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CORDOBA (Town) ANDALUCIA
Hosius, (Hosios, i. e. Holy), sometimes written Osius, an eminent Spanish ecclesiastic
of the fourth century. As he was above a century old at the time of his death,
his birth cannot be fixed later than A. D. 257, and is commonly fixed in 256.
That he was a Spaniard is generally admitted, though if he be (as Tillemont not
unreasonably suspects), the person mentioned by Zosimus (ii. 29), he was an Egyptian
by birth. That he was a native of Corduba (Cordova) is a mere conjecture of Nicolaus
Antonio. As he held the bishopric of Corduba above sixty years, his elevation
to that see was not later than A. D. 296. He assisted at the council of Iliberi
or Eliberi, near Granada, and his name appears in the Acta of the council as given
by Labbe. (Concil. vol. i. col. 967, &c.) The date of this council is variously
computed. Labbe fixes it in A. D. 305, and Cave follows him; but Tillemont contends
for A. D. 300. Hosius suffered, as his own letter to the emperor Constantius shows,
in the persecution under Diocletian and Maximian, but to what extent, and in what
manner, is not to be gathered from the general term "confessus sum," which he
uses. The reverence which his unsullied integrity excited was increased by his
endurance of persecution ; and he acquired the especial favour of the emperor
Constantine the Great. In A. D. 324 Constantine sent him to Alexandria with a
soothing letter, in which he attempted to stop the disputes which had arisen between
Alexander, the bishop of Alexandria, and the presbyter Arius. He was also instructed
to quiet, if possible, the disputes which had arisen as to the observance of Easter.
The choice of Hosius for this conciliatory mission, which, however, produced no
effect, shows the opinion entertained by the emperor of his moderation and judgment.
In A. D. 313 he seems to have been concerned in the distribution of
money made by Constantine to the churches in Africa (Euseb. H. E. x. 6.) : perhaps
it was owing to something which occurred on this occasion, that he was accused
by the Donatists of having assisted Caecilianus in persecuting them, and of having
instigated the emperor to severe measures against them. They also affirmed that
he had been condemned on some charge not stated by a synod of Spanish bishops,
and absolved by the prelates of Gaul. Augustin (Contra Epistolam Parmeniani, i.
7) virtually admits the truth of this statement; and, from the nature of the Donatist
controversy, it is not improbable that the charge was of some unworthy submission
during the persecution of Diocletian--a charge not inconsistent with the closing
incident in the career of Hosius.
Hosius certainly took part in the council of Nicaea (Nice) A. D. 325;
and, although the earlier writers, Eusebius, Sozomen, and Socrates give no ground
for the assertions of Baronius (Annal. Ec-c/es. ad ann. 325, xx.) that Hosius
presided, and that in the character of legate of the pope, who was absent, and
even Tillemont admits that the proofs of these assertions are feeble, yet it is
remarkable that the subscription of Hosius in the Latin copies of the Acta of
the council stands first; and Athanasius says that he usually presided in councils,
and that his letters were always obeyed. Perhaps also his presidency may be intimated
in what Athanasius (Histor. Arian. ad Monach. c. 42) makes the Arian prelates
say to Constantius, that Hosius had published the Nicene creed (ten en) Nikaiai
pistin exetheto), an expression which Tillemont interprets of his composing the
creed. We hear little of Hosius until the council of Sardica, A. D. 347, where
he certainly took a leading part, and at which probably he was again president.
In A. D. 355 Constantius endeavoured to persuade Hosius to write in condemnation
of Athanasius, and the attempt, which was not successful, drew from the aged bishop
a letter, the only literary remain which we have of him, which is given by Athanasius
(Hist. Arian. ad Monach. 44). Constantius sent for Hosius to Milan A. D. 355,
in hopes of subduing his firmness, but not succeeding, allowed him to return.
In 356-7 the emperor made a third trial, and with more success. He compelled Hosius
to attend the council of Sirmium; kept him there for a year in a sort of exile
(Athanas. ut sup. c. 45), and, according to the dying declaration of the old man,
confirmed by Socrates, had him subjected to personal violence. Hosius so far submitted
as to communicate with the Arian prelates Valens and Ursacius, but could not be
brough t to condemn Athanasius, and with this partial submission his persecutors
were obliged to be content. (Athanas. l. c.) This was in 357, and he was dead
when Anathasius wrote the account of his sufferings a year after. The manner of
his death is disputed. An ancient account states that while pronouncing sentence
of deposition on Gregory of Iliberi, who had refused, on account of his prevarication
at Sirmium, to communicate with him, he died suddenly. His memory was regarded
differently by different persons; Athanasius eulogises him highly, and extenuates
his tergiversation; Augustin also defends him. (Athanas. Augustin. Euseb. Il.
cc.; Euseb. De Vit. Constantin. ii. 63, iii. 7; Socrat. H. E. i. 7, 8, ii. 20,
29, 31; Soz. i. 10, 16, 17, iii. 11; Tillemont, Memoires, vol. vii.; Ceillier,
Auteurs Sacres, vol. iv.; Nicolaus Antonio, Biblioth. Vet. Hisp. lib. ii. c. i.
; Baronius, Annales Eccles.; Galland. Bibl. Patrun, vol. v. Proleg. c. viii.)
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
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