Ascholius of Thessalonica
Ascholius of Thessalonica was Bishop of Thessalonica during the later part of the fourth century. He baptized emperor Theodosius I and was a friend of St. Basil.
Life
Little is known of the life of Ascholius before he was appointed Bishop of Thessalonica by Bishop Damasius of Rome, who established the vicariate attached to the Roman see in order to preserve Rome's jurisdiction over the eastern part of Illyria. This was during the time that the Bishop of Constantinople was trying to enlarge his jurisdiction.
In 380, during the attempt by Maximus the Cynic to usurp the cathedra of Constantinople by playing off among emperor Theodosius, Gregory Nazianzus, Peter II of Alexandria, Ambrose, Bp. Damasus, and others, Ascholius was asked by Bp. Damasius to use his influence to ensure that a person true to the Orthodox faith is consecrated bishop of Constantinople. [1]
In 380, Bp. Ascholius baptized the emperor Theodosius in Thessalonica and was present at the Second Ecumenical Council at Constantinople in 381. [2] It was at the council in Constantinople that the claim's of Maximus were unanimously rejected. Bp. Ascholius died shortly after in either 383 or 384.
References
| Ascholius of Thessalonica | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by: Paphlinus |
Bishop of Thessalonica 379—384 |
Succeeded by: Anysius |
