The Character and Age of the Bishops

Of these ministers of God, some stood out for wisdom and eloquence, others for the seriousness of their lives and for patient strength of character, while still others combined all these gifts in themselves. Some among them were men whose years called for reverence; others were younger and in the prime of their mental powers; and some had only recently begun the course of their ministry. By the emperor’s order, plentiful provisions were supplied every day for the support of them all. [a]