Theophilus Flees, and the Death of Nilammon

Theophilus would gladly have brought a charge against John, on the plea that he had restored himself to his bishopric unlawfully. But he was held back by fear of offending the emperor, who had been compelled to recall John as the means of putting down the popular uprising. Theophilus did, however, receive an accusation against Heraclides while the accused was absent, hoping by this to give authority to the sentence of condemnation that had been passed against John. But Heraclides’s friends intervened and declared that it was unjust, and contrary to the law of the church, to condemn someone who was absent. Theophilus and his supporters argued the opposite. The people of Alexandria and of Egypt took their side, and the citizens of Constantinople opposed them. The strife between the two parties grew so violent that blood was shed; many were wounded, and others were killed in the fighting. Severian, and all the bishops at Constantinople who did not support John’s cause, became afraid for their own safety and left the city in haste. [a]

Theophilus too fled the city at the beginning of winter, and sailed for Alexandria with Isaac the monk. A wind arose and drove the ship to Gera, a small city about six miles from Pelusium. The bishop of this city had died, and the inhabitants, I have been told, elected Nilammon to preside over their church. He was a good man, who had reached the summit of the monastic philosophy. He lived outside the city in a cell whose door was walled up with stones. He refused to accept the dignity of the priesthood, and so Theophilus visited him in person to urge him to receive ordination at his hands. Nilammon refused the honor again and again; but since Theophilus would take no refusal, he said to him: “Tomorrow, my father, you will do as you please. Today I must set my affairs in order.” Theophilus went to the monk’s cell the next day and ordered the door to be opened. But Nilammon called out, “Let us first pray.” Theophilus agreed and began to pray. Nilammon prayed as well, inside his cell, and in the act of prayer he died. Theophilus and those standing with him outside the cell knew nothing at the time of what had happened. But when the greater part of the day had passed, and Nilammon had been called by name again and again without answering, the stones were removed from the door, and the monk was found dead. They honored him with a public burial after clothing him in the proper vestments, and the inhabitants built a house of prayer around his tomb. They keep the day of his death with great solemnity to this day. So died Nilammon, if it can be called death to leave this life for another, rather than accept a bishopric of which, in his extraordinary modesty, he thought himself unworthy.

After his return to Constantinople, John seemed to be loved by the people more than ever. Sixty bishops gathered in that city and annulled all the decrees of the council of “The Oak.” They confirmed John in possession of the bishopric, and decreed that he should officiate as a priest, confer ordination, and carry out all the duties of the church that usually fall to the one who presides. At this time Serapion was appointed bishop of Heraclea in Thrace.