§ 104. Жизнь св. Евстафия Антиохийского.

Blessed Eustathius, a native of the Pamphylian city of Sides, was first the bishop of Beria in Syria 62 and during the pagan persecution he was adorned with the name of the Confessor of Christ 63 . Alexander of Alexandria wrote to him, as a famous defender of pure truth, a message about Arius 64. The common desire of the faithful called him to the see of Antioch 65. And the fathers of the Ecumenical Council (325) at the very beginning of their actions approved this election 66. At this meeting St. Eustathius greeted the emperor with a speech, and was one of the most zealous denouncers of Ariev's blasphemy 67 . At the end of 326, he went to Georgia to appoint shepherds there for the new children of the faith 68. The sincere and courageous shepherd pursued Arianism not only in its obvious defenders, but also in those double-minded friends of the truth who, according to the calculations of vanity, were not ashamed to act at times on the same side as the enemies of the truth. Among the latter was Eusebius of Caesarea; the Patriarch of Antioch accused him of insincerity towards St. Orthodoxy. It is clear that the Arians could not tolerate a bold accuser of them occupying such an important see as that of Antioch. Eusebius of Nicomedia and Theognis of Nicea, under the pretext of piety, appeared in Jerusalem and, uniting here with other friends of Arianism, arrived in Antioch, as if only to show honor to the shepherd of the great Church. But in fact, a Council suddenly opened, before which the despicable woman appeared denouncing the saint for fornication. This denunciation was considered sufficient to declare Eustathius defrocked. But the slanderer, struck by mortal pangs, was soon forced to confess before everyone that the money of the Arians persuaded her to slander the saint, and that the father of the child she bore was the day laborer Eustathius 69 . The Arians, having decided to overthrow Eustathius, insisted that Eustathius taught the same way as Sabellius. Eusebius of Nicomedia and Theognis hastened to appear before the emperor and added a new slander to him, as if Eustathius had spoken insultingly about the emperor’s mother. The unrest of the people, which opened in Antioch at that time, helped the Arians in their intrigues against Eustathius. The innocent saint with several priests and deacons was sent to Thrace 70. This was in 331 71. The anger of the Arians persistently pursued St. Eustathius from Thrace to Illyria and finally he died in the Macedonian city of Philippi 72, around 315 73. Jerome De vir. illustr. § 85. Theodorite history. 1, 7. Athanasius Apologet. T. 1. r. 702. Epist. ad solitarios p. 812. Chrysostom Eulogies of St. Eustathius. Or. 2, 604. Theodorite Dialog. 2. p 56. Anastasy Sinait lib. 9. In Hexaem. Epiphanius Haeres. 79. § 4. Theodoret N. E. 6. 7. Jerome in Chronic. Feofan Chronograph, b. 16. Nikita Choniates Thesaur. orthod. fid. libr. 5. 6. 9. Evidence of this is in Georgian monuments, and the probability is guaranteed by the undoubted course of events in Georgia. Theodorit N. E 1. 20–21. Jerome lib. 3. in Rufin. Socrates. N. E. 1, 24. Sozomen N. E. 2, 28. Chrysostom in the word about Eustathia. Afanasy Epist. ad solitarios, p. 629. Socrates (N. E. 6, 13) says that Eustathius ruled the Antiochian Church for a short time; he (N. E. 1, 24), as well as Sozomen (N. E. 2, 19), Theodoret (N. E. 1, 11) and Philostorgius (lib. 2, p. 7) show that the deposition of Eustathius took place under Constantine. In addition, it is known that the See of Antioch was offered to Eusebius of Caesarea († 339), which he, as he himself says, refused (De vita Constant. 3, 60, 70); Athanasius Apolog. 2. p. 618). Consequently, the deposition of Eustathius by the Arians was not under Constantius, whose name is read in Jerome (De vir. illustr. § 85), but under Constantine. Theodoret N. E. 1, 21. Theodore reader 2. 1. According to the testimony of Chrysostom, the body of St. Eustathius “was buried in Thrace, his coffin in that barbarian country (Praise to Eustathius § 2. Or. T. 2. p. 605). Also Jerome (de vir. illustr. § 85. Theodore the Reader writes (N. E. 2, 1) that the relics of St. Eustathius were transferred to Antioch in 482. Chrysostom’s eulogy to St. Eustathius shows that his memory was honored in Antioch back in 387. Memory of St. Eustathius February 21 days. There is no exact information about the year of Evstafieva’s death in the monuments. Theodoret writes that St. Eustathius died “before the ordination of Meletius” as Patriarch of Antioch. (N. E. 3, 4); also St. Chrysostom Meletius assumed the department in 361; hence, Eustathius, returned by Juvinian and ordained Evagrius of Constantinople in 370. (as Socrates 4, 13, 14, Sozomen 6, 13 write about), there was another person. since St. Eustathius is not seen alive during the Councils of Sardis and Philippopolis (347), it is likely that he died earlier than this time. You might be interested in: