Acacius of Caesarea

Acacius of Caesarea (

Gregory Nazianzen, the author speaks of Acacius as being "the tongue of the Arians".^[2]

Rise to prominence in the Arian party

Throughout his life, Acacius bore the nickname of one-eyed (in Greek ό μονόφθαλμος); no doubt from a personal defect, but also possibly with a maliciously figurative reference to his alleged general shiftiness of conduct and rare skill in ambiguous statement.^[2]

In 341 Acacius had attended the council of

Nicene party did not diminish his prestige. Jerome tells us that his credit with Constantius II was so great during all these years that when Pope Liberius was deposed and driven into exile in 357, Acacius was able to secure Antipope Felix in his place.^[2]

Quarrels with Cyril of Jerusalem

The year 358 marked the culmination of the quarrel between Acacius and

Julian, in 361.^[2]

Synod of Seleucia

Acacius took a leading place among the prelates who succeeded in splitting into two the

Homoiousion "as alien from Scripture," and anathematizing the term "Anomoeon," and distinctly confessed the "likeness" of the Son to the Father. The semi-Arian majority rejected this formula, which interpreted the "likeness of the Son to the Father" as "likeness in will alone" (oμοιον κατα την βούλησιν μόνον), and proceeded to depose Acacius and his adherents.^[1]

Synod of Constantinople and aftermath

Acacius and his followers did not wait for the sentence of deposition; instead they flew to

Baronius.^[1]

Literary works

Acacius was a prelate of great learning, a patron of studies,[2] enriching with parchments the library at Caesarea founded by Eusebius.^[1] He wrote a treatise in seventeen books on the Ecclesiastes, and also six books of Miscellanies (in Greek σύμμικτα ζητηματα) or essays on various subjects;^[2] all this and other books, like the life he wrote of Eusebius, are lost. On the other side Epiphanius of Salamis in his Panarion has preserved a considerable fragment of Acacius' Aντιλογια against Marcellus of Ancyra.

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g One or more of the preceding sentences incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Wace, Henry; Piercy, William C., eds. (1911). "Acacius, bp. of Caesarea". Dictionary of Christian Biography and Literature to the End of the Sixth Century (3rd ed.). London: John Murray.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h One or more of the preceding sentences incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1907). "Acacius, Bishop of Caesarea". Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 1. New York: Robert Appleton Company.

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