government of Constantinople caused disaffection which helped the Mohammedans in their
conquest of Syria.
The tongue of Nestorius, which by its eloquence had seduced so many, was eaten by worms--so at
least we are assured.
Ephesus had learnt to substitute the Virgin for Artemis, but had still the same intemperate zeal for
its goddess as in the time of Saint Paul. It was said that the Virgin was buried there. In 449, after
the death of Saint Cyril, a synod at Ephesus tried to carry the triumph further, and thereby fell into
the heresy opposite to that of Nestorius; this is called the Monophysite heresy, and maintains that
Christ has only one nature. If Saint Cyril had still been alive, he would certainly have supported
this view, and have become heretical. The Emperor supported the synod, but the Pope repudiated
it. At last Pope Leo-the same Pope who turned Attila from attacking Rome--in the year of the
battle of Chalons secured the summoning of an cecumenical Council at Chalcedon in 451, which
condemned the Monophysites and finally decided the orthodox doctrine of the Incarnation. The
Council of Ephesus had decided that there is only one Person of Christ, but the Council of
Chalcedon decided that He exists in two natures, one human and one divine. The influence of the
Pope was paramount in securing this decision.
The Monophysites, like the Nestorians, refused to submit. Egypt, almost to a man, adopted their
heresy, which spread up the Nile and as far as Abyssinia. The heresy of Egypt, like the opposite
heresy of Syria, facilitated the Arab conquest. The heresy of the Abyssinians was given by
Mussolini as one of his reasons for conquering them.
During the sixth century, there were four men of great importance in the history of culture:
Boethius, Justinian, Benedict, and Gregory the Great. They will be my chief concern in the
remainder of this chapter and in the next.
The Gothic conquest of Italy did not put an end to Roman civilization. Under Theodoric, king of
Italy and of the Goths, the civil administration of Italy was entirely Roman; Italy enjoyed peace
and religious toleration (till near the end); the king was both wise and vigorous. He appointed
consuls, preserved Roman law, and kept up the Senate: when in Rome, his first visit was to Senate
house.
Though an Arian, Theodoric was on good terms with the Church until his last years. In 523, the
Emperor Justin proscribed Arianism,