reigns,  both  parties  had  had,  at  any  rate,  one  common
ground,  in  the  destruction  or  conversion  to  Christian
uses  of  all  temples  and  other  monuments  of  polytheism,
and  they  could  exercise  themselves  in  this  work  with-
out any  fear  of  drawing  down  upon  their  heads  the
displeasure  of  the  government.  But  now  the  followers
of  the  older  religions  had  the  emperor  on  their  side,
and  they  proceeded  to  take  their  revenge.  They  pre-
ferred formal  complaints  against  Artemius,  the  military
commander  in  Egypt,  and  George,  the  bishop  ;  and,
though  Julian  refused  to  see  a  deputation  whidi  came
to  Constantinople  to  bear  these  complaints,  he  sum-
moned Artemius  before  him,  and  condemned  him  to
death,  seemingly  for  misuse  of  his  authority.  As  soon
as  the  news  of  his  execution  reached  Alexandria,  the
mob  rose  and  attacked  George,  against  whom  they  had
been  cherishing  a  grudge,  as  well  for  a  proposal  made
by  him  to  the  late  emperor  that  a  special  house  tax
should  be  laid  on  Alexandria,  as  for  destroying  their
temples  ;  they  murdered  him  in  the  street,  and  with
him  Dracontius  the  imperial  treasurer,  and  Diodorus,
a  count. <^245)

13.  These  acts  of  violence  were  tacitly  approved  by
the  government,  though  the  emperor  wrote  to  say  that
if  there  should  be  similar  outrages  again  perpetrated,
he  would  punish  the  offenders.  But  it  is  probable  that
they  were  as  much  the  work  of  the  Athanasian  faction
as  of  the  pagans,  or  at  any  rate  of  the  mob,  who  held  no
particular  opinions,  and  were  ready  to  support  the
party  who  were  most  violent  at  the  moment.  At  any
rate,  Athanasius  forthwith  reappeared  in  triumph  ;  and
though  Julian  first  published  an  edict  expelling  him
from  Alexandria,  as  one  who  had  been  banished  and
had  returned  without  permission,  and  subsequently
wrote  threatening  to  fine  the  prefect  if  Athanasius  were
found  in  Egypt,  he  does  not  appear  to  have  left  the
capital,  but  to  have  enjoyed  sufficient  security  in  the
homes  of  his  followers.^-^'^)


ENLISTMENT  OF  MONKS  IN  ARMY  93

JOVIAN  US.
