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The letter endorsed the decrees of the [[First Ecumenical Council|First]] and [[Second Ecumenical Council]]s held in [[Nicea]] and [[Constantinople]] respectively and the position followed by the Fathers at the [[Third Ecumenical Council|Third Council]] at Ephesus. The [[heretic]]s [[Nestorius]] and [[Eutyches]] were condemned and the twelve Chapters of [[Cyril of Alexandria]] were endorsed. The Henoticon stated that Christ is God and man, one, not two. His miracles and Passion are the works of one (but it did not say whether person or nature) and those who caused division or confusion, or introduced a phantasy, that is affirm an appearance, were condemned, and that one of the [[Holy Trinity|Trinity]] was incarnate. The text of the letter was meant to satisfy everyone. Yet the Henoticon carefully avoided speaking to the nature or person of Christ, ignoring the Orthodox position of ''one Christ in two natures'', and used the expression of Peter Gnapheus that ''one of the Trinity was incarnate''. Further the letter only named the first three councils with honor and did not mention the decrees of Chalcedon, as a concession to Monophysitism.
The Henoticon did not accomplish what Zeno had hoped. Zeno was able to persuade Acacius to accept the Henoticon which was remarkable as Acacius stood firmly for the Orthodox faith during Zeno’s confrontation with Basiliscus, although his dispute with John Talaia and support for [[Peter III of Alexandria|Peter Mongus]] makes his Orthodox leanings appear weaker. The Henoticon offended many by its omissions rather than by its assertions. Some of the Monophysites accepted it, notably Peter Mongus, which thereby secured him the position as Patriarch of Alexandria, while his Orthodox rival, [[John Talaia]], was exiled, having refused to sign it. John went on to appeal his dismissal to Rome. Peter Gnapheus of Antioch also accepted Zeno’s new law. The extreme Monophysites rejected the Henoticon outright. The Church of Rome found the document unacceptable and completely rejected it. Even in the face of these objections Zeno published the Henoticon in 482 and deposed the Orthodox bishops and extreme Monophysites who refused to accept the compromise.
==Schism==
