cease from spreading this teaching. At the same time,
Flavianus, having heard that Eutyches had written to Leo
I, Bishop of Rome, wrote to him also. Leo answered
Flavianus by what is known as the ‘Tomes’, or an
exposition of the Dogma. The expressions of Leo in his
Tomos savoured of Nestorianism.^2
- When all his friendly efforts failed, and served only
to publicise the Eutychian heresy, Flavianus convoked a
local council to discuss the controversy. Florentius was
imperial deputy at this council.
Euytches was duly thrice summoned; he ignored
the first two but answered the third. By the time he
arrived, the Council was holding its seventh session. As
soon as he appeared, Eusebius, Bishop of Dorylaeum,
accused him of being a heresiarch. This accusation was
followed by the reading of Leo’s Tomos. Eutyches was
then asked to declare his faith. Instead of giving a direct
answer, he presented a written confession so full of
ambiguous terms that it angered the convening bishops.
Florentius, the imperial commissioner, intervened,
requesting Eutyches to answer as clearly as possible.
When he did not do so, the Council decreed that he was
to be excommunicated. The verdict based on Leo’s
Tomos was more Nestorian than Orthodox, and greatly
alarmed the people of Constantinople. Eutyches, sensing
this popular anger, took advantage of it and wrote appeals
to Emperor Theodosius, to the bishops of Rome,
Alexandria, Jerusalem and Thessalonica.^3 - The Roman Prelate sent him the following answer:
“To the beloved son Eutyches the Priest, from Leo the
Bishop – We have gathered from your letter that some
people of wicked aims have once more asserted the heresy