The life and work of St. Paul

PAUL AT EPHESUS. 371
Hieromenia, had been a certain silversmith, named Demetrius, who sold to the
pilgrims little silver shrines and images in memorial of their visits to Ephesus '
and her temple. They were analogous to the little copies in alabaster or silver
of the shrine of Loretto, and other famous buildings of Italy ; nor was it only
at Ephesus, but at every celebrated centre of Pagan worship, that the demand
for such memorials created the supply. Demetrius found that his trade waa
beginning to be paralysed, and since the emasculate throng of sacred slaves
and musicians dared not strike a blow for the worship which fed their lazy
vice, he determined, as far as he could, to stop the mischief. Calling together
a trades-union meeting of all the skilled artisans and ordinary workmen who
were employed in this craft, 2 he made them a speech, in which he first stirred
up their passions by warning them of the impending ruin of their interests, 3
and then appealed to their latent fanaticism to avenge the despised greatness
of their temple, and the waning magnificence of the goddess whom all Asia
and the world worshipped. 4 The speech was like a spark on inflammable
materials. Their interests wore suffering, 6 and their superstition was being
endangered; and the rage which might have been despised if it had only
sprung from greed, looked more respectable when it assumed the cloak oi
fanaticism. The answer to the speech of Demetrius was a unanimous shout
"
of the watchword of Ephesus, Great is Artemis of the
"
!
Ephesians So
large a meeting of the workmen created much excitement. Crowds came
flocking from every portico, and agora, and gymnasium, and street. The whole
city was thrown into a state of riot, and a rush was made for the Jewish
quarter and the shop of Aquila. What took place we are not exactly told,
except that the life of the Apostle was in extremest danger. The mob was,
however, balked of its intended prey. Paul, as in the similar peril at Thos-
Balonica, was either not in the house at the time, or had been successfully
concealed by Priscilla and her husband, who themselves ran great risk of
being killed in their efforts to protect him.6
Since, however, the rioters could
1 Called ini&pvna.To. vat&uu aediculae. Chrysostom says Tjuj3i