Page:Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology (1870) - Volume 3.djvu/237

Rh PETRUS. his episcopal throne. The second Stephen (Tille- mont and Valesius, Not. ad Evagr. H. E. iii. 1 6, say the first) was turaultuously murdered according to Evagrius by the boys of Antioch, but according to Malelas by the Monophysite party among his own clergy, who apparently restored, not Peter indeed, for he was too far removed, but the other Monophy- site, John Codonatus. However, Acacius, patriarch of Constantinople, bought him off with the arch- bishopric of Tyre, and placed Calandion at Antioch in his room : but Calandion was soon banished, either on a charge of Nestorianism, or because he was a partizan of lUus and Leontius [Illus] ; and the Monophysites, now again completely in the ascendant, prevailed on Zeno to consent to the restoration of Peter, after the latter had signed the emperor's " Henoticon," or decree for the unity of the Church. This final restoration of Peter is placed by Theophanes in a. m, 5978, Alex. era,= A. Xi. 485 or 486. The Western Church, which all along retained its allegiance to the Council of Chal- cedon, anathematized Peter in a council held at Rome (a. d. 485) ; but to no purpose. Protected now by Zeno, and strong in the predominance of his own party, he retained the patriarchate at least for three years, till his death, which is placed by Victor of Tunes in a. d. 488, by Theophanes in A. M. 5983, Alex. era,=A. d. 490 or 491. Theo- phanes charges him with various ofiences against ecclesiastical rule, and with many acts of oppression in this last period of his episcopacy : and the charge derives credit from the previous character and conduct of Peter and his party. One of the latest manifestations of his ever-restless ambition was an attempt to add the island of Cyprus to his patriarchate. He was succeeded in the see of An- tioch by Palladius, a presbyter of Seleuceia. The Concilia contain (vol. iv. col. 1098, &c. ed Labbe ; vol. ii. col. 817, 823, 835, &c. ed. Hardouin) a number of letters from various Eastern or Western prelates to«Peter : but their genuineness is strongly disputed by Valesius {^Observation. Ecclestiastic. ad Evagriuin, lib. i. ; De Petro Fullone et de Spiodis adversus eum congregatis^ c. 4 ), and other modern critics. (Evagrius, H.E. iii. 5, 10, 16,23, cum not. Valesii ; Theodor. Lector. H. E. i. 20—22, 30, 31, ii. 2, cum not. Valesii ; Breviculus de Historia Eutycldanislarum s. Gesta de Nomine Acacii apud Concilia (vol. iv. col. 1079, ed. Labbe) ; Liberatus, Breviarium, c. 18 ; Theophanes, Chro- nog. pp. 104 — 116, ed. Paris, pp. 83 — 93, ed. Venice, vol. i. pp. 187 — 209, ed. Bonn ; Malelas, Chronog. lib. xv. vol. ii. pp. 88 — 91, ed. Hody, vol. ii. pp. 32, 33, ed. Venice, pp. 379—381, ed. Bonn ; Victor Tunnunensis, Chronicon; Alexander Monach. Cyprius, Laudatio S. Barnahae, c. 3, apud Acta Sanctorum, I. c. ; Synodicon Vetus apud Fa- bricium, /. c. ; Vales. Observ. Eccles. ad Evagr. lib. i. ; Tillemont, Memoires, vol. xvi., and Hist, des Emp. vol. vi. ; Le Quien, Oriens Christianus, vol. ii. col. 724, &c. ; Fabric. Biblioih. Graec. vol. xi. p. 336.) 18. Gnapheus. [No. 17.] 19. Magister. [No. 25.] 20. Mansur. [No. 13.] 21. Mediolanensis, of Milan. [No. 9.] 22. MoNGus or Moggus {HeTpos 6 M0770J), Monophysite patriarch of Alexandria in the fifth century. Liberatus {Breviariuin, c. 16) gives him also the surname of Blaesus, the Stammerer. He was ordained deacon by Dioscorus, successor of VOL, m. PETRUS. 225 Cyril, who held the patriarchate for seven years (a.d. 444-451). Peter was the ready participator in the violences of Dioscorus, and earnestly embraced his cause, when he was deposed by the Council of Chalcedon, withdrawing from the communion of the successor of Dioscorus, Proterius, who supported the cause of the council, and uniting in the opposition raised by Timothy Aelurus and others. (Liberat. ibid. c. 15.) He was consequently sentenced by Proterius, apparently to deposition and excommuni- cation. (Liberat. ibid.) Whether he was banished, as well as Timothy Aelurus, is not clear, but he seems to have accompanied Timothy to Alexandria, and to have been his chief supporter when, after the death of the emperor Marcian, he returned, and either murdered Proterius or excited the tumults that led to his death A. D. 457. Timothy Aelurus was immediately raised to the patriarchate by his par- tizans, but was shortly after banished by the em- peror Leo I., the Thracian, who had succeeded Marcian : Peter also was obliged to flee. Another Timothy, surnamed Salofaciolus, a supporter of the Council of Chalcedon, was appointed to succeed Proterius in the patriarchate. When, in the fol- lowing reign of Zeno, or rather during the short usurpation of Basiliscus, Timotheus Aelurus was recalled from exile (a.d. 475), and was sent from Constantinople to Alexandria to re -occupy that see, he was joined by Peter (Liberatus, ibid. c. 16), and his party, and with their support drove out his competitor Salofaciolus, who took refuge in a monastery at Canopus. On the downfal of Basi- liscus and the restoration of Zeno, Timothy Aelurus was allowed, through the emperor's compassion for his great age, to retain his see ; but when on his death (a.d. 477) the Monophysite bishops of Egypt, without waiting for the emperor's directions, elected Peter (who had previously obtained the rank of archdeacon) as his successor, the emperor's indig- nation was so far roused, that he determined to put the new prelate to death. His anger, however, somewhat abated, and Peter was allowed to live, but was deprived of the patriarchate, to which Timothy Salofaciolus was restored. On the death of Salofaciolus, which occurred soon after, John of Tabenna, surnamed Talaia or Talaida [Joannes, No. 115], was appointed to succeed him ; but he was very shortly deposed by order of Zeno, on some account not clearly ascertained, and Peter Mongus was unexpectedly recalled from Euchai'ta in Pontus, whither he had been banished, and was (a.d. 482) restored to his see. His restoration ap- pears to have been part of the policy of Zeno, to unite if possible all parties, a policy which Peter, whose age and misfortunes appear to have abated the fierceness of his party spirit, was ready to adopt. He consequently subscribed the Henoticon of the emperor, and readmitted the Proterian party to communion on their doing the same. John of Tabenna had meanwhile fled to Rome, where the pope Simplicius, who, with the Western Church, steadily supported the Council of Chalcedon, em- braced his cause, and wrote to the emperor in his behalf. Felix II. or III., who succeeded Simpli- cius (a.d. 483) was equally zealous on the same side. Peter had some difficulty in maintaining his position. In order to recover the favour of his Monophysite friends, whom his subservience to Zeno's policy had alienated, he anathematized the Council of Chalcedon ; and then, to avert the dis- pleasure of Acacius of Constantinople and of the