Photius, bp. of Tyre

Photius, bp. of Tyre, and metropolitan, elected on the deposition of Irenaeus, Sept. 9, 448. He is unfavourably known for cowardly tergiversation in the case of IBAS of Edessa. Under the powerful influence of Uranius of Himera, he and his fellow-judges first acquitted Ibas at Tyre and Berytus, and the next year at the "Robber Synod" of Ephesus zealously joined in his condemnation (Martin, Le Brigandage d’Ephèse, pp 118–120, 181). At the same synod he accused Acylinus, bp. of Byblos, of Nestorianism and with refusing to appear before him and Domnus, the real ground of offence being manifestly that he had been appointed by Irenaeus. On Photius's statement alone Acylinus was at once deposed. Photius at the same time undertook to clear Phoenicia of all clergy tainted with Nestorianism (Martin, u.s. p. 183; Actes du brigandage, pp. 86–89). With easy versatility Photius took his place among the orthodox prelates at Chalcedon, regularly voted on the right side, signed the decisions of the council, voted for the restoration of Theodoret to his bishopric, presented a résumé of the proceedings at Berytus favourable to Ibas, and signed the 28th canon conferring on Constantinople the same primacy, πρησβεῖα, as that enjoyed by Rome (Labbe, iv. 79, 328, 373, 623, 635, 803). At the same time, after presenting a petition to Marcian (ib. 541), he obtained a settlement of the controversy between himself and Eustathius of Berytus as to metropolitical jurisdiction, in favour of the ancient rights of the see of Tyre, together with a reversal of Eustathius's act of deposition of the bishops ordained by Photius, within the district claimed by the former (ib. 542–546; Canon. Chalc. 29). Photius was no longer bp. of Tyre in 457, when Dorotheus replied to the encyclical of the emperor Leo. Labbe, iv. 921; Cave, Hist. Lit. i. 443; Ceillier, Aut. eccl. xiv. 271, etc.; Tillem. Mém. eccl. vol. xv. index; Fabric. Bibl. Graec. x. 678; Le Quien, Or. Christ. ii. 808).

[E.V.]