Eusebius of Nicomedia

Last but not least came the aged Patriarch of Alexandria, the chief prelate of the Eastern Church, who had brought with him his assistant, the young deacon Athanasius.

Of the 318 bishops present, 17, headed by Eusebius of Nicomedia, were in sympathy with Arius.

They were but a small number, it is true, yet Eusebius was the advisor of Constantine and the friend of his sister Constantia.

He relied on his influence with the emperor and his well-known powers of persuasion.

The council of Nicaea is over.

But there were two in whose hearts there was neither joy nor peace nor thankfulness.

They were Eusebius of Nicomedia and Theognis of Nicaea.

Were they to return to their sees and confess themselves beaten? It would be a bitter homecoming.

Some were lame and some were blind after the tortures of the persecutions.

The president for the eastern churches was Eusebius of Nicomedia.

The president for the western churches was Hosius of Cordova.

All Christendom was represented.

So he's the bishop of Caesarea, he's the bishop of Nicomedia, which is a town just outside of Constantinople, so northern Turkey today.

Eusebius of Nicomedia will become the major defender of Arianism for the next two centuries.

The whole Christian East is in turmoil.

When I talk about East and West, I don't have a map, but if you think of Constantinople, Istanbul, right there, that's the dividing line between Europe and Asia.

We'll come back to him.

So that's the anti-Arian side.

Then there is The Arian party led by Eusebius of Nicomedia, who's a friend to the emperor, several other bishops as well.

Arius does not have a vote because he's not a bishop.

So obviously the Orthodox leaders immediately recognize the existential threat this poses to the faith.

Arius is condemned by a council of bishops.

Right.

And this condemnation is universally confirmed by the famous Council of Nice in A.D. 325.

And this is where we witness the terrifying nature of theological error when it manages to capture the machinery of the state.

How does Constantinus use it?

Well, he views the Orthodox bishops who insist on the absolute supremacy of Christ as a threat to his own imperial authority.

Ah, because Arianism is more hierarchical.