Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1882-03-11
CYRIL AND HYPAT1A,


A short time ago we pointed out, in cor
rection of the Monitor, that Cyril of Alex
andria must be held responsible for the
atrocious murder of Hypatia, in the fifth
century, and that the said Cyril was in
fact an extremely bad man, and most
unfit subject for canonization. As the
Monitor has been foolish enough to deny
what every candid student of history
knows to be indubitable, we are placed un-
der the necessity of proving the truth of
our position, and trust that our readers
will bear with us while we show, from the
most respectable authorities, that Cyril of
Alexandria was all that the RECORD UNION
has declared him to be. In the first place
we find his friend, Isidore of Potassium,
reproaching him for his worldliness, his
arrogance, and his quarrelsome disposition,
before he had taken any considerable part
in public affairs. BE was an apt pupil OF
his uncle Theophilus, an arch prosecutor
and bigot. he gained the see of Alexan-
dria by disgraceful intrigues and the shame
less employment of lawless and turbu-
lent mob, and throughout his career he at
all times showed his readiness to adopt
force instead of argument, and the foulest
of foul measures on every occasion. Dean
Milman, in his History of Latin
Christianity" one of the most trust.
worthy, if not the most trustworthy
work extant on the subject, speaks Of
Cyril Of Alexandria as man In "whom
religion might seem to have infamed and
embittered, instead of allaying, the
worst passions of our nature, pride, am
bition, cruelty, rapacity y and in an
other place the same candid historian
observes that "Cyril of Alexandria, to
those who esteem the stern and uncom-
promising assertion Of certain Christian
tenets the one paramount Christian
virtue, may be the hero, even the saint ;
"but while ambition, intrigue, arrogance,
rapacity, and violence are prescribed as
unchristian means -barbarity, perseca-
ton, bloodshed as unholy and unevangelic
wickednesses-p osterity will condemn
"the orthodox Cyril as one of the worst Of
''heretics against the spirit of the Gospel.
g Who would not rather meet the judg-
"ment of the Divine Redeemer loaded
with the errors of Nestorius, rather than
with the barbarities of Cyril %
This is a plain enough Characterization
of Cyril, but indeed it would be difficult
to express too forcibly the detestation
with which that Infamous ecclesiastical
actions must ever fill all dispassionate and
candid minds. He began by prosecuting
and vilifying Chrysostom, who was his
superior in every Christian virtue. His
first official act was to prosecute and sup.
press the Noyatian, whose only offense
was that they were pure and peaceable in
their Christianity, whereas Cyril himself
was a natural bully and brawIer. He
next opened war against the Jews Of
Alexandria, and at the same time fell out
with the Project of Alexandria, Orestes.
To show his power at this time, however,
and his consequent responsibility, we
quote from Gibbou AT distance from
''t the Court, and at the head of an i'm.
"mense capital, the patriarch, as he was
"now styled, OF Alexandria, had gradu-
tally usurped the state and authority of a
"civil magistrate. The public and private
"charities of the city were managed by
"his direction his voice influenced or
"appeased the passions of the multitude
"his commands were blindly obeyed by
his numerous and fanatic paraboiant,
"familiarized in their daily Office with
"scenes OF death and the Projects of
Egypt were awed or provoked by the
temporal powers of these Christian
pontiffs. 1t is necessary to bear in
mind the extent of Cyril's power in order
to form correct judgn ent as to his re-
sponsibility for the murder of Hypatia,
The pretense that that crime grew
out of the attack on the Jews is fraudu.
lent. History shows that the attack
on the Jews had but the most indirect
relation to the murder. Cyril drove 49,
600 Jews out of Alexandria, and stole all
their property, on the plea that few hun.
dred Jews had killed some Christians in a
riot This was as if some tyrant should
give Oakland up to sack, and Danish
all the inhabitants, because few roughs
had committed disturbance.
The truth is that Cyril was personally
Jealous of the beautiful and wise Hypatia.
Her elequence had been contrasted with
his own turgid defamation, to the dis
paragement of the latter. She was also
the intimate friend of the Project Orestes,
between whom and Cyril fierce struggle
for the mastery had sprung up. He hated
both Orestes and Hypatia, and he was not
the man to hesitate long where he hated.
Among his followers could always be
counted band Of the Nitrian monks,
fierce and brutal class of wretches, fit
for the preparation of any crime, however
hideous. When, however, a band of these
Nitrian monks assaulted Orestes, on the
occasion of the stone-throwing by Ammo.
MUS, it is to be noted that one Peter
the Reader, an officer of Cyrils church,
and member of his personal staff, headed
the mob. The same fact is to be observed
upon the occasion of the murder of Hy-
patia. 1t was Peter the Reader, according
to the historian Socrates, who led the in.
fernal troop of murderers, and it was his
cowardly hand that first strsck down
the victim. Now when it is remembered
that Cyril had the ampless power at this
time; that his slightest wish was
obeyed byhi servile and bigoted followers !;
that his Church officer and personal subor.