eugyppius

.... he only wants to say, 'The Father is greater and the Son inferior'. If you ask the attendant if your bath is ready, he says the Son is of nothing".

You should also understand that empires, including the Eastern Roman Empire, are multinational. They tolerate a lot of peoples and languages, but they also need a unifying force.

Christianity is very much that unifying force for the Eastern Roman Empire. This makes the lingering Monophysite /Chalcedonian controversy one of the primary internal social & political problems of 7th Century Byzantium.

Now the emperors try to solve the MQ (Monophysite Question) in 2 ways: 1) By persecuting the Monophysites and installing 'orthodox' Chalcedonian bishops at key sees; and 2) by trying to develop compromise doctrines that will please both sides.

Heraclius, with help from Patriarch Sergius I of Constantinople, comes up with Monoenergism, as a thing that is supposed to unite everyone.

Monoenergism holds that, yes the Word has two natures – but don't worry, Monophysites! He also as *one energy*. The idea, I gues, is that if Christ can still have one of something, the Monophysites might be satisfied.

As soon as Heraclius wins the war with Persia, he begins promoting Monoenergism officially. The problem is that a gaggle of important people, including the Patriarch of Jerusalem, don't like it.

The problem with compromise doctrines, is they don't have any adherents out there in the wild. What's worse, the reception isn't just lukewarm. It provokes a huge new destructive debate over Christ's energies and their precise number.