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

LEO. LEO. 747
tated all the potwers of his energetic mind upon a higher court, was eventually induced, either by
one great design, which he seems to have formed policy or conviction, to reject the application, and
at a very early period, which he kept stedfastly in drew up an elaborate epistle to the patriarch Flaview during a long and eventful life, and which he vianus, in which the Catholic doctrine of the
followed out with consummate boldness, persever- Incarnation was authoritatively expounded and
ance, and talent. This was nothing less than to defined. Meanwhile, a general council was sumestablish the "Apostolic Chair" in acknowledged moned to be held on the 1st of August, 449, at
spiritual supremacy over every branch of the Ca- Ephesus, and thither the ambassadors of Leo retholic church, and to appropriate to its occupant paired, for the purpose of reading publicly the
exclusively the title of Papa, or father of the whole above letter. But a great majority of the conChristian world. Nor were the evil days amid gregated fathers acting under control of the prewhich his lot was cast unfavourable, as might at sident, Dioscuros of Alexandria, refused to listen
first sight be imagined, to such a project. The to the document, passed tumultuously a series of
church, it is true, was every where distracted and resolutions favourable to Eutyches, excommunicated
torn by the strife of parties, and by innumerable the most zealous of his opponents, and not only
heresies, while the character of its ministers had treated the Roman envoys with indignity, but
grievously degenerated. The empire in the West even offered violence to their persons. Hence this
was pressed on every side by hordes of barbarians, assembly, whose acts were all subsequently anwho were threatening to pour down upon Italy nulled, is known in ecclesiastical history as the
itself. But in this season of confusion the contend- Synoduzs Latrocinalis. The vehement complaints
ing factions among the orthodox clergy, terrified by addressed to Theodosius by the orthodox leaders
the rapid progress of Arianism, were well disposed proved fruitless, and the triumph of their opponents
to refer their own minor disputes to arbitration, was for a time complete, when the sudden death of
and to acquiesce in the decision of one pre-eminent the emperor in 450 again awakened the hopes and
in learning and dignity. Leo, who well knew, called forth the exertions of Leo. In consequence
from. the example of his predecessor Innocentius, of the pressing representations of his envoys, Anathat the transition is easy from instruction to com- tolius, the successor of Flavianus, together with all
mnand, in the numerous and elaborate replies which the clergy of Constantinople, were induced to subhe addressed to inquiries proceeding from various scribe the Confession of Faith contained in the
quarters, while he conveyed the information sought, Epistle to Flavianus, and to transmit it for sigor resolved the doubts proposed, studiously adopted nature to all the dioceses of the East. Encouraged
a tone of absolute infallibility, and assumed the by this success, Leo solicited the new monarch
right of enforcing obedience to his dictates as an Marcianus to summon a grand council, for the final
unquestionable prerogative of his office. On the adjustment of the questions concerning the nature
other hand, the barbarian chiefs whose power was of Christ, which still proved a source of discord,
not yet consolidated were eager to propitiate one and strained every nerve to have it held in Italy,
who possessed. such weight with the priesthood, where his own adherents would necessarily have
and through them could either calm into submission preponderated. In this, however, he failed. Nicaea
or excite to rebellion an ignorant:and fanatic mul- was the place first fixed upon, but it eventually met
titude. Hence these also proved powerful, although at Chalcedon in October, 451. Although the Roman
unconscious, instruments in forwarding the great legates, whose language was of the most imperious
enterprise. But even after the minds of men were description, did not fail broadly to assert the prein some degree prepared and disposed to yield to tensions put forth by the representative of St.
such domination, it was scarcely to be expected Peter, at first all went smoothly. The Epistle to
that it could be firmly fixed without exciting jea- Flavianus was admitted as a rule of faith for the
lousy and resistance. Accordingly, a strong op- guidance of the universal church, and no protest
position was speedily organised both in the West was entered against the spirit of arrogant assumpand in- the East, which soon assumed the attitude tion in which it was conceived. But when the
of open defiance. In the West the contest was whole of the special business was concluded, at the
brought to an issue by the controversy with very last sitting, a formal resolution was proposed
Hilarius of Arles concerning the deposition of Che- and passed, to the-effect that while the Roman see
lidonius. [HILARIUS Arelatensis.] The total de- was, in virtue of its antiquity, entitled to take
feat and-'severe punishment of the Gaulish bishop formal precedence of every other, the see of Con.
filled his supporters with terror, and the edict of stantinople was to stand next in rank, was to be
Valentinian issued upon this occasion served as a regarded as independent of every other, and to
sort of charter, in virtue of which the Roman exercise full jurisdiction over the churches of
bishops exercised for centuries undisputed juris- Asia, Thrace, and Pontus. The resistance of Leo
diction over France, Spain, Germany, and Britain. was all in vain. The obnoxious canons were fully
In the East the struggle was much more com- confirmed, and thus one half of the sovereignty at
plicated, the result much less satisfactory. The which he aimed was for ever lost, at the very moArchimandrite Eutyches [EuTYcHEs], in his ve- ment when victory seemed no longer doubtful.
hement denunciation of Nestorius, having been be- Two other events in the active life of this retrayed into errors, very different indeed, but equally markable man must not be passed over in silence.
dangerous, was anathematised, deposed, and ex- In 452, when Attila was advancing in full career
communicated, in' A. D. 448, by the synod of Con- upon Rome, Leo was selected as the chief of. an:stantinople. Against this sentence he sought embassy, sent forth in the forlorn hope of proredress, by soliciting the interference of the bishops pitiating the fierce conqueror. What the arguments
of Alexandria and Rome. By the former his cause employed by the'eloquent suppliant may have'
-was eagerly espoused; the latter, although at first been history has failed to record. The result is
disposed to listen favourably to a complaint which well known. The Hun not only spared the me-'he chose, to regard as an appeal from an inferior to tropolis, but evacuated' Italy, and returned withkhis