Anastasios 2

Prosopography of the Byzantine Empire
SexM
FloruitM VIII
Dates730 (taq) / 754 (ob.)
PmbZ No.285
Variant NamesAnastasius;
patriarch Anastasius
ReligionChristian;
Iconoclast
EthnicitySyrian
LocationsHagia Sophia (Constantinople) (officeplace);
Constantinople (officeplace);
Constantinople;
Syria (birthplace);
Constantinople (residence);
Hagia Sophia (Constantinople)
OccupationBishop;
Priest
TitlesArchbishop, Constantinople (office);
Bishop, Constantinople (office);
Patriarch, Constantinople (office);
Synkellos (office)
Textual SourcesGouillard, J., "Le Synodikon de l'orthodoxie", TM 2 (1967), pp. 45-107 (liturgical);
Leo Grammaticus, Chronographia, ed. I. Bekker (Bonn, 1842) (chronicle);
Liber Pontificalis, ed. L. Duchesne, Le liber pontificalis. Texte, introduction et commentaire, 2 vols. (Paris, 1886-92); re-issued with 3rd vol. by C. Vogel, (Paris, 1955-57) (chronicle);
Nicephorus (patriarch), Apologeticus, PG 100. 833B-850A (theology);
Nicephorus, Breviarium Historiae, ed. C. Mango, Nikephoros, Patriarch of Constantinople: Short History; prev. ed. C. de Boor Nicephori ArchiepiscopiConstantinopolitani Opuscula Historica Leipzig 1880 (history);
Nicephorus, Chronographikon Suntomon, ed. C. de Boor, Nicephori Archiepiscopi Constantinopolitani Opuscula Historica (Leipzig, 1880), pp. 79-135;
Paulus Diaconus, Historia Gentis Langobardorum, ed. L. Bethmann and G. Waitz, MGH, Scr. Rer. Lang., pp. 12-187; also in MGH, Scr. Rer. Ger. 48, pp. 49-242 (history);
Theodorus Studita, Epistulae, ed. G. Fatouros, CFHB 31.1-2 (Berlin/New York, 1992) (letters);
Theophanes Confessor, Chronographia, ed. C. de Boor, 2 vols. (Leipzig, 1883-85, repr. Hildesheim/NewYork, 1980); tr. and comm. C. Mango and R. Scott, The Chronicle of Theophanes Confessor, Oxford 1997 (chronicle);
Vita Stephani Iunioris, by Stephanus Diaconus (BHG 1666), ed. M.-F. Auzépy, La Vie d'Etienne le Jeune par Étienne le diacre. Introduction, édition et traduction (Aldershot, 1997); PG 100. 1069-1186 (hagiography);
Vita Stephani Sugdensis Armeniaca, ed. G. Bayan, "Vie de Saint Etienne", Synaxarium Armeniacum, PO 21 (1930), pp. 865-876 (hagiography);
Zonaras = Ioannis Zonarae Epitome Historiarum, libri XIII-XVIII, ed. Th. Büttner-Wobst, (Bonn, 1897) (history)

Anastasios 2 was of Syrian origin: Vita Steph. Sugd. Slav. 24 (p. 91, 22). His baptismal name was Eirenaios: Vita Steph. Sugd. Armen. 868 ("called Eirenaios, surnamed Anastasios"). Disciple and synkellos of the patriarch Germanus I (Germanos 8), he shared the iconoclast views of the emperor Leo III (Leo 3), unlike Germanos 8, and it was intended by Leo 3 that he should succeed to the patriarchal throne if Germanos 8 refused to change his mind and accept iconoclasm; described as the emperor's ally and colleague (συμμάχον καὶ συμμετόχον): Theoph. AM 6221. He was a priest of the Great Church (Hagia Sophia) (κληρικὸν τῆς μεγάλης ἐκκλησίας τυγχάνοντα) and a supporter of iconoclasm: Nic. Brev. 58, cf. Nic., Chron., p. 119, 73 (πρεσβύτερος καὶ σύγκελλος), Lib. Pont. 91. 24 (cited below), Leo Gramm. 177. 2-3 (Ἀναστάσιον πρεσβύτερον).

He succeeded Germanos 8 as patriarch of Constantinople on 22 January 730, after Germanos 8 resigned over the iconoclast issue: Theoph. AM 6221 (χειροτόνουσιν Ἀναστάσιον τὸν ψευδώνυμον μαθητὴν καὶ σύγκελλον τοῦ αὐτοῦ μακαρίου Γερμάνου συνθέμενον τῇ Λέοντος δυσσεβείᾳ, διὰ φιλαρχίαν κοσμικὴν προχειρίσθεις Κωνσταντινουπόλεως ψευδεπίσκοπος), Nic. Brev. 58 (successor of Germanos 8), Zon. XV 2. 26, Lib. Pont. 91. 24 (sibique conplicem Anastasium presbyterum in eius loco constituit, sc. Leo III), Paul. Diac., Hist. Lang. VI 49 (eius in loco Anastasius presbiter ordinatus est), Vita Steph. Iun. 100, 13-15 (1085C) (installed with the aid of troops), Vita Steph. Sugd. Armen. 868, Leo Gramm. 177. 2-3, Georg. Mon. 743, 9-744, 4, Theod. Mel. 122, 3-8.20f., Symeon Slav. 77, 23-26.35). He succeeded Germanos 8 as patriarch of Constantinople in the thirteenth year of Leo III (Leo 3) (730) and was patriarch for twenty-four years: Theoph. AM 6177, Nic., Chron. 73. Described as a heretic (αἱρετικός; i.e. an iconoclast): Nic., Chron., p. 119, 73. He submitted to the iconoclast policies of Leo III; he was attacked by a crowd of pious women after the image of Christ over the Chalke was removed by the emperor, and he then persuaded Leo 3 to set the troops on them: Vita Steph. Iun. 100, 17-101, 8 (1085C-D), Passio Theodosiae 4 (τὸν δυσσεβῆ Ἀναστάσιον, τὸν τότε φημὶ πατριάρχην). His synodical letter to pope Gregory II (Gregorios 72) was rejected because of his support for iconoclasm, and he was warned to abandon it and convert to catholicism or face removal from his see: Lib. Pont. 91. 24. The next pope, Gregory III (Gregorios 7), wrote to him and the emperors attacking their iconoclast views: Lib. Pont. 92. 4 (he is styled in Lib. Pont. an intruder in the see of Constantinople - "invasor sedis Constantinopolitanae"). He was anathematised by the bishop of Rome: Leo Gramm. 177. 21. In 742 he joined in the rejoicing when the death of Constantine V (Konstantinos 7) was announced (wrongly) at Constantinople and anathematised him as an enemy of God; he then crowned the usurper Artabasdos 1 emperor; Theoph. AM 6233, cf. Zon. XV 5. 9-11 (he supported Artabasdos 1 and condemned Constantine V (Konstantinos 7) Kopronymos as a heretic). In early 743 he also crowned Nikephoros 4, son of Artabasdos 1, as emperor: Theoph. AM 6234. For this he was punished by Constantine V (Konstantinos 7) in 743/744; he was beaten and paraded in the Hippodrome through the diippion, naked and facing backwards on a donkey; his disgrace was supposedly foretold by Germanos 8: Theoph. AM 6221, AM 6235, Zon. XV 5. 22-24, cf. Leo Gramm. 182,20-183,2, Theod. Mel. 126,3-8. 29, Symeon Slav. 79. Having been thoroughly frightened and subdued, he was then restored to the patriarchal throne because he supported the emperor's iconoclast policy: Theoph. AM 6235, Zon. XV 5. 24, Leo Gramm. 184, Theod. Mel. 126. He is described as the falsely named patriarch (ὁ ψευδώνυμος πατριάρχης): Theoph. AM 6233, AM 6235, AM 6280. He gave evidence on oath, swearing on relics of the Holy Cross (τὰ τίμια καὶ ζωοποιὰ ξύλα) that Constantine had declared his rejection of the idea that Christ the Son of Mary was the son of God: Theoph. AM 6233. He crowned Leo 4, son of the emperor Constantine V (Konstantinos 7), as emperor at Pentecost (6 June), 751: Theoph. AM 6241, Zon. XV 6. 5. He was patriarch of Constantinople from 730 to 754.

He died early in 754: Theoph. AM 6245, Nic. Brev. 65, cf. Zon. XV 6. 7 (he died after twenty-four years as patriarch). The successor of Germanos 8, he died before the Council of Hieria: Nic., Apol. Min. 3 (836C). He was succeeded by Konstantinos 4: Theoph. AM 6177, AM 6245, Nic. Brev. 66, Nic., Chron. 73. On the date of his death (10 February or 12 February), cf. Rochow, Theophanes, p. 167 and see Synax. Eccl. Const. 456, 39; 457, 37 (10 February); 460, 55 (12 February); Typicon Mateos 230 (10 February), 231 app. crit. (cod. Fa on 12 February). The cause of his death was apparently an intestinal illness (τῷ λεγομένῳ χορδαψῷ): Theoph. AM 6245, Leo Gramm. 184. 20-22.

He was posthumously anathematised, together with the two other iconoclast patriarchs Konstantinos 4 and Niketas 1 (τούς τε τρεῖς ψευδωνύμους πατριάρχας), by the Second Council of Nikaia in 787: Theoph. AM 6280, Zon. XV 11. 13. At the Council he was said by the patriarch Tarasios 1 to have purloined for himself gold and silver icons (Ἀναστάσιος ὁ προηγησάμενος τῆς Κωνσταντινουπόλεως τὰς χρυσὰς καὶ ἀργύρας εἰκόνας ἐσφετερίσατο εἰς ἰδίαν χρείαν): Mansi XIII 184. He and his successors Konstantinos 4 and Niketas 1 were accused by Tarasios 1 of attempting to delete from copies of the Old Testament scholia explaining the veneration of icons: Mansi XIII 188. They were anathematised by name at the seventh and eighth sessions of the Council: Mansi XIII 400, 416. One of the three unnamed heretic patriarchs who held office between Germanos 8 and Tarasios 1: Theod. Stud., Ep. 53. He is named as one of the originators of iconoclasm (τοῖς ἐπὶ τῶν Ἰσαύρων κατάρξασι τῶν αἱρεσέων; see also Konstantinos 4 and Niketas 1) anathematised in the Synodikon of Orthodoxy: Gouillard, Synodikon, p. 57, lines 171-172. See also Rochow, Konstantin V, pp., 199-200, Rochow, Theophanes, pp. 123-124, 129, and D. Stein, Der Beginn des Bilderstreites und seine Entwicklung bis in die 40er Jahre des 8. Jahrhunderts (Miscellanea Byzantina Monacensia, 96, Munich, 1980).

For additional references to Anastasios 1, see Mansi XII 1010D, XVI 142D, 389A; Catal. Patr. 290, 9; Synodicum Vetus, cap. 147, 9ff (p. 122), cap. 150, 3 (p. 124), Appendix II, cap. 147, 21-23 (p. 191); Vita Nic. Medic. (BHG 1341) 28, (BHG 1342) 41.

(Publishable link for this person: )