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The council was summoned in the year 325 by the Emperor St. [[Constantine the Great]], who desired unity in the Roman Empire and thus called the Church's [[bishop]]s together to settle the raging of the [[heresy]] of [[Arianism]], the doctrine that [[Jesus Christ]] was a created being and therefore not truly the one God.
The [[synod]] had originally been intended to be held at Ancyra, but its location was moved by Constantine to Nicea (much closer to the imperial headquarters in [[Nicomedia]]) so that he might be able to participate more easily. The First Council of Nicea assembled according to tradition on [[May 20]] of 325. Earlier in the year, there had already been a council at Antioch, presided over by St. [[Hosius the Confessor |Hosius of Cordoba]], which condemned Arianism and its followers, even explicitly naming [[Eusebius of Caesarea]] (who is believed to have waffled somewhat on the question). When Constantine convened the council at Nicea, he did so primarily out of a desire to have a unified Empire rather than in an attempt to affect Church doctrine.
After the initial speeches by the emperor, Hosius is generally believed to have presided at the council, summoned on the scene by the emperor himself, who had retained him as theological advisor. Fr. [[Alexander Schmemann]] writes in his ''Historical Road of Eastern Orthodoxy'' that Constantine intended the synod to be "the symbol and crown" of his victory over Licinius and the reunification of the Empire (p. 76). In his opening address, St. Constantine describes disputes within the Church as "more dangerous than war and other conflicts; they bring me more grief than anything else" (ibid., p. 77).
The Palestinian creed had included the Biblical phrase "Firstborn of all creation" in its [[Christology|description of Christ]], but that phrase does not appear in the Nicene Creed, probably because, taken out of its context in the [[Apostle Paul]]'s [[Colossians|letter to the Colossians]], it could be interpreted in an Arian manner. This phrase gets replaced with the famous ''[[homoousios]]'', a philosophical term meaning that the Son of God is ''of one essence'' with the Father.
It is particularly interesting that this term was used, despite it previously having been employed by the heretical [[Sabellianism|Sabellians]] (notably [[Paul of Samosata]]) in the 3rd century during their conflict with St. [[Dionysius of Alexandria|Dionysius the Great]]. As with much terminology from philosophy, however, the [[Church Fathers]] co-opted ''homoousios'' and gave it a new, Orthodox meaning. It was originally introduced at Nicea by Hosius (or possibly even Constantine), then supported by "a small group of bold and far-sighted theologians who understood the inadequacy of merely condemning Arius and the need to crystallize Church tradition in a clear concept" (Schmemann, p. 78).
Besides the basic format of the Creed (''see'' [[Nicene Creed]]), four explicitly anti-Arian [[anathema]]s were attached, as well. All the bishops at the council signed the Creed except for two, Theonas of Marmarica and Secundus of Ptolemais, who were subsequently deposed by the Church and then exiled by the emperor, along with [[Arius]], who also refused to accept the decrees of the council. Schmemann remarks regarding the exiles that Constantine was "thus again confusing the judgment of the Church with that of Caesar" (p. 79), recalling perhaps the previous unfortunate use of his civil power that St. Constantine had exercised when he persecuted the [[Donatism|Donatists]].
A list of bishops at the council exists, including about 230 names, though there are indications that the signature lists are defective. St. [[Athanasius of Alexandria]] puts the number at 318, which is regarded as a mystically significant number, as in [[Genesis]] 14:14, the number of servants whom [[Abraham]] (then still named "Abram") took with him to rescue his nephew [[Lot]].
Only a few [[bishop]]s from the West were present (a pattern common to all the [[Ecumenical Councils]]): Marcus of Calabria, Nicasius of Dijon, Domnus of Stridon, [[Hosius the Confessor|Hosius of Cordoba]], and [[Caecilian of Carthage]]. Pope St. [[Sylvester I of Rome]] was represented by two of his [[priest]]s.
A number of renowned Eastern [[saint]]s were also present: besides [[Athanasius the Great]] were [[Nicholas of Myra]], [[Spyridon of Trimythous]], [[Alexander of Alexandria]], and [[Paphnutius of Egypt]].
==Commemoration ==
The '''Holy Fathers of the First Ecumenical Council''' are commemorated on [[May 29]] and also on the [[Pentecostarion|seventh Sunday after Pascha]]. They are also commemorated on the 9th Sunday after [[Pentecost]], the [[Sunday of the Fathers of the First Six Councils]].
[[Category:Creeds]]
[[Category:Ecumenical Councils]]
[[Category:Canon Law]]
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