Page "Pulcheria" Paragraph 7

The Council of Ephesus occurred late in Theodosius's reign and involved two rival bishops.

Nestorius, who was bishop of Constantinople, and Cyril of Alexandria.

The conflict between the two bishops is described by historian Averil Cameron, " The issue was whether, and, if so, how, Christ had two natures ; the Monophysites held that he had only a divine nature, while Nestorius, and ' Nestorians ' after him, emphasized the human " Nestorius was an advocate of diminishing the influence of the Mother of God, or Theotokos, from the Church.

This came into conflict with the religious values Pulcheria represented as a virgin Empress, and a rivalry between the two ensued.

Underestimating Pulcheria's power, Nestorius propelled a smear campaign against Pulcheria, " Nestorius took specific action against Pulcheria.

He implied that she enjoyed illicit sexual relations with at least seven lovers.

He also would not accede to her demand that she be remembered in prayers as the ' bride of Christ ' since she had been ' corrupted by men '.

Most egregious of all, he effaced her image which he had removed from above the altar ; and he refused to use her robe as an altar cover.

" In defense of Nestorius attacks, Pulcheria claimed that she herself had given birth to God, and that she was the Theotokos.

Nestorius fired back with a counter attack claiming that Pulcheria in fact had not given birth to God, but had given birth to the Devil.

Nestorius had greatly underestimated Pulcheria's power, for she was empress, and she had Nestorius deposed from his duties as bishop of Constantinople.

She had her ally Eusibius, a court official, produce an anonymous document made claiming that Nestorius was a heretic.

Meanwhile Cyril, Bishop of Alexandria, had publicly condemned Nestorius and had written doctrines to convince the imperial court that his doctrine of the Theotokos was correct.

Nestorius then called for a council to see what side when be made into church law.

From the start, the council was heavily influenced by Cyril and Pulcheria and the council often went in their favor, " The council was weighted heavily in favor of the Cyrillians, since they had ' planted ' uncouth Alexandrians to heckle the Nestorians.

They drove the emperor's ambassador and the Nestorian bishops out of the session, and then declared Nestorius a heretic.

" With the council at a standstill with no decision made, Theodosius had to make the decision for them.

On the influence of Pulcheria, Theodosius ruled in favor of Cyril that the title of Theotokos was orthodox, " Under such public pressure Theodosius succumbed to Pulcheria's demands and had Cyril's decree deposing Nestorius read in the Great Church.

Nestorius was sent back to his monastery in Antioch ..." This council would later influence Marcian and Pulcheria to call for another council to dispute the importance of the Theotokos, the Council of Chalcedon.

This time Pope Leo I was the main advocate for Pulcheria's claim of Theotokos, "... Pope Leo I forcefully intervened, sending a long letter to Bisshop Flavian of Constantinople, in which he argued for the two natures but questioned the legality of the recent condemnation of a certain Eutyches for denying them.

At this the party of Dioscorus, Cyril's successor at Alexandria, was able to overturn the situation, whereupon Leo asked for a second council, calling that Ephesus the ' Robber Council '.

" The final word of the Council of Chalcedon was signed by 452 bishops, and it condemned the doctrines of both Nestorius and Eutyches, and developed both the doctrines of Cyril and Pope Leo I as one ; it finally made the Theotokos orthodox law.

Historian Avril Cameron explains what the Council of Chalcedon meant in greater detail, " It developed and clarified the creed of Nicaea, according to which God was Father, Son and Holy Spirit, by further proclaiming that Christ was at all times after the Incarnation fully God and fully human ..." Through both councils, Pulcheria devoted the last years of her life to the idea that she was the Theotokos, and had three churches in Constantinople dedicated to the Virgin Mary.

They were the Hodegetria, the Blachernae, and the Chalkoprateia.