Laudatio Barnabae apostoli

Alexander the monk’s encomium on the holy apostle Barnabas, urged by the presbyter and key-bearer of his venerable temple, in which is also related the manner of the revelation of his holy relics. A most great subject of discourse has been set before us, the poorest of men, by your paternal love of learning, O best of fathers and most esteemed of ascetics, Father; for you have proposed to us for praise the divine and truly thrice-blessed and among apostles most notable son of consolation and luminary of the world, Barnabas the much-hymned. But I, bringing my own lack of education against this exceedingly great subject, have for a long time declined obedience, dreading the undertaking; for what speech can attain to apostolic perfection? Not only is such an undertaking impossible for me, but it is difficult for many; for I think that every human nature falls short of narrating the good deeds of the greatest apostle Barnabas; and if someone should attempt to say anything about him, he will fall far short of the measure of the worth of his deeds, even if he be very wise and learned and most powerful in words, and he will be found tumbling in a sea of wonders. Now, each of the righteous has received from the Holy Spirit one gift or another, but the apostles together received the whole treasure of gifts and displayed every virtue.

How then shall I, wretched as I am, overwhelmed by countless passions, be able to swim across the apostolic sea? For I am, to speak scripturally, weak-voiced and slow-tongued, and I am not eloquent, so as to narrate the superhuman virtues of the divine apostle Barnabas. For this man accurately accomplished all virtues together, as no one else has any single one of them. Therefore I long deferred obedience, knowing that my own unworthiness is insufficient for the narration of the man’s most glorious achievements. But having recently recalled the divinely inspired Scripture, which says that a disobedient son will be in ruin, while the obedient one will be free from it, I barely, with great fear, roused myself to fulfill your command, deeming it better to be charged with deficiency than to be condemned for complete ingratitude. Only strive together with me in prayers, that the all-holy Spirit may become an ally to my discourse. For it will please, I think, even the one being praised, what is said by us who are insignificant, as once the offering of the two lepta of the poor widow pleased her master. For it is not the quantity of what is given to God that is acceptable, but what is offered with good intention, whether small or great, is pure. And in praising Barnabas, I shall praise the sacred priesthood of all the apostles together. For those whose calling is one and whose glory is the same, and whose rank is one and whose dignity is the same, and whose struggles are equal and whose crowns do not differ, and whose way of life is common—for these, the prizes are also of equal honor.

Come then, if you will, let us draw the inspired Barnabas into the midst through speech, and, as best we can, weave his praises; for I am a most ardent lover of the man. And I know and am persuaded that to you also he is most sweet, even when the apostle is simply named. Let us therefore honor him according to our ability; for speaking according to ability is a proof of good will, but to speak according to worth—let us concede that the victory over every speech belongs to him. Let Barnabas, the great among the apostles, be hymned by us, the least; let the son of consolation be acclaimed by all who believe in Christ; let him be glorified by all creation, who was honored by the Father, called by the Son, and perfected by the Holy Spirit. Barnabas, the great orator of the Church, the trumpet of the evangelical proclamation, the voice of the Only-begotten, the cithara of the Spirit, the plectrum of grace.

Barnabas, the mighty soldier of the wars for Christ, who in the body routed the bodiless tyrant together with his entire apostate army; the pious trainer of good teachings; the unerring guide of Christ's flock; the rational paradise of God, possessing in himself the plants of every virtue in full bloom; the many-flowered shoot of faith; the most fragrant rose of love; the unfading flower of hope; the most fragrant ear of grace; the fruitful branch of the life-giving vine; the honey-dripping cluster of immortality; the unshakable bulwark of patience; the cross-bearing warrior of self-control; the fearless commander against the Christ-killers; the heaven-reaching offshoot of the crucified Christ. Barnabas, the son of consolation; the teacher of piety; the pillar and roof of faith; the unshaken tower; the unbreakable foundation; the indissoluble base; the immovable rock; the calm-bringing harbor of the storm-tossed; the consolation of all who are afflicted; the faithful and prudent steward; the excellent architect who accomplished a heavenly voyage and an angelic life on earth; the protector of churches; the supporter of the poor and the provider and nourisher of the needy; the comfort of widows and the most caring father of orphans.

Barnabas, the treasury of the mysteries of Christ, the steward of the orthodox dogmas of the holy church of God, the unadulterated physician of the sick, the unfailing joy of the healthy, the sleepless guardian of Christ's flock, who walks on earth and has his citizenship in the heavens, who proclaimed in the world the doctrines of piety and received in the heavens eternal crowns, the God-bearing guide of the nations and the God-blessed herald of the churches, the meadow of Christ's fragrance, the rose-garden of heaven-breathing virtues, the fertile field of Christ's graces, who on earth entered upon the incorruptible polity, living on earth a life superior, as the bodiless angels live in the heavens, who excelled in asceticism and advanced in contemplations and was magnified in miracles, the precious pearl of virginity, the chosen beryl of chastity, the pure jasper of temperance, who had Christ speaking within himself, the chosen vessel of God, who abandoned the world and considered all things in it as refuse, that he might gain only Christ, the king of the ages, who unhesitatingly took up his own cross and eagerly followed Christ as a true disciple, the expeller of demons and the wounder of the devil, who traversed the four-cornered world with unwearied journey as a good and devoted servant, and brought all the nations through the gospel to the faith of Christ, who prepared himself as a dwelling-place of the consubstantial Trinity and became a temple of the God over all.

Barnabas, the noble ornament of the Cypriots and the unconquerable champion of the inhabited world, who loved Christ beyond all measure and offered up his soul for him each day, and reigned with him for ever and ever. The discourse has labored, desiring to exalt this inspired and thrice-beloved Barnabas the apostle with encomia, and has not yet touched the proem; for the wondrous man is inaccessible to praises. Therefore, abandoning as impossible the discourse concerning encomia, I will set before your holiness a few of the things that have come down to us about his life and perfection, from the Stromateus and from other ancient writings, and thus we will put an end to the narrative, having yielded to the divinely inspired Scripture to crown the head of the renowned one magnificently; for it says: "Barnabas was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith." What could ever be equal or similar to this? Now this thrice-blessed man was descended from the blessed tribe of Levi, from which came Moses and Aaron, the great prophets of God and the first of the clan of Kohath, tracing his lineage from the kinship of the prophet Samuel. His ancestors, having come to the land of the Cypriots because of the upheaval of wars, dwelt there in a friendly manner; they were pious according to the law and very wealthy, whence they also possessed considerable property in Jerusalem and a most beautiful field near the city, adorned not only with all kinds of fruit-bearing plants but also most conspicuous for the size of its buildings; for from the time they heard the prophet Isaiah saying:

Blessed is he who has seed in Zion and kinsmen in Jerusalem," the children of the Hebrews interpreted the prophecy carnally, and each of the wealthy hastened to possess property in Jerusalem. But when this righteous man was born in Cyprus, his parents, seeing him to be comely in the sight of God, immediately named him Joseph, honoring the child with the appellation of the patriarch. The nobility of his character coincided with the appellation of his name; for Joseph is interpreted as "addition of God," for the righteous man received an addition of grace from God, so that he might attain to apostolic perfection. Again, Joseph is interpreted as "glory of God," for through his excellent conduct he became the glory of God. And let no one think this expression an exaggeration, but let him consider that it is from divine Scripture; for Paul says: "A man ought not to cover his head, being the image and glory of God." If, then, the chosen vessel called the common man the image and glory of God, what might one say about the man most perfect according to God? When Barnabas grew up and became a child, his parents brought him to Jerusalem and handed him over to learn the law accurately and the prophets at the feet of Gamaliel. He had Paul as a fellow student, at that time named Saul. Barnabas progressed daily both in learning and in every virtue; he was not yet, however, enrolled in the daily service of the Levites because of his deficient age, for he was still a youth. But he did not depart from the temple, serving with fasts and prayers night and day.

Thus he expounded the law and the remaining scriptures, so as to have no need of prompting from the written letters; and he held quietude so dear, as the mother of temperance; and he abhorred and fled from harmful associations, being a pure, unblemished, and unsullied image. And he was esteemed by all on account of his virtue. At that time it happened that the Lord came to Jerusalem and healed the paralytic at the Sheep Pool, and performed many other signs and wonders in the temple. When the blessed one beheld these things, he was amazed and immediately approached, fell at his feet, and begged to be blessed by him. But Christ, who searches hearts, accepting his faith, received him kindly and granted him his divine converse; and he was the more inflamed with love for the Lord. And hastening to the house of Mary, the mother of John called Mark, who was said to be his aunt—for which reason they also called Mark the nephew of Barnabas—he said to her: "Come, woman, see what

Our fathers longed to see. “Behold, Jesus, a certain prophet from Nazareth of Galilee, is in the temple, working wonders magnificently, and, as it seems to the many, he himself is the Messiah who is to come.” When the wondrous woman heard these things, leaving aside what she had in hand, she came to the temple of God, and seeing the Lord and master of the temple, she fell at his feet, beseeching and saying, “Lord, if I have found grace before you, come to the house of your servant and bless your household with your entry.” The Lord assented to her entreaty; when he arrived, she received him joyfully into her upper room. From that day onward, whenever the Lord came to Jerusalem, he rested there with his disciples; there he kept the Passover with his disciples; there he initiated the disciples through the partaking of the secret mysteries. For a tradition has come to us from the elders that the one carrying the jar of water, whom the Lord commanded the disciples to follow, was Mark, the son of this blessed Mary; and the Lord said “to such a one” economically, as the fathers say, interpreting this passage, teaching us through the riddle that the Lord lodges with everyone who prepares himself for him.

In that upper room, therefore, the Lord celebrated the Passover; in it he appeared to those around Thomas, having risen from the dead; there after the ascension the disciples went up, coming from the Mount of Olives with the remaining brothers, numbering about one hundred and twenty, among whom were Barnabas and Mark; there the Holy Spirit descended in fiery tongues upon the disciples on the day of Pentecost; there now stands the great and most holy Zion, the mother of all churches. At that time Barnabas followed the Lord, returning from Jerusalem to Galilee; and when many from all sides were approaching the Lord and believing in him, then he said to the disciples: "The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few." Then he appointed the seventy disciples, of whom the great Barnabas was first and leader and chief. But let no one, hearing that the apostles gave him this name, ignorantly suppose that he received this name without divine inspiration; for Peter gave him this name through a revelation of the Holy Spirit, the same Peter who also received through a revelation of the Father the theology of the Son; and just as James and John were called sons of thunder from their virtue, so also Barnabas was called from his virtue son of consolation, having become a consolation to all through his exceeding holiness. And hearing the Lord teaching and saying: "Sell your possessions and give alms.

Make for yourselves purses that do not grow old, an inexhaustible treasure in the heavens." Without any delay, he immediately sold all the property left to him by his parents—for they had departed this life—which was valuable, and distributed it to those in need, leaving for himself only that field for his own sustenance. After the passion, resurrection, and ascension of the Lord, and the descent of the Holy Spirit, the divine Barnabas, inflamed even more with love for the Lord, sold even that field and, taking a considerable sum of money, brought it all and placed it at the feet of the apostles, leaving nothing at all for himself from it, by his own example rousing all the disciples to similar virtue. He also spoke and debated with Saul, wishing to lead him to faith in the Lord. But Saul, ostensibly relying on the strict observance of the law, mocked Barnabas as one who had been deceived, and blasphemed the Lord, calling him the son of a carpenter and a commoner and

rough and short-lived. But when he saw the great works of miracles performed through the apostles and the multitude of people daily added to the word of faith, he was stung in his soul. Attacking together with the Libertines, Cyrenians, and Alexandrians the great orator of the church, Stephen, and being unable to withstand his wisdom and the Spirit with which he spoke, he turned to madness; and becoming full of rage, he stirred up the disorderly among the people against him, and having slain him, he raised a great persecution against the church in Jerusalem. But as he was thus proceeding disorderly to Damascus for the harm of the faithful, the Lord tripped him up and cast him on his face; and falling to the ground, he recognized whom he was persecuting, and having been blinded in his eyes, he looked up entirely to the height of heaven. Returning to Jerusalem, he sought to attach himself to the disciples, and all fled from him, fearing his great cruelty. But the great Barnabas, meeting him, said: "How long, Saul, do you remain Saul? Why do you so boldly persecute your benefactor? Cease to destroy the awesome mystery proclaimed long ago by the prophets and revealed in our times for our salvation." Hearing this, Saul fell at the feet of Barnabas, crying out with many tears and saying: "Forgive me, guide of light and teacher of truth; for I have learned by experience the truth of your words.

For the one whom I blasphemously called the son of the carpenter, I now confess to be the only-begotten Son of the living God, consubstantial and of the same glory and of the same throne, co-eternal and without beginning; who, being the radiance of the glory and the character of the hypostasis of the invisible God, in the last of these days, for us and for our salvation, emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, that is, a perfect man from the holy virgin and Theotokos Mary, without confusion, without change, without division, without separation; and having been found in form as a man, he humbled himself, becoming obedient unto death, death by the cross; who also rose from the dead on the third day and appeared to you, his apostles, and was taken up into the heavens and sat at the right hand of the Father, and comes again with glory to judge the living and the dead, and of his kingdom there will be no end. Hearing these things from the blasphemer and persecutor, the inspired Barnabas was amazed, and from joy his face became like a morning flower; and embracing and kissing him, he said: "Who taught you, Saul, to utter such divinely inspired words? Or who persuaded you to confess Jesus the Nazarene as Son of God? Or from where did you learn such precision of heavenly doctrines?" And he, bowed down and weeping, with great compunction said: "The Lord Jesus himself, often blasphemed and persecuted by me the sinner, taught me all these things; for just as he appeared to the abortive one, so also to me, and I still have his divine and sweet voice ringing in my ears.

For he, surpassing all goodness, said to me as I lay pitifully prostrate, defending himself rather than accusing: "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?" And I, with trembling and fear, answered: "Who are you, Lord?" And the Lord, with great gentleness and compassion, said to me: "I am Jesus the Nazorean, whom you persecute." Struck by his ineffable forbearance, I besought him, saying: "What shall I do, Lord?" And he immediately instructed me in all these things and yet more than these. Then the great Barnabas, taking him by the hand, led him to the apostles, saying: "Why do you flee from the shepherd, supposing him to be a wolf? Why do you pursue the helmsman as a pirate? Why do you abhor the champion as a traitor? Why do you send away the bridegroom as a robber of the bridal chamber? For the church is a spiritual bridal chamber, whose shepherd and helmsman and defender the Lord ordained through himself." Then Paul related to them all that had befallen him on the road, and that he had seen the Lord and that the Lord had spoken to him, and how in Damascus he had spoken boldly in the name of the Lord; and he was teaching with them the word of the Lord in Jerusalem. He was very burdensome to the Jews, because he who yesterday persecuted Jesus today proclaims him Son of God, and they plotted to kill him. But the apostles, learning of this, sent him to preach in his own country. And when those who had been scattered at the time of Stephen's persecution came to Antioch and proclaimed the Lord Jesus, word of them was heard in Jerusalem.

Then the apostles sent the blessed Barnabas, as great and capable, to the most holy church there to shepherd the flock of Christ. Upon arriving, he greatly assisted the believers, and through his inspired teaching a considerable number of people were added to the Lord. From there, guided by the Holy Spirit, he departed and went through all the cities and regions evangelizing, until he came to the greatest city, Rome. For he, before any other of the Lord’s disciples, proclaimed the Gospel of Christ in Rome. When many had believed and were honoring him exceedingly, he, rejecting human glory, secretly fled and left Rome. For again this blessed man surpassed all men of that time in humility, having perfected it to the utmost; and this is evident to all from the history concerning him. For although the divinely inspired Scripture everywhere names him first, he, yielding the first place to those around him, embraced the second rank, accurately imitating the Lord who said: “Learn from me that I am meek and humble in heart.” And Barnabas, having reached Alexandria near Egypt and there spoken the word of God, departed, passing through all the cities in order, until he came to Jerusalem. From there he again set out and went down to Antioch, and seeing the grace of God and the church multiplied, he rejoiced greatly. Then he went to Tarsus, seeking Paul, and having found him, brought him to Antioch.

And having spent a whole year there and taught a considerable number of people and first called the disciples Christians there, and having taken the funds for distribution to the poor from the church, they went up again to Jerusalem fourteen years after the saving passion, as Paul writes, saying: "After fourteen years I went up to Jerusalem with Barnabas." And having fulfilled their ministry and received the right hand from the apostles, that they themselves might preach to the Gentiles, while those around Peter preached to the circumcision, they came down to Antioch, having with them Mark as a servant. And being sent out from Antioch by the Holy Spirit, they came to Cyprus; and having traversed the whole island from Salamis to Paphos, evangelizing and working miracles, when they also blinded Elymas and enlightened the proconsul, and having taught many, then setting sail from Cyprus, those around Barnabas came to Pamphylia. And Mark, seeing the apostles advancing together toward the dangers for the gospel, and that where they were about to be honored, they left behind and advanced to the war against the unbelievers, faltering at the terrors, since he was a youth, cowardly and imperfect in contempt of death, left the apostles and returned to Jerusalem to his own mother. And when the apostles Barnabas and Paul had fulfilled the work to which they were called, having endured countless struggles for Christ, they came to Antioch; whence by the grace of God they were sent to the Gentiles.

Now it became necessary for them to go up again to Jerusalem to the apostles around Peter, on account of the false apostles who were teaching the disciples to be circumcised and to keep the law. Seeing that they were honored by all and that after such tortures and dangers they were strong and whole, Mark, condemning his own cowardice, wept bitterly. He was ashamed to approach Paul, but he approached Barnabas with tears and fell at his feet, begging to receive forgiveness for the past and promising a vow for the security of the future, and saying that he was ready to endure every form of death for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Moved by the many tears, this Barnabas, great in virtues, urged him to cease his weeping, saying, "Let the will of the Lord be done. Only be ready to fulfill your promises." Having taken in writing the decisions made by the apostles in Jerusalem, they went down to Antioch and rejoiced with the brethren. Mark followed Barnabas, but not with confidence. After this, it seemed good to those around Barnabas and Paul to go through all the cities and visit the brethren. Then Barnabas approached and urged Paul that Mark should become their fellow traveler, being ready to struggle even to death for the faith in Christ. But Paul urged in return that he not be taken along with them. From this arose a pretext for them to separate from one another, the Lord having arranged this for the benefit.

For God was about to appoint Mark as shepherd and teacher of peoples and nations. But let no one foolishly take to heart, as a personal grievance, what is said in the sacred history of the Acts concerning Mark, that a paroxysm occurred. For the apostles of Christ were not carried away into a passion of anger and wrath—far from it. How could they be, who had crucified the flesh together with its passions and desires, who cry out with a loud voice to all who believe in Christ, saying: "Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and shouting and blasphemy be removed from you, along with every evil." For we have learned from divine Scripture that there is a difference of paroxysms; for it says: "And let us exhort one another to a paroxysm of love and good works." So there occurred among the apostles a paroxysm, that is, a divine zeal. For Paul sought precision, befitting apostolic perfection, while Barnabas honored philanthropy. Taking Mark, therefore, he sailed to Cyprus, and after traversing the whole island and teaching a considerable number of people, he came to Salamis. And there he spent time working wonders and proclaiming the kingdom of God, and a great multitude was added to the Lord. He would debate with the Jews in the synagogue every Sabbath, demonstrating from the Scriptures that Jesus is the Christ. And all revered him because of the divine grace that suffused his face; for his appearance was angelic and his bearing ascetic. He was with eyebrows meeting, and had bright eyes, not looking fiercely, but reverently cast downward.

a mouth both reverent and lips becoming, distilling a sweetness like honey—for he never once uttered anything beyond what was necessary; a restrained and unpretentious gait, and in a word, the apostle Barnabas was from head to foot a pure pillar of Christ, gleaming with every virtue. While he was staying in the city of Salamis and teaching the word of God, Jews from Syria came and contradicted what was said by him, blaspheming; they stirred up a crowd against him, saying that he spoke nothing true, and that the Jesus he spoke of was a certain impostor and enemy of God, who set aside the law, the prophets, and the sabbath; and they were seeking an opportunity to kill him. But the holy apostle of Christ, Barnabas, gathering together all the brothers, said to them: "You know how I have been with you all the time, admonishing each one and exhorting you to abide in the grace and faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to keep his commandments and to do them, and to abstain from every evil deed; for we must all appear before the tribunal of Christ, so that each may receive according to what he has done through the body, whether good or evil; for the form of this world is passing away, and the Lord is about to come from heaven to judge the living and the dead. Do not therefore be negligent, knowing that at whatever hour you least expect, our Lord is coming.

Therefore, endure hardship and steady your hearts with hope, for the Lord’s coming is near. Remember all that I have spoken to you, saying that the present life is short-lived, whether its joys or its sorrows, and everything will quickly pass away, whereas in the coming age all things are alike eternal and unending: for neither will the kingdom of heaven ever pass away, nor does judgment have an end, but it continues forever, punishing sinners with immortal and unceasing torments. Strive, then, to be found blameless and spotless on that day, so that you may not fall into that gehenna which is immortal and unending. Remember the signs and wonders that God performed among you through me, his servant, and pray for me; for I am already offering myself, and the time of my departure is at hand, as our Lord Jesus Christ has revealed to me. I have fought the good fight, I have completed the course, I have kept the faith; now the crown of righteousness awaits me, and not only me, but also all who contend for his name.” And having said this, he prayed together with all of them; and there was abundant weeping from all, since the apostle had said that the time of his departure was at hand. Then Barnabas took bread and a cup, performed the entire liturgy, and partook of the Eucharist of the mysteries together with the brethren. And after this, taking Mark aside and withdrawing privately, he said to him: “On this day I must be perfected at the hands of the disobedient Jews; but you, going out of the city toward the west, will find my body.

And having buried this, depart from Cyprus and go to Paul and be with him, until the Lord arranges matters concerning you; for your name is to be magnified throughout the whole world. After these things, Barnabas entered the synagogue and taught the Jews, persuading them concerning the Lord Jesus, that he is the Christ, the Son of the living God. But the Jews from Syria, filled with rage, rose up, laid hands upon him, and placed him in a dark room in the synagogue until deep evening; and having brought him out and tortured him severely, they led him by night outside the city and there the lawless ones stoned him. And having kindled a great fire, they cast the blessed one there so that not even a relic of him might be found. But by the providence of God, the body of the apostle remained intact, and the fire did it no harm. And Mark, according to what had been instructed to him, having gone out of the city toward the west secretly with some brothers, gathered up the relic of the holy Barnabas and, having buried it in a cave about five stadia from the city, they departed, having made great lamentation over him.

At that time a great persecution arose against the church in Salamis, and all were scattered, each in a different direction; and thereafter the tomb of the holy apostle Barnabas became unknown. Mark sailed away from the land of the Cypriots, came to Paul in Ephesus, and reported to him concerning Barnabas’s death; when Paul heard this, he wept with great lamentation over him, and he kept Mark with him. After these things, when Peter was departing for Rome according to a revelation of God, he took Mark with him, in a way adopting him as a son; there Mark composed the Gospel account. When Peter read it and was pleased, he recognized it to be divinely inspired; and having ordained Mark, he sent him as most capable to Alexandria, toward Egypt and Libya and Pentapolis. Upon arriving, Mark proclaimed Christ Jesus to them; a great number who believed turned to the Lord. After teaching the word of God among them for nine years, he was perfected by martyrdom and was laid to rest in Alexandria. Much later, when Christianity had spread widely and Christian emperors ruled the Roman empire, God worked extraordinary powers in the place where the relic of the holy apostle and noble martyr Barnabas lay; for many who had unclean spirits, passing by that place, cried out with a loud voice and were exorcised, and many who were paralyzed, lame, and afflicted with various diseases and torments came and slept in that place, and all of them were healed; and there was great joy in the city of the Salaminians.

And that some divine power was at work in the place, they knew, but what the cause of such abundant grace was, they did not know; and that place the locals called the Place of Health. When the blessed Marcian ended his reign, Leo of divine memory received the imperial power. He had a son-in-law, a certain Zeno by name, an Isaurian by race, who also reigned after him. At that time, in the most holy monastery of the Acoemeti, there was found a certain devil of a monk, like Judas among the apostles, named Peter, a fuller by trade; this man, rejecting the holy Council of Chalcedon, championed the doctrines of the Eutychianists. The monks of that holy monastery drove him out as a corrupter and destroyer and enemy of the apostolic doctrines. He then went to Constantinople and took up the life of a flatterer, going from house to house and glutting himself; finding some of the powerful who were of his abominable heresy, he attached himself to them and through them became known to the emperor's son-in-law, who was then a patrician and count of the excubitors; and putting on a mask of piety, he was constantly with him, not daring to publicize his own impiety. When Zeno departed for the regions of the East, the Fuller accompanied him as far as Antioch. Finding there many of the Apollinarists, he then acted insolently against the patriarch, stirring up the disorderly among the people against him and reviling the Council of Chalcedon, calling the patriarch a Nestorian.

While the city of Antioch was in great disorder and uproar, the Fuller approached the Count, saying deceitfully: "If the bishop of this city is not succeeded, it is impossible for the people to keep quiet." He also promised him a large quantity of gold, if he should obtain what he sought; for he revealed to him also the hidden purposes of his own design. Then the Fuller persuaded those who were sick with the same disease as himself, and some theatrical performers, and other wicked men of the populace, and he brought a report to the emperor, lying monstrously against the bishop; but his cleverness availed nothing, as the emperor defended the apostolic doctrines. When the latter had departed this life and was transferred to the ageless kingdom, Zeno became the successor to the empire. Immediately the aforementioned men of Antioch brought a petition to the emperor, asking for the Fuller to be bishop; which indeed came to pass, as gold persuaded all those of the imperial court to advocate for him. So immediately upon his ordination he publicly anathematized the holy Council of Chalcedon; and wishing to please the Apollinarists, who were sick with theopaschism, he devised a most novel innovation, to say at the end of the Trisagion hymn: "Who was crucified for us." When the holy bishops and our fathers learned of these things, they rose up nobly against his evil doctrine; and first they attempted through hortatory letters

sed to bring him back from the abyss of impiety, but when they saw him contradicting and growing even more insolent against the orthodox faith, then all the bishops throughout the world pronounced against him and anathematized him. Having reached this point in the discourse, I would gladly ask those among our people who have uncritically accepted this innovation, out of simplicity of thought and not malice of intention: For what reason, my brothers, have you abandoned in this matter the orthodox teaching of the fathers and accepted the innovation devised by heretics? You ought to understand that it was not by following sophisticated myths that our holy fathers handed down to us the singing of this hymn, but by a divine revelation—revealed not to one or two alone, nor in some secret place, but in broad daylight, to the entire Christ-loving people of the imperial city of Constantinople, in the time of our blessed and thrice-blessed father and bishop Proclus, the most esteemed among teachers. Everything revealed to us from God by divine grace is entirely complete and perfect for salvation, needing neither addition nor subtraction from human reasoning, according to what is said in the divinely inspired Scripture: "The word which I command you today, guard it carefully to do it; you shall not add to it, nor take away from it." Indeed, to add anything to divine oracles or to remove anything is dangerous and perilous; for we are not correctors of God, but subjects.

And there is much to say about this to our people, and to show that it is the utmost folly to accept the innovation of the heretic, even if one does not hold the heretic's views. Thus, then, Peter the Fuller, having been anathematized, as has been said, by all the bishops, and with Zeno having fled from the empire because of the revolt of Basiliscus, went into exile in unknown places. But when Zeno returned to his own empire, having sought out Peter the Fuller, he reinstated him as bishop of Antioch, while the anathemas against him were in no way dissolved, and he banished the blessed Patriarch Calandion to Oasis. When the Fuller had forcibly recovered the throne, being then desperate and having no hope, he used his tyranny without fear, indeed without godliness, murdering, confiscating property, and exiling all who were unwilling to commune with his impiety. But I will pass over these matters, which are many and require a separate treatise, and I will proceed to what is urgent, showing to all the boundless grace of the holy apostle Barnabas and how great is his care and concern for his own homeland. Not content, therefore, with the countless evils that the Fuller wrought in the East, he also laid his hands upon provinces that were in no way subject to him.

once having purchased with gold the compliance of the emperor and those around him, he also held the law of God in contempt; and indeed he intended to maltreat in every way the God-loving, faithful, and orthodox Cypriots, because, preserving their ancestral piety, they refused to share in his impiety, and he attempted to seize the most holy, free, and apostolic throne of Cyprus, which had been so from the beginning and from above, and to subject it to himself. And he makes a report to the ruler, full of false accusations, that, as he says, the word of God was proclaimed from Antioch in Cyprus, and that the church of Cyprus must be under the throne of Antioch, since it happens to be an apostolic and patriarchal throne. But the apostate heretic did not escape notice, distorting the definitions made at Ephesus at the holy synod under Cyril. But the herald of piety, the most holy among the apostles Barnabas, refuted his folly, having become the defender of his homeland at the opportune moment. For the bishop of the Salamineans, having been ordered to go to

the imperial city and to be judged before the ecumenical patriarch against the Antiochenes, he became numb with fear, suspecting the machinations of Knapheus. Anthemius was that admirable man, most orthodox and resplendent with a spotless life, but of few words in disputation with his opponents. Being at a loss, then, and distressed about the journey, someone appeared to him by night, while he slept in a private place, having a godlike face and flashing with gleams of light, wearing a robe of light in a sacred manner, and said to him: "Why are you so grieved, bishop, and what is this despondency about you, and why has your countenance fallen? You will suffer nothing terrible at the hands of your adversaries." And having said this, he departed from him. When the bishop awoke in fear, he fell on his face with many tears and prayed to God, saying: "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the living God, if you have mercy on this church—and I know that you do—and if this vision has come from you, deem me worthy to see the vision a second and third time, so that I may be fully assured that you are with me.

Then he applied himself more earnestly to prayer, meeting with no one. On the following night the same man appeared to him again in the same form and the same guise, saying to him: "I have already told you that none of the things threatened against you will happen; go therefore eagerly to the imperial city, suspecting nothing." And having said this, he departed. The bishop arose and gave thanks again to the Lord, speaking to no one. He was also awaiting the third vision, and on the coming night the same man appeared to him, speaking more emphatically: "How long will you not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in these days? Go eagerly to the imperial city and you will return to your throne with glory; you will suffer nothing terrible from your adversaries, God protecting you through me, his servant." The bishop answered, his mouth having been opened: "Who then are you, my lord, who speaks these things to me?" And he said: "I am Barnabas, the disciple of our Lord Jesus Christ, who was set apart by the Holy Spirit for the apostleship to the nations together with Paul the apostle, the vessel of election; and this is the sign for you: go," he says, "outside the city, five stades to the west, to the place called of Health—for through me God works miracles in that place—and dig at the carob tree, and you will find a cave and a coffin in it; there my whole body lies, and a Gospel in my own hand, which I received from Matthew the holy apostle and evangelist.

And since your opponents argue, saying up and down that the throne of Antioch is apostolic, you also argue back against them that my throne is apostolic and I have an apostle in my homeland." Having said this, he departed; and the bishop, rising and having worshipped the Lord, gathered together the entire holy clergy and the Christ-loving people, and went out with a cross-bearing procession to the place shown to him with great preparation; and having made a prayer, he ordered the place to be dug; and having dug a little, they found a cave, blocked with stones, and having rolled these away, they found the coffin, and having uncovered it, they found the precious relic of the holy and glorious apostle Barnabas, breathing forth the fragrance of spiritual grace; they also found the Gospel, lying upon his chest; and having sealed the coffin with lead and having made a prayer and having worshipped, they withdrew, the bishop having appointed in the place pious men to glorify God with evening and morning hymns. He himself, taking the notable bishops, set out for the imperial city and was lodged in the episcopal residence; the king was informed of his arrival.

He departed and instructed the patriarch to hear, together with the resident synod, the matters between the parties and to declare what was presented. When the council was convened and the case was brought forward, those on the opposing side, using what they thought were their own rights, said that the throne of Antioch is patriarchal and apostolic, and that the other provinces must be under it. They seemed to those present to be speaking plausibly. But the blessed Anthemius, after a brief pause, replied, saying: "But my throne, good sirs, is also apostolic from above and from the beginning, honored with freedom, and I have a whole-bodied apostle in my homeland, the thrice-blessed Barnabas, praised among the saints." When this was said, there was no longer any room for contradiction, the bishops confirming the statement by their silence; and those on the opposing side stood there speechless with shame, struck by the reasonableness of the response. When the emperor learned of these things, he summoned the bishop of Cyprus with haste and inquired about the revelation of the holy apostle Barnabas. He, concealing nothing of the truth, related everything in order to the emperor. Upon hearing this, the emperor rejoiced greatly, marveling at the abundant grace of God, that such a miracle had occurred in the times of his reign. Then he dismissed the bishop of Antioch, ordering that henceforth the bishop of Cyprus should not be troubled at all on account of this matter. Then he entreated the blessed Anthemius the bishop, saying:

Since our Lord Jesus Christ, in the times of your holy high priesthood, deigned to reveal his holy apostle Barnabas, command that the discovered gospel be brought back here to me with all speed, granting me, your child, the greatest possible favor in this; for you will have me from now on obedient in all things to your fatherly authority. The bishop assented and sent one of the bishops with him together with a most trustworthy man of the emperor; and taking the gospel, they brought it up to Constantinople, its covers being of boxwood. The emperor, taking it and kissing it and adorning it with gold, deposited it in the palace, and it is preserved to this day; for on the great Thursday of Easter each year they read the gospel from it in the oratory of the palace. The emperor, having greatly honored the bishop, dismissed him to Cyprus with much money and an order, instructing him to raise a church to the holy apostle Barnabas in the place where his precious relic was found; and many of the magnates also gave him money for the construction of the church. Arriving in Cyprus and gathering a multitude of craftsmen and laborers, he did not take up the building casually, but raised a church for the apostle of the greatest size, splendid in its engineering, more splendid in the variety of its decoration, enclosed externally by colonnades in a circle. On the south side of the church, he made a large courtyard, having four porticoes.

And having built small houses on either side of the courtyard, he ordered the monks who perform the divine liturgies in the temple to dwell in them; and having brought an aqueduct from afar, he caused it to gush forth abundantly, having built a very beautiful reservoir in the middle of the courtyard, so that those dwelling in the place and strangers might have an abundant enjoyment of the stream. He also built many other hostels in the place for the rest of visiting strangers; and one could see that place, in its beauty, imitating a small and very pleasant city. He placed the holy shrine of the apostle to the right of the sanctuary, having adorned the place with ample silver and marbles; and they decreed that the day of the glorious commemoration of the thrice-blessed apostle and noble martyr Barnabas be held each year, according to the Romans on the day before the third of the Ides of June, according to the Cypriots of Constantia on the eleventh of the month Mesore, which is also the tenth, according to the Asians, that is, according to the Paphians, on the nineteenth of the month Plethypatos, which is also the ninth, gathering together and performing the spiritual liturgies, to the glory of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, for to him is the glory unto the ages of ages. Amen.