Eubulus

Eubulus is the name of a Christian of Rome in the first century, a companion of the holy Apostle Paul during his last imprisonment. He is mentioned in the New Testament in the Second Epistle to Timothy, where Paul sends Timothy the greeting of Eubulus. Our sources disagree about him, and the question of who he is remains open.

According to a Russian source, Eubulus is a saint of the Catholic Church and of the Greek Catholic Church, but he is not among the Seventy Apostles and does not appear in the calendar of the Russian Orthodox Church. The Catholic Church commemorates him on 7 March. In other arrangements he is nonetheless named one of the Seventy, so opinions differ.

He should not be confused with the martyr Eubulus of Batanea, of Caesarea in Palestine, who died about 308 or 309. The sources tell of him that he came with Adrian of Batanea to visit and support the Christian community of Caesarea and that, at the city gates, telling the truth about the purpose of their coming, they were arrested and tortured by order of the governor Firmilian. On 5 March Adrian was thrown to a lion in the amphitheatre, and the lion mauled but did not kill him, so he was put to death by the sword. Two days later the judge condemned Eubulus to the same fate, but offered him freedom if he would sacrifice to idols. Eubulus refused and received the crown of martyrdom as well. They were the last of the many martyrs killed in the twelve years of persecution at Caesarea. Adrian is commemorated on 5 March, and Eubulus on 7 March.