Simon bar Sabbae

Simon bar Sabbae († 344 ) was bishop and second Catholicos of Seleukia-Ctesiphon , martyr and saint ( April 21 ). When, at the instigation of Shapur II, the Christian churches of Persia united under a common head, the bishop of the capital Seleukia-Ctesiphon, Papa bar Aggai, laid claim to the title. On the other hand, an opposition from other bishops formed under the leadership of Simon and Miles of Gundischapur, who had returned from Egypt . When Papa was elected in 334, tumultuous arguments broke out, as a result of which Papa suffered a stroke and remained silent. Simon was used for Synkellos . He enjoyed the recognition of the Western bishops and was friends with members of the Schapur family.

When Shapur asked him to collect double bounties and taxes from the Christians to finance the war against Byzantium , Simon refused and declared that he was a bishop and not a tax collector. He was then executed along with other bishops and lay people, including the Kuropalates Pusei .

literature

• Richard W. Burgess : The Dates of the Martyrdom of Simeon bar Sabba'e and the "Great Massacre" . In: Analecta Bollandiana. 117. 1999, pp. 9-66.
• Martin J. Higgins: Date of Martyrdom of Simeon Bar Sabbae . In: Traditio. 11. 1955, pp. 1-36.

predecessor	Office	successor
Papa bar Gaggia	Patriarch of the Assyrian Church of the East ~ 329– ~ 341	Schalidoste