A N IMPORTANT piece of evidence for the life and times of Kyros of Panopolis is a most unusual sermon which the ex-prefect gave on a Christmas Day in the 440' s before a hostile congregation. I Many observers have cited this sermon and used it to support their views concerning the personality and religious persuasion of Kyros; in addition, the interpretation one puts on this sermon and its reception by Kyros' audience has significant implications for any understanding of the nature of popular

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... ligious feeling in the mid-fifth century. Nevertheless, the remarkable character of this homily, and its wording in particular, have not received the close analysis they deserve. K yros, a poet of some repute, came to Constantinople from his native Egypt and used his literary ability and the patronage of the empress Eudokia to become praefectus urbi about 435 and praefectus praetorio by 439. 2 He held both offices simultaneously for about four years, but his career was ruined when Theodosius II accused him of being a pagan, removed him from power, and confiscated his property .a Whether paganism was really the issue is difficult to say, as 1 Two recent articles represent modern scholarship on Kyros: Alan Cameron, "Wander-ing Poets: A Literary Movement in Byzantine Egypt," Historia 14 (1965) 470-509, esp. 473-74 and 497-98, and Demetrios J. Constantelos, "Kyros Panopolites, Rebuilder of Constantinople," GRBS 12 (1971) 451-64. These two articles are complementary in their treatment of Kyros, as Cameron traces his literary milieu while Constante1os focuses on historical and religious questions. 2 On chronology see o. Seeck, "4i,\&OVLOC KIJpoc," RE 12 (1924) 188-90, and Constantelos, op.cit. (supra n.l) 452-53. 3 The sources represent at least two separate traditions concerning Kyros. One of these, quoted by the Paschal Chronicle, ed. B. G. Niebuhr (CSHB, Bonn 1832) 588-89 (=ed. C. Muller, FGH IV [Paris 1868] 73), and echoed by Malalas, Theophanes and the Suda, is derived from Priskos of Panion, who was a younger contemporary of Kyros. The other is the Vita S. Danielis Stylitae, ed. H. De1ehaye, Anal&1l32 (1913) 121-229, which is also nearly contemporary. A primary problem for any reconstruction of the life of Kyros is, however, the disagreement of the sources, even those presumably based on Priskos, concerning many details. Kyros' supposed paganism and the charge against him is a good example of 317