Eusebius of Emesa

On the strength of charges like these, they proposed another bishop for the church of Alexandria: first of all Eusebius, known as Eusebius of Emesa. Who this man was we learn from George, bishop of Laodicea, who was present on this occasion. In the book he wrote on Eusebius’s life, George says that Eusebius came from the nobility of Edessa in Mesopotamia and had studied the holy Scriptures from childhood. Afterward he was taught Greek literature by a teacher living at Edessa, and finally the sacred books were explained to him by Patrophilus and Eusebius, of whom the latter presided over the church at Caesarea and the former over the church at Scythopolis. [a]

Later, while he was living at Antioch, it happened that Eustathius was deposed on the accusation of Cyrus of Beroea for holding the teachings of Sabellius. Eusebius then kept company with Euphronius, the successor of Eustathius. Avoiding a bishopric, he withdrew to Alexandria and gave himself there to the study of philosophy. On his return to Antioch he became a close friend of Placitus, also called Flaccillus, the successor of Euphronius. At length he was ordained bishop of Alexandria by Eusebius, bishop of Constantinople. But he did not go there, because the people of that city were attached to Athanasius, and so he was sent to Emesa. When the people of Emesa rioted over his appointment, for he was commonly accused of studying and practicing astrology, he fled and came to Laodicea, to George, who has given so many details of his history.

George took him to Antioch and arranged for Placitus and Narcissus to bring him back to Emesa again. But afterward he was accused of holding Sabellian views. George describes the circumstances of his ordination more fully, and adds at the end that the emperor took him along on his campaign against the barbarians, and that miracles were worked by his hand. What George tells about Eusebius of Emesa may be considered given here by me at sufficient length.