|
THERE were at this period many other bishops in various parts of
the empire highly celebrated for their sanctity and high
qualifications, of whom Donatus, bishop of Euroea in Epirus,
deserves to be particularly instanced. The inhabitants of the country
relate many extraordinary miracles which he performed, of which the
most celebrated seems to have been the destruction of a dragon of
enormous size. It had stationed itself on the high road, at a place
called Chamaegephyrae and devoured sheep, goats, oxen, horses, and
men. Donatus came upon this beast, attacked it unarmed, without
sword, lance, or javelin; it raised its head, and was about to dash
upon him, when Donatus made the sign of the cross with his finger in
the air, and spat upon the dragon. The saliva entered its mouth, and
it immediately expired. As it lay extended on the earth it did not
appear inferior in size to the noted serpents of India. I have been
informed that the people of the country yoked eight pair of oxen to
transport the body to a neighboring field, where they burnt it, that
it might not during the process of decomposition corrupt the air and
generate disease. The tomb of this bishop is deposited in a
magnificent house of prayer which bears his name. It is situated near
a fountain of many waters, which God caused to rise from the ground in
answer to his prayer, in an arid spot where no water had previously
existed. For it is said that one day, when on a journey, he had to
pass through this locality; and, perceiving that his companions were
suffering from thirst, he moved the soil with his hands and engaged in
prayer; before his prayer was concluded, a spring of water arose from
the ground, which has never since been dried up. The inhabitants of
Isoria, a village in the territory of Euroea, bear testimony to the
truth of this narration.
The church of Tomi, and indeed all the churches of Scythia, were at
this period under the government of Theotimus, a Scythian. He had
been brought up in the practice of philosophy; and his virtues had so
won the admiration of the barbarian Huns, who dwelt on the banks of
the Ister, that they called him the god of the Romans, for they had
experience of divine deeds wrought by him. It is said that one day,
when traveling toward the country of the barbarians, he perceived some
of them advancing towards Total. His attendants burst forth into
lamentations, and gave themselves up at once for lost; but he merely
descended from horseback, and prayed. The consequence was, that the
barbarians passed by without seeing him, his attendants, or the horses
from which they had dismounted. As these tribes frequently devastated
Scythia by their predatory incursions, he tried to subdue the ferocity
of their disposition by presenting them with food and gifts. One of
the barbarians hence concluded that he was a man of wealth, and,
determining to take him prisoner, leaned upon his shield, as was his
custom when parleying with his enemies; the man raised up his right
hand in order to throw a rope, which he firmly grasped, over the
bishop, for he intended to drag him away to his own country; but in
the attempt, his hand remained extended in the air, and the barbarian
was not released from his terrible bonds until his companions had
implored Theotimus to intercede with God in his behalf.
It is said that Theotimus always retained the long hair which he wore
when he first devoted himself to the practice of philosophy. He was
very temperate, had no stated hours for his repasts, but ate and drank
when compelled to do so by the calls of hunger and of thirst. I
consider it to be the part of a philosopher to yield to the demands of
these appetites from necessity, and not from the love of sensual
gratification.
|
|