restored. In 481 Salophakiolos died. The Copts clamoured for Peter Mongos; but a Catholic, John Talaia, was elected. During these disturbances Pope Simplicius (463-483) upheld firmly his own supreme authority[1] and the faith of Chalcedon.
5. The Acacian Schism (484-519)
But the Emperor Zeno had learned in Basiliskos' rebellion the strength of the Monophysite party. He now began that fatal policy of conciliating it, which did not succeed, which brought distress to all faithful Catholics and a schism with Rome. In this policy he was encouraged by Acacius, Patriarch of Constantinople (471-489). Peter Mongos, having fled to the capital when John Talaia was elected, persuaded Acacius and Zeno that his party, the Monophysites, would give endless trouble to the Government unless they were met half way. So in 482, Zeno published a decree called Henotikon,[2] which was meant to satisfy all parties. It was drawn up by Acacius, helped by Peter Mongos. The Henotikon declared as symbols of the faith the creed of Nicæa-Constantinople, the twelve anathemas of Cyril of Alexandria, and the decrees of Ephesus only. Nestorius and Eutyches[3] are both condemned. The expression "two natures" is avoided; our Lord is said in general to be "one, not two." This completely ignores Chalcedon. Worse, the decree contains the phrase: "Whoever thinks or has thought otherwise, whether at Chalcedon or at any other synod, is excommunicate."[4] Everyone was to sign this Imperial "Unification," and everyone was to be satisfied. Naturally, no one was satisfied. The Monophysites wanted a categorical rejection of Chalcedon, an acceptance of the decrees of
- ↑ His letter of January 9, 476, to Acacius of Constantinople says: "In his (Leo I's) successors this same standard of the apostolic teaching remains. To them the Lord gave the care of the whole flock ... he said that what is bound by their sentence on earth cannot be loosened in heaven" (Thiel: Ep. Rom. Pont. p. 178).
- ↑ Ἑνωτικόν, unification.
- ↑ We have seen that the Monophysites were quite willing to condemn Eutyches (pp. 168-169).
- ↑ The text of the Henotikon is in Evagrius: Hist. Eccl. iii. 14 (P.G. lxxxvi. 2620-2625), and Liberatus: Breviarium, 17 (P.L. lxviii. 1023-1024).
