Hieromartyr Eusebius, Bishop of Samosata
The Hieromartyr Eusebios (his name means pious) the Bishop of Samosata, stood firmly for the Orthodox Confession of Faith, proclaimed at the First Ecumenical Synod at Nicea in the year 325. Therefore, he suffered persecution by the Arians, and was repeatedly deprived of his See and banished. Emperor Constantius (337-361), who supported the Arians, learned that Saint Eusebios kept a conciliar decree regarding the election of the Orthodox Archbishop Meletios (February 12) to the See of Antioch. He was ordered to surrender the decree, but the Saint boldly refused to obey him. The enraged Emperor sent a message that if he did not surrender the decree, then his right hand would be cut off. Saint Eusebios stretched forth both hands to the emissary saying, “Cut them off, but I will not give up the conciliar decree, which denounces the wickedness and iniquity of the Arians.”
Emperor Constantius marveled at the hierarch's audacity, but did not harm him.
During the reign of Emperor Julian the Apostate (361-363), even more difficult times ensued, and an open persecution against Christians began. Saint Eusebios concealed his identity and went about in the garb of a soldier all across Syria, Phoenicia and Palestine, urging Christians not to abandon the Orthodox Faith. He ordained priests and deacons for the desolated churches, and he consecrated hierarchs who renounced the Arian heresy. After Julian the Apostate’s death, he was succeeded by the devout Emperor Jovian (363-364), during whose reign the persecutions stopped. Returning from exile, Saint Meletios convened a local Council at Antioch in the year 379 on the advice of Saint Eusebios. Twenty-seven hierarchs participated, and the Council reaffirmed the Orthodox teaching of the First Ecumenical Council. The Arians signed the conciliar decree, fearing the steadfast defenders of Orthodoxy: the holy hierarchs Meletios, Eusebios and Pelagios, who had great influence with the Emperor. After Jovian's death, the Arian Valentinian (364-378) came to power.
The Orthodox were again subjected to persecution. Saint Meletios was banished to Armenia, Saint Pelagios to Arabia, and Saint Eusebios was condemned to exile in Thrace. After receiving the imperial decree, Saint Eusebios left Samosata by night, in order to prevent tumult among the people who esteemed him. When they learned of the hierarch's departure, the faithful followed after him with tears and begged him to return. The Saint refused the entreaty of those who had come, saying that he had to obey the authorities. The Saint urged his flock to hold fast to Orthodoxy, then blessed them and went to the place of his exile. The Arian Eunomios became Bishop of Samosata, but the people did not accept this heretic. The Orthodox would not go to his church and avoided meeting with him. The heretical Arian perceived that it was impossible to induce the Orthodox flock to follow him.
Emperor Gratian (375-383) succeeded to the throne, and all the Orthodox hierarchs who had been banished under the Arians were brought back from exile. Saint Eusebios also returned to Samosata and continued with the task of building up the Church. Along with Saint Meletios, he appointed Orthodox hierarchs and clergy to the Arian parishes. In the year 380 he arrived in the Arian city of Dolikhina to establish the Orthodox Bishop Marinus there. An Arian woman threw a roof tile at the holy hierarch’s head. As he lay dying, Saint Eusebios asked her for wine and begged those around not to harm her. The Saint's body was taken to Samosata and was buried by his flock. The Saint’s nephew Antiokhos succeeded him and the Church of Samosata continued to confess the Orthodox Faith, which was firmly spread by the efforts of the holy Hieromartyr Eusebios