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CHAP. IV.

OF LEARNING AND LEARNED MEN IN THE FIFTH CENTURY.

Cyril-Theophilus bishop of Alexandria-Ifidore-Theodorus Arnobius Antiochus bishop of Ptolemais—Afterius of Amafia__ Peter of Ravenna-Gaudentius of Brefcia-Severian of Gabala-Leo the Great-Gregentius-Evagrius-Bafil--. Philoftorgius-Philip Sedetes-Evodius-Orofius-Sya-:

grius-Gennadius-Voconius-Eucherius-Profper-Diadoculos-Nilus-Maximus of Turin-Caffian-Palladius -Profper bishop of Nola-Sidonius Apollinaris-Salvian -Spurious Productions-Socrates-Sozomen-TheodoretPublication of the Talmud.

I

T is not amidst the gloomy fhades of the fifth century, that we must expect to difcern the glorious light of fcience. Knowledge of every kind became obfcured by monaftic folly, and the incurfions of the barbarians, who regarded no learning as neceffary, which did not increase their abilities for conqueft or defence. The fun of science was not however entirely fet, but fhone. with a faint and declining luftre. Philofophy was ftill profeffed and pretended to be taught in the great schools of the empire; but it was no longer that folid rational knowledge which strengthens and improves the mind, but a compofition of ab

furdity,

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Cyril of Alexandria.

285

furdity, of fubtle and complex fophiftry, and of nice and fanciful diftinctions.

The three most eminent writers who illumined the fourth century, Chryfoftom, Jerom, and Auguftin, continued their labours in this, and were the principal oppofers of the different herefies which from time to time arofe; they are not however exempted from the charge of having fubftituted logical fubtilty in the room of plain fenfe, and iffued the decrees of men for the commandments of God.

Amongst the earlieft writers of this century, we find Cyril, who, in the year 412, by the affiftance of a military force, obtained. the bishopric of Alexandria. A commencement fo tumultuous did not indicate a feafon of great tranquillity to the church over which he prefided; and these prefages were confirmed by the virulence with which he deprived the Novatians of their church, and their bishop of his property. This tyrannical spirit foon exerted itself in the affumption of new authority. The Chriftians of Alexandria, perfidiously drawn from their own houfes in the night by an account that the principal church was on fire, were infulted by the Jews, and feveral of them were flain. In order to avenge this atrocious offence, Cyril took upon himself the office of the civil magiftrate, plundered the Jews in return, both in- . nocent and guilty, and exterminated them from the city.

Oreftes,

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Murder of Hypatia.

This

[CENT. 5 Oreftes, the governor, incensed at this interference, refolved to deprefs the affuming prelate, who, however, affifted by a body of five hundred monks, repelled his attacks, affaulted him in his progrefs through the streets, affected to worship, as a martyr, a feditious monk, who, upon this occafion, had been put to death by the governor, and was fuppofed to have been privy to the murder of the learned and accomplished Hypatia. celebrated female, the daughter of Theon the mathematician, was initiated in her father's ftudies; her judicious comments elucidated the works of the most famous geometricians; and crowds of pupils reforted to her schools in Athens and Alexandria, to be instructed in the philosophy of Plato and Ariftotle. This female philofopher was accufed or fufpected of favouring the cause of Oreftes, and preventing a reconciliation between him and Cyril. She became, confequently, obnoxious to the fury of the favage band of Nitrian monks, and was rudely torn from her chariot, and murdered with every circumftance of aggravated cruelty. The black accusation, that Cyril was not unconcerned in this infamous tranfaction, has by fome writers been controverted; but as no ecclefiaftical cenfure was paffed upon it by the bishop, who was always fufficiently ready to fulminate the ⚫ ecclefiaftical thunder; and as the murderers of Hypatia were headed by one Peter †, a reader in

* Socrates, viii. 14.

+ Id. ibid. 15.

the

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Theophilus.

287 the Alexandrian church, there is too much reason for the belief, that, if Cyril was not the immediate inftigator of this dreadful action, the death of an opponent, however effected, was not disagreeable to him.

The literary abilities of Cyril were far from excellent. Strongly attached to mysticism and allegory, he was a fubtle and crafty difputant, but neither elegant, judicious, nor profound. His works (of which his books against Julian are the principal) are comprised in fix folio volumes. His zeal against heterodoxy has atoned, with many, not, only for his imperfections as a writer, but for his faults as a man ; and, notwithstanding his rancour, his ambition, and his accomplishing the ruin of Neftorius, by fuch lavish bribery as impoverished the Alexandrian church, his zeal and fuperftition have effected his exaltation into the calendar of the faints.

man nature.

Theophilus, bishop of Alexandria, and celebrated for his oppofition to Origenifm and to Chryfoftom, has been accused of every mean and perfidious artifice which difgraces and vilifies huHe appears, indeed, to have been one of the numberlefs fcourges which continually afflicted the Alexandrian church. The resentment of this prelate against fome Nitrian monks, by whom he had been, in several inftances, offended, induced him to command their immediate furrender of all the writings of Origen, to which they

were

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Origenists perfecuted.

[CENT. 5.

were strongly attached. The common fate of abfurd requifitions is contempt and difobedience; and the monks refused to comply. In confequence of this, the arrogant prelate obtained, in the council of Alexandria, the condemnation of all the followers of Origen; and an armed force was dif patched to difperfe the monks of Nitria, who fled from their deserts, and dispatched three of their body to plead their cause before the Emperor at Conftantinople, where they were favourably received by Chryfoftom, who, however disposed to the doctrines of Origen, might also not be averse to protect those who were perfecuted by his an⚫cient and implacable enemy. The proceedings of Theophilus against these monks, who were diftinguished by the appellation of the three tall brothers, were declared calumnious, by commiffioners ap pointed by the Emperor to investigate the difpute. The refentment of the bishop against the Byzantine patriarch knew no bounds; it was uniformly exerted throughout the life of the unfortunate prelate, and even manifefted after his death, when his name, through the influence of Theophilus, was erafed from the facred diptychs, to which place it was not reftored till after the deceafe of the Alexandrian prelate, and the lapfe of feveral years. Few of the writings of Theophilus are now extant. Whilft he governed the fee of Alexandria, he ordained Synefius, a Platonic philofopher, and a difciple and panegyrift of the accomplished Hypatia,

to