School of Antiochwriter
Who he was
- Armenian by origin, and a friend of Acacius of Caesarea. He was elected bishop of Sebaste in Armenia ca. 360.
- Late in Eudoxius of Antioch was transferred to Constantinople, and Meletius was elected bishop of Antioch through Acacius’ influence.
- A few months later, when he professed the Nicene faith in a homily on Proverbs 8:22 preached before Constantius, the Arians immediately deposed and exiled him to Armenia and transferred his bishopric to Euzoius.
- The traditional Nicenes however, disowned Euzoius but split among themselves; the majority adhered to the exiled Meletius, while the more orthodox party who had been known as the Eustathians, and with whom St. Athanasius communicated, rejected a bishop of Arian consecration (Euzoius) and elected Paulinus, a presbyter of high character, who was ordained by Lucifer of Cagliari. On Constantius’ death in ca. 362, Meletius returned to Antioch and recognized his community, as the most numerous, against the Arian community under Euzoius and the traditional Nicenes under Paulinus. This is referred to as the Meletian Schism of Antioch.
- In 363 at Antioch, he presided over a small council which accepted the Nicene homoousios but gave it a homoeousian interpretation.
- St. Athanasius went to Antioch to make contact with him in order to attempt a reconciliation between the Eustathians and the Meletians, but Meletius avoided meeting him.
What he wrote
- Meletius was twice banished under Valens, from 365 to 366 and from 371 to 378, St. Basil being unswerving in support of his claims, but Alexandria wavering, and Rome hostile.
- He was finally restored in 378 and presided at the Council of Constantinople of 381, during which he died.
- The schism ought now to have ended. Paulinus was still alive, and should have recognized as sole bishop. The Meletian party, however, irritated by his treatment of their leader secured the appointment of Flavian and this gave rise to fresh troubles.
- The schism was practically ended in Flavian’s lifetime, years after the ordination of Paulinus by Lucifer. Writings
- A synodal letter to the Emperor Jovian is reported under his name in Socrates Scholasticus.
- A homily by Meletius is preserved by St. Epiphanius of Salamis.
- Most of the writings attributed to him are dubious.