ACHESIUS. – Bishop of the Novatian community in Constantinople. He took part in the Council of Nicaea and accepted all its decisions. When questioned by Constantine as to why he wished to persist in the schism, he recounted the history of the Novatian schism, maintaining that only God, and not the Church, could forgive the sin of apostasy. To this Constantine is said to have replied: «O Achesius, take a ladder and climb up to heaven on your own». The episode is related by Socrates (Hist. eccl., I, 10) and by Sozomen (Hist. eccl., I, 22). The latter also states that Constantine held A. in high esteem for his austere life (ibid., II, 32).
BIBL.: Gaetano Corti