The Life of Porphyry of Gaza (BHG3 1570) is a hagiographical text of the protobyzantine period, a major source for the Christianization of Late Antique Gaza, whose author purports to be Mark the Deacon, Porphyry’s disciple. Written after the saint’s death in 420, the plagiarism of Theodoret of Cyrrhus’s Philotheos History obliges us to date the current form of the Vita not earlier than 444. Porphyry plays a major role in the Christianization of the city of Gaza, which was still a pagan fortress in 395, when he was appointed bishop. In the frame of his struggle against pagan cults, he organizes two missions to Constantinople, aiming in gaining the imperial support for the destruction of Gaza’s temples. These two voyages, especially the second one, occupy a substantial part in Mark’s narrative. John Chrysostom, who was at that time the archbishop of Constantinople, is present at both visits to the capital and contributes to the accomplishment of Porphyry’s goal. During the first embassy to Constantinople, Chrysostom is powerful enough to support Porphyry’s aim, whereas during the second one, due to his quarrel with Eudoxia, he in no longer in position to help. In this paper, we will deal with the role that John Chrysostom plays in Mark’s narrative, as well as with every detail that the Vita provides concerning his conflict with the empress. This study will allow us to form some hypotheses concerning the milieu from which the Vita derives and the author’s position regarding this famous quarrel.
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