Dictionary of Christian Biography and Literature to the End of the Sixth Century/Eutherius (2), bp. of Tyana

Eutherius (2), bp. of Tyana, a leader of the Nestorians at the council of Ephesus, 431, and for some time afterwards. Before the council he was in active correspondence with John of Antioch, about the alleged Apollinarianism of Cyril of Alexandria and his adherents (Theod. Ep. 112; Migne, Patr. Gk. lxxxiii. 1310). His name occurs in the various documents addressed to, and issued by, the members of his party collectively at this council. On July 18 John and his adherents were deposed and excommunicated, and Eutherius among them (Act. Co. Eph. acta v. 654); his sentence being confirmed at Constantinople before the end of the year. After his return home we find him in friendly correspondence with Firmus of Caesarea, notwithstanding the part Firmus had taken in his excommunication (Firm. Ep. 23; Patr. Gk. lxxvii. 1498). Firmus was sent to Tyana to ordain a successor to Eutherius, and met with great opposition from the citizens, who were much attached to their bishop. Longras also, the imperial officer in command of the Isaurian troops there, interfered; and both Firmus and the person whom he had ordained were compelled to flee. The newly ordained bishop renounced his orders, and seems to have returned to lay life (Theod. Ep. Hypomnesticon Alex. Hierapolis Synodicon, c. 45). After the reconciliation of Cyril and John of Antioch, Eutherius wrote to John to remonstrate with him on his inconsistency and want of loyalty to what he once contended for (ib. c. 73, u.s. 681); to Alexander of Hierapolis, who was opposed to the reconciliation, a long letter ably defending the position which they and others were still determined to maintain (ib. c. 201, u.s. 815); and to Helladius bp. of Tarsus, who had also written to Alexander, to encourage him in his opposition, expressing great joy at what he had done (ib. c. 74, u.s. 684). Eutherius was ultimately banished to Scythopolis, and from thence to Tyre, where he died (ib. c. 190, u.s.).

He is the author of a treatise in 17 chapters, with a prefatory letter addressed to Eustathius bp. of Parnassus, which Photius ascribed to Theodoret (Phot. Biblioth. c. xlvi. Migne, Patr. Gk. ciii. 79), and which has since been attributed by some to Maximus the Martyr, and by others to Athanasius (Garner's notes on Marius Mercator in Patr. Lat. xlviii. 759, 1086, 1087; Fabricius, Biblioth. Graec. ed. Harles, viii. 304), in which he subjects the "Scholia" of Cyril of Alexandria, "de Incarnatione Unigeniti" (Mar. Merc. u.s. 1066) to elaborate and searching criticism.

[T.W.D.]