Letter 80: To the Prefect Eutrechius,

To the Prefect Eutrechius, I have been greatly astonished that your lordship sent me no warning of the plots against me. Counteracting them would admittedly have been difficult for anyone who lacked the means to expose the plotters' lies. But simply giving information about what was happening required not so much power as friendship -- and we had hoped that when your excellency was summoned to the capital and chosen to grace the prefect's exalted seat, every storm in the Church would be calmed. Instead, the disturbances are worse than anything we saw at the beginning of the dispute. The churches of Phoenicia are in trouble. So are those of Palestine -- as everyone unanimously reports, and as the letters of the most devout bishops confirm. Every pious soul among us groans, and every faithful congregation grieves. While we were looking for our old troubles to end, new ones have been heaped upon us. As for myself: I have been forbidden to leave the territory of Cyrrhus, if the document shown to me is authentic. It claims to be in the emperor's own handwriting, and it reads: "Since the bishop of this city is constantly assembling synods, which causes trouble to the orthodox, see to it with proper diligence and prudence that he resides at Cyrrhus and does not depart from it to another city." I have accepted the sentence and remain where I am. Your lordship can testify to my intentions, for you know how on my arrival at Antioch I left in a hurry precisely because of those who wanted to keep me there. Those who gave both ears to my accusers and would not save even one for me were certainly in the wrong. Even murderers and thieves are granted a hearing before they are sentenced.

Letter 80