Eustathius of Sebaste (. after 377) was bishop of Sebastia in

Armenia Armenia, officially the Republic of Armenia, is a landlocked country in the Armenian Highlands of West Asia. It is a part of the Caucasus region and is bordered by Turkey to the west, Georgia (country), Georgia to the north and Azerbaijan to ...

(modern

Sivas Sivas is a city in central Turkey. It is the seat of Sivas Province and Sivas District.İl Beledi ...

Turkey Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country mainly located in Anatolia in West Asia, with a relatively small part called East Thrace in Southeast Europe. It borders the Black Sea to the north; Georgia (country), Georgia, Armen ...

) during the fourth century. He is known for his

asceticism Asceticism is a lifestyle characterized by abstinence from worldly pleasures through self-discipline, self-imposed poverty, and simple living, often for the purpose of pursuing Spirituality, spiritual goals. Ascetics may withdraw from the world ...

, his early opposition to

slavery Slavery is the ownership of a person as property, especially in regards to their labour. Slavery typically involves compulsory work, with the slave's location of work and residence dictated by the party that holds them in bondage. Enslavemen ...

, and his friendship with

Basil of Caesarea Basil of Caesarea, also called Saint Basil the Great (330 – 1 or 2 January 379) was an early Roman Christian prelate who served as Bishop of Caesarea in Cappadocia from 370 until his death in 379. He was an influential theologian who suppor ...

. Eustathius was son of the

Arian Arianism (, ) is a Christological doctrine which rejects the traditional notion of the Trinity and considers Jesus to be a creation of God, and therefore distinct from God. It is named after its major proponent, Arius (). It is considered he ...

bishop Eulalius of Sebaste and was born sometime around 300 AD. He was originally a

monk A monk (; from , ''monachos'', "single, solitary" via Latin ) is a man who is a member of a religious order and lives in a monastery. A monk usually lives his life in prayer and contemplation. The concept is ancient and can be seen in many reli ...

, and is said to have been the first who acquainted the

Armenians Armenians (, ) are an ethnic group indigenous to the Armenian highlands of West Asia.Robert Hewsen, Hewsen, Robert H. "The Geography of Armenia" in ''The Armenian People From Ancient to Modern Times Volume I: The Dynastic Periods: From Antiq ...

with an ascetic life. For this reason some persons ascribed to him the work on Ascetics, which is usually regarded as the production of Saint Basil of Caesarea. Basil was a close friend and student of Eustathius, looking up to him from a young age; Eustathius greatly influenced Basil, including inspiring him to pursue the monastic life instead of studying in Athens. Eustathius was one of the few patristic authors to endorse the complete abolition of slavery, and possibly the first person to reject slavery entirely. Eustathius was the teacher of Macrina,

Basil Basil (, ; , ; ''Ocimum basilicum'' (, )), also called great basil, is a culinary herb of the family Lamiaceae (mints). It is a hardiness (plants), tender plant, and is used in cuisines worldwide. In Western cuisine, the generic term "basil" r ...

Naucratius Saint Naucratius () was the son of Basil the Elder and Emmelia of Caesarea. He was the younger brother of Macrina the Younger and Basil the Great, and an older brother of Gregory of Nyssa Gregory of Nyssa, also known as Gregory Nyssen ( ...

, and Gregory, who also emphasized asceticism and the rejection of slavery and social injustice. Eustathius also created charities including almshouses, hospitals, refuges, and likely inspired Basil's plan to build a hospice. Eustathius was a controversial figure. Nicephorous states that although he had signed the decrees of the Council of Nicaea, he yet openly sided with the Arians. In 340, the

Synod of Gangra The Synod of Gangra was a council of the Christian church held in the fourth century, at Gangra (in modern Turkey). The exact date is contested, but is generally agreed to be the year 340. The synod was arranged with 14 bishops and led by Euse ...

condemned Eustathius and his followers for their more radical views including the complete abolition of slavery and exaggerated asceticism among other things. He also came into conflict with

Meletius of Antioch Meletius of Antioch (Greek: Μελέτιος, ''Meletios'') was a Christian patriarch of Antioch from 360 until his death in 381. He was opposed by a rival bishop named Paulinus II of Antioch and his episcopate was dominated by the schism, usu ...

over the

Arian controversy The Arian controversy was a series of Christian disputes about the nature of Christ that began with a dispute between Arius and Athanasius of Alexandria, two Christian theologians from Alexandria, Egypt. The most important of these controversies c ...

, who managed to supplant him from 358 until 360. He also fell out with his former student Basil in 375 over theological differences. The last record of Eustathius is around 377, when he was apparently a very old man.

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