1.1Flavian laments that the devil has carried off one of his own clergy, whom he could not save, and promises to tell how it happened.
1.2Flavian describes heretics as wolves in sheep's clothing who lead the weak astray by twisting the fathers and the Scriptures.
1.3Flavian reports that Eutyches, archimandrite at Constantinople, denied before the synod that Christ is of two natures after the incarnation and that his flesh is consubstantial with ours.
1.4Flavian tells Leo that Eutyches has been deposed and excommunicated and asks him to inform the bishops under him.
2.1Flavian tells Leo that Eutyches taught one nature in Christ after the union and denied that Christ's body is consubstantial with ours, against Cyril's letter approved at Ephesus.
2.2Flavian reports that Eutyches, accused by Eusebius of Dorylaeum and deposed, has not repented but agitates against the church with placards and petitions to the emperor.
2.3Flavian denies that Eutyches appealed to Rome at his trial and asks Leo to confirm the deposition by letter, so that the rumored council may be avoided.
Honoured by the Catholic and Orthodox traditions. Honoured as a saint or in a church calendar by: Catholic, Orthodox.
Date
448-449 (probable) · Letter 1 (Leo, Ep. 22) was sent soon after the synod of November 448 condemned Eutyches; Letter 2 (Leo, Ep. 26) followed with the minutes of the synod, before the second Council of Ephesus (August 449). Ballerini argued from Leo, Epp. 28 and 36 that Ep. 22 is the earlier.
Written at
Constantinople, Thrace
Addressed to
Leo I of Rome
Language
Greek
Genre
letter
Reference system
letter.chapter (Flavian's letters numbered 1 and 2 in order; chapter 0 is the inscription). Letter 1 = Leo, Ep. 22, chapters 1-4 as printed; Letter 2 = Leo, Ep. 26, whose printed text has no chapter numerals: chapters 1-3 are editorial, after Ballerini's synopsis.
SBL abbreviation
Ep. LeoNot yet checked
Text from
J.-P. Migne, ed., Patrologiae cursus completus, Series Latina, vol. 54 (Paris, 1846), cols. 723-748, reprinting P. and G. Ballerini, S. Leonis Magni Opera 1 (Venice, 1753), Epp. 22 and 26 (Greek original, with the Chalcedonian and an older Latin version) (Printed editions (Ballerini 1753, Migne 1846) in the public domain; Greek read from our own OCR of the Ballerini page images (Internet Archive sanctileonismagn01leoi))