He was born in Corduba in
Hispania, a province of the
Roman Empire. Elected to the
see of Corduba about 295, he narrowly escaped
martyrdom during the persecution of
Maximian. In 300 or 301 he attended the provincial
Synod of Elvira (his name appearing second in the list of those present), and upheld its severe canons concerning such points of discipline as questions concerning
clerical marriage, and the treatment of those who had abjured their faith during the recent persecutions. The Council appears to have had
Novatianist tendencies and held a strict view that refused readmission to those baptized Christians who had denied their faith or performed the formalities of a ritual sacrifice to the pagan gods under pressures of persecution. After Constantine's death in 337,
Eusebius of Nicomedia, an Arian and friend of the Imperial family, was named to the see of Constantinople. In his new role as patriarch, Eusebius and his supporters brought pressure to bear upon
Constantius II to expel
Athanasius of Alexandria, a staunch anti-Arian, for a second time from his diocese. Eusebius urged the emperor to have Hosius, a supporter of Athanasius, summoned to
Milan, where the Bishop of Cordoba declined to condemn Athanasius. Hosius so impressed the emperor that he was authorized to return home. Hosius had a prominent role to play at the
Council of Serdica, which began in the summer, or, at latest, in the autumn of 343, proved by the fact that he was the first to sign the Acts of this council. which led to Hosius' exile in 355 to
Sirmium, an imperial center in
Pannonia (in modern Serbia). From his exile he wrote to
Constantius II his only extant composition: "God gives you the empire; He entrusts
ecclesiastical power to us". This letter has been "not unjustly characterized" by the French historian
Louis-Sébastien Le Nain de Tillemont as displaying gravity, dignity, gentleness, wisdom, generosity and in fact all the qualities of a great soul and a great bishop. which involved communion with the homoeans (
Acacians) but not the condemnation of Athanasius. He was then permitted to return to his Hispanic diocese, where he died in 359. There is a letter from
Pope Liberius to him from . == References ==