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ABOUT this same time it happened that the Jewish inhabitants were
driven out of Alexandria by Cyril the bishop on the following
account. The Alexandrian public is more delighted-with tumult than
any other people: and if at any time it should find a pretext, breaks
forth into the most intolerable excesses; for it never ceases from its
turbulence without bloodshed. It happened on the present occasion that
a disturbance arose among the populace, not from a cause of any serious
importance, but out of an evil that has become very popular in almost
all cities, viz. a fondness for dancing exhibitions. In consequence
of the Jews being disengaged from business on the Sabbath, and
spending their time, not in hearing the Law, but in theatrical
amusements, dancers usually collect great crowds on that day, and
disorder is almost invariably produced. And although this was in some
degree controlled by the governor of Alexandria, nevertheless the
Jews continued opposing these measures. And although they are always
hostile toward the Christians they were roused to still greater
opposition against them on account of the dancers. When therefore
Orestes the prefect was publishing an edict -- for so they are
accustomed to call public notices -- in the theatre for the regulation
of the shows, some of the bishop Cyril's party were present to learn
the nature of the orders about to be issued. There was among them a
certain Hierax, a teacher of the rudimental branches of literature,
and one who was a very enthusiastic listener of the bishop Cyril's
sermons, and made himself conspicuous by his forwardness in
applauding. When the Jews observed this person in the theatre, they
immediately cried out that he had come there for no other purpose than
to excite sedition among the people. Now Orestes had long regarded
with jealousy the growing power of the bishops, because they encroached
on the jurisdiction of the authorities appointed by the emperor,
especially as Cyril wished to set spies over his proceedings; he
therefore ordered Hierax to be seized, and publicly subjected him to
the torture in the theatre. Cyril, on being informed of this, sent
for the principal Jews, and threatened them with the utmost severities
unless they desisted from their molestation of the Christians. The
Jewish populace on hearing these menaces, instead of suppressing their
violence, only became more furious, and were led to form conspiracies
for the destruction of the Christians; one of these was of so
desperate a character as to cause their entire expulsion from
Alexandria; this I shall now describe. Having agreed that each one
of them should wear a ring on his finger made of the bark of a palm
branch, for the sake of mutual recognition, they determined to make a
nightly attack on the Christians. They therefore sent persons into
the streets to raise an outcry that the church named after Alexander
was on fire. Thus many Christians on hearing this ran out, some from
one direction and some from another, in great anxiety to save their
church. The Jews immediately fell upon and slew them; readily
distinguishing each other by their rings. At daybreak the authors of
this atrocity could not be concealed: and Cyril, accompanied by an
immense crowd of people, going to their synagogues -- for so they
call their house of prayer -- took them away from them, and drove the
Jews out of the city, permitting the multitude to plunder their
goods. Thus the Jews who had inhabited the city from the time of
Alexander the Macedonian were expelled from it, stripped of all they
possessed, and dispersed some in one direction and some in another.
One of them, a physician named Adamantius, fled to Atticus bishop
of Constantinople, and professing Christianity, some time afterwards
returned to Alexandria and fixed his residence there. But Orestes
the governor of Alexandria was filled with great indignation at these
transactions, and was excessively grieved that a city of such magnitude
should have been suddenly bereft of so large a portion of its
population; he therefore at once communicated the whole affair to the
emperor. Cyril also wrote to him, describing the outrageous conduct
of the Jews; and in the meanwhile sent persons to Orestes who should
mediate concerning a reconciliation: for this the people had urged him
to do. And when Orestes refused to listen to friendly advances,
Cyril extended toward him the book of gospels, believing that respect
for religion would induce him to lay aside his resentment. When,
however, even this had no pacific effect on the prefect, but he
persisted in implacable hostility against the bishop, the following
event afterwards occurred.
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