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AFTER having written in this strain to Julius, the bishops of the
East brought accusations against those whom they had deposed before the
emperor Constantius. Accordingly, the emperor, who was then at
Antioch, wrote to Philip, the prefect of Constantinople,
commanding him to surrender the Church to Macedonius, and to expel
Paul from the city. The prefect feared the commotion among the
people, and before the order of the emperor could be divulged, he
repaired to the public bath which is called Zeuxippus, a conspicuous
and large structure, and summoned Paul, as if he wished to converse
with him on some affairs of general interest; as soon as he had
arrived, he showed him the edict of the emperor. Paul was, according
to orders, secretly conducted through the palace contiguous to the
bath, to the seaside, and placed on board a vessel and was sent to
Thessalonica, whence, it is said, his ancestors originally came.
He was strictly prohibited from approaching the Eastern regions, but
was not forbidden to visit Illyria and the remoter provinces.
On quitting the court room, Philip, accompanied by Macedonius,
proceeded to the church. The people, who had in the meantime been
assembling together in untold numbers, quickly filled the church, and
the two parties into which they were divided, namely, the supporters
of the Arian heresy and the followers of Paul respectively, strove to
take possession of the building. When the prefect and Macedonius
arrived at the gates of the church, the soldiers endeavored to force
back the people, in order to make way for these dignitaries, but as
they were so crowded together, it was impossible for them to recede,
since they were closely packed to the farthest point, or to make way;
the soldiers, under the impression that the crowd was unwilling to
retire, slew many with their swords, and a great number were killed by
being trampled upon. The edict of the emperor was thus accomplished,
and Macedonius received the Churches, while Paul was unexpectedly
ejected from the Church in Constantinople.
Athanasius in the meantime had fled, and concealed himself, fearing
the menace of the emperor Constantius, for he had threatened to punish
him with death; for the heterodox had made the emperor believe that he
was a seditious person, and that he had, on his return to the
bishopric, occasioned the death of several persons. But the anger of
the emperor had been chiefly excited by the representation that
Athanasius had sold the provisions which the emperor Constantine had
bestowed on the poor of Alexandria, and had appropriated the price.
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