Editing Justinian I (section)

====Religious relations with Rome====

Justinian entered the arena of ecclesiastical conflicts shortly after his uncle's accession in 518, and put an end to the [[Acacian schism]]. Previous Emperors had tried to alleviate theological conflicts by declarations that deemphasized the [[Council of Chalcedon]], which had condemned [[miaphysitism]], which had strongholds in Egypt and Syria, and by tolerating the appointment of Miaphysites to church offices. The Popes reacted by severing ties with the Patriarch of Constantinople who supported these policies. Emperors Justin I (and later Justinian himself) rescinded these policies and re-established the union between Constantinople and Rome.<ref>cf. ''Novellae'', cxxxi.</ref> After this, Justinian also felt entitled to settle disputes in papal elections, as he did when he favored [[Pope Vigilius|Vigilius]] and had his rival [[Pope Silverius|Silverius]] deported.{{sfn|Bury|1958|pp=378–379}}

[[File:Hagia Sophia Southwestern entrance mosaics 2.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|10th-century Hagia Sophia mosaic depicting the Virgin Mary holding the Child Christ on her lap. On her right side stands Justinian, offering a model of the Hagia Sophia. On her left, [[Constantine I]] presents a model of Constantinople.]]

This new-found unity between East and West did not, however, solve the ongoing disputes in the east. Justinian's policies switched between attempts to force Miaphysites to accept the Chalcedonian creed by persecuting their bishops and monks – thereby embittering their sympathizers in Egypt and other provinces – and attempts at a compromise that would win over the Miaphysites without surrendering the Chalcedonian faith. Such an approach was supported by the Empress Theodora, who favoured the Miaphysites unreservedly. In the condemnation of the [[Three-Chapter Controversy|''Three Chapters'']], three theologians that had opposed Miaphysitism before and after the Council of Chalcedon, Justinian tried to win over the opposition. At the [[Fifth Ecumenical Council]], most of the Eastern church yielded to the Emperor's demands, and [[Pope Vigilius]], who was forcibly brought to Constantinople and besieged at a chapel, finally also gave his assent. However, the condemnation was received unfavourably in the west, where it led to new (albeit temporal) schism, and failed to reach its goal in the east, as the Miaphysites remained unsatisfied – all the more bitter for him because during his last years he took an even greater interest in theological matters.{{sfn|Bury|1958|pp=372–384}}