Bishop of Constantinople after Arsacius, the one who presided by proxy of [John] Chrysostom;[1] his descent was from Sebasteia of [= in] Armenia,[2] and from youth he was taught to philosophize by a monk of the Macedonian sect. Then they were prominent in philosophy all through Sebasteia from their company with Eustathius, who we know was the bishop there and leader of the best monks. And when he reached manhood he was converted to the catholic church. He was sensible more by nature than by education and became acquainted with moral duties, sufficient to plan and to stand fast in his plans, attractive in his character so that he was agreeable to many, mediocre in his discourses for the church so that those who heard did not consider them necessary to write down, nor were they completely without their share of education. For being of good taste, if the opportunity arose, he practiced on the most esteemed historians among the Greeks. Because he seemed to be an ordinary person, when he held discourse about these things, he often was overlooked by those who were knowledgeable. He was said to have been zealous towards those who were likeminded, but fearsome to those who held other opinions. And easily whenever he wished he inspired fear in these men, and then changing again he appeared gentle. And so they say he was this sort of man.
This man Atticus after being educated was pious and sensible, so it was agreed to bestow the churches upon him for the most part. For not only did he train the those of the household of faith, but he also beat down the heretics with his knowledge; and he did not prefer to maltreat them in any way, but frightened them and again became meek. But he was not neglectful of letters, for he labored over the lectures of the ancients and spent his nights studying them; wherefore he was not recognized by the sophistic philosophers.[3] He was gracious and attractive to those he met and he grieved along with those who were distressed, and, after the example of the Apostle, he became all things to all men. And when he was an old man, he learned and labored at the words which he taught to the churches; but later on, along with his diligence being possessed also of a certain frankness, he taught even the most solemn things extempore, and saying farewell to the study of grammar he turned to the ascetic life.[4] For these were not the sort of words as to be respected by the hearers or committed to writing.