Cambridge Ancient Hi.. - Index of

justinian’s successors 829
exile or in hiding to return to their sees, on condition that they maintained
the status quo and abstained from innovation in matters of the faith. 67
Theodosius died on 22 June 566 before he was able to take advantage of
this amnesty, but was given a public funeral in Constantinople, at which,
according to one of the sources, Theodora’s nephew, the monk Athanasius,
publicly anathematized Chalcedon. 68 Like his aunt, Athanasius played a
prominent part in Monophysite affairs. In his bid for unity, rather than
Chalcedonian orthodoxy, the emperor Justin had the symbol or creed of
Constantinople I read aloud at liturgies, thereby leaving Ephesus and
Chalcedon in abeyance. 69 In an attempt to smooth the way to unity he convoked
a synod of archimandrites, prominent Chalcedonians and anti-
Chalcedonians in the capital. When this resulted in a stalemate, the emperor
had a statement of faith, which went a long way towards accommodating
anti-Chalcedonian demands, proposed at a meeting of anti-Chalcedonians
at Callinicum on the Euphrates in 567. 70 The emperor was prepared to
declare Christ to be ‘from two natures’, to proclaim the faith of Nicaea as
ratified by Constantinople I and Ephesus I, to condemn the Three
Chapters and rehabilitate Severus. The fact that Callinicum was in the heart
of Monophysite territory also shows how earnest Justin was in his desire
for unity at the expense of Chalcedonian orthodoxy. The Monophysite
monks present, however, who regarded themselves as the guardians of
christological orthodoxy, would only be satisfied by an explicit denial of
two natures in Christ, and the meeting ended in a riot, during which the
draft document was torn to pieces by extremist monks. Although he
imprisoned uncooperative Monophysite bishops, Justin was still prepared
to draft another edict. This too was unacceptable to the Monophysite
bishops because it contained no explicit condemnation of Chalcedon.
Rivalry had meanwhile developed between the anti-tritheite Paul of
Antioch and Athanasius, who was supported by Conon of Tarsus and
Eugenius of Seleucia. Paul had in fact attempted to have himself consecrated
as Theodosius’ successor, using the wealth he had gained as the
beneficiary of Theodosius’ will to further his designs on the patriarchate of
Alexandria. But the large number of tritheists in Alexandria thwarted Paul’s
plans by their disingenuous request to Justin to send back to the city the
Chalcedonian patriarch, who had been chased from his see. 71 In defeat Paul
retired to Syria, to the camp of his friend and supporter, the Arab leader al-
Mundhir, and never returned to Antioch. Going to Constantinople, he consented
twice to communion with the Chalcedonians there, thus incurring
the wrath of his fellow Monophysites. For their part, in 569 Conon and
Eugenius were excommunicated from within Monophysite ranks, but they
remained active. 72 The fact that they were still supported by Athanasius
67 Evagr. HE v.1. 68 Mich. Syr. Chron. ed. Chabot ii.283. 69 John Biclar. Chron. ad a. 567 (?).
70 Mich. Syr. Chron. ed. Chabot ii.285–90. On this meeting at Callinicum see Allen, Evagrius 23–5.
71 Mich. Syr. Chron. ed. Chabot ii.253. 72 Van Roey (1982) and (1985).
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