Ecumenical Councils The Fourth Ecumenical Council of 451 in Chalcedon  The Fourth Ecumenical Council of 451 in Chalcedon The End of Nestorius Chalcedon (451) The Victory of the 28th Canon of the Council of Chalcedon in History The Chalcedonian Problem in the Understanding of Russian Thinkers Monophysitism of the East after Chalcedon Unrest in Palestine In Egypt Changes on the throne and vacillations of emperors Emperors Zeno (474-491) and Basiliscus (475-476). 1st Apostasy from the Council of Chalcedon Enkiklion (475) The fall of Basiliscus and the return of Zeno (476). Turn to Chalcedon Second Retreat from Chalcedon Henoticon (Ενωτικον) 35-year division of the churches (484-519) due to the Henoticon Growth of Monophysitism in Constantinople. Severus End of the 34-year schism with Rome (484-518) The end of the break Movement of Scythian monks The First Arrival of the Pope in Constantinople

The Fourth Ecumenical Council of 451 in Chalcedon

But... the terror from above ended with the sudden death of Emperor Theodosius II. He did not leave any children. His closest heiress was his sister Pulcheria. The Synclitus (Senate) recognized it. Pulcheria resolutely took power. And first of all, she overthrew the dictatorship of Chrysaphius over her late brother. She executed Chrysaphius. Pulcheria did not consider it possible to retain power in her hands alone and proposed to the senator Marcian to formally marry her on the condition that she would remain a maiden as before. She proclaimed him emperor and invested him with power herself. Until now, there was a secular pagan rite of coronation - putting a crown on the heir or the newly elected emperor. Pulcheria wished to churchify this act. She asked Archbishop Anatolius of Constantinople in 450 to crown Marcian ecclesiastically.

This was the first act of ecclesiastical coronation of an emperor in Byzantine history. And it probably included the biblical rite of chrismation at the same time.

Terrorized earlier by Chrysaphius, Pulcheria concealed her sympathies for both Flavian and Pope Leo. Now everything has changed. The remains of Flavian were solemnly brought to Constantinople and buried in the church of the 12 apostles. All those exiled by Dioscorus have been returned. Eutychus was removed from Constantinople outside the city, under surveillance. The faint-hearted bishops themselves began to repent that at the Council of Dioscorus they had "submitted to violence" (!!). Anatolius was forced to kindly receive the Roman legates and sign the tomos of Pope Leo (!). Maximus of Antioch is also (!). They did not want to part with power. In Rome, Pope Leo received statements from the "penitents". Dioscorus, beginning with the non-recognition of Marcian as emperor in Alexandria, continued to think about the return of his triumph.

A fanatic to the point of madness, Dioscorus aggravated his position by the fact that at the time of Pulcheria's accession to the throne, according to the testimony of contemporaries, "he pretended to be the same ruler of the 'ikumeni' as the basileus of Constantinople, he himself wanted to reign over the diocese of Egypt, declaring that this diocese belonged to him rather than to the emperor."

This was politically unwise, just as his "robbery" unction of 449 was unwise. But it used him as a scapegoat for the religious policy of Theodosius II. Dioscorus alone was guilty of everything, "of course" (!!).

Anatolius, having betrayed Dioscorus, continued to bring all the participants in the Ephesian "robbery" to the signature of the tomos of Pope Leo. And it began to seem to Pope Leo that everything was arranged without any council. Moreover, the West was absorbed by the invasion of the Huns. Attila interested the "Westerners" more than some Eutychus. 451 was the year of the Battle of Catalauna against the Huns (Châlon sur Marne).

And in the East "their Eastern" heart was beating. In Constantinople it was believed that without a council it was impossible to "revise" the entire episcopate. It is impossible to crush Dioscorus and his party (not a small one). In addition, it is necessary to finally establish the formula of Christological dogma, once it has already been found. Otherwise, disputes cannot be avoided again. It was decided to convene a council of the largest number of bishops in the famous Nicaea.

The End of Nestorius