# Potamius

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{{Short description|First recorded bishop of the city of Lisbon}}
__NOTOC__
{{Infobox Christian leader
| type        = Bishop
| name        = Potamius
| title       = [Bishop of Lisbon](/source/Patriarch_of_Lisbon)
| image       = 
| alt         = 
| caption     = 
| church      = [Roman Catholic](/source/Roman_Catholic)
| archdiocese = 
| diocese     = 
| see         = [Diocese of Lisbon](/source/Patriarch_of_Lisbon)
| term        = 355-357 (?)
| predecessor = Januário
| successor   = António
<!--   Orders   -->
| ordination     = 
| ordinated_by   = 
| consecration   = 
| consecrated_by = 
| rank           = 
<!--   Personal details   -->
| birth_date    = 
| birth_place   = [Portugal](/source/Kingdom_of_Portugal) (?)
| death_date    = 360-384
| death_place   = 
| previous_post = 
}}

'''Potamius''' (Greek: Ποτάμιος, {{floruit}} 343–360 AD), also known as '''Potamius of Lisbon''', was the first recorded [bishop](/source/bishop) of the city of [Lisbon](/source/Lisbon).<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal|last=Maciel|first=Manuel Justino|date=2000|title=Entre Constâncio II e Juliano: a linguagem de potâmio de Lisboa e o conhecimento da lusitânia do Séc. IV|journal=Revista- Faculdade de Ciencias Sociais e Humanas Universidade Nova de Lisboa |url=https://run.unl.pt/handle/10362/7495|pages=135–148|issn=0871-2778}}</ref> He was possibly born in Lisbon, given that Iberian communities at the time usually chose their own citizens as bishops.<ref name=":3" /> He was part of the [Council of Sirmium](/source/Councils_of_Sirmium) in 357, in which he defended [Arianism](/source/Arianism).<ref name=":1">{{Cite journal|last=LAMELAS|first=Isidro P|date=2001|title=Mistério da Trindade e Maria em Potâmio de Lisboa (?-c. 360)|url=https://pascal-francis.inist.fr/vibad/index.php?action=getRecordDetail&idt=14205867|journal=Mistério da Trindade e Maria em Potâmio de Lisboa (?-c. 360)|volume=31|issue=1|pages=61–87|issn=0253-1674}}</ref> He is the second earliest [Christian](/source/Christianity) [prose](/source/prose) writer of the [Iberian Peninsula](/source/Iberian_Peninsula), with [Hosius of Corduba](/source/Hosius_of_Corduba) being the first.<ref name=":3">{{Cite book|last=Conti|first=Marco 1961-|url=https://ixtheo.de/Record/1619922940|title=The life and works of Potamius of Lisbon: a biographical and literary study with English translation and a complete commentary on the extant works of Potamius: Epistula ad Athanasium, De Lazaro, De Martyrio Isaiae Prophetae, Epistula de Substantia, Epistula Potami|date=1998|publisher=Abbatia S. Petri|isbn=978-2-503-50688-3|series=Instrumenta patristica}}</ref>

== Context ==
The historical evidence on Christian presence in the [Iberian Peninsula](/source/Iberian_Peninsula) is scarce and lacking in detail.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":3" /> The [Synod of Elvira](/source/Synod_of_Elvira) attests Christian presence in Iberia somewhere between 295 and 314 and allows scholars to estimate the existence of 41 Christian communities in Iberian by the time, with [Hispania Baetica](/source/Hispania_Baetica) and [Carthaginiensis](/source/Carthaginiensis) as the most Christianized provinces.<ref name=":3" />

[Rodrigo da Cunha](/source/Rodrigo_da_Cunha) placed the first Christian communities in Lisbon between 36 and 106 AD and considered Potamius to be the fifth bishop ([Mantius of Évora](/source/Mantius_of_%C3%89vora) being the first), but this view failed to meet scientific rigor.<ref name=":3" /> The [Holy Martyrs of Lisbon](/source/Holy_Martyrs_of_Lisbon) (303 AD), during the [Diocletianic Persecution](/source/Diocletianic_Persecution), may attest Christian presence in the beginning of the 4th Century AD, although the first documents regarding the events of the Holy Martyrs date only to the 9th Century.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":3" /> The Synod of Elvira mentions the presence of three [Lusitania](/source/Lusitania)n [diocese](/source/diocese)s: [Ebora](/source/%C3%89vora), [Ossonoba](/source/Ossonoba_(Roman_city)), and [Mérida](/source/M%C3%A9rida%2C_Spain).<ref name=":3" />

In 318 or 319, [Arius](/source/Arius) had founded [Arianism](/source/Arianism), denying [Trinitarianism](/source/Trinitarianism) by positing that [Jesus](/source/Jesus)' existence was not eternal and that his substance was not equal to that of [God](/source/God_in_Christianity).<ref name=":3" /> In 325, the Roman Emperor [Constantine](/source/Constantine_the_Great) convened the [First Council of Nicaea](/source/First_Council_of_Nicaea), led by [Hosius of Corduba](/source/Hosius_of_Corduba), in which Arianism was strongly rejected and Arius exiled by Constantine.<ref name=":3" /> Later, Arianism managed to regain some importance in the Roman Empire, mostly be the actions of [Eusebius of Nicomedia](/source/Eusebius_of_Nicomedia) and his (successful) attempts to exile the Nicean [Athanasius of Alexandria](/source/Athanasius_of_Alexandria).<ref name=":3" /> After the death of Constantine, in 337, the Roman Empire is split into his three sons [Constantine II](/source/Constantine_II_(emperor)), [Constans](/source/Constans), and [Constantius II](/source/Constantius_II), of which the latter was the most favorable to Arianism.<ref name=":3" /> Constantine II dies in 340 and Constans in 350, leaving the Roman Empire to Constantius II from 353 onwards.<ref name=":3" />

== Arianism ==
Not much can be stated about Potamius before 355.<ref name=":3" /> At that date, it is known that Potamius was bishop of Lisbon and converted from [Catholicism](/source/Catholicism) to [Arianism](/source/Arianism).<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":0" /> Scholars agree that Potamius was not present in the [Council of Sirmium](/source/Councils_of_Sirmium) in 351, when the followers of [Eusebius of Nicomedia](/source/Eusebius_of_Nicomedia) issued a moderate Arianism profession, known as the First Formula of Sirmium.<ref name=":3" /> It is unknown whether he was present in the [Council of Arles](/source/Council_of_Arles) in 353 and the [Council of Milan](/source/Council_of_Milan) in 355.<ref name=":3" /> In 357, Potamius, along with Eusebius, condemned [Pope Liberius](/source/Pope_Liberius)' moderate position, wanting him to express an unambiguous pro-Arian position.<ref name=":3" />

In 357, Potemius participates in the [Council of Sirmium](/source/Councils_of_Sirmium).<ref name=":3" /> This council comes about at a time when there were two trends within Arianism, the [homoiousian](/source/homoiousian) (which states that Jesus is of a similar substance as that of God) and the [anomoean](/source/Anomoeanism) trend (which states that Jesus is neither of the same or similar substance as God).<ref name=":3" /> The Council of Sirmium in 357 strongly favored the anomoean trend, in line with the opinions of [Ursacius](/source/Ursacius_of_Singidunum), [Valens](/source/Valens), and Potemius.<ref name=":3" /> In fact, Potemius is reported to have played an important role in furthering [Arianism](/source/Arianism) in the 357 Council and in developing the pro-anomoean Second Formula of Sirmium that resulted from it.<ref name=":3" /> It is unknown whether Potamius was part of the [Council of Ariminum](/source/Council_of_Ariminum) (359), but his ''Epistula ad Athanasium'' is recorded as having been written after the council, in 360, and it contains a surprisingly strong anti-Arian message, only 5 years after his conversion to Arianism.<ref name=":3" />

A book published in 383 or 384 (''[Libellus precum](/source/Libellus_precum) ad Imperatores'') by [Luciferians](/source/Lucifer_of_Cagliari) states that Potamius received a [villa](/source/villa) from [Constantius II](/source/Constantius_II) as a reward for his adoption of Arianism but then died as he made his way to it.<ref name=":3" /> This account is not considered historically valid, but, along with the date of the ''Ad Athanasium'', is used to construct a range of possible dates for Potamius' death, which is in this approach placed between 360 and 384.<ref name=":3" />

Many views exist about Potamius' Arianism:

* Some scholars, [André Wilmart](/source/Andr%C3%A9_Wilmart) among them, posit that Potamius was first Catholic, and then, around 357, converted to Arianism.<ref name=":3" /> In this view, the date of ''Ad Athanasium'' has to be previous to 360.<ref name=":3" />
* Others, among them [Enrique Flórez](/source/Enrique_Fl%C3%B3rez), posit that Potamius was not Arian and was accused of converting to Arianism because he was merely present at the Council of Sirmium in 357.<ref name=":3" />
* A moderate approach posits that Potamius did have an Arian phase, but reconverted to Catholicism around 360.<ref name=":3" />
* Still others suggest Potamius only converted to arianism to avoid exile, which had happened to [Hilary of Poitiers](/source/Hilary_of_Poitiers), [Athanasius of Alexandria](/source/Athanasius_of_Alexandria), and [Pope Liberius](/source/Pope_Liberius).<ref name=":0" />

== Works ==
The following are works by Potamius which have survived (all of a Catholic approach):<ref name=":0" />

* De Lazaro
* De Martyrio Isaiae Prophetae
* Epistula ad Athanasium
* Epistula de Substantia Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti

These works were wrongly attributed to other writers.<ref name=":2">{{Cite journal|last=Humphries|first=Mark|date=2005|title=The Life and Works of Potamius of Lisbon.|url=http://mural.maynoothuniversity.ie/614/|journal=Classical Review|language=en|volume=55|pages=161–163|doi=10.1093/clrevj/bni091 |url-access=subscription}}</ref> ''De Lazaro'' was attributed to [John Chrysostom](/source/John_Chrysostom), as well as to [Zeno of Verona](/source/Zeno_of_Verona) (''De Isaiae'' was also attributed to Zeno).<ref name=":2" /> The two Epistulae were attributed to [Jerome](/source/Jerome).<ref name=":2" /> [Luc d'Achery](/source/Luc_d'Achery), in 1657, was the first scholar to identify Potamius' catholic writings when he attributed the ''Epistula ad Athanasium'' to Potamius.<ref name=":3" /> [Girolamo and Pietro Ballerini](/source/Girolamo_and_Pietro_Ballerini), in 1739, noticed the similarities between ''De Lazaro'' and ''De Isaiae'' with ''Epistula ad Athanasium'', but attributed them to a second Potamius that was not the bishop of Lisbon. Circa 1769, [Andrea Gallandi](/source/Andrea_Gallandi) finally attributed the two works to Potamius of Lisbon.<ref name=":3" /> The ''Epistula de Substantia'' would only be identified in 1912, by [André Wilmart](/source/Andr%C3%A9_Wilmart).<ref name=":3" />

The only surviving Arian writing of Potamius is a citation from [Phoebadius of Agen](/source/Phoebadius_of_Agen)'s ''Contra Arianos''.<ref name=":3" />

== See also ==

* [Arian controversy](/source/Arian_controversy)
* [Romanization of Hispania](/source/Romanization_of_Hispania)
* [History of Lisbon](/source/History_of_Lisbon)

{{s-start}}
{{s-rel|ca}}
{{s-bef | before=Januário}}
{{s-ttl| title=[Bishop of Lisbon](/source/Patriarch_of_Lisbon) | years=355-357 (?)}}
{{s-aft | after=António}}
{{end}}

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:4th-century Arian Christians
Category:Arian bishops
Category:Bishops of Lisbon
Category:4th-century Romans
Category:4th-century bishops in Hispania

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Potamius](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Potamius) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Potamius?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.