In the period of human history during which Arius lived, heresies were more profound and had much greater impact. They originated primarily in the Eastern Church. Arius, priest and theologian, began spreading one of the biggest and most dangerous heresies in the Christian east, and in Christianity in general. It was the trinitary and Christological heresy of Arianism. He was influenced by some gnostic teachings and Plato's philosophy, while his guiding principle was to preserve God's transcendence and oneness. After the failed attempt of his bishop Alexander to convince him to abandon his teaching, Arianism started to spread producing long term consequences in the life of the universal Church. During that period Christianity gained its freedom, imperial authority joined the discussion and convened an ecumenical council in Nicaea in 325. Arius and his heresy were probably the main reasons for the council. The council voted in the favour of orthodoxy, while the heretics continued to spread their teaching and hoped for the better times to come. Soon Arius gathered many followers and even succeeded in influencing the emperor. Many of the orthodox bishops were banished from their dioceses, while the most famous among them was Athanasius the Great. It was him who contributed the most to the orthodox theology, side by side with Cappadocian fathers, a role which made him one of the most creditable men in the overcoming of Arian heresy. The key step in overpowering the Arian heresy was the ecumenical council in Constantinople in 381. During that council orthodox bishops proclaimed one of the most important and most concise dogmatic formulations – the Nicene-Constantinopolitan creed.