The Bishops at Antioch

The most outstanding of these were Firmilian, bishop of Caesarea in Cappadocia; the brothers Gregory and Athenodorus, shepherds of the churches in Pontus; and besides these, Helenus of the church at Tarsus and Nicomas of the church at Iconium. There were also Hymenaeus of the church at Jerusalem and Theotecnus of the neighboring Caesarea, and in addition Maximus, who also led the brothers at Bostra with distinction. Anyone counting them could list countless others, together with presbyters and deacons, who gathered in that city for the same reason. But these were the most prominent. [a] All of them met at various times and often for the same purpose, and at each synod arguments and questions were raised. Paul of Samosata’s party still tried to keep his false teaching hidden and covered up, while the others worked hard to strip bare and bring into the open his heresy and his blasphemy against Christ.

Meanwhile Dionysius died in the twelfth year of the reign of Gallienus, after leading the church of Alexandria as bishop for seventeen years, and Maximus succeeded him. [d] Gallienus held power for fifteen full years, and Claudius became his successor. After passing his second year, Claudius handed the government on to Aurelian. [f]