους ἐν τούτῳ, μηδὲν μεταλλάξας τῶν ἐγνωσμένων.

ιʹ. Ὅπως ἤθελεν ὁ πατριάρχης, ἐπὶ τῆς τιμῆς ὤν, ἀνακαλεῖσθαι ὡς ἀρχιερέα τὸν Σάρδεων. Τῶν δ' ἀρχιερέων, πλὴν τῶν προτέρων ἐκείνων, Μανουήλ τε τοῦ Θεσσα λονίκης καὶ τοῦ Σάρδεων Ἀνδρονίκου, οὐδεὶς ἄλλος ἦν ὁ σχιζόμενος. Τὸν δ' Ἀνδρόνικον, ὡς καὶ κατὰ μοναχοὺς ἀποκαρείη, φθάσαντες εἴπομεν· ὃν καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς