E02729: Sozomen, in his Ecclesiastical History, mentions the shrine and monastery of the Apostles *Peter and *Paul (S00036 and S00008), founded by the patrician Rufinus (ob. 395), on his estate near Chalcedon (north-west Asia Minor, near Constantinople). In 403, it became the venue of the Council of the Oak, and resting place of the Egyptian ascetic *Ammonios (ascetic of Kellia, ob. 403, S01263), companion of the ascetic and bishop *Dioskoros (S01264), who was buried at the shrine of *Mokios (martyr of Byzantion, S01265) in Constantinople. Written in Greek at Constantinople, 439/450.

Sozomen, Ecclesiastical History, 8.17. 2-6

The events described concern the preparations of the so-called Council of the Oak, a gathering of bishops convoked in 403 under the bishop of Alexandria Theophilos, in order to depose John Chrysostom from the bishopric of Constantinople. Theophilos has arrived at Constantinople and meets enemies of John, in preparation for the council.

... ἐπεὶ δὲ πολλοὺς ἔγνω Ἰωάννῃ ἀπεχθάνεσθαι καὶ κατηγορεῖν ἑτοίμους, προδιαθεὶς τἆλλα, ᾗπερ αὐτῷ καλῶς ἔχειν ἐδόκει, ἧκεν εἰς Δρῦν. Χαλκηδόνος δὲ τοῦτο προάστειον, Ῥουφίνου τοῦ ὑπατικοῦ νῦν ἐπώνυμον, ἐν ᾧ βασίλειά ἐστι καὶ μεγίστη ἐκκλησία, ἣν αὐτὸς Ῥουφῖνος ἐπὶ τιμῇ Πέτρου καὶ Παύλου τῶν ἀποστόλων ἐδείματο καὶ ἀποστολεῖον ἐξ αὐτῶν ὠνόμασε· πλησίον δὲ μοναχοὺς συνῴκισεν οἳ τῆς ἐκκλησίας τὸν κλῆρον ἐπλήρουν. ἐνταῦθα δὲ συνελθὼν Θεόφιλος ἅμα τοῖς ἄλλοις ἐπισκόποις ἐνταῦθα δὲ συνελθὼν Θεόφιλος ἅμα τοῖς ἄλλοις ἐπισκόποις περὶ μὲν τῶν Ὠριγένους βιβλίων οὐδὲν ἐπεμνημόνευσε, τοὺς δὲ ἀπὸ Σκήτεως μοναχοὺς εἰς μετάνοιαν ἐκάλει, μήτε μνησικακεῖν μήτε κακῶς ποιεῖν ὑποσχόμενος. ἐπιβοώντων δὲ αὐτοῖς συγγνώμην αἰτεῖν τῶν Θεοφίλου σπουδαστῶν καὶ προσποιουμένων τὴν σύνοδον ἱκετεύειν ὑπὲρ αὐτῶν, ταραχθέντες οἱ μοναχοὶ καὶ τοῦτο χρῆναι ποιεῖν νομίσαντες πολλῶν ἐπισκόπων προκαθημένων—τοῦτο δὴ τὸ σύνηθες αὐτοῖς λέγειν κἂν ἀδικῶνται—«συγχώρησον» ἔφασαν. Θεοφίλου δὲ ἑτοίμως σπεισαμένου καὶ τὴν κοινωνίαν αὐτοῖς ἀποδόντος διελύθη τῶν περὶ Σκῆτιν ἀδικημάτων ἡ ἐξέτασις. ὅπερ οἶμαι οὐκ ἂν συνέβη, εἰ συμπαρῆσαν τοῖς ἄλλοις μοναχοῖς Διόσκορός τε καὶ Ἀμμώνιος. ὁ μὲν γὰρ ἤδη πρότερον τελευτήσας ἐτάφη ἐν τῇ Μωκίου τοῦ μάρτυρος ἐπωνύμῳ ἐκκλησίᾳ. Ἀμμώνιος δὲ ἔναγχος τῆς συνόδου παρασκευαζομένης ἐμαλακίσθη τὸ σῶμα· περαιωθεὶς δὲ εἰς Δρῦν χαλεπώτερον ὑπὸ τῆς νόσου διετέθη καὶ μετ’ οὐ πολὺ τελευτᾷ τὸν βίον· καὶ πρὸς τῶν πλησίον μοναχῶν, ἔνθα δὴ κεῖται, λαμπρᾶς ἠξιώθη ταφῆς.

‘... Once he [Theophilus of Alexandria] found out that many detested John and were ready to bring accusations against him, he arranged the rest as best as he judged, and went to Drys (‘the Oak’). This is a suburb of Chalcedon, nowadays called after the senator Rufinus, where there is a palace and a very large church which Rufinus himself built in honour of the apostles Peter and Paul, and styled it after them Apostoleion [= Shrine of the Apostles]. Next to it, he settled monks who served as the clergy of the church. Theophilus with the other bishops convened there, and talked no more about the books of Origen, but called the monks of Sketis to repentance, promising to hold no grudge against them, and do them no harm. The partisans of Theophilus joined in pressing them to seek pardon, pretending that the whole council was imploring for them. Thus the monks were dismayed and, regarding it as their duty to yield to such a large body of bishops convened together, they said “forgive us”, which is what they say habitually, even when they are wronged. Thus Theophilus readily reconciled himself with them and granted them communion, and the case concerning the grievances of the monks of Sketis was dropped. I believe, though, that this would not have happened, had Dioskoros and Ammonios been together with the other monks. The former had died some time earlier, and was interred at the church dedicated to Mokios the martyr. As for Ammonios, he had fallen ill a short while before, while preparations were being made for the council. When he crossed the sea to the Oak, he was severely afflicted by his malady and, not long after, he reached the end of his life. He was honoured with a splendid burial by the monks of the place, and there he still rests.’

Text: Bidez and Hansen 1995. Translation: Efthymios Rizos.