Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers: Series II/Volume II/Socrates/Book VI/Chapter 20

.&#8212;Death of Arsacius, and Ordination of Atticus.

Arsacius did not long survive his accession to the bishopric; for he died on the 11th of November under the following consulate, which was Stilicho&#8217;s second, and the first of Anthemius.

In consequence of the fact that the bishopric became desirable and many aspired to the vacant see, much time elapsed before the election of a successor: but at length in the following consulate, which was the sixth of Arcadius, and the first of Probus,

a devout man named Atticus was promoted to the episcopate. He was a native of Sebastia in Armenia, and had followed an ascetic life from an early age: moreover in addition to a moderate share of learning, he possessed a large amount of natural prudence. But I shall speak of him more particularly a little later.