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Geographical distribution of bishops who showed sympathy with Arius's theology.

This map has four ancient sources of evidence, indicated in the sixth column. Click the link to read a translation of the source material:

A Arius's letter to Eusebius of Nicomedia (Urkunde 1) cites this person as having been condemned for Arian views.
L Philostorgius, Church History 2.14 or 3.15 cites this person as a Lucianist (does not alone amount to support for Arius).
P Philostorgius, Church History 1.8 cites this person as one of the Arians present at Nicaea.
P* Philostorgius according to Nicetas Choniates, Treasury of the Orthodox Faith 5.7 cites this person as Arian-minded.
P** P* according to Williams' emendation (Williams, pp. 67-68, see bibliography).
T1 Theodoret, Church History 1.5.5 cites this person as supporting Arius.
T2 Theodoret, Church History 1.7.14 cites this person as supporting Arian views at Nicaea.
The fifth column indicates probable support of Arius at Nicaea, at least initially, according to Parvis, p. 46. Y=Yes

This map is based on Sarah Parvis's study in Marcellus of Ancyra And the Lost Years of the Arian Controversy 325-345, pp. 40-46. Each dot represents the location of a bishop listed on the right; hover over the dot to see which bishop it refers to.

Name Bishopric Province Nicaea Sources
1 Dachius Beronice Libya Y     P*  
2 Secundus Tauchira Libya Y     P* T2
3 Zopyrus Barce Libya Y     P*  
4 Secundus Ptolemais Libya Y*     P  
5 Theonas Marmarice Libya Y*     P T2
6 Sentianus Boreion Libya       P*  
7 Meletius Lycopolis Upper Egypt       P*  
8 Eusebius Caesarea Palestine Y A   P* T1
9 Patrophilus Scythopolis Palestine Y     P* T2
10 Aetius Lydda Palestine Y A     T1
11 Paulinus Tyre Phoenicia   A   P* T1
12 Gregory Berytus Phoenicia Y A     T1
13 Theodotus Laodicea Syria Y A     T1
14 Leontius [Antioch] Syria          
15 Athanasius Anazarbos Cilicia   A L P* T1
16 Amphion Epiphanea Cilicia       P**  
17 Narcissus Irenopolis Cilicia Y     P* T2
18 Tarcondimatus Aegeai Cilicia Y     P*  
19 Antonius Tarsus Cilicia     L    
20 Leontius Caesarea Cappadocia     L P*  
21 Basil Amasea Diospontus       P  
22 Longinus Neocaesarea Pontus Polemoniacus       P*  
23 Meletius Sebastopolis Armenia       P  
24 Eulalius Sebastea Armenia Y     P*  
Y* refused to sign the condemnations at Nicaea; therefore deposed and exiled

Y** exiled approximately 3 months after Nicaea

 25 Eusebius Nicomedia Bithynia Y** A L P  
26 Theognis Nicaea Bithynia Y**   L P T2
27 Maris Chalcedon Bithynia Y   L P  
28 Menophantus Ephesus Asia Y   L   T2
29 Asterius, traveling Sophist, never ordained     L    
Facts from Parvis, p. 39:

Rufinus and Sozomen say there were 17 bishops who originally supported Arius at Nicaea.

Theodoret only says a "few" supported him at Nicaea, and lists 6 men explicitly, but also states there were others.

Philostorgius lists 22 "Arian-minded" individuals according to Nicetas.

See Sarah Parvis, Marcellus of Ancyra And the Lost Years of the Arian Controversy 325-345 (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2006), pp. 38-46.

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Documents of the Early Arian Controversy

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