found a lax clergy, so his first task as archbishop was to reform the presbyterate. John desired to live a simple eremetical life as archbishop, but that caused friction with the wealthy Christians of Constantinople, who expected their archbishop to host lavish parties for their entertainment. The archbishop exhorted the rich to forgo their extravagant lifestyle (he mocked their use of silver chamber pots) in order to help the poor. John’s preaching lost the support of many powerful and influential Christians in the city. John also preached against the vanity of women and their extravagant dress. Many believed this was directed at the empress Eudoxia, who was known for her ostentatious lifestyle. Eudoxia and her ecclesial supporters held a synod (known as the Synod of the Oak) wherein they persuaded Emperor Arcadius (r. 395–408) to depose and banish the archbishop. When news of John’s exile reached the people, they disagreed so vehemently that the empress fearfully ordered John’s return. The beloved archbishop cautiously returned to the city and continued his preaching. A few months later, a silver statue of Eudoxia was erected near the cathedral and the attendant celebrations caused a commotion. John complained about the situation to the prefect of the city, who in turn informed the empress the archbishop was unhappy with the celebrations. Eudoxia used the opportunity to get rid of John, convincing Arcadius to exile the archbishop once more. This time, John was sent to exile in the farthest regions of the Empire, attended by a vicious guard, who mistreated him during the long journey. Eventually, the experience was too much for the aged archbishop. John died in the year 407, giving glory to God with his dying breath.
John’s preaching earned him the moniker “Golden-Mouthed,” or “Chrysostom.” His sermons were popular with the common people because he concentrated on practical, everyday matters, and provided guidance on how to live the Christian faith daily. His sermon topics included conducting transactions in the marketplace in accordance with the Church’s moral teachings, utilizing monetary blessings for the good of others, avoiding vanity, and living a holy Christian marriage. John urged husbands to love their wives and encouraged young men to choose a spouse wisely: “Love based on physical beauty belong[s] to unchaste souls. Seek instead for beauty of soul. Do you not see how many, after living with beautiful wives, have ended their lives pitiably, and how many, who have lived with those of no great beauty, have run on to extreme old age with great enjoyment.”91 Saint John Chrysostom’s preaching ensured that his fame and sanctity would be recognized in the Church for centuries.
The Irascible Translator
Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus (342–420) was born in Dalmatia to a Christian family. He was a well-educated young man who lived a worldly lifestyle, which, no doubt, caused consternation for his parents. Eventually, the young man known to history as Jerome was baptized in Rome in 360. A brilliant student, Jerome turned his attention to studying theology, which he undertook with vigor. After a few years in Rome, he traveled east and settled in Antioch for five years, living an ascetical life as a hermit in the desert. During this time, he was ordained to the priesthood. He left the ancient Christian city and spent time in Constantinople. During his sojourn in the east, he met some of the leading theologians of the day, including Gregory Nazianzen and Gregory of Nyssa. Jerome’s theological mind and intellectual skills drew the attention of Pope Saint Damasus I (r. 366–384), who appointed him papal secretary. Jerome’s studies continued, and he learned Greek and Hebrew. Damasus asked Jerome to utilize his language skills in undertaking the translation of the Scripture into the language of the people, which was Latin.92 Jerome began work on the audacious project in 382. Two years later, he published a translated version of the Gospels. A few years later, Jerome began the translation of the Old Testament books. Jerome’s work became known as the Vulgate edition of the Bible, which has been the standard text of Scripture from the sixth century to the modern day.
When Pope Damasus died, the situation in Rome became untenable for Jerome, who had many enemies in the Eternal City. Jerome’s anger-management problem, and unapologetic manner of speaking and writing, were well known. When the Roman lawyer Helvidius argued that the Blessed Mother gave birth to additional children after Jesus, Jerome wrote an eviscerating response: “To defend his position, [Helvidius] piles up text upon text, waves his sword like a blindfolded gladiator, rattles his noisy tongue, and ends by wounding no one but himself.”93 Jerome also criticized high profile members of the Church. When Ambrose the civilian was acclaimed bishop of Milan, Jerome penned his disgust: “[A] catechumen today becomes a bishop tomorrow; yesterday at the amphitheater, today in the church; in the evening at the circus, in the morning at the altar; a little time ago patron of actors, now dedicator of virgins.”94 Without his papal patron, Jerome left Rome and settled in Bethlehem, living in a monastery near a convent established by two female friends, Paula and her daughter Eustochium. Jerome spent the remainder of his days practicing asceticism. Despite his irascible nature, Jerome performed an admirable task in translating the Scriptures into Latin and providing the Church with a standard edition of the Word of God. Jerome’s writings illustrate his filial obedience to the bishop of Rome and provide additional evidence of the early Christians’ belief in Petrine primacy. He wrote, “I know that on this rock [Saint Peter’s See] the Church is built” and “I am with whoever is united to the teaching of Saint Peter.”95
The Sack of Rome
Germanic tribes east of the Rhine desired admittance into the Roman Empire due to the economic advantages and security found within the imperial borders; over the centuries, Roman policy allowed for their entry in exchange for military service. In the late fourth century, an ethnically German warrior (Roman by birth) commanded a Roman auxiliary force at the Battle of the Frigid River. At the end of the first day of battle, the commander, Alaric (d. 410), had lost nearly half his men in the fighting, and was upset that his forces had been used in a manner that limited the casualties of the regular Roman forces. Like other auxiliary commanders before him, Alaric desired a regular Roman military commission, along with the title Magister Militum (Master of Soldiers) in recognition of his service to Rome. When the emperor denied his request, Alaric left the army and went east to raid. Alaric returned to the western half of the Empire in the early fifth century and marched on Rome with an army of thirty thousand warriors.96 When Alaric captured Rome’s port city Ostia, a delegation from Rome appeared in his camp, asking for terms. Alaric told the delegates that he required all movable wealth in the city and the return of all Germanic slaves held in Rome. One of the ambassadors, aghast at the terms, asked Alaric what he intended to leave the Romans with. Alaric responded, “Your lives.”97 The delegation returned to the city with Alaric’s terms, but the Senate countered with an offer of 5,000 pounds of gold, 30,000 pounds of silver, 4,000 silk tunics, 3,000 scarlet hides, and 3,000 pounds of black pepper.98 The counteroffer did not change Alaric’s mind. He unleashed his troops to rampage, pillage, and murder within the city for three days. Interestingly, Alaric gave strict orders for his troops not to destroy churches or hurt the clergy in the city, which they obeyed.99 Rome had not been sacked in eight hundred years — its destruction caused Saint Jerome to weep when news of the calamity reached him in Bethlehem. Distraught, the Church Father wrote, “In one city the whole world has perished” and questioned, “If Rome can perish, what can be safe?”100 The news of Rome’s sacking was so upsetting that some wondered whether the end of the world was at hand. Others remarked that the city never suffered such indignity when the pagan gods were honored, and blamed the disaster on the Christians. This opinion gained traction in the Empire, but one man stood up to answer that claim.
The Greatest Pagan Convert
The son born to Patricius and Monica on November 13, 354, in the town of Thagaste in Roman Numidia (modern-day Algeria) would become known as one of the most distinguished theologians, spiritual writers, and saints in Church history. Monica, a Christian, prayed fervently for her husband, two sons, and daughter to embrace the Faith. Her son Augustine was “intellectually precocious, with the temperament of the artist, and all the frank sensuality of the pagan.”101 As a young man, Augustine lived an immoral life, which caused his mother much pain. His father died when he was sixteen, but not before Monica’s prayers had been
