Life of Porphyry of Gaza 1 part 3/5

"Go, then, and draw up a petition, and ask, setting down in it whatever you wish, and when the infant comes forth from the precious baptism, present the petition to the one carrying him, and I will instruct him beforehand what to do; and I hope in the Son of God that he will order the whole matter according to the will of his compassion."

We went, then, and drew up the petition, setting down many things in the document — not only that the shrines of the idols should be destroyed, but also that privileges should be granted to the holy church and to the Christians, and that revenue should be provided;

for the holy church was poor.

And as the days passed, the day arrived on which the young emperor Theodosius was to be baptized (illumined).

The whole city was crowned and adorned with garments of pure silk and golden ornaments and every other kind of decoration, so that no one could describe the adornment of the city:

and moreover, the surging multitudes of the inhabitants were to be seen changing into garments of every kind.

It is not within my own power to describe the splendor of that adornment, but rather belongs to those trained in rhetoric; I, however, will proceed to the present, true narrative.

When the young Theodosius had been baptized and had gone forth from the church to the palace, one could again behold the excellence of the multitude of those going before, and their flashing garments:

for all were clothed in white, so that the multitude seemed to be covered with snow.

Going before were the patricians, the illustres, and every rank of office, together with the military detachments, all carrying candles, so that it seemed that stars were appearing on the earth.

And close by the infant who was being carried was the emperor Arcadius himself, his face joyful and more radiant than the purple he wore, while one of the great nobles carried the infant in splendid raiment.

And we marveled, beholding such great glory.

And Porphyry, who is among the saints, says to us:

If earthly things, which are soon to vanish away, possess such glory, how much more the heavenly things prepared for the worthy, which eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man? And we stood at the entrance of the holy church, holding also the scroll of the petition; and when he came forth from the baptism, we cried out, saying:

"We entreat your piety," presenting also the scroll.

And he who was carrying the child, seeing this and knowing our affair (for he had been instructed beforehand by the empress), ordered the scroll to be received and given to him; and having received it, he stood.

And he ordered silence to be kept, and unrolling part of it he read it; and having rolled it up again, he placed his hand beneath the head of the infant, and bowing it down before all, he cried out:

"He commands that the matters contained in the petition be granted."

And all who saw it marveled, and did obeisance to the emperor, calling him blessed because he had been deemed worthy to see, in his own lifetime, a son reigning as emperor;

and what had come to pass concerning her child was reported also to the empress Eudoxia, and she rejoiced, and kneeling down she gave thanks to God.

And when the child entered the palace, the empress went to meet him, and received him and kissed him; and holding him, she embraced also the emperor, saying:

"Blessed are you, my lord, for what your eyes have seen in your lifetime."

And the emperor rejoiced to hear this.

And the empress, seeing him cheerful, said:

"If it please you, let us learn what the petition contains, so that in every way the things in it may be accomplished."

And the emperor ordered the scroll to be read; and when it had been read, he said:

"Heavy indeed is the request, but heavier still would be its refusal, since it is also the first command of our son."

And the empress said to him:

"Not only is it his first command, but it comes also in this holy guise; and the petition is for the sake of piety, and was requested by holy men."

And with difficulty the emperor gave his consent, the empress pressing him greatly.

All this the God-beloved Amantius reported to us.

And on the following day the empress sent for us; and according to custom, having first greeted the holy bishops, she bade them sit, and says to them:

"By your prayers, God put it into my mind how to act concerning your affair, and by his cooperation it has come to pass;

and you have seen by what method I proceeded."

"Next I will summon the quaestor, and in your presence instruct him that, in accordance with the tenor of your petition, an imperial rescript be drawn up in the name of the two emperors; and, simply put, whatever you tell him, he will do."

And the bishops, hearing this too, blessed her greatly, and her son, and the emperor; and after conversing on other matters profitable to the soul, they took leave and departed.

And on the next day she sent for the quaestor and for us, and she says to him:

"Take this scroll, and according to its content draw up an imperial rescript."

And the quaestor, having received the scroll, with diligence dictated the imperial rescript, we being present.

And we suggested to him that he should designate duces and governors of consular rank for our defense, together with their troops.

And when the imperial rescript was completed and signed, we besought the empress that the task be entrusted to a man of distinction.

And she charged Amantius to seek out a zealous Christian man, one fit to be entrusted with it.

For many of those in high office held the faith only in pretense, and divine justice overtook them;

for when the emperors learned that they were not sound in the undefiled faith, they stripped them of their offices, and punished them in body and in property;

and these things had been done before this.

Wherefore the augusta ordered that an orthodox man be entrusted with our affair.

And there was entrusted with it one called Cynegius, of the consistory, a wonderful man and fervent in the faith.

And the augusta, having summoned him, charged him to overthrow all the idol-temples to the ground, and to give them over to the fire.

And she also bestowed on him money from her own hand, saying:

"Take this for expenses, and take nothing from the most holy bishops."

And having received such orders from the empress, he departed, having become even more eager.

And having spent the remainder of the winter, and kept the holy days of Pascha and the feast of the Resurrection, we prepared to set sail.

And we asked the admirable Amantius to announce us to the empress, so that we might take leave of her.

And he, hearing this, was grieved because we were about to sail away;

for he loved us so much that he himself begged the empress to release him, as though for the purpose of praying at the holy and venerable places.

But the empress was afraid to release him, lest, going down there, he should become a monk and remain there;

for she knew the manner of life of the man.

For he was in truth blameless, giving abundant alms, fasting continually, entertaining many as a host, and hastening to engage in works of piety.

So much, then, concerning the God-beloved Amantius.

And he announced us to the empress, and we went in to her; and she says to the most holy bishops:

"When, God willing, do you sail?" And they said:

"For this reason we have come in, to take leave of your Majesty."

"Remember me always, and my child."

And immediately she ordered money to be brought; and when it had been brought, she said to my lord, bishop Porphyry:

"Take, father, these two centenaria, and build the holy church which I agreed to build, in the middle of Gaza; and let me know if you should still be in need of money, and I will send it at once."

"Build also a hostel, that you may receive the brethren who sojourn in your city, and provide for them expenses for three days."

And she gave also to the most holy John a thousand gold pieces, and precious vessels to both of them; and for expenses she gave to each of them a hundred gold pieces.

And the aforementioned most holy John, bishop of Caesarea, also obtained whatever privileges he desired on behalf of his own church.

And having made prayer, and having greatly blessed the empress and her son and the emperor, they went out.

And they asked also to go in to the emperor; and being announced, they went in.

"...of your child, and many and great are the gifts bestowed upon us."

And immediately the emperor also ordered the prefects to grant them, from the public funds of Palestine, twenty pounds of gold each.

And he himself also gave, on account of expenses, one handful each, which turned out to be fifty nomismata each.

And having greatly blessed him also, they went out.

And we spent three more days in the city until we received the donative of the forty pounds; and after three days, having embarked, we set sail on the twenty-third of Xanthicus according to the reckoning of Gaza, and according to the Romans, on the eighteenth of April.

And the most illustrious Cynegius set out after us, making use of the public post.

And we reached Rhodes within five days.

And we were eager to go to the holy Procopius the anchorite; and though we earnestly begged the shipmaster to grant us three hours, he did not grant it, saying, "I shall not be able to find such a favorable wind again."

But we said to him, "The prayers of the holy man are able both to save us and to give us a favorable wind."

But the shipmaster hardened himself and would not accede to our request; but having taken on water, we put out to sea.

And we grieved exceedingly at having missed such an opportunity.

We besought him therefore, in prayer, to forgive us, and to pray for us, that we might be saved and accomplish the work with which we had been entrusted.

Having sailed from Rhodes and, with fair weather, having had a good voyage for two days, suddenly a storm arose — winds and lightning and thunder and towering waves — and the waves rose to a crest and became like high mountains, and the ship was lifted so high that we thought it was reaching the clouds.

There were cries and tears and supplications to God.

We also invoked the prayers of the holy anchorite Procopius.

And when evening came and the storm had not abated, we remained sleepless the whole of that night.

About dawn, from the great distress, the most holy bishops slept a little, and my lord Porphyry saw in his sleep Procopius the anchorite, numbered among the saints, saying to them:

'Catechize the ship's captain and unseal him — for he belongs to the abominable heresy of Arius — and make him ready to anathematize Arius and his evil belief, and at once so great a swell will cease.'

'For because he belongs to the aforesaid heresy, he did not permit you to come to me.'

'Nevertheless, catechize him;'

'for he is to receive from you the right doctrine.'

Having heard this, our holy Porphyry awoke, and calling us to him, related what had happened in his sleep.

At once, calling the ship's captain, we said to him:

'Do you wish your ship to be saved, and all of us, and before all, your own soul?' And he said:

'As to this, there is no need even to ask.'

Then the bishops said to him:

'Renounce your evil belief and believe in the right and catholic faith, and you shall be saved, you and the ship and all of us.'

The ship's captain says to them:

'Since I see that you possess foreknowledge — for you have perceived what is in my heart, though no one reported it to you — behold, I say to you:'

'I believe as you believe, and I renounce the heresy of Arius, and Arius himself.'

'And I beg you, at your leisure, to enlighten me from the holy scriptures into the right faith.'

The holy bishops then took him and unsealed him, having made a prayer over him;

they also gave him a share of the divine mysteries.

At this the swell also ceased, and toward evening the wind changed, and we sailed favorably; and having spent four more days at sea, on the fifth day at dawn we put in at the coastal district of Gaza which they call Maiouma.

...the sign of the precious cross, they too singing psalms.

The people of the two places mingled together, and there came to be no small crowd;

for those from the coastal town were more numerous, because it had many Egyptian wine-merchants.

Those given over to the madness of idolatry, seeing what was happening, were cut to the heart, yet dared do nothing, since they had already heard how great honor the most holy bishops enjoyed with the emperors, and that the idols were about to be overthrown; and they were in great anxiety and despondency.

As we entered the city, near the place called the Tetrapylon (Four Ways), there stood a marble statue which they said was of Aphrodite;

it stood above a stone altar, and the relief of the statue depicted a naked woman with all her shameful parts fully exposed.

All the people of the city honored this statue, especially the women, lighting lamps and burning incense before it.

For they spread the report about her that she gave oracles in dreams to women who wished to enter into marriage, and they deceived one another with their falsehoods.

Being encouraged by the demon, often for the sake of a marriage arrangement, they met with such failure that they even came to divorce, or else lived together in misery.

This we learned from those who had turned away from the error and come to know the truth;

indeed, some of the idolaters themselves, unable to bear the misfortunes of the wretched marriages into which they had been led by the command of the demon of Aphrodite, in their indignation confessed the deceit.

For such indeed are demons — given to deceiving, and speaking nothing true whatsoever;

for it is not possible for them to know anything with certainty, but they pretend, by conjecture, to give visions to those enslaved to them.

For how can those who have fallen from the truth speak truly? And even if they do sometimes hit upon something in their divinations for someone, this happens by chance, just as it often happens among men also that someone foretells a matter for some reason, and it comes to pass by coincidence.

So then, the rare successes that occur by chance we marvel at, but the failures, which occur constantly, we pass over in silence.

So much then concerning the demons and their deceit.

As we made our way into the city, as has been said, when we reached the place where the aforementioned idol of Aphrodite stood (the Christians were carrying the precious wood of Christ, that is, the figure of the cross), the demon dwelling in the statue, having seen it and unable to bear the sight of that fearful sign, came out of the marble in great disorder, threw down the very statue, and shattered it into many fragments.

It happened that two idolaters were standing by the altar on which the statue stood, and as it fell it split the head of one in two, and broke the shoulder and wrist of the other;

for both had been standing there mocking the holy people.

Many of the pagans, having witnessed this sign that had occurred, believed, and mingling with the laity, entered together with them into the holy church named after Peace (Eirene).

There was great joy among the Christians on that day, and in three respects:

in the first place, because they had recovered their priest sound in health and having accomplished all according to his heart's desire; in the second, because the gods of the nations were shattered and became like dust scattered from a summer threshing-floor, and even those like them were likewise broken to pieces, along with those who trusted in them; and in the third — greater than the others — because wandering souls also were saved and added to the flock of Christ.

The bishop, having sealed them, dismissed them in peace, charging them to devote themselves to holy prayers.

They numbered thirty-two men and seven women.

The archbishop John, having spent two more days in Gaza, departed for Caesarea, all the Christians and the holy bishop escorting him as far as two miles.

After the tenth day, the admirable Cynegius arrived, bringing with him the proconsul and the dux, and a large military and civil retinue.

Many of the idolaters, having received advance warning, went out of the city, some to villages, others to other cities;

and the majority of these were among the wealthiest of the city.

The aforesaid Cynegius confiscated the houses of those who had fled.

On the following day, having summoned the people of the city, in the presence of both the dux and the proconsul, he made known to them the imperial letters commanding that the idol-temples be destroyed and given over to fire.

As soon as they heard this, the idolaters wailed with a loud voice, so that the magistrates were enraged and, with threats, sent soldiers against them, striking them with rods and clubs.

But the Christians, with great joy, acclaimed the emperors and the magistrates.

At once they set out with the magistrates and the troops, and overthrew the idol-temples.

There were in the city eight public temples of idols: those of Helios, and Aphrodite, and Apollo, and Kore, and Hecate, and the so-called Heroon, and the Tyche of the city, which they called the Tychaion, and the Marneion, which they said belonged to Zeus, born in Crete, which they held to be more glorious than all the sacred places anywhere.

There were also very many other idols in the private houses and in the villages, which no one could reduce to a number;

for the demons, having taken hold of the free will of the Gazans, since they are easily led astray, filled their whole city and surrounding countryside with error.

This they endured because of their great simplicity.

Wherefore, when they are brought over to the holy faith, they become zealous Christians.

So much then concerning the people of Gaza.

The soldiers, then, being given leave together with the Christians of the city and of its coastal district, rushed upon the idol-temples; and wishing first to destroy the so-called Marneion, they were driven back;

for the priests of that temple, having heard of it beforehand, had from within barricaded the doors of the inner sanctuary with great stones, and having carried down into the so-called inner chambers (adyta) all the precious vessels belonging to the temple, and even the very images of their gods, hid them there, and fled through those same inner chambers by other passages leading out;

for they said these adyta had many exits leading to different places.

Having been driven back, then, as I said before, they turned to the other idol-temples, and some they destroyed, others they gave over to fire, seizing all the precious vessels within them.

Now the one among the saints, Porphyry, had anathematized in the church every Christian citizen who took anything whatsoever from the idol-temples for his own private gain;

therefore none of the faithful citizens took anything, except the soldiers and the foreign visitors who happened to be found there.

Godly men of the clergy, together with the laity, and the holy bishop Porphyry himself, went about restraining them from appropriating anything.

They spent ten days destroying the temples of the idols.

After the aforesaid days, they also took counsel concerning the Marneion, as to how they should deal with it.

For some said that it should be razed to the ground, others that it should be burned down, others that the place should be purified and consecrated as a church of God; and there was much deliberation about this.

At last the most holy bishop proclaimed a fast to the people, and prayer, that the Lord might reveal to them how it should be dealt with; and having fasted that day and prayed to God concerning this, in the evening they held the holy assembly.

While the assembly was being held, a child of about seven years, standing with his own mother, suddenly cried out, saying:

"Burn the inner temple to the ground;

for many terrible things have happened in it, above all human sacrifices.

And burn it in this manner:

Bring liquid pitch, and sulphur, and pig's fat, and mix the three together, and smear the bronze doors, and cast fire upon them, and thus the whole temple will burn;

for otherwise it is not possible.

Leave the outer part, together with the enclosure.

And after it has been burned, purify the place, and there build a holy church.

I call you to witness before God: let it not be done otherwise;

for it is not I who am speaking, but Christ who speaks in me."

He said these things in the Syriac tongue.

When all heard it, they marveled and glorified God.

This wonder also came to the ears of the holy bishop; and he stretched out his hands toward heaven, glorified God, and said:

"Glory to you, holy Father, for you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding, and have revealed them to infants."

He gave orders that the child and his mother, after the dismissal of the church, should be found in the episcopal residence; and having separated the child, he said to the woman:

"I adjure you, by the Son of the living God, to tell me whether it was at your prompting, or that of someone else known to you, that your child uttered those words concerning the Marneion."

The woman, having heard, said:

"I hand myself over to the fearful and dread judgment-seat of Christ, if I knew beforehand anything at all of what my son uttered this day.

But if it seems good to you, take the child and question him with threats; and if he has spoken these things at someone's prompting, he will confess it out of fear, but if he will say nothing else, it is clear that he was inspired by the Holy Spirit."

The bishop, having heard the woman's words and commended them, ordered that she withdraw for a short while and that the child be brought in; and when the child had been made to stand, he said to him:

"Who prompted you to utter in the church those things you said concerning the Marneion?" But the child remained silent.

The most holy bishop then ordered that a whip be brought, and that the child be lifted up as if to be struck, so as to frighten him.

The one holding the whip cried out loudly, saying:

"Who told you to speak? Tell me, lest you be struck with the whip."

But the boy stood dumb, saying nothing.

Then we who were around him said the same things to him with threats:

At last, after all had stopped, the boy opened his mouth and spoke in the Greek tongue:

"Burn the inner temple to the ground;

for many terrible things have happened in it, above all human sacrifices.

And burn it in this manner:

Bring liquid pitch, and sulphur, and pig's fat, and mix the three together, and smear the bronze doors, and cast fire upon them, and thus the whole temple will burn;

for otherwise it cannot be done.

But leave the outer part, together with the enclosure.

And after it has been burned, purify the place, and there build a holy church.

Again I call you to witness before God: let it not be done otherwise."

"For it is not I who am speaking, but Christ who is in me."

The most holy Porphyry, and all who were with him, marveled at hearing the boy's boldness of speech and how clearly he had spoken.

Then he summoned the child's mother, to ask whether her son knew the Greek tongue.

And she affirmed with oaths that neither she herself nor her child knew Greek.

Hearing this, the most holy Porphyry again glorified God, and bringing forth three coins, gave them to the woman.

But the boy, seeing the coins in his mother's hand, cried out, saying in the Syriac tongue:

"Do not take it, mother, lest you too sell the gift of God for gold."

And hearing this again, we marveled exceedingly.

The woman gave back the three coins, saying to the bishop:

"Pray for me and for my child, and commend us to God."

The holy bishop then dismissed them in peace.

At dawn, having gathered the pious clergy and the Christ-loving people, and also the admirable Cynegius and the magistrates, he told them how the child had spoken concerning the Marneion.

Hearing this, they marveled, and with one accord said that it should be burned just as the child had said.

...the inner doors, and having made prayer, they set fire to them, and immediately the whole temple was engulfed and burned.

As many of the soldiers and the strangers as were able, plundered from the fire whatever they found, whether gold or silver or iron or lead.

Now there was a man among the commanders of the soldiers there, whom they call a tribune, who was overseeing the burning of the temple;

he was a Christian in outward appearance, but, unknown to most, he was an idolater.

This man, then, standing by and watching the burning and the plundering by the soldiers, seethed with rage, and under the pretext of preserving their good discipline, he mercilessly flogged whomever he found carrying off any of the spoils.

While these things were happening, and the walls were being destroyed by the fire, suddenly a burning beam of wood fell upon the tribune and brought upon him a twofold death;

for having split open his head, it burned the rest of his body.

And immediately the faithful soldiers and the members of the Christ-loving people, knowing his true character, that he was inclined toward the idols, glorified God and recited that psalm which says:

"Why do you boast in wickedness, O mighty man? Your tongue has devised iniquity all the day.

Like a sharpened razor, you have worked deceit.

You have loved evil more than good, unrighteousness rather than speaking righteousness.

You have loved all words of destruction, O deceitful tongue.

Therefore may God utterly destroy you, pluck you up, and remove you from your dwelling, and your root out of the land of the living" — and the rest of the psalm.

The temple continued burning for very many days.

After this, a search was also made of the houses.

For there were many idols in a great many houses, and of those that were found, some were given over to the fire, and others were thrown into the mire.

There were also found books full of sorcery, which they themselves called sacred, from which those possessed by idol-madness performed their rites and other unlawful practices; and these books likewise suffered the same fate as their gods.

Many ran to the holy faith, some out of fear, others condemning their own former way of life; and to all of them the holy church opened its doors;

for she remembered the holy Scripture which says:

"To him who knocks it shall be opened, and he who seeks finds"; and again:

Whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed.

And some of the faithful said to the holy bishop that he ought not to receive those who came over through fear, but [only] those who came with good intention.

But the holy bishop said to those who said these things:

There are also virtues that befall men through circumstance;

for just as one who has acquired an ungrateful household servant first admonishes him always to be grateful and to serve with a simple heart, but when he finds him in no way persuaded by the admonition, then at last, of necessity, brings upon him fear and blows and bonds and other such things — not wishing to destroy him but to save him and bring him to recognize what is fitting — so also consider God as being long-suffering toward our ingratitude, and often exhorting us to what is profitable through the Scriptures and through other holy men; but when we are not persuaded, He, wishing in all things, as a good and man-loving Master, to gain us and not to cast us away, brings upon us fear of Himself and correction, calling us by necessity to recognize what is fitting.

When He slew them, then they sought Him, and turned back, and rose early to seek God.

And again he says, concerning those who rebel and are stiff-necked against God:

With bit and bridle you shall curb the jaws of those who do not draw near to you.