A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology

(Πατρόφιλος) bishop of Scythopolis, and one of the leaders of the Eusebian or semi-Arian party in the fourth century. He was deposed at the council of Seleuceia (A. D. 359.) for contumllacy, having refused to appear before the council to answer the charges of the presbyter Dorotheuis. (Socrat. H. E. 2.40; Sozoimn. 4.22. He must have died soon after, for his remains were disinterred and insultingly treated (Theophanes, Chronographia) during the re-action which followed the temporary triumph of paganismti (A. D. 361-363) under Julian the apostate [JULIANUS]. Patrophilus appears to have been eminent for scriptural knowledge. Eusebius of Emesa is said to have derived his expositions of Scripture from the instructions of Patrophilus and Eusebius of Caesareia (Socrat. H. E. 2.9); but Sixtus Senensis is mistaken in ascribing to Patrophilus a translation of the Old Testament from Hebrew into Greek. (Sixtus Senens. Biblioth. Sautca, lib. iv.; Le Long, Biblioth. Sacra, recensita ah A .G. Masch. Pars ii. vol. ii. sect. 1.23; Fabric. Biblioth. Graec. vol. iii. p. 716. The scanty notices of the life of Patrophilus have been collected by Tillemont, Mémoires, vols. vi. ii.)

[J.C.M]