Liberatus of Carthage

Liberatus of Carthage (fl. 6th century) was an archdeacon and the author of an important history of the Nestorian and Monophysite controversies in the 5th- and 6th-century Christian Church.

Life

In 535 he was sent to Rome, as legate of a great African national synod of two hundred and seventeen bishops, to consult Pope Agapetus I (535-6) about a number of questions (Harduin, II, 1154; Mansi, VIII, 808). Like most north Africans he was vehemently opposed to Justinian's edict against the "Three Chapters" (544). He was frequently employed by the African bishops as their ambassador in the disputes that arose from that question. "Tired with the fatigue of traveling, and resting the mind a little from temporal cares" (according to the introduction to his book), he used his leisure to compose a summary history of the two great heresies of the preceding century. His object in writing it was avowedly to show how misjudged the emperor's condemnation of the Three Chapters was. The work is called Breviarium causae Nestorianorum et Eutychianorum ("A Short Account of the Affair of the Nestorians and Eutychians"), most often simply the Breviarium of Liberatus.

The Breviarium begins with the ordination of Nestorius (428) and ends with the Fifth Ecumenical Council. From the fact that the author mentions Patriarch Theodosius I of Alexandria as being still alive, it is evident that it was written before 567, the year that Theodosius died. On the other hand, Liberatus records the death of Pope Vigilius (June 555). His authorities are the Historia tripartita of Cassiodorus, acts of synods, and letters of contemporary Fathers. In spite of Liberatus's controversial purpose and his indignation against Monophysites and all of those involved in the condemnation of the Three Chapters, his short history is well and fairly written. It forms an important document for the history of these movements.

References

This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1913). "Liberatus of Carthage". Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company.

v t e Byzantine historians
5th century	Annianus of Alexandria Eunapius John Rufus Malchus Olympiodorus of Thebes Panodorus of Alexandria Philostorgius Priscus Sabinus of Heraclea Socrates of Constantinople Sozomen Theodoret
6th century	Agathias Cyril of Scythopolis Eustathius of Epiphania Evagrius Scholasticus Hesychius of Miletus John Diakrinomenos John of Ephesus John of Epiphania Pseudo-Joshua the Stylite Pseudo-Zacharias Rhetor Jordanes John Malalas Liberatus of Carthage Marcellinus Comes Menander Protector Nonnosus Peter the Patrician Procopius Theodorus Lector Theophanes of Byzantium Zacharias Rhetor Zosimus
7th century	John of Antioch Trajan the Patrician Theophylact Simocatta
8th century	Hippolytus of Thebes
9th century	Theophanes the Confessor George Syncellus Nikephoros I of Constantinople George Hamartolos Scriptor Incertus
10th century	Constantine VII Joseph Genesius John Kaminiates Leo the Deacon Pseudo-Simeon Symeon Logothete Theophanes Continuatus
11th century	Michael Attaleiates George Kedrenos Michael Psellos John Skylitzes John Xiphilinus Yahya of Antioch
12th century	Nikephoros Bryennios the Younger Niketas Choniates Eustathius of Thessalonica Michael Glykas Anna Komnene John Kinnamos Constantine Manasses Joannes Zonaras
13th century	George Akropolites Theodore Skoutariotes
14th century	Nicephorus Gregoras Nikephoros Kallistos Xanthopoulos John VI Kantakouzenos George Pachymeres Michael Panaretos
15th century	John Anagnostes John Cananus Laonikos Chalkokondyles Michael Critobulus Doukas George Sphrantzes Pseudo-George Kodinos

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