The most important nomination ascribed to Acacius is that of Meletius at Antioch to replace Eudoxius.  The new bishop was a man of distinguished eloquence and undoubted piety, and further suited for a dangerous elevation by his peaceful temper and winning manners.  He was counted among the Homoeans, and they had placed him a year before in the room of Eustathius at Sebastia, so that his uncanonical translation to Antioch engaged him all the more to remain on friendly terms with them.  Such a man—­and of course Acacius was shrewd enough to see it—­would have been a tower of strength to them.  Unfortunately, for once Acacius was not all-powerful.  Some evil-disposed person put Constantius on demanding from the new bishop a sermon on the crucial text ’The Lord created me.’[13] Acacius, who preached first, evaded the test, but Meletius, as a man of honour, could not refuse to declare himself.  To the delight of the congregation, his doctrine proved decidedly Nicene.  It was a test for his hearers as well as for himself.  He carefully avoided technical terms, repudiated Marcellus, and repeatedly deprecated controversy on the ineffable mystery of the divine generation.  In a word, he followed closely the lines of the Sirmian creed; and his treatment by the Homoeans is a decisive proof of their insincerity.  The people applauded, but the courtiers were covered with shame.  There was nothing for it but to exile Meletius at once and appoint a new bishop.  This time they made sure of their man by choosing Euzoius, the old friend of Arius.  But the mischief was already done.  The old congregation of Leontius was broken up, and a new schism, more dangerous than the Eustathian, formed round Meletius.  Many jealousies still divided him from the Nicenes, but his bold confession was the first effective blow at the Homoean supremacy.

[Footnote 13:  Prov.  Viii. 21.  LXX. translation.]

[Sidenote:  Affairs in 361.]

The idea of conciliating Nicene support was not entirely given up.  Acacius remained on friendly terms with Meletius, and was still able to name Pelagius for the see of Laodicea.  But Euzoius was an avowed Arian; Eudoxius differed little from him, and only the remaining scruples of Constantius delayed the victory of the Anomoeans.

CHAPTER VI.

THE REIGN OF JULIAN.

[Sidenote:  Earlier life of Julian.]

Flavius Claudius Julianus was the son of Constantine’s half-brother, Julius Constantius, by his second wife, Basilina, a lady of the great Anician family.  He was born in 331, and lost his mother a few months later, while his father and other relations perished in the massacre which followed Constantine’s death.  Julian and his half-brother Gallus escaped the slaughter to be kept almost as prisoners of state, surrounded through their youth with spies and taught by hypocrites a repulsive Christianity.  Julian, however, had a literary education from his mother’s