LEONTIUS OF BYZANTIUM. - Anti-monophysite theologian of the 6th century. Almost nothing is known of his life. He is not the same as the Scythian monk Leontius known from the theopaschite controversy; very probably he is instead the same as the original Leontius, who is mentioned, as a Palestinian hermit, in the Life of St. Sabas by Cyril of Scythopolis (v. M. Richard, Léonce de Bysance était-il origéniste?, in Revue des études byzantines, 5 [1947], p. 31 ff.). A skilled and learned polemicist, Aristotelian in logic, Neoplatonic in psychology, he seeks to develop the theology of Cyril of Alexandria with the terms of Chalcedon.
His principal work is the Libri III adversus Nestorianos et Eutychianos (written around 543-44: PG 86, 1, 1267-1396). Book I demonstrates the falsity of the premises that underlie the theology of both Eutyches and Nestorius. Book II is a dispute between an orthodox believer and an aphthartodocetist. Book III polemicizes against Theodore of Mopsuestia (v. R. Devreesse, Essai sur Théodore de Mopsueste [Studi e testi, 141], Vatican City 1948, p. 244 ff.). Furthermore L. wrote two short treatises against Severus of Antioch. One: Solutio argumentorum Severi (PG 68, 2, 1915-45) and Triginta capita adversus Nestorium (ibid. 1901-16; on these two writings v. A. Casamassa, I tre libri di L. Bizantino contro i nestoriani e i monofisiti, in Bessarione, 37 [1921], pp. 33-46). L. is not the author of the work De sectis (PG 86, 1, 1193-1268), probably written by Theodore of Raithu, and also the two works: Adversus Nestorianos (ibid., 1399-1768) and Contra Monophysitas (ibid. 2, 1769-1901) do not come from L. of Byzantium, but from a Leontius of Jerusalem, who took part in the Synod of Constantinople (536). The little work Adversus fraudes Apollinaristarum is instead with some probability to be attributed to L. of Byzantium. L. became famous in theology because he introduced the concept of enhypostasis into Christology.
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With true contentment I have the pleasure of sharing with you, as I hope, that at the age of 19, Adelaide Antici, my wife, was happily delivered of a male after nine months of marriage. All the greater has been my jubilation, in that it was preceded by forty hours of suffering from the long labor pains of the woman in childbirth. At the Sacred Font I imposed on the newborn — not the name of Giacomo. I hope she will wish to take part in my joy no less than to grant me the honor of her revered commands, ever with true esteem, and example.
Your most humble and devoted relative
Recanati, 2 July 1798.
Your most humble and devoted servant and relative de Bysance, in Mélanges de science relig., Lille 1944, p. 35 ff.; B. Altaner, Der griechische Theologe Leontius und Leontius der rhythmischen Mönch, in Theol. Quartalschrift, 128 (1947), pp. 147-65; On the life of Leontius of Byzantium, see also: J. Rees, The De sectis. A treatise attributed to Leontius of Byzantium, in Journ. theol. stud., 41 (1940), p. 263 ff. On the falsifications of the Apollinarists see the literature in I. de Ghellinck, Patristique et moyen âge, II, Brussels 1947, p. 351.
Erik Peterson
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