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| Death of Nectarius and Ordination of John.
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Chapter II.—Death of
Nectarius and Ordination of John.
A short time after
Nectarius824
also, bishop of Constantinople died, during the consulate of
Cæsarius and Atticus,825
on the 27th of September. A contest thereupon immediately arose
respecting the appointment of a successor, some proposing one person,
and some another: at length however it was determined to send for
John,826
| 826The well-known bishop of Antioch and Constantinople,
who on account of his extraordinary gift of eloquence was surnamed
Chrysostom, ‘the Golden-mouth.’ See The Nicene
and Post-Nicene Fathers, Vol. IX. Prolegomena on the life and
writings of St. John Chrysostom by Dr. Schaff. Also cf. ancient
authorities: Palladius, Dialogus historicus de vita et conversatione
beati Joannis Chrysostomi cum Theodoro Ecclesiæ Romanæ
diacono; Jerome, de Viris Illustribus, c. 129; Sozomen,
VIII. 2–23; Theodoret, H. E. V. 27–36; and modern
Smith & Wace, Dict. of Christ. Biog.; F. W. Farrar, Lives
of the Fathers, Vol. II. p. 460–527, and many monograms and
longer or briefer notices in the standard church histories.
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a presbyter of the church at Antioch, for there was a report that he
was very instructive, and at the same time eloquent. By the general
consent therefore of both the clergy and laity, he was summoned very
soon afterwards to Constantinople by the Emperor Arcadius: and to
render the ordination more authoritative and imposing, several prelates
were requested to be present, among whom also was Theophilus bishop of
Alexandria.827
| 827Cf. Theodoret, V. 22, under this Theophilus the
pagan temples of Mithras and Serapis were attacked, as related above in
V. 16 and 17. For a fuller notice of Theophilus, see Smith & Wace,
Dict. of Christ. Biog.
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This person did everything he could to detract from John’s
reputation, being desirous of promoting to that see, Isidore828
| 828Cf. chap. 9 of this book.
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a presbyter of his own church, to whom he was greatly attached, on
account of a very delicate and perilous affair which Isidore had
undertaken to serve his interests. What this was I must now unfold.
While the Emperor Theodosius was preparing to attack the usurper
Maximus, Theodosius sent Isidore with gifts giving twofold letters, and
enjoining him to present both the gifts and the proper letters to him
who should become the victor. In accordance with these injunctions
Isidore on his arrival at Rome awaited there the event of the war. But
this business did not long remain a secret: for a reader who
accompanied him privately sequestered the letters; upon which Isidore
in great alarm returned to Alexandria. This was the reason why
Theophilus so warmly favored Isidore. The court however gave the
preference to John: and inasmuch as many had revived the accusations
against Theophilus, and prepared for presentation to the bishops then
convened memorials of various charges, Eutropius829
| 829Cf. Zosimus, V. 3, 8, 10, 17, 18, and Eunapius,
Fragm. 53, 56.
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the chief officer of the imperial bed-chamber collected these
documents, and showed them to Theophilus, bidding him ‘choose
between ordaining John, and undergoing a trial on the charges made
against him.’ Theophilus terrified at this alternative, consented
to ordain John. Accordingly John was invested with the episcopal
dignity on the 26th of February, under the following consulate,830
which the Emperor Honorius celebrated with public games at Rome, and
Eutychian, then Prætorian prefect, at Constantinople. But since
the man is famous, both for the writings he has left, and the many
troubles he fell into, it is proper that I should not pass over his
affairs in silence, but to relate as compendiously as possible whence
he was, and from what ancestry; also the particulars of his elevation
to the episcopate, and the means by which he was subsequently degraded;
and finally how he was more honored after his death, than he had been
during his life.
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