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* NICE. 538 NICETAS CHONIATES. finally passed to Savoy. The French took it in 1792; it was given back to Sardinia after the fall of Napoleon, and became again a ])art of France in 1800. It suffered severely from an earthquake in 1877. Consult: Hole, Xice and lUr >ighhvrs (London, 1881); Lee, A ice and Jts Climate (ib., 1854); Moris, ]^'ice (Paris, 1899). NICE, Councils of. See Xicea, Councils NICENE CREED, The. Frequently called the XIC.ENO-CONSTANTIXOPOLITAN C'BEEU. The most iniixjrtant ancient fornuila of the Christian faith, and the only one which approaches ecu- menical autliority. ' Since the fifth century it has commonly been believed that this creed was adopted at the Council of Xica?a (325), and reatlirmed at Constantinople (381) : but this view is certainly wrong. The creed in question is practically identical with one given by Epipha- nius, in his Ancorntus (37-t), which in turn draws its material from Cyril of Jerusalem {Catechetical Lectures. 347), and from the eymbol actually adopted at Xicaea. This origi- nal Xiccne fornuila was drawn up to combat Ari- anism (q.v.). and was based upon a creed which had long been vised in C;esarca. Its leading char- acteristic was that. in defining the orthodox doc- trine of the Trinity, it asserts the consubstan- tiality of the Son with the Father, i.e. that both are of the same essence or substance. (See Ho- MoousiON.) Our so-called Xicene Creed is longer and more symmetrical in construction than the one actually adopted at Xica'a. In the article on the Holy Spirit, the Eastern Church has al- ways used the form which reads "And [I believe! in the Holy Ghost, . . . who proceedeth from the Father," whereas the Western Church says. "Who proceedeth from the Father and the Son." This diflerence has proved a prolific source of controversy. (See FIUOQUE.) The Nicene Creed finds a place in the liturgies of the Greek. Roman, and Anglican churches, and its doctrinal teaching has been accepted by most Protestants. Consult: Hahn, Bibliotek der Symbole (3d ed., Breslau, 1897) : SchafT, Creeds of Christendom (New York. 187,7); Hort, Tiro Dissertations (London. 1870) ; Swainson, The Xicene and Apostles' Creeds (ib., 1S75) : Hefele. Historii of the Councils, vol. i. (Edinburgh. 1871) ; Bindley, Ecumenical Documents of the Faith (London, 1899 K NICEPH'ORUS (Lat., from Gk. XtitT)(^«pot, A'i/.-.7)/io?-,si (C.758-C.828). Patriarch of Con- stantinnple. He was born in Constantinople, the son of Theodore, Imperial secretary of Constan- tius Copronynuis. He first held high office at court. In 787 he was present as Imperial com- missioner at the X'icene Council, where, in de- fense of image-worship, he opposed the icono- clasts. This zeal for image-worship he inherited from his father. Soon after his return to the capital he retired to a convent, whence in SOfi he was called to l)e Patriarch of Constantimiple. I>eo the Armenian, who became Emperor in 813. passed an edict in 814 against the wnr-ibip of inincea. Rut neither menaces nor entreaties could induce Xicephorus to assent to it. He be- came unpopular at court, and in the ensiling year was deposed, and withdrew to the convent of Saint Theodore, which he himself had founded. and remained there till his deatli in 820 (or 828). He publislied several valuable ecclesiasti- cal works, characterized by great beauty of style, and historical jj^oductiuns distinguished fur ac- curacy, disccrniiiciil. and erudition. The most important are Jireviarium Historicum, an histori- cal abridgment, and Chronographia Brevis, a short chronicle of events from the beginning of the world to the author's time, with the series of kings, emperors, patriarchs, bishops, etc. The best edition of both treatises is liy De Boor, yieephori Coustantinopolitani Opuscula Bis- turica (Leipzig. 1880). Xicepliorus is numbered among the saints in both the Greek and the Roman Catholic cliurches. NICEPHORTJS I. (died 811). Byzantine Emiieror from 802 to 811. He overthrew the Empress Irene, whose mini-ter of finance he had been. He was cruel and tyrannical, and the hea-j' taxes he imi)osed made him unjiopular. He waged war against Harun al-Rashid, Ijut was unsuccessful, and had to conclude a dis- graceful peace in 806. He also tried to check the Bulgarians, and though successful at first, was finally defeated and slain at Marcellae on .July 25th', 811. Consult Gilibon. Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, ed. Ijy Bur}' (London, 1890-1000). NICEPHORtrS II. PHOCAS (c.913-909). Byzantine Emperor from 903 to 969. He was the dcscendaot of an illustrious race, and distin- guished himself during the reigns of Constantino II. and Romanus 11. In 961 he recaptured Crete from the Saracens, and after the death of Romanus was ])roclaimed Emperor and mar- ried Theophano, the widow of his predecessor. As Emperor. Xicephorus vagcd successful war against the Mohammedans, and in 969 captured Antioch, and brought home as a trophy the sworil of Mohammed. He was also successful against the Bulgarians. The numerous wars, however, necessitated increased taxes, and Xi- cephorus speedily became unpopular. He was finallv murdered by his wife's lover. John Zimis- ces, who ascended the throne. It was during this reign that Liudprand (q.v.) came to Constanti- nople on an embassy from Otho I. Consult : Schlumberger, Un cmprreur hti~antin au dixiime .^■icele. Xicephirc I'hocas (Paris, 1870) ; Gibbon, Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, ed. by Hury (London. 1S90-1900). NICEPHORTJS III. BOTANIATES (died lOSl). Byzantine Emperor fnim 107S to lOSl. He belonged to the same family as Niceplioriis II.. and had distinguished himself as general under Constantinc X. (XL). Ducas and Romanus IV. When during the reign of the weak Mi.hael VII. Xicephorus Bryennius was proclaimed Em- peror by the European legions. X^iceplionis Bo- taniates immediately had himself nominated as Emperor by the Asiatic troops. The latter was successful, through the aid of the Sultan Soly- nian. and was crowned on .Vpril 3. 107S. His reign was fairly successful, but he quarreled with bis general. Alexius, and in consequence he had to alidicate and retire to a monastery in .pril, 1081. where he died a few months later. Con- sult Gibbon. Decline and Fall of the Roman Em- pin. ed. by Bury (London. 18901900). NICE'TAS CHONIATES, ko'nT-a'tez (Lnt., from C,k. Xiki}toj XundTTij, ih-etas Chnniatfs), or ACOMIXATUS (c.l 1451215). A Byzantino I