Page:Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire vol 5 (1897).djvu/182

IGO THE DECLINE AND FALL ordination, the favour of the empress Theodora, and the arms of the eunuch Narses, which might have been used in more honourable warfare. The exile of the popular candidate to Carthage and Sardinia inflamed the ferment of Alexandria ; and, after a schism of one hundred and seventy years, the Gaiauites still revered the memory and doctrine of their founder. The strength of numbers and of discipline was tried in a des- perate and bloody conflict ; the streets were filled with the dead bodies of citizens and soldiers ; the pious women, ascending the roofs of their houses, showered down every sharp or ponderous utensil on the heads of the enemy ; and the final victory of Narses was owing to the flames with which he wasted the third capital of the Roman world. But the lieutenant of Justinian had not conquered in the cause of an heretic ; Theo- dosius himself was speedil}', though gently, removed ; and Paul of Tanis, an orthodox monk, was raised to the throne of Athanasius. The powers of government were strained in his support ; he might appoint or displace the dukes and tribunes of Egypt : the allowance of bread which IJiocletian had granted was suppressed, the churches were shut, and a nation of schis- matics was deprived at once of their spiritual and carnal food. In his turn, the tyrant was excommunicated by the zeal and revenge of the people ; and none except his servile Melchites would salute him as a man, a Christian, or a bishop. Yet such is the blindness of ambition that, when Paul was expelled on a charge of murder, he solicited, with a bribe of seven hundred pounds of gold, his restoration to the same station of hatred and ignominy. His successor Apollinaris entered the hostile city in military array, alike qualified for prayer or for battle. His troops, under arms, were distributed through the streets ; the gates of the cathedral were guarded ; and a chosen band was stationed in the choir, to defend the person of their chief. He stood erect on his throne, and, throwing aside the upper garment of a warrior, suddenly appeared before the eyes of the multitude in the robes of patriarch of Alexandria. Astonish- ment held them mute ; but no sooner had Apollinaris begun to read the tome of St. Leo than a volley of curses, and invec- tives, and stones assaulted the odious minister of the emperor and the synod. A charge was instantly sounded by the suc- cessor of the apostles ; the soldiers waded to their knees in blood ; and two hundred thousand Christians are said to have fallen by the sword : an incredible account, even if it be ex- tended from the slaughter of a day to the eighteen years of