MARKOS EUGENIKOS: Metropolitan of Ephesus; b. at Constantinople in the latter part of the fourteenth century; d. 1443 (according to others, 1447 or 1449). He was educated by the famous Joseph Bryennios, and at the age of twenty five became a monk. About 1436, against his will, the emperor made him metropolitan of Ephesus, and both in this capacity and as the representative of the patriarch of Antioch he attended the Coun cil of Ferrara and Florence. After his return he resided at first in Constantinople, but his ecclesias tical polity debarred him both from that city and from Ephesus. He sought refuge in Athos, but was imprisoned at least once. In learning, Markos was inferior to such scholars as Gennadius and Gemistos Plethon, despite his thorough training in the theology and philosophy of his countrymen. He was, however, a powerful though simple ora tor, and was characterized by unyielding firmness. His importance in the history of the Church is due to his opposition to union with Latin Christianity; both before and after the Council of Florence he refused to sign the decree of union unless the pope would permit the use of leavened bread in the sacra ment, or at least strike out the Filioque from the creed. According to his panegyrist Syropulos, he defended himself before the emperor, the patriarch, and the pope; but this seems doubtful, especially as Hierotheus of Monembasia states that he fled to Constantinople instead. His unswerving opposi tion to the union was not improbably the cause of its failure. His polemic nature is shown by the majority of his writings (collected in MPG, clx.), in which he considers almost all the points of con troversy with the Latins, such as the doctrine of the Trinity, the question of purgatory, the signifi cation of the Epiklesis (q.v.) in the Eucharist, and the problem of the Tabor light (see Hesychasts). The respect in which he was held is clear from the fact that he was placed among the saints at an early date. An Acduthia was composed in his honor in the fifteenth century, and a decree of the synod held by the Patriarch Seraphim in 1734 expressly termed him a saint.
Bibliography: A list of the pertinent literature, mainly in Greek, is given in Hauck-Herzog, RE, xii. 287. The early life by Manuel Peloponnesius, of the 15th or 16th century, was edited by Arsenij, Moscow, 1886. Consult Fabricius-Harles, Bibliotasca Graxa, xi. 670-677, Hamburg,
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