Chapter XX.—The Rulers of the Church of Antioch.

1. At that time also in the church of Antioch, Theophilus^12131213    On Theophilus and his writings, see chap. 24. was well known as the sixth from the apostles. For Cornelius,^12141214    Of the life and character of Cornelius and Eros we know nothing. The Chron. of Eusebius puts the accession of Cornelius into the twelfth year of Trajan (128 a.d.), and the accession of his successor Eros into the fifth year of Antoninus Pius (142). These dates, however, are quite unreliable, and we have no means of correcting them (see Harnack’s Zeit des Ignatius, p. 12 sqq.). Theophilus, the successor of Eros we have reason to think became bishop about the middle of Marcus Aurelius’ reign and hence the Chron., which puts his accession into the ninth year of that reign, (169 a.d.) cannot be far out of the way. This gives us the approximate date for the death of Eros. who succeeded Hero,^12151215    On Hero, see above, Bk. III. chap. 36, note 23. was the fourth, and after him Eros,^12161216    On Eros, see note 2. the fifth in order, had held the office of bishop.