Cyril of Alexandria
Major Christian theologian and Patriarch of Alexandria, pivotal in Christological controversies.
Chronology: 376 – 0444-06-27
Origins & Early Life
Cyril of Alexandria (Ancient Greek: Κύριλλος Ἀλεξανδρείας; Coptic: Ⲡⲁⲡⲁ Ⲕⲩⲣⲓⲗⲗⲟⲩ ⲁ̅ or Coptic: Ⲡⲓⲁⲅⲓⲟⲥ Ⲁⲃⲃⲁ Ⲕⲩⲣⲓⲗⲗⲟⲥ ⲡⲓⲥⲧⲩⲗⲗⲟⲥ ⲛ̀ⲧⲉ ⲡⲓⲛⲁϩϯ or ⲡⲓ̀ⲁⲅⲓⲟⲥ Ⲕⲓⲣⲓⲗⲗⲟⲥ; c. 376–444) was a Christian theologian and Patriarch of Alexandria from 412 to 444. Cyril wrote extensively and was a major player in the Christological controversies of the late 4th and 5th centuries. He was the President of the Council of Ephesus in 431, which clarified the hypostatic union of Christ's divine and human natures into one person against the views of Nestorius, who was deposed as Patriarch of Constantinople.
Pivotal Works & Achievements
He is also well-known for his advocacy of the term Theotokos for the Virgin Mary, which followed from his Christological views. Cyril is venerated as a saint in the Catholic and Orthodox Churches with the titles Pillar of Faith and Seal of the Fathers. In the Catholic Church, he was named a Doctor of the Church by Pope Leo XIII in 1883 under the title Doctor Incarnationis ("Doctor of the Incarnation"). == Early life == Little is known for certain of Cyril's early life. He was born circa 376, in the town of Didouseya, Egypt, modern-day El-Mahalla El-Kubra.
Enduring Legacy & Impact
A few years after his birth, his maternal uncle Theophilus...
Source: Wikipedia