The life and work of St. Paul

372 THE LIFE AND WORK OF ST. PAUL.
not find tho chief object of tbeir search, they seized two of his companions
Gaius of Macedonia, 1 and the faithful Aristarchus. 8 "With these two men in
their custody, the crowd rushed wildly into the vast space of the theatre, 3
"
which stood ever open, and of which the still visible ruins a wreck of
immense grandeur " show that it was one of the largest in the world, and
Paul, wherever he lay
hidden, was within reach of coiainunieation from the disciples. Full of
anxiety for the unknown fate of his two companions, he eagerly desired to
make his way into the theatre and there address the rioters. There is,
perhaps, no courage greater than that which is required from one who, in
imminent danger of being torn to pieces, dares to face tho furious insults and
raging passions of an exasperated crowd. But the powers and the spirit of the
Apostle always rose to a great occasion, and though ha was so sensitive that
he could not write a severe letter without floods of tears, and so nervous that
he could scarcely endure to be left for even a few days alone, he was quite
capable of this act of supreme heroism. He always wished to be in the forefront
of battle for his Master's cause. But his friends better appreciated the
magnitude of the danger. Gaius and Aristarchus were too subordinate to be
made scapegoats for the vengeance of the crowd ; but they were sure that the
mere appearance of that bent figure and worn aiid wasted face, which had
become so familiar to many of the cities of Asia, would be the instant signal for
could easily have accommodated 30,000 spectators. 4
a terrible outbreak. Their opposition was confirmed by a friendly message
from some of the Asiarchs, 6 who rightly conjectured the chivalrous impulse
which would lead the Apostle to confront the storm. Anxious to prevent
bloodshed, and save the life of one whose gifts and greatness they had
learnt to admire, and well aware of the excitability of an Ephesian mob, they
sent Paul an express warning not to trust himself into the theatre.
The riot, therefore, spent itself in idle noise. The workmen had, indeed,
got hold of Gaius and Aristarchus ; but as the crowd did not require theso
poor Greeks, whose aspect did not necessarily connect them with what was
generally regarded as a mere Jewish sect, they did not know what to do with
them. The majority of that promiscuous assemblage, unable to make any-
thing of the discordant shouts which were rising on every side, could only
guess why they were there at all. There was, perhaps, a dim impression that
some one or other was going to be thrown to tho wild beasts, and doubtless
like those with which
among those varying clamours voices were not wanting
the theatre of Smyrna rang not many years afterwards at the martyrdom of
Polycarp of "Paul to the lions!" "The Christians to the lions!"' One
Not Gaius of Derbe (xx. 4) or "mine host " (Rom. xvi. 23).
5 Aristarchus of Thessalonica is mentioned in xx. 4 ; xxvii. 2 ; Col. iv. 10 ; Philem. 24.
8 Cf. Acts xii. 21 ; Tac. II. ii. 80 ; Cic. ad Fam. viii. 2 ; Corn. Nep. TwnoL iv. 2;
Jos. B. J. vii. 3, 3. The theatre was the ordinary scene of such gatherings.
4 Felloweu, Asia Minor, p. 274. "Wood says 25,000 (Ephct. p. 68).
6
It was the Asiarch Philip at Smyrna, who resisted the cry of the mob, Iva. tVo^jj
rioXuicdpTra) Xeoi/ro (Euseb. H. E, iv. 15).
6 See 1 Cor. iv. 9 ; 1 Cor. XT. 32 ; Act. Mart. Polycarp, 12. The stadium where the
Bestiarii fought wag near the theatre, and the Temple of Artemis was in full view of it.