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being eager, to openly accuse John of having been illegally ordained after his deposition. 8.1.2 For he knew he would offend the rulers, who, on account of the commotion of the people, had forced him to return when he refused. And he had appointed a tribunal for the accusers of Heraclides in his absence, thinking that from this he would find a somehow more plausible reason for John’s deposition. But when his own associates objected that it was not lawful nor ecclesiastical for the absent to be judged, and those around Theophilus argued the opposite, the rest of the crowd of Alexandrians and Egyptians and the people of Constantinople, taking up the dispute, went against each other, so that many were wounded, 8.1.3 and some even perished. And being afraid, both Severian and the other bishops, except those who were partisans of John, left Constantinople in flight. And Theophilus immediately, without any delay, as winter was already beginning, fleeing together with Isaac the monk, sailed away to Alexandria. And from the sea, it happened thus that he landed at Geran, a small city about 8.1.4 fifty stadia distant from Pelusium. And when the bishop there died at that time, the citizens, as I learned, voted for Nilammon to preside over their church, a good man and one who had reached the height of monastic philosophy. He lived outside the city, having shut himself up in a dwelling and blocked the door with stones. And as he was avoiding the priesthood, Theophilus went to him and advised him to accept ordination from him. 8.1.5 But he, having refused many times, when he could not persuade him, said, "Tomorrow, if you please, father, act, so that today I may arrange my own affairs." But when on the next day he came according to the agreement and ordered the door to be opened, "Come now, first," said Nilammon, "let us pray." And Theophilus, approving, prayed; 8.1.6 but Nilammon, while praying, left this present life. And this at first was unknown to Theophilus and those with him standing outside. And when the rest of the day was spent, since he did not answer when they called more loudly many times, they threw down the stones at the door and found the man dead; and having prepared him for burial as was fitting, they honored him with a public funeral; and the local people built a house of prayer around his tomb, and to this day they celebrate the day of his death most notably. 8.1.7 Thus indeed Nilammon died, if one ought to call it death which he prayed to endure before being entrusted with the priesthood, of which he considered himself unworthy on account of the modesty of his ways. But John, having returned to Constantinople, appeared even more pleasing to the people. 8.1.8 And when about sixty bishops had then assembled in Constantinople and voted that the proceedings at the Oak were invalid and that he should hold the episcopate, he continued to perform priestly functions and ordinations and to administer the other affairs of the church as is right for those who preside; at which time he also appointed Sarapion bishop of Heraclea in Thrace. 8..1 Not much later, when a silver statue of the emperor's wife was set up on a porphyry column, which is even now to the south of the church in front of the house of the great council on a high platform, applause and popular spectacles of dancers and mimes were performed there, as was the custom then at the dedication of imperial images. 8..2 And John, in a sermon to the people, charged that these things had happened as an insult to the church. But the empress, the memory of the former grievances still being fresh, as though she had been insulted, was again filled with anger and was eager for a synod to be held once more. But he did not give in, but by reviling her still more clearly in the church, he inflamed her to anger; 8..3 at which time indeed he delivered that famous sermon, beginning thus: "Again Herodias rages, again she dances, again she desires to receive the head of John on a platter." And before long other bishops arrived, both Leontius of Ancyra and Acacius of Beroea.

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προθυμούμενος, εἰς τὸ φανερὸν διαβάλλειν ᾿Ιωάννην ὡς παρανόμως μετὰ καθαίρεσιν ἱερώμενον. ᾔδει γὰρ τοῖς κρατοῦσι προσκρούσων, οἳ διὰ τὴν 8.1.2 κίνησιν τοῦ δήμου παραιτούμενον ἐπανελθεῖν ἐβιάσαντο. τοῖς δὲ ῾Ηρακλείδου κατηγόροις δικαστήριον κατὰ ἀπόντος προτέθεικεν, οἰηθεὶς ἐντεῦθεν εὐλογωτέραν πως αἰτίαν εὑρήσειν τῆς ᾿Ιωάννου καθαιρέσεως. ἀνταιρόντων δὲ τῶν αὐτῷ ἐπιτηδείων, ὡς οὐ νόμιμον οὐδὲ ἐκκλησιαστικὸν τὸν ἀπόντα κρίνεσθαι, τῶν δὲ περὶ Θεόφιλον τἀναντία ἰσχυριζομένων, ἐπιλαβόμενοι τῆς ἔριδος τὸ λοιπὸν τῶν ᾿Αλεξανδρέων καὶ Αἰγυπτίων πλῆθος καὶ ὁ Κωνσταντινουπόλεως λαὸς εἰς ἀλλήλους ἐχώρησαν, ὡς πολλοὺς τραυματίας γενέσθαι, 8.1.3 τινὰς δὲ καὶ ἀπολέσθαι. δείσαντες δὲ Σευηριανός τε καὶ οἱ ἄλλοι ἐπίσκοποι πλὴν τῶν τὰ ᾿Ιωάννου ζηλούντων φυγῇ τὴν Κωνσταντινούπολιν ἀπέλιπον. καὶ Θεόφιλος δὲ αὐτίκα μηδὲν ἀναβαλλόμενος ἤδη τοῦ χειμῶνος ἀρχομένου φεύγων ἅμα ᾿Ισαακίῳ τῷ μοναχῷ ἀπέπλευσεν εἰς ᾿Αλεξάνδρειαν. ἀπὸ δὲ τοῦ πελάγους ὧδε συμβὰν κατῆρεν εἰς Γεράν, πόλιν μικρὰν ἀμφὶ 8.1.4 πεντήκοντα στάδια τοῦ Πηλουσίου ἀφεστῶσαν. τελευτήσαντος δὲ τότε τοῦ ἐνθάδε ἐπισκόπου οἱ μὲν πολῖται, ὡς ἐπυθόμην, ἐψηφίσαντο Νιλάμμωνα προστατεῖν τῆς αὐτῶν ἐκκλησίας, ἄνδρα ἀγαθὸν καὶ μοναχικῆς φιλοσοφίας εἰς ἄκρον ἐλθόντα. ᾤκει δὲ πρὸ τοῦ ἄστεως, ἐν οἰκήματι καθείρξας ἑαυτὸν καὶ λίθοις τὴν θύραν ἀποφράξας. ἀποφεύγοντα δὲ τὴν ἱερωσύνην, ἐλθὼν πρὸς αὐτὸν Θεόφιλος συνεβούλευε καταδέχεσθαι τὴν παρ' αὐτοῦ χειροτονίαν. 8.1.5 ὁ δὲ πολλάκις παραιτησάμενος, ὡς οὐκ ἔπειθεν, «αὔριον εἴ σοι φίλον», ἔφη, «πρᾶξον, ὦ πάτερ, ὥστε με σήμερον τὰ κατ' ἐμαυτὸν διαθεῖναι.» ἐπεὶ δὲ τῇ ὑστεραίᾳ κατὰ τὰ συγκείμενα ἦλθε καὶ τὴν θύραν ἀνοίγειν ἐκέλευσεν, «ἄγε δὴ πρότερον», ὁ Νιλάμμων ἔφη, «εὐξώμεθα.» καὶ Θεόφιλος ἐπαινέσας ηὔξατο· 8.1.6 Νιλάμμων δὲ ἐν τῷ εὔχεσθαι τὴν ἐνθάδε κατέλιπε βιοτήν. τοῦτο δὲ τὰ μὲν πρῶτα ἠγνοεῖτο Θεοφίλῳ καὶ τοῖς ἀμφ' αὐτὸν ἔξωθεν ἑστῶσιν. ἀναλωθείσης δὲ λοιπὸν τῆς ἡμέρας, ὡς πολλάκις γεγωνότερον καλούντων οὐχ ὑπήκουε, καταβαλόντες τοὺς πρὸς τῇ θύρᾳ λίθους εὗρον τὸν ἄνδρα νεκρόν· καὶ περιστείλαντες ᾗ ἔδει δημοσίας ἠξίωσαν ταφῆς· καὶ εὐκτήριον οἶκον περὶ τὸν αὐτοῦ τάφον ᾠκοδόμησαν οἱ ἐπιχώριοι, καὶ ἐπισημότατα εἰσέτι 8.1.7 νῦν τὴν ἡμέραν τῆς αὐτοῦ τελευτῆς ἄγουσι. ὁ μὲν δὴ Νιλάμμων ὧδε τέθνηκεν, εἴ γε δεῖ θάνατον καλεῖν ὃν ὑπομεῖναι ηὔξατο πρὶν ἐπιτραπῆναι τὴν ἱερωσύνην, ἧς ἀνάξιος εἶναι διὰ μετριότητα τρόπων ἡγεῖτο. ῾Ο δὲ ᾿Ιωάννης ἐπανελθὼν εἰς Κωνσταντινούπολιν ἔτι μᾶλλον κεχα8.1.8 ρισμένος τῷ λαῷ ἐφαίνετο. συνεληλυθότων δὲ τότε ἐν Κωνσταντινουπόλει ἀμφὶ ἑξήκοντα ἐπισκόπων ἄκυρά τε τὰ ἐν τῇ ∆ρυῒ πεπραγμένα καὶ αὐτὸν ἔχειν τὴν ἐπισκοπὴν ψηφισαμένων διετέλεσεν ἱερώμενος καὶ χειροτονῶν καὶ τἆλλα περὶ τὴν ἐκκλησίαν ᾗ θέμις τοῖς προεστῶσι διέπων· ἡνίκα καὶ Σαραπίωνα τῆς ἐν Θρᾴκῃ ῾Ηρακλείας ἐπίσκοπον κατέστησεν. 8..1 Οὐ πολλῷ δὲ ὕστερον ἀνδριάντος ἀργυροῦ τῆς τοῦ βασιλέως γαμετῆς ἐπὶ πορφυροῦ κίονος ἀνατεθέντος, ὃς καὶ νῦν ἐστι πρὸς μεσημβρίαν τῆς ἐκκλησίας πρὸ τοῦ οἴκου τῆς μεγάλης βουλῆς ἐφ' ὑψηλοῦ βήματος, κρότοι τε καὶ δημώδεις θέαι ὀρχηστῶν τε καὶ μίμων ἐνθάδε ἐπετελοῦντο, ὡς ἔθος 8..2 ἦν τότε ἐπὶ τῇ ἀναθέσει τῶν βασιλικῶν εἰκόνων. ἐφ' ὕβρει δὲ τῆς ἐκκλησίας τάδε γεγενῆσθαι ἐν ὁμιλίᾳ πρὸς τὸν λαὸν ὁ ᾿Ιωάννης διέβαλεν. ἡ δὲ βασιλὶς ἔτι προσφάτου τῆς μνήμης οὔσης τῶν προτέρων λυπηρῶν ὡς ὑβρισμένη πάλιν ἐμπίπλαται θυμοῦ καὶ σύνοδον αὖθις ἐπιτελεῖσθαι ἐσπούδαζεν. ὁ δὲ οὐκ ἐνεδίδου, ἀλλ' ἔτι σαφέστερον ἐπ' ἐκκλησίας λοιδορῶν αὐτὴν ἐξέ8..3 καυσε πρὸς ὀργήν· ἡνίκα δὴ τὸν ἀοίδιμον ἐκεῖνον διεξῆλθε λόγον ἀρξάμενος ὧδε· «πάλιν ῾Ηρῳδιὰς μαίνεται, πάλιν ὀρχεῖται, πάλιν ᾿Ιωάννου τὴν κεφαλὴν ἐπὶ πίνακος σπουδάζει λαβεῖν.» οὐκ εἰς μακρὰν δὲ ἄλλοι τε ἐπίσκοποι παρεγένοντο καὶ Λεόντιος ὁ ᾿Αγκύρας καὶ ᾿Ακάκιος ὁ Βεροίας.