Chapter XIV.—The Bishops that flourished at that Time.

At that time Xystus^22772277    On Xystus II., see chap. 5, note 5. was still presiding over the church of Rome, and Demetrianus,^22782278    On Demetrianus, see Bk. VI. chap. 46, note 12. successor of Fabius,^22792279    On Fabius, see Bk. VI. chap. 39, note 7. over the church of Antioch, and Firmilianus^22802280    On Firmilianus, see Bk. VI. chap. 26, note 3. over that of Cæsarea in Cappadocia; and besides these, Gregory^22812281    Gregory Thaumaturgus, bishop of Neo-Cæsarea in Pontus from about 233–270 (?). Upon Gregory, see Bk. VI. chap. 30, note 1. and his brother Athenodorus,^22822282    On Athenodorus, see ibid. note 2. friends of Origen, were presiding over the churches in Pontus; and Theoctistus^22832283    On Theoctistus, see Bk. VI. chap. 19, note 27. of Cæsarea in Palestine having died, Domnus^22842284    Of the life and character of Domnus we know nothing. So far as I am aware he is mentioned only here. His dates are uncertain, but his predecessor, Theoctistus, was still bishop in the time of Stephen of Rome (254–257; see above, Bk. VI. chap. 19, note 27), while he himself became bishop before the death of Xystus of Rome, as we may gather from this chapter, i.e. before August, 258 (see chap. 5, note 5), so that between these dates his accession must be placed. Eusebius’ words in this passage will hardly admit an episcopate of more than one or two years; possibly he was bishop but a few months. received the episcopate there. He held it but a short time, and Theotecnus,^22852285    The dates of Theotecnus are likewise uncertain. Eusebius in Bk. VII. chap. 32, says that he was acquainted with Pamphilus during the episcopate of Agapius (the successor of Theotecnus), implying that he first made his acquaintance then. It is therefore likely that Agapius became bishop some years before the persecution of Diocletian, for otherwise we hardly allow enough time for the acquaintance of Pamphilus and Eusebius who did so much work together, and apparently were friends for so long a time. Pamphilus himself suffered martyrdom in 309 a.d. Theotecnus was quite a prominent man and was present at the two Antiochian synods mentioned in chaps. 27 and 30, which were convened to consider the heresy of Paul of Samosata. our contemporary, succeeded him. He also was a member of Origen’s school. But in Jerusalem, after the death of Mazabanes,^22862286    On Mazabanes, see Bk. VI. chap. 39, note 5. Hymenæus,^22872287    According to the Chron. of Eusebius, Hymenæus was bishop of Jerusalem from 265–298. It is expressly stated in the Chron. that the dates of the earlier Jerusalem bishops are not known (see Bk. V. chap. 12, note 1); but with the dates of the bishops of the latter part of the third century Eusebius can hardly have been unacquainted, and that Hymenæus was bishop at any rate as early as 265 is proved by chaps. 27 and 30 (see the note on Mazabanes referred to just above). The dates given in the Chron. may therefore be accepted as at least approximately correct. who has been celebrated among us for a great many years, succeeded to his seat.