Ephraim of Antioch

Saint Ephraim of Antioch (

In late 525, Ephraim was replaced by Anatolius, but was re-appointed comes Orientis by 29 May 526, at which time an earthquake struck Antioch.^[6] Ephraim began reconstruction of the city, during which he saw a pillar of fire rise from a sleeping stone-cutter to the sky.^[8] The saint awoke the stone-cutter who revealed he had formerly been a bishop and prophesied that Ephraim would become Patriarch of Antioch.^[8] Ephraim's efforts to rebuild the city earned him the affinity of the people of Antioch and many called for him to succeed Euphrasius as patriarch, as he had died in the earthquake of 526.^[6] At the request of the people of Antioch, Ephraim became a monk,^[9] and was consecrated Patriarch of Antioch in April/May 527.^[10]

Patriarch of Antioch

In 528, Antioch was struck by another earthquake, during which under 5000 people were killed,

After Emperor Justinian I issued an edict banning the writings of Severus of Antioch in August 536,^[18][19] the saint undertook a tour of Syria and Mesopotamia alongside a contingent of soldiers to enforce the Council of Chalcedon and persecute its opponents, and travelled to Chalcis, Beroea, Hierapolis, Batnae, Edessa, Sura, Callinicum, Theodosioupolis, Constantina, and Amida.^[20] Ephraim had non-Chalcedonian monks driven out from their monasteries in the middle of winter, imprisoned those who refused to accept the council, and erected pyres in some cases.^[20] According to his hagiography, Ephraim met with a non-Chalcedonian stylite near the city of Hierapolis or Heracleia and attempted to convert him,^[4] however, the stylite was unconvinced.^[21] The stylite built a bonfire and argued he and the saint should both enter the bonfire to test who was right, to which Ephraim put his omophorion in the fire.^[21] After three hours, the omophorion was removed from the bonfire unharmed and the stylite renounced his heresy.^[21] Ephraim sent his brother John, a satrap of an Armenian principality, to Amida to convince non-Chalcedonian monks to accept the Council of Chalcedon, however, they refused and John was forced to expel them from the city.^[22]

At this time, according to

Eruption of war between the Sassanians and Romans led Antioch to come under siege by Sassanian forces in 540.[17] Ephraim unsuccessfully attempted to pay the Sassanians to relieve their siege on several occasions, however, the Sassanians seized the city and Ephraim fled to Cilicia, where he remained until the Romans retook Antioch.^[17] The cathedral of Antioch and its buildings were spared destruction after Ephraim paid the Sassanian forces in precious objects.^[17] In 542, Ephraim travelled to Jerusalem, where he met with six Sabaite monks who had been expelled from their monasteries by Origenists.^[17] The monks appealed to the saint to act against Origenism.^[26] Ephraim then attended the Synod of Gaza alongside Hypatius, Archbishop of Ephesus, and Patriarch Peter of Jerusalem and condemned and deposed Patriarch Paul of Alexandria.^[4]

Ephraim held a synod at Antioch in 542 in which he condemned Origen and supporters of his doctrines.^[26] In an attempt to heal the rift between supporters and opponents of the council of Chalcedon, Emperor Justinian I issued an edict in late 543 or early 544 that condemned the so-called Three Chapters, thus beginning the Three-Chapter Controversy.^[27] The saint initially refused to agree to the edict, however, the emperor threatened Ephraim with deposition, after which he agreed to condemn the Three Chapters,^[28] and wrote to Pope Vigilius to declare he had only agreed under force.^[27] Ephraim died in the following year.^[17]

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