SYNESIUS

SYNESIDS

777

the one hand of soliciting the interference of thestate in matters more directly concerning thechurch, and on the other of passing an eccle-siastical sentence for offences more directlyagainst the government of the state. In defianceof the law Andronicus had affixed a notice to thedoors of every church, that fugitives from hisexactions would not be allowed to avail them-selves of the asylum of the altar. The priestswho received them were threatened with punish-ments “such as even Phalaris of Agrigentum,even Cephren the Egyptian, even Sennacherib theBabylonian, would have shrunk from threaten-ing.” What was still worse, he had seized a manof wealth and high character, on a frivolouspretext, and condemned him to be tortured, asusual, in public, but at the hottest time of theday, so that none of the citizens might be thereto cheer him with their sympathy; “ directly Iheard of it I ran out just as I was, I sat with thesufferer, I helped him to endure his sufferings.Andronicus was infuriated at the tidings that abishop dared to pity a man whom he hated.After many lawless insults to which he wasincited by Thoas, the most audacious of his satel-lites, whom he has used as his instrument inoppressing the people, he reached the limits ofhis madness by exclaiming that it was in vainfor any one to hope for the succour of the church;no one should escape his hands, even by clingingto the feet of Christ. After this he is no longera man to be reasoned with, but like an incurablelimb must be cut off lest the sound part of thebody should be corrupted by contagion. There-fore the church of Ptolemais communicates thisdecree to her sisters throughout the world.

“ Let no temple of God be open to Andronicusand his family, to Thoas and his family. Letevery sacred building and precinct be closedagainst them. The devil has no part in para-dise; if he enters by stealth he must be dri-ven out. I therefore exhort all men, whetherprivate individuals or rulers, neither to dwellunder the same roof, nor to sit at the sametable with them; especially I exhort the bishopsneither to speak to them while living nor burythem when dead. But if any one despises ourchurch as the church of a small city, and receivesthose whom she casts out on the ground that itis not necessary to obey such a poor church, lethim know that he has divided the church whichChrist wishes to be one. Such a person, whethera levite, a presbyter, or a bishop, will be treatedby us like Andronicus. We will neither takehim by the hand, nor eat at the same table withhim; far shall it be from us to share the ineffablemystery with those who take part with Andro-nicus and Thoas.”

Before this letter was sent off Andronicusprofessed his penitence for the crimes he hadcommitted, and entreated that the sentenceagainst him might not be published—a strongproof of the power which the sentence of ex-communication then exercised on men’s minds.Synesius unwillingly yielded to his entreaties,and to the representations of the other bishopsof the province. Relieved from this momentaryfear, Andronicus soon returned to his old cruel-ties, and the sentence of excommunication wasdefinitely pronounced. A short time passed andbynesius wrote in triumph to Constantinoplethanking his friends for procuring the dismissal

of Andronicus. Another short interval, andSynesius was writing to the patriarch of Alexan-dria to implore his good offices for the fallengovernor. u Justice has perished among men ;formerly Andronicus acted unjustly, now hesuffers unjustly. But it is the custom of thechurch to lift up the humble and to humblethose who are lifted up. So Andronicus washated by her for his evil deeds, but now is pitiedfor the calamities he suffers, beyond her curse,and in his behalf we have even offended thosewho are now in power. Alas that I shall neverbe on the side of those who rejoice, but shallalways be mourning with those who weep! Ihave saved him from the hateful judgment-seat,and in other respects I have very much lessenedhis misfortunes. And if your holiness shallthink him deserving of your care, I shall acceptthis as the clearest proof that he has not beenaltogether rejected by God.” Freed for a timefrom these secular caves, Synesius was able toattend to his other episcopal duties. In a longletter addressed to Theophilus he has given avery interesting account of a visitation tour,undertaken at Theophilus’s request in the courseof the same year. This journey lay, through apart of the country which was still exposed tothe incursions of the barbarians, to the villages ofPalaebisca and Hydrax on the confines of theLibyan desert. His object was to induce thevillagers to elect a bishop, but he was met atonce by the objection that they had a bishopalready, “ the most religious Paulus of Erythron.”The explanation which followed reveals a verycurious page in ecclesiastical history. By an-cient and apostolic custom, so the people said,^their villages had always formed part of thediocese of Erythron. In the reign of Valensthe bishop of Erythron was an old man namedOrion, whose only fault was his extreme gen-tleness. But what the rough inhabitants of theseborder villages wanted in a bishop was a man torule them, a secular as well as a religious guide, astrong-minded and, if necessary, a strong-handedman, who should be judge in their disputes, acounsellor in their difficulties, a protector againsttheir oppressors. As Orion was unequal to sucha difficult post, the villages of Palaebisca andHydrax revolted from the old man’s rule andelected as their bishop Siderius, “ a young activeman who had just come home from the army tolook after his estates, a man who could help hisfriends and injure his enemies.” If his electionwas illegal his consecration was still more so.No permission was received from the patriarchof Alexandria, and only a single bishop could befound to officiate. But these were the times ofthe Arians, the majority of the people wereheretics, and even the great Athanasius himselfconsidered that in such perilous times the lawscould not always be closely observed. Shortlyafterwards, in hope of reviving the small sparkof orthodoxy in Ptolemais, Athanasius promotedSiderius to that see, the metropolitan see ofPentapolis. In his old age Siderius retired toPalaebisca, and resumed the discharge of hisepiscopal duties there. At his death the people ofPalaebisca and Hydrax returned to their ancientallegiance to the see of Erytnron. When then

i By apostolic custom is doubtless meant the customestablished by the apostolic see at Alexandria.