E05078: Evagrius Scholasticus in his Ecclesiastical History reports how a panel painting of *Mary (Mother of Christ, S00033) at a prison in Antioch turned around when the crypto-pagan official Anatolius resorted to it as a supplicant in c. 579. Dream visions of Mary are reported to have also condemned Anatolius and presaged his fall. Written in Greek at Antioch (Syria), 593/594.

Evagrius Scholasticus, Ecclesiastical History, 5.18

Anatolius was an official in Antioch, who was caught sacrificing, but managed to escape arrest by bribing the governor of the East. The people of Antioch revolted against him and the matter became known to the emperor Tiberius II Constantine.

5.18.20-35 [……] Καὶ τοσοῦτον ἤρθη τὰ τῆς ὑπονοίας, ὡς καὶ βασιλέα Τιβέριον ζητῆσαι τὴν ἀλήθειαν διὰ τῆς Ἀνατολίου φωνῆς ἐκμαθεῖν. Κελεύει δ’ οὖν καὶ Ἀνατόλιον καὶ τοὺς ἀμφ’ αὐτὸν τὴν βασιλέως τάχιστα καταλαβεῖν. Ἅπερ ἐγνωκὼς ὁ Ἀνατόλιος, ἐπί τινος εἰκόνος τῆς θεοτόκου κατὰ τὴν εἱρκτὴν καλωδίῳ αἰωρημένης ἐκδραμὼν καὶ ὀπίσω τὼ χέρε περιστρέψας, τὸν ἱκετεύοντα καὶ δεόμενον ἀπήγγειλεν. Ἡ δὲ μυσαχθεῖσα καὶ τὸν ἐναγῆ καὶ θεομισῆ διελέγχουσα, τέλεον ἐκ τοὔμπαλιν μετεστράφη, θαῦμα φρικῶδες καὶ τῆς εἰς ἀεὶ μνήμης ἄξιον. Ὅπερ ὑπὸ πάντων τῶν τε ἐμφρουρίων τῶν τε αὖ τὴν φυλακὴν αὐτοῦ καὶ τῶν ἀμφ’ αὐτὸν πεπιστευμένων ὁραθὲν τοῖς πᾶσι διηγγέλθη. Ὡράθη δὲ καὶ ὕπαρ τισὶ τῶν πιστῶν, παροτρύνουσα κατὰ τοῦ ἀλάστορος φάσκουσά τε τῷ αὐτῆς υἱῷ τὸν Ἀνατόλιον ἐνυβρίσαι.

'[……] The suspicion was raised to such an extent that even the emperor Tiberius desired to learn the truth from the mouth of Anatolius, and so he ordered that Anatolius and his associates should come as quickly as possible to the emperor’s city. When Anatolius learnt this, he rushed to an icon of the Mother of God which was hanging in the prison by a small cord and, clasping his hands behind, declared that he was a suppliant and petitioner. But She, in loathing, convicted the polluted God-hating man and turned Herself completely the opposite way round, a dreadful wonder and one worthy of remembrance for ever. This was seen by all the prisoners, as well as by those entrusted with the custody of him and his associates, and it was reported to everyone. She was also seen in a dream by some of the faithful, inciting them against the miscreant and stating that Anatolius insulted Her Son.'


Anatolius is taken to Constantinople and condemned to be devoured by beasts in the amphitheatre.

5. 18. 59-66 [……] Ἦν δέ τις τῶν παρ’ ἡμῖν ὃς καὶ πρὶν ταῦτα γενέσθαι ἔλεγε καθ’ ὕπνους ἰδεῖν ὡς ἡ κατὰ Ἀνατολίου ψῆφος καὶ τῶν ἀμφ’ αὐτὸν τῷ δήμῳ ἐδόθη. Καὶ μέγας δὲ εἷς τῶν βασιλικῶν οἰκιῶν προεστὼς ἰσχυρῶς μάλα τοῦ Ἀνατολίου ὑπερασπίζων εἰρήκει θεάσασθαι τὴν θεοτόκον λέγουσαν, μέχρι τίνος ἀντέχῃ Ἀνατολίου, οὕτως εἰς αὐτήν τε καὶ τὸν αὐτῆς παῖδα ἐνυβρίσαντος. Καὶ ταῦτα μὲν ἔληξεν ὧδε.

'[……] There was one of our number who, even before these things happened, said that he saw in dreams that the verdict against Anatolius and his associates had been granted to the populace. And a great man who was in control of the royal households and who was a particularly vigourous supporter of Anatolius, had said that he saw the Mother of God saying for how long would he support Anatolius, who had so insulted Herself and Her Son. And these things ended thus.'

Text: Bidez, Parmentier 2014. Translation: Whitby 2010.