Managing Financial Resources in Late Antiquity by Gerasimos Merianos & George Gotsis

Author:Gerasimos Merianos & George Gotsis
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan UK, London

Eusebius, Bishop of Pelusium

By the time of Isidore, it was usual for local Churches to possess substantial wealth, especially if they were situated in an economically advantageous position, like Pelusium . 45 This prosperity could attract the greediness of the wrong persons in the right positions, which appears to have been the case during the episcopate of Eusebius of Pelusium . Not only the bishop himself, but also members of the clergy, including certain oikonomoi, were involved in unbecoming practices and the plundering of the ecclesiastical finances . 46 In one of his epistles, Isidore eloquently describes the state of the Church, presumably in Pelusium . Church, he says, resembles a woman deprived of her former prosperity, now only left with insignia. She still has the jewellery boxes and chests, but riches have been taken away from her. This happened to the Church not because of the negligence of the one who adorned it for the first time, but because of the dishonesty of those who mismanaged its fortunes. 47 Bishop Eusebius and his minions shared the love for power, money and lavish living, but the tone was set by Eusebius’ ill conduct, he being the guiltiest of all, since he was solely responsible for maintaining the good order of his Church. 48 Isidore never misses an opportunity to censure him in a harsh and blunt way, covering a multitude of issues. Although his overall criticism seems liable to some suspicion of exaggeration, Pierre Évieux deems that Isidore’s censure most likely reflects reality. 49 In what follows we will deal with economic aspects of Eusebius and his minions’ misconduct, as portrayed by Isidore.

Eusebius sold the priesthood to anyone, especially to rich yet unworthy people, and this is after all how he became acquainted with some of his accomplices. 50 As his primary goal was the fulfilment of his personal ambitions, he did not hesitate to appropriate money that ought to have benefitted the poor. 51 Isidore warns him that “judgment will be without mercy to anyone who has shown no mercy” (Jas. 2:13). 52 The bishop was so uncharitable and greedy that he deprived the poor not only of the offerings of others but also of the goods that he administered as a bishop, although he was obliged to distribute them voluntarily. 53 A noteworthy charge that Isidore levels against him is that he was preoccupied with the building of a magnificent church that was nonetheless founded on actions of corruption and unlawfulness, such as simoniac sales. 54 Eusebius focused his activities on this goal, selling ordinations, squeezing out the poor, devouring what was intended for them, and so on. 55 Isidore stresses that the bishop did not discern the difference between the Ekklēsia (Church) and an ekklēsiastērion (church). As Isidore points out, Ekklēsia is the gathering of saints, assembled together by means of the right faith and an excellent way of life, while ekklēsiastērion is just the church building. The former is composed of unblemished souls, the latter is

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