Acessibilidade / Reportar erro

Memory of the Performance of the Emperor Theodosius II in the Nestorian Controversy (5th Century AD)

Abstract

Theodosius II ruled the Eastern Roman Empire from AD 408 to 450. Theodosius II’s performance is remembered as an emperor who was not very skilled in the political-administrative conduct of the Empire, especially regarding to the management of the Nestorian Controversy. This theological controversy arose during his rule within the ecclesiastical hierarchy who stood against to the bishops Cyril of Alexandria and Nestorius of Constantinople regarding the interaction between the natures of the divine and the human in the incarnate Christ. Reports made after Theodosius’ death by Priscus of Panium, Evagrius Scholasticus and John Malalas, underscore his fickle character when he changed his support among the factions that were formed to support each of the two bishops. However, when analyzing the imperial and episcopal letters produced during the conflict, inserted in the work Acta Conciliorum Oecumenicorum (ACO), through the prosopographic method, the presence of civil and military officials is perceived, associating with the bishops on the issue theological. This fact demonstrated that the conflict was not restricted to the ecclesiastical milieu. Once in Late Antiquity, religious issues permeated the other spheres of social life, the aim of this article is to demonstrate that the alternation in support by the emperor is far from characterizing weakness in his decisions. His performance was inserted in the well-articulated political-administrative strategy of counterbalancing powers and accommodation of the interests of the imperial aristocracies that contributed to the maintenance of the centrality of power by the Emperor.

Keywords:
Late Antiquity; Eastern Roman Empire; Emperor Theodosius II; Political-religious and administrative conflict

Universidade Estadual Paulista Julio de Mesquita Filho Faculdade de Ciências e Letras, UNESP, Campus de Assis, 19 806-900 - Assis - São Paulo - Brasil, Tel: (55 18) 3302-5861, Faculdade de Ciências Humanas e Sociais, UNESP, Campus de Franca, 14409-160 - Franca - São Paulo - Brasil, Tel: (55 16) 3706-8700 - Assis/Franca - SP - Brazil
E-mail: revistahistoria@unesp.br