Saint Eustathius of Antioch

Eustathius of Antioch, sometimes surnamed the Great, was a Christian patriarch of Antioch in the 4th century. His feast day in the Eastern Orthodox Church, Syriac Orthodox Church and Coptic Orthodox Church is February 21 (Amshir 27 in the Coptic calendar). He was a native of Side in Pamphylia. About 320 he was bishop of Beroea, and he became patriarch of Antioch shortly before the Council of Nicaea in 325. In that assembly he distinguished himself zealously against the Arians, though the Allocutio ad Imperatorem with which he has been credited is probably not by him. At Nicaea, he and Marcellus joined forces with Alexander. In this way, they were able to significantly influence the formulation of the Nicene Creed. His anti-Arian polemic against Eusebius of Nicomedia made him unpopular among his fellow bishops in the East, and a synod convened at Antioch in 330 deposed him for Sabellianism, which was confirmed by the emperor. After Nicaea, the conflict at Nicaea between the Eusebians and the pro-Nicenes continued. "Within ten years of the Council of Nicaea all the leading supporters of the creed of that Council had been deposed or disgraced or exiled", including Eustathius. Arius and his theology were now no longer the focus of the Controversy. The focus of the controversy was around the concept of homoousios: Eustathius was accused, condemned, and deposed at a synod in Antioch. His supporters at Antioch rebelled against the decision of this synod and were ready to take up arms in his defence. But Eustathius kept them in check, exhorted them to remain true to their faith and humbly left for his place of exile, accompanied by a large body of his clergy. At the behest of Constantine the Great, Eustathius was banished to Trajanopolis in Thrace, where he died, probably about 337, though possibly not until 370. The Eusebians proposed Eusebius as the new bishop, but he declined.