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Before he had renounced the former heresy, Theophilus accused the then archpresbyter; for he was hosti8.12.4 le to him for other reasons as well. But Peter (for that was his name) insisted that he had given communion to the 8.12.5 woman both according to the law of the church and with the consent of Theophilus, and he named Isidore as a witness to these things. 8.12.5 But he had happened to have been sent to Rome at that time, and upon his return he testified that Peter was speaking the truth. But Theophilus, as if he had been slandered, became angry and drove them both out of the chu8.12.6 rch. And some say these things. 8.12.6 However, from a man worthy of belief who associated with these monks at that time, I learned of a twofold cause for Theophilus's hostility toward Isidore: one common to both him and Peter the presbyter, in that they refused to testify that Theophilus's sister had been registered as someone's heir; and a private one, because when much money was brought to him as a steward for the poor, he would not yield when Theophilus attempted to take it on the grounds that it was being spent on building churches, saying that it was better to restore with appropriate treatments the bodies of the sick—which it is possible to consider more properly temples of God, and for whom the money was provided—than to build walls. 8.12.7 But whether for this reason or from both causes, Isidore, having been deprived of communion by Theophilus, came to Scetis as to his companions, the monks there. And Ammonius, taking some with him, went to Theophilus and begged him to restore 8.12.8 communion to Isidore. He is said to have promised eagerly at that time; but when time passed, as nothing further was accomplished for them, and it became clear that Theophilus was deceiving them, they approached him more earnestly and demanded that he fulfill his promise. But he puts one of the monks in the public prison, so as to strike fear into the others; but he failed 8.12. in this. For Ammonius, together with all the monks with him, having appeared to the guards in charge to have come to share provisions with those who were imprisoned, were readily admitted inside; but having entered, they no longer endu8.12.10 red to go out. When Theophilus learned of these things, he made it known that he was summoning the men to himself. 8.12.10 But they at first demanded that he come himself and bring them out; for it was not just for them, having been publicly insulted, to be released from prison secretly. But later they yielded and came to him; and after they entreated him, he sent them away, promising not to trouble them further. 8.12.11 But by himself he was vexed and indignant and plotted to do them harm. And being at a loss as to what evil he could do to them, since they possessed nothing and despised all things except philosophy, he decided to harm them with regard to their tranquility. And since he knew, also from conversations they had when they were with him, that they blamed those who held that God had a human form, he set them at odds with the monastic multitude, which held a different opinion, as if they held8.12.12 the views of Origen. From this, a terrible strife prevailed among the monks; and conducting their discussions with one another not in an orderly fashion, they did not see fit to persuade one another, but resorted to insults. And some called those who defined God as incorporeal Origenists, while the others called those who thought the opposite Anthropomorphites. 8.13.1 Perceiving the plot, the party of Dioscorus and Ammonius withdrew to Jerusalem; and from there they came to Scythopolis, considering the dwelling there suitable on account of the many palm trees, whose leaves they used for the customary work of monks. For about men 8.13.2 eighty followed them. Meanwhile Theophilus sends certain men to Constantinople both to prepare slanders against them and, if they should ask anything of the emperor, to work against them. 8.13.2 When the party of Ammonius learned these things, they sailed 8.13.3 to Constantinople, and Isidore with them. And together they were eager for the plots against them to be examined before the emperor as judge and John the bishop. 8.13.3 For they thought that since he was concerned with righteous boldness of speech, he would be able to help them in what was just. But he, when they approached him, the

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πρὶν ἀπαγορεῦσαι τὴν προτέραν αἵρεσιν, ἐπῃτιᾶτο Θεόφιλος τὸν τότε ἀρχιπρεσβύτερον· ἀπ8.12.4 ηχθάνετο γὰρ αὐτῷ καὶ ἄλλως. ὁ δὲ Πέτρος (τοῦτο γὰρ ἦν ὄνομα αὐτῷ) καὶ κατὰ τὸν νόμον τῆς ἐκκλησίας καὶ γνώμῃ Θεοφίλου κεκοινωνηκέναι τὸ 8.12.5 γύναιον ἰσχυρίζετο, καὶ μάρτυρα τούτων ᾿Ισίδωρον ἔλεγεν. ὁ δὲ ἔτυχε μὲν τότε εἰς ῾Ρώμην ἀποσταλείς, ἐπανελθὼν δὲ ἀληθῆ λέγειν τὸν Πέτρον ἐμαρτύρησεν. ὡς συκοφαντηθεὶς δὲ Θεόφιλος χαλεπήνας ἄμφω τῆς ἐκ8.12.6 κλησίας ἐξήλασεν. καὶ οἱ μὲν τάδε λέγουσι. τῶν γε μὴν συγγενομένων τούτοις τότε τοῖς μοναχοῖς ἀνδρὸς οἵου πιστεύεσθαι ἐπυθόμην διττὴν αἰτίαν Θεοφίλῳ γενέσθαι τῆς πρὸς ᾿Ισίδωρον δυσμενείας, κοινὴν μὲν αὐτῷ τε καὶ Πέτρῳ τῷ πρεσβυτέρῳ, καθότι μαρτυρῆσαι παρῃτήσαντο, ὡς τῆς Θεοφίλου ἀδελφῆς πρός του κληρονόμου ἐγγραφείσης, ἰδίαν δὲ καθὸ χρημάτων αὐτῷ πολλῶν προσφερομένων ὡς ἐπιτρόπῳ πτωχῶν, ἐπιχειροῦντι Θεοφίλῳ τούτων λαμβάνειν ὡς δαπανωμένων εἰς οἰκοδομὰς ἐκκλησιῶν οὐκ ἐνεδίδου, ἄμεινον εἶναι λέγων τὰ σώματα τῶν καμνόντων, ἃ ναοὺς θεοῦ κυριώτερον νοεῖν ἔστι, δι' οὓς καὶ τὰ χρήματα παρείχετο, ταῖς προσηκούσαις θεραπείαις ἀνανεοῦν ἢ τοίχους οἰκοδομεῖν. 8.12.7 ἀλλ' εἴτε ἐντεῦθεν εἴτε ἐξ ἑκατέρας αἰτίας ἀφαιρεθεὶς παρὰ Θεοφίλου τῆς κοινωνίας ᾿Ισίδωρος ἦλθεν εἰς Σκῆτιν ὡς πρὸς ἑταίρους τοὺς ἐνθάδε μοναχούς. παραλαβὼν δέ τινας ᾿Αμμώνιος παρεγένετο πρὸς Θεόφιλον καὶ τὴν 8.12.8 κοινωνίαν ἀποδοῦναι ᾿Ισιδώρῳ ἐδεῖτο. ὁ δὲ τότε μὲν προθύμως ὑποσχέσθαι λέγεται· χρόνου δὲ διαγενομένου, ὡς οὐδὲν αὐτοῖς πλέον ἠνύετο, δῆλος δὲ ἐγεγόνει Θεόφιλος παρακρουόμενος, σπουδαιότερόν πως αὐτῷ προσελθόντες ἀπῄτουν τὴν ὑπόσχεσιν πληροῦν. ὁ δέ τινα τῶν μοναχῶν ἐν δημοσίᾳ φρουρᾷ ποιεῖ, ὥστε φόβον τοῖς ἄλλοις ἐμβαλεῖν· ἥμαρτε 8.12. δὲ τούτου. ὁ γὰρ ᾿Αμμώνιος ἅμα πᾶσι τοῖς σὺν αὐτῷ μοναχοῖς δόξαντες τοῖς προεστῶσι τῆς φρουρᾶς εἰς μετάδοσιν ἐπιτηδείων τοῖς καθειργμένοις ἐλθεῖν ἑτοίμως ἔνδον εἰσεδέχθησαν, εἰσελθόντες δὲ οὐκέτι ἐξιέναι ἠνεί8.12.10 χοντο. μαθὼν δὲ τάδε Θεόφιλος ἐδήλου πρὸς ἑαυτὸν καλῶν τοὺς ἄνδρας. οἱ δὲ τὰ μὲν πρῶτα αὐτὸν παραγενόμενον σφᾶς ἐξάγειν ἠξίουν· μηδὲ γὰρ εἶναι δίκαιον δημοσίᾳ ὑβρισμένους λάθρα τῆς φρουρᾶς ἀνίεσθαι. ὕστερον δὲ ἐνδόντες ὡς αὐτὸν ἦλθον· παραιτησαμένους δὲ αὐτοὺς ὡς οὐ περαιτέρω 8.12.11 λυπήσων ἀπέπεμψε. καθ' ἑαυτὸν δὲ ἐδάκνετο καὶ ἠγανάκτει καὶ κακῶς ποιεῖν ἐπεβούλευεν. ἀπορῶν δὲ ὅ τι δράσειεν αὐτοὺς κακὸν ἀκτήμονας ὄντας καὶ πάντων πλὴν φιλοσοφίας ὑπερορῶντας, ἔγνω περὶ τὴν ἡσυχίαν βλάψαι. καὶ ἐπεὶ ἠπίστατο καὶ ἐξ ὧν συνόντες αὐτῷ διελέγοντο μεμφομένους τοῖς ἀνθρωπόμορφον τὸν θεὸν δοξάζουσιν, ὡς τὰ ᾿Ωριγένους φρο8.12.12 νοῦντας συνέκρουσε πρὸς τὸ μοναχικὸν πλῆθος ἄλλως ἔχον δόξης. ἐκ τούτου δὲ δεινή τις ἐν τοῖς μοναχοῖς ἔρις ἐκράτει· καὶ τὰς διαλέξεις οὐκ ἐν κόσμῳ πρὸς ἑαυτοὺς ποιούμενοι πείθειν ἀλλήλους οὐκ ἠξίουν, ἀλλ' εἰς ὕβρεις καθίσταντο. καὶ οἱ μὲν τοὺς ἀσώματον τὸν θεὸν ὁριζομένους ᾿Ωριγενιαστὰς ἀπεκάλουν, οἱ δὲ ᾿Ανθρωπομορφιανοὺς τοὺς ἐναντίως φρονοῦντας. 8.13.1 Αἰσθόμενοι δὲ τῆς ἐπιβουλῆς οἱ ἀμφὶ ∆ιόσκορον καὶ ᾿Αμμώνιον ἀνεχώρησαν εἰς ῾Ιεροσόλυμα· κἀκεῖθεν εἰς Σκυθόπολιν ἧκον, ἐπιτηδείαν ἡγησάμενοι τὴν ἐνθάδε οἴκησιν διὰ τοὺς πολλοὺς φοίνικας, ὧν τοῖς φύλλοις ἐχρῶντο πρὸς τὰ εἰωθότα μοναχοῖς ἔργα. εἵποντο γὰρ αὐτοῖς ἀμφὶ ἄνδρες 8.13.2 ὀγδοήκοντα. ἐν τούτῳ δὲ Θεόφιλος πέμπει τινὰς εἰς Κωνσταντινούπολιν ἅμα τε διαβολὰς κατ' αὐτῶν προπαρασκευάσοντας καί, εἰ βασιλέως περί του δέοιντο, ἀντιπράξοντας. μαθόντες δὲ τάδε οἱ ἀμφὶ ᾿Αμμώνιον ἀπέπλευσαν 8.13.3 εἰς Κωνσταντινούπολιν, σὺν αὐτοῖς δὲ καὶ ᾿Ισίδωρος. κοινῇ τε ἐσπούδαζον παρὰ βασιλεῖ κριτῇ καὶ ᾿Ιωάννῃ τῷ ἐπισκόπῳ ἐλέγχεσθαι τὰς κατ' αὐτῶν ἐπιβουλάς. ᾤοντο γὰρ ἐνδίκου παρρησίας αὐτὸν ἐπιμελούμενον δύνασθαι τὰ δίκαια βοηθεῖν αὐτοῖς. ὁ δὲ προσελθόντας αὐτῷ τοὺς