CHAPTER XLII

ON THE DEPOSITION OF MACEDONIUS, EUDOXIUS OBTAINS THE BISHOPRIC OF CONSTANTINOPLE

ACACIUS, Eudoxius, and those at Constantinople who took part with them, became exceedingly anxious that they also on their side might depose some of the opposite party. Now it should be observed that in all these cases of degradation, neither of the factions were influenced by religious considerations, but by motives of a far more questionable character: for although they did not agree respecting the faith, yet the ground of their reciprocal depositions was not error in doctrine. The Acacian party therefore availing themselves of the emperor’s long-cherished indignation against Macedonius, and at the same time endeavouring to direct it against others, in the first place depose Macedonius, both on account of his having occasioned so much slaughter, and also because he had admitted to communion a deacon who was guilty of fornication. They then depose Eleusius bishop of Cyzicum, for having baptized, and afterwards invested with the diaconate, a priest of Hercules at Tyre named Heraclius, who was known to have practised magic arts. A like sentence was pronounced against Basil, or Basilas as he was also called, who had been constituted bishop of Ancyra instead of Marcellus: the causes assigned for this condemnation were, that he had unjustly imprisoned a certain individual, loaded him with chains, and put him to the torture; that he had traduced some persons; and that he had disturbed the churches of Africa by his epistles. Dracontius was also deposed by them, because he had left the Galatian church for that of Pergamos. Moreover they ejected, on various pretences, Neonas bishop of Seleucia, the city in which the Synod had been convened, Sophronius of Pompeiopolis in Paphlagonia, Elpidius of Satala in Macedonia, and Cyril of Jerusalem.