Biography
Bretannio
About Bretannio
Bretannio was a fourth-century bishop of Tomi on the Black Sea, remembered for resisting Emperor Valens’s religious policy. The historians Sozomen and Theodoret describe him defending the Nicene confession and leading the congregation away from the emperor.
According to that account, Valens exiled him but recalled him when local opposition threatened stability. The church biography dates his death approximately to 380 and notes conflicting claims about his presence at the council of 381.
It rejects describing him as a martyr. His remembrance in the Roman Martyrology centers on his defense of the faith as a bishop, rather than on an execution.
Wondering how to weigh the stories and sources? Learn how to read a saint biography.