sect of Montanists in Phrygia shut themselves up with their wives and children in their churclies, set fire to the buildings, and perished in the flames.[1]
Justinian's consort, the beautiful and facinating Empress Theodora, has come down to history as a woman of utter depravity, to be classed with a Messalina or a Lucretia Borgia; but this scandal is solely owing to the account of her which Procopius left in his secret history, published after his death, according to which she was a notoriously vicious actress when she married the staid emperor.[2] Nothing that the same writer published during his lifetime brings the slightest reproach against her moral character, nor has any evidence been adduced to support the charges contained in the posthumous work. It appears that her name has suffered all these years from a gross libel due to wicked spite, or at best, to the inventions of a prurient imagination, Theodora was hated by the orthodox party on theological grounds; and yet none of the bishops whom she opposed ventured to breathe a word against her reputation. Surely that is strong evidence for the defence. There is no doubt that she had been an actress. But the real charge against her was that she was a zealous Monophysite. As patroness of the heretics, she was able to secure her friends some advantages while the attention of the government was distracted by the Gothic invasion of Italy and the consequent troubles that enveloped the empire.
Meanwhile the interminable theological controversy was entering on a new sphere in the discussion concerning "The Three Chapters."[3] This title is given to a formulated series of accusations—(1) against the person and writings of Theodore of Mopsuestia; (2) against the writings of Theodoret in opposition to Cyril; and (3) against the letter of Ibas of Edessa, a friend of Nestorius, addressed to the Persian
- ↑ Procopius, Hist. Arc. 11. An authority to be taken with some suspicion; but in the present case there does not seem to be good reason to doubt his terrible story.
- ↑ Hist. Arc. 9.
- ↑ Τρία κεφάλαια.
