Arethusa

Arethusa

A titular see of Syria near Apameia. Its episcopal list (325-680) is given in Gams (p. 436). It was also a Latin see for a brief period during the Crusades (1099-1100). In the time of Constantius (337-361) its Bishop, Marcus, destroyed a heathen temple which under Julian he was ordered to rebuild. To avoid this he fled from the city, but eventually returned to save the Christian people from paying the penalty in his stead, and underwent very cruel treatment at the hands of the pagan mob (Sozomen, Hist. Eccl., x, 10). He is said to have been the author of the Creed of Sirmium (351) and is counted by Tillemont as an Arian in belief and in factious spirit.

LE QUIEN, Oriens Christ. (1740), II, 915-916; SMITH, Dict. of Greek and Roman Geogr., I, 197; STOKES in Dict. of Christ. Biog., III, 825; TILLEMONT, Memoires, etc., VII, 367-376.

THOMAS J. SHAHAN