10. Attempts at Reconciliation

(492-496) had been known before his elevation as a determined opponent of Monophysitism and of the policy of Acacius, and as pope he maintained the same attitude. His successor Anastasius Il. (496-498) was a man of a different temper. He notified the emperor of his election, which Gelasius had neglected to do, and he must in other ways have shown a desire for reconciliation, or the pa~ricius Festus could not have sent an embassy to the emperor hinting at the possibility of winning his assent to the Henoticon. His pontificate was too short for the development of these hopes; but in spite of the efforts of Festus to secure the election of his candidate, the orthodox majority chose Symmachus (498-514), who wrote to the emperor in energetically uncompromising terms. That it was too late for any thought of subjecting the papacy to the ideals of eastern imperialism is shown very plainly by the first proceedings in the pontificate of Hormisdas (514-523). At this time the position of Anastasius was seriously endangered by the revolt of Vitalian, who put forward the protection of the orthodox faith as a pretext for his movement. In the negotiations between them, the emperor expressed his readiness to seek the mediation of the pope with a view to the termination of religious controversy. In two letters (Dec. 28, 514, and Jan. 12, 515) he formally invited Hormisdas to a synod to be held at Heraciea. Hormisdas returned a courteous answer, expressing his benevolent interest in the proposal, but instructed his envoys to do nothing which might seem to involve a resumption of communion. He required a full recognition of the Council of Chalcedon and a repudiation of Acacius; on these con ditions he was willing to attend in person. Anastasius was not, however, prepared to go so far in the direction of submission, and sent the legates back with a letter denying that he had ever repudiated the decrees of Chalcedon, but saying that he was unable to give way on the question of Acacius, since to do so would be to provoke serious trouble among his subjects. In two other letters he expressed a wish for reconciliation, but Hormisdas remained firm, and the emperor broke off the negotiations in a letter of July 11, 517.

On the death of the emperor a year later, the throne was seized by Justin, captain of the guard, a rough, uneducated man, full of zeal for orthodoxy, and from the beginning a mere tool in the

478

11. Beginning of Victory for Orthodoxy

days after Justin's accession, a mob entered the cathedral, and the Patri- arch John II. (the Cappadocian, who had succeeded Timothy on Apr. 17) was compelled to anathematize the "Manichean," the " new Judas," Severus of Antioch (q.v.), and promise the people that he would solemnly confirm the decrees of Chalcedon, which he did the next day. Four days later a synod met and made formal request to the emperor and empress for the restoration of orthodoxy. This was echoed from Jerusalem on Aug. 6, and from Tyre on Sept. 16. In the province of Antioch, where Monophysitism had held undisputed sway, Severus was banished in September, and fled to Alexandria, where Timothy IV., patriarch since the previous October, received him and still supported him. Justin, who had already notified the pope of his accession, wrote again on Sept. 7 to express his willingness and that of the Synod of Constantinople to resume negotiations. Hormisdas first sent a formal acknowledgment, and then despatched legates with detailed instructions, directing they to avoid holding intercourse with the patriarc until he should have signed a formula condemning the Monophysite leaders with Acacius and his "followers," apparently meaning Euphemius and Macedonius-although they were allowed in case of necessity to let the last condition drop. On Mar. 28, 519, the patriarch signed the formula, and in presence of the legates struck out the names of Anastasius and Zeno from the diptychs. Promises of submission were freely made; but the execution was somewhat disappointing. At Thessalonica the metropolitan Dorotheus opposed the union, supported by the people who murdered the host of a Roman legate; another legate was dangerously wounded. Hormisdas demanded that Dorotheus should be sent to Rome for judgment; but he was set at liberty. There was also some delay in filling the see of Antioch with an orthodox candidate, although flnally the choice fell on Paul, a presbyter of Constantinople, who proceeded with such severity against the Monophysites that he was forced to resign in two years. His successor Euphrasius had been on the Monophysite side but returned to the faith and apparently continued to persecute his former associates, while the next patriarch, Ephraem (526-545), came out also in support of the official orthodoxy. The same policy ruled at Constantinople, where Epiphanius was patriarch from 520 to 535; and the capital witnessed an unprecedented sight when the successor of Hormisdas, John I. (523-526), assisted in person at the Easter mass of 525, side by side with the local patriarch but on a more elevated throne.

Justinian (q.v.) was proclaimed co-emperor on Apr. 1, 527, and when his uncle died, exactly four months later, began his absolute rule. For his attitude toward the West and Rome see Three Chapter Controversy; Theopaschites; Vigilius. He was probably more anxious to restore unity to the Church than to give the victory to any particular phase of doctrine, while his wife Theodora, a woman of great force of character and influence, was believed to favor the Monophya. Events sites. He caused conferences to be held

Under between Catholic and Monophysite Justinian. bishops, but without result. On Mar. 15, 533, he issued an edict declaring Chalcedon to be, with the three earlier councils, the standard of orthodoxy. Negotiations still proceeded with the Monophysites; a long correspondence was held with Severna, the real head of the party, who, however, declined to come to Constantinople until 535. Anthimus, who became patriarch about the same time, was a favorite of Theodora, and, though of a devout and ascetic life, strongly inclined to agree with Severna, who announced the fact with joy to his friends in Alexandria. Their joy was shortlived; Ephraem of Antioch, who knew Anthimus of old, made haste to lay the matter before Pope Agapetus, and he, coming to Constantinople to plead for the Gothic King Theodahad, then hard pressed by Belisarius, had sufficient influence to bring about the disgrace of Anthimus. Mennas was raised to tie vacant throne (Mar. 13, 536), and was consecrated by the pope himself, who died in Constantinople a month later. In May and June Mennas held an important synod at which Anthimus, Severna, and their principal partizans were excommunicated. Another, held at Jerusalem in September, approved the deposition of Anthimus, without apparently touching the case of the others; and Ephraem of Antioch subjected the Monophysites of his jurisdiction to a severe persecution. In Alexandria, during the episcopate of Timothy IV., the Monophysites had split up into the conflicting parties of Severians and Julianists, each of whom set up a candidate for the vacant see on Timothy's death (Feb. 8, 535). Ultimately both were put down, and Paul, an abbot from Tabennae, was consecrated by mennas in Constantinople and entrusted with far-reaching powers by Justinian. He seems to have been unsuccessful in his use of them, and it is possible that his dogmatic position was not wholly satisfactory. At any rate, he fell into disfavor with the court, and Justinian, through the papal legate Pelagius (later pope himself) brought about his deposition by the other eastern Patriarchs at a synod held at Gaza not later than Easter, 542.