The Statues Thrown Down at Antioch

At this time, because of the needs of war, the officials responsible thought it best to impose more than the usual taxes. For this reason the common people of Antioch in Syria rose in revolt. The statues of the emperor and the empress were thrown down and dragged with ropes through the city, and, as usually happens on such occasions, the enraged crowd shouted every insult that passion could suggest. The emperor resolved to avenge this insult by putting many of the citizens of Antioch to death. At the mere announcement the people were struck dumb. The citizens’ rage had died down and given way to repentance. As if they were already suffering the threatened punishment, they gave themselves up to groans and tears, begged God to turn away the emperor’s anger, and used mournful hymns in their litanies. [a]

They sent Flavian, their bishop, on an embassy to Theodosius. When he arrived and found that the emperor’s resentment at what had happened had not lessened, he used the following device. He had some young men who were used to singing at the emperor’s table sing these hymns with the litanies of the people of Antioch. It is said that the emperor’s humanity was stirred. He was overcome with pity at once; his anger was subdued, and as his heart went out to the city, he shed tears onto the cup he was holding in his hand.

It is reported that on the night before the uprising broke out, an apparition was seen in the form of a woman of enormous height and terrifying appearance, pacing through the streets of the city and lashing the air with a harsh-sounding whip, like the one used to drive on the beasts brought out in the public theaters. From this it might be gathered that the uprising was stirred up by the work of some evil and malicious demon. There is no doubt that much blood would have been shed if the emperor’s anger had not been stayed by his respect for this priestly plea.