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| John draws down upon Himself the Displeasure of Many Persons of Rank and Power. Of the Eunuch Eutropius.
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Chapter V.—John draws
down upon Himself the Displeasure of Many Persons of Rank and Power. Of
the Eunuch Eutropius.
As long as John was in conflict
with the clergy only, machinations against him were utterly powerless;
but when he proceeded to rebuke many of those in public office also
with immoderate vehemence, the tide of unpopularity began to set
against him with far greater impetus. Hence many stories were told to
his disparagement. And most of these found attentive and believing
listeners. This growing prejudice was not a little increased by an
oration which he pronounced at that time against Eutropius. For
Eutropius was the chief eunuch of the imperial bed-chamber, and the
first of all eunuchs that was admitted to the dignity of consul. He,
desiring to inflict vengeance on certain persons who had taken refuge
in the churches, induced the emperors to make a law841
| 841Sozomen (VIII. 7) says that this law was rescinded
very soon afterwards.
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excluding delinquents from the privilege of sanctuary, and authorizing
the seizure of those who had sought the shelter of the sacred edifices.
But its author was punished for this almost immediately; for scarcely
had the law been promulgated, before Eutropius himself, having incurred
the displeasure of the emperor, fled for protection to the church.842
| 842See also Chrysostom, Orat. in Eutropium, 1. 3
(Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Vol. IX. p. 251). From these
statements it appears that Zosimus is in error when he says (V. 18)
that Eutropius was seized in violation of the law of sanctuary and
taken out of the church. Chrysostom assigns his seizure to a time when
he had left the church for some purpose or other.
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The bishop therefore, while Eutropius trembling with fear lay under the
table of the altar, mounting the pulpit843
| 843ἄμβων, high reading-desk from which the
Scriptures were recited, situated toward the middle of the church and
distinguished from the altar, where the main service of worship was
chanted. Bishops were accustomed to preach from the steps of the altar
(cf. Bingham Christ. Antiq. VIII. 4. 5); but Chrysostom, on
account of his little stature, as some say, used the
‘ambôn’ as a pulpit.
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from which he was accustomed to address the people in order to be the
more distinctly heard, uttered an invective against him: wherefore he
seemed to create greater displeasure in some, as he not only denied
compassion to the unfortunate, but added insult to cruelty. By the
emperor’s order however, for certain offences committed by him,
Eutropius, though bearing the consulate, was decapitated, and his name
effaced from the list of consuls, that of Theodore his colleague being
alone suffered to remain as in office for that year.844
It is said that John afterwards used the same license towards
Gaïnas also, who was then commander-in-chief of the army; treating
him with characteristic rudeness, because he had presumed to request
the emperor to assign the Arians, with whom he agreed in sentiment, one
of the churches within the city. Many others also of the higher orders,
for a variety of causes, he censured with the same unceremonious
freedom, so that by these means he created many powerful adversaries.
Wherefore Theophilus bishop of Alexandria, immediately after his
ordination, was plotting his overthrow; and concerted measures for this
purpose in secret, both with the friends who were around him, and by
letter with such as were at a distance. For it was not so much the
boldness with which John lashed whatever was obnoxious to him, that
affected Theophilus, as his own failure to place his favorite presbyter
Isidore in the episcopal chair of Constantinople. In such a state were
the affairs of John the bishop at that time; mischief thus threatened
him at the very commencement of his episcopate. But we shall enter into
these things more at large as we proceed.
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