DE VITA S. JOANNIS CHRYSOSTOMI A NOBIS ADORNATA.
Nothing is more conducive to an accurate account of the life of St. John Chrysostom than his own works, where countless details occur which are not mentioned by other writers. A Palladius also, in his historical Dialogue, provides not a few items that one would seek in vain elsewhere. To these must be added Socrates, Sozomen, and Theodoret, as well as Photius, especially regarding those matters which pertain to the Synod at the Oak. From other sources also we can glean certain facts regarding the same subject. Making use of these authorities, Hermantius wrote his Life in the common French tongue, and he far surpassed all writers of a later age who had fashioned a Life of Chrysostom in both accuracy and diligence. But after him, that illustrious man superior to all exception, Tillemont, as he described the life of other saints with the greatest zeal and labor, so in the life of so great a teacher he neglected nothing of those things which could bring any weight to a work of this kind. But if any difficulty arises in the recounting of his deeds, he explains everything minutely in his notes placed at the end of the book, so that he might not appear to have omitted anything. I have mainly used this writer when either the words or the deeds of Chrysostom carry with them some obscurity, which certainly happens for the most part; yet I confess that I have not always embraced the opinion of so great a man: B in some matters I have found that he had strayed from the right path. For since I have spent much more time in reading, translating into Latin, and investigating the works of Chrysostom than he did, I discovered certain matters in which he had strayed from the correct track, either in the calculation of time or in the sequence of events; and on this account I have sometimes warned the reader, while still preserving the respect owed to such a great man.
Because in this latest collection of the Works of Chrysostom there are many things which had never before seen the light; for this reason we have also gathered not a few hitherto unknown facts pertaining to the life of so great a doctor, especially from those eleven new Homilies printed in Volume XII, which contribute much to the history of that time, namely from the latter part of the year 398 up to the middle of the following year, 399: regarding which period of time some most worthy and hitherto unknown facts are related in these homilies, which you would seek in vain among other writers. All these things, in the Life of the Doctor which we provide, you will find accurately recorded in writing, as far as we have been able.
LIFE OF S. JOHN CHRYSOSTOM,
ARCHIEPISCOPI CONSTANTINOPOLITANI,
NOW FIRST PREPARED, AND AUGMENTED WITH MANY PREVIOUSLY UNKNOWN [WORKS], WHICH ARE EXCERPTED FROM TWELVE CONSTANTINOPOLITAN HOMILIES RECENTLY DISCOVERED.
John of Antioch was born to noble parents. His father was Master of the Soldiers of Syria, named Secundus; his mother was Anthusa (Pallad. Dial. p. 40). That the name of his father and mother was not only reported by George of Alexandria (Georg. Alex. p. 159), but also by Socrates (Socr. l. 6. c. 3). For which reason Canisius is rightly rejected (Canisius l. 2, p. 887), C who thinks our John was the son of that holy and vigorous woman Publia, who flourished under Julian the Apostate. Palladius relates that he had an elder sister, whose name he does not mention. He is also said to have had an aunt named Sabiniana, regarding whom more will be said at the year 405 (Pallad. His. Laus).
But George of Alexandria, who narrates that he was born of pagan parents, worshippers of idols, and that after John himself was baptized, both his father and mother embraced the Christian religion (Georg. Alex. p. 59. b. c.), is to be rejected. For John was baptized at 28 years of age. His father, however, died while John was still in the cradle: from the narration of his mother, it is clear that they were Christians before the birth of John. He is thought to have been born in the year 347 (De Sacerd. t. 1. col. 624, l. 23. et sqq. Cfr. t. 1. col. 601. l. 10. et sqq.). This is the opinion of Blondel, Hermant, and Tillemont. Those who say he lived only 52 years and two months must say he was born in the year 355: which would certainly fight against the true series and narrative of history; and from the notes of time which we provide below, it will be found to be in no way tenable.
His mother was twenty years old when her husband left her a widow with the tender John. But Anthusa, strengthened by the admonitions of the Apostle, although she was still young, abstained from a second marriage: she spared no effort in establishing and educating John; she neglected nothing that seemed opportune for his progress, both in liberal studies and Christian disciplines. The thing itself declared what a happy outcome this had. Yet she did not lay aside the care of her household; D indeed, she moderated everything in such a way that from her dowry and her own resources she might abundantly provide for the expenses of herself and her son, and keep the paternal wealth and all his goods intact for her son.