ops ▁from ▁pres by ters ▁had ▁not ▁yet ▁formed . ▁ ▁The ▁Eastern ▁b ish ops ▁formed ▁the ▁great ▁majority . ▁Of ▁these , ▁the ▁first ▁rank ▁was ▁held ▁by ▁the ▁patri arch s : ▁Alexander ▁of ▁Alexand ria ▁and ▁E ust ath ius ▁of ▁Ant io ch . ▁Many ▁of ▁the ▁assemble d ▁f athers — for ▁instance , ▁Pap hn ut ius ▁of ▁The bes , ▁Pot am on ▁of ▁Her acle a , ▁and ▁Paul ▁of ▁Ne oca es area — had ▁stood ▁forth ▁as ▁conf ess ors ▁of ▁the ▁faith ▁and ▁came ▁to ▁the ▁council ▁with ▁the ▁marks ▁of ▁per sec ution ▁on ▁their ▁faces . ▁This ▁position ▁is ▁supported ▁by ▁pat rist ic ▁scholar ▁Tim othy ▁Bar nes ▁in ▁his ▁book ▁Const antine ▁and ▁E use b ius . ▁Histor ically , ▁the ▁influence ▁of ▁these ▁mar red ▁conf ess ors ▁has ▁been ▁seen ▁as ▁substantial , ▁but ▁recent ▁scholar ship ▁has ▁called ▁this ▁into ▁question . ▁ ▁Other ▁remarkable ▁at ten de es ▁were ▁E use b ius ▁of ▁Nic om edia ; ▁E use b ius ▁of ▁Ca es area , ▁the ▁pur port ed ▁first ▁church ▁historian ; ▁circumstances ▁suggest ▁that ▁Nicholas ▁of ▁My ra ▁attended ▁( his ▁life ▁was ▁the ▁seed ▁of ▁the ▁Santa ▁Cla us ▁leg ends ); ▁Mac arius ▁of ▁Jerusalem , ▁later ▁a ▁sta unch ▁def ender ▁of ▁Ath anas ius ; ▁Arist aces ▁of ▁Armen ia ▁( son ▁of ▁Saint ▁Gregory ▁the ▁Ill umin ator ); ▁Le ont ius ▁of