Arius

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ARIUS

Alexandrian priest and heresiarch; b. Libya, c. 250; d. 336. Arius probably studied under lucian of antioch and joined the Alexandrian clergy. While still a minor cleric, he took part in the meletian schism against Bp. Peter of Alexandria, but afterward he made his peace and was promoted to deacon and priest. Bishop Alexander held him in high repute and gave him charge of the important parish of Baucalis. His learning, grave manners, and ascetical life gained him a large following, but his unorthodox views on the divinity of Christ came under attack; c. 318—or 323, according to others—the conflict with Alexander broke into the open.

Arius was first rebuked at a local synod, and when he refused to submit he was excommunicated by a provincial council of all Egypt. He went to Palestine and Bithynia, where he received support from eusebius of caesarea and eusebius of nicomedia, who sent out numerous letters to fellow bishops and convened synods in his defense. Macarius of Jerusalem and Marcellus of Ancyra opposed his doctrine and, as a result, the Church in the East was divided on his account. This caused the intervention of constantine i, who conquered the East in 324. He sent Hosius of Córdoba with a letter to Alexander and Arius, urging them to cease fighting over what he called "a trifling and foolish verbal difference." Hosius' efforts to restore peace failed and, upon his recommendation, Constantine summoned a general council of the Church.

Hosius presided at a council of Antioch (324) that condemned Arius's doctrine. At the Council of nicaea i (325), some of his writings were read and rejected as blasphemous by a vast majority of the fathers. The nicene creed, with the homoousios and the anathemas, was drawn up to exclude his errors.

After the council Arius was banished to Illyricum. When and how he was recalled and rehabilitated is a matter of dispute. Some historians connect this with an alleged second session of the Nicene Council in 327; others, with the Council of Tyre and Jerusalem in 335. It is certain that the assembly of Jerusalem (335) decided to readmit him into the Church. Constantine ordered a solemn reinstatement in Constantinople, but Arius died suddenly on the eve of the appointed day, early in 336. Of his writings there exist only three letters and fragments of the Thalia, or versified condensation of his teaching chanted by his followers in the church and streets.

See Also: arianism.

Bibliography: h. g. opitz, ed., Athanasius' Werke, v.3.1 (Berlin 1934) 1–3, 12–13, 64, letters. g. bardy, Recherches sur St. Lucien d'Antioche et son école (Paris 1936) 246–274, Thalia. h. gwatkin, Studies of Arianism (2d ed. Cambridge, Eng. 1900). x. le bachelet, Dictionnaire de théologie catholique. ed. a. vacant et al., (Paris 1903–50) 1.2:1779–1806. e. schwartz, Zur Geschichte des Athanasius (Gesammelte Schriften 3; Berlin 1959); Kaiser Constantin und die christliche Kirche (2d ed. Leipzig 1936). n. h. baynes, Constantine the Great and the Christian Church (London 1930). g. bardy in j. r. palanque et al., The Church in the Christian Roman Empire, tr. e. c. messenger, 2 v. in 1 (New York 1953) 1:73–132. j. quasten, Patrology (Westminster, Maryland 1950–) 3:7–13. e. boularand, "Les Débuts d'Arius," Bulletin de littérature ecclésiastique 75 (1964) 175–203.