la and Trieste, and the potteries of Aquileia were
known far and wide. Nor were philanthropic works neglected. Under some
of the later Pagan emperors foundling hospitals and schools were
established in separate provinces for orphans and poor children.

Under the just and wise rule of Theodoric the province flourished; but
the people always regarded the Goths as barbarians, and when the
Byzantines attacked Istria in 539-544 and 552 the troops of Vitalius,
Belisarius, and Narses were welcomed. They called the Greek Government
"Sancta Respublica," and erected basilicas in gratitude for the freeing
of the land from the Arian Goths. Justinian re-established the Roman
constitution with certain alterations, among which was the power of
appeal to the court of the bishop, which gave him control and
surveillance over the municipal functionaries. His power was not
supreme, however, the military defence of the frontier being equally
important. For some sixty years the "Schism of the Three Chapters" rent
this part of Christendom, and caused a great deal of ill-feeling and
many questionable actions. It arose from the Emperor Justinian in 544
condemning (1) the writings of Theodore, bishop of Mopsnestia, who
anticipated the heresy of Nestorius; (2) the writings of Theodoret,
bishop of Cyrus, against the twelve anathemas of S. Cyril of Alexandria,
and the decrees of the Council of Ephesus; and (3) the letter of Ibas,
bishop of Edessa, to Maris the Persian. The Latin Church, with Vigilius
the pope at its head, declined to accept the Imperial decree, which was
in contradiction to the Council of Chalcedon of 451. In 548 the pope,
while at Constantinople, was induced to repudiate them; but, on finding
how strong the opposition was, revoked his agreement in 550, and induced
the emperor to summon a council, which met in 553 and condemned the
three chapters and their authors. The pope returned to Rome, and died
there in 554, having confirmed the decision of the Council of
Constantinople, and anathematised those who refused to accept it.
Notwithstanding this, the bishops of Lombardy, Venice, and Istria, with
the Aquileian patriarch Macedonius at their head, and other bishops,
refused, and this refusal produced the "Istrian schism," or schism of
the "Tre Capitoli." Paulinus, who succeeded Macedonius, called a synod
at Aquileia in 557, which repudiated the decision of the Council of
Constantinople. Pelagius II., who was then pope, called in the s