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Holy Martyr Eusebius, Bishop of Samosata Eusebius lived in the 4th century and was a bishop in the city of Samosata (on the Euphrates River) in the Antioch Metropolitanate. He waged a tireless struggle against heretics during the reign of five emperors one after another; suffered a lot under Constantius, who patronized the Arians. In 361 he was present at the Council of Antioch and contributed to the election of St. Meletia as patriarch. This election was also signed by the Arians; but when they saw that Meletius did not share their way of thinking and stood firmly for Orthodoxy, they elected instead of him an Arian of like minds with them and, in order to avoid challenging this new election through the documents of the previous one, kept by Eusebius, they demanded from him these documents to destroy them. Eusebius, however, despite the fact that documents were demanded from him by decree of the king himself, refused to hand them over. Irritated, Constantius ordered - to intimidate Eusebius - to tell him that if he did not give out the required document with the signatures of the Arians, his right hand would be cut off. “Cut off both my hands, but I will not return the signed election, which proves the iniquity of the Arians... Eusebius answered the ambassador. Under Tsar Julian, Eusebius, having hidden his priestly rank, went around various regions in order to affirm the faith and support Christians. During this time he rebuilt several churches and ordained many priests and deacons. When, after the death of Julian, the pagans poured out their grief over his loss in ardent praise of the apostate, St. Gregory the Theologian, for his part, also set out in writing a monstrous picture of his godless activities - in order to restrain others with this kind of execution from following the example and fierce enemy of Christianity... Comparing Julian’s crimes regarding the Christians he persecuted - with the patience of these martyrs, his victims, St. Gregory also recalls, among other things, Eusebius of Samosata, who, “when his whole body was deeply cut with straps, barely breathing from the wounds, not only did not weaken in torture and did not consider the torment he was undergoing to be severe, but even, noticing that some parts of his body had not yet been subjected to blows, began to accuse the tormentors of insulting him, because not yet the whole body had been respected, but something had been left behind. tormented and not sanctified, and at the same time he pointed to the shin, which alone escaped the iron nails, and demanded that it not be spared”... From such memories, Gregory “erects a monument to Julian, which is higher and more glorious than the pillars of Iraklov... Those,” he says, “were erected in one place and visible only to those who came there; and this monument, passing from one to another, cannot but be known everywhere and to everyone” ... “And I know for sure,” the eloquent Gregory finally turns to Julian, “that later times will see this monument denouncing you and your deeds, as well as teaching everyone else not to dare to such a rebellion against God, so that, acting like you, they will not receive the same reward as you” ... 229 During the accession of Jovinian, Meletius, Eusebius and other saints were returned to their thrones. The pious emperor respected them, but the heretics feared them. But the Church did not rest for long. Jovinian soon died; after him, Valens ascended the throne and again initiated a persecution against Orthodoxy and sent the shepherds into exile; then they all began to act together against Arianism, and the name of Eusebius of Samosata stands alongside the names of such staunch defenders of the truth as St. Basil the Great, St. Gregory the Theologian, Amphilochius of Iconium and others. Eusebius was imprisoned in Thrace and an Arian was appointed in his place. Eusebius received news of his exile in Samosata; preparing to leave the city, he asked the messenger to keep it a secret so that the people would not kill the messenger about his separation from the saint, and at night he left the bishop’s house, but when crossing the Euphrates, the inhabitants who had managed to find out about his departure from the city stopped him and with tears begged him to return. Eusebius convinced them not to resist the supreme power and, having blessed them to return to their homes, continued his journey to Thrace, from where he returned under Gratian, who summoned all the exiled saints to his flock, but soon died as a result of a wound inflicted on him in the city of Dolikhina by an Arian woman, who threw a vessel at him from the roof, breaking the saint’s head... Dying, he bequeathed not to punish that woman. Bishop Eusebius was buried in Samosata; Over time, his relics were transferred to Constantinople, where they exuded miracles. – The year of his death is unknown. St. torment. Zinona and Zina (Zinas) They suffered during the reign of Maximian, in 304. Zina was Zinon's servant; both are natives of Philadelphia of Arabia, in the so-called Decapolis (Decapolis).