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Life of St Porphyry, Bishop of Gaza
Mark the Deacon, tr. Hill, 1913
Chapter 51
For many of them which were in high places held the faith but in pretence; on whom the divine judgement came afterwards. For when the Emperors knew that they were not righteous men of undefiled faith, they took away1 from them their dignities, and punished them in their bodies and with amercements. But these things happened before this time; wherefore the Augusta commanded that a man of true faith be entrusted with our business. And he that was entrusted was one called Cynegius,2 one of the consistory,3 an admirable man and fervent in the faith. And having called him to her, the Augusta commanded him to overturn all the temples of the idols unto their foundations and burn them with fire. And she granted him money also from her own hand, saying: ‘Take these for thine expenses, and see that thou take nothing from the most holy bishops.’ And when he had received these commandments from his mistress, he went forth, being filled with greater zeal.
Notes
- they took away. Tillemont refers this to the banishment of Eutropius (399), Nuth (p. 26 note) to the time after the disturbances of Gainas (July 1, 400). In ταῦτα δὲ πρὸ τούτου ἐπράχθη, τούτου refers to the present story, ταῦτα to the punishment of the unorthodox.
- Cynegius. Otherwise unknown; not Cynegius the praetorian prefect, who died in 388 when consul (Nuth, p. 30 note).
- consistory. He was, that is, a comes consistorii, as the Paris Epitome calls him; in other words, one of the regular members of the imperial council.