SEBASTE (SEBASTIA), ARMENIAN DIOCESE of. - Ancient capital of Armenia. Around 260 it first had a bishop; Eulalius later took part in the Council of Nicaea, and among the line of its holders S. boasts s. Athenogenes, s. Blaise, and s. Peter, brother of s. Basil the Great. Among the numerous martyrs, special renown attaches to the “40 martyrs of S.,” that is, that group of soldiers killed in 320 and subsequently praised by s. Basil. Towards the middle of the 7th century S. was a metropolis with 5 suffragan sees, and with 4 in the 10th century. In the 12th century it became the seat of a Turkish emirate. In the 15th century the bishopric of S. was merely titular.
The diocese was re-established in 1858 for Catholics of the Armenian rite and raised to the rank of archbishopric on 30 May 1892. The diocese of Tokat is united to it in a personal capacity. S., that is, modern Silvas, had before the First World War 3,000 faithful, 18 priests, 11 churches and chapels, and 2 colleges. But after the massacre of the Armenians the diocese was left devastated.
For the martyrs of S., v.: QUARANTA MAR-
TIRI DI S.
Ignazio Ortiz de Urbina