For the final in my history class this year, my professor has decided to opt for a game of reenacting the past at the Council of Nicaea. I've been given the role of Meletius and have been struggling against Alexander and the entire anti-Arian faction this entire 'game'. I've been researching, reading books, writing papers, speeches, etc. I feel like I am missing something, as the council has just "voted" for favor of bishop inequality (metropolitan bishops [Alexander] having control). I am hoping a history buff can help me out here and tell me what I'm missing, as I thought I had wrote a pretty convincing speech that would make the game turn in my favor (for bishop equality rather than inequality). Thanks!
I would suggest looking up various treatises that were expressly written to argue against and discuss Arianism written during the time period.
Athanasius of Alexandria. Orationes contra Arianos
Eusebius of Caesarea. Against Marcellus
Hilary of Poitiers. De Trinitate and De Synodis
Also include treatises from church fathers that clearly disagree with the teachings go Arianism, as these writers ought to carry heavy weight in the debate.
Clement of Alexandria (pick some of his stuff)
Origen. On First Principles (tr.) GW Lutterworth (1973)
Hope this helps a little. Happy Reading!
What you are missing is the source of authority. Remember that the early Christians did not rely on the bible for authority. It relied, rather, on the teachings of Jesus now handed down by the apostles through their successors, the bishops. As a result, those places where the bishops were more closely related to the apostles in succession commanded more authority.
By the turn of the 4th century, these apostolic sees were: Alexandria, through Mark (disciple of Peter); Jerusalem and Antioch, where Peter ministered; but especially Rome, because Peter and Paul ministered and died there. The bishops in these cities simply carried more authority as a result. And this was uncontested. To argue otherwise, you would have to demonstate where the source of your teaching comes from. The primates (as they called these bishops), could simply answer: Peter.