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

224 PETRUS. PETRUS,
Petrus Diaconus is the canonist is not clear. No. 2.], but it is likely that the Monophysites
(Leunclav. Jus Gr. Rom. 1. c.; Fabric. Bibl. Graec. generally are meant,) and excited much dissension
vol. xi. p. 334; Cave, Hist. Litt. ad ann. 1092, and tumult, among other causes of which was his
vol. ii. p. 161; Catalog. MSS. Biblioth. Reg. vol. ii. adding to the sacred hymn called the Trisagion,
pp. 182, 606, fol. Paris, 1740.) the words "who wast crucified for us," which con16. Of EDESSA. Peter, a Syrian by birth, and stituted one of the party tests of the Monophysites,
a presbyter of the church at Edessa, and an emi- and his anathematizing all those who refused to
nent preacher, wrote Tractatus variarurn Can- sanction the alteration, and charging Martyrius
sarum, treatises on various subjects, and composed himself with being a Nestorian. Martyrius,unable
Psalms in metre like those of Ephrem the Syrian. to stop the disorder by his own authority, went to
Trithemius ascribes to him Commentarii in Constantinople, where, through the influence of the
Psalmos: and says that he wrote in Syriac. All patriarch Gennadius [GENNADIUS, No. 1], he was
his works have perished. (Gennadius, De Viris honourably treated by the emperor Leo I., and reIllustr. c. 74; Trithem. De Scriptorib. Eccles. turned to Antioch, trusting that the imperial favour
c. 167.) would enable him to quell all disturbance. Disap17. FULLO, or sometimes retaining the Greek pointed in this hope by the obstinacy of his oppoword GNAPHEUS or CNAPHEUS (Ifespos d rDa- nents, and disgusted with his failure, he abdicated
pEV's or KaoCpEUs), the FULLER, patriarch of the patriarchate, which was immediately occupied
Antioch in the middle of the fifth century. He by Peter. Leo, however, was not to be thus
was a priest or monk of the neighbourhood of Con- braved; and, at the instigation of Gennadius, he
stantinople: but whether he originally followed the immediately expelled the intruder, in whose place
business of a Fuller, before embracing a religious Julian was with general approval elected. Peter
life, or whether he carried it on while a monk is was sentenced to banishment to the Oasis of Upper
uncertain. Acacius of Constantinople (apud Li- Egypt, but he contrived to escape from exile, and
berat. Breviar. c. 18), states that he was hegu- returning to Constantinople, obtained refuge in the
menos, or abbot of a monastery at Constantinople; monastery of the Acoemetae, where he remained
and that on account of his offences, or of accu- till the revolt of Basiliscus against Zeno, having
sations against him, "crimina," (their nature is bound himself by oath to abstain from exciting
not stated) he fled to Antioch. The Laudatio further troubles. His usurpation of the See of
S. Barnabae, c. iii. ~ 32, of Alexander the Cyprian Antioch may be placed in A. D. 469.
monk (apud Acta Sanctozrum, Junii, vol. ii. p. When Basiliscus (A..D. 475) had expelled Zeno
447), and the Synodicon Vetzs, first published by from Constantinople, it appears to have been his
Jo. Pappus, and reprinted in the Biblioth. Graeca, first policy to court the Monophysite party, whom
of Fabricius (vol. xii. p. 396) describe him as a Leo and Zeno had repressed; and, at the persuamonk of the monastery of the Acoemetae at Con- sion of Timotheus Aelurus, Monophysite patriarch
stantinople, who accompanied Zeno, son-in-law to of Alexandria, whom he had recalled from exile,
the emperor Leo I., when sent to Antioch. On he issued an encyclical letter to the various prethe other hand, Theodorus Lector (H. E. i. 20), lates of the church, anathematizing the decrees of
whom Theophanes and Cedrenus follow, says he the Synod of Chalcedon. To this letter Peter
was a presbyter of the Church of St. Bassa the gave his formal assent: and obtained a decree reMartyr at Chalcedon. Tillemont endeavours to storing him to the patriarchate of Antioch, to
arrange and harmonize these various statements as which city he was immediately sent. (A. D. 476.)
follows: that Peter was originally a monk in the The Monophysites regained their ascendancy. Jumonastery of the Acoemetae, which he places in the lian was expelled, and soon after died of grief:
neighbourhood of Constantinople, but on the Asiatic and Peter resuming the patriarchal authority, exside of the Bosporus; that having been expelled cited, by again restoring the clause " who wast cruand obliged to flee on account both of immorality cified for us," and by repeating his anathemas, fresh
and heresy, he resorted to Constantinople, where tumults, which led to plundering and murder. But
he led the life of a parasite and a gourmand, and the recovery of the imperial power by Zeno checked
gained an introduction to Zeno (Tillemont is thus his career: a synod was assembled at Antioch
far supported by the monk Alexander); and that (A.D. 477), in which he was deposed, chiefly by
he was then, by Zeno's interest, made presbyter of the agency of one of his own partizans, John
the Church of St. Bassa. The third step in this Codonatus [JOANNEs, No. 10], whom he had aparrangement is, however, by no means satisfactory. pointed bishop of Apameia. He was banished to
Almost all our authorities agree that he accom- Pityus, from whence he contrived to escape, or was
panied Zeno to Antioch; and if, as is not im- allowed to go to Euchaita in Pontus, where he found
probable, the charge or the consciousness of refuge in the church of St. Theodore. Tillemont
some offence rendered his absence from Con- thinks he even returned to Antioch, but this is quite
stantinople convenient, if not necessary, Acacius unlikely. John Codonatus meanwhile succeeded
would not be far out in describing his journey as to the vacant patriarchate; but he being deposed
a flight. Peter appears to have held the mono- after three months, Stephen, a supporter of the
physite doctrine, the controversy respecting which Council of Chalcedon, succeeded, and he dying soon
then agitated the whole Eastern Church: and on after, another Stephen was appointed in his room.
his arrival at Antioch, the patriarchate of which But the Monophysites of Antioch, though deprived
city was then held by Martyrius, a supporter of of their leader, were both active and powerful: they
the Council of Chalcedon, he determined on the accused the first (the Synodicon Vetus of Pappus says
audacious enterprise of occupying that high office. the second) of the two Stephens of Nestorianism,
Persuading Zeno to favour his attempt, he engaged and apparently succeeded in deposing him: for
cn his side a number of those inclined to the Theophanes says, that a council of the Eastern
Monophysite doctrine, (Theodorus Lector and bishops, assembled at Laodiceia by the emperor's
others call them Apollinarists [APOLLINARIS, command, "restored him" (d7roKeTfrT71-rse) to