Part 3: Conflict with the Empress and Theophilus.
The Tall Brothers.
At that time, there lived in Constantinople a man named Theodoricus, a patrician by rank, who was exceedingly wealthy. From envy of him and desire to take his riches for herself, the Empress sought reasons to make accusation against him but found none, for Theodoricus was a good and righteous man. Failing to find an opportunity to use force against him, the Empress resorted to cunning. She summoned the patrician and said to him, “You know what great demands are continually made upon the imperial treasury, how much gold is distributed to the army for the protection of the realm, and how many are fed each day from our coffers. Because of this, our funds at present are exhausted. Therefore, we beseech you to loan a portion of your wealth to the imperial treasury, and in this way you shall find favor with us. Later you will receive back what you give us.”
Theodoricus understood that the Empress did not intend to use his money for the needs of the realm but to gratify the insatiable avarice of her own heart. He went to the blessed John, told him of the designs of the Empress, and tearfully besought the saint to defend him from her. John immediately sent a letter to the Empress, meekly and kindly exhorting her to cause no offense to Theodoricus. The Patriarch’s wise words put the Empress to shame, and although she was furious with him, she did as he wished. From that moment, Theodoricus resolved to obey the exhortations of the saint concerning the giving of alms, for John counselled everyone not to lay up treasures on earth where the hands of the envious can take them away, but rather to store them in heaven where they are coveted and stolen by no one. Theodoricus feared lest his riches bring him to utter ruin, since he knew the Empress’ character and that she would neither cease to envy him nor to search for accusations to make against him until she attained her wicked desires. For these reasons, he determined to give his wealth to the King of heaven. Retaining only a small portion of his property for the support of his household, he gave all the remainder of his great possessions to one of the Church’s hospices, to be used for the sustenance of travellers, the poor, and the ill. When the Empress heard report of this, she was greatly incensed and sent a letter to the blessed John which read: “Holy Patriarch! In accordance with your counsel, I forgave the patrician Theodoricus and took nothing from him for the needs of our Empire, but you have appropriated his property for your own enrichment! Would it not have been more fitting for us to have taken this property than for you? It was in the Emperor’s service that he became rich. Why did you not emulate us? Just as we took nothing from him, so you too ought not to have taken his possessions!”
In answer, John wrote the following letter: “I believe it is no secret to Your Piety that there was nothing to prevent me from having riches, had I desired them. My parents were noble persons of influence and much wealth. It was my own decision to renounce riches. How then would I not be ashamed now to grasp for what I have forsaken and teach others to disdain? You say that I have taken Theodoricus’ possessions for my own enrichment. Know that Theodoricus has given me nothing, and had he wished to do so, I would not have accepted anything from him. He gave his wealth to Christ by offering it for the sustenance of the poor and needy, and he has done well, for Christ will reward him a hundredfold in the age to come. It is my wish that you would do as Theodoricus did and lay up your riches in heaven. Then, when your wealth fails, you will be received into the eternal mansions. But if it is your intention to take from Christ what Theodoricus has given Him, be certain that you will not offend us, but rather Christ Himself.” After reading John’s letter, the Empress grew still more impassioned, and began to consider how she might avenge herself upon the saint.
At that time, a widow named Callitropa came from Alexandria to Constantinople for the following reason. The military Governor of Alexandria, Paulicius, who held the rank of augustalus, was told by envious persons that Callitropa possessed much gold. Paulicius was very avaricious, so after bringing false accusation against the widow, he had her arrested and required her to pay him five hundred pieces of gold. Since she did not possess such a sum, she borrowed it from her neighbors, giving as surety her clothes and household vessels. With difficulty she collected the five hundred pieces of gold, handing them over to the Governor although she was guilty of nothing. At length, Paulicius was deprived of his rank and brought to Constantinople under investigation for his doings, so the widow took ship and followed him. She presented herself to the Emperor, and falling down before him, weeping and wailing, lodged complaint against Paulicius, saying that he had extorted much money from her although she had done nothing deserving of punishment. The Emperor ordered the Eparch of the city to investigate her case, to try the matter, and to give back to the widow all that Paulicius had taken from her if he was found guilty. The Eparch, however, sided with Paulicius during the trial and found him innocent, and the widow went away empty-handed.
Callitropa went next to the Empress, and prostrating herself before her, told all her misfortunes and asked her to show mercy and help her. The greedy Empress was glad to intervene in the case, hoping thereby to obtain gold for herself. She summoned Paulicius and angrily upbraided him for his theft of another’s property and offending the poor widow. She ordered that he be imprisoned until such time as he forfeited a hundred pounds of gold. Seeing that there was no escape from the hands of the Empress, Paulicius sent a servant to bring the quantity of gold the Empress demanded. He gave her the hundred pounds, but out of this the Empress gave the widow only thirty-six gold coins. She sent the woman away, keeping the rest for herself. The widow left the Empress, weeping and bemoaning the injustice she had suffered.
Then Callitropa learned that Saint John was ever ready to protect the wronged, so she hastened to, tell him everything Paulicius and the Empress had done to her. The holy John consoled the widow and then sent for Paulicius. The saint received him in the church and said to him, “We know the injustices of which you are guilty and how you have wronged the poor, taking the possessions of others by force as you have done to this widow. Do you not fear God, the father of orphans and defender of widows? We have called you here to surrender the five hundred pieces of gold which you unjustly took from her. Give her what is hers, so that she may redeem her possessions from those who lent to her and not perish with her children in utter poverty. You will then be freed of your sin and will incline God, Whom you have angered, to have mercy on you. Otherwise He will punish you for the injustice you have done.”
“Master,” replied Paulicius, “this widow has brought far greater misfortune upon me than I upon her. She lodged complaint against me to the Empress, who took one hundred pounds of gold from me! What more does she require of me? Let her go to the Empress and claim what is hers.”
“Although the Empress may have taken much gold from you,” said Saint John, “the widow still has not received what is hers; therefore she does not share in the Empress’ guilt before you. It was not only because you extorted money from this woman that God permitted the Empress to take gold from you, but because of the other sins you committed while you were still in power and because you defrauded many. Do not attempt to justify yourself by pointing to the Empress’ sins, for I tell you that you shall not leave this place until you pay back the widow the last piece of gold which you owe her. As for the thirty-six gold coins that the Empress gave her, let them serve to cover the expenses of her journey.” And John refused to let Paulicius depart from the church.
When the Empress learned of this, she sent word to John, saying, “Let Paulicius go, for I have already taken from him sufficient gold to cover his debt.”
But John replied to the messengers, “Paulicius will not be released until he has returned to the poor woman what he took from her.”
The messengers were sent a second time with orders that Paulicius be released, but the saint told them, “If the Empress wishes me to set him free, let her send the widow her five hundred gold pieces. This ought not to present any great difficulty for her, since she took much more than this from Paulicius.”
Hearing this, the Empress was furious and immediately sent two centurions with their soldiers to the church to remove Paulicius by force. But when the soldiers were about to enter the building, an angel of the Lord suddenly appeared, standing by the doors, holding a drawn sword in his hand and forbidding them entry. As soon as the soldiers saw the fearsome angel, they took fright and fled. They returned to the Empress and told her of the apparition. Troubled in spirit, she did not dare send further communications to John concerning Paulicius, who saw that he could expect no more help from the Empress. He sent word to his house that the five hundred gold coins be brought and given to the widow, after which he was released. Joyfully receiving what was hers, the woman returned to her own city.
The Empress, however, continued to resent the blessed John, and day by day the wrath and malice in her heart against God’s righteous and guileless favorite grew greater. A short time after this, the Empress sent her servants to Saint John with a message intended both to flatter and to threaten him. It read: “Cease your opposition to us, and do not interfere in matters of state, for we do not concern ourselves with the affairs of the Church but rather permit you to deal with them according to your own judgment. Cease to denounce me and to present me as an example of an evildoer when you speak in church. Until now I have regarded you as a father and have accorded you due respect, but know that if you do not correct yourself from this time forth and begin to treat me as you ought, I shall suffer you no longer.”
When John heard the Empress’ message, he was grieved, and sighing deeply, told the servants, “The Empress desires that I should be like a corpse, which sees no evil and neither hears the voices of the wronged, their weeping and sighs, nor says anything to accuse those who sin. But since I am a bishop and the care of souls has been entrusted to me, I must watch over all with a never-sleeping eye and hear the petitions of all, instructing and upbraiding those who do not wish to repent. Indeed, I know that if I do not censure iniquity and chastize transgressors, I bring about my own damnation. I fear to keep silence in the face of evil, lest the words of Hosea serve to condemn me: The priests have hid the way of the Lord. For the divine Apostle’ commands that he who sins is to be corrected before all, so that fear will be planted in the hearts of others. Thus he teaches: Preach the word, in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long-suffering and doctrine. In my sermons I do not denounce the iniquitous, but iniquity. I have not spoken directly concerning anyone in particular, nor have I ridiculed anyone, nor have I made mention of the Empress’ name to reproach her. I have rather taught and continue to teach all in general to do no evil and to take care not to offend their neighbors. If the conscience of someone who has heard our words condemns him for some wicked deed, he ought not to be angry with us but with himself. Let such a person turn away from evil and do good. If the Empress is not aware that she has committed some evil or offended someone, why is she angry with me for teaching the people to turn away from all unrighteousness? She ought rather to rejoice that she has done no wrong and to be pleased that I diligently preach salvation to the people over whom she reigns. But if she is guilty of the sins which I seek to uproot from the hearts of men by my words of instruction, then let her know that it is not I who condemn her and that I have no desire to besmirch her honor. Her own works serve as her condemnation, bringing upon her soul great dishonor. Let the Empress rage if she so wishes, but I will not cease to speak the truth. It is better for me to please God than man, for if I yet pleased men, I should not be a servant of Christ.”
After the saint had said this and much else to the messengers, he dismissed them. They returned to the Empress and told her everything they had heard, but the Empress became still angrier with the blessed John and began to hate him greatly.
The Empress was not alone in her enmity toward the saint. There were many others who lived in a sinful manner and without repentance who counted themselves the enemies of the blessed one. These did not only live in the Imperial City but in faraway lands as well. Among them were Theophilus, the Patriarch of Alexandria, who from the beginning had no love for John and did not wish to consecrate him as patriarch; Acacius, the Bishop of Beroea; Severian of Geval; and Antiochus of Ptolemais. In Constantinople, his foes included two presbyters, five deacons, many members of the court, and three well-known, wealthy widows who led a defiled life: Marsa, Castricia, and Eugraphia. All these hated John, and taking counsel among themselves, devised accusations against him, to slander him among the people. First, they sent men to Antioch to discover if John had committed some foolish act during his childhood, but in searching they grew weary of searching, learning nothing useful for their purposes. Then his enemies in Constantinople began to communicate with Theophilus of Alexandria, that cunning liar, but even he could find no accusation to bring against John’s manner of life, which shone like the sun with virtue. Nevertheless, Theophilus continued to seek for a way to have John deposed, and at length his efforts, furthered by the Empress and other evil persons and still more by Satan himself, achieved success. Thus John came to be driven into exile in the following manner.
There lived in Alexandria a revered priest who was called Isidore the Hospitable because he was always ready to care for strangers. This man was everywhere renowned for his virtuous life and wise speech and had already reached old age: he was eighty years old and had been ordained presbyter by Saint Athanasius the Great, Patriarch of Alexandria. Theophilus harbored enmity against Isidore because when he wished to deprive the Alexandrian archpriest Peter of his rank and drive him from the Church (although he was guilty of no crime), Isidore defended Peter and proved that the accusation brought against him was false. After unjustly expelling Peter from the Church, Theophilus began to search for evidence that would permit him to excommunicate Isidore as well.
At that time, a widow named Theodotia gave Isidore a thousand pieces of gold so that he might purchase clothing for the paupers, orphans, and poor widows of Alexandria. While giving him the money, she begged Isidore to say nothing concerning the matter to Patriarch Theophilus, fearing that the latter might take the money and waste it on the erection of lavish buildings of stone. Isidore took the gold and did as the widow had requested, but some time later, Theophilus learned that Isidore had been given a thousand pieces of gold by Theodotia and without telling him had spent the money on the needs of the poor. Theophilus, who was extremely avaricious, became furious with Isidore, and hoping to besmirch the reputation of the righteous priest, brought against him a grave and untrue accusation of having committed an unnatural sin. Theophilus wrote out the accusation with his own hand and purchased false witnesses with gold. The untruth of their lies was established, however, and Isidore was found to be perfectly innocent. Nevertheless, Theophilus, in his boundless malice, still deprived him of the rank of presbyter and cast him out of the city with blows and dishonor, even though he was without blame. Isidore counted the abasement to which he was subjected, although innocent, as a great honor, and departed from Alexandria to live in silence at Nitria, where he had his dwelling while still young. He shut himself up in a hut there and patiently prayed for God’s help.
In those days, there lived in the monasteries of Egypt four brothers, virtuous men who feared God. They passed all their life in fasting and monastic labors and were called “The Tall Ones,” because they were of great stature. The names of these men were Dioscorus, Ammon, Eusebius, and Euthymius. They were held in esteem not only by the people of Alexandria but also by Theophilus, who revered them highly for the virtue of their lives, which was acclaimed by all. Theophilus made one of them, Dioscorus, Bishop of Hermopolis against his will and compelled two of the others, Ammon and Euthymius, to accept the priestly rank. Now the Dioscorus of whom we speak was not the heretical Patriarch of Alexandria, condemned by the holy fathers at the Fourth Council, but another, who lived a holy life and came to a blessed end. This Dioscorus lived many years before the other.
After ordaining Ammon and Euthymius, Theophilus requested that they remain with him at the patriarchal palace, during which time they saw that he did not live in a godly manner. Perceiving that he loved gold more than God and committed many injustices, they left the Patriarch’s residence and returned to their life of silence. When Theophilus learned the reason for their departure, he was greatly offended. His former love turned to hatred, and he began to plan how he might do them evil.
First, the Patriarch spread the rumor that the Tall Brothers and the deposed Isidore were adherents of the heresy of Origen and that they had led numerous monks astray. Then, without giving any reason for his order, he sent word to the bishops living nearby to drive the venerable monastics from the desert. The bishops did as the Patriarch commanded, expelling all of the honorable and God-pleasing ascetics from the hills and the wilderness. Then the exiles assembled with certain presbyters and set off for Alexandria to speak to the Patriarch. They entreated him to tell them why they had fallen into disfavor and had been driven from their dwellings, but he glared at them as though he were possessed, and casting his omophorion over Ammon’s neck, Theophilus beat him with his own hands until the holy priest was covered with blood. While doing this, the Patriarch cried out, “Curse Origen, you heretic!” Then he pommeled the others until they were covered with blood. He did not permit them to say a single word in his presence and finally, in a rage, drove them all out in dishonor. The monks returned to their huts without having received any satisfaction from the Patriarch.
Theophilus then assembled the bishops of the land and anathematized the four innocent monks, Ammon, Eusebius, and Euthymius, the brothers of Dioscorus, and the previously mentioned Isidore the Blessed, without questioning them concerning their beliefs or even summoning them to be present. But still his malice had not spent itself, so he occupied himself with writing numerous false accusations against them. He charged them with heresy, sorcery, and many other grievous sins, and then bribed slanderers and false witnesses, giving these evil men copies of the accusations he had composed. He charged his hirelings to come before him as he was teaching the people in church on a feast day, to bring forth the charges of wrongdoing against the monks, and to offer false testimony against them.
When all had been done according to his instructions, the Patriarch commanded that the libel against the monks be read publicly in the cathedral. Then he showed the accusations to the Eparch of the city, and received from him a band of five hundred Bedouin soldiers. He set off with them to Nitria with the intention of driving out of Egypt as heretics and sorcerers Isidore, the Tall Brothers, and all the monks who were their disciples. First he sent his soldiers to remove Dioscorus from his episcopal throne, and then, after they were aroused with wine, they fell upon Nitria, searching for Isidore and Dioscorus’ brothers: Ammon, Eusebius, and Euthymius. As these could not be found (for they had hidden in a deep pit), Theophilus ordered the soldiers to attack all the monks, to set fire to their dwellings, and to plunder their clothing, food, and other meager possessions. The drunken soldiers searched every cave in the desert and burned alive ten thousand holy ascetics. These things took place on the tenth of July, on which day the Holy Church commemorates the memory of these saints. The remaining monks fled, hiding wherever they could. After thus ravaging the desert, Theophilus returned to Alexandria.
The monks who survived the slaughter gathered and wept for a long time for their slain fathers and brethren. Then they dispersed, each going wherever he wished. Dioscorus and his brothers, the blessed Isidore, and many other monks, eminent wonder-workers who shone forth mightily in fasting and the other virtues, fled to Silvanus, the Patriarch of Jerusalem. But Theophilus straightway sent word to Silvanus and the bishops of Palestine, saying, “It is not right that you should accept those whom I have excommunicated and who have fled from me without my consent.”
The holy men were grieved not so much because they had suffered persecution and had been compelled to flee, but because Theophilus had excommunicated them from the Church without cause, numbering them among the heretics. Therefore, not knowing where else to turn, the exiles went to Saint John Chrysostom in Constantinople, hoping to find with him a safe refuge. They fell down before him with tears in their eyes and begged him to show them mercy. When John saw these men, fifty in number, who had grown old in the life of virtue, he took pity on them and wept for them like Joseph over his brethren. After learning why they had suffered such misfortune at the hands of Theophilus, he consoled them and gave them a place to live by the Church of Saint Anastasia. Their sustenance was provided not only by Saint Chrysostom but also by Saint Olympia the Deaconess, who furnished them with everything necessary from her own means. This deaconess, truly a saint, used her wealth to provide shelter and other necessities for the poor and strangers. She is commemorated on the twenty-fifth day of July. The monks were also holy men, and later the Church ordained that the names of a number of them be included in the calendar of saints.
One of the monks was a man named Hierax, who had lived as a hermit in the desert for many years. Once, demons appeared to him and said, “Old man, you shall live for another fifty years: how can you survive in this desert for so long?”
Perceiving the demons’ deceit, Hierax answered, “You grieve me when you say that I shall live such a short a time. I had prepared myself to remain in this desert for two hundred years.” When the demons heard this, they fled, utterly put to shame. Now this father, whom the demons were powerless to disturb, had been driven off by Theophilus of Alexandria. Another holy man expelled by the Patriarch was the presbyter Isaac, a disciple of Saint Macarius. He was chaste from his mother’s womb, for he was brought to the desert when he was only five years old and was reared there. So well versed in the divine Scriptures was he that he knew them by heart in their entirety. Indeed, all the monastics driven out by Theophilus were holy and venerable. The blessed John greatly revered them and did not forbid them to come to church although he did not wish to permit them to receive Holy Communion until he had learned the exact reasons for their excommunication and had reconciled them to Theophilus. He enjoined them not to bring to the Emperor their complaint against the Patriarch of Alexandria but promised that he would attempt to reconcile them with Theophilus by letter. John immediately wrote to Theophilus, beseeching him to allow the monks to return in peace to Egypt to live in their cells and once more be received into communion.
In addition to this, when Theophilus received John’s letter, he was told by certain liars and slanderers that John had accepted the exiled monks into communion, which was untrue. He was therefore furious with John and sent the saint a most insolent letter. John then wrote Theophilus a second letter, seeking to make peace with him and entreating him not to forbid the monks to return. Theophilus became angrier with John than with the monks, and his reply to John’s second letter was still more insulting than his answer to the first. When the monks saw that Theophilus was unwilling to be reconciled to them, they wrote a complaint to the Emperor, telling of all the misfortunes they had innocently suffered at the hands of Theophilus. The monks approached the Emperor with tears in their eyes as he was standing in church, gave him the charges against their persecutor, and begged him to hold a trial. Feeling pity for such honorable and virtuous men, the Emperor immediately sent a letter to the Eparch of Alexandria, ordering him to compel Theophilus to come for trial in Constantinople and requiring that he give an answer before Patriarch John and his bishops for his malice and be judged according to his deeds. The Emperor also wrote to Innocent, the Pope of Rome, requesting that he send bishops to the trial of Theophilus. The Pope straightway ordered bishops to prepare for the journey, and awaited word from the Emperor Arcadius that the Eastern bishops had assembled, but the Emperor did not write a second time, and for this reason the Western bishops did not come to Constantinople. Meanwhile, Theophilus bribed the Eparch of Alexandria, who allowed him to remain in Alexandria until he had sent to India to purchase all manner of fragrant perfumes and sweet spices. These Theophilus had loaded in ships to take with him to Constantinople. In addition to this, Theophilus won over to his side Saint Epiphanius, the Bishop of Cyprus. Theophilus wrote him, pretending to be filled with zeal for the defense of piety, and asked him to summon a council on the island of Cyprus to condemn the writings of Origen. Now Origen’s books were only condemned universally by the holy fathers of the Fifth Ecumenical Council, so they were not yet anathematized by the Church as a whole. Theophilus slandered John in his letter, saying that he was a heretic and had accepted Origenists into communion. Since Epiphanius was a guileless man, he believed these lies, even as it is said in the Scriptures: The guileless believeth every word. He did not perceive Theophilus’ craftiness, and being zealous for piety, he anathematized Origen’s writings at a local council held in Cyprus. Then he wrote John, exhorting him to do the same. But John made no haste in the matter and continued to devote himself to the study of the divine Scriptures, directing all his concern to teaching the people in church and bringing sinners to repentance.
Meanwhile, Theophilus prepared for the journey to Constantinople and asked the holy Epiphanius to accompany him. “We shall convoke a council against the Origenists there,” said he. Epiphanius gave his consent but departed for Constantinople before Theophilus, and arrived there first. Before he reached the Imperial City, however, the following incident occurred.