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bishop of [the] Novatians,[1] an eloquent man and a consummate philosopher. He concerned himself especially with dialectic, so that even Eunomios the heretic[2] often avoided dialogue with him. He did not have a simple life-style, but with the height of self-control he lived expensively, both habitually luxuriating in white garments and two or three times a day bathing at the public baths. And when once someone asked him, why, being a bishop, he bathed twice a day, he answered, because he could not manage a third time. At another time visiting the bishop Arsacius[3] out of respect, he was asked by one of Arsacius' followers why he wore a garment unsuitable for a bishop, and "Where is it written, that a man in priestly orders should wear white?" He said, "First you tell me where it is written that a bishop should wear a black garment." And when the questioner was puzzled about his reply, Sisinnios added, "But you will not be able to prove that a man in priestly orders should wear black; but even Solomon has advised me, saying, 'Let your cloaks be white.'[4] And the Savior in the Gospels appears wearing a white garment. Not only so, but he showed to his apostles Moses and Elijah both dressed in white."[5] He caused amazement by these and many other sayings. And when Leontios the bishop of Ankyra in Galatia, who had taken a church away from the Novatians, was visiting in Constantinople, Sisinnios went to him and begged him to give the church back. But he replied hotly and said, "You Novatians ought not have a church, since you take away repentance and shut off the loving-kindness of God."[6] But Sisinnios said, "Truly, no one repents like me." When [Leontios] asked in return, "How do you repent?" Sisinnios said, "That I visited you." When John the bishop said that a city cannot have two bishops, Sisinnios said, "It does not." When John became annoyed and said, "You see, because you want to be the only bishop?" And Sisinnios said, "I am not saying this, but that with you alone I am not a bishop, I who am [a bishop] for everyone else." But John said, "I will stop you from preaching, for you are a heretic." But Sisinnios wittily said, "But I will pay you, if you relieve me from such great toil." But John being softened said, "I will not stop you from preaching, if indeed speaking gives you distress." So witty was Sisinnios. He wrote many things, and in them he hunts for [clever] words. He impressed people more by speaking than by being read, for there was such grace in his countenance and his voice and his glance and in the whole movement of his body.

*sisi/nnios, *nauatianw=n e)pi/skopos, a)nh\r e)llo/gimos kai\ a)/kros filo/sofos. dialektikh=s de\ sfo/dra e)pemelei=to, w(s kai\ to\n *eu)no/mion to\n ai(retiko\n polla/kis au)tou= fugei=n th\n dia/lecin. th\n de\ di/aitan h)=n ou) lito/s, a)ll' e)n a)/kra| swfrosu/nh| polutelei= tau/th| e)ke/xrhto, trufw=n te e)n e)sqh=ti leukh=|, kai\ di\s th=s h(me/ras e)n loutroi=s dhmosi/ois louo/menos diete/lei. kai/ pote e)rome/nou au)to/n tinos, tou= xa/rin e)pi/skopos w)\n di\s lou/oito th=s h(me/ras: e)peidh\ to\ tri/ton ou) fqa/nei, a)pekri/nato. a)/llote de\ *)arsa/kion to\n e)pi/skopon kata\ timh\n o(rw=n h)rwth/qh u(po/ tinos tw=n peri\ *)arsa/kion, diati\ a)noi/keion e)pisko/pw| e)sqh=ta foroi/h, kai\ pou= ge/graptai, leuka\ to\n i(erwme/non a)mfie/nnusqai; o( de/, su\ pro/teron, e)/fh, ei)pe/, pou= ge/graptai, me/lainan e)sqh=ta forei=n to\n e)pi/skopon; tou= de\ e)rwth/santos e)n a)po/rw| genome/nou pro\s th\n a)nterw/thsin, e)ph/gagen o( *sisi/nnios: a)lla\ su\ me\n ou)k a)/n, e)/fh, dei=cai dunh/sh|, w(s dei= to\n i(erwme/non me/lainan a)mfie/nnusqai: e)moi\ de\ kai\ o( *solomw\n parh/|nese, le/gwn: e)/stwsa/n soi i(ma/tia leuka/. kai\ o( *swth\r e)n toi=s *eu)aggeli/ois fai/netai leukh=| e)sqh=ti xrhsa/menos. ou) mh\n a)lla\ *mwsh=n kai\ *)hli/an leukoforou=ntas toi=s a)posto/lois e)/deice. tau=ta kai\ a)/lla polla\ ei)pw\n e)qauma/sqh. *leonti/ou de\ tou= *)agku/ras th=s *galati/as e)pisko/pou *nauatianw=n e)kklhsi/an a)fairoume/nou kai\ th=| *kwnstanti/nou po/lei e)pidhmou=ntos, o( *sisi/nnios e)lqw\n par' au)to\n pareka/lei a)podou=nai th\n e)kklhsi/an. o( de\ qermw=s a)ph/nthse kai/ fhsin: u(mei=s oi( *nauatianoi\ ou)k o)fei/lete e)kklhsi/an e)/xein, th\n meta/noian a)nairou=ntes kai\ th\n filanqrwpi/an tou= qeou= a)poklei/ontes. o( de\ *sisi/nnios e)/fh: kai\ mh\n ou)dei\s ou(/tw metanoei= w(s e)gw/. tou= de\ pa/lin e)pa/gontos, pw=s metanoei=s; e)/fh o( *sisi/nnios, o(/ti se ei)=don. *)iwa/nnou de\ tou= e)pisko/pou le/gontos, o(/ti ou) du/natai po/lis du/o e)pisko/pous e)/xein, o( *sisi/nnios e)/fh, ou)de\ ga\r e)/xei. tou= de\ *)iwa/nnou xaleph/nantos kai\ fh/santos, o(ra=|s, o(/ti mo/nos ei)=nai bou/lei e)pi/skopos; kai\ o( *sisi/nnios, ou) tou=to, e)/fh, le/gw, a)ll' o(/ti e)gw\ para\ soi\ mo/nw| ou)/k ei)mi e)pi/skopos, o(\s toi=s a)/llois ei)mi/. o( de\ *)iwa/nnhs, a)ll' e)gw/ se, e)/fh, pau/sw prosomilei=n: ai(retiko\s ga\r u(pa/rxeis. o( de\ *sisi/nnios xarie/ntws: a)ll' e)gw/, e)/fh, kai\ misqou\s pare/cw, ei)/ ge thlikou/tou kama/tou a)palla/ceias. o( de\ *)iwa/nnhs diamalaxqei/s, a)ll' ou)k a)/n se, e)/fh, pau/sw tou= prosomilei=n e)gw/, ei)/ge o(/lws to\ le/gein lupei= se. ou(/tws h)=n xari/eis o( *sisi/nnios. polla\ de\ au)tw=| ge/graptai: leciqhrei= de\ e)n au)toi=s. le/gwn de\ ma=llon h)\ a)naginwsko/menos e)qauma/zeto: prosh=n ga\r au)tw=| xa/ris tw=| te prosw/pw| kai\ th=| fwnh=| kai\ tw=| ble/mmati kai\ th=| o(/lh| kinh/sei tou= sw/matos.

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