Baring-Gould’s sources: By the Greeks on February 21st and June 5th. Also by the Copts on Feb. 21st. And by the Latins on July 16th. Roman Martyrology, Ado, Usuardus, &c. Authorities: — Eusebius, Theodoret, Socrates, Philostorgins, Sozomen, and the Encomium of S. John Chrysostom on the Saint.] famous Council of Nicaea met in the year 5, to hear and to condemn the teaching of ■ius. Among the Syrian bishops present, 3 first in dignity was the orthodox Eustathius, who either was, or was on the point of being made, patriarch of Antioch, the capital of Syria, the metropolis of the Eastern Church, then called 1 the city of God.* He had suffered in heathen persecutions, and was destined to suffer in Christian persecutions also. 1 But he was chiefly known for his learning and eloquence, which was distinguished by an antique simplicity of style. One work alone has come down to us, i Soz. ii. ip.
VOL. VIII. [Jillj 16. on the ‘ Witch of Endor.’ 1 He had been bishop of Bersea, and was a native of Sidon in Pamphylia. S. Paulinus, bishop of Antioch, had died that same year, and Eustathius was designated to fill his place. When the emperor Constantine entered the great hall where the Council of the bishops sat, Eustathius of Antioch, who, according to Theodoret, sat on the right hand of the throne, addressed the emperor, thanked God for him, and the blessing he had given to the Church of peace and an opportunity of assembling in council. For a few years Eustathius occupied his patriarchal throne in tranquillity. But the Arian [followers of Arius, who taught that the Son is a created being, not fully God] party, after its defeat at Nicasa, gathered its strength, surrounded the emperor, and trouble fell on the Catholics.
The Eusebian party — the chiefs of whom were the Nicomedian Eusebius [Eusebius of Caesarea (d. c. 339), the first historian of the Church], — his namesake of Caesarea, — Acacius, the pupil of the latter, — George, whom Alexander of Alexandria had deposed from the priesthood, — Leontius, a smooth, cautious man, — Eudoxius, afterwards notorious for his profanity, — and Valens, bishop of Mursa in Pannonia [a Roman province roughly covering western Hungary and parts of Austria and Croatia], who became equally conspicuous by shameless want of truth, — had but one definite object before them, to undo the work of Nicasa. These tactics were, to maintain the hold they had obtained over the emperor; to get rid of the leading Catholic bishops; and to propagate Arianism in forms less flagrantly offensive to the general Christian feeling than those which the Council had condemned.
Their first victim was Eustathius. The patriarchal see of Antioch [a bishop’s “see” is his diocese, named from his seat (Latin sedes)] had suffered much in the third centuiy by the scandal of an heretical occupant. It was now to pass through sufferings from the effect of which it never quite recovered. Eustathius had maintained a ' in this he attempts to show against Origen, that the witch did not recall the ghost of Samuel, but that by the power of Satan the imagination of Saul and the woman were impressed with a phantom vision. July tfij *S. Eustathius.
firm demeanour towards the Arians, he would never admit them to communion. 1 He had expressed his distrust of the orthodoxy of Eusebius of Qesarea, and two other bishops. 2 Eusebius retorted by the charge of Sabellianism, which Arlans always brought against the Catholics. Bent on his ruin, Eusebius, the wily bishop of Nicomedia, pretended that he had a great desire to visit Jerusalem, and the magnificent church built there by the emperor. He departed accordingly * Constantine furnishing him with carriage and all the cost of his journey. Theognis of Nicsea, his confidant, departed with him. On reaching Antioch they pretended friendship for Eustathius, and were received with kindness and hospitality.
On reaching Jerusalem they met Eusebius of Caesarea, Patrophilus of Scythopolis, Aetius of Lydda, Theodotus of Laodicsea, and other Arians. To them they discovered their design, and the whole party of bishops went to Antioch, under pretext of accompanying Eusebius of Nicomedia, as an act of courtesy. On reaching Antioch, a council was summoned, which was attended by S. Eustathius and some other Catholic prelates, who were ignorant of the plot. When all were assembled, the public were excluded at the request of the Arians, and they then introduced a profligate woman with an infant at her breast, whom they had suborned to accuse Eustathius of being its father. S. Eustathius indignantly demanded some evidence to substantiate this odious charge. There was none but that of the miserable woman, who was put upon her oath; and then, with one voice, the Arian prelates condemned him to lose his bishopric. The other bishops, who were not of the plot, peremptorily refused to acquiesce in this outrageous judgment, and entreated S. Eustathius not to submit to the sentence. They appealed to Moses, 1 to S. Paul, 2 who forbade a condemnation on a single testimony. But the Arians were in power. They did not publish the cause of the deposition of the patriarch [the title of the bishops of the great ancient sees: Rome, Constantinople, Alexandria, Antioch, Jerusalem], but hinted that he had been found guilty of Sabellianism. Eusebius of Nicomedia and Theognis then hastily returned to the emperor, and persuaded him of the guilt of Eustathius, adding, to ensure that the anger of Constantine should fall on the patriarch, that Eustathius had not treated Helena, the mother of the emperor, with respect. 3 Constantine banished him, as “ a pollution,” 4 to Illyria, in 331. Paulinus of Tyre was transferred to Antioch, and on his death, shortly afterwards, Eulalius was made bishop. He soon followed Paulinus. The vacant see was then offered to Eusebius of Caesarea. He declined it on canonical grounds, and Constantine highly applauded his refusal. But in the meantime the woman who had borne evidence against Eustathius had been stricken with illness. Then her conscience reproached her, and sending for the priests of Antioch, she confessed that she had been suborned to give false evidence. An Eustathius was indeed the father of her child, but was a coppersmith of that name. What must have been the reckless wickedness of the Eusebian party to have used such vile means to overthrow a champion of the true faith ! Yet, though the falsehood of the charge was exposed, and the guilt of the Arian bishops in bringing it forward was naked to the view of all, the innocent Eustathius remained in banishment. We may well understand why Eusebius 4 Euscb. Vit. Const, iii, 60.
S. Helier. of Caesarea shrank from facing the orthodox people of Antioch after the exposure of the intrigue in which he had been engaged. Eustathius died in Thrace, and was buried at Trajanopolis. His relics [the bodily remains of a saint, or objects they used, kept with honor] were translated to Antioch in 482.
