The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire · Character
John the Almsgiver
Also known as John the Merciful, John Eleemon, John the Eleemosynary
- Minor
- First seen · Book 1 · Ch. 204
John's presence radiates the quiet authority of one whose charity defines his legacy, marked by the epithet that would make him known throughout Christian history as a beacon of benevolence.
- Gender
- male
- Age
- Adult
- First appears
- Book 1 · Ch. 204
- Books
- 1
John the Almsgiver served as Archbishop of Alexandria, distinguished by his extraordinary charity in distributing church revenues to the poor. His bounteous alms, whether dictated by superstition, benevolence, or policy, maintained seven thousand five hundred poor people, and he left only the smallest silver coins in his testament, embodying the Christian virtue of charitable giving.
Description
John has the appearance of a Christian archbishop known for his charitable works, with the dignified bearing appropriate to his position as Archbishop of Alexandria and his reputation for distributing church resources to those in need.
Story so far
BOOK 1The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire / Table of Contents with links in the HTML file to the two Project Gutenberg editions (12 volumes)
Appearances
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