Demophilus of Constantinople
Demophilus | |
---|---|
Archbishop of Constantinople | |
Installed | 370 |
Term ended | 379 |
Personal details | |
Denomination | Eastern Christianity |
Demophilus (Greek: Δημόφιλος; died 386) was a bishop of Berea and an archbishop of Constantinople from 370 until he was expelled in 380.
Biography
Born of good family in Thessalonica,[1] he was elected by the Arians[which?] to the bishopric of Constantinople.[2] The opinion of the populace, however, were much divided.[3] The orthodox party chose Evagrius for their bishop, and he was ordained by Eustathius, the deposed bishop of Antioch. This was the signal for a furious outburst from the Arians. Both Eustathius and Evagrius were banished by the emperor Valens, and their followers bitterly persecuted.[4]
Soon after his accession, Demophilus went to Cyzicus with Dorotheus, or Theodorus, of Heraclea to procure the election of an Arian bishop, which was left vacant since the banishment of Eunomius. Nevertheless, the people of Cyzicus refused to acknowledge them until they had anathematized Aetius, Eunomius, and their followers. They were then permitted to ordain a bishop chosen by the people. The bishop who was ordained straightway and clearly taught the consubstantial faith.[5]
In 380 emperor Theodosius I made the patriarchate of Demophilus memorable. Theodosius offered to confirm him in his see, if he would accept the Nicene Creed. Demophilus refused, and was immediately ordered to give up his churches. He then called his followers together and retired, with Lucius of Alexandria and others, to a church outside of the city walls.[6] The churches of Constantinople, which had for forty years been in Arian hands, were now restored to the orthodox; and similarly in other cities. It was in fact a re-establishment of Catholicism.[7]
Philostorgius[8] adds that Demophilus went to his own city, Berea; however this must have been some time afterwards, or he must have returned from exile, for he represented the Arian party at the synod in Constantinople in 383.[9] The same writer says that Demophilus was wont to throw everything into confusion, especially the doctrines of the Church, and quotes from a sermon at Constantinople, in which he spoke of the human nature of the Saviour as lost in the divine, as a glass of milk when poured into the sea.[10]
References
- ^ Onslow 1911 cites Philostorg. H. E. ix. 14.
- ^ Onslow 1911 cites Socr. H. E. iv. 14; Soz. H. E. vi. 13.
- ^ Onslow 1911 cites Philostorg. H. E. ix. 10.
- ^ Onslow 1911 cites Socr. H. E. iv. 14, 16; Soz. H. E. vi. 13, 14.
- ^ Onslow 1911 cites Philostorg. H. E. ix. 13.
- ^ Onslow 1911 cites Socr. H. E. v. 7.
- ^ Onslow 1911.
- ^ Onslow 1911 cites Philostorg. H. E. ix. 19
- ^ Onslow 1911 cites Socr. H. E. v. 10; Soz. H. E. vii. 12.
- ^ Onslow 1911 cites Philostorg. Patrol. Gk. lxv.; Soz. and Socr. Patrol. Gk. lxvii.
- Attribution
- This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Onslow, P. (1911). "Demophilus". In Wace, Henry; Piercy, William C. (eds.). Dictionary of Christian Biography and Literature to the End of the Sixth Century (3rd ed.). London: John Murray. Onslow used the following sources:
- Philostorgius. H. E. ix. 10, 13, 14, 19;
- Philostorgius Patrol. Gk. lxv.;
- Socrates Scholasticus H. E. iv. 14, v. 7, 10;
- Sozomenus H. E. vi. 13, 14; vii. 12;
- Soz. and Socr. Patrol. Gk. lxvii.
Titles of Early Christianity | ||
---|---|---|
Preceded by | Archbishop of Constantinople 370–379 | Succeeded by |
Arian Archbishop of Constantinople 370–386 | Succeeded by |
- v
- t
- e
(Roman period, 38–330 AD)
(Roman period, 330–451 AD)
(Byzantine period, 451–1453 AD)
- Anatolius
- Gennadius I
- Acacius
- Fravitta
- Euphemius
- Macedonius II
- Timothy I
- John II
- Epiphanius
- Anthimus I
- Menas
- Eutychius
- John III
- John IV
- Cyriacus II
- Thomas I
- Sergius I
- Pyrrhus
- Paul II
- Peter
- Thomas II
- John V
- Constantine I
- Theodore I
- George I
- Paul III
- Callinicus I
- Cyrus
- John VI
- Germanus I
- Anastasius
- Constantine II
- Nicetas I
- Paul IV
- Tarasius
- Nicephorus I
- Theodotus I
- Antony I
- John VII
- Methodius I
- Ignatios
- Photios I
- Stephen I
- Antony II
- Nicholas I
- Εuthymius I
- Stephen II
- Tryphon
- Theophylact
- Polyeuctus
- Βasil I
- Αntony III
- Nicholas II
- Sisinnius II
- Sergius II
- Eustathius
- Alexius
- Michael I
- Constantine III
- John VIII
- Cosmas I
- Eustratius
- Nicholas III
- John IX
- Leo
- Michael II
- Cosmas II
- Nicholas IV
- Theodotus II
- Neophytus I
- Constantine IV
- Luke
- Michael III
- Chariton
- Theodosius I
- Basil II
- Nicetas II
- Leontius
- Dositheus
- George II
- John X
- Michael IV†
- Theodore II†
- Maximus II†
- Μanuel I†
- Germanus II†
- Methodius II†
- Manuel II†
- Arsenius†
- Nicephorus II†
- Germanus III
- Joseph I
- John XI
- Gregory II
- Athanasius I
- John XII
- Nephon I
- John XIII
- Gerasimus I
- Isaias
- John XIV
- Isidore I
- Callistus I
- Philotheus
- Macarius
- Nilus
- Antony IV
- Callistus II
- Matthew I
- Euthymius II
- Joseph II
- Metrophanes II
- Gregory III
- Athanasius II
(Ottoman period, 1453–1923 AD)
- Gennadius II
- Isidore II
- Joasaph I
- Sophronius I
- Mark II
- Symeon I
- Dionysius I
- Raphael I
- Maximus III
- Nephon II
- Maximus IV
- Joachim I
- Pachomius I
- Theoleptus I
- Jeremias I
- Joannicius I
- Dionysius II
- Joasaph II
- Metrophanes III
- Jeremias II
- Pachomius II
- Theoleptus II
- Matthew II
- Gabriel I
- Theophanes I
- Meletius I
- Neophytus II
- Raphael II
- Cyril I
- Timothy II
- Gregory IV
- Anthimus II
- Cyril II
- Athanasius III
- Neophytus III
- Parthenius I
- Parthenius II
- Joannicius II
- Cyril III
- Paisius I
- Parthenius III
- Gabriel II
- Parthenius IV
- Dionysius III
- Clement
- Methodius III
- Dionysius IV
- Gerasimus II
- Athanasius IV
- James
- Callinicus II
- Neophytus IV
- Gabriel III
- Neophytus V
- Cyprianus
- Athanasius V
- Cyril IV
- Cosmas III
- Jeremias III
- (Callinicus III)
- Paisius II
- Seraphim I
- Neophytus VI
- Cyril V
- Callinicus IV (III)
- Seraphim II
- Joannicius III
- Samuel
- Meletius II
- Theodosius II
- Sophronius II
- Gabriel IV
- Procopius
- Neophytus VII
- Gerasimus III
- Gregory V
- Callinicus V (IV)
- Jeremias IV
- Cyril VI
- Eugenius II
- Anthimus III
- Chrysanthus
- Agathangelus
- Constantius I
- Constantius II
- Gregory VI
- Anthimus IV
- Anthimus V
- Germanus IV
- Meletius III
- Anthimus VI
- Cyril VII
- Joachim II
- Sophronius III
- Joachim III
- Joachim IV
- Dionysius V
- Neophytus VIII
- Anthimus VII
- Constantine V
- Germanus V
- Meletius IV
(Turkish period, since 1923 AD)
- † in exile at Nicaea
- Christianity portal