vented the uneasiness from becoming an open breach. The bulk of his flock were Dyophysite in sympathy, and his successor was of that way of thinking.
Papa's career, however, serves to remind us of the existence of an undercurrent of Monophysite feeling; though the fact that they were unable to take advantage of the opportunity which the quarrels of the Dyophysites soon gave them is enough to prove their relative insignificance. Shimun of B. Arsham became, on Papa's death, their most prominent man—the word "leader" implies more coherence as a party than they seem to have possessed. This bishop had leave to "itinerate" among his people;[1] and his disputes with the Dyophysites once attracted the notice of the Government, with the result that both parties were contemptuously snubbed. Babai, or perhaps his successor, entered on some sort of persecution of the party; and Shimun himself was imprisoned, till the intercession of the Emperor Anastasius procured his release. This "persecution" (which the authors of it would consider to be only the disciplining of disorderly members of the melet by its recognized head) failed of its object—the Monophysites remained a party, and Tagrit in particular was their stronghold. It was centuries before a single church of the Dyophysites was built there.
Yet another of the many wars between Rome and Persia was started in 502. It was a case of frontier manœuvres only, noticeable chiefly for the ridiculous smallness of the force employed on the Roman side. An army of 15,000 men was all that Anastasius could put into the field; and those were put under divided command, to avert all danger of their achieving anything decisive.
- ↑ Labourt, p. 158; B.-H., p. 86.
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