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This paper examines the selection of Nectarius of Tarsus as the first patriarch of Constantinople in A.D. 381. Nectarius, a layman and a retired senator from the provincial capital of Cilicia, was elected as the bishop of Constantinople during the sessions of the second general council. The election was a part of the agenda of the council, which had gathered under the auspices of the emperor Theodosius. The selection of Nectarius fit well within the imperial ideology, which sought an ecclesiastical reconciliation. Nectarius also had regional support from the Cilicians, who were in agreement with the Church of Antioch. His election was also a case of philia (friendship), which was an important factor in church politics in the 4th century. Theodoret, Socrates, and Sozomenus-near contemporary observers from the 5th century-provide reliable and comparable details of this election. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]