The Fall of Ioannes Chrysostomus: Religion and Politics in the Capital of the Eastern Roman Empire

Abstract

Ioannes Chrysostomus was ordained as the bishop of Constantinopolis with the full support of the court bureacracy in AD. 397. However, in a short time after the ordination he was at trial before an episcopal synod organised by the imperial back up. How this had happened? This paper attempts to explore the reasons behind the fall of Chrysostomus. My suggestions for the bishop's fall are as follows: a- As Chrysostomus was a reformist figure, his attempts to redesign the church of Constantinopolis and its dependent institutions created problems. b- The increasing power of Chrysostomus frightened the bureacracy because the bishop had played an important intermediary. c- The aim of Chrysostomus to remodel the society of the capital in the ideal Christian manner led to the reaction among the upper class women. d- Chrysostomus' relationships with the western church increased the tension in the eastern capital, where the court was careful to avoid any western intervention. Also the diplomacy between Alexandria and Constantinopolis worked at the expense of Chrysostomus.