CAP. XVI.
Howe the Idolgroues and temples of the Ethnickes were ouerthrowen at Alexandria and of the skirmish betwene the paganes and the christians.
ABout yt time there was a lamentable sturre at Alexandria and the maner as followeth. By the procurement & industrie of Theophilus y• bishop the Emperour commaunded that all the Idolgroues of the Ethnicks within Alexādria should downe to y• ground, and that Theophi∣lus should ouersee it. Theophilus being thus autorized omitted nothinge, that might tend to the re∣proch and contumely of Hethenish ceremonies: downe goes the temple of Mithra, his foule closets* 1.1 being full of Idolatricall filth and superstition are clensed and rid out of the way: downe goes the God Serapis temple: the embrued and bloody mysteries of the God Mithra are publiquely derided:* 1.2 the vaine & ridiculous practises both of Serapis & others are shewed forth vnto the open face of the world: he caused such things as among them resembled the yards of men, to be caried throughout* 1.3 the market place to their vtter shame & ignominy. The Ethnikes inhabiting Alexandria & aboue y• rest such as professed philosophie beholding the maner of the dealinge could no longer containe neither rule themselues: but heaped new & also farre more grieuous offences, vnto the former acts of theirs being both tragicall & exceeding in cruelty. For all iointly ranne vpon a head, they set v∣pon the Christians, they sought to dispatch them euery kind of way: the Christians went about to withstand their violence, they defend themselues and so mischiefe was heaped vpon mischiefe, the skirmish was so sore and the fraye continewed so longe vntill ether side was wery, had their fill of bloodshed & manslaughter & could nowe kill no longer. There died but a fewe of y• Ethnicks, yet a great number of the Christians, of either side there was wounded an infinite number. When all was ended the Ethnicks were wonderfully affraid of the Emperours displeasure. Wherefore ha∣uing committed such lewde acts as their horrible wickednes led them vnto: and hauing quenched their boyling rage and fury with running streames of bloode and wounded bowells they runne a∣way and hid themselues some in one place some in an other. Many gaue the slip out of Alexandria & beinge dispersed led their liues thenceforth in diuerse other cities: of which number were Hella∣dius* 1.4 & Ammonius both Grammariās, whose scholer I my selfe was at Cōstantinople in my youth∣ly yeares. Helladius was sayde to be the priest of Iupiter & Ammonius the priest of the Ape which they worshipped for God. Therefore the slaughter beinge thus ended the gouernour of Alexan∣dria & the captaine of the host came to ayd Theophilus in the ouerthrow of their temples▪ the tem∣ples went downe, the Idols of the Gods were turned into cawdrons and into other necessarie ves∣sell for houshould stuff. For the Emperour had geuen the images of the Gods throughout all the Idolatrical temples of Alexandria to the reliefe of the poore. Theophilus going about to deface all the pictures of their Gods commaunded that one of some certaine God should be reserued and set vp in some publique place of the citie to the end the Ethnickes in processe of time should not be a∣ble to deny but that sometimes they worshipped such Gods. I haue knowen Ammonius the gram∣marian to haue bene very much offended with that act & to haue sayd that the religion of the Grae∣cians sustained great iniury & reproch because y• one image was not in like sort trāslated, but kept of set purpose to the contumely of their religion. Helladius boasted in y• hearing of many how y• in y• skirmishe he slewe nine men with his owne handes. These were then the broyles at Alexandria.