The Ecclesiastical History of Evagrius Scholasticus - Coptic ...

84
EVAGRIUS
8 While Severus was still Roman emperor, Marcian exchanged kingdoms
by departing for the better fate; he directed the empire for only
seven years, but left for all mankind a memorial that was truly imperial.
Leo then reigned. 93 When the people of Alexandria learnt this they
renewed their wrath against Proterius with greater anger and extreme
heat. For the populace is an object easily ignited to rage and takes
chance causes as kindling for commotions, 94 but most particularly of all
the populace of Alexandria which preens itself for its great mass, which
is especially obscure and heterogeneous, and exults in its surges with illogical
boldness. 95 As a result, they indeed say that it is possible for
anyone who wishes, by broaching some chance occurrence, to excite the
city into popular unrest, and to lead and direct it wherever and against
whomsoever he wishes; in most respects they are jocular, just as
inaccurate source, probably Eustathius, and re£ects eastern ignorance about developments
in the West (see Allen, Evagrius 106).
Avitus (PLRE II. 196^8, s.v. Avitus 5) was proclaimed emperor in Gaul on 9 July 455 and
reigned until his deposition by Majorian and Ricimer on 17 October 456. Though Majorian
(PLRE II. 702^3) was proclaimed by the army on 1 April, there was strictly an interregnum
until his installation on 28 December 457; Majorian reigned for almost four years until his
deposition on 2 August 461, and execution by Ricimer ¢ve days later. His successor, Libius
Severus (PLRE II. 1004^5, s.v. Severus 18), was proclaimed on 19 November 461 and
reigned for four years until his death on 14 November 465.
93 After a reign of six years and ¢ve months, Marcian died on 27 January 457, when
there was no western emperor (and some time before the accession of Severus in 461); Leo
I was elevated on 7 February. According to Rufus, Plerophories 12, a 120-year old monk
in the Thebaid had predicted a reign of a bit over six years for Marcian, who would be
followed by a liar who would give peace to the churches, after which the Antichrist
would come.
For the notion of exchanging kingdoms, cf. i.22 on the death of Theodosius II, and for
an immortal memorial bequeathed by an emperor, v.22 (Tiberius); Marcian’s memorial
was presumably the Council of Chalcedon. For the Monophysite view of Marcian’s
reward, see Rufus, Plerophories 27, where an imperial guardsman has a vision of the
emperor being tortured in Hell.
94 Cf. Theophylact viii.9.9: ‘the multitude is uneducated and is frenzied by changes for
the worse, being di⁄cult to correct and utterly uninitiated in expediency’ (of Constantinople)
and Socrates iii.17.4 on the insolence of the Antiochenes.
95 The Alexandrians had a reputation for violence: Socrates vii.13.2; Ammianus
xxii.11.4; Hadrian criticized their levity and love of money (Scriptores Historiae Augustae,
Firmus 8.1), Cassius Dio their propensity to revolution (li.17.1^2). Dio Chrysostom, Or.
xxxii is an extended attack on the Alexandrians’ character, though see Barry, ‘Aristocrats’
on the interpretation of the speech.