Dictionary of Christian Biography and Literature to the End of the Sixth Century/Eutherius (2), bp. of Tyana
Eutherius (2), bp. of Tyana, a leader of the Nestorians at the council
of Ephesus, a.d. 431, and for some
time afterwards. Before the council he was in active correspondence with John
of Antioch, about the alleged Apollinarianism of Cyril of Alexandria and his adherents
(Theod. Ep. 112; Migne, Patr. Gk. lxxxiii. 1310). His name occurs
in the various documents addressed to, and issued by, the members of his party
collectively at this council. On July 18 John and his adherents were deposed and
excommunicated, and Eutherius among them (Act. Co. Eph. acta v. 654); his
sentence being confirmed at Constantinople before the end of the year. After his
return home we find him in friendly correspondence with Firmus of Caesarea, notwithstanding
the part Firmus had taken in his excommunication (Firm. Ep. 23; Patr.
Gk. lxxvii. 1498). Firmus was sent to Tyana to ordain a successor to Eutherius,
and met with great opposition from the citizens, who were much attached to their
bishop. Longras also, the imperial officer in command of the Isaurian troops there,
interfered; and both Firmus and the person whom he had ordained were compelled
to flee. The newly ordained bishop renounced his orders, and seems to have returned
to lay life (Theod. Ep. Hypomnesticon Alex. Hierapolis Synodicon, c. 45).
After the reconciliation of Cyril and John of Antioch, Eutherius wrote to John
to remonstrate with him on his inconsistency and want of loyalty to what he once
contended for (ib. c. 73, u.s. 681); to Alexander of Hierapolis,
who was opposed to the reconciliation, a long letter ably defending the position
which they and others were still determined to maintain (ib. c. 201,
u.s. 815); and to Helladius bp. of Tarsus, who had also written to Alexander,
to encourage him in his opposition, expressing great joy at what he had done (ib.
c. 74, u.s. 684). Eutherius was ultimately banished to Scythopolis, and
from thence to Tyre, where he died (ib. c. 190, u.s.).
He is the author of a treatise in 17 chapters, with a prefatory letter addressed to Eustathius bp. of Parnassus, which Photius ascribed to Theodoret (Phot. Biblioth. c. xlvi. Migne, Patr. Gk. ciii. 79), and which has since been attributed by some to Maximus the Martyr, and by others to Athanasius (Garner's notes on Marius Mercator in Patr. Lat. xlviii. 759, 1086, 1087; Fabricius, Biblioth. Graec. ed. Harles, viii. 304), in which he subjects the "Scholia" of Cyril of Alexandria, "de Incarnatione Unigeniti" (Mar. Merc. u.s. 1066) to elaborate and searching criticism.
[T.W.D.]