MELETIUS OF LYCOPOLIS: Originator of the so-called Meletian schism in Egypt; d. at Lyco polis between 325 and 326. One account of the events leading to the Meletian schism is contained in Historda fragmerdum de achisnwte Meletiano, a fragment of an Alexandrian church history. During the persecution of Christians in Lower Egypt, this source relates, four bishops, Phileas of Thmuis, Hesychius, Pachomius, and Theodore, whose sees were in the neighborhood of Alexandria, were removed from their congregations and held in prison in Alexandria, expecting martyrdom or deportation. The spiritual care of the forsaken congregations lay in the hands of itinerant bishops and preachers who did not always perform their duty. Even Alexandria was without a spiritual head, since Peter had forsaken his city. In this time of distress there was only one man who showed himself equal to the occasion, Bishop Meletius of Lycopolis. He not only traveled among the suffering congregations, but at their request insti tuted new bishops. This action, however, was not consonant with the tradition of the church, both because no bishop had been allowed to take over duties in another see, and because the bishop of Alexandria had for some time claimed to be the spiritual head of the province. Thus the attitude of Meletius was interpreted as a desire to make himself the ecclesiastical primate of Egypt. As it was afterward learned with certainty that the four imprisoned bishops were still alive, there developed in the congregations a party which looked upon them as still their legitimate heads. The bishops related the events to Peter of Alexandria and complained, but Meletius neither excused himself nor did he seek confirmation of his acts from the metropolitan. He even dared to enter Alexandria and to interfere with its ecclesiastical affairs, as he found the city still forsaken by its bishop. He ex communicated two presbyters and ordained two others in their place, thus again meddling with the affairs of another diocese. As a consequence Peter excommunicated him. According to another source concerning the begin nings of Meletianism, found in Epiphanius (Hær. lxviii.), Peter was imprisoned in Alexandria together with Meletius and many other bishops and clergy. The persecution had already lasted for some time; a number of Christians had become martyrs, others had bought their release from prison by sacrifice, thus excluding themselves from the Church, but they repented afterward and endeavored to be received vll.-19

again into the Church through the mediation of the martyrs. The party of the martyrs, headed by Meletius, showed a hesitating attitude, at least for the time of persecution, while another party headed by Peter advocated an immediate rehabilitation. In this way the Meletian schism originated. Meletius together with his adherents founded the "Church of the martyrs." After the return from his deportation to the copper mines of Phaino in Arabia, he did not reoccupy his episcopal seat in Lycopolis, but remained in Alexandria as head of his own church which regarded itself in contradistinction to the Catholic Church as the strict community of pure Christians. The Catholic Church, on the other hand, had no communion with the Meletians, because Peter had excluded Meletius. Owing to the friendly relation of the Meletians to the episcopate of Alexandria, they received a favorable treatment on the part of the members of the Council of Nioaea, especially as the latter hoped to hinder in this way an alliance of Meletianism with Arianism. A document of the council addressed to the bishops of Egypt asked Meletius to return to Lycopolis as bishop, but without the right of ordination. The clericals of his community were to be consecrated anew, and acknowledged in their order, but always as ranking below the Catholic clerics, and in order to suppress all aspirations of the episcopal seat of Lycopolis to the primacy the metropolitan rights of Alexandria over all Egypt were expressly acknowledged. The Meletian party comprised twenty-nine bishops in Egypt, and four presbyters, three deacons,and a military chaplain in Alexandria. Meletius accepted the decree of the synod, delivered his churches to Alexander of Alexandria, and returned to Lycopolis. But there took place a rapid change in the sentiment of the Meletians. The successor of Meletius led an embassy to Constantinople in order to obtain the recognition of the peculiar position of the Meletians, in other words, the annulment of the decree of Nicaea. AS they were not admitted, they entered into connection with Eusebius of Nicomedia, who successfully advocated their cause before the emperor, thus obtaining sanction for the union between Meletianism and Arianism.

(H. Achelis.)

Bibliography: The "Fragment" cited in the text is in M. J. Routh, Reliquim sacra, iv. 91 sqq., Oxford, 1848. and in MPG, x. 1565 sqq., xviii. 609-510. Consult on these Hefele, Conciliengeschichte, i., 1 40 (same in the Eng. transl.). Other sources are: Athanasius, " Apology against the Arians," i§ 11, 59, and his " Letter to the Bishops of Egypt and Libya," chap. xxii.; Socrates, Hut. eccl., i. 6, 9; Sosomen Hist. eccl., i. 24, ii. 18, 21, 23; Theodoret, Hist. ecc& Consult: DCB, ii. 890-891; KL, viii. 1221 sqq.