-After the council of Chalcedon, there were four main Christological parties that warred against one another to varying degrees:
-The Monophysites - These people taught that Christ had only one nature, rather than two. The most important leaders of the Monophysites were Severus of Antioch, Philoxenus of Mabbug, and Timothy Aelurus of Alexandria along with Jacob of Serug. Another was Julian of Halicarnassus, who had some disagreements with Severus of Antioch.
-The Dyophysites - These were people of the Antiochene school of Christology who taught that Christ had two natures, but sometimes sounded Nestorian to other people, hence many suspicions concerning their orthodoxy. They were led by Theodoret of Cyrus.
-The Cyrillian Chalcedonians - These people were strong in their proclamation of the christology of St. Cyril of Alexandria, hence their nickname, "Cyrillian". Some of their leaders were John Maxentius and Leontius of Jerusalem.
-The Origenists - These monks based their christology off of Evagrius Ponticus, a disciple of Origen. They tried to find middle ground by insisting that Christ's human soul was created by God in eternity, and that this human soul, rather than the Logos, was what became flesh in the incarnation. Their main leader was Leontius of Byzantium.
-After Dioscorus was banished from Alexandria, the Monophysites there protested. Proterius was put in his place. The Monophysites murdered him at the altar and instated Timothy Aelurus in his place. The Byzantine emperor Leo I exiled Timothy in 459 AD.
-The next emperor, Zeno, wanted a compromise with the Monophysites. So, he produced a document called the "Henotikon". This document made the first three ecumenical councils the test of orthodoxy, condemned Nestorius and Eutyches, and rejected any doctrine contrary to the teaching of the first three councils.
-While the East was slightly more accepting of the Henotikon, Rome and the Western Church despised it. This led to the Acacian Schism.
-The next Byzantine emperor was Anastasius. Severus of Antioch, a staunch Monophysite, became his chief advisor and persuaded him to condemn Chalcedon and Leo's Tome. Severus was appointed as the new patriarch of Antioch after Anastasius exiled the previous one.
-The successor of Anastasius as the emperor was Justin I. He banished Severus of Antioch and cancelled the Henotikon.
-The next Byzantine emperor was the great Justinian I. He enjoyed theological discussion and debate, as well as governing his territory. His wife, Theodora, however was a secret Monophysite. Justinian trusted Theodora with her political judgments.
-Justinian organized a conference in an attempt to settle the controversy within Christendom at the time. He drew up an edict in which he gave a formula of christology. It satisfied the Monophysites, while Pope Agapetus protested and refused to be in communion with Anthimus, the new patriarch of Constantinople.
-Justinian conceded to the pope and rejected the Monophysites.
-Justinian next attacked the Origenists. In a synod at Constantinople, he condemned the view of the Origenists.
-Next were the Dyophysites. Justinian issued an edict in 544 AD which condemned the writings of the so-called "Three Chapters", representing three men: Theodore of Mopsuestia, Theodoret of Cyrus, and Ibas of Edessa.
-The Eastern church accepted the edict, but the Western church rejected it completely. Pope Vigilius protested against it, refusing to sign it. Justinian then kidnapped Vigilius.
-Pope Vigilius, amazingly, changed his mind a number of times. At first, he refused to condemn the Three Chapters, but then switched back after further pressure. His final verdict was a full condemnation of the Three Chapters.
-Justinian called the Second Council of Constantinople (553 AD). There, the Monophysites were condemned along with the Three Chapters. However, many Monophysite groups did still remain in parts of Syria and Egypt.
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