The Marcianists were a sect of

Messalians The Euchites or Messalians were a Christian sect from Mesopotamia that spread to Asia Minor (modern-day Turkey) and Thrace. The name 'Messalian' comes from the Syriac , ''mṣallyānā'', meaning 'one who prays'. The Greek translation is , ''euchi ...

founded by Marcian of Pontus in the sixth century. They were regarded as heretics by

Chalcedonian Christian Chalcedonian Christianity is the branch of Christianity that accepts and upholds Christian theology, theological and ecclesiological resolutions of the Council of Chalcedon, the Fourth Ecumenical Council, held in 451. Chalcedonian Christianity ac ...

s.Pauline Allen, ''Sophronius of Jerusalem and Seventh-Century Heresy: The Synodical Letter and Other Documents'' (Oxford University Press, 2009), p. 59.

Sophronius of Jerusalem Sophronius ( grc-gre, Σωφρόνιος; ar, صفرونيوس; c. 560 – March 11, 638), called Sophronius the Sophist, was the Patriarch of Jerusalem from 634 until his death. He is venerated as a saint in the Eastern Orthodox and Catholic Ch ...

, in his ''Synodical Letter'', names their leader as Lampetius, a follower of Marcian. He is described as having a sect of his own, the Lampetianoi, by

Timothy of Constantinople Timothy of Constantinople (fl. c. 600/700) was a Chalcedonian Christian heresiologist and presbyter of the church of Hagia Sophia in Constantinople. He wrote a treatise in Greek on Christian heresies from a Chalcedonian perspective, ''On Those ...

and Maximus the Confessor. Timothy, writing probably towards 600, classifies the Messalians,

Euchites The Euchites or Messalians were a Christian sect from Mesopotamia that spread to Asia Minor (modern-day Turkey) and Thrace. The name 'Messalian' comes from the Syriac , ''mṣallyānā'', meaning 'one who prays'. The Greek translation is , ''euchit� ...

, Enthusiasts, Choreuts, Adelphians and Eustathians as Marcianist sects. He says that Marcian was a moneychanger during the reigns of Justinian I (527–565) and Justin II (565–574). He does not name any contemporary event in connection with the Marcianists, possibly because the sect was extinct by his time.K. Fitschen, "Did 'Messalianism' Exist in Asia Minor after A.D. 431?", ''Studia Patristica'' 25 (1993), pp. 352–355. Timothy's description of Marcianism shows that they rejected charity and believes that misfortune reflected a lack of the

Holy Spirit In Judaism, the Holy Spirit is the divine force, quality, and influence of God over the Universe or over his creatures. In Nicene Christianity, the Holy Spirit or Holy Ghost is the third person of the Trinity. In Islam, the Holy Spirit acts as ...

They say neither to give alms to the beggar, nor to the widow, nor to the orphan, nor to those in difficult circumstances, nor to those afflicted with leprosy, nor to those who have encountered thieves, barbarian invasion or any other misfortune. Rather they should keep it all for themselves because those other (unfortunates) are really poor in the spirit.M. Graebner
"ΜΑΥΡΙΚΙΕ ΜΑΡΚΙΑΝΙΣΤΑ: A Note"
''Byzanina'' 11 (1982): 181–188.

The name at least still existed as an accusation. In the 590s,

John of Chalcedon John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Seco ...

and

Athanasius of Isauria Athanasius I of Alexandria, ; cop, ⲡⲓⲁⲅⲓⲟⲥ ⲁⲑⲁⲛⲁⲥⲓⲟⲩ ⲡⲓⲁⲡⲟⲥⲧⲟⲗⲓⲕⲟⲥ or Ⲡⲁⲡⲁ ⲁⲑⲁⲛⲁⲥⲓⲟⲩ ⲁ̅; (c. 296–298 – 2 May 373), also called Athanasius the Great, ...

condemned for Marcianism fled from Constantinople to Rome to appeal their cases to Pope Gregory the Great. It is clear from Gregory's letters that the heresy of Marcianism was unknown in Rome. Gregory absolved John of heresy in 595 and Athanasius in 596, although had to first denounce a book in his possession containing

Manichaean Manichaeism (; in New Persian ; ) is a former major religionR. van den Broek, Wouter J. Hanegraaff ''Gnosis and Hermeticism from Antiquity to Modern Times''SUNY Press, 1998 p. 37 founded in the 3rd century AD by the Parthian Empire, Parthian ...

errors.George E. Demacopoulos, "Gregory the Great and the Sixth-Century Dispute Over the Ecumenical Title", ''Theological Studies'' 70.3 (2009): 600–621. The emperor Maurice was accused by a Constantinopolitan mob of being a Marcianist in 602, a fact recorded by both Theophylact Simocatta and Theophanes the Confessor. This accusation may have referred to the emperor's refusal to ransom captives from the war with the Avars in 598–599.

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