Potamion, Bishop of Heraclea, Saint

POTAMIONE, bishop of ERACLEA, saint. - In the Hieronymian Martyrology he is commemorated on 18 May as a martyr of the pagan persecutions and is called a presbyter. In the Roman Martyrology, however, on the same date he is called a bishop and is said to have perished during the struggles aroused by the Arian controversy under Constantius II.
This second account is more certain because it is supported by other sources. P. was in fact already bishop of Eraclea in 325, since in that year he took part in the Council of Nicaea. He was also present at the Synod of Tyre (335), convened by the Arians against s. Atanasio, and on that occasion he boldly rose to speak against Eusebio di Nicomedia, the organizer and driving force of the Synod, reproaching him not only for his incompetence to judge s. Atanasio, but also for his suspicious conduct during the persecution of Massimino, from which he had emerged unharmed despite having been imprisoned. On the same occasion, P., on the other hand, had had one foot mutilated and had lost an eye. The Arians persecuted him harshly and, having succeeded in capturing him, scourged him until he bled, leaving him almost dead. He was aided and treated by the faithful, but died shortly afterwards as a result of the blows he had received.