Cambridge Ancient Hi.. - Index of

734 24. the organization of the church
at Canopus. Peter Mongus (477–90), succeeding Timothy Aelurus, by
judicious patronage and pressure balanced reconciliation with the empire
by subscribing to the Henotikon, won over rival ‘Monophysite’ factions,
and destroyed the remaining strongholds both of non-Christian cult and
of Chalcedonian theology at Canopus. 13 The defection of Juvenal of
Jerusalem to supporting the empire at Chalcedon confirmed patriarchal
standing for his see, but split his local churches between Chalcedonians
and Monophysites. Syria also, and the great prize of Antioch, suffered
continual changes in response to shifts of imperial policy and local rivalries.
But in neither of these areas was the superiority of Constantinople
challenged constitutionally.
Another issue for Constantinople was the quarrel about the title ‘oecumenical
patriarch’ (πατρια´ ρχης ο�κουµενικ�ς). ‘Oecumenical’ means
‘worldwide’, but it is used technically to refer to the imperial (i.e. worldwide)
authority of a body or person: so there are imperially ratified ‘oecumenical
councils’, and after Justinian abolished the philosophical schools in 529
there are ‘oecumenical teachers’ at Constantinople. Dioscorus was
addressed as ‘oecumenical patriarch’ in 449, being seen as restorer of the
true conciliar theology; so was Leo I when appealed to by Dioscorus’
enemies, and later Roman popes by eastern appellants. When first taken by
a patriarch of Constantinople, John the Faster in 595, it was seen at Rome
as usurping a Roman title, and furious opposition resulted. 14
The bishop of Constantinople was near the seat of power. The promotion
of his see was of interest to the emperor, and communication was easy.
Communication and influence from further afield were possible but could
be very expensive, or liable to interception and suppression. But the patriarch
was also subject to imperial pressure, much more than his Roman colleague.
536 was a critical year. Constantinople had been divided from Rome
in the Acacian schism (484–519). Its healing had been accompanied by the
condemnation and exile of leading figures, who nevertheless continued promoting
their cause, as Severus of Antioch did in Egypt. By 531 the emperor
was attempting a reconciliation with the Monophysites, using the new patriarch,
Anthimus, but his eirenic scheme foundered through the arrival of the
pope Agapitus I in the spring of 536 as ambassador from Theodahad.
Agapitus refused communion with Anthimus, ostensibly because he had previously
been bishop of Trebizond: translations were frequent enough, but
since 325 could always be denounced. 15 In 536 Anthimus was dropped by
Justinian, and Agapitus’ policy was implemented by the new patriarch Menas
(536–52), who anathematized leading Monophysites like Theodosius of
13 See Haas (1993).
14 PGL s.v. ο�κουµενικ�ς, πατρια´ ρχης; thorough analysis in Tuilier (1966).
15 Council of Nicaea, canon 15; cf. the first part of Scholz (1992).
Cambridge Histories Online © Cambridge University Press, 2008