E02540: John Chrysostom, in his homily Against Games and Theatres, of 399, tells how the city sought the help of the Apostles *Peter (S00036), *Andrew (S00288), *Paul (S00008), and *Timothy (S00466), at the shrine of the Holy Apostles in Constantinople, after damaging rainfall; he also mentions a feast of thanksgiving, when the rains abated, held at a shrine of the Apostles Peter and Paul across the sea, probably the shrine of Rufinianae. Written in Greek at Constantinople.

John Chrysostom, Against Games and Theatres (CPG 4441.7)

The author reproaches his congregation for attending games at the hippodrome on a Good Friday.

Section 1. Col. 264-265
Τί δὲ ἐροῦμεν; ἢ τί ἀπολογησόμεθα, εἰ ξένος τίς ποθεν ἐπιστὰς ἐγκαλοίη καὶ λέγοι· Ταῦτα ἡ πόλις τῶν ἀποστόλων; ταῦτα ἡ τοιοῦτον λαβοῦσα ὑποφήτην; ταῦτα ὁ δῆμος ὁ φιλόχριστος, τὸ θέατρον τὸ ἄπλαστον, τὸ πνευματικόν; [………] Πῶς δυνησόμεθα τὸν Θεὸν λοιπὸν ἵλεω ποιῆσαι; πῶς καταλλάξαι ὀργιζόμενον; Πρὸ τριῶν ἡμερῶν ἐπομβρία καὶ ὑετὸς κατεῤῥήγνυτο πάντα παρασύρων, ἀπ’ αὐτοῦ τοῦ στόματος, ὡς εἰπεῖν, τὴν τράπεζαν τῶν γηπόνων ἀφαρπάζων, στάχυας κομῶντας κατακλίνων, τὰ ἄλλα ἅπαντα τῇ πλεονεξίᾳ τῆς ὑγρᾶς κατασήπων οὐσίας· λιτανεῖαι καὶ ἱκετηρίαι, καὶ πᾶσα ἡμῶν ἡ πόλις ὥσπερ χείμαῤῥος ἐπὶ τοὺς τόπους τῶν ἀποστόλων ἔτρεχε, καὶ συνηγόρους ἐλαμβάνομεν τὸν ἅγιον Πέτρον καὶ τὸν μακάριον Ἀνδρέαν, τὴν ξυνωρίδα τῶν ἀποστόλων, Παῦλον καὶ Τιμόθεον. Μετ’ ἐκεῖνα, τῆς ὀργῆς λυθείσης, καὶ πέλαγος περάσαντες, καὶ κυμάτων κατατολμήσαντες, ἐπὶ τοὺς κορυφαίους ἐτρέχομεν, τὸν Πέτρον τὴν κρηπῖδα τῆς πίστεως, τὸν Παῦλον τὸ σκεῦος τῆς ἐκλογῆς, πανήγυριν ἐπιτελοῦντες πνευματικὴν, καὶ τοὺς ἄθλους αὐτῶν ἀνακηρύττοντες, τὰ τρόπαια καὶ τὰς νίκας τὰς κατὰ τῶν δαιμόνων. [………]

‘What shall we say? Or how shall we justify ourselves, if some stranger comes from somewhere and reproaches us saying: ‘Is this how the city of the Apostles behaves? The one that has received such a great teacher? The people who love Christ, the innocent congregation, the spiritual one?’ [………] How shall we be able to placate God in the future? How shall we propitiate Him in his wrath? Three days ago, rain and heavy showers broke, sweeping away everything, snatching the table of food from the mouth, as it were, of the farmers, flattening the ripe corn, and making everything else rot by the excess of humidity. There were litanies and services of supplication, and our entire city hastened like a torrent to the places of the apostles, and we invoked as advocates the holy Peter, and the blessed Andrew, this pair of Apostles, and Paul and Timothy. After that, when divine anger was quenched, we crossed the sea, daring the waves, and hastened to the chief Apostles, Peter, the fundament of the faith, and Paul, the vessel of election (Acts 9.15), celebrating a spiritual festival, proclaiming their struggles, trophies, and victories over the demons.’

Text: Migne 1862. Translation: Efthymios Rizos.