A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology. By various writers. Ed. by William Smith. Illustrated by numerous engravings on wood.

NESTORlUS. NESTOR1US. 1171
phanes, Nestorius- himself had prepared, and in- bishop; and a third of similar tenour to the monks
trusted him to deliver. " Let no one," said the of that city. Nestorius was not slow to retort on
preacher, "call Mary' the mother of God;' for his adversary the same number of anathemas,
Mary- was a human being; and that God should Coelestine, not satisfied with the doctrinal statebe born of a human being is impossible." Euse- ments sent him by Nestorius, wrote to him (A. D.
bills, then a Scholasticus or pleader -at Constanti- 430), threatening him with deposition and excomnople, afterward bishop of Dorylaeum, was, accord- munication from the whole Catholic church within
ing to Theophanes, the first to catch at the obnoxious ten days, unless he expressed his accordance with
objection [EUSEBIUS of DORYLAXEUM]; and many the faith of the churches of Rome and Alexandria.
both of the clergy and laity were scandalized by it. He also wrote to the recusants to encourage them,
Nestorius, of course, supported Anastasius; and by and, likewise to John, patriarch of Antioch [Jocontinually insisting on the subject in dispute, and ANNES, No. 9], to inform him of the sentence of
reiterating the objection to the term ~eor'Koys, deposition and excommunication pronounced against
aggravated the quarrel. As might be expected, his Nestorius. John wrote to Nestorius, inviting him
adversaries were too much inflamed to judge him to withdraw his opposition to the term EoTodfairly. Instead of recognizing his true object, cKOS, but manifesting a very different temper from
which was to guard against confounding the two Cyril and Coelestine. Nestorius, in his reply,
natures of Christ, many of them charged him with which is extant in a Latin version, vindicated
reviving the dogma of Photinus and Paul of Sa- his opposition to the word, affirming that he had,
mosata [PAuLus SAMOSATENUS; PHOTINUS],that on his first arrival at Constantinople, found the
Christ was /hnoXs dlvOpsnros, "a mere man." Some church divided on the subject, some calling the
of his own clergy preached against the heresy of Virgin "Mother of God," others "Mother of
their bishop, others attempted to catechize him on Man;" and that he, to reconcile all, if possible,
the alleged unsoundness of his faith. The violence had proposed to call her "Mother of Christ"
and arrogance of Nestorius could not brook this: (Epistol. Nestorii ad Joan. apud C'oncil. vol. i. col.
the preachers were silenced, the catechizers cruelly 1331; comp. Evagr. H. E. i. 7). The expedient
beaten and imprisoned: a monk who opposed his was unobjectionable; but the violence of its proposer
entrance into the church, was whipped and exiled; would have prevented peace, even had the temper
and many of the populace, for crying out that they of the factions and the times been more peacehad an emperor but not a bishop, were also pun- loving and moderate.
ished with lashes. (Basil. diaconi Supplicatio, apud A general council was now inevitable; and an
Concil. vol. i. col. 1335, &c. ed. Hardouin.). Pro- edict of the emperors Theodosius and Valentinian
clus, titular bishop of Cyzicus, himself afterwards a III. appointed it to be held at Ephesus. Nescompetitor for the patriarchate of Constantinople, torius, prompt and fearless, arrived with a crowd
preaching in the great church at the command, and of followers soon after Easter (A. D. 431). Cyril,
in the presence of Nestorius, asserted the propriety who, beside his own dignity, was appointed tenlof giving the title eoTO'Kos to the Virgin. The porarily to represent Coelestine, arrived about Penaudience applauded, and Nestorius rose and deli- tecost: and the session of the council commenced,
vered a discourse in reply to Proclus, the substance although John of Antioch, and the bishops of his
of which is preserved in a Latin translation by patriarchate had not yet arrived. Cyril and NesMarius Mercator (Opera, vol. ii. p. 26, ed. Garnier, torius had a sharp encounter, Cyril seeking by
p. 70, ed. Baluze; and apud Galland. Biblioth. terror to break the resolution of his opponent,
Patrum, vol. viii. p. 633) [MERcATOR]. The Nestorius undauntedly replying, and then withconflict became hotter. Dorotheus bishop of Mar- drawing with the bishops of his party, declaring
cianopolis, an ultra Nestorian [DOROTHEUS, that he would not return to the council until the
No. 5], pronounced a public anathema in the arrival of John and the Eastern bishops. Cyril
church of Constantinople against all who applied and his party refused to wait; and having sent to
the word ~eoroIo's to the Virgin. The audience warn Nestorius to attend, and their messengers
raised a great outcry and left the church; and having been refused admittance, they proceeded in
abbots and monks, priests and laymen, withdrew his absence (22d June) to try him, and depose
from communion with the patriarch, who counte- him. A very few days afterward John and his
nanced Dorotheus (Cyril. Epistolae, 6, 9, pp. 30, 37; fellow-prelates of the East arrived; and being indigOpera, vol. v. pars ii.). Nestorius, no wise daunted nant at the indecent haste and manifest injustice
by this mark of public opinion, assembled a council of Cyril and his party, and being countenanced by
of those who adhered to him, and deposed priests Candidianus, Comes Domesticorum, who was present
and deacons, and even bishops of the opposite party, by the emperor's order, formed themselves into a
on a charge of Manicheism. council, at which, however, Nestorius was not
As might be expected, the struggle had mean- present, and imitating the very conduct which
while extended beyond the church and patriarchate they blamed, deposed Cyril himself, and Memnon,
of Constantinople. Pope Coelestine I. of Rome, bishop of Ephesus, one of his chief supporters.
and the haughty and violent patriarch Cyril of Cyril, supported by Juvenal, bishop of Jerusalem,
Alexandria embraced the opposite side to Nes- retorted by deposing John; and the general
torius. [COELESTINUS; ST. CYRILLUS of ALEX- council, instead of healing, seemed likely to extend
AND.RIA.] Cyril assembled a council of the the breach. The whole church was threatened
Egyptian bishops at Alexandria; and addressed with disruption. Tumults and conflicts ensued;
synodal letters, one to Nestorius, setting forth the and John, Comes Largitionum, found it needful to
faith which the Egyptians regarded as orthodox, place Nestorius, Cyril, and Memnon under surand concluding with twelve anathemas against the veillance. Nestorius appealed to the emperors;
presumed errors of Nestorius; another to the the party of Cyril did the same, as also did John
recusants at Constantinople, clerical and lay, ani- and the Oriental bishops. It is needless here to
mating them in their resistance to their heretical relate all the perplexed particulars of the. sub.4 F 2