.—Of Eutychian the Monk.
heard moreover
concerning Eutychian, a devout person who flourished about the same
time; who also belonged to the Novatian church, yet was venerated for
the performance of similar miracles. I shall unequivocally state my
authority for this narrative, nor will I attempt to conceal it, even
though I give offense to some parties. It was Auxanon, a very aged
presbyter of the Novatian church; who when quite a youth accompanied
Acesius to the Synod at Nicæa, and related to me what I have said
concerning him. His life extended from that period to the reign of
Theodosius the Younger; and when I was a mere youth he recounted to me
the acts of Eutychian, enlarging much on the divine grace which was
manifested in him: but one circumstance he alluded to, which occurred
in the reign of Constantine, peculiarly worthy of mention. One of those
military attendants, whom the emperor calls his domestic [or body]
guards having been suspected of treasonable practices, sought his
safety in flight. The indignant monarch ordered that he should be put
to death, wherever he might be found: who, having been arrested on the
Bithynian Olympus, was bound with heavy and painful chains and kept
imprisoned near those parts of Olympus where Eutychian was leading a
solitary life, and healing both the bodies and souls of many. The aged
Auxanon being then very young was with him, and was being trained by
him in the discipline of the monastic life. Many persons came to this
Eutychian, entreating him to procure the release of the prisoner by
interceding for him with the emperor. For the fame of the miracles done
by Eutychian had reached the ears of the emperor. He readily promised
to go to the sovereign; but as the chains inflicted intolerable
suffering, those who interested themselves on his behalf declared that
death caused by the effect of his chains would anticipate both the
emperor’s vengeance and any intercession that might be made for
the prisoner. Accordingly Eutychian sent to the jailers requesting them
to relieve the man; but they having answered that they should bring
themselves into danger by relieving a criminal, he went himself to the
prison, attended by Auxanon; and as they refused to open the jail, the
grace which rested on Eutychian was rendered more conspicuous: for the
gates of the prison opened of their own accord, while the jailers had
the keys in their custody. As soon as Eutychian, together with Auxanon, had entered the prison, to the great astonishment of all then present the fetters spontaneously fell from the prisoner’s limbs. He then proceeded with Auxanon to the city which was anciently called Byzantium but afterwards Constantinople, where having been admitted into the imperial palace, he saved the man from death; for the emperor, entertaining great veneration for Eutychian, readily granted his request. This indeed occurred some time after [the period to which this part of our history refers].
The bishops who were convened at the council of
Nicæa, after having drawn up and enrolled certain other
ecclesiastical regulations which they are accustomed to term canons, again departed to their respective cities: and as I conceive it will be appreciated by lovers of learning, I shall here subjoin the names of such as were present, as far as I have been able to ascertain them, with the province and city over which they severally presided, and likewise the date at which this assembly took place. Hosius, who was I believe bishop of Cordova in Spain, as I have before stated. Vito and Vicentius, presbyters of Rome, Alexander, bishop of Egypt, Eustathius of Antiochia Magna, Macarius of Jerusalem, and Harpocration of Cynopolis: the names of the rest are fully reported in The Synodicon
of Athanasius, bishop of Alexandria. This Synod was convened (as we
have discovered from the notation of the date prefixed to the record of
the Synod) in the consulate of Paulinus and Julian, on the 20th day of
May, and in the 636th year from the reign of Alexander the Macedonian.
Accordingly the work of the council was accomplished. It should be
noted that after the council the emperor went into the western parts of
the empire.