List of Patriarchs of Antioch before 518


The Patriarch of Antioch is one of the original patriarchs of Early Christianity, who presided over the bishops of Syria, Palestine and Georgia.

Patriarchs of Antioch

  1. Apostle Peter
  2. Evodius
  3. Ignatius, who was martyred in the reign of Trajan. His seven epistles are unique sources for the early Church.
  4. Heron
  5. Cornelius
  6. Eros of Antioch
  7. Theophilus
  8. Maximus I of Antioch
  9. Serapion
  10. Asclepiades the Confessor
  11. Philetus
  12. Zebinnus
  13. Babylas the Martyr, who, according to Nicephorus, was martyred in the reign of Decius.
  14. Fabius
  15. Demetrius, who was taken captive by the Persians under Shapur
  16. Paul of Samosata supported by Zenobia, deposed by Emperor Aurelian; in Paul's time Lucian of Antioch was head of the Antiochene catechetical school
  17. Domnus I supported by Emperor Aurelian
  18. Timaeus
  19. Cyril I
  20. Tyrannion
  21. Vitalius
  22. Philogonius
  23. Eustathius,
  24. Paulinus I, formerly bishop of Tyre, Semi-Arian and friend of Eusebius of Caesarea
  25. Eulalius
  26. Euphronius
  27. Flacillus or Facellius, in whose time renovations were made to the great church of Antioch, according to Nicephorus.
  28. Stephanus I of Antioch, Arian and opponent of Athanasius of Alexandria, deposed in 344.
  29. Leontius the Eunuch, Arian
  30. Eudoxius, formerly bishop of Germanicia, later bishop of Constantinople, Homoian
  31. Anianus, immediately deposed
  32. Meletius, Semi-Arian, deposed in the reign of Valens for Homoiousian leanings
This deposition resulted in the Meletian Schism, which saw several groups and several claimants to the see of Antioch:
The Homoian group
The Meletian group
The largest grouping, centred on the deposed bishop Meletius. It moved towards an acceptance of the Nicene creed and participated in the Council of Constantinople, but was not recognized by Alexandria or Rome:
The Eustathian group
The followers of Eustathius, strictly adhering to the Nicene creed, elected the following bishops, who were recognized by the bishops of Alexandria and Rome:
After his death the Eustathians did not elect another bishop. In 399 they lost the recognition of Alexandria and Rome, but remained in schism until 415.
The Apollinarist group
The Syriac non-Chalcedonians recognized Severus as the legitimate Patriarch until his death in 538. In 544, non-Chalcedonian leader Jacob Baradaeus consecrated Sergius of Tella as bishop of Antioch, opening the lasting schism between the Greek Orthodox Church of Antioch, part of the Eastern Orthodox Church, and the Syriac Orthodox Church, part of Oriental Orthodoxy.

Later patriarchs

For later Patriarchs of Antioch, see: