A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology. By various writers. Ed. by William Smith. Illustrated by numerous engravings on wood.

248 GEORGIUS. G(EORGIUJS.
p. 182, ed. Oxon. 1740-43; Bayle, Dictionnaire, not zealous enough in the support if Arlanism
&c., s. v. Arnyrutzes.) I He was therefore removed, and George was ap
5. ANEPONYMUS, or without a surname. [See pointed by the council of Antioch (A. D. 354, or,
the PERIPATETIC, NO. 41.] according to Mansi, A. D. 356) in his place. It is
6. ARISTINUS, an historian. Joseph, bishop of probable that George was appointed from his subModon (who flourished about A. D. 1440), in his serviency to the court, and his readiness to promote
defence of the council of Florence, in reply to any fiscal exactions, and his general unscrupulousMark of Ephesus, cites Georgius Aristinus as an ness; and he was induced to accept the appointauthority for the statement, that the addition of ment by the hope of gain, or, as Athanasius exthe words " filioque" to the Nicene creed had been presses it, " he was hired" to become bishop.
made shortly after the second oecumenical council Count Heraclian was sent by Constantius to gain
(thatof Constantinople, A. D. 381), in the time of the support of the heathen people of Alexandria to
Pope Damasus. (Allatius, Diatrib. de Gorg. apud George's election; and he succeeded in his obFabr. BiMl. Gr. vol. xii. p. 21.) ject, by giving them hopes of obtaining toleration
7. Of CAPPADOCIA, a man of bad character, a for their own worship; and the emperor, in a letter
heretic and a persecutor, and an intruder into the preserved by Athanasius, recommended the new
see of the orthodox Athanasius, then in banish- prelate to the support and favour of the Alexanment, and yet, strange to tell, a saint in the Roman drians generally. But a persecution of the TriCalendar, and the patron saint of England. It is nitarian party had commenced even before the arpossible, indeed, that his moral delinquency has rival of George, which took place during Lent,
been aggravated by the party spirit of the ecclesi- A. D. 355. They were dispossessed of the churches:
astical historians, and other writers to whom his and Sebastian, commander'of the troops in Egypt,
Arianism made him odious; but it is hard to be- publicly exposed some women, who had devoted
lieve that their invectives are without considerable themselves to a life of religious celibacy, naked
foundation. He was born, according to Ammianus, before the flame of a large fire, to make them reat Epiphaneia, in Cilicia, but our other authorities nounce orthodoxy. On George's arrival, the persespeak of him as a Cappadocian. His father was a cution continued as fiercely as before, or even more
fuller. Gregory Nazianzen, whose passionate in- so. Widows and orphans were plundered of their
vective is our chief authority for his early history, houses and of their bread; several men were so
says that he was of a bad family (7rovnp's m'l cruelly beaten with fresh-gathered palm branches,
ye'vos); but it does not appear whether it was dis- with the thorns yet adhering to them, that some
creditable for anything more than its humble occu- were long before they recovered, and some never
pation. George appears to have been a parasite, a recovered at all; and many virgins, and thirty
hanger-on of the wealthy, "one that would sell bishops, were banished to the greater Oasis, or
himself,'? according to Gregory, " for a cake." He elsewhere: several of the bishops died in the
obtained an appointment connected with the place of exile, or on the way. Athanasius, howsupply of bacon to the army; but being detected ever, escaped, and remained in concealment till
in some unfaithfulness, was stripped of his charge George's death. George and his partisans refused
and his emoluments, and was glad to escape with- at first to give up to their friends for burial the
out bodily punishment. According to Gregory, he bodies of those who died, "sitting," says Theodoafterwards wandered from one city or province to ret, "like daemons about the tombs." His perseanother, till he was fixed at Alexandria, "where cutions led to a revolt. The Trinitarian party!oe ceased to wander, and began to do mischief." rose against him, and would have killed him. He
It is probable, however, that he held office as a re- escaped, however, and fled to the emperor; and
ceiver of some branch of the revenue at Constan- the Trinitarians re-occupied the churches. A notinople, having by bribery obtained the favour of tary was sent, apparently from Constantinople;
the eunuchs who had influence at the court of the orthodox were again expelled; the guilty were
Constantius II., the then reigning emperor. Atha- punished, and George returned, rendered more tynagius, who notices this appointment, calls him rannical by this vain attempt to resist him.
erauzeoip&yos, " a peculator; " but it is not clear While his bitter persecution of the orthodox was
whether he refers to his former official delinquency embittering the anger of that numerous party, his
or to some new offence. rapacity and subserviency to the court offended all.
Thus far it does not appear that George had even He suggested to Constantius to require a rent for all
professed to be a Christian: we have certainly no the buildings which had been erected at the public
intimation that he sustained any ecclesiastical cha- cost, and ministered to the emperor's cruelty, as
racter before his appointment to the see of Alexan- well as his rapacity, by accusing many Alexandrians
dria. Athanasius says it was reported at the time of disobedience to his orders. Mindful of his own
of his appointment that he had not been a Christian interest, he sought to obtain a monopoly of nitre
at all, but rather an idolator; and there is reason and of the marshes where the papyrus and other
to believe that Athanasius is right in charging him reeds grew, of the salterns, and of biers for the
with professing Christianity for interest sake. dead and the management of funerals in AlexanArianism waspatronised byConstantius,andGeorge dria. His luxury and arrogance tended further to
consequently becameazealousArian; and was. after increase the hatred entertained towards him. A
his appointment to Alexandria, concerned in assem- passage in Athanasius (De Synod. c. 12) gives some
bling theArian councils ofSeleuceia (A. nD. 359) and reason to think that sentence of deposition was
Constantinople (A. D. 360). According to Socrates pronounced against him at the Council of Seleuceia
and Sozomen, Gregory, whom the Arian party had (A. D. 359); but if so, it was not carried into
appointed to the see of Alexandria, vacant by the ex- effect.
pulsion ofAthanasius,had become unpopular, through The immediate cause of his downfal was his
the tumults and disasters to which his appointment persecution of the heathens. He had excited their
had led; and was at the same time regarded as fears by exclaiming at the view of a splendid