3. Events in Egypt
Still more significant was the course of events in
Egypt, where an irreconcilable conflict broke out.
A large part of the people, apparently the monks
and the lower classes, held to Dioscurus after his
deposition; the other party elected Proterius, who
seems to have been personally and in
tellectually
allied to Dioscurus until
the decision of the council caused him
to change his attitude. Supported by
the civil authorities, he enforced these decisions by
means of confiscation and banishment, which led
to riots and excesses. An imperial edict of July 28,
452, condemned in the sternest language those who
held to the Eutychian errors and refused to aoknowledge Proterius. Two thousand soldiers were
ordered to Alexandria, and peace seemed likely to
follow upon their vigorous repressive measures.
But the death of Dioseurus in his exile at Gangm
in Paphlagonia (Sept., 454) stirred up fresh excitement. There was a powerful party at court indisposed to harsh measures and this tendency gained
strength at the death of Marcian and the succession
of Leo I. (Feb., 457). The party of Dioscurus in
Alexandria took courage and elected as patriarch
Timotheus AElurus, who had followed Dioscurus
into banishment. He was consecrated in a tumultu
ous and irregular manner. Military aid enabled
Proterius to expel him; but after bloody riots his
partizans gained the upper hand, when he returned,
and Proterius was murdered by the mob at Easter,
457. Timotheus now took energetic measures to
confirm his power, and drove out a number of or
thqtiox bishops, who appealed to the pope and the
emperor. Leo ordered an investigation of the murder
of Proterius and inflicted severe penalties on those
who were found responsible; but he did not at
once move against Timotheus, in spite of urgent
requests from Rome. He thought of calling an
other council, but was persuaded out of the notion
by Anatolius, who suggested a circular letter asking
all the bishops of the empire their opinion on
the decrees of Chalcedon. Such a letter was sent
out, probably in Oct., 457, and the replies, as was
to be expected, were for the most part unfavorable
to Timotheus, even where a certain lack of enthu
siasm for the decrees of Chalcedon may be read
between the lines. Pope Leo answered on Aug. 17,
458, in a long letter (Epist., clxv.) which should be
read in connection with his famous "Tome."
Meantime Anatolius had died (July 3, 458) and
been succeeded by the learned
Gennadius
4. At Antioch and Constantinople
who was supported by the emperor's
son-in-law Zeno. He was zealous for
the proposition that " God was cruci
fied," and for the insertion in the
Tswaagion of the words " Who was cru
cified for us," in
such a way as to make it appear
that the Son of God in his deity suffered for us.
He intruded into the see, driving out the legitimate
Bishop Martyrius, but was himself expelled by the
emperor on the advice of Gennadius not. long after
ward. Meantime political intrigue had been busy
at the court, and after the death of Leo I. (Feb. 3,
474) and his seven-year-old grandson Leo II. (Nov.,
474), Zeno secured the throne for himself, having
practically held the power for some time. Only a
few weeks later, however, he was overthrown in
his turn by Basiliscus, another son-in-law of Leo
I. In the train of the usurper, Timotheus lElurus
held a prominent place, and in spite of the efforts
of the patriarch of Constantinople, Acacius, who
had succeeded Gennadius in Sept. (F), 471, he per
suaded Basiliscus to send out a circular letter or
encyclical condemning the "Tome" of Leo and
the definition of Chalcedon, and threatening their
adherents with the severest penalties. The weakness
of the eastern bishops is shown by the fact
that at least five hundred of them accepted this
pronouncement. Timotheus Elurus was now able
to return to Alexandria, from which see his name
sake had already been removed. On the way he
consecrated a bishop of his own party for Ephesus
and presided at a synod -which sent a solemn admonition to the emperor, exhorting him to remain
constant in the good work and to remove Acacius,
as unworthy, from the patriarchate of Constantinople.
