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urged his people to psalmody. In a short time, becoming more prominent, they surpassed those of the opposite heresy in number and in preparation. 8.8.4 For indeed, silver symbols of crosses under lit wax candles went before them, and a eunuch of the emperor's wife was appointed for this, providing the expense for these things and preparing the hymns. From this, those of the Arian heresy, either becoming jealous or defending themselves, came to blows with those of the catholic church, and 8.8.5 some were killed on both sides. And Brison (for this was the name of the imperial eunuch) was struck on the forehead with a stone. The emperor, moved to anger, stopped such gatherings of those from the Arian church. But those from the catholic church, having begun to sing hymns in the aforesaid manner for such a reason, have continued to do so even until now. 8.8.6 For John, from these things and from his sermons in church, his affection for the people grew, but also hatred from the powerful and the clergy because of his plain speaking against them. For seeing those who did wrong, he rebuked them, and those corrupted by wealth and debauchery and indecent pleasures, he led towards virtue. 8..1 And Serapion, whom he had appointed his archdeacon, increased his enmity toward the clergy, an Egyptian man, quick to anger and ready for insolence, and not least also his counsels to Olympias. For Nectarius had ordained her a deaconess, 8..2 as she was of a most distinguished family, and although she had become a widow while young, she lived an exceedingly philosophical life according to the rule of the church. But when John saw her giving her property away to those who asked and disregarding other things, but being zealous only for divine things, he said, “I praise your purpose; but one who aims for the highest virtue according to God must be a good steward; but you, by adding wealth to the wealthy, are no less pouring your things into the sea. 8..3 Or do you not understand that you willingly dedicated your property to the needy for God's sake and were appointed to manage it as goods that have gone out from your ownership and have become liable to an account? If, therefore, you will be persuaded by me, for the future you will measure your giving according to the need of those who ask; for thus you will both benefit more people and obtain rewards from God for mercy and most zealous care.” 8..4 He also had a certain disagreement with many of the monks, and especially with Isaacius. For he both greatly praised and respected those who lived the philosophical life in this way, remaining quiet in their own monasteries, and he took great care that they should not be wronged and that they might have their necessities; but those who went out and appeared in the city he reviled and turned back, as insulting their philosophy. 8..5 For such reasons indeed, both clergy and many of the monks were hostile toward him, and called him harsh and irascible, awkward and arrogant. They also attempted to slander his way of life to the people and by this to persuade them that they spoke the truth, because he ate with no one, nor accepted when called to a feast. 8..6 Of this I can give no other reason, except that someone truthful, I think, told me when I inquired about this, that being in a poor state in his head and the opening of his stomach from asceticism, he declined gatherings at meals. And from this especially they wove the greatest slanders against him. 8.10.1 There also arose for him a cause of hatred with the emperor's wife on account of Severian, the bishop from Gabala in Syria. For both he and Antiochus of Ptolemais (this is a Phoenician city) were at the same time both eloquent and able to teach in church; but the one spoke with ease and very melodiously, so as even to be called Chrysostom by some, while Severian bore the rough accent of the Syrians on his tongue, although he seemed to be superior in his thoughts and in his testimonies from the scriptures. 8.10.2 Antiochus, having come to Constantinople before, was praised for his sermons, and having collected money, returned to his own city. Out of jealousy of him, Severian also arrived later, a well-wisher

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ψαλμῳδίας τὸν αὐτοῦ λαὸν προτρέπει. ἐν ὀλίγῳ δὲ ἐπισημότεροι γενόμενοι τοὺς ἀπὸ τῆς ἐναντίας αἱρέσεως ὑπερέ8.8.4 βαλλον τῷ πλήθει καὶ τῇ παρασκευῇ. καὶ γὰρ δὴ καὶ σταυρῶν ἀργυρᾶ σημεῖα ὑπὸ κηροῖς ἡμμένοις προηγοῦντο αὐτῶν, καὶ εὐνοῦχος τῆς βασιλέως γαμετῆς ἐπὶ τοῦτο τέτακτο τὴν περὶ ταῦτα δαπάνην καὶ τοὺς ὕμνους παρασκευάζων. ἐντεῦθεν δὲ ἢ ζηλοτυπήσαντες οἱ ἀπὸ τῆς ᾿Αρείου αἱρέσεως ἢ ἀμυνόμενοι τοῖς ἀπὸ τῆς καθόλου ἐκκλησίας εἰς μάχην κατέστησαν, καὶ 8.8.5 κτείνονταί τινες ἑκατέρωθεν. ὁ δὲ Βρίσων (τοῦτο γὰρ ὄνομα ἦν τῷ βασιλικῷ εὐνούχῳ) λίθῳ κατὰ τοῦ μετώπου βάλλεται. κινηθεὶς δὲ πρὸς ὀργὴν ὁ βασιλεὺς ἔπαυσε τῶν ἀπὸ τῆς ᾿Αρείου ἐκκλησίας τὰς τοιαύτας συνόδους. οἱ δὲ ἀπὸ τῆς καθολικῆς ἐξ αἰτίας τοιᾶσδε τὸν εἰρημένον τρόπον ὑμνεῖν ἀρξάμενοι καὶ εἰσέτι νῦν οὕτω διέμειναν. 8.8.6 ᾿Ιωάννῃ δὲ ἐκ τούτων καὶ ἐκ τῶν ἐπ' ἐκκλησίας λόγων πρὸς μὲν τὸν δῆμον ἐπεδίδου τὸ φίλτρον, μῖσος δὲ πρὸς τοὺς δυναμένους καὶ κληρικοὺς ἐκ τῆς κατ' αὐτῶν παρρησίας. τοὺς μὲν γὰρ ἀδικοῦντας ὁρῶν ἤλεγχεν, τοὺς δὲ πλούτῳ καὶ ἀσωτίᾳ καὶ ἡδοναῖς ἀσέμνοις διεφθαρμένους ἀνῆγε πρὸς ἀρετήν. 8..1 Ηὔξησε δὲ αὐτῷ τὴν πρὸς τοὺς κληρικοὺς ἀπέχθειαν Σαραπίων, ὃν ἀρχιδιάκονον αὐτοῦ κατέστησεν, ἀνὴρ Αἰγύπτιος, ταχὺς εἰς ὀργὴν καὶ εἰς ὕβριν ἕτοιμος, οὐχ ἥκιστα δὲ καὶ αἱ πρὸς ᾿Ολυμπιάδα συμβουλαί. ταύτην γὰρ ἐκ γένους ἐπισημοτάτην οὖσαν, καίπερ νέαν χήραν γενομένην, εἰσάγαν δὲ φιλοσοφοῦσαν κατὰ τὸν τῆς ἐκκλησίας θεσμόν, διάκονον ἐχειροτόνησε Νεκ8..2 τάριος. ἰδὼν δὲ αὐτὴν ᾿Ιωάννης τοῖς αἰτοῦσι τὴν οὐσίαν προϊεμένην καὶ τὰ μὲν ἄλλα ὑπερορῶσαν, μόνα δὲ τὰ θεῖα σπουδάζουσαν, «ἐπαινῶ σου», ἔφη, «τὴν προαίρεσιν· ἀλλ' οἰκονομικὸν εἶναι δεῖ τὸν κατὰ θεὸν τῆς ἄκρας ἀρετῆς ἐφιέμενον· σὺ δὲ πλουτοῦσι πλοῦτον ἐπεισάγουσα οὐχ ἧττον ἢ εἰς 8..3 θάλασσαν ἐκχέεις τὰ σά. ἢ οὐκ ἐπίστασαι ὅτι ἑκοῦσα τοῖς δεομένοις διὰ θεὸν τὴν οὐσίαν ἀνέθηκας καὶ ὡς ἐπὶ χρήμασι τῆς σῆς δεσποτείας ἐξελθοῦσι διοικεῖν ἐτάχθης καὶ λόγοις ἔνοχος ἐγένου; ἢν οὖν ἐμοὶ πείθῃ, πρὸς τὴν χρείαν τῶν αἰτούντων τοῦ λοιποῦ μετρήσεις τὴν δόσιν· οὕτω γὰρ πλείους τε εὐεργετήσεις καὶ ἐλέου καὶ σπουδαιοτάτης κηδεμονίας ἀμοιβῶν τεύξῃ παρὰ θεοῦ.» 8..4 Γέγονε δέ τις αὐτῷ διαφορὰ καὶ πρὸς πολλοὺς τῶν μοναχῶν καὶ μάλιστα τὸν ᾿Ισαάκιον. ἠρεμοῦντας μὲν γὰρ ἐν τοῖς αὐτῶν φροντιστηρίοις τοὺς ὧδε φιλοσοφοῦντας εἰσάγαν ἐπῄνει τε καὶ ᾐδεῖτο καί, ὅπως μὴ ἀδικοῖντο καὶ τὰ ἐπιτήδεια ἔχοιεν, σφόδρα ἐπεμελεῖτο, ἐξιόντας δὲ θύραζε καὶ κατὰ τὴν πόλιν φαινομένους ὡς τὴν φιλοσοφίαν ἐνυβρίζοντας ἐλοιδόρει καὶ ἐπέ8..5 στρεφεν. ἐκ τοιούτων δὴ προφάσεων ἀπηχθάνοντο πρὸς αὐτὸν κληρικοί τε καὶ πολλοὶ τῶν μοναχῶν καὶ χαλεπὸν καὶ ὀργίλον, σκαιόν τε καὶ ὑπερήφανον ἀπεκάλουν. ἐπεχείρουν δὲ καὶ περὶ τὸν βίον διαβάλλειν εἰς τὸν δῆμον καὶ τούτῳ πείθειν ὡς ἀληθῆ λέγοιεν, ὅτι μηδενὶ συνήσθιεν οὔτε ἐπὶ ἑστίασιν 8..6 καλούμενος ὑπήκουεν. τούτου δὲ πρόφασιν ἑτέραν λέγειν οὐκ ἔχω, πλὴν ὅτι ἀψευδής τις οἶμαι πυνθανομένῳ μοι περὶ τούτου ἔφη, ὡς ὑπὸ ἀσκήσεως τὴν κεφαλὴν καὶ τὸ στόμα τῆς γαστρὸς κακῶς διατεθεὶς παρῃτεῖτο τὰς ἐν τοῖς ἀρίστοις συνουσίας. καὶ οἱ μὲν ἐντεῦθεν μάλιστα τὰς μεγίστας ὕφαινον κατ' αὐτοῦ διαβολάς. 8.10.1 ᾿Επεγένετο δέ τις αὐτῷ πρόφασις μίσους καὶ πρὸς τὴν βασιλέως γαμετὴν διὰ Σευηριανὸν τὸν ἐκ Γαβάλων τῆς Συρίας ἐπίσκοπον. οὗτός τε γὰρ καὶ ᾿Αντίοχος ὁ Πτολεμαΐδος (Φοίνισσα δὲ πόλις ἥδε) κατὰ ταὐτὸν ἄμφω ἐγενέσθην ἐλλογίμω τε καὶ ἐπ' ἐκκλησίας ἱκανὼ διδάσκειν· ἀλλ' ὁ μὲν εὐκόλως καὶ μάλα εὐήχως ἔλεγεν, ὡς καὶ Χρυσόστομος πρός τινων ὀνομάζεσθαι, ὁ δὲ Σευηριανὸς τὴν Σύρων δασύτητα, καίπερ τοῖς νοήμασι καὶ ταῖς μαρτυρίαις τῶν γραφῶν ἀμείνων εἶναι δοκῶν, ἐπὶ τῆς γλώσσης ἔφερεν. 8.10.2 ἐλθὼν δὲ πρότερον ᾿Αντίοχος εἰς Κωνσταντινούπολιν ἐπὶ τοῖς λόγοις ἐπῃνέθη, καὶ χρήματα ἀθροίσας εἰς τὴν αὐτοῦ πόλιν ἐπανῆλθεν. κατὰ ζῆλον δὲ τούτου καὶ Σευηριανὸς ὕστερον ἀφικόμενος, εὔνου