Saturday, February 12, 2022

Except from the Petition from Basil the Deacon and Other Monks

The petition by Basil reports maltreatment at the hands of Nestorius.

 

Our maltreatment in the guardhouse, starvation, and imprisonment in the servants’ quarters went on for a long time. Even this did not satisfy his frenzy, but we were then handed over on some pretence to the most magnificent prefect of this renowned city. We were put in irons and carted off to prison; and afterwards we were taken to the office of the praetor in the same manner, still in chains. But since no one brought an accusation against us, we were duly taken back in the guardhouse. And so again he summoned us into his presence, where he had us beaten again. He then conversed with us and agreed in pretence (as was shown by the sequel) about the Son of God by nature that he was born from holy Mary, the Theotokos, while asserting ‘since another Son is involved’, after which he released us. (Richard Price, The Council of Ephesus 431: Documents and Proceedings [Translated Texts for Historians 72; Liverpool: Liverpool University Press, 2020, 2022], 191-92, emphasis added)

 

In a footnote to the material in bold, Price notes

 

That Nestorius taught that there are two sons in Christ was a charge constantly brought by his enemies, but that Nestorius himself would have spoken in this way is incredible. (Ibid., 192 n. 351)