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The Ecclesiastical History of Theodoret (CCEL)

Chapter XXXIII. Of the ambassage of Chrysostom to Gainas.

Then when every one else was passed over because of the universal panic, this great chief was persuaded to undertake the ambassage. He took no heed of the dispute which has been related, nor of the ill feeling which it had engendered, and readily set out for Thrace. No sooner did Gainas hear of the arrival of the envoy than he bethought him of the bold utterance which he had made on behalf of true religion. He came eagerly from a great distance to meet him, placed his right hand upon his eyes, and brought his children to his saintly knees. So is it the nature of goodness to put even those who are most opposed to it to the blush and vanquish them. But envy could not endure the bright rays of his philosophy. It put in practice its wonted wiles and deprived of his eloquence and his wisdom the imperial city—aye indeed the whole world. ¹

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ΕΠΙΣΚΟΠΟΥ ΚΥΡΟΥ ΕΚΚΛΗΣΙΑΣΤΙΚΗΣ ΙΣΤΟΡΙΑΣ ΤΟΜΟΣ ΠΡΩΤΟΣ

ιςʹ.

Περὶ Ἀμφιλοχίου τοῦ ἐπισκόπου Ἰκονίου.

Μετὰ δὲ τὴν ἐκεῖθεν ἐπάνοδον ἀφίκετο μὲν Ἀμφιλόχιος ὁ θαυ μάσιος, οὗ πολλάκις ἐμνήσθην, ἀντιβολῶν τοὺς τῶν Ἀρειανῶν ἐκ τῶν πόλεων ἐξελαθῆναι συλλόγους· ὁ δὲ βασιλεὺς ἀπηνεστέραν ὑπο λαβὼν τὴν αἴτησιν οὐκ ἐδέξατο. Ὁ δὲ σοφώτατος Ἀμφιλόχιος παραυτίκα σιγήσας μνήμης ἀξίαν ἐξηύρηκεν μηχανήν. Εἴσω γὰρ αὖθις τῶν βασιλείων γενόμενος καὶ παρεστῶτα τῷ βασιλεῖ τὸν υἱὸν Ἀρκάδιον θεασάμενος (νεωστὶ δὲ οὗτος κεχειροτόνητο βασιλεύς), αὐτὸν μὲν ἠσπάσατο συνήθως τὸν βασιλέα, ἀγέραστον δὲ κατέλιπε τὸν υἱόν. Ὁ δὲ βασιλεύς, ἐπιλησθῆναι νομίσας τὸν Ἀμφιλόχιον, προσελθεῖν καὶ φιλῆσαι προσέταξε τὸν υἱόν· ὁ δὲ ἀποχρῆν ἔφη τὴν αὐτῷ παρ' αὐτοῦ προσενεχθεῖσαν τιμήν. Ὁ δὲ δυσχεράνας οἰκείαν ἐκάλει παροινίαν τὴν τοῦ παιδὸς ἀτιμίαν. Τηνικαῦτα λοιπὸν ὁ σοφώτατος Ἀμφιλόχιος ἐκκαλύπτει τὸν τοῦ γεγενημένου σκοπὸν καὶ βοῶν ἔφη·

" Ὁρᾷς, ὦ βασιλεῦ, ὅπως οὐ φέρεις τὴν τοῦ παιδὸς ἀτιμίαν, ἀλλὰ τοῖς εἰς τοῦτον παροινοῦσι χαλεπαίνεις πικρῶς. Πίστευσον δὴ οὖν καὶ τὸν τῶν ὅλων θεὸν τοὺς τὸν υἱὸν αὐτοῦ τὸν μονογενῆ βλασφημοῦντας βδελύττεσθαι, καὶ ὡς ἀχαρίστους περὶ τὸν σωτῆρα καὶ εὐεργέτην γεγενημένους μισεῖν".

Οὕτω συνεὶς ὁ βασιλεὺς καὶ τά τε πεπραγμένα καὶ τὰ εἰρημένα θαυμάσας, νόμον εὐθὺς ἔγραψε τοὺς τῶν αἱρετικῶν συλλόγους κωλύοντα. Ἀλλὰ γὰρ οὐ ῥᾴδιον πάσας διαφυγεῖν τοῦ κοινοῦ τῶν ἀνθρώ πων πολεμίου τὰς ἄρκυς. Πολλάκις γάρ τις διαδρὰς τῆς ἀσελγείας τὸ πάθος τῇ τῆς πλεονεξίας περιπείρεται πάγῃ· εἰ δὲ καὶ ταύτης κρείττων φανείη, ἑτέρωθεν ἀναφύεται τοῦ φθόνου τὸ βάραθρον· κἂν τοῦτο δὲ πάλιν ὑπερπηδήσῃ, τοῦ θυμοῦ τὸ δίκτυον εὑρήσει προκείμενον· καὶ ἄλλας δὲ μυρίας τοῖς ἀνθρώποις τίθησι ποδοστράβας, ἀγρεύων εἰς ὄλεθρον. Καὶ τὰ μὲν πάθη τοῦ σώματος ὑπουργοῦντα ἔχει ταῖς κατὰ τῆς ψυχῆς τεκταινομέναις ὑπ' αὐτοῦ μηχαναῖς· μόνος δὲ ὁ νοῦς ἐγρηγορὼς περιγίγνεται τῇ περὶ τὰ θεῖα ῥοπῇ τῶν μηχα νημάτων διαλύων τὴν ῥύμην. Τῆς ἀνθρωπείας δὴ οὖν φύσεως καὶ ὁ θαυμάσιος οὗτος μετασχὼν βασιλεὺς καὶ τῶν παθημάτων μετέλαχε, καὶ τῷ δικαίῳ θυμῷ ἀμετρία προσγινομένη ὠμόν τι καὶ παράνομον εἰργάσατο πάθος. Ἐρῶ δὲ καὶ τοῦτο τῆς τῶν ἐντευξομένων εἵνεκα ὠφελείας· οὐ γὰρ μόνον κατηγορίαν ἔχει τοῦ θαυμαστοῦ βασιλέως, ἀλλὰ καὶ εὐφημίαν μνήμης ἀξιωτάτην.