Maris (Greek: Μάρις) was a bishop of Chalcedon in the 4th century and a prominent backer of Arianism.[1]

He is best known to history as an attendee present at the Council of Nicaea in 325.[2][3][4] He was one of the Arian Bishops at that Council. He eventually signed the Nicene Creed with the other Arian supporters, Zopyrus of Barca, Eusebius of Nicomedia and Theognis of Nicaea.[5][6][7][8] He was exiled with the other three Arian bishops.

He is also notable for confronting the anti-Christian emperor Julian the Apostate in 362 after going blind - in reply to Julian telling him: "Thy Galilean God will not heal thy sight." He replied: "I thank God for depriving me of the power of beholding thy face."[9]

References

  1. ^ Dictionary of Christian Biography and Literature to the End of the Sixth Century A.D., with an Account of the Principal Sects and Heresies..
  2. ^ Gelzer, Patrum Nicaenorum nomina, 231.
  3. ^ Lequien, Oriens Christ., II, 625: Gams, Series episcop., 462.
  4. ^ Gams, Series episcop., 462.
  5. ^ Mansi, Sacrorum conciliorum nova et amplissima collectio, op. cit., vol.IV, coll. 1221 e 1367.
  6. ^ Edward Gibbon. The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, Chapter 21, (1776–88)
  7. ^ Jonathan Kirsch, "God Against the Gods: The History of the War Between Monotheism and Polytheism", 2004.
  8. ^ Charles Freeman, The Closing of the Western Mind: The Rise of Faith and the Fall of Reason, 2002.
  9. ^ Socr. iii. 12; Soz. v. 4; Tillem. vii. 332


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