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

SEVERUS. SEVERUS, 799
nodicon, l. c.). He anathematized Macedonius, the many minds by their abuse of their pre-eminence.
deposed patriarch of Constantinople [MAcEDo- Among those who were thus led to return to the
NIUS, No. 4.], and his own predecessor at Antioch, orthodox faith was Mamas, abbot of the convent near
Flavianus. But he accepted the Henoticon of Gaza, under whom Severus had passed the earlier part
Zeno, and declared himself to be in communion of his monastic life. Early in the reign of Justin I.
with Timotheus and Joannes, or John III., the [JUSTINUS I.], that emperor, at the instigation
patriarchs of Constantinople and Alexandria; and perhaps of Vitalian, commanded that Severus
restored to the diptychs the name of Peter Mon- should be deposed and apprehended: according to
gus [PETRUS, No. 22.], whom he had once anathe- some accounts he ordered his tongue to be cut out,
matized. At the same time he received into com- and he was anathematized in a council held at
rnunion Peter the Iberian, his old comrade in the Constantinople (A. D. 518). Severus, however,
monastery in Palestine, who had retained the more eluded the emperor's severity; and taking ship at
rigid Monophysite views which had marked the Seleuceia, the port of Antioch, fled with Julian
early years of Severus himself, and continued out bishop of Halicarnassus, to Alexandria (A. D. 518
of communion with the more moderate Mono- or 519). Paul was chosen patriarch of Antioch in
physites of Alexandria who had received the He- his room (Evagrius, H. E. iv. 4): and the change
noticon. In fact, from the time of his going to was followed by the secession from the church of
Constantinople, Severus's policy appears to have the followers of the deposed patriarch, and by the
been to unite all the Monophysites, whether mo- pronouncing, in various ecclesiastical councils, of
derates or ultras, into one great body, and to resist anathemas upon him (Concilia, vol. iv. col. 1673;
the orthodox or supporters of the Council of Chal- Liberat. Breviar. c. 19). Meanwhile Severus recedon, by whom his appointment was not recog- mained at Alexandria, protected by the patriarch
nized, and against whom, if the representations of Timotheus: and, as if it was his destiny to be the
his opponents may be believed, he directed a fierce troubler of the Church, he and his fellow-exile
persecution with atrocious cruelty (Relatio Archi- Julian started the controversy on the corruptibility
nmandritarum Syriae apud Concil. vol. iv. coll. 1461, of Christ's human body before the resurrection,
1462; Libell. Monachor. 1. c.; Supplicatio Clericor. Severus affirming, and Julian denying, that it
Antioch. and Epistola Epiphlanii Tyrii, apud Con- was corruptible; the patriarch Timotheus rather
cilia, vol. v. col. 157, 194, &c.). He is especially inclined to the side of Severus. After the death
charged, in conjunction with Peter of Apameia, of Justin, and the accession of Justinian I., the
with having engiged a "band of Jewish robbers," prospects of Severus became more favourable;
and placing them in ambush for a company of three for although the new emperor himself [JUSTINIAhundred and fifty of the orthodox, who were all NUS I.] supported the Council of Chalcedon, his
slain, and their limbs left unburied and scattered empress Theodora favoured the Monophysite party,
about the road. Many of the bishops of Severus's and by her influence Severus obtained the empatriarchate fled from their sees, others were ba- peror's permission to return to Constantinople
nished, and others apparently were compelled to (Evagrius, l.c.). On his arrival, Severusfound that
conceal their real sentiments. Elias I., patriarch of Anthimus, who had just obtained the patriarchate
J.erusalem [ELIAS, No. 1.], was deposed, and the of Constantinople, A. D. 535, was a Monophysite,
Monophysite party became triumphant in most and he prevailed on him to avow his sentiments.
parts of the East. Their triumph indeed was not Timotheus of Alexandria was a Monophysite also,
complete, nor of long duration. Some bishops of and the avowal of that obnoxious heresy by the
Severus's own patriarchate renounced communion heads of the church, naturally excited the alarm of
with him: two of them, Cosmas of Epiphaneia, and the orthodox party. Anthimus and Timotheus
Severianus of Arethusa, had the audacity to send to were both deposed; and in the councils of Conhim a document declaring him deposed; and so stantinople and Jerusalem (A. D. 536), and in an
strongly were they supported by the people of their imperial edict, Severus was again anathematized
dioceses, that the emperor, who had sentenced his writings also were ordered to be burned.
them to banishment for their contumacy, was These decisive measures secured the predominance
obliged to leave them in possession of their sees, of the orthodox: and Evagrius boasts that the
finding he could not remove them without blood- church remained from thenceforth united and pure.
shed (Evagr. H. E. iii. 34). The patriarch of Jeru- But this result was obtained by the separation of
salem who succeeded Elias, prompted by the Ana- Monophysites, and the formation of the great
chorets Saba [SABA] and Theodosius, adhered to Jacobite schisinatical churches of Egypt and the
the orthodox faith, which was also supported by East, by whom Severus has been ever regarded as,
the pope and the Roman Church. Still, notwith- to his death, legitimate patriarch of Antioch.
standing this opposition, the Monophysites having Some authorities state that Severus was compelled
men of their own party in the patriarchal sees of through the interference of Pope Agapetus (A. D.
Alexandria, Antioch, and Constantinople, pos- 535, 536) to leave Constantinople and return to
sessed a decided superiority. But the accession of Alexandria. The date of his death is uncertain:
Justin I., who adhered to the Council of Chalcedon Joannes, bishop of Tela, his contemporary, in his
[JUST1NUS I.], occasioned their overthrow; for in LiberDirectionunL (apudAssemani, Biblioth. Orient.
the balanced state of parties, and the servility or vol. ii. p. 54) places it in the year of the Greeks,
timidity of the ecclesiastics and people, the pre- i. e. the Seleucidae, 849 = A. D. 538; the Chronicon
dominance of one side or the other depended on of Gregorius BarHebraeus, or Abulpharagius (apud
the individual filling the imperial throne. While eundem, p. 321), in the year of the Greeks 850=
the heretical Anastasius survived, heresy was in the A. D. 539; and Assemani himself (ibid. note), in
ascendant; it succumbed to orthodoxy, on the ac- A. D. 542. It is said to have taken place at Alexcession of the orthodox Justin. Another circum- andria, where he lurked in the disguise of a monk.
stance which, perhaps, conduced to the overthrow The Jacobites recognize Sergius as his successor in
of the Monophysites, was the re-action occasioned in the patriarchate. (Marcellinus, Chlronicon; Victor