The Ecclesiastical History of Evagrius Scholasticus - Coptic ...

108
EVAGRIUS
request that the most magni¢cent o⁄cials who earlier participated
in the Synod [75] and the sacred senate should now too be
present, so that the same matters may be tackled again. 181
To this the transactions reveal that Acacius retorted as follows, word
for word: ‘The holy and great Synod did not thus order your holiness to
be present so that what was done by the most magni¢cent o⁄cials and
by the sacred senate might be demolished, but it dispatched us so that
you might attend the senate and your holiness not be absent from it.’
Dioscorus said to him, as the records state: ‘You have said to me now
that Eusebius has presented depositions. I again request that the
matters against me should be assessed in the presence of the o⁄cials
and the senate.’
Then, after other similar intervening matters, 182 there were again
dispatched men with the duty of urging the said Dioscorus to be present
at the proceedings. 183 And after this happened, those who had been sent
returned and stated that they had his speech as notes, which revealed
that he said:
I have already made known to your piety that I am indeed detained
by sickness, and I demand that both the most magni¢cent
o⁄cials and the holy senate should now too be present for the judgement
of the matters under investigation. But since the business
of my sickness has intensi¢ed, it is for this reason that I have
made this delay.
And the records reveal that Cecropius said to Dioscorus that he had not
previously said anything about sickness; therefore he ought to do what
was required by the canons. Dioscorus replied to him: ‘I have said once
and for all that the o⁄cials ought to be present.’
Then Ru¢nus, Bishop of Samosata, said to him that the proceedings
were organized in accordance with the canons, and that when he
appeared he would be able to go through in detail whatever he wanted.
181 Although Dioscorus was indulging in delaying tactics, there was some justi¢cation
for this request since the senatorial o⁄cials subsequently pointed out that Dioscorus had
been deposed without their, or the emperor’s, knowledge (pp. 87:31^88:1).
182 ACO II.i.2, p. 12:4^29. Eusebius ensured that Dioscorus’ excuses were recorded in
the o⁄cial acta, and a decision was taken to make a formal second summons, in spite of a
request for a delay by Amphilocius of Side.
183 Second summons of Dioscorus: ACO II.i.2, pp. 12:31^14:26.