Some Good Bishops, Many Bad Ones

Συνόδου δὲ, τοῦ βασιλέως κατεπείγοντος, ἐν Μεδιολάνῳ γενομένης, ἐκ μὲν τῆς Ἕω ὀλιγοι παρεγένοντο· τῶν ἄλλων, ὡς εἰκὸς, ἢ διὰ νόσον, ἢ μακρὰν ὁδοιπορίαν παραιτησαμένων τὴν ἄφιξιν. Τῶν δὲ πρὸς Δύσιν, πλείους ἢ τριακόσιοι συνελέγησαν. Ἀξιούντων δὲ τῶν ἀπὸ τῆς Ἕω καταδικάζειν Ἀθανασίου, ὡς ἂν παντελῶς ἀπελαθείη τῆς Ἀλεξανδρείας, οἱ μὲν ἄλλοι, ἢ δέει, ἢ ἀπάτῃ, ἢ ἀγνοιᾳ τῶν ὄντων συνήνουν. Μόνοι δὲ, Διονύσιος ὁ Ἄλβας ἐπίσκοπος, Ἰταλίας δὲ ἤδε ἡ μητρόπολις, καὶ Εὐσέβιος ὁ Μαρκέλλων τῆς Λιγυρίας, Παυλῖνος ὁ Τριβέρεως, καὶ Ῥοδανὸς, και Λούκιφερ ἀνέκραγον, καὶ ἐμαρτυραντο μὴ χρῆναι ὡδι ῥᾳδίως καταδικάσαι Ἀθανασίου· μηδὲ γὰρ ἄχρι τούτου, εἰ γένοιτο, στήσεσθαι τὸ κακόν· χωρήσειν δὲ τὴν ἐπιβουλὴν καὶ κατ’ αὐτῶν τῶν ὀρθως περὶ Θεοῦ δεδογμένων· ἐπι καθαιρέσει τε τῆς ἐν Νικαίᾳ πίστεως ταῦτα σπουδάζεσθαι παρὰ τοῦ βασιλέως καὶ τῶν τὰ Ἀρείου φρονούντων. Καὶ οἱ μὲν, ὦδε παῥῥησιασάμενοι, ὑπερορίας φυγῇ κατεδικάσθησαν· σὺν τούτοις δὲ καὶ Ἳλάριος. Ἀληθῆ δὲ τοῦ ἐν Μεδιολάνῳ συλλόγου αἰτίαν εἶναι ἤν ἔλεγον, ἐπιστοῦτο ἡ ἀπόβασις. Οὐ πολλῷ γὰρ ὑστερον ἡ ἐν Ἀριμήνῳ καὶ Σελευκείᾳ σύνοδις συνελέγη, καὶ ἑκατέρα κατὰ τῶν ἐν Νικαίᾳ δεδογμένων νεωτερίζειν ἐπεχείρησεν, ὡς αὐτικα ἐπιδείξω.   Ἑρμείος Σωζομενός, Ἐκκλησιαστίκη Ἱστορία

A synod, by pressure from the Emperor Constantius, was held in Milan, which few of the eastern bishops attended; some, it seems, through illness, some because of the length of the journey, excused themselves. However almost three hundred of the western bishops did convene. The Easterners deemed Athanasius worthy to be condemned, that he be utterly driven from Alexandria; the others, either from fear, deceit, or ignorance, agreed with them. Only Dionysius, bishop of Alba, the metropolis of Italy, Eusebius of Vercella in Liguria, Paulinus of Treves, Rhodanus and Lucifer cried out against this. They declared that Athanasius should not to be condemned on such flimsy pretexts, for if this were to be the evil would persist and those who supported orthodox doctrines about God would be persecuted. They claimed that it was all thought up by the Emperor and the Arians from an eagerness to destroy the Nicene faith. They, for being so outspoken, were condemned by a decree of banishment, and Hilary was included among them. The true cause of the assembly at Milan was thus announced: the downfall of what was believed. For the synods at Ariminum and Seleucia held not long after were called to change the doctrines established at Nicea, as I shall soon show. Sozomen, Ecclesiastical History