Responsio ad Libellum Domini Marci Eugenici Metropolitae Ephesi

Jose'phus or Jose'phusPlusiadenus

13. Of METHONE.

Works

Ἀπολογία εἰς τὸ γραμμάτιον κυροῦ Μάρκου τοῦ Εὐγενικοῦ μητροπολίτον Ἐφέσου, Responsio ad Libellum Domini Marci Eugenici Metropolitae Ephesi

A defence of the Florentine council A. D. 1439, and of the union there negotiated between the Greek and Latin churches, in reply to Marcus Eugenicus of Ephesus [EUGENICUS], is extant, under the name of Joseph, bishop of Methone (Modon), in the Peloponnesus. It is entitled Ἀπολογία εἰς τὸ γραμμάτιον κυρυῦ Μάρκου τοῦ Εὐγενικοῦ μητροπολίτον Ἐφέσου, Responsio ad Libellum Domini Marci Eugenici Metropolitae Ephesi. Of this Joseph of Methone, Sguropulus relates that he represented himself to the patriarch Joseph of Constantinople [No. 7], when the latter touched at Methone, on his voyage to Italy to attend the council, as favourable to the opinions of the Greek church. If so, his subsequent change was countenanced by the example of the patriarch himself, and of the leading prelates who attended the council.

Editions

It is given, with a Latin version by Jo. Matt. Caryophilus, in the Concilia (vol. xiii. col. 677, &c., ed. Labbe, and vol. ix. col. 54:9, &c., ed. Hardouin).

Ἰωάννου τοῦ Πρωτοϊερέως τοῦ Πλουσιαδηνοῦ Διάλεξις περὶ τῆς διαφορᾶς τῆς ὄυσης μέσον Γραικῶν καὶ Λατίνων ἔτι τε καὶ περὶ τῆς ἱερᾶς καὶ ἁγίας συνόδου τῆς ἐν Φλωρεντία γενομένης, Joannis Archipresbyteri Plusiadeni Disceptatio de Differentiis inter Graecos et Latinos et de Sacrosancta Synodo Florentina.

There is also extant another defence of the Florentine council, entitled Ἰωάννου τοῦ Πρωτοϊερέως τοῦ Πλουσιαδηνοῦ Διάλεξις περὶ τῆς διαφορᾶς τῆς ὄυσης μέσον Γραικῶν καὶ Λατίνων ἔτι τε καὶ περὶ τῆς ἱερᾶς καὶ ἁγίας συνόδου τῆς ἐν Φλωρεντία γενομένης, Joannis Archipresbyteri Plusiadeui Disceptatio de Differentiis inter Graecos et Latinos et de Sucrosancta Synodo Florentina.

Antirrheticum, Secundum contra Marcum Ephesium

Nicolaus Comnenus cites a work of Joannes Plusiadenus, Antirrheticum, Secundum contra Marcum Ephesium.

Confusion about the identit of Joannes and Josephus

Allatius and Fabricius identify the two writers, and suppose that Joannes Plusiadenus changed his name to Josephus on becoming bishop of Methone. Allatius founds his supposition on the fact, that a MS. of the Responsio ad Marcum Ephesinum, in the Ambrosian library at Milan, bears in its title the name of Joannes Plusiadenus; to which it may be added that there are or were extant in modern Greek, according to the statement of Allatius, some MS. Conciones in dies Quadragesimalis Jejunii, by Joseph of Methone, in the title of which he is surnamed Plusiadenus. Cave denies the identity of the two, because Sguropulus has called Joseph of Methone a Latin (ὁ Ῥωμαίων ἐπίσκοπος), but this probably only refers to his support of the opinions of the Latin church. Oudin translates the expression " a Romanorum auctoritate derivans."

Editions

The Disceptatio de Differentiis, &c., was published by Allatius in his Graecia Orthodoxa, vol. i. p. 583, &c., 4to. Rome, 1652.

The author of the Disceptatio refers to a defence of the Quinque Capitula Concilii Florentini, which he had previously written, and which is not known to have been published ; but Oudin suspects it is the Apologia pro quinque Capitibus Concilii Florentini, commonly ascribed to Georgius Scholarius, or Genundius, of Constantinople. [GENNADIUS, No. 2.]

We may here add, that this Apologia has been printed not only in Latin, as stated in the artcle referred to, but also in Greek (Rome, 1577), and in modern Greek, with a Latin version (Rome, 4to. 1628).

Further Information

Allatius, Graec. Orthod. l.c., and Epilog. ad Vol.I.; Cave, Hist. Litt. vol. ii., Appendix, by Wharton, pp. 151, 167; Fabric. Biblioth. Graec., vol. v. p. 60, vol. xi. p. 458; Oudin, Commentar. de Scriptor. Eccles. vol. iii. col. 2422.