The Threatened Series - 21
"And that, you might have thought, ended all discussion, dissention and
debate. But did it?"
No, it did not.
"From the political point of view, the Council of Chalcedon was a
failure. In his zeal for uniformity, the Emperor Marcian had not
reckoned with that spirit of nationalism which was destined to prove
one of the major forces in the forthcoming disruption of Eastern
Christendom. Whilst the Greek cities - at any rate, officially -
supported the decisions of the Council, the peoples of Egypt and Syria,
living in the days when strong patriotic feeling could be expressed
only through the medium of theological controversy, rose in revolt
against what they regarded as an attempt on the part of the Greek
government to 'Graecize' its subject races; and a hundred years later,
after the Church in the East - for the West never wavered in its
adherence to Chalcedon - had endured another long period of internal
strife, the Monophysites separated themselves into their own
communities, and Copt and Syrian were moved to denounce the doctrine of
'two natures' partly because this was the government's creed"
[Sellers, 'The Council of Chalcedon' p. 254].
The Council of Chalcedon in fact reduced everywhere except Rome to
confusion.
In ALEXANDRIA, the deposed Dioscorus was regarded as a hero and the new
Patriarch Proterius, the nominee of Marcian, was regarded as an
intruder. His arrival was greeted by rioting. In 457 he was lynched
by a mob and replaced by Timothy Aelurus, a Monophysite. Aelurus ('the
Cat' - so called because of his small stature) was banished by the
Emperor Leo I in 460 and replaced by Timothy Salophaciolus. He was
recalled to Alexandria by the Emperor Basiliscus in 475. On his death
in 477, the Monophysite Peter Mongo ('Hoarse') was elected his
successor, but as both Rome and Constantinople recognized Timothy
Salophaciolus, Mongo went into hiding. On the death of Timothy
Salophaciolus in 482, Acacius, Patriarch of Constantinople, persuaded
the emperor Zeno to recognize Mongo in return for his acceptance of
Zeno's 'Henotikon' (more of which in the next posting).
In JERUSALEM, Juvenal, who had switched sides at the Council, was
regarded as a traitor and was greeted with opposition so violent that
he had to seek military aid before he could resume his duties.
In CONSTANTINOPLE the Patriarchs supported Chalcedon - which had after
all added to their dignity by making them first in precedence after
Rome - but had to face opposition from any number of malcontents.
In ANTIOCH a couple of Monophysite bishops gained the Patriarchal
throne. It may be helpful to list the succession:
Maximus (451-457)
Basil (457-460)
Martyrius (460-470)
These were all Orthodox and Chalcedonian. But while Martyrius was
absent from his see, one Peter the Fuller, a Monophysite, had himself
declared bishop in his place.
This Peter had been a monk of the convent of the Acoemetae at
Constantinople. Expelled for his Monophysite leanings, he went to
Chalcedon and became known to the Emperor, Zeno the Isaurian, whom he
accompanied to Antioch in 470. Here he joined the Apollinarians
(remember them?) and violently opposed the bishop Martyrius. When
Martyrius went to Constantinople to seek help against the
Apollinarians, Peter, backed by Zeno, had himself declared bishop in
his place.
Gennadius of Constantinople however obtained a decree of exile against
him, which was commuted to imprisonment in the convent of the
Acoemetae. In 475 he succeeded in regaining his see, but in 477 he was
once more deposed and interned. In 482 he gave his assent to Zeno's
'Henotikon' (more of this in the next posting) and again became
patriarch of Antioch, retaining his throne until his death in 488.
The succession therefore continues:
Peter the Fuller Part I (470) [Monophysite]
Julianus (471-474)
Peter the Fuller Part II (474)
John of Apamea (474-477)
Stephen I (477)
Stephen II (478)
Calandio (481-483)
Peter the Fuller Part III (483-488)
Palladius (488-498)
Flavian (498-512)
Severus (512-518) [Monophysite]
Confused? You will be. See tomorrow's exciting posting: thrills and
spills with Zeno and his mighty Henotikon.
The Supple Doctor.
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