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ΕΠΙΣΚΟΠΟΥ ΚΥΡΟΥ ΕΚΚΛΗΣΙΑΣΤΙΚΗΣ ΙΣΤΟΡΙΑΣ ΤΟΜΟΣ ΠΡΩΤΟΣ

λδʹ.

Περὶ Ἰσαακίου τοῦ ἐν Κωνσταντινουπόλει μονάζοντος.

Φασὶ δὲ καὶ Ἰσαάκην σκηνὴν αὐτόθι μοναχικὴν ἔχοντα, ἐπειδὴ εἶδεν αὐτὸν συνεξιόντα τῇ στρατιᾷ, βοῇ χρησάμενον φάναι· «Ποῖ βαδίζεις, ὦ βασιλεῦ, κατὰ θεοῦ στρατευόμενος καὶ τοῦτον οὐκ ἔχων ἐπίκουρον; αὐτὸς γὰρ κατὰ σοῦ τοὺς βαρβάρους κεκίνηκεν, ἐπειδὴ καὶ σὺ κατ´ αὐτοῦ πολλὰς γλώττας εἰς βλασφημίαν παρέθηξας καὶ τοὺς ἐκεῖνον ὑμνοῦντας τῶν θείων οἴκων ἐξήλασας. Παῦσαι δὴ οὖν πολεμῶν καὶ παύσει τὸν πόλεμον. Ἀπόδος ταῖς ποίμναις τοὺς ἀρίστους νομέας καὶ λήψῃ τὴν νίκην ἀπονητί. Εἰ δὲ τούτων μηδὲν δεδρακὼς παρατάξαιο, μαθήσῃ τῇ πείρᾳ ὅπως σκληρὸν τὸ πρὸς κέντρα λακτίζειν· οὔτε γὰρ ἐπανήξεις καὶ προσαπολέσεις τὴν στρατιάν ». Ὀργισθεὶς δὲ ὁ βασιλεύς· «Καὶ ἐπανήξω», ἔφη, «καὶ κατακτενῶ σε καὶ τῆς ψευδοῦς προαγορεύσεως εἰσπράξομαι δίκας ». . Ὁ δὲ ἥκιστα δείσας τὴν ἀπειλὴν ἔφη βοῶν· « Κτεῖνον, εἰ φωραθείη τῶν λόγων τὸ ψεῦδος».

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The Ecclesiastical History of Theodoret (CCEL)

Chapter XIII. Of Justina, the wife of Valentinianus, and of her plot against Ambrosius.

At this time Justina, ¹ wife of Valentinianus the great, and mother of the young prince, made known to her son the seeds of the Arian teaching which she had long ago received. Well knowing the warmth of her consort’s faith she had endeavoured to conceal her sentiments during the whole of his life, but perceiving that her son’s character was gentle and docile, she took courage to bring her deceitful doctrine forward. The lad supposed his mother’s counsels to be wise and beneficial, for nature so disposed the bait that he could not see the deadly hook below. He first communicated on the subject with Ambrosius, under the impression that, if he could persuade the bishop, he would be able without difficulty to prevail over the rest. Ambrosius, however, strove to remind him of his father’s piety, and exhorted him to keep inviolate the heritage which he had received. He explained to him also how one doctrine differed from the other, how the one is in agreement with the teaching of the Lord and with the teaching of his apostles, while the other is totally opposed to it and at war with the code of the laws of the spirit.

The young man, as young men will, spurred on moreover by a mother herself the victim of deceit, not only did not assent to the arguments adduced, but lost his temper, and, in a passion, was for surrounding the approaches to the church with companies of legionaries and targeteers. When, however, he learnt that this illustrious champion was not in the least alarmed at his proceedings, for Ambrosius treated them all like the ghosts and hobgoblins with which some men try to frighten babies, he was exceedingly angry and publicly ordered him to depart from the church. “I shall not,” said Ambrosius, “do so willingly. I will not yield the sheepfold to the wolves nor betray God’s temple to blasphemers. If you wish to slay me drive your sword or your spear into me here within. I shall welcome such a death.” ²