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Gregorius, the Cappadocian

Wace's Dictionary of Early Christian Biography

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Gregorius (8), the Cappadocian , appointed by Arianizing bishops at Antioch in the beginning of 340—not, apparently, of 339, as the Festal Index says, and clearly not at the Dedication Festival in 341 as Socrates says (ii. 20)—to supersede Athanasius in the see of Alexandria. A student in the schools of Alexandria, he had received kindness from Athanasius (Greg. Naz. Orat. xxi. 15). He arrived on Mar 23 (cf. Fest. Ind. ), Athanasius having retired into concealment. That Gregory was an Arian may be inferred from his appointment. Athanasius says, in an encyclical letter of the time, that his sympathy with the heresy was proved by the fact that only its supporters had demanded him, and that he employed as secretary one Ammon, who had been long before excommunicated by bp. Alexander for his impiety (Encycl. c. 7). Athanasius tells us that on Good Friday, Gregory having entered a church, the people shewed their abhorrence, whereupon he caused the prefect Philagrius publicly to scourge 34 virgins and married women and men of rank, and to imprison them. After Athanasius fled to Rome, Gregory became still more bitter (Athan. Hist. Ar. 13). We hear of him as "oppressing the city" in 341 ( Fest. Ind. ). Auxentius, afterwards Arian bp. of Milan, was ordained priest by him (Hilar. in Aux. 8). The council of Sardica, at the end of a.d. 343, pronounced him never to have been, in the church's eyes, a bishop ( Hist. Ar. 17). He died, not by murder, as Theodoret says (ii. 4) through a confusion with George, but after a long illness ( Fest. Ind. ), about ten months after the exposure of the Arian plot against bp. Euphrates—i.e. c. Feb. a.d. 345. This date, gathered from Athanasius ( Hist. Ar. 21) is preferable to that of the Index , Epiphi 2 = June 26, 346.

[W.B.]