defend the Faith. Taking along with him fifty of his
bishops, he quietly sailed for Constantinople.^21
- Abba Athanasius arrived at Constantinople without
warning. One day, as the Emperor was riding through the
city, a man in sacerdotal clothes intercepted his path. Not
recognising him at first, and piqued by his audacity, the
Emperor was about to turn away from him when
Athanasius declared to him in a clear emphatic voice and
with complete equanimity, "God is the Judge between you
and me". The voice and the manner struck a vibrant note
in the Emperor's conscience, who immediately recognised
the speaker to be Athanasius. He invited him to his
palace, and right away sent a letter to the bishops at the
Council of Tyre to come and meet him in
Constantinople.^22
Receiving the letter, the bishops realised that if
they faced Athanasius before Constantine, they would be
discountenanced. To counteract that eventuality, they
forged an accusation against Athanasius to the effect that
he had aroused the Egyptians to disobedience and thus
prevented the corn destined fox Constantinople from
being sent to it. - Although the accusation had nothing to do with
the purpose of the Council, yet it was a serious one since
the imperial capital relied on the Egyptian corn for its
subsistence. When Athanasius replied to it by saying that
this was a matter administered by the civil authorities and
he had nothing to do with it, he was answered by being
told that his influence had become so great that he could
easily sway the authorities whichever way he chose.
Although the Emperor was not really convinced of
the accusation brought against the Alexandrian Pope, he