THE STRUGGLE BETWEEN NESTORIANS AND MONOPHYSITES: BARSAUMA’S ACTIVITY

Abstract

Nestorianism antagonized the official Byzantine church, spreading out from Mesopotamia. It was the creed of the merchants, the class who sought independency and confronted Zoroastrianism in Iran. The Armenian Church, being national in nature, had an intolerant position against the Byzantine church and Barsauma. At the time when the Christian church was divided into Monophysites and Dyophysites, and the Byzantines persecuted the Nestorians, the latters settled in Iran and from that time on the Persians changed their attitude towards the Christians and started to patronize the Nestorians, who were the enemies of Byzantine chalcedonism. In ancient and medieval ages, the ethnic affiliation was directly related to the practicing religion, the Syrians were Christians, and the Persians were Zoroastrians. This factor forced the Syrians to have their own establishment and under its patronate they could exist. They were unified around the church and the union of the craftsmen ensured the financial support.

Keywords

• barsauma
• nestorians
• confession
• armenia
• persia
• byzantium
• monophisit
• dyophisit
• edessa
• peroz
• chalcedonism.