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Petrus, First Bishop of Parembolae

Wace's Dictionary of Early Christian Biography

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Petrus (35), first bp. of Parembolae in Palestine, i.e. of the military stations of the Saracens in Palestine. He was originally a Greek in the service of the Persians under Izdegird. The Christians being persecuted by the Magian party, Aspebetus, as Peter was then called was commissioned to close the passes against the fugitives. Being sorry for the innocent victims of religious intolerance, he executed his duty remissly, and even assisted them in their flight. This being reported to Izdegird, Petrus in fear for his life deserted to the Romans with his son Terebo, his relatives, and all his property. Anatolius, then prefect of the East, gladly welcomed him, stationed him in Arabia, and put him in command over all the tributary Saracen tribes in those parts. Terebo, still a boy, had before his father's flight lost by paralysis the entire use of one side. After reaching Arabia the boy was warned in a dream to apply to Euthymius for cure. The application was successful, the boy recovered, and the grateful father, his brother-in-law Maris, and all his Saracen followers received baptism (Cyrill. Scythop. Vit. S. Euthym. cc. 18–24; Coteler. Eccl. Graec. Monum. ii. pp. 216–222). The new disciple devoted himself to a religious life; and the number of Arabian converts having become so large as to require a bishop of their own, he was recommended by Euthymius to Juvenal, bp. of Jerusalem, by whom, in defiance of the canonical rights of the old metropolitan chair of Caesarea, the new see was created, and Peter appointed its first bishop ( Vit. S. Euthym. c. 39; Cotel. p. 231). Tillemont gives reasons for placing this event before 428 ( Mém. eccl. xv. 196). Peter attended the council of Ephesus in 431. His name appears among those subscribing the deposition of Nestorius and the decrees of the council (Labbe, iii. 541, 692). Peter's death must be placed before 451, when his second successor John attended the council of Chalcedon, his immediate successor Auxolaus, a Eutychian, having had a very brief episcopate Le Quien, Or. Christ. iii. 767; Tillem. Mém. eccl. xiv. 378, 392, 432, 451; xv. 196 203.

[E.V.]