FLAVIANO, saint. — Patriarch of Antioch, born around 320, died in 404. He soon embraced the ascetic life. During the Arian crisis he always remained faithful to the Nicene faith.
Together with his friend Diodoro (the future bishop of Tarsus), he separated from the Arian bishop Leonzio (344–58), but did not join the small Eustathian faction headed by Paolino; rather, he gathered around himself the mass of the faithful, whom he was able to support and guide during the repeated exiles of the orthodox bishop Melezio. F. could have brought the schism to an end by joining Paolino, but he himself was elected patriarch, and thus the division continued. In 387 he intervened on behalf of the Antiochenes who had demolished the imperial statues. He celebrated a Council against the Messalians (390). In 398, through the intervention of S. Crisostonio and Teofilo of Alexandria, he was also recognized by Rome. Of his writings only fragments remain.