Metropolis of Ephesus
The Metropolis of Ephesus (
History
Early Christianity
There had been a Jewish community at
The Apostle John (4 BC - 100 AD) was traditionally said to have come to Ephesus during the period when
Christian canon identifies the Epistle to the Ephesians as a letter to the church in Ephesus, and John mentions the church as one of the seven churches of Asia in the Book of Revelation. In Revelation (2:1–3), the church's perseverance, scrutiny toward alleged apostles and hatred of the Nicolatians are lauded, but the church is said to have "left its first love," to which Revelation calls on it to return.
Based on these traditions, it is generally believed that the city hosted a significant Christian community already from the 1st and 2nd centuries. Ephesus associated with the life of several saints of that era, such as the
Until the 4th century AD, Christianity and Paganism co-existed in the city, but Christianity became the dominant religion in Ephesus in the course of time. This is mainly evident from the conversion of religious monuments, the increased use of Christian symbols, as well as the destruction of various pagan places of worship. The apostle John has his grave in Ephesus.[5]
Late antiquity
After the
Based on the importance of their see, the metropolitans of Ephesus claimed a regional authority far beyond the borders of its own ecclesiastical province, encompassing most of
In the 5th century, the metropolis was involved in various ecclesiastical disputes. The
In 475 the
Among the most important metropolitans of 6th-century Ephesus were Hypatius (c. 530) and John. The former launched a campaign against Monophysitism and closely cooperated with Emperor Justinian I (527-565) on various ecclesiastical issues. On the other hand, the Miaphysite metropolitan John was a significant missionary, who preached in the city of Ephesus as well as in the nearby valley of the Meander River and Sardis. By permission of Emperor Justinian I he converted about 80,000 pagans to Christianity.[5]
Middle and late Byzantine period
Ephesus continued to play an active role in various ecclesiastical disputes during the medieval period. When the Byzantine Iconoclasm dispute broke out (8th century), metropolitan Theodosius was an ardent advocate against the icons. However, a number of local clergymen refused to implement the official policy which condemned the worship of icons. This resulted in drastic measures by the state, including intervention of the army, under the general Michael Lachanodrakon, and massive expulsions of monks.[5]
In the following centuries the metropolis maintained its power in the ecclesiastical hierarchy. In the
When the Emperor
The Emperor of Nicaea, Theodore I Laskaris (1207/8-1222), married a Latin princess and in 1219 initiated negotiations over uniting the churches.[14] The then Metropolitan of Ephesus, Nicholas Mesarites, was one of the main opponents to this policy. He was also very influential in the election of the Ecumenical Patriarchs. The local metropolitans were also involved in the Arsenite dispute, which concerned the issues raised after the deposition of Patriarch Arsenios in 1259.[5]
Towards the end of the Laskarid dynasty's rule the church of Ephesus seems to have been wealthy. The metropolitan
Ottoman period
Similar difficulties were also faced by the 15th-century metropolitan Mark of Ephesus.[16][a]
As a result of the Ottoman conquest and subsequent introduction of Islam in the region in the 14th century, the local Christian element declined dramatically. This had a negative impact on the ecclesiastical administration, since conversions of the indigenous population—often by force—were on a large scale.[16]
During the 16th century, the see of the metropolis moved to Teira (modern Tire), while probably during the late 17th century it was transferred to Magnesia ad Sipylum (modern Manisa). From the 17th century, as a result of the increase of the Greek Orthodox element in Anatolia, a number of new metropoleis were created and consequently the area of the Metropolis of Ephesus was reduced. Nevertheless, the jurisdiction of the diocese of Ephesus still included a vast area in western Anatolia and was divided into three metropolitan districts: Magnesia, Kordelio and Kydonies (modern Ayvalık).[16]
In 1821, during the
At the beginning of the 20th century the area of the metropolis was further reduced with the creation of additional metropoleis, like that of Kydonies (1908) and
Known bishops
- St Timothythe first bishop of Ephesus
- Onesimus the second bishop of Ephesus.
- seven of Onesimus relatives
- Gaius of Ephesus
- Polycrates of Ephesus fl. 130-196
- Apollonius of Ephesus fl. 220
- Heraclides, bishop of Ephesusfl. 403
- Memnon fl. 440
- Bassianus (bishop) c. 444
- Stephen of Ephesus (448-51), attendee of the Second Council of Ephesus and the Council of Chalcedon
- Paul, MiaphysiteBishop of Ephesus 475
- John of Ephesus fl. 507-588
- Hypatius (c. 530)
- Abraham (after 542 or 553)
- Theodosius III c. 729-745
- Theodosius of Ephesus fl. 754
- Gregorius of Ephesus fl. 914-927
- Theodore of Ephesus (r. 1014–1018/1019)
- Kyriakos of Ephesus (r. 1018/1019(?)–1037)
- Michael VII Doukas c. 1080
- Nicholas Mesarites c. 1207
- Nicephorus1260
- Joseph II of Constantinople fl. 1393
- Mark of Ephesus c. 1395-1438
- Dionysios of Ephesus 1821
- Anthimus VI of Constantinople 1837
- Chrysostomos II of Athens 1922
Monuments of worship
Past monuments
In Ephesus and the surrounding area a considerable number of monasteries were founded most probably already from the early Byzantine period. Later, in the 11th century, a new monastic community was created north of the city, which consisted of several monasteries, known as Mount Galesios. Among these monasteries, three were founded by Osios Lazaros: the Monastery of Saint Saviour, the Theotokos and of the Resurrection.[5]
According to Christian traditions, Ephesus was the burial place of several Christian saints and martyrs. Saint Timothy was martyred on Pion Hill, today's Panayır dağ. Others said to be buried there include
Surviving monuments
The Church of Saint John the Evangelist, was probably erected during the 2nd or 3rd century and was the most important pilgrim place in Ephesus. It was built on his tomb, on the site of an earlier shrine. In the 6th century Emperor Justinian I provided the expenses for the construction of a three-aisled basilica on the same place. Tradition conveys that the church, apart from personal objects of John, also contained the stone on which Jesus' body was rinsed after the Deposition from the cross.[5]
Notes
- Roman Catholics, and did much to prevent to union from taking place.[19]
References
- ^ a b Laale 2011, p. 186.
- ^ Laale 2011, p. 188-189.
- ^ Laale 2011, p. 204-205.
- ^ Laale 2011, p. 439.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Ragia 2003.
- ^ Foss 1979, p. 5.
- ^ Foss 1979, pp. 5–6.
- ^ Merriam-Webster 1999, p. 262.
- ^ Foss 1979, p. 6.
- ^ Evagrius & Walford 2008, p. v.
- ^ Laale 2011, p. 312-313.
- ^ Foss 1979, p. 120.
- ^ Foss 1979, p. 125.
- ^ Angold 1999, p. 553.
- ^ Foss 1979, p. 136.
- ^ a b c d Moustakas 2001.
- ^ Speros Vryonis, The Decline of Medieval Hellenism in Asia Minor and the Process of Islamization from the Eleventh through the Fifteenth Century (Berkeley: University of California, 1971), p. 297
- ^ Vryonis, Decline of Medieval Hellenism, pp. 297f
- ^ Plested 2012, p. 124.
- ISBN 9780521811132. Archivedfrom the original on 2022-06-06. Retrieved 2020-10-18.
- ^ Kiminas 2009, pp. 84–86.
Sources
- Angold, Michael (1999). "Byzantium in exile". In ISBN 978-1-13905573-4.
- Evagrius, Scholasticus; Walford, Edward (2008-01-15). The Ecclesiastical History of Evagrius: A History of the Church from Ad 431 to Ad 594. Arx Publishing, LLC. ISBN 978-1-889758-88-6. Archivedfrom the original on 2016-12-07. Retrieved 2012-12-09.
- Foss, Clive (1979). Ephesus After Antiquity: A Late Antique, Byzantine, and Turkish City. CUP Archive. GGKEY:86PF5FFK1AP. Archived from the original on 2016-12-07. Retrieved 2012-12-09.
- Jonsson, David J (2005-02-28). The Clash of Ideologies: The Making of the Christian and Islamic Worlds. Xulon Press. ISBN 978-1-59781-039-5. Archivedfrom the original on 2016-12-07. Retrieved 2012-12-09.
- Kiminas, Demetrius (2009). The Ecumenical Patriarchate. Wildside Press LLC. ISBN 9781434458766. Archivedfrom the original on 2016-12-07. Retrieved 2016-07-19.
- Laale, Hans Willer (2011-11-04). Ephesus (Ephesos): An Abbreviated History from Androclus to Constantine Xi. WestBow Press. ISBN 978-1-4497-1619-6. Archivedfrom the original on 2016-12-07. Retrieved 2012-12-09.
- Merriam-Webster (1999-09-01). Merriam-Webster's Encyclopedia of World Religions: An A-Z Guide to the World's Religions. Merriam-Webster. ISBN 978-0-87779-044-0. Archivedfrom the original on 2016-12-07. Retrieved 2012-12-09.
- Moustakas, Konstantinos (23 May 2001). "Great Online Encyclopaedia of Asia Minor" Εφέσου Μητρόπολις (Οθωμανική Περίοδος) (in Greek). Εγκυκλοπαίδεια Μείζονος Ελληνισμού, Μ. Ασία. Archived from the original on 10 March 2013. Retrieved 26 October 2012.
- Plested, Marcus (2012-11-01). Orthodox Readings of Aquinas. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-965065-1. Archivedfrom the original on 2016-12-07. Retrieved 2012-12-09.
- Ragia, Efi (10 November 2003). "Metropolis of Ephesos (Byzantium)". Εγκυκλοπαίδεια Μείζονος Ελληνισμού, Μ. Ασία. Archived from the original on 19 December 2015. Retrieved 26 October 2012.