The Arian controversy was a series of

Christian A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a Monotheism, monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the wo ...

disputes about the nature of

Christ Jesus ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ, Jesus of Nazareth, and many other names and titles, was a 1st-century Jewish preacher and religious leader. He is the Jesus in Christianity, central figure of Christianity, the M ...

that began with a dispute between

Arius Arius (; ; 250 or 256 – 336) was a Cyrenaica, Cyrenaic presbyter and asceticism, ascetic. He has been regarded as the founder of Arianism, which holds that Jesus Christ was not Eternity, coeternal with God the Father, but was rather created b ...

and

Athanasius of Alexandria Athanasius I of Alexandria ( – 2 May 373), also called Athanasius the Great, Athanasius the Confessor, or, among Coptic Christians, Athanasius the Apostolic, was a Christian theologian and the 20th patriarch of Alexandria (as Athanasius ...

, two

Christian theologians Christian theology is the theology – the systematic study of the divine and religion – of Christianity, Christian belief and practice. It concentrates primarily upon the texts of the Old Testament and of the New Testament, as well as on Ch ...

from

Alexandria, Egypt Alexandria ( ; ) is the List of cities and towns in Egypt#Largest cities, second largest city in Egypt and the List of coastal settlements of the Mediterranean Sea, largest city on the Mediterranean coast. It lies at the western edge of the Nile ...

. The most important of these controversies concerned the relationship between the substance of

God the Father God the Father is a title given to God in Christianity. In mainstream trinitarian Christianity, God the Father is regarded as the first Person of the Trinity, followed by the second person, Jesus Christ the Son, and the third person, God th ...

and the substance of His Son. The position advanced initially by Arius argued that the

Son of God Historically, many rulers have assumed titles such as the son of God, the son of a god or the son of heaven. The term "Son of God" is used in the Hebrew Bible as another way to refer to humans who have a special relationship with God. In Exo ...

came after God the Father in both time and substance. This conflicted with the Trinitarian faction initially advanced by Athanasius which argued that the Christ was coeternal and consubstantial with God the Father. Emperor Constantine, through the Council of Nicaea in 325, attempted to unite Christianity and establish a single, imperially approved version of the faith. Ironically, his efforts were the cause of the deep divisions created by the disputes after Nicaea. While there was no formal

schism A schism ( , , or, less commonly, ) is a division between people, usually belonging to an organization, movement, or religious denomination. The word is most frequently applied to a split in what had previously been a single religious body, suc ...

, these disagreements divided the Church into various factions for over 55 years, from the time before the

First Council of Nicaea The First Council of Nicaea ( ; ) was a council of Christian bishops convened in the Bithynian city of Nicaea (now İznik, Turkey) by the Roman Emperor Constantine I. The Council of Nicaea met from May until the end of July 325. This ec ...

in 325 until after the

First Council of Constantinople The First Council of Constantinople (; ) was a council of Christian bishops convened in Constantinople (now Istanbul, Turkey) in AD 381 by the Roman Emperor Theodosius I. This second ecumenical council, an effort to attain consensus in the ...

in 381. Inside the Roman Empire, the Trinitarian faction ultimately gained the upper hand through the

Edict of Thessalonica An edict is a decree or announcement of a law, often associated with monarchies, but it can be under any official authority. Synonyms include "dictum" and "pronouncement". ''Edict'' derives from the Latin wikt:edictum#Latin, edictum. Notable ed ...

, issued on 27 February AD 380, which made Nicene Christology the state religion of the

Roman Empire The Roman Empire ruled the Mediterranean and much of Europe, Western Asia and North Africa. The Roman people, Romans conquered most of this during the Roman Republic, Republic, and it was ruled by emperors following Octavian's assumption of ...

, and through strict enforcement of that edict. However, outside the Roman Empire,

Arianism Arianism (, ) is a Christology, Christological doctrine which rejects the traditional notion of the Trinity and considers Jesus to be a creation of God, and therefore distinct from God. It is named after its major proponent, Arius (). It is co ...

and other forms of

Unitarianism Unitarianism () is a Nontrinitarianism, nontrinitarian sect of Christianity. Unitarian Christians affirm the wikt:unitary, unitary God in Christianity, nature of God as the singular and unique Creator deity, creator of the universe, believe that ...

continued to be preached for some time (without the blessing of the Empire), but it was eventually killed off. The modern

Roman Catholic Church The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...

and the

Eastern Orthodox Church The Eastern Orthodox Church, officially the Orthodox Catholic Church, and also called the Greek Orthodox Church or simply the Orthodox Church, is List of Christian denominations by number of members, one of the three major doctrinal and ...

, as well as all Protestant denominations, have generally followed the Trinitarian formulation, though each has its own specific theology on the matter.

History

Beginnings

The early history of the controversy must be pieced together from about 35 documents found in various sources. The Trinitarian historian Socrates of Constantinople reports that

first became controversial under the bishop Alexander of Alexandria, when Arius formulated the following

syllogism A syllogism (, ''syllogismos'', 'conclusion, inference') is a kind of logical argument that applies deductive reasoning to arrive at a conclusion based on two propositions that are asserted or assumed to be true. In its earliest form (defin ...

"If the Father begat the Son, he that was begotten had a beginning of existence: hence it is that there was when the Son was not. It follows then of necessity that he had his existence from the non-existence".

Bishop Alexander of Alexandria was criticised for his slow reaction against Arius. Like his predecessor, Dionysius, he has been charged with vacillation. According to

Eusebius Eusebius of Caesarea (30 May AD 339), also known as Eusebius Pamphilius, was a historian of Christianity, exegete, and Christian polemicist from the Roman province of Syria Palaestina. In about AD 314 he became the bishop of Caesarea Maritima. ...

's work, ''The Life of Constantine'', the controversy had spread from Alexandria into almost all the African regions, and was considered a disturbance of the public order by the Roman Empire.

Constantine the Great Constantine I (27 February 27222 May 337), also known as Constantine the Great, was a Roman emperor from AD 306 to 337 and the first Roman emperor to convert to Christianity. He played a Constantine the Great and Christianity, pivotal ro ...

(Constantine I) sent two letters to Arius and Bishop Alexander, asking the religious leaders to stop the controversy. The ongoing controversy led to Constantine's oversight of the First Council of Nicaea.

First Council of Nicaea (325)

Arianism would not be contained within the Alexandrian

diocese In Ecclesiastical polity, church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop. History In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided Roman province, prov ...

. By the time Bishop Alexander finally acted against his presbyter, Arius's doctrine had spread far beyond his own see; it had become a topic of discussion—and disturbance—for the entire Church. The Church was now a powerful force in the Roman world, with Constantine I having legalized it in 313 through the

Edict of Milan The Edict of Milan (; , ''Diatagma tōn Mediolanōn'') was the February 313 agreement to treat Christians benevolently within the Roman Empire. Frend, W. H. C. (1965). ''The Early Church''. SPCK, p. 137. Western Roman Emperor Constantine I and ...

. "Constantine desired that the church should contribute to the social and moral strength of the empire, religious dissension was a menace to the public welfare." Consequently, the emperor had taken a personal interest in several ecumenical issues, including the Donatist controversy in 316. He also wanted to bring an end to the Arian dispute. To this end, the emperor sent bishop Hosius of Corduba to investigate and, if possible, resolve the controversy. Hosius was armed with an open letter from the Emperor: ''"Wherefore let each one of you, showing consideration for the other, listen to the impartial exhortation of your fellow-servant."'' As the debate continued to rage despite Hosius' efforts, Constantine in AD 325 took an unprecedented step: he called an

ecumenical council An ecumenical council, also called general council, is a meeting of bishops and other church authorities to consider and rule on questions of Christian doctrine, administration, discipline, and other matters in which those entitled to vote are ...

at Nicaea composed of church

prelate A prelate () is a high-ranking member of the Minister (Christianity), Christian clergy who is an Ordinary (church officer), ordinary or who ranks in precedence with ordinaries. The word derives from the Latin , the past participle of , which me ...

s from all parts of the empire to resolve this issue, possibly at Hosius' recommendation. It is traditionally said that 318 bishops came to Nicaea to attend the council, though others suggest figures from 250-300. The vast majority of those bishops were from the East. Italy, Spain, Gaul, North Africa, Persia, and Scythia each sent one bishop. Pope Sylvester I, himself too aged to attend, sent two priests as his delegates. Arius himself attended the council as well as the young deacon Athanasius, who attended as an assistant to Alexander of Alexandria and who would become the champion of the Nicene Creed and spend most of his life battling

and other forms of

. Also there were

of Caesarea and Eusebius of Nicomedia. Before the main conclave convened, Hosius initially met with Alexander and his supporters at

Nicomedia Nicomedia (; , ''Nikomedeia''; modern İzmit) was an ancient Greece, ancient Greek city located in what is now Turkey. In 286, Nicomedia became the eastern and most senior capital city of the Roman Empire (chosen by the emperor Diocletian who rul ...

. The council was presided over by the emperor himself, who participated in and even led some of its discussions. Those who upheld the notion that Christ was co-eternal and con-substantial with the Father were led by the young archdeacon Athanasius. Those who instead insisted that the Son of God came after God the Father in time and substance, were led by Arius the presbyter. For about two months, the two sides argued and debated, with each appealing to Scripture to justify their respective positions. Arius maintained that the Son of God was a Creature, made from nothing; and that he was God's First Production, before all ages. And he argued that everything else was created through the Son. Thus, said Arius, only the Son was directly created and begotten of God; furthermore, there was a time that He had no existence. He was capable of His own free will, said Arius, and thus "were He in the truest sense a son, He must have come after the Father, therefore the time obviously was when He was not, and hence He was a finite being." According to some accounts in the

hagiography A hagiography (; ) is a biography of a saint or an ecclesiastical leader, as well as, by extension, an adulatory and idealized biography of a preacher, priest, founder, saint, monk, nun or icon in any of the world's religions. Early Christian ...

Saint Nicholas Saint Nicholas of Myra (traditionally 15 March 270 – 6 December 343), also known as Nicholas of Bari, was an early Christian bishop of Greeks, Greek descent from the maritime city of Patara (Lycia), Patara in Anatolia (in modern-day Antalya ...

, debate at the council became so heated that at one point, he slapped Arius in the face. The majority of the bishops at the council ultimately agreed upon a creed, known thereafter as the

Nicene Creed The Nicene Creed, also called the Creed of Constantinople, is the defining statement of belief of Nicene Christianity and in those Christian denominations that adhere to it. The original Nicene Creed was first adopted at the First Council of N ...

formulated at the first council of Nicaea. It included the word ''homoousios'', meaning "consubstantial", or "same in essence", which was incompatible with Arius' beliefs. On June 19, 325, council and emperor issued a circular to the churches in and around Alexandria: Arius and two of his unyielding partisans (Theonas and Secundus) were deposed and exiled to Illyricum, while three other supporters— Theognis of Nicaea, Eusebius of Nicomedia and Maris of Chalcedon—affixed their signatures solely out of deference to the emperor. However, Constantine soon found reason to suspect the sincerity of these three, for he later included them in the sentence pronounced on Arius.

Ariminum, Seleucia, and Constantinople (358–360)

In 358, the emperor

Constantius II Constantius II (; ; 7 August 317 – 3 November 361) was Roman emperor from 337 to 361. His reign saw constant warfare on the borders against the Sasanian Empire and Germanic peoples, while internally the Roman Empire went through repeated civ ...

requested two councils, one of the western bishops at Ariminum (now

Rimini Rimini ( , ; or ; ) is a city in the Emilia-Romagna region of Northern Italy. Sprawling along the Adriatic Sea, Rimini is situated at a strategically-important north-south passage along the coast at the southern tip of the Po Valley. It is ...

Northern Italy Northern Italy (, , ) is a geographical and cultural region in the northern part of Italy. The Italian National Institute of Statistics defines the region as encompassing the four Northwest Italy, northwestern Regions of Italy, regions of Piedmo ...

) and one of the eastern bishops at

.Philostorgius, in Photius, ''Epitome of the Ecclesiastical History of Philostorgius'', book 4, chapter 10.Socrates of Constantinople, ''Church History'', book 2, chapter 37. In 359, the western council met at Ariminum. Ursacius of Singidunum and Valens of Mursa, following the new creed drafted at Sirmium (359), proposed that, "''according to the scriptures''," the Son was "''like the Father''." This is known as the Homoian view which held that the Bible does not reveal whether the Son is of the same substance as the Father and we, therefore, should not speculate about such things. This view is in opposition to the "''of the same substance''" (Homoousios) view of the Nicene Creed. The council, including some supporters of the older creed, accepted this proposal. After the council,

Pope Liberius Pope Liberius (310 – 24 September 366) was the bishop of Rome from 17 May 352 until his death on 24 September 366. According to the '' Catalogus Liberianus'', he was consecrated on 22 May as the successor to Julius I. He is not mentione ...

condemned the creed of Ariminum, while his rival, Pope Felix II, supported it.Socrates of Constantinople, ''Church History'', book 2, chapter 40. An earthquake struck Nicomedia, and in 359 the eastern council met at Seleucia Isauria instead. The council was bitterly divided and procedurally irregular, and the two parties met separately and reached opposing decisions. Following the Homoian view, Acacius of Caesarea declared that the Son was "''like the Father''".Philostorgius, in Photius, ''Epitome of the Ecclesiastical History of Philostorgius'', book 4, chapter 11. But Basil of Ancyra and his party, following a (Homoiousian) Creed of Antioch from 341, declared that the Son was of "''similar substance''" to the Father. The majority at Seleucia accepted the "''similar substance''" view and deposed the opposing party. Constantius did not accept this outcome and requested a third council, at Constantinople (359), of both the eastern and western bishops, to resolve the split at Seleucia. Acacius and Basil of Ancyra, respectively, again proposed the "''like the Father''" and "''similar substance''" views, as were explained at Seleucia. However, Maris of Chalcedon, Eudoxius of Antioch, and the deacons Aëtius of Antioch and Eunomius of Cyzicus proposed a third view which was similar to Arius' teachings, namely that the Son was of "''a dissimilar substance''" from the Father.Philostorgius, in Photius, ''Epitome of the Ecclesiastical History of Philostorgius'', book 4, chapter 12 and book 5, chapter 1.Socrates of Constantinople, ''Church History'', book 2, chapter 41. The Heteroousians ("''dissimilar substance''") won the victory over the other two views in an initial debate. However, Constantius was not willing to accept this outcome either. He intervened and banished Aëtius; one of the leading proponents of the "''dissimilar substance''" view. After this, the council, including Maris and Eudoxius, agreed to a fourth view, namely the homoian ("''like the Father''") view that was already agreed to at Ariminum. They made only minor modifications to the Ariminum creed. After the Council of Constantinople, the homoian bishop Acacius deposed and banished several homoiousian bishops, including Macedonius I of Constantinople, Basil, Eustathius, Eleusius of Cyzicus, Dracontius of Pergamum, Neonas of Seleucia, Sophronius of Pompeiopolis, Elpidius of Satala and Cyril of Jerusalem.Philostorgius, in Photius, ''Epitome of the Ecclesiastical History of Philostorgius'', book 5, chapter 1.Socrates of Constantinople, ''Church History'', book 2, chapter 42. At the same time, Acacius also deposed and banished the Anomoean deacon Aëtius. In 360, Acacius appointed Eudoxius of Antioch to replace Macedonius and Athanasius of Ancyra to replace Basil, as well as Onesimus of Nicomedia to replace Cecropius, who had died in the earthquake at Nicomedia.

The controversy in the 360s

In 361, Constantius died and Julian became sole Roman emperor. Julian demanded the restoration of several pagan temples which Christians had seized or destroyed. According to Philostorgius, pagans killed George of Laodicea, bishop of

Alexandria Alexandria ( ; ) is the List of cities and towns in Egypt#Largest cities, second largest city in Egypt and the List of coastal settlements of the Mediterranean Sea, largest city on the Mediterranean coast. It lies at the western edge of the Nile ...

, allowing Athanasius to reclaim the 'see', or ecclesiastical jurisdiction.

Sides

Homoousian

The Homoousians taught that the Son is of the same substance as the Father, i.e. both uncreated. The Sabellian form had been condemned as heresy in the 3rd century by Pope Calixtus. The Athanasian form would be declared orthodox at the Council of Constantinople in 383, and has become the basis of most of modern

trinitarianism The Trinity (, from 'threefold') is the Christian doctrine concerning the nature of God, which defines one God existing in three, , consubstantial divine persons: God the Father, God the Son (Jesus Christ) and God the Holy Spirit, three ...

. *

Alexander Alexander () is a male name of Greek origin. The most prominent bearer of the name is Alexander the Great, the king of the Ancient Greek kingdom of Macedonia who created one of the largest empires in ancient history. Variants listed here ar ...

, bishop of

(313-326). * Hosius, bishop of Cordoba (?-359). *

, bishop of Caesarea (c. 313-339). * Eustathius, (possibly Sabellian) bishop of

Antioch Antioch on the Orontes (; , ) "Antioch on Daphne"; or "Antioch the Great"; ; ; ; ; ; ; . was a Hellenistic Greek city founded by Seleucus I Nicator in 300 BC. One of the most important Greek cities of the Hellenistic period, it served as ...

(c. 325-330).Socrates of Constantinople, ''Church History'', book 1, chapter 25. *

Cyrus Cyrus () is a Persian-language masculine given name. It is historically best known as the name of several List of monarchs of Iran, Persian kings, most notably including Cyrus the Great, who founded the Achaemenid Empire in 550 BC. It remains wid ...

, (possibly Sabellian) bishop of Beroe. * Athanasius (Athanasian) bishop of Alexandria (326-373, later rival of Gregory of Cappadocia and then George of Laodicea). * Paul, bishop of Constantinople (336-351, later rival of Eusebius of Nicomedia and then Macedonius I of Constantinople). * Julius, bishop of

Rome Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...

(337-352).Socrates of Constantinople, ''Church History'', book 2, chapter 15. * Asclepas, bishop of Gaza. * Lucius, bishop of

Adrianople Edirne (; ), historically known as Orestias, Adrianople, is a city in Turkey, in the northwestern part of the Edirne Province, province of Edirne in Eastern Thrace. Situated from the Greek and from the Bulgarian borders, Edirne was the second c ...

(?-351). *

Maximus Maximus (Hellenised as Maximos) is the Latin term for "greatest" or "largest". In this connection it may refer to: * Circus Maximus (disambiguation) * Pontifex maximus, the highest priest of the College of Pontiffs in ancient Rome People Roman hi ...

, bishop of

Jerusalem Jerusalem is a city in the Southern Levant, on a plateau in the Judaean Mountains between the Mediterranean Sea, Mediterranean and the Dead Sea. It is one of the List of oldest continuously inhabited cities, oldest cities in the world, and ...

(333-350). * Paulinus, bishop of Treves, who supported Athanasius of Alexandria at Milan.Socrates of Constantinople, ''Church History'', book 2, chapter 36. * Dionysius, bishop of

Alba ''Alba'' ( , ) is the Scottish Gaelic name for Scotland. It is also, in English-language historiography, used to refer to the polity of Picts and Scots united in the ninth century as the Kingdom of Alba, until it developed into the Kingd ...

, who supported Athanasius of Alexandria at Milan. *

, bishop of

Vercelli Vercelli (; ) is a city and ''comune'' of 46,552 inhabitants (January 1, 2017) in the Province of Vercelli, Piedmont, northern Italy. One of the oldest urban sites in northern Italy, it was founded, according to most historians, around 600 BC. ...

(340-371), who supported Athanasius of Alexandria at Milan. * Angelius, (Novatian) bishop of Constantinople.Socrates of Constantinople, ''Church History'', book 2, chapter 38. *

Gregory of Nazianzus Gregory of Nazianzus (; ''Liturgy of the Hours'' Volume I, Proper of Saints, 2 January. – 25 January 390), also known as Gregory the Theologian or Gregory Nazianzen, was an early Roman Christian theologian and prelate who served as Archbi ...

* Gregory of Elvira *

Lucifer The most common meaning for Lucifer in English is as a name for the Devil in Christian theology. He appeared in the King James Version of the Bible in Isaiah and before that in the Vulgate (the late-4th-century Latin translation of the Bib ...

, bishop of

Cagliari Cagliari (, , ; ; ; Latin: ''Caralis'') is an Comune, Italian municipality and the capital and largest city of the island of Sardinia, an Regions of Italy#Autonomous regions with special statute, autonomous region of Italy. It has about 146,62 ...

. * Hilary, bishop of

Poitiers Poitiers is a city on the river Clain in west-central France. It is a commune in France, commune, the capital of the Vienne (department), Vienne department and the historical center of Poitou, Poitou Province. In 2021, it had a population of 9 ...

(c. 353-367). * Servatius, bishop of

Tongeren Tongeren (; ; ; ) is a city and former municipality located in the Belgian province of Limburg, in the southeastern corner of the Flemish region of Belgium. Tongeren is the oldest town in Belgium, as the only Roman administrative capital wit ...

Marcellus of Ancyra and Photinus of Sirmium

According to the historian Socrates of Constantinople, Marcellus of Ancyra and Photinus taught "that Christ was a mere man." Their opponents associated the teachings of Marcellus of Ancyra and Photinus of Sirmium with those of

Sabellius Sabellius (fl. ca. 215) was a third-century priest and theologian who most likely taught in Rome, but may have been a North African from Libya. Basil and others call him a Libyan from Pentapolis, but this seems to rest on the fact that Pentapolis ...

and Paul of Samosata, which had been widely rejected before the controversy. * Marcellus, bishop of

Ancyra Ankara is the capital city of Turkey and the largest capital by area in the world. Located in the central part of Anatolia, the city has a population of 5,290,822 in its urban center ( Etimesgut, Yenimahalle, Çankaya, Keçiören, Altında ...

(?-336 and c. 343-c. 374) and critic of Asterius. * Photinus, bishop of

Sirmium Sirmium was a city in the Roman province of Pannonia, located on the Sava river, on the site of modern Sremska Mitrovica in the Vojvodina autonomous province of Serbia. First mentioned in the 4th century BC and originally inhabited by Illyrians ...

(?-351) and in exile (351-376); according to Socrates of Constantinople and Sozomen, Photinus was a follower of Marcellus. * In 336, a church trial at Constantinople deposed Marcellus and condemned his doctrines. *

Pope Julius I Pope Julius I was the bishop of Rome from 6 February 337 to his death on 12 April 352. He was appealed to by Athanasius when the latter was deposed from his position as patriarch by Arian bishops, Julius then supported Athanasius and condemned hi ...

supported Marcellus and called for his restoration. * In 342 or 343, the mostly Western Council of Sardica restored Marcellus, while the mostly Eastern Council of Philippopolis sustained his removal. * Under pressure from his co-Emperor

Constans Flavius Julius Constans ( 323 – 350), also called Constans I, was Roman emperor from 337 to 350. He held the imperial rank of '' caesar'' from 333, and was the youngest son of Constantine the Great. After his father's death, he was made ''a ...

initially backed the decision of Sardica, but after Constans' death, reversed course. * In 351, a church trial at the Second Council of Sirmium deposed Photinus and condemned his teachings. * The Macrostich condemned the teachings of Marcellus and Photinus.Socrates of Constantinople, ''Church History'', book 2, chapter 19.

Homoiousian

The Homoiousian school taught that the Son is of a similar substance to the Father but not the same.Peter Heather & John Matthews, ''Goths in the Fourth Century'', p. 128. This mainly discusses the later controversy. * Basil of Ancyra, bishop of

(336-360).Philostorgius, in Photius, ''Epitome of the Ecclesiastical History of Philostorgius'', book 8, chapter 17. * Macedonius, (Macedonian) bishop of

Constantinople Constantinople (#Names of Constantinople, see other names) was a historical city located on the Bosporus that served as the capital of the Roman Empire, Roman, Byzantine Empire, Byzantine, Latin Empire, Latin, and Ottoman Empire, Ottoman empire ...

(342-346 and 351-360). * George of Laodicea, bishop of Alexandria (356-361, rival of Athanasius of Alexandria). * Eudoxius, bishop of Germanicia (?-358),

(358-359), and

(360-370), who supported the Macrostich. * Martyrius, who supported the Macrostich. * Macedonius, bishop of Mopsuestia, who supported the Macrostich. *

Mark Mark may refer to: In the Bible * Mark the Evangelist (5–68), traditionally ascribed author of the Gospel of Mark * Gospel of Mark, one of the four canonical gospels and one of the three synoptic gospels Currencies * Mark (currency), a currenc ...

, bishop of Arethusa, who wrote the Creed of Sirmium of 351. *

Cyril Cyril (also Cyrillus or Cyryl) is a masculine given name. It is derived from the Greek language, Greek name (''Kýrillos''), meaning 'lordly, masterful', which in turn derives from Greek (''kýrios'') 'lord'. There are various variant forms of t ...

, (Macedonian) bishop of Jerusalem (350-386). * Marathonius, (Macedonian) bishop of Nicomedia (c. 351-?). * Eleusius, (Macedonian) bishop of

Cyzicus Cyzicus ( ; ; ) was an ancient Greek town in Mysia in Anatolia in the current Balıkesir Province of Turkey. It was located on the shoreward side of the present Kapıdağ Peninsula (the classical Arctonnesus), a tombolo which is said to have or ...

(c. 351-360). * Sophronius, (Macedonian) bishop of

Pompeiopolis Pompeiopolis () was a Roman city in ancient Paphlagonia, identified in the early 19th century with the ruins of Zımbıllı Tepe, located near Taşköprü, Kastamonu Province in the Black Sea Region of Turkey. The exact location is 40 km ...

(?-360). * Dracontius, bishop of

Pergamum Pergamon or Pergamum ( or ; ), also referred to by its modern Greek form Pergamos (), was a rich and powerful ancient Greek city in Aeolis. It is located from the modern coastline of the Aegean Sea on a promontory on the north side of the river ...

(?-360). * Neonas, bishop of Seleucia Isauria (?-360). * Elpidius, bishop of Satala (?-360). * Eustathius, (Macedonian) bishop of Sebastia. * Annianus of Antioch. * Sabinus, Macedonian bishop of Heraclea.

Homoian

The Homoians taught that the Son is similar to the Father, either "in all things" or "according to the scriptures," without speaking of substance. Several members of the other schools, such as Hosius of Cordoba and Aëtius, also accepted certain Homoian formulae. * Ursacius, initially homoiousian, then homoousian, and later homoian bishop of

Singidunum Singidunum ( sr-Cyrl-Latn, Сингидунум, Singidunum) was an ancient city which later evolved into modern Belgrade, the capital of Serbia. The name is of Celtic origin, going back to the time when the Celtic tribe Scordisci settled the a ...

, who had opposed Athanasius.Socrates of Constantinople, ''Church History'', book 1, chapter 27 and book 2, chapters 12 & 37. *

Valens Valens (; ; 328 – 9 August 378) was Roman emperor from 364 to 378. Following a largely unremarkable military career, he was named co-emperor by his elder brother Valentinian I, who gave him the Byzantine Empire, eastern half of the Roman Em ...

, initially homoiousian, then homoousian, and later homoian bishop of

Mursa Osijek () is the List of cities and towns in Croatia, fourth-largest city in Croatia, with a population of 96,848 in 2021. It is the largest city and the economic and cultural centre of the eastern Croatian region of Slavonia, as well as the adm ...

, who had opposed Athanasius. * Germinius. * Auxentius (died 374), bishop of Milan. * Demophilus, bishop of Beraea (?-370) and

(370-380).Philostorgius, in Photius, ''Epitome of the Ecclesiastical History of Philostorgius'', book 9, chapter 19. *

Gaius Gaius, sometimes spelled Caius, was a common Latin praenomen; see Gaius (praenomen). People * Gaius (biblical figure) (1st century AD) *Gaius (jurist) (), Roman jurist * Gaius Acilius * Gaius Antonius * Gaius Antonius Hybrida * Gaius Asinius Gal ...

. * Acacius, bishop of Caesarea (340-366).

Heteroousian

The Heteroousians taught that the Son is of a different substance from the Father, i.e. created. Arius had taught this early in the controversy, and Aëtius would teach the later Anomoean form. *

, presbyter in Alexandria. * Theophilus the Indian, who later supported Aëtius. * Aëtius, who founded the Anomoean tradition, later bishop (361-?).Philostorgius, in Photius, ''Epitome of the Ecclesiastical History of Philostorgius'', book 7, chapter 6.Socrates of Constantinople, ''Church History'', book 2, chapter 35. *

Theodulus Theodoulos () or Theodulus (amongst other variations) is a Greek masculine given name. The name is a theophoric name, meaning 'servant of God' (in a similar construction to Christodoulos).Robert Parker ''et al.''Lexicon of Greek Personal Namesproj ...

, (Anomoean) bishop of Chaeretapa (?-c. 363) and

Palestine Palestine, officially the State of Palestine, is a country in West Asia. Recognized by International recognition of Palestine, 147 of the UN's 193 member states, it encompasses the Israeli-occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and th ...

(c. 363-c. 379). * Eunomius, (Anomoean) bishop of

(360-361) and exiled bishop (361-c. 393). * Paemenius, (Anomoean) bishop of

, (c. 363, at the same time as Eudoxius of Antioch).Philostorgius, in Photius, ''Epitome of the Ecclesiastical History of Philostorgius'', book 8, chapter 2. * Candidus, (Anomoean) bishop of

Lydia Lydia (; ) was an Iron Age Monarchy, kingdom situated in western Anatolia, in modern-day Turkey. Later, it became an important province of the Achaemenid Empire and then the Roman Empire. Its capital was Sardis. At some point before 800 BC, ...

, (c. 363-?). * Arrianus, (Anomoean) bishop of

Ionia Ionia ( ) was an ancient region encompassing the central part of the western coast of Anatolia. It consisted of the northernmost territories of the Ionian League of Greek settlements. Never a unified state, it was named after the Ionians who ...

, (c. 363-?). * Florentius, (Anomoean) bishop of

, (c. 363-?, at the same time as Eudoxius of Antioch). *

Thallus Thallus (: thalli), from Latinized Greek (), meaning "a green shoot" or "twig", is the vegetative tissue of some organisms in diverse groups such as algae, fungi, some liverworts, lichens, and the Myxogastria. A thallus usually names the entir ...

, (Anomoean) bishop of

Lesbos Lesbos or Lesvos ( ) is a Greek island located in the northeastern Aegean Sea. It has an area of , with approximately of coastline, making it the third largest island in Greece and the List of islands in the Mediterranean#By area, eighth largest ...

, (c. 363-?, at the same time as Eudoxius of Antioch). * Euphronius, (Anomoean) bishop of

Galatia Galatia (; , ''Galatía'') was an ancient area in the highlands of central Anatolia, roughly corresponding to the provinces of Ankara and Eskişehir in modern Turkey. Galatia was named after the Gauls from Thrace (cf. Tylis), who settled here ...

, the

Black Sea The Black Sea is a marginal sea, marginal Mediterranean sea (oceanography), mediterranean sea lying between Europe and Asia, east of the Balkans, south of the East European Plain, west of the Caucasus, and north of Anatolia. It is bound ...

and

Cappadocia Cappadocia (; , from ) is a historical region in Central Anatolia region, Turkey. It is largely in the provinces of Nevşehir, Kayseri, Aksaray, Kırşehir, Sivas and Niğde. Today, the touristic Cappadocia Region is located in Nevşehir ...

, (c. 363-?). * Julian, (Anomoean) bishop of

Cilicia Cilicia () is a geographical region in southern Anatolia, extending inland from the northeastern coasts of the Mediterranean Sea. Cilicia has a population ranging over six million, concentrated mostly at the Cilician plain (). The region inclu ...

, (c. 363-?). * Serras,

Stephen Stephen or Steven is an English given name, first name. It is particularly significant to Christianity, Christians, as it belonged to Saint Stephen ( ), an early disciple and deacon who, according to the Book of Acts, was stoned to death; he is w ...

, and Heliodorus, (Anomoean) bishops of Egypt, (c. 363-?). * Philostorgius, (Anomoean) historian.

Other critics of the Creed of Nicaea

Many critics of the "Nicene" Creed cannot be clearly associated with one school, often due to lack of sources, or due to contradictions between sources. * Secundus, bishop of Ptolemais, who supported Arius at Nicaea.Socrates of Constantinople, ''Church History'', book 1, chapter 8.Philostorgius, in Photius, ''Epitome of the Ecclesiastical History of Philostorgius'', book 1, chapter 9.Condemned by Alexander of Alexandria, see Socrates, ''Church History'', book 1, chapter 6. * Theonus, bishop of

Marmarica Marmarica (, ) in Greco-Roman geography, ancient geography was a littoral area in Ancient Libya, located between ''Cyrenaica'' and ''Egypt (Roman province), Aegyptus''. It corresponds to what is now the Libya and Egypt frontier, including the t ...

, who supported Arius at Nicaea. *

, bishop of

Berytus Berytus (; ; ; ; ), briefly known as Laodicea in Phoenicia (; ) or Laodicea in Canaan from the 2nd century to 64 BCE, was the ancient city of Beirut (in modern-day Lebanon) from the Roman Republic through the Roman Empire and late antiquity, Ear ...

(?-325 and 328-338) and

(338-341, rival of Paul I of Constantinople), who supported Arius at Nicaea. *

Theognis Theognis of Megara (, ''Théognis ho Megareús'') was a Greek lyric poet active in approximately the sixth century BC. The work attributed to him consists of gnomic poetry quite typical of the time, featuring ethical maxims and practical advice ...

, bishop of

Nicaea Nicaea (also spelled Nicæa or Nicea, ; ), also known as Nikaia (, Attic: , Koine: ), was an ancient Greek city in the north-western Anatolian region of Bithynia. It was the site of the First and Second Councils of Nicaea (the first and seve ...

, who supported Arius at Nicaea. * Maris, bishop of

Chalcedon Chalcedon (; ; sometimes transliterated as ) was an ancient maritime town of Bithynia, in Asia Minor, Turkey. It was located almost directly opposite Byzantium, south of Scutari (modern Üsküdar) and it is now a district of the city of Ist ...

, who supported Arius at Nicaea. *

, (possibly Homoiousian, possibly Sabellian) bishop of Emesa (c. 339 or 341). * Gregory of Cappadocia, bishop of Alexandria (339-346, rival of Athanasius of Alexandria). * Narcissus, bishop of Neronias.Socrates of Constantinople, ''Church History'', book 2, chapter 26. * Stephanus, bishop of Antioch (342-344). *

Leontius Leontius (; died 15 February 706) was Byzantine emperor from 695 to 698. Little is known of his early life, other than that he was born in Isauria in Asia Minor. He was given the title of ''patrikios'', and made ''strategos'' of the Anatolic T ...

, bishop of Antioch (344-358), who also taught Aetius. * Patrophilus of Scythopolis. * Asterius (d. c. 341), who, according to Socrates of Constantinople, considered Jesus as example of the power of God, and according to Philostorgius, defended the Homoiousian tradition.Socrates of Constantinople, ''Church History'', book 1, chapter 36. * Athanasius of Anazarbus, who taught Aetius. * Wulfila (died 383), first bishop of the

Goths The Goths were a Germanic people who played a major role in the fall of the Western Roman Empire and the emergence of medieval Europe. They were first reported by Graeco-Roman authors in the 3rd century AD, living north of the Danube in what is ...

(341?-c.383), and Bible translator, who agreed to the Homoian formula at Constantinople. * Wereka and Batwin, ''papa'' and ''bilaifs'' respectively, and Gothic

martyr A martyr (, ''mártys'', 'witness' Word stem, stem , ''martyr-'') is someone who suffers persecution and death for advocating, renouncing, or refusing to renounce or advocate, a religious belief or other cause as demanded by an external party. In ...

s. * Auxentius of Durostorum, later bishop of Milan, Wulfila's adopted son.Heather and Matthews, ''Goths in the Fourth Century'', pp. 135-136. * Palladius, bishop of

Ratiaria Ratiaria (or: Ratsaria, Raetiaria, Retiaria, Reciaria, Razaria; ; ;) was a city founded by the Moesians, a Daco- Thracian tribe, in the 4th century BC, along the river Danube. In Roman times it was named '' Colonia Ulpia Traiana Ratiaria''. ...

. * Secundianus, bishop of

Unclassified

* Euzoius, deacon and supporter of Arius; later Homoian bishop of

(361-378, at the same time as three others). * Dorotheus or Theodorus, Homoiousian and later Homoian bishop of Heraclea (?-378) and

, (378-381, at the same time as three others). * Uranius, bishop of Tyre. *

Onesimus Onesimus of Byzantium (, meaning "useful"; died , according to Sacred tradition, Catholic tradition), also called ''Onesimus'' and The Holy Apostle Onesimus in the Eastern Orthodox Church, was a Roman slavery, slave to Philemon (biblical figur ...

, bishop of

(359-?). *

Athanasius Athanasius I of Alexandria ( – 2 May 373), also called Athanasius the Great, Athanasius the Confessor, or, among Coptic Christians, Athanasius the Apostolic, was a Christian theologian and the 20th patriarch of Alexandria (as Athanasius ...

, bishop of

(359-?, at the same time as Basil of Ancyra). * Acacius, bishop of Tarsus (359-?, at the same time as Silvanus of Tarsus). * Silvanus, bishop of Tarsus. * Hypatius of Cyrus, bishop of

(?-380). *

, bishop of Tripolis. * Theodosius, a bishop of Philadelphia in

. *

John John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Second E ...

, Anomean bishop of

(c. 379-?).Philostorgius, in Photius, ''Epitome of the Ecclesiastical History of Philostorgius'', book 9, chapter 18. * Evagrius, bishop of Mytelene. * Asterius, presbyter in Antioch, possibly the same as an Asterius who supported Acacius at Seleucia.Philostorgius, in Photius, ''Epitome of the Ecclesiastical History of Philostorgius'', book 10, chapter 1.

References

External links

# ''The Arians Of The Fourth Century'' by John Henry Cardinal Newman ## — this is the version originally referenced in this article. Its pages do not identify bibliographic data. As of December 2016 the third-millennium-library.com site was unavailable, and the domain was offered for sale. ##* ''Note: The links to the archived sub-documents of this archived page do not resolve correctly. Here are the correct archived links:'' ##* PART I. Doctrinal ##** Chapter I. Schools And Parties In And About The Ante-Nicene Church, In Their Relation To The Arian Heresy. ##*** ##*** ##*** ##*** ##*** ##** Chapter II.—The Teaching Of The Ante-Nicene Church In Its Relation To The Arian Heresy. ##*** ##*** ##*** ##*** ##*** ##* PART II. Historical ##** Chapter III.—The Ecumenical Council Of Nicea In The Reign Constantine. ##*** ##*** ##** Chapter IV—Councils In The Reign Of Constantius. ##*** ##*** ''(Note: The top-level page of this document mis-labels this section as "The Athanasians.)'' ##*** ##*** ##** Chapter V.—Councils After The Reign Of Constantius. ##*** ##*** ##** CHAPTER VI.—The Councils Of Constantinple ##*** #
As provided by The National Institute for Newman Studies
– The author's notes for this 3rd edition identify the following differences, among others: ##* "Some additions have been made to the footnotes." ##* "A few longer Notes, for the most part extracted from other publications of he author form an Appendix." ##* "The Table of Contents, and the Chronological Table have both been enlarged."
A Chronology of the Arian Controversy
#* ''Archive

'
Documents of the Early Arian Controversy
#* ''Archive
Documents of the early Arian controversy
' {{DEFAULTSORT:Arian Controversy

History

Beginnings

First Council of Nicaea (325)

Ariminum, Seleucia, and Constantinople (358–360)

The controversy in the 360s

Sides

Homoousian

Marcellus of Ancyra and Photinus of Sirmium

Homoiousian

Homoian

Heteroousian

Other critics of the Creed of Nicaea

Unclassified

See also

References

Further reading

External links