Listed 3 sub titles with search on: Religious figures biography for wider area of: "LATAKIA Town SYRIA" .
LAODIKIA (Ancient city) SYRIA
Georgius of Laodiceia, one of the leaders of the Arian, or rather Semi-Arian party
in the ecclesiastical struggles of the fourth century. His family were of Alexandria,
and it is probable that he was born and spent his early life there. He was a presbyter
of the church of Alexandria before the council of Nice (A. D. 325), and was anxious
to soothe the irritation caused by the dispute between Alexander, the bishop,
and Arius. The letters which he wrote for this purpose, both to the bishop and
to the Arian clergy, of which extracts are given by Athanasius (De Synodis, c.
17), show that he held the Son to have been produced by the Father. It was probably
this opinion that led to his deposition from the office of presbyter; though.
Athanasitus says (Ib.) that there were other charges against him, but does not
state what they were. He elsewhere says he was deposed "for his wickednesss"
dia ten kakian autou (Apol. de Fuga sua, c. 26), but this is probably only another
word for heresy. George is said to have subsequently been a presbyter at Arethusa
in Syria; and after that he succeeded Theodotus in the bishopric of Laodiceia,
in the same province. Athanasius says that he named himself bishop; but it is
difficult to understand what the charge means, except that perhaps George solicited
the office, instead of affecting any coyness in accepting it. He was aided in
obtaining it by his Arian friends, and must have been in possession of the bishopric
before the meeting of the council of Antioch (A. D. 329 or 330), at which Eustathius
of Antioch was deposed; for he was present at the council. His account of the
proceedings there was one of the authorities used by Socrates and Sozonten; though
Socrates says that some of his statements were inconsistent with each other. He
afforded shelter about the same time to Eusebius of Emesa or Emisa, when driven
from his see, and succeeded in procuring his restoration. In A. D. 335 he was
present at the council of Tyre. In A. D. 347 he did not attend the council of
Sardica, his enemies said it was through fear: in his absence he was sentenced
to be deposed and excommunicated, but the sentence does not appear to have been
carried into effect. He admitted to communion Cyril of Jerustalem, who had been
deposed (A. D. 358) by Acacius, bishop of Caesareia in Palestine, and int A. D.
359 headed the predominant party of the Semi-Arians, at the council of Seleuceia
in Isauria, where Cyril was restored. George and his party had at this time to
withstand the orthodox on the one hand and the Aetians or Anomoeans on the other.
He wrote to the council of Ancyra (A. D. 358) a letter against Eudoxius of Antioch,
whom he charged with being a disciple of Aetius; and he excommunicated the younger
Apollinaris, who was a reader in the church at Laodiceia, on account of the friendship
he had formed with Athanasius. He took part in the appointment of Meletius to
the bishopric of Antioch, and delivered one of three discourses then preached
at the desire of the emperor Constantius II. on Prov. viii, 22--" The Lord possessed
me in the beginning of his way, before his works of old." Iis exposition of the
passage was the least orthodox of the three; that of Meletius, the new bishop,
the most orthodox. We know nothing of George after the death of Constantius, A.
D. 361. His character is not impugned, except for his heresy, by any other writer
than Athanasius, who charges him with living intemperately, and thereby incurring
reproach even from his own party. It is hard to determine whether there is any,
or how much, truth in the charge. Fabricius states (Bibl. Gr. vol. xi.) that George
became in his latter days an Eunomian or Aetian, but he does not cite his authority,
and we doubt the correctness of the statement. George of Laodiceia had studied
philosophy. He wrote, 1. Letters to Alexander, bishop of Alexandria, and to the
Arians of Alexandria, already noticed. 2. Enkomion eis Eusebion ton Emisenon,
Encomium Eusebii Emiseni, containing the account already mentioned of the council
of Antioch. 3. A work against the Manichaeans, now lost, mentioned by Heraclian
(apud Phot. Bibl. cod. 85). (Athan. Apol. contra Arian. c. 36, 48, 49, Hist. Arian.
ad Monach, c. 4, 17, Apol. de Fuga sua, c. 26, Epistol. ad Episcop. Aeyypt. et
Libyae, c. 7, De Synodis, c. 17; Socrates, H. E. i. 24, ii. 9, 10; Sozom. H. E.
iii. 6, iv. 13; Theodoret, H. E. ii. 8, 31, v. 7; Philostorg. H. E. viii. 17;
Tillemont, Memoires, vol. viii. ix.)
This text is from: A dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology, 1873 (ed. William Smith). Cited Nov 2005 from The Perseus Project URL below, which contains interesting hyperlinks
d. unknown, feastday: September 11
Bishop of Laodicea
in Syria, one of the foremost
scholars of his day in the physical sciences and in Aristotelean philosophy. There
are fragments of ten books on arithmetic written by him, and also a treatise on
time of the Paschal celebration.
A very curious story is told by Eusebius of the way in which Anatolius
broke up a rebellion in a part of Alexandria known as time Bruchium. It was held
by the forces of Zenobia, and being strictly beleaguered by the Romans was in
a state of starvation. The saint, who was living in the Bruchium at the time,
made arrangements with the besiegers to receive all the women and children, as
well as the old and infirm, continuing at the same time to let as many as wished
profit by the means of escaping. It broke up the defence and the rebels surrendered.
It was a patriotic action on the part of the saint, as well as one of great benevolence,
in saving so many innocent victims from death. In going to Laodicea
he was seized by the people and made bishop.
His feast, like that of his namesake the Patriarch of Constantinople,
is kept on 3 July.
T.J. Cambell, ed.
Transcribed by: W.S. French, Jr.
This extract is cited May 2003 from The Catholic Encyclopedia, New Advent online edition URL below.
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