Peter Regains the Churches of Egypt

Those in every city who held the Nicene doctrine now began to take courage, and above all the people of Alexandria in Egypt. Peter had returned there from Rome with a letter from Damasus confirming the teachings of Nicaea and his own ordination, and he was installed as head of the churches in place of Lucius, who sailed away to Constantinople after he was thrown out. The emperor Valens, naturally enough, was so taken up with other affairs that he had no time to attend to these matters. He had no sooner arrived at Constantinople than he fell under the suspicion and hatred of the people. The barbarians were plundering Thrace, and were even advancing to the very suburbs and trying to attack the walls themselves, with no one to stop them. The city was angry at this idleness, and the people even accused the emperor of being a party to the barbarians’ attack, because he did not march out but kept putting off battle. At last, when he was present at the races in the Hippodrome, the people openly and loudly accused him of neglecting the affairs of the state, and demanded arms so that they could fight in their own defense. Valens, offended by these reproaches, at once set out on an expedition against the barbarians. But he threatened that on his return he would punish the people for their insolence, and also take vengeance on them for having once supported the usurper Procopius. [a]