The Ecclesiastical History of Evagrius Scholasticus - Coptic ...

158
EVAGRIUS
promoted as controllor of Egypt and of the military units. On reaching
the city of Alexander together with Nephalius, he initiated discussions
concerning union, but after failing to persuade he dispatched some of
them to the imperial city. And so a great many discussions concerning
the Synod at Chalcedon were conducted in Zeno’s presence, but they
produced nothing in practice, since Zeno utterly refused to anathematize
the Synod at Chalcedon. 74
23 In the meantime, after Acacius of Constantinople [121] set out on the
common voyage, Fravita inherited the bishopric. When Fravita sent
synodical letters to Peter of Alexandria, Peter sent reciprocal letters,
going over the same things concerning the transactions at Chalcedon.
But when Fravita also departed this world after being bishop for only
four months, Euphemius was appointed bishop after him. This man
received Peter’s synodical letters which had been sent to Fravita. And
on ¢nding the anathema against what was done at Chalcedon, he was
greatly disturbed and severed himself from communion with Peter. And
a letter by each of them is extant, both that from Fravita and that from
Peter to Fravita, which I will pass over on account of the length of the
text. 75 When accordingly they were on the point of coming into dispute
to present their complaints against Peter to Cosmas (PLRE II. 326^7, s.v. Cosmas 3), but
only a delegation of about 200 was permitted to enter Alexandria for the confrontation in
the Great Church, for fear of popular unrest. Peter explicitly anathematized Chalcedon and
the Tome of Leo, but most of the monks refused to accept the confession because Peter
remained in communion with the other patriarchs who, while accepting the Henoticon,
would not condemn Chalcedon (cf. Severus, Letters iv.2, pp. 254^5). The people of
Alexandria sided with Peter against the monks.
74 Zachariah vi.4. When Cosmas returned to Constantinople and informed Zeno of the
intransigence of the separatists, who were e¡ectively questioning the adequacy of the Henoticon,
Zeno decided to coerce them into union with Peter, and to this end dispatched
Arsenius with exceptional military and civil authority (PLRE II. 152, s.v. Arsenius 2); if
this failed, the recalcitrant leaders were to be summoned to the capital. Zachariah does not
mention Zeno’s refusal to anathematize Chalcedon, and refers instead to his amazement at
the chastity and intelligence of the monks.
Festugie're, 329 n. 70, is critical of the clarity of this chapter, somewhat unfairly.
75 Acacius died on 26 November 489, and his successor Fravita survived only until
March 490. The letters are preserved in Zachariah vi.5^6; Fravita’s is a moderate and noncommittal
invitation to union, whereas Peter’s reply proclaimed his attachment to the
Henoticon, which he incorrectly presented as an anathema on Chalcedon and the Tome of
Leo. According to Theophanes (133:7^14) Fravita tried to establish good relations with