449

The year 449 AD.

Events

 * August 8. The Second Council of Ephesus is convened at the request of Byzantine Emperor Theodosius II and Pope Leo II. deposes Flavian, Patriarch of Constantinople, Domnus II, Patriarch of Antioch, and Theodoret, bishop of Cyrrhus, Syria. The findings of the council were formerly repudiated by the Council of Chalcedon in 451 and are considered invalid by the Chalcedonian (Eastern Orthodox, Roman Catholic and Protestant) churches, which sometimes refer to this council as a "robber council." However, this council is accepted by the Oriental Orthodoxy, who affirm the council's miaphysite Christology.
 * Anatolius succeeds Flavian as Patriarch of Constantinople.
 * Maximus II succeeds Domnus II Patriarch of Antioch.
 * October. The Roman church becomes the first to repudiate all the decisions of the Second Council of Ephesus. Pope Leo I had received the appeals of Theodoret and Flavian (of whose death he was unaware), and had written to them and to Byzantine emperor Theodeosisu II and his empress that all the Acts of the council were null. He excommunicated all who had taken part in it, and absolved all whom it had condemned, with the exception of Domnus of Antioch. While disputed, the council remained technically in effect in the patriarchies of Constantinople, Antioch and Jerusalem until repudiated at the Council of Chalcedon in 451.

Deaths

 * Flavian, Patriarch of Constaninople.