andrew of caesarea and the apocalypse in the ancient church of the ...

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1.4.4 Hope and Vigilance
Andrew does not believe that the end of the world is near, despite the desperate state
of the empire. But perhaps many among his flock were not so convinced. Rather than allow
them to sink into despair or hopelessness, Andrew would need to bolster their spirits,
encourage them to continue with their lives and to maintain Christian hope, along with the
appropriate spirit of vigilance which is expected of ail Christians, even in the best of times,
so that spiritual laziness and indifférence do not resuit in exclusion from the kingdom of
heaven. It is very possible that Andrew's attitude in this area, which shines through in the
commentary, was also a motivating factor for "Makarios," Patriarch Sergius, in ordering its
• • 93
composition.
The fighting spirit and optimism exemplified by the Patriarch of Constantinople,
Sergius I, in the face of overwhelming difficulties in the darkest moments of the empire hâve
been well-documented. Sergius' personal détermination and his partnership with Emperor
Heraclius literally saved the empire during the troubled times of the early seventh century.
Sergius never showed any belief that the end was near. In fact, he effectively rallies the
demoralized people to courageously resist the invaders. Sergius led religious processions on
the walls of Constantinople when it was surrounded and besieged by Avars, Slavs and
Persians, 94 including bringing the icon of the Theotokos and her relies to the walls. 95
Sergius' impact on the populace, not only the people of Constantinople but throughout the
empire, has been well expressed by Dimitri Obolensky who describes the crucial rôle played
by Sergius while Heraclius was absent on a military campaign against the Persians and the
capital was surrounded by the Avars:
2.13.1. On the use of the Trisagion hymn during this controversy, see Meyendorff Impérial Unity, 200 and
224, Meyendorff, Byzantine Theology 36-38, and Pelikan, The Spirit ofEastem Christendom, 59-60. Castagno
does not notice this détail. She focuses on the similarity of terms used by Monophysites and neo-Chalcedonians,
and Oikoumenios' lack of animosity toward the Empire to conclude that he was not Monophysite. "I
Commenti," 323-4.
93 See above, page 13, fh 37.
94 See Chronicon, Whitby, 173, m 462, citing Théodore Syncellus 305.13-28, Théodore Syncellus, éd. L.
Sternback, Analecta Avarica (Cracow, 1900).
Chronicon, Whitby, 180, m 476, citing Théodore Syncellus 301.17-35.