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A BARBARIAN, named Gainas, who had taken refuge among the
Romans, and who had risen from the lowest ranks of the army to
military command, formed a design to usurp the throne of the Roman
Empire. With this in view, he sent for his countrymen, the Goths,
from their own homes to come to the Roman territories, and appointed
his relatives to be tribunes and chiliarchs. Tirbingilus, a relative
of his, who commanded a large body of troops in Phrygia, commenced an
insurrection; and to all persons of judgment it was patent that he was
preparing the way. Under the pretext of resenting the devastation of
many of the Phrygian cities, which had been committed to his
superintendence, Gainas turned to their assistance; but on his
arrival, when a multitude of barbarians had been equipped for war, he
disclosed his plan which he had previously concealed, and pillaged the
cities which he had been commanded to guard, and was about to attack
others. He then proceeded to Bithynia, and encamped in the
boundaries of Chalcedon, and threatened war. The cities of the East
of Asia, and as many as lived between these regions and about the
Euxine, being thus in danger, the emperor and his counsellors judged
that it would not be safe to venture into any hazardous undertaking
without preparation against men who were already desperate; for the
emperor declared that he was ready to be favorable to him in every
point, and sent to Gainas to offer him whatever he might demand.
Gainas requested that two consuls, named Saturninus and Aurelian,
whom he suspected of being inimical, should be delivered up to him;
and when they were in his power, he pardoned them. He afterwards held
a conference with the emperor near Chalcedon, in the house of prayer
in which the tomb of Euphemia the martyr is deposited; and after he
and the emperor had mutually bound themselves by vows of friendship to
each other, he threw down his arms, and repaired to Constantinople,
where, by an imperial edict, he was appointed general of the infantry
and cavalry. Prosperity so far beyond his deserts was more than he
could bear with moderation; and as, contrary to all expectations, he
had succeeded so wonderfully in his former enterprise, he determined to
undermine the peace of the Catholic Church. He was a Christian,
and, like the rest of the barbarians, had espoused the Arian heresy.
Urged either by the presidents of this party, or by the suggestions of
his own ambition, he applied to the emperor to place one of the
churches of the city in the hands of the Arians. He represented that
it was neither just nor proper that, while he was general of the Roman
troops, he should be compelled to retire without the walls of the city
when he wished to engage in prayer. John did not remain inactive when
made acquainted with these proceedings. He assembled all the bishops
who were then residing in the city, and went with them to the palace.
He spoke at great length in the presence of the emperor and of
Gainas, reproached the latter with being a stranger and a fugitive,
and reminded him that his life had been saved by the father of the
emperor, to whom he had sworn fidelity, as likewise to his children,
to the Romans, and to the laws which he was striving to make
powerless. When he had made this speech he showed the law which
Theodosius had established, forbidding the heterodox to hold a church
within the walls. Then, addressing himself to the emperor, John
exhorted him to maintain the laws which had been established against
heretics; and told him that it would be better to be deprived of the
empire, than to be guilty of impiety by becoming a traitor to the house
of God. Thus did John speak boldly like a man, and gave no place to
innovation in the churches under his care. Gainas, however,
regardless of his oaths, attacked the city. His enterprise was
pre-announced by the appearance of a comet directly over the city;
this comet was of extraordinary magnitude, larger, it is said, than
any that had previously been seen, and reaching almost to the earth
itself. Gainas intended to seize first upon the stores of the
bankers, and hoped to collect together their enormous wealth. But
since the rumor of his plan was spread, the bankers concealed their
ready wealth and no longer set forth silver upon the tables, as they
were wont publicly to do. Gainas then sent some of the barbarians by
night to set fire to the palace; but they were unskillful and overcome
with fear, so they turned back. For when they drew near the edifice,
they fancied that they saw a multitude of heavily armed men of immense
stature, and they returned to inform Gainas that fresh troops had just
arrived. Gainas disbelieved their report, for he was confident that
no troops bad entered the city. As, however, other individuals whom
he despatched to the palace for the same purpose, on the following
night, returned with the same report, he went out himself to be an eye
witness of the extraordinary spectacle. Imagining that the army before
him consisted of soldiers who had been withdrawn from other cities, and
that these troops protected the city and palace by night and concealed
themselves by day, Gainas feigned to be possessed of a demon; and
under the pretext of offering up a prayer, went to the church which the
father of the emperor had erected in honor of John the Baptist, at
Hebdomos. Some of the barbarians remained in Constantinople, and
others accompanied Gainas; they secretly carried arms and pots full of
darts in the women's chariots, but when they were discovered, they
slew the guard at the gates, who attempted to hinder the carrying out
of the arms. From this the city was filled with as much confusion and
uproar, as if it had suddenly been captured. A good thought ruled
this terrible moment; for the emperor without delay declared Gainas a
public enemy, and commanded that all the barbarians left in the city
should be slain. No sooner was this mandate issued, than the soldiers
rushed upon the barbarians, and slew the greater number of them; they
then set fire to the church which was named after the Goths; for as
was customary, they had congregated there in the house of prayer,
because there was no other refuge, since the gates were shut. On
hearing of this calamity, Gainas passed through Thrace, and
proceeded towards the Cherronesus, intending to cross the
Hellespont; for he thought that if he could conquer the opposite coast
of Asia, he could easily subjugate to himself all the provinces of the
empire in the East. All these things proved contrary to his hopes,
because the Romans were there favored by Divine power. For the army
sent by the emperor was on hand by land and by sea, under the command
of Flavira, who although a barbarian by birth, was a good man, and
an able general. The barbarians, having no ships, imprudently
attempted to cross the Hellespont to the opposite continent on rafts;
when suddenly a great wind blew and violently separated them, and drove
them against the Roman vessels. The greater part of the barbarians
and their horses were drowned; but many were slain by the military.
Gainas, however, with a few of his followers escaped; but not long
after, when fleeing through Thrace, they fell in with another
detachment of the Roman army, and Gainas, with all his barbarians,
perished. Such was the termination of the daring schemes and life of
Gainas.
Flavita had rendered himself very conspicuous in this war, and was
therefore appointed consul. During his consulate, and that of
Vincentius, a son was born to the emperor. The young prince was
named after his grandfather, and at the commencement of the next
consulate, was proclaimed Augustus.
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