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| Of Eusebius of Emisa.
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Chapter IX.—Of
Eusebius of Emisa.
On the ground of such charges
as these, they proposed another bishop for the Alexandrian church, and
first indeed Eusebius surnamed Emisenus. Who this person was, George,
bishop of Laodicea, who was present on this occasion, informs us. For
he says in the book which he has composed on his life, that Eusebius
was descended from the nobility of Edessa in Mesopotamia, and that from
a child he had studied the holy Scriptures;270
| 270Sozom. H. E. III. 6. From the passage in
Sozomen it appears that it was customary in Edessa to teach the
Scriptures to boys, and that many of them thus became quite familiar
with the Bible, knowing many passages by heart.
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that he was afterwards instructed in Greek literature by a master
resident at Edessa; and finally that the sacred books were expounded to
him by Patrophilus and Eusebius, of whom the latter presided over the
church at Cæsarea, and the former over that at Scythopolis.
Afterwards when he dwelt in Antioch, it happened that Eustathius was
deposed on the accusation of Cyrus of Berœa for holding the tenets
of Sabellius. Then again he associated with Euphronius, successor of
Eustathius, and avoiding a bishopric, he retired to Alexandria, and
there devoted himself to the study of philosophy. On his return to
Antioch he formed an intimate acquaintance with Placitus [or
Flaccillus], the successor of Euphronius. At length he was ordained
bishop of Alexandria, by Eusebius, bishop of Constantinople; but did
not go thither in consequence of the attachment of the people of that
city to Athanasius, and was therefore sent to Emisa. As the inhabitants
of Emisa excited a sedition on account of his appointment,—for he
was commonly charged with the study and practice of judicial
astrology,271
| 271μαθηματικήν
. From its use in astronomy the science of mathematics soon came to be
identified with that counterfeit of astronomy,—astrology. It is
so used by Sextus Empiricus (616. 20; 728. 20) and by Iamblichus,
Myrt. 277. 2.
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—he fled and came to Laodicea, to George, who has given so many
historical details of him. George having taken him to Antioch, procured
his being again brought back to Emisa by Placitus and Narcissus; but he
was afterwards charged with holding the Sabellian views. George more
elaborately describes the circumstances of his ordination and adds at
the close that the emperor took him with him in his expedition against
the barbarians, and that miracles were wrought by his hand. The
information given by George concerning Eusebius of Emisa may be
considered reproduced at sufficient length by me here.
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