Demophilus of Constantinople (original) (raw)

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Bishop of Berea and archbishop of Constantinople

Demophilus of Constantinople (Greek: Δημόφιλος; died 386) was a bishop of Berea and an archbishop of Constantinople from 370 until he was expelled in 380.

Born of good family in Thessalonica,[1] he was elected by the Arians to the bishopric of Constantinople.[2] The opinion of the populace, however, was much divided.[3] The orthodox party chose Evagrius for their bishop, and he was ordained by Eustathius of Antioch, the deposed bishop of Antioch. This was the signal for a furious outburst from the Arians. Both Eustathius and Evagrius were banished by the Roman 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 of Cyzicus. Nevertheless, the people of Cyzicus refused to acknowledge them until they had anathematized Aëtius of Antioch, Eunomius of Cyzicus, 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 Roman 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 church. 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]

Notes and references

[edit]

1. ^ Onslow 1911 cites Philostorgius, H. E.; ix, 14.
2. ^ Onslow 1911 cites Socrates, H. E.; iv, 14; Soz., H. E.; vi, 13.
3. ^ Onslow 1911 cites Philostorgius, H. E.; ix, 10.
4. ^ Onslow 1911 cites Socrates, H. E.; iv, 14, 16; Soz., H. E.; vi, 13, 14.
5. ^ Onslow 1911 cites Philostorgius, H. E.; ix, 13.
6. ^ Onslow 1911 cites Socrates, H. E.; v, 7.
7. ^ Onslow 1911.
8. ^ Onslow 1911 cites Philostorgius, H. E.; ix, 19
9. ^ Onslow 1911 cites Socrates, H. E.; v, 10; Soz., H. E.; vii, 12.
10. ^ Onslow 1911 cites Philostorgius, 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.

vteBishops of Byzantium and Patriarchs of Constantinople
Bishops of Byzantium(Roman period, 38–330 AD)	Andrew Stachys Onesimus Polycarpus I Plutarch Sedecion Diogenes Eleutherius Felix Polycarpus II Athenodorus Euzois Laurence Alypius Pertinax Olympianus Marcus I Philadelphus Cyriacus I Castinus Eugenius I Titus Dometius Rufinus Probus Metrophanes Alexander
Archbishops of Constantinople(Roman period, 330–451 AD)	Alexander Paul I Eusebius Macedonius I Eudoxius Evagrius Demophilus Maximus I Gregory I Nectarius John I Chrysostom Arsacius Atticus Sisinnius I Nestorius Maximianus Proclus Flavian Anatolius
Patriarchs of Constantinople(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
Patriarchs of Constantinople(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
Patriarchs of Constantinople(Turkish period, since 1923 AD)	Gregory VII Constantine VI Basil III Photius II Benjamin Maximus V Athenagoras Demetrius Bartholomew
† in exile at Nicaea Christianity portal