The Ecclesiastical History of Evagrius Scholasticus - Coptic ...

ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY: BOOK V 263
regard for such great o⁄ce was secondary to honour for the man, since of
their own free will people generally desired to see him at close quarters
and to hear his discussion. 22 For he was most capable of producing a
longing for himself in everyone, however they encountered him; he was
admirable in appearance, most pleasantly sweet in utterance, sharp as
any man in instantaneous perception, most particularly sharp in action,
and most capable of devising excellent counsel and judging his own
a¡airs and those of others. 23 Hence indeed he achieved so much, putting
o¡ nothing to the morrow. In dealing with everything without delay, as
necessity summoned and opportunity complied, he astounded not only
the Roman emperors but also the Persian, as I shall show in appropriate
manner for each. There was in him much vehemence, and sometimes
even passion, but again kindliness and gentleness in no small measure
but to a considerable excess. Hence there applied most excellently to
him the sentiments devised by Gregory the Theologian, ‘austerity
mingled with modesty’, 24 [203] so that the one was not damaged by the
other, but both had renown through one another.
7 While this man was in his ¢rst year of directing the bishopric, 25 men
came from what of old was referred to as Great Armenia, but subsequently
Persarmenia ^ this was formerly subject to the Romans, but
when Philip the successor of Gordian betrayed it to Sapor, what was
called Lesser Armenia was controlled by the Romans but all the rest by
the Persians. 26 They professed Christianity and, since they su¡ered
22 For praise of generosity, cf. ii.1, p. 38:10^13 (Marcian); v.13, p. 209:12^19 (Tiberius).
Evagrius’ assertion that people £ocked to Gregory to see and hear him seems very defensive:
Gregory was not the most popular of patriarchs (cf. v.18; vi.7), and there may have been
accusations that he used the wealth of his see to purchase public favour; John of Ephesus
(EH v.17) claimed that he used bribery to escape accusations of sexual misconduct.
23 Gregory’s energy in handling a¡airs, oratory and capacity for planning were demonstrated
in his resolution of the eastern mutiny and his involvement with Khusro II (vi.11^14,
18); for similar praise of Domitian of Melitene, cf. vi.18. See further Whitby, ‘Patriarchs’.
24 Bidez^Parmentier cite Gregory of Nyssa, PG 44, col. 249A (De Opi¢cio Humani 30),
though the wording is somewhat di¡erent.
25 I.e. 570/1.
26 Armenia had been a source of contention between Romans and Parthians or Sasanids
since the days of Augustus. The emperor Philip had been forced to make concessions to
Shapur I in 244, in order to extricate the Roman army from Persian territory after the
death of Gordian, but there is no evidence that these included a partition of Armenia. The
allegiance of Armenia in fact remained an issue for most of the fourth century: Diocletian’s
agreement with Narses in 298 placed the Romans in control, but in 363 Jovian had to agree