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)
