Editing Marcian (section)

===Religious policy===
[[File:Fourth ecumenical council of chalcedon - 1876.jpg|thumb|''Fourth Ecumenical Council of Chalcedon'', 1876&nbsp;painting by [[Vasily Surikov]]|alt=A wall painting of the Council of Chalcedon showing Marcian and Pulcheria seated on thrones.]]
During the 5th century, a central religious issue was the debate concerning how the human and divine nature of [[Jesus Christ]] were associated, following the [[Arian controversy]]. The [[Catechetical School of Alexandria|School of Alexandria]], including theologians such as [[Athanasius]], asserted the equality of Christ and God, and therefore focused upon the divinity of Christ. The [[School of Antioch]], including theologians such as [[Theodore of Mopsuestia]], determined not to lose the human aspect of Christ, focused upon his humanity.{{sfn|Lee|2013|p=137}}

Shortly before Marcian became emperor, the [[Second Council of Ephesus]] was held in 449. The council stated that Jesus had one divine united nature, a position called {{lang|la|[[miaphysitism|miaphysis]]}}; this was rejected by the [[Pope]] and the [[Patriarch of Constantinople]] because of disputes on the matter of [[Christology]], as the Pope and Patriarch of Constantinople saw the belief in miaphysis as [[heretical]].{{sfn|Lee|2013|p=145}}{{sfn|Vasiliev|1980|pp=99 & 105}}{{sfn|Davis|2004|p=81}}

To repudiate the Second Council of Ephesus, Marcian convened a new council of the imperial church, deemed to pass [[ecumenical council|universally respected canons]], in 451. Pulcheria may have influenced this decision or even made the convention of a council a requirement during her negotiations with Aspar to marry Marcian. The council was to take place near Constantinople so that the government could watch the proceedings closely. Initially, it was to be held at the city of [[Nicaea]], which held enormous religious importance to the early church, as it was the site of its first council, the [[First Council of Nicaea]] in 325. However, Marcian successfully requested the transfer of the location to [[Chalcedon]]. This was closer to Constantinople and would allow him to respond quickly to any events along the Danube frontier. The [[Council of Chalcedon]] met in October 451. About 500 [[bishops]] attended it, most of them Eastern Roman, although two African bishops and two Papal legates sent by [[Pope Leo&nbsp;I]] attended.{{sfn|Lee|2013|p=145}}{{sfn|Gallagher|2008|p=585}}{{sfn|Whitworth|2017|p=360}} This council condemned the Second Council of Ephesus and agreed that Jesus had a divine nature ({{lang|la|[[physis]]}}) and a human nature, united in one person ({{lang|la|[[Hypostasis (philosophy and religion)|hypostasis]]}}), "without confusion, change, division, or separation."{{sfn|Lee|2013|p=146}}

The council also agreed to condemn the Coptic [[Pope Dioscorus&nbsp;I of Alexandria]], who had overseen the Second Council of Ephesus, and revoke the condemnations of [[Ibas of Edessa]] and [[Theodoret]], which had taken place during this council. The council also repeated the importance of the [[See of Constantinople]], placing it firmly in second place behind the See of Rome, and giving it the right to appoint bishops in the Eastern Roman Empire, over the objection of Pope Leo I;{{sfn|Nathan|1998}}{{sfn|Lee|2013|p=147}}{{sfn|Lee|2001|p=814}} the Patriarchs of Alexandria also objected to the elevation of the See of Constantinople.{{sfn|Bauer|2010|p=122}} The council ended in November 451, after which Marcian issued numerous [[edicts]] confirming the outcomes of the council;{{sfn|Nathan|1998}}{{sfn|Lee|2013|p=147}}{{sfn|Lee|2001|p=814}} showing that the outcome of the council was not universally accepted.{{sfn|Lee|2013|p=148}} One such edict ordered the repression of [[Eutychianism|Eutychianists]], who did not believe in the hypostatic union of the two natures of Jesus, barring them from holding state offices, forbidding them from criticizing the Council of Chalcedon, and ordering their literature, along with that of the [[Nestorians]], to be burned.{{sfn|Bury|2012|p=380}}

The anti-Miaphysite resolutions of the council led to a large increase in civil disruption in the eastern provinces of Syria and Egypt, where the majority of the population was Miaphysitic. Several violent revolts were put down with military force after significant bloodshed, in Jerusalem, Alexandria, and Antioch;{{Sfn|Vasiliev|1980|p=105}} as well as sending the military to suppress monks in [[Palaestina Prima|Palestine]]<!--Please note that this was the proper Roman name for the province and has no relation to the modern Israel–Palestine debates.--> and placing troops in [[Alexandria]] to ensure the installation of [[Proterius of Alexandria]], who was to replace the deposed Pope Dioscorus I.{{sfn|Nathan|1998}} According to the Byzantist [[Alexander Vasiliev (historian)|Alexander Vasiliev]], even after these revolts were put down, the popular dissatisfaction with the state church among the Miaphysite and Nestorian population remained, as the eastern provinces became increasingly convinced of their need for independence from the Eastern Roman Empire. Vasiliev states that this would lead to long-lasting disloyalty toward the Eastern Roman government among the eastern provinces, ultimately facilitating the loss of these provinces to the Sassanians and later to the [[Arabs]].{{Sfn|Vasiliev|1980|pp=105–106}} Another result of the council and the subsequent edicts was that many Christians who disagreed with the council, including many Nestorians, migrated to the [[Sassanian Empire]].{{sfn|Bauer|2010|pp=122–123}} The separation of the Miaphysites from the churches accepting Chalcedonian doctrine would be made final after the failed attempts of reconciliation under Emperor [[Justinian I]] ({{Reign|527|565}}), the Miaphysites splitting the [[Oriental Orthodox Churches]] from the main body of Christians.{{sfn|Meyendorff|1989|pp=194–202}}

Marcian also funded Pulcheria's extensive building projects until her death in July 453. All of them focused on the construction of religious buildings,{{sfn|Nathan|1998}} including the [[Church of St. Mary of Blachernae (Istanbul)|Church of St. Mary of Blachernae]] and the [[Hodegon Monastery]].{{sfn|Grant|1985|p=306}} Marcian was compared to both [[Paul the Apostle]] and the Biblical king [[David]],{{sfn|Herrin|2009|p=11}} by the legates at the Council of Chalcedon.{{sfn|Bjornlie|2016|p=60}}