ACACIO, bishop of MELITENE. - A good man of letters, he appears as lector at Melitene around 390. By 431 he was already bishop of that city and, as such, attended the Ecumenical Council of Ephesus. Relying on his personal relations with Nestorio, he initially attempted, though unsuccessfully, to obtain his recantation; he then became a fervent opponent of Nestorianism.
At the first session of the council (22 June 431), he explained his vote in favour of St. Cirillo’s second letter to Nestorio and at the same time censured the latter for his letter against Cirillo. Then, when at the fourth session Giovanni of Antiochia was summoned to appear because of the condemnation he had pronounced against Cirillo, A. pointed out the complete lack of authority of the Antiochenes. A. was one of the eight legates sent by the Council to Calcedo-
nia to inform Teodosio II, on behalf of the orthodox, of the intrigues of the Antiochenes, who on that occasion accused him of making the divinity in Christ passible. The accusation was unfounded, as is also clear from the homily delivered by A. at the Council (PG 77, 1467-72). His attendance at the consecration of Nestorio’s successor, Massimiano, earned A. from Giovanni of Antiochia deposition from his see. His anti-Nestorianism increased still further, to the point of criticizing the reconciliation that had taken place between Cirillo and the Orientals (Synodicon adversus tragoediam Irenaei, chs. 83 and 213; PG 84, 693-838).
We may ask whether A. was not tainted by Monophysitism. In his campaign against Teodoro di Mopsuestia he found a valuable ally in Rabbula di Edessa. They alarmed the Armenian bishops. A. died before 449.
Ignazio Ortiz de Urbina