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was being drawn. 8.2. And as was likely, having adorned his object of pursuit with contrary reasonings from ancient examples (for he was a man of great learning), he returned to the city, judging this to be better, as he thought, than to obtain what he desired. But when John learned that he was involved in worldly affairs and was occupied with marriage, he composed a letter more divine than is in accordance with the human mind in its expression and thoughts, and sent it to him. 8.2.10 And he, upon reading this, repented; and again abandoning his property and renouncing marriage, he was saved by John's counsels and returned to the philosophic life; so that it seems to me easy to infer from this also that a certain wondrous persuasion blossomed in the words of John. For by this he prevailed even over those who were likewise 8.2.11 able to speak and to persuade. From this he also won over the multitude, and especially because he was prolific and openly in the church refuted sinners, and was indignant with boldness against wrongdoers, as if he himself had been wronged. This was naturally pleasing to the many, but grievous to the rich and powerful, among whom most of the sins are found. 8.2.12 Therefore, having become distinguished, to those who knew him by experience, and to those who did not by repute, both from his deeds and his words throughout the whole Roman dominion, he was deemed a suitable person to oversee the church of Constantinople. 8.2.13 And when the people and the clergy had voted for this, the emperor also consented and sent men to bring him. And he also summoned a synod, and by this showed the ordination 8.2.14 to be more solemn. Not long after receiving the emperor's letters, Asterius, the governor of the East, informed John that he should come to him, as if he needed something from him; and when he came, he immediately made him get into a carriage with him and, driving with haste, came to Pagras, a station so-called. 8.2.15 There he handed him over to those who had been sent from the emperor and returned. And he seemed to have managed this matter well, before the Antiochians learned of it, being difficult in matters of sedition and it being clear that they would never willingly 8.2.16 have been separated from John, before suffering or doing something. But when he arrived in Constantinople and the summoned priests had gathered, Theophilus stood in the way of the ordination, favoring Isidore; who was then a presbyter under him, and a steward of the foreigners and the poor in Alexandria, and from his youth had practiced philosophy excellently in Scetis, as I learned from men who had been with him. 8.2.17 But some say that he became a friend to Theophilus as having been a partner and accomplice in a dangerous matter. For they say that when the war against Maximus was being waged, Theophilus, giving him gifts and letters for both the emperor and the tyrant, instructed him to go to Rome and await the outcome of the battle, and to give the gifts along with the 8.2.18 letters to the victor. But that the one who did these things did not go unnoticed, and fearing, he returned as a fugitive to Alexandria; and that from that time Theophilus, having made the man one of his most trusted, thought it an opportunity to repay him for the dangers he had faced on his behalf, if he could establish him as bishop of Constantinople. 8.2.1 But whether for this reason or because he wished to ordain him as a good man, Theophilus in the end consented to the decisions regarding John, being simply afraid of Eutropius, who was then in charge of the emperor's household, who was zealous for this ordination; who they say openly threatened him either to vote the same as the other priests or to defend himself against those wishing to bring charges. For many at that time happened to have brought written accusations against him before the synod. 8.3.1 And John, upon becoming bishop, was first zealous to correct the lives of the clergy under him, and by meddling in their processions and diet and other conduct, he both rebuked and reformed them, and some he even expelled from the church; for being by nature censorious and justly indignant against wrongdoers, he gave way even more to these passions in the episcopate. 8.3.2 For nature, having taken hold of authority, easily to

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εἵλκετο. 8.2. οἷα δὲ εἰκὸς ἐναντίοις λογισμοῖς κοσμήσας τὸ σπουδαζόμενον ἐκ παλαιῶν ὑποδειγμάτων (ἦν γὰρ πολυΐστωρ) εἰς τὴν πόλιν ἐπανῆλθεν, ἄμεινον, ὡς ἐνόμισε, τοῦτο κρίνας οὗπερ ἐπεθύμει τυχεῖν. μαθὼν δὲ ᾿Ιωάννης ἐν πράγμασιν αὐτὸν εἶναι καὶ περὶ γάμον σπουδάζειν, θειοτέραν ἢ κατὰ νοῦν ἀνθρώπου φράσει καὶ νοήμασι συντάξας ἐπιστολὴν διεπέμψατο πρὸς αὐτόν. 8.2.10 ὁ δὲ ταύτῃ ἐντυχὼν μετεμελήθη· αὖθίς τε τὴν οὐσίαν καταλιπὼν ἀπειπών τε τῷ γάμῳ ταῖς ᾿Ιωάννου συμβουλαῖς ἐσῴζετο καὶ πρὸς τὸν φιλόσοφον ἐπανῄει βίον· ὥστε μοι δοκεῖ κἀκ τούτου ῥᾴδιον εἶναι συμβαλεῖν ὡς δεινή τις ἐπήνθει πειθὼ τοῖς ᾿Ιωάννου λόγοις. ἐκράτει γὰρ ταύτῃ καὶ τῶν ὁμοίως 8.2.11 λέγειν καὶ πείθειν δυναμένων. ἐντεῦθεν δὲ καὶ τὸ πλῆθος ᾕρει καὶ μάλιστα καθὸ πολὺς ἦν καὶ ἐπ' ἐκκλησίας φανερῶς διελέγχων τοὺς ἁμαρτάνοντας καὶ πρὸς τοὺς ἀδικοῦντας, ὡς αὐτὸς ἠδικημένος, σὺν παρρησίᾳ ἀγανακτῶν. τοῦτο δὲ τοῖς μὲν πολλοῖς εἰκότως χάριεν ἐτύγχανεν, λυπηρὸν δὲ τοῖς πλουσίοις καὶ δυναμένοις, παρ' οἷς τὰ πολλὰ τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων ἐστίν. 8.2.12 ᾿Επίσημος οὖν τοῖς μὲν εἰδόσι τῇ πείρᾳ, τοῖς δὲ ἀγνοοῦσι τῇ φήμῃ ἔκ τε τῶν ἔργων καὶ τῶν λόγων γενόμενος ἀνὰ πᾶσαν τὴν ῾Ρωμαίων ὑπήκοον, ἔδοξε Κωνσταντινουπόλεως ἐπιτήδειος εἶναι τῆς ἐκκλησίας ἐπισκοπεῖν. 8.2.13 ψηφισαμένων δὲ τοῦτο τοῦ λαοῦ καὶ τοῦ κλήρου καὶ ὁ βασιλεὺς συνῄνει καὶ τοὺς ἄξοντας αὐτὸν πέπομφε. συνεκάλει δὲ καὶ σύνοδον, καὶ τούτῳ σεμνο8.2.14 τέραν τὴν χειροτονίαν δεικνύς. οὐκ εἰς μακρὰν δὲ τὰ βασιλέως γράμματα δεξάμενος ᾿Αστέριος ὁ τῆς ἕω ἡγούμενος ἐδήλωσεν ᾿Ιωάννῃ παραγενέσθαι πρὸς αὐτόν, ὡς περί του δεησόμενος· ἐλθόντα δὲ αὐτίκα εἰς ὄχημα σὺν αὐτῷ ἀνεβίβασε καὶ σπουδῇ ἐλάσας ἧκεν εἰς Πάγρας, σταθμὸν οὕτω καλού8.2.15 μενον. ἐνταῦθα δὲ παραδοὺς αὐτὸν τοῖς ἐκ βασιλέως ἀποσταλεῖσιν ἀνέστρεψεν. ἔδοξε δὲ τὰ περὶ τούτου καλῶς διῳκηκέναι, πρὶν ᾿Αντιοχέας μαθεῖν, χαλεπούς τε περὶ στάσεις καὶ δήλους ὄντας ὡς οὔποτε ἂν ἑκόντες 8.2.16 ᾿Ιωάννου ἀπηλλάγησαν, πρὶν παθεῖν τι ἢ δρᾶσαι. ὡς δὲ εἰς Κωνσταντινούπολιν ἀφίκετο καὶ οἱ κληθέντες ἱερεῖς συνεληλύθεσαν, ἐμποδὼν ἐγίνετο τῇ χειροτονίᾳ Θεόφιλος, ᾿Ισιδώρῳ σπουδάζων· ὃς πρεσβύτερος ἦν τότε τῶν ὑπ' αὐτόν, ἐπίτροπος δὲ τῶν ἐν ᾿Αλεξανδρείᾳ ξένων καὶ πτωχῶν, ἐκ νέου δὲ ἀνὰ τὴν Σκῆτιν ἄριστα ἐφιλοσόφησεν, ὡς παρ' ἀνδρῶν αὐτῷ συγγενο8.2.17 μένων ἐπυθόμην. οἱ δέ φασι Θεοφίλῳ τοῦτον γενέσθαι φίλον ὡς κοινωνὸν καὶ συνίστορα πράγματος ἐπικινδύνου γενόμενον. λέγουσι γὰρ ὡς, ἡνίκα ὁ πρὸς Μάξιμον συνίστατο πόλεμος, δῶρα δοὺς αὐτῷ Θεόφιλος καὶ γράμματα πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα καὶ τὸν τύραννον ἐνετείλατο καταλαβεῖν τὴν ῾Ρώμην καὶ περιμεῖναι τῆς μάχης τὴν ἀπόβασιν καὶ τῷ νικήσαντι διδόναι μετὰ τῶν 8.2.18 γραμμάτων τὰ δῶρα. τὸν δὲ τάδε ποιήσαντα μὴ διαλαθεῖν, δείσαντά τε φυγάδα εἰς ᾿Αλεξάνδρειαν ἐπανελθεῖν· ἐξ ἐκείνου δὲ Θεόφιλον τῶν αὐτῷ πιστοτάτων τὸν ἄνδρα ποιησάμενον εἰς καιρὸν νομίσαι τῶν ὑπὲρ αὐτοῦ κινδύνων ἀποτῖσαι τὴν ἀμοιβήν, εἰ τῆς Κωνσταντινουπόλεως ἐπίσκοπον αὐτὸν 8.2.1 καταστήσειεν. ἀλλ' εἴτε ἐντεῦθεν εἴτε ὡς ἄνδρα ἀγαθὸν χειροτονεῖν τοῦτον ἐβούλετο Θεόφιλος, τελευτῶν συνῄνεσε τοῖς ἐπὶ ᾿Ιωάννῃ δεδογμένοις, ἀτεχνῶς ταύτῃ τῇ χειροτονίᾳ σπουδάζοντα δείσας Εὐτρόπιον τὸν τότε προεστῶτα τοῦ βασιλέως οἴκου· ὅν φασιν ἄντικρυς αὐτῷ ἀπειλῆσαι ἢ ταὐτὰ τοῖς ἄλλοις ἱερεῦσιν ἐπιψηφίσασθαι ἢ τοῖς ἐγκαλεῖν βουλομένοις ἀπολογήσασθαι. ἔτυχον γὰρ αὐτὸν πολλοὶ τότε παρὰ τῇ συνόδῳ γραψάμενοι. 8.3.1 ῾Ο δὲ ᾿Ιωάννης ἐπὶ τῆς ἐπισκοπῆς γενόμενος πρότερον διορθοῦσθαι τοὺς βίους τῶν ὑπ' αὐτὸν κληρικῶν ἐσπούδαζεν, προόδους τε αὐτῶν καὶ δίαιταν καὶ τὴν ἄλλην ἀγωγὴν πολυπραγμονῶν ἤλεγχέ τε καὶ ἐπέστρεφε, τοὺς δὲ καὶ τῆς ἐκκλησίας ἐξώθει· ἐλεγκτικὸς γὰρ ὢν φύσει καὶ κατὰ τῶν ἀδικούντων ἐν δίκῃ ἀγανακτῶν ἔτι μᾶλλον ἐν τῇ ἐπισκοπῇ ἐπέδωκε τούτοις 8.3.2 τοῖς παθήμασιν. ἡ γὰρ φύσις ἐξουσίας ἐπιλαβομένη ῥᾳδίως πρὸς