GEORGE OF LAODICEA in Syria, often called "the Cappadocian," from 356 to 361 Arian archbishop of Alexandria, was born probably at Epiphania, in Cilicia. After many wander ings, in which he amassed a fortune, first as an army-contractor and then as a receiver of taxes, he reached Alexandria, where in he was promoted by the prevalent Arian faction to the vacant see. A semi-Arian or Homsiousian, George instigated the second Sirmian formula (promulgated by the third council of Sirmium 357), which was conciliatory towards strict Arianism, was op posed at the council of Ancyra in 358. His persecutions of the orthodox raised a rebellion which compelled him to flee for his life ; but his authority was restored by a military demonstration. On the accession of Julian, he was killed by the people on Dec. 24, 361. Though brutal in character, George possessed a cultivated literary taste, and collected a splendid library, which Julian ordered to be conveyed to Antioch for his own use. An anonymous work against the Manicheans discovered by Lagarde in 1859 in a ms. of Titus of Bostra has been attributed to him.
The sources for the life of George of Laodicea are Ammianus, Gregory Nazianzen, Epiphanius and Athanasius. Gibbon's theory of his identification with the patron saint of England is now rejected (see GEORGE, SAINT) . See J. H. Newman, The Arians of the 4th Cen tury (1871) ; C. S. Hulst, St. George of Cappadocia in Legend and History (1910) .