SEVERUS OF ANTIOCH. - Leader of the Monophysite movement of the 6th century, b. at Sozopolis in Pisidia around 465, d. at Xois (Egypt) in 538. After completing his studies at Alexandria and Beirut, he received Baptism in 488; afterward he became a monk, then a hermit, and finally devoted himself to the founding of a new monastery near Maïouma of Gaza. The bishop of Magydos in Pamphylia, Epiphanius, then in exile, ordained him priest, imparting to him a passion for the Monophysite doctrine.
In 509 he went to Constantinople to defend it. He remained there three years and wrote the Philalethes, a work of controversy in which he appeals to the authority of St. Cyril. Elected patriarch of Antioch in 512, he spoke out in favor of the Henotikon of Zeno, while openly condemning the Tome of Pope Leo and the Council of Chalcedon. For this he had against him the extremist Monophysites and the Chalcedonians; he was the cause of heated brawls among the monks. When Justin, having become emperor in 518, set about restoring religious peace, S. was forced to flee to Egypt, where he organized the resistance to imperial policy, remaining until his death the soul of that resistance. At the same time he fought another Monophysite, Julian of Halicarnassus (v.). After the death of Justin (527) S. returned to prominence, secretly supported by the empress Theodora. Invited to Constantinople in 535, he succeeded in drawing the new patriarch Anthimus among the opponents of the Council of Chalcedon. But through the intervention of Pope Agapetus he was again condemned in 536, and his works were also proscribed. He withdrew to the Egyptian desert. An ascetic of great fame, thoroughly versed in Scripture and the Fathers, a prolific writer, he is honored in the Coptic Church as a saint and martyr.
Of the numerous works of S., originally written in Greek, some ancient Syriac translations remain, published recently: Philalethes, an examination of 24 chapters drawn from St. Cyril, published with a Latin translation by A. Sandra, Beirut 1928. Msgr. J. Lebon has published at Louvain the Liber contra impium grammaticum (that is, against the Chalcedonian John): it contains a discussion on the interpretation of patristic texts (Corpus Script. Orient., Scriptores Syri, IV, 4, 5, 6; Louvain 1929-33 and 1938); Orationes ad Nephalium and the correspondence with the Monophysite Sergius (ibid., fasc. 7, there 1949). S. is engaged on two fronts; he combats with equal ardor the Eutychians and the Chalcedonians. Against Julian of Halicarnassus are the Critique of the Tome of Julian and Critique of the Propositions, edited under the title Antijulianistica by A. Sandra, Beirut 1931. The other works of this series are: Against the Additions to the Tome; Against the Apology of Julian; Apology of the Philalethes, which are unpublished. R. Draguet has published an Antijulianist Pastoral, dating from ca. 530, in Le Muséon, 40 (1947). There also exists, in Syriac, a series of 125 Homiliae cathedrales, delivered by S. as patriarch of Antioch. The first, his discourse for his enthronement, was published by M. A. Kugener, in Oriens christianus, 2 (1902), p. 265 ff.; the others, which include the Greek fragments and the partial editions of Mai and Rahmani, are in the course of publication in PO 4; 8; 12; 16; 20; 22; 23; 25; 26 (Louvain 1908-48), in the Syriac version of James of Edessa. Of the Letters, four thousand in number, a selection was given; E. W. Brooks published The sixth Book of the select Letters of Severus (London 1902-1904) and a second Collection of Letters in PO 12 and 14. Also to be remembered are certain liturgical writings and a number of short poems (ibid., 6 and 7) and the ancient biographies of the patriarch (ibid., 2). To S. some wished to attribute the works of pseudo-Dionysius (v. DIONIGI L'AREOPAGITA) but without solid foundation.
The doctrine of S. is of great importance for understanding the position of the Jacobite churches. They profess, following his teaching, a Monophysitism far more verbal than real (v. MONOFISITI) but reject like him the Council of Chalcedon.