court there were eyes to spy, ears to eavesdrop and
tongues to betray, he practiced absolute reserve.
Furthermore, every time he conferred with Constance, he
deliberately took with him witnesses from among the
bishops whose sincerity he trusted – these were Hosius of
Cordova, Crispin of Padua, Protais of Milan and others.
Later on, circumstances proved how sagaciously he had
acted in this; for whenever there were any calumnies
about his conferences with the Emperor, he called to
witness those sincere and venerable men to discredit the
false talk.
One thing Athanasius could not master was his
aroused emotions whenever he uttered the name of
Alexandria, and his beloved Church there, betrayed into
the hands of a cruel intruder. He would burst into an
involuntary indignation whenever he pictured the trials
and tribulations of its people and the peril under which
they lived. It was the righteous indignation of a soul
passionately attached to a cause.
- Impressed by Athanasius and convinced of the
righteousness of his cause, Emperor Constance promised
to do his utmost for re-establishing the peace of the
Church. To keep his promise he immediately wrote a
letter to his brother Constantius making a strong plea for
this. Constantius had already become very tired of the
atmosphere of blood and strife in his Eastern Empire and
deeply desired to liberate himself of it, hence his brother's
letter found in him an attentive ear. The two Emperors
agreed to convoke another Council for the purpose, and
chose as its site the town of Sardika in Illyria, on the
borders of the two empires and the two Churches.^32
The idea of this Council at Sardika was welcomed
by all who really cared for the return of peace and