The following chart lists 15 extant writings that document the deepening controversy during the last four months of A.D. 430. The documents are listed in approximate chronological order so that the reader can follow the development. A narrative of these events is available here to lead you through the historical realities. In the chart we list the number assigned to each document in the Clavis patrum graecorum (CPG), and an English title or description of the work, and a list of available English translations. For many there are also links to take you to more complete information about the document as well as the text and our own translation. The abbreviations used in the table are explained below the chart.  Please contact us if you have suggested improvements.

dateCPGTitleEng. Transl.
Sept., 4306316/8654John of Antioch’s letter to NestoriusFCC; CE #23
Oct., 4305671/8657Nestorius’s answer to John of AntiochFCC; CE #24
Fall, 4305668/8633Nestorius’s letter to the priest CaelestusFCC
Fall, 4305774Basil the Deacon’s petition to the emperorsFCC; CE #27
Early Nov., 43015317/8644Cyril’s (Letter 17) 3rd letter to Nestorius + 12 anathemasFCC; CE #20; McG 266-275; Wic 12-33; CCC 301-309; FC 76: 80-92; NPNF2 14:201-218; Pusey 59-69
Early Nov., 4305318/8645Cyril (Letter 18) to the clergy of Constant.FCC; CE #21; FC 76: 93-95
Early Nov., 4305319/8646Cyril (Letter 19) to the monks of ConstantinopleFCC; CE #22; FC 76: 96-97;
Nov. 19, 4308651Theodosius’s sacra to Cyril calling a council at EphesusFCC; CE #28
 8652Theodosius’s letter to CyrilFCC; CE #29
 8653Theodosius’s letter to Acacius of Beroea and Simeon StylitesFCC; CE #30
 5670/8658Nestorius’s 3rd letter to CelestineFCC; CE #26; DelCog2[2]
Nov./Dec.5240.19Cyril’s Festal letter 19FCC; FC127:88-99;
Dec. 6, 4303[3]5707/8655Nestorius’s sermon 18FCC; Battles 68-88
Dec. 7, 4305708/8656Nestorius’s sermon 19FCC; CE #24.7-10; Battles 89-99
late Dec., 4306313/8659John of Antioch’s letter to Firmus of CaesareaFCC; CE #25

Back to Documents and Events Leading up to the Council of Ephesus (431)

Abbreviations Used

Battles = Ford Lewis Battles, Sermons of Nestorius (Pittsburgh, 1973)

CE = The Council of Ephesus of 431 (Eng. trans. by Price/Graumann) (= TTH 72)

CPG = Clavis patrum graecorum (M. Geerard)

CCC = Creeds, Councils and Controversies, 2nd ed. (ed. Stevenson and Frend )

FC = Fathers of the Church (Cath. Univ. of America Press)

            76 – J.I. McEnery, Cyril of Alexandria. Letters 1-50 (1987)

            127 – P. Amidon, Cyril of Alexandria: Festal Letters 13-30 (2013)

FCC = Fourth Century Christianity (links to other pages on this site)

McG = McGuckin, St. Cyril of Alexandria and the Christological Controversy (SVS Press, 2004).

NPNF2 14 =  H.R. Percival, The Seven Ecumenical Councils. The Nicene and Post Nicene Fathers: Series 2, vol. 14.

Pusey =  P.E. Pusey, The Three Epistles of S. Cyril, Archbishop of Alexandria (Oxford: J. Parker, 1872).

Wic = Lionel Wickham, Cyril of Alexandria: Select Letters (Oxford, 1983)

Created by GLT

Last updated 9/3/2026 by JSW

  1. The introductory note to Nestorius’s sermon 18 gives its date of delivery as Dec. 6, 430 and states that this was 6 day after he received the letters of Celestine and Cyril. While he certainly had received Celestine’s letter weeks earlier, it is plausible that he received this letter of Cyril on Nov. 30 (see ACO 1.5, p. 39). The note in ACO 1.2, p. 51 mistakenly gives Nov. 30 as the date the letter was written (data) rather than received. ↩︎
  2. https://www.ccel.org/ccel/pearse/morefathers/files/nestorius_two_letters_01.htm. ↩︎
  3. McGuckin, p. 46, gives dates of Sat. 13 and Sun. 14 Dec. for these two sermons. ↩︎

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