Church History (epitome by Photius) 3.9–3.28
Greek text: PG 65 (OCR text layer from the Bavarian State Library, cleaned for this site).English: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), public domain (CC0). Compare: The Ecclesiastical History of Sozomen, and the Ecclesiastical History of Philostorgius, trans. Edward Walford (London: Bohn, 1855).
Chapter 3
3.9PG 65:491
Ὅτι ὁ Τίγρης καὶ ὁ Εὐφράτης, κατὰ μὲν τὸ ἐμφανές, ὅθεν ἀναδύονται, εἴρηνται. Ἡ δὲ ἱερὰ ἡμῶν Γραφή, ἐκ τοῦ Παραδείσου τούτους λέγουσα ὁρμᾶσθαι, τὸ ἀληθέστατον ἱστορεῖ. Καὶ γὰρ ἐξ αὐτοῦ τὰς πρώτας ἀρχὰς τῶν ῥείθρων φέροντες, ἄχρι μέν τινος προΐασιν, ἴσως ὑπὲρ γῆς ῥέοντες· ἔπειτα δὲ τῆς μεγάλης ἐρήμου καὶ ἀμμωδεστάτης αὐτοὺς ἐκδεξαμένης, πρὸς τὸ βάθος ἐνταῦθα καταπινόμενοι, οὐ πρότερον ἵστανται τῆς ἐπὶ τὰ κάτω φορᾶς, πρὶν ἐπ᾿ αὐτὸ δὴ τὸ στεγανὸν καὶ πετρῶδες τῆς αὐτόθι καταντήσωσι γῆς. Στάσιν δ᾽ αὐτοῖς τῆς ἐπὶ τὰ κάτω προχωρήσεως τῆς αὐτόθι κρηπίδος παρασχομένης, ἐνταῦθα ἤδη τῶν ῥευμάτων αὐτοῖς συναγειρομένων ὑπὸ πλήθους καὶ ἰσχύος τοῦ ἀεὶ ἐπιφερομένου τε πρόσω χωροῦσιν ἐπ᾿ εὐθὺ βιαζόμενοι. ᾿Αλλ' οὗτοι μὲν οἱ ποταμοὶ κατωρύχιοι πορευόμενοι, μοῖραν αὐτῶν οὐκ ὀλίγην τῆς ἐν μέσῳ γῆς ὑπεξαιρουμένης, ἑλάττους ἀπαντῶσιν ἤδη καὶ ἀσθενέστεροι ἐπὶ τοὺς τόπους τῶν ἀναδόσεων. Καὶ τὸ γε μυχίους αὐτοὺς πλείστην ἐπιέναι γῆν, οὐκ εἰκὸς ἀπιστεῖν. Πολλὰ γάρ ἐστι καὶ ἄλλα ῥεύματα πανταχοῦ καὶ τῶν σφόδρα μεγίστων τε καὶ ἰσχυροτάτων, ὑπὸ γῆν ἀφικνούμενα. Δῆλον δέ· ἦχός τε γὰρ ἀπ᾿ αὐτῶν ἀκούεται μέγας, σὺν ταράχῳ καὶ ῥοίζῳ πολλῷ φερομένων. ᾿Αλλὰ καί τινες ὑπὲρ αὐτῶν φρέατα ὀρυσσόμενοι, καὶ τῆς ἀπηντηκυίας αὐτοῖς πλακὸς κάτωθεν ὀλίγον τρώσαντες, ὑφ᾽ ἣν τὸ ῥεῖθρον ἤδη καχλάζον τὴν ἐπὶ τὸ ἄνω φορὰν βιαζόμενον, μόλις γ᾽ ἀνελήφθησαν ὑπὸ τῶν ἐπὶ τοῦ χείλους τῆς φρεωρυχίας ἑστώτων ἀναρπασθέντες. Καὶ τὸ ῥεῖθρον ἐφομαρτῆσαν εἰς ὀχετὸν προὐχώρησεν, ὑπ᾿ οὐδεμιᾶς ἀνομβρίας ἔτι παραλυπούμενον, διὰ τὸ τῆς χορηγίας ἀένναον. Ἡ γὰρ τοῦ Θεοῦ ἀπόῤῥητος σοφία, οἱονεὶ φλέβας χορηγοὺς τῶν ἀναγκαίων τὰς τῶν ῥείθρων διεκδρομὰς, τὰς μὲν ἀφανεῖς, τὰς δὲ προδήλους εἰργάσατο. Ταύτῃ ἄρα καὶ ὁ προφήτης ἐμελώδησε Δαουΐδ, Αὐτὸς ἐπὶ θαλασσῶν ἐθεμελίωσεν αὐτὴν, καὶ ἐπὶ ποταμῶν ἡτοίμασεν αὐτήν· ὡς τὰς μὲν θαλάσσας τοῖς μεγίστοις αὐτοῖς κολπώμασιν οἷον ἀποθησαυρίσας, καὶ τὴν βάσιν αὐτοῖς κρατυνάμενος πρὸς τὸ ἀνέχεσθαι τοσοῦτον ὄγκον καὶ πλῆθος τῶν ἐν αὐτῇ φερομένων· τοῖς δὲ ποταμοῖς τὴν διέξοδον ἀπόλυτον ταῖς εὐμηχάνοις αὐτῆς διαθέσεσι δοὺς ἀεὶ, ταῖς τῶν χωρίων ὑπαγωγαῖς τε καὶ ταπεινότησιν ἀπὸ τῶν ὑψηλοτέρων ἐπὶ τὰ χθαμαλώτερα, τόπον τῇ ῥοπῇ τοῦ βρίθοντος ὕδατος παρασχών.
Hoti ho Tigrēs kai ho Euphratēs, kata men to emphanes, hothen anadyontai, eirēntai. Hē de hiera hēmōn Graphē, ek tou Paradeisou toutous legousa hormasthai, to alēthestaton historei. Kai gar ex autou tas prōtas archas tōn rheithrōn pherontes, achri men tinos proïasin, isōs hyper gēs rheontes; epeita de tēs megalēs erēmou kai ammōdestatēs autous ekdexamenēs, pros to bathos entautha katapinomenoi, ou proteron histantai tēs epi ta katō phoras, prin ep᾿ auto dē to steganon kai petrōdes tēs autothi katantēsōsi gēs. Stasin d᾽ autois tēs epi ta katō prochōrēseōs tēs autothi krēpidos paraschomenēs, entautha ēdē tōn rheumatōn autois synageiromenōn hypo plēthous kai ischyos tou aei epipheromenou te prosō chōrousin ep᾿ euthy biazomenoi. ᾿All' houtoi men hoi potamoi katōrychioi poreuomenoi, moiran autōn ouk oligēn tēs en mesǭ gēs hypexairoumenēs, helattous apantōsin ēdē kai asthenesteroi epi tous topous tōn anadoseōn. Kai to ge mychious autous pleistēn epienai gēn, ouk eikos apistein. Polla gar esti kai alla rheumata pantachou kai tōn sphodra megistōn te kai ischyrotatōn, hypo gēn aphiknoumena. Dēlon de; ēchos te gar ap᾿ autōn akouetai megas, syn tarachǭ kai rhoizǭ pollǭ pheromenōn. ᾿Alla kai tines hyper autōn phreata oryssomenoi, kai tēs apēntēkuias autois plakos katōthen oligon trōsantes, hyph᾽ hēn to rheithron ēdē kachlazon tēn epi to anō phoran biazomenon, molis g᾽ anelēphthēsan hypo tōn epi tou cheilous tēs phreōrychias hestōtōn anarpasthentes. Kai to rheithron ephomartēsan eis ocheton prouchōrēsen, hyp᾿ oudemias anombrias eti paralypoumenon, dia to tēs chorēgias aennaon. Hē gar tou Theou aporrhētos sophia, hoionei phlebas chorēgous tōn anankaiōn tas tōn rheithrōn diekdromas, tas men aphaneis, tas de prodēlous eirgasato. Tautę̄ ara kai ho prophētēs emelōdēse Daouïd, Autos epi thalassōn ethemeliōsen autēn, kai epi potamōn hētoimasen autēn; hōs tas men thalassas tois megistois autois kolpōmasin hoion apothēsaurisas, kai tēn basin autois kratynamenos pros to anechesthai tosouton onkon kai plēthos tōn en autę̄ pheromenōn; tois de potamois tēn diexodon apolyton tais eumēchanois autēs diathesesi dous aei, tais tōn chōriōn hypagōgais te kai tapeinotēsin apo tōn hypsēloterōn epi ta chthamalōtera, topon tę̄ rhopę̄ tou brithontos hydatos paraschōn.
That it has been said where the Tigris and the Euphrates visibly emerge. But our sacred Scripture, which says that they start from Paradise, gives the truest account. For they carry the first beginnings of their streams from there, and they go on for some distance, perhaps flowing above ground; then, when the great desert, which is very sandy, receives them, they are swallowed down into its depths there, and do not stop their downward course until they reach the watertight, rocky part of the ground in that place. When the foundation there brings their downward progress to a halt, their streams gather together, and under the mass and force of the water that keeps coming on behind they are pushed forward and go straight ahead. These rivers, then, travelling underground, with no small part of them taken away by the land in between, arrive at the places where they come up already smaller and weaker. And that they pass through a great extent of land hidden below is not unlikely to be believed. For there are many other streams everywhere, even among the very largest and strongest, that pass under the earth. This is evident: a great sound is heard from them as they rush along with much turmoil and roaring. Indeed, some people digging wells above them, who pierced a little the slab they met from beneath, under which the stream was already gurgling and forcing its way upward, were barely rescued, snatched out by those standing at the mouth of the well-shaft. And the stream, following them up, ran on into a channel, no longer troubled by any drought because its supply never fails. For the unspeakable wisdom of God made the courses of the streams like veins that supply what is needed, some hidden, some in plain view. This is why the prophet David also sang, “He founded it upon the seas, and prepared it upon the rivers,” meaning that he stored up the seas, as it were, in very great hollows and made their base firm to bear so great a mass and multitude of what moves in it, and gave the rivers a free passage by his skilful arrangements, always providing, by the slopes and low places of the ground from higher to lower, room for the downward pull of the weight of water.
Gen 2:10–14 (allusion, high confidence) · Ps 24:2 (23:2 LXX) (quotation, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Philostorgius explains how the Tigris and Euphrates flow underground from Paradise, citing Psalm 24.
- Rivers from Paradise: Gen 2:10–14. The quotation is Ps 24:2 (LXX 23:2).
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR lost two letters; OCR lost two letters (Ps 23:2 LXX); word split by OCR): τῆς γάλης ἐρήμου → τῆς μεγάλης ἐρήμου; ἐκδεξαμέ νης → ἐκδεξαμένης; πρό τερον → πρότερον; ἐπὶ ταμῶν → ἐπὶ ποταμῶν.
Topics: Scripture and canon
Cite (SBL): Philostorgius, Hist. eccl. 3.9 (PG 65:491; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/philostorgius-historia/3-9). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/philostorgius-historia/3-9
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-philostorgius-historia-3-9) · Report an error
Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from Valesius's text of Photius's epitome as printed in PG 65; every section compared afterwards with Walford's English (Bohn, 1855).
3.10PG 65:493
Ὅτι κεῖσθαι τὸν Παράδεισον οὗτος εἰκασίαις χρώμενος λέγει, κατὰ τὰς ἰσημερίας τῆς ἡοῦς, πρῶτον μὲν ἐξ ὧν τὰ πρὸς μεσημβρίαν δῆλά ἐστι πάντα οἰκούμενα σχεδὸν μέχρι τῆς ἔξω θαλάττης, ἣν θάλατταν ὁ ἥλιος ἤδη ξυμφλέγει καθέτως ἐπ᾿ αὐτῇ τὰς ἀκτῖνας ἐρείδων· καὶ ἡ διὰ μέσου λεγομένη ζώνη τοῦτό ἐστιν. Ἔτι δὲ καὶ διότι ὁ νῦν Ὕφασις καλούμενος ποταμὸς, ὃν ἡ Γραφὴ Φεισὼν ὀνομάζει, καὶ αὐτὸς τοῦ παραδείσου ἀναβλύζων, ἐκ τῶν ἀρκτῴων μᾶλλον τῆς ἀνατολῆς μερῶν ἐπὶ τὴν μεσημβρίαν φαίνεται ῥέων, καὶ εἰς τὸν ταύτῃ ὠκεανὸν τὸ ῥεῖθρον εἰσερευγόμενος, ἀντικρὺ τῆς νήσου Ταπροβάνης. Οὗ παρὰ τὰς ὄχθας τοῦ ποταμοῦ εὑρίσκεται τὸ λεγόμενον Καρυόφυλλον, εἴτε καρπός, εἴτε δὲ καὶ ἄνθος τυγχάνει. Καὶ πεπιστεύκασιν οἱ ἐκείνῃ, τῶν ἐκ τοῦ Παραδείσου τοῦτο δένδρον εἶναι. Καὶ γὰρ καὶ ἡ ὑπὲρ αὐτοὺς γῆ, ἔρημός τὲ ἐστι δεινῶς ἅπασα καὶ ἀκαρποτάτη. Ἐκ δὲ τοῦ φέρειν τὸν ποταμὸν τὸ ἄνθος, ἐπίδηλον ἂν εἴη ὡς οὗτος ὁ ποταμὸς ὑπὸ γῆς ἄπας ῥεῖ μηδαμόθι καταδυόμενος· οὐ γὰρ ἂν τὸ ἐκεῖθεν φυόμενον ἠδύνατο φέρειν. Ἔχει δέ τι καὶ ἄλλο σύμβολον τῆς παρὰ τὸν Παράδεισον γεηρᾶς ἐπιμιξίας· φασὶ γὰρ ὡς ἐὰν τις τύχοι α πυρετῷ λαύρῳ φλεγόμενος, εἰς τὸν ποταμὸν βαπτισάμενος, παραυτίκα τοῦ νοσήματος ἀπαλλάττεται. Ὁ δὲ Τίγρης καὶ Εὐφράτης, διότι καταδύουσι καὶ πάλιν ἀνίσχουσιν, οὐδὲν ἐκεῖθεν δύνανται κομίζειν ὡς ὁ Ὕφασις. Οὐδέ γε Νεῖλος· καὶ γὰρ καὶ τοῦτον ἐκεῖθεν ῥεῖν ἡ Μωσέως ἐπίπνοια λέγει, Γηὼν αὐτὸν ὀνομάζουσα· ὃν οἱ παρ' Ἕλλησιν Αἰγύπτιον ἐκάλουν. τος, ὡς ἔστι συμβαλεῖν, ἐξορμῶν τοῦ Παραδείσου, πρὶν ἐπὶ τὸ οἰκούμενον φθάσαι, καταδυόμενος, ἔπειτα τὴν Ἰνδικὴν θάλατταν ὑπελθὼν ἔτι, καὶ κύκλῳ γε αὐτὴν περιελιχθεὶς, ὡς εἰκάσαι (τίς γὰρ ἀνθρώπων ἀκριβώσειε τοῦτο καὶ ὑπὸ πᾶσαν τὴν ἐν μέσῳ γῆν ἐνεχθεὶς μέχρι τῆς Ἐρυθρᾶς θαλάσσης, καὶ ταύτην ὑποδραμὼν, ἐπὶ θάτερον αὐτῆς ἐκδίδοται μέρος, ὑπὸ τὸ τῆς Σελήνης καλούμενον ὄρος. Ἐν ᾧ δύο πηγὰς λέγεται ποιεῖν μεγάλας, ἀλλήλων οὐκ ὀλίγον διεστηκυίας κάτωθεν βιαίως ἀναρυβδουμένας. Καὶ διὰ τῆς Αἰθιοπίας ἐνεχθεὶς ἐπὶ τὴν Αἴγυπτον χωρεῖ, διὰ πετρῶν ὑψηλοτάτων καταραττόμενος.
Hoti keisthai ton Paradeison houtos eikasiais chrōmenos legei, kata tas isēmerias tēs hēous, prōton men ex hōn ta pros mesēmbrian dēla esti panta oikoumena schedon mechri tēs exō thalattēs, hēn thalattan ho hēlios ēdē xymphlegei kathetōs ep᾿ autę̄ tas aktinas ereidōn; kai hē dia mesou legomenē zōnē touto estin. Eti de kai dioti ho nyn Hyphasis kaloumenos potamos, hon hē Graphē Pheisōn onomazei, kai autos tou paradeisou anablyzōn, ek tōn arktǭōn mallon tēs anatolēs merōn epi tēn mesēmbrian phainetai rheōn, kai eis ton tautę̄ ōkeanon to rheithron eisereugomenos, antikry tēs nēsou Taprobanēs. Hou para tas ochthas tou potamou heurisketai to legomenon Karyophyllon, eite karpos, eite de kai anthos tynchanei. Kai pepisteukasin hoi ekeinę̄, tōn ek tou Paradeisou touto dendron einai. Kai gar kai hē hyper autous gē, erēmos te esti deinōs hapasa kai akarpotatē. Ek de tou pherein ton potamon to anthos, epidēlon an eiē hōs houtos ho potamos hypo gēs apas rhei mēdamothi katadyomenos; ou gar an to ekeithen phyomenon ēdynato pherein. Echei de ti kai allo symbolon tēs para ton Paradeison geēras epimixias; phasi gar hōs ean tis tychoi a pyretǭ laurǭ phlegomenos, eis ton potamon baptisamenos, parautika tou nosēmatos apallattetai. Ho de Tigrēs kai Euphratēs, dioti katadyousi kai palin anischousin, ouden ekeithen dynantai komizein hōs ho Hyphasis. Oude ge Neilos; kai gar kai touton ekeithen rhein hē Mōseōs epipnoia legei, Gēōn auton onomazousa; hon hoi par' Hellēsin Aigyption ekaloun. tos, hōs esti symbalein, exormōn tou Paradeisou, prin epi to oikoumenon phthasai, katadyomenos, epeita tēn Indikēn thalattan hypelthōn eti, kai kyklǭ ge autēn perielichtheis, hōs eikasai (tis gar anthrōpōn akribōseie touto kai hypo pasan tēn en mesǭ gēn enechtheis mechri tēs Erythras thalassēs, kai tautēn hypodramōn, epi thateron autēs ekdidotai meros, hypo to tēs Selēnēs kaloumenon oros. En hǭ dyo pēgas legetai poiein megalas, allēlōn ouk oligon diestēkuias katōthen biaiōs anarybdoumenas. Kai dia tēs Aithiopias enechtheis epi tēn Aigypton chōrei, dia petrōn hypsēlotatōn katarattomenos.
That this man, using conjectures, says that Paradise lies toward the equinoctial east: first, because the regions to the south are clearly all inhabited almost as far as the outer sea, which the sun already scorches as it rests its rays vertically upon it, and this is what is called the middle zone; and further, because the river now called the Hyphasis, which Scripture names Pishon, which itself also springs from Paradise, is seen to flow from the more northerly parts of the east toward the south, and to pour out its stream into the ocean there, opposite the island of Taprobane. Along the banks of this river is found what is called the clove, whether it is a fruit or a flower; and the people there believe it is from a tree of Paradise. For the land above them is all terribly desert and quite barren. From the fact that the river carries the flower, it would be plain that this river flows entirely above ground and nowhere sinks below it; for otherwise it could not carry what grows there. It has also another sign of its earthy contact with Paradise: they say that if anyone happens to be burning with a raging fever and bathes in the river, he is at once rid of the illness. But the Tigris and the Euphrates, because they sink below ground and rise again, can bring nothing from there, as the Hyphasis does. Nor can the Nile; for Moses' inspiration says that it too flows from there, naming it Gihon, which the Greeks called Aegyptus. [This river,] so far as one can conjecture, starting from Paradise, sinks below ground before it reaches the inhabited world; then, passing under the Indian sea too, and winding round in a circle beneath it, as one may guess (for what human being could know this precisely?), and travelling beneath all the land in between as far as the Red Sea, and running under that too, it comes out on the other side of it, beneath the mountain called the Mountain of the Moon. There it is said to form two great springs, a good distance from each other, which gush up violently from below. And travelling through Ethiopia it goes on into Egypt, dashing down over very high rocks.
Gen 2:10–14 (allusion, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Philostorgius locates Paradise in the east and traces the rivers Pishon (the Hyphasis) and Gihon (the Nile) from it.
- Pishon and Gihon: Gen 2:11–13. Taprobane is Sri Lanka.
- The beginning of the sentence on the Nile is damaged in the scan (τος, probably Οὗτος); “[This river]” is supplied by sense.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR lost two letters; word split by OCR): δει νῶς → δεινῶς; δύο γὰς → δύο πηγὰς.
Topics: Scripture and canon
Cite (SBL): Philostorgius, Hist. eccl. 3.10 (PG 65:493; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/philostorgius-historia/3-10). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/philostorgius-historia/3-10
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-philostorgius-historia-3-10) · Report an error
Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from Valesius's text of Photius's epitome as printed in PG 65; every section compared afterwards with Walford's English (Bohn, 1855).
3.11PG 65:495
Ὅτι φησὶν ἅπαν τὸ πρὸς ἀνίσχοντα ἥλιον καὶ περὶ τὴν μεσημβρίαν κλίμα, καίτοι πέρα τοῦ μέτρου θαλπόμενον, ὅμως τὰ κράτιστα καὶ μέγιστα φέρειν τῶν ὅσα γῆ καὶ θάλαττα δυνατὴ τρέφειν. Τά τε γὰρ κήτη τὰ ὑπερμεγέθη ταύτῃ ἐνεῖναι τῇ θαλάττῃ· καὶ ἤδη ὤφθη πολλάκις ἐπιπολάσαντα τοῖς τὸν ὠκεανὸν ἐκεῖνον ναυτιλλομένοις. Η τε γῆ τοὺς ἐλέφαντας ἔχει τοὺς μεγίστους καὶ ὑπερφυεστάτους. Καὶ δὴ καὶ τοὺς ταυρελέφαντας λεγομένους ὧν τὸ μὲν γένος τὰ μὲν ἄλλα πάντα βοῦς ἐστι μέγιστος· τὴν δὲ βύρσαν καὶ τὸ χρῶμα ἐλέφας καὶ σχεδὸν εἰπεῖν καὶ τὸ μέγεθος. Καὶ γὰρ εἰς Ῥωμαίους κομισθὲν τὸ ζῶον έθεασάμην· καὶ τὸ θέαμα γράφω. ᾿Αλλὰ καὶ δράκοντες ἐν τούτοις εἰσὶ, πάχος μὲν δοκῶν οὐκ ἐλάττους· τὸ δὲ μῆκος εἰς δεκαπέντε παρατεινόμενον ὀργυιάς· καὶ γὰρ καὶ τούτων τὰς δορὰς εἰς Ῥωμαίους ἀποκομισθείσας εἶδον. Ὅ τε μονόκερως τὸ ζῶον παρ' αὐτοῖς ἐστι, τὴν μὲν κεφαλὴν δράκοντος φέρων, κέρας δὲ σκολιὸν αὐτῷ πέφυκεν, οὔτι σφόδρα μέγα· ὁ δὲ ἀνθερεὼν αὐτῷ πώγωνος ὑποπίμπλαται ἅπας. Μακρὸς δὲ ὁ τράχηλος εἰς ὕψος ἀνατεινόμενος, ὀλκῷ δράκοντος ἐγγύτατα παραπλήσιος. Τὸ δὲ ἄλλο σῶμα ἐλάφῳ προσέοικε μᾶλλον· τοὺς δὲ πόδας λέοντος ἔχει· καὶ ἔστι γε αὐτοῦ τὸ ἐκτύπωμα ὁρᾶν ἐν Κωνσταντίνου πόλει. Καὶ δὴ καὶ ἡ καμηλοπάρδαλις τῆς ἐκείνης γέννημα χώρας. Ἡ τὰ μὲν ἄλλα ἔλαφός ἐστι γίστη καμήλου δὲ ὕψος ἐνέδωκε τὸ σῶμα μιμεῖσθαι· τὸν μέντοι αὐχένα μήκιστον, καὶ ὑπὲρ τὴν ἀναλογίαν τοῦ λοιποῦ σώματος φέρει εἰς ὕψος ἀνορθούμενον· ἀλλὰ καὶ τὴν δορὰν ἅπασαν ἀπὸ κεφαλῆς ἄκρας ἕως ἐσχάτων ποδῶν παρδάλει μάλιστα τὴν ποικιλίαν προσφερεστάτην ἔχει· καὶ τοὺς ἔμπροσθεν πόδας ὑψηλοτάτους τῶν ὀπίσω. Παρ' αὐτοῖς δὲ ἐστι καὶ ὁ λεγόμενος αἰγοπίθηκος, πίθηκός τις ὧν· μυρία γάρ ἐστι γένη πιθήκων. ᾿Αρκοπίθηκοι γάρ εἰσιν ἐν αὐτοῖς, καὶ λεοντοπίθηκοι, καὶ κυνοκέφαλοι· καὶ ἄλλαις πολλῶν ζώων εἰδέαις τῆς πιθηκείας μορφῆς ἐπιμιγνυμένης. Καὶ δῆλον ταῦτά ἐστι, πολλῶν εἰς ἡμᾶς κομιζομένων· οἷος δὴ καὶ ὁ πὰν ἐπικληθεὶς ὑπάρχει, ὃς τὴν κεφαλὴν αἰγοπρόσωπός ἐστι καὶ αἰγόκερως, καὶ ἐκ λαγόνων τὰ κάτω αἰγοσκελὴς, τὴν δὲ κοιλίαν καὶ τὸ στέρνον καὶ τὰς χεῖρας καθαρὸς πίθηκος. Ὃν καὶ ὁ τῶν Ἰνδῶν βασιλεὺς Κωνσταντίῳ ἀπεστάλκει. Τοῦτο δὲ τὸ ζῶον ἔζη μὲν φερόμενον ἄχρι τινὸς, ἔν τινι πλέγματι διὰ τὸ ριῶδες εἰργμένον. Ἐπεὶ δὲ ἀπέθανε, ταριχεύσαντες αὐτὸ οἱ κομίζοντες, θεάματος παρασχεῖν ἀσυνήθους εἰκόνα, μέχρι τῆς Κωνσταντίνου διεσώσαντο πόλεως. Καί μοι δοκοῦσι τὸ ζῶον τοῦτο Ἕλληνες πάλαι ἰδεῖν, καὶ ἐκπλαγέντες τῷ ξένῳ τῆς θέας, θεὸν σφίσιν νομίται, εἰθισμένον αὐτοῖς τὰ παράδοξα θεοποιεῖν, ὥσπερ καὶ τὸν σάτυρον· ἔστι δὲ καὶ τοῦτο πίθηκος, έρυθρὸς τὸ πρόσωπον, καὶ γοργὸς τὴν κίνησιν, καὶ ρὰν ἔχων. Καὶ μὴν καὶ ἡ σφίγξ γένος ἐστὶ πιθήκων· αὐτὸ γὰρ θεασάμενος γράφω. Ἧς τὸ μὲν ἄλλο σῶμα λάσιόν ἐστι ὡς τοῖς λοιποῖς πιθήκοις· τὸ δὲ στέρνον ἄχρι γε αὐτοῦ τοῦ τραχήλου ἐψίλωται· ζοὺς δὲ γυναικὸς ἔχει, ἐρυθροῦ τινος βραχέος γεγχροειδοῦς ἐπαναστήματος ἅπαν ἐν κύκλῳ τὸ γεγυμνωμένον τοῦ σώματος περιθέοντος, καὶ εἰς πολλήν τινα εὐπρέπειαν ἀνθρωποφανεῖ ὄντι τῷ ἐν μέσῳ χρώματι, συναρμοζομένου· τότε πρόσωπον εστρογγύλωται μᾶλλον, καὶ εἰς γυναικείαν ἕλκει μορφήν· ἡ τε φωνὴ ἐπιεικῶς ἀνθρωπεία· πλὴν ὅσον οὐκ εἰς ἄρθρα διαιρουμένη, ἀλλά τινι ταχέως, καὶ οἷον μετά τινος ὀργῆς τε καὶ ἀχθηδόνος ἄσημα ὑποφθεγγομένῃ προσεοικυῖα Βαρυτέρα τε μᾶλλόν ἐστιν ὀξυνομένη. "Αγριόν τέ ἐστι δεινῶς τὸ θηρίον καὶ πανουργότατον, καὶ οὐδὲ ῥᾳδίως θασσευόμενον. Ταύτης εἰς Θήβας μοι δοκῶ τὰς Βοιωτίας πάλαι κομισθείσης, καί τισιν ἴσως τῶν ἐπὶ θέᾳ συνεῤῥυηκότων ἐφαλλομένης, καὶ τοῖς προσώποις λυμηναμένης, δεινὸν ποιησάμενος ὁ Οἰδίπους τὰς τῶν ὁμοφύλων λώβας, καταφονεῦσαι τὸ ζῶον, καὶ ὄνομα λαμπρὸν ἐκεῖθεν λαβεῖν. Καὶ αὐτὸν ὁ θος εἰς ἀνδρείαν κοσμῶν, ὑπόπτερον μὲν τὸ θηρίον ἀναπλάττει, διὰ τὸ ὀξέως ἐπιπηδᾷν· στέρνον δὲ γυναικὸς ἐφαρμόττει, καὶ τὸ σῶμα λέοντος· γυναικὸς μὲν, διὰ τὸ πρόχειρον τῆς γυμνώσεως, καὶ πρὸς τὸ γυναικεῖον εἶδος ὁμοιώσεως· λέοντος δὲ, διὰ τὸ θηριῶδες, καὶ ὅτι κατὰ τὸ πλεῖστον τοῖς τέτταρσι τυγχάνει ποσὶν ἐρειδόμενον. Λόγου δὲ τὸ θηρίον μετέδωκε τὸ πλάσμα, διὰ τὸ τῆς φωνῆς ἀνθρωποειδές αἰνιγματώδους δὲ, διὰ τὸ ἄσημα φθέγγεσθαι. θαυμαστὸν οὐδέν πολλὰ γὰρ καὶ ἄλλα σύνηθες τοῖς Ἕλλησι πρὸς τὸ μυθῶδες διαπλάττειν. Καὶ αὐτὴ δὲ χώρα καὶ ὄνους ἀγρίους μεγίστους τε τῷ μεγέθει φέρει, καὶ τὴν δορὰν κατὰ τὸ ξενίζον πεποικιλμένους, λευκοῦ σφίσι καὶ μέλανος χρώματος οὐ κατὰ μικρὸν συμποικιλλομένου, ἀλλὰ ζῶναί τινές εἰσιν ἀπὸ τῆς ῥάχεως ἐπὶ τὰς πλευρὰς καὶ τὴν κοιλίαν καθήκουσαι· καὶ ἐνταῦθα ἐπισχιζόμεναι, καὶ κατά τινας περιφερείας ἀλλήλαις ἐνελιττόμεναι, θαυμαστην τινα καὶ ξένην ἀπεργάζονται πλοκὴν καὶ ποικιλίαν. ᾿Αλλά γε δὴ καὶ ὁ φοῖνιξ, τὸ πολυθρύλλητον πτηνὸν, παρ᾿ αὐτοῖς τυγχάνει γινόμενος. Καὶ μὲν δὴ καὶ τὴν σιτάκην ἐκεῖθεν ἴσμεν κομιζομένην, ὃ τῶν ὄρνεων ἐστὶ λαλίστατον, καὶ τῆς ἀνθρωπίνης γλώττης μιμητικώτατον· καὶ τοὺς ποικίλους δὲ καὶ καταστιγεῖς ὅρνεις, οὓς γαράμαντας ἐπικαλοῦσί τινες, ἀπὸ τοῦ ἔθνους οὗ μάλιστα πλεῖστοι κομίζονται, τὴν ἐπωνυμίαν θέμενοι. Καὶ ἄλλα δὲ πλεῖστα διαφανῶς ὑπερφυέστατα φύεται, ὧν τὸ πλῆθος ἡ διήγησις ὑποστέλλεται. Ἀλλὰ καὶ ὁ χρυσὸς ἐνταῦθα γεννᾶται καθαρώτατος, χρυσιτίδων οἰονεὶ τριχῶν αὐτοφυῶν τῆς ἐκείνης γῆς ἀναδιδομένων, καὶ ἐπ᾿ ἀλλήλοις κειμένων, καὶ ἐπίδηλον αὐτοῦ τὴν γένεσιν παρεχομένων. Καὶ καρποὶ δὲ κάλλιστοί τε καὶ μέγιστοι, ὧν γνώριμα καὶ τὰ κάρυα. Ἀλλὰ μὴν καὶ τὸ ἐπὶ τοῖς Ὁμηρίταις κλίμα πᾶν μέχρι τῆς Ἐρυθρᾶς θαλάσσης δις τοῦ ἐνιαυτοῦ ἀναδίδωσι τοὺς καρπούς. Ἐξ οὗ καὶ τὴν χώραν ᾿Αραβίαν εὐδαίμονα προσηγόρευσαν καὶ ὅλως ἡ πρὸς ἀνίσχοντα ἥλιον ἅπασα γῆ μακρῷ τῆς ἄλλης ἐν πᾶσι διαφέρει. Ὁ δὲ Παράδεισος, ἁπάσης τῆς ἑῴας τὸ κράτιστόν τε καὶ καθαρώτατον ὑπάρχων, καὶ τοὺς ἀέρας ἀκραιφνεστάτους καὶ καλλίστους ἔχων, καὶ τοῖς διαφανεστάτοις ὕδασι καταρδόμενος, δῆλον ὡς ἀπαραβλήτῳ ὑπεροχῇ τῆς ὑφ᾽ ἡλίῳ πάσης ἐν πάσῃ τὸ κρεῖττον φέρει· τῆς ἔξωθεν θαλάσσης κατ' ἀνίσχοντα τὸν ἥλιον αὐτῷ παρακλυζομένης.
Hoti phēsin hapan to pros anischonta hēlion kai peri tēn mesēmbrian klima, kaitoi pera tou metrou thalpomenon, homōs ta kratista kai megista pherein tōn hosa gē kai thalatta dynatē trephein. Ta te gar kētē ta hypermegethē tautę̄ eneinai tę̄ thalattę̄; kai ēdē ōphthē pollakis epipolasanta tois ton ōkeanon ekeinon nautillomenois. Ē te gē tous elephantas echei tous megistous kai hyperphyestatous. Kai dē kai tous taurelephantas legomenous hōn to men genos ta men alla panta bous esti megistos; tēn de byrsan kai to chrōma elephas kai schedon eipein kai to megethos. Kai gar eis Rhōmaious komisthen to zōon etheasamēn; kai to theama graphō. ᾿Alla kai drakontes en toutois eisi, pachos men dokōn ouk elattous; to de mēkos eis dekapente parateinomenon orguias; kai gar kai toutōn tas doras eis Rhōmaious apokomistheisas eidon. Ho te monokerōs to zōon par' autois esti, tēn men kephalēn drakontos pherōn, keras de skolion autǭ pephyken, outi sphodra mega; ho de anthereōn autǭ pōgōnos hypopimplatai hapas. Makros de ho trachēlos eis hypsos anateinomenos, olkǭ drakontos engytata paraplēsios. To de allo sōma elaphǭ proseoike mallon; tous de podas leontos echei; kai esti ge autou to ektypōma horan en Kōnstantinou polei. Kai dē kai hē kamēlopardalis tēs ekeinēs gennēma chōras. Hē ta men alla elaphos esti gistē kamēlou de hypsos enedōke to sōma mimeisthai; ton mentoi auchena mēkiston, kai hyper tēn analogian tou loipou sōmatos pherei eis hypsos anorthoumenon; alla kai tēn doran hapasan apo kephalēs akras heōs eschatōn podōn pardalei malista tēn poikilian prospherestatēn echei; kai tous emprosthen podas hypsēlotatous tōn opisō. Par' autois de esti kai ho legomenos aigopithēkos, pithēkos tis hōn; myria gar esti genē pithēkōn. ᾿Arkopithēkoi gar eisin en autois, kai leontopithēkoi, kai kynokephaloi; kai allais pollōn zōōn eideais tēs pithēkeias morphēs epimignymenēs. Kai dēlon tauta esti, pollōn eis hēmas komizomenōn; hoios dē kai ho pan epiklētheis hyparchei, hos tēn kephalēn aigoprosōpos esti kai aigokerōs, kai ek lagonōn ta katō aigoskelēs, tēn de koilian kai to sternon kai tas cheiras katharos pithēkos. Hon kai ho tōn Indōn basileus Kōnstantiǭ apestalkei. Touto de to zōon ezē men pheromenon achri tinos, en tini plegmati dia to riōdes eirgmenon. Epei de apethane, taricheusantes auto hoi komizontes, theamatos paraschein asynēthous eikona, mechri tēs Kōnstantinou diesōsanto poleōs. Kai moi dokousi to zōon touto Hellēnes palai idein, kai ekplagentes tǭ xenǭ tēs theas, theon sphisin nomitai, eithismenon autois ta paradoxa theopoiein, hōsper kai ton satyron; esti de kai touto pithēkos, erythros to prosōpon, kai gorgos tēn kinēsin, kai ran echōn. Kai mēn kai hē sphinx genos esti pithēkōn; auto gar theasamenos graphō. Hēs to men allo sōma lasion esti hōs tois loipois pithēkois; to de sternon achri ge autou tou trachēlou epsilōtai; zous de gynaikos echei, erythrou tinos bracheos genchroeidous epanastēmatos hapan en kyklǭ to gegymnōmenon tou sōmatos peritheontos, kai eis pollēn tina euprepeian anthrōpophanei onti tǭ en mesǭ chrōmati, synarmozomenou; tote prosōpon estrongylōtai mallon, kai eis gynaikeian helkei morphēn; hē te phōnē epieikōs anthrōpeia; plēn hoson ouk eis arthra diairoumenē, alla tini tacheōs, kai hoion meta tinos orgēs te kai achthēdonos asēma hypophthengomenę̄ proseoikuia Barytera te mallon estin oxynomenē. "Agrion te esti deinōs to thērion kai panourgotaton, kai oude rhądiōs thasseuomenon. Tautēs eis Thēbas moi dokō tas Boiōtias palai komistheisēs, kai tisin isōs tōn epi theą synerrhyēkotōn ephallomenēs, kai tois prosōpois lymēnamenēs, deinon poiēsamenos ho Oidipous tas tōn homophylōn lōbas, kataphoneusai to zōon, kai onoma lampron ekeithen labein. Kai auton ho thos eis andreian kosmōn, hypopteron men to thērion anaplattei, dia to oxeōs epipēdąn; sternon de gynaikos epharmottei, kai to sōma leontos; gynaikos men, dia to procheiron tēs gymnōseōs, kai pros to gynaikeion eidos homoiōseōs; leontos de, dia to thēriōdes, kai hoti kata to pleiston tois tettarsi tynchanei posin ereidomenon. Logou de to thērion metedōke to plasma, dia to tēs phōnēs anthrōpoeides ainigmatōdous de, dia to asēma phthengesthai. thaumaston ouden polla gar kai alla synēthes tois Hellēsi pros to mythōdes diaplattein. Kai autē de chōra kai onous agrious megistous te tǭ megethei pherei, kai tēn doran kata to xenizon pepoikilmenous, leukou sphisi kai melanos chrōmatos ou kata mikron sympoikillomenou, alla zōnai tines eisin apo tēs rhacheōs epi tas pleuras kai tēn koilian kathēkousai; kai entautha epischizomenai, kai kata tinas periphereias allēlais enelittomenai, thaumastēn tina kai xenēn apergazontai plokēn kai poikilian. ᾿Alla ge dē kai ho phoinix, to polythryllēton ptēnon, par᾿ autois tynchanei ginomenos. Kai men dē kai tēn sitakēn ekeithen ismen komizomenēn, ho tōn orneōn esti lalistaton, kai tēs anthrōpinēs glōttēs mimētikōtaton; kai tous poikilous de kai katastigeis horneis, hous garamantas epikalousi tines, apo tou ethnous hou malista pleistoi komizontai, tēn epōnymian themenoi. Kai alla de pleista diaphanōs hyperphyestata phyetai, hōn to plēthos hē diēgēsis hypostelletai. Alla kai ho chrysos entautha gennatai katharōtatos, chrysitidōn oionei trichōn autophyōn tēs ekeinēs gēs anadidomenōn, kai ep᾿ allēlois keimenōn, kai epidēlon autou tēn genesin parechomenōn. Kai karpoi de kallistoi te kai megistoi, hōn gnōrima kai ta karya. Alla mēn kai to epi tois Homēritais klima pan mechri tēs Erythras thalassēs dis tou eniautou anadidōsi tous karpous. Ex hou kai tēn chōran ᾿Arabian eudaimona prosēgoreusan kai holōs hē pros anischonta hēlion hapasa gē makrǭ tēs allēs en pasi diapherei. Ho de Paradeisos, hapasēs tēs heǭas to kratiston te kai katharōtaton hyparchōn, kai tous aeras akraiphnestatous kai kallistous echōn, kai tois diaphanestatois hydasi katardomenos, dēlon hōs aparablētǭ hyperochę̄ tēs hyph᾽ hēliǭ pasēs en pasę̄ to kreitton pherei; tēs exōthen thalassēs kat' anischonta ton hēlion autǭ paraklyzomenēs.
That he says that the whole region toward the rising sun and about the south, though heated beyond measure, nevertheless produces the strongest and largest of all that land and sea can nourish. For the enormous sea-monsters are in this sea, and have often been seen surfacing by those who sail that ocean. The land has the largest and most prodigious elephants, and also the so-called bull-elephants, a kind that in all other respects is a very large ox, but in hide and colour is an elephant, and, one might almost say, in size too. “For I saw this animal when it had been brought to Roman territory, and I write of what I saw.” There are also serpents among them, no less thick than beams and stretching to fifteen fathoms in length; “for I saw their skins too, brought to Roman territory.” The unicorn is also an animal of theirs. It has the head of a serpent, and a curved horn, not very large, grows on it; its whole chin is covered with a beard. Its long neck stretches up high, very like a serpent's coil. The rest of its body is more like a deer's, and it has a lion's feet; a likeness of it can be seen in Constantinople. The camelopard too is a product of that country. In other respects it is a very large deer, but its body has been given the height of a camel to imitate; it has a very long neck, rising high out of proportion to the rest of its body; its whole hide, from the top of its head to the tips of its feet, has spots most like a leopard's; and its front legs are much higher than its hind ones. They also have the so-called goat-ape, which is a kind of ape, for there are countless kinds of apes. Among them there are bear-apes, lion-apes and dog-heads, the form of the ape being mixed with the shapes of many other animals. This is plain, since many are brought to us. Such is the one called Pan, which in its head has a goat's face and goat's horns, and from the flanks down has a goat's legs, but in belly, chest and hands is pure ape. The king of the Indians had sent one to Constantius. This animal lived for some time while it was being brought, kept in a cage because of its wildness. When it died, those bringing it embalmed it, to provide the image of an unusual sight, and preserved it as far as Constantinople. “And it seems to me that the Greeks of old saw this animal and, astonished at the strangeness of the sight, regarded it as a god, since they were accustomed to make gods of extraordinary things; as with the satyr too. This also is an ape, red in the face, quick in movement, and with a tail. The sphinx, too, is a kind of ape; I write having seen it myself. The rest of its body is shaggy like the other apes, but its chest is bare up to the neck itself; it has a woman's breasts, and a short, red, millet-like swelling runs round the whole bare part of the body, fitting very becomingly with the human-looking colour in the middle. Its face is rather round and tends toward a woman's shape; its voice is fairly human, except that it is not divided into articulate words, but is like someone muttering meaningless sounds quickly and as if with some anger and vexation; and it is rather deep when it is raised. The beast is terribly wild and most cunning, and not easily tamed. I think that when one of these was brought long ago to Boeotian Thebes, and perhaps leapt on some of those who had flocked to see it and mangled their faces, Oedipus, taking the injuries to his fellow citizens hard, killed the animal and won a splendid name from it. And the myth, to glorify him for courage, represents the beast as winged, because it leaps swiftly; gives it a woman's breast and a lion's body: a woman's because its nakedness is evident and its form resembles a woman's; a lion's because of its fierceness and because for the most part it walks on four feet. The fiction gave the beast speech because of the human quality of its voice, and made it speak in riddles because it utters meaningless sounds. There is nothing surprising in this: the Greeks are used to fashioning many other things into myths.” The same country also bears very large wild asses, with hides strangely variegated, white and black colour being mingled on them not in small patches; but there are stripes running from the backbone to the sides and the belly, and there they divide and wind round one another in curves, producing a wonderful and strange weave and pattern. Moreover the phoenix, the much-talked-of bird, is found among them. And we know that the parrot is brought from there, which is the most talkative of birds and the best mimic of human speech; and the speckled, spotted birds that some call garamantes, giving them the name of the nation from which most of them are brought. Very many other things of plainly extraordinary nature grow there, whose number the account passes over. Gold too is produced there, very pure, as if golden hairs grew of themselves out of that earth and lay on one another, making its origin evident. There are also very fine and very large fruits, among them the well-known nuts. Moreover the whole region of the Homerites, as far as the Red Sea, yields its fruits twice a year; for this reason they called the country Happy Arabia. And in short, the whole land toward the rising sun far surpasses the rest in everything. Paradise, being the best and purest part of the whole east, having the most unmixed and finest air, and watered by the clearest waters, plainly surpasses in every respect everything under the sun with an incomparable superiority, the outer sea washing against it toward the rising sun.
Notes and citation
Summary: Philostorgius's catalogue of the wonders of the eastern and southern lands (elephants, unicorns, giraffes, apes, the sphinx, zebras, the phoenix), ending with the excellence of Paradise.
- The first-person remarks (“I saw…”) are Philostorgius's, copied by Photius; they are set in quotation marks to keep the two voices apart. The animals described appear to include the giraffe (camelopard) and the zebra (striped wild ass); his explanation of the Sphinx of Oedipus is his own rationalizing of the myth.
- Several words have lost letters in the scan (e.g. μεγίστη, θηριῶδες, οὐρὰν, μαζοὺς, μῦθος) and are translated by sense.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR repeated syllable; word split by OCR): ἀν θερεὼν → ἀνθερεὼν; λυμηναμε αμένης → λυμηναμένης.
Cite (SBL): Philostorgius, Hist. eccl. 3.11 (PG 65:495; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/philostorgius-historia/3-11). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/philostorgius-historia/3-11
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-philostorgius-historia-3-11) · Report an error
Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from Valesius's text of Photius's epitome as printed in PG 65; every section compared afterwards with Walford's English (Bohn, 1855).
3.12PG 65:499
Ὅτι, φησὶν, Ἀθανάσιος πρὸς τὸν ἑσπέριον ικόμενος βασιλέα, καὶ δώρων τοὺς αὐτῷ παραδυναστεύοντας ὑπαγαγὼν ἀφθονίᾳ, μάλιστα δὲ Εὐστάθιον, ὃς κόμης ἦν τῶν λεγομένων πριουάτων, καὶ τῷ σιλεῖ πιθανώτατος, ἐπιστολὴν πρὸς Κωνστάντιον κομίζεται, λέγουσαν ὧδε· ᾿Αθανάσιος ἧκεν ὡς ἡμᾶς, ἑαυτῷ προσήκειν τὴν ἐπισκοπὴν τῆς ᾿Αλεξανδρείας ἀποδεικνύς. Τυγχανέτω τοίνυν διὰ σοῦ ταύτης, ἐπεὶ τοῖς ἐμοῖς γε αὐτὴν ἀνακτήσεται ὅπλοις. Δεξάμενον δὲ τὴν ἐπιστολὴν τὸν Κωνστάντιον, καὶ τοὺς ἐπισκόπους ἐπὶ κοινωνίᾳ βουλῆς συγκαλέσαντα, γνώμην· παρ᾿ αὐτῶν λαβεῖν, ἄμεινον εἶναι μὴ πόλεμον ἀναῤῥῆξαι τῷ ἀδελφῷ, ἢ τῆς ᾿Αθανασίου βαρύτητος τὴν ᾿Αλεξάνδρειαν ἀπαλλάξαι. Διὸ καὶ ἐφιέναι αὐτῷ τὴν ἐπισκοπὴν ἀναλαβεῖν, καὶ τὸν Γεώργιον μετ' ἐπιστολῆς εἰς ἑαυτὸν μεταπέμψασθαι. Ἀλλ᾿ ὁ μὲν εἰς τὴν ἑαυτοῦ πατρίδα τὴν Καππαδοκίαν ἀφίκετο, κἀκεῖ διῆγε τὰ καθ' ἑαυτὸν ἐπισκοπούμενος. Ὁ δὲ ᾿Αθανάσιος, μετὰ μείζονος ἤδη φρονήματος διιὼν τὰς πόλεις, καθ' οὓς γίνοιτο τῶν ἐπισκόπων, λόγοις αὐτοὺς ἐξεκαλεῖτο πρὸς τὸ ὁμοούσιον· καὶ τοὺς μὲν ἄλλους μὴ προσδέχεσθαι ᾿Αέτιον δὲ τὸν ἔφορον τῆς Παλαιστίνης ἐπὶ πορνείᾳ καταγγελλόμενον, καὶ βουληθέντα τῇ πρὸς ᾿Αθανάσιον ἐπιχωρήσει τὸ σχος ἐπικαλύψασθαι, πρὸς τὴν ἐκείνου δόξαν αὐτομολῆσαι δοῦναι οὖν ὅμως ὀξύτατα τὴν δίκην, τοῦ αἰδοίου διασαπέντος καὶ σκώληκας βρύσαντος, καὶ οὕτω τοῦ ζῇν ἐλαθέντα. ᾿Αλλὰ καὶ Μάξιμον τῶν Ἱεροσολύμων ἐπίσκοπον, πρὸς τὴν ᾿Αθανασίου δόξαν ἀποκλίναι, καίπερ ὁ κατὰ Μαξιμιανὸν διωγμὸς μάρτυρα τοῦτον ἐδείκνυ, καὶ τὸν ἕτερον τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν ὑπὲρ τῆς εὐσεβείας φέροντα διορωρυγμένον. Καὶ πολλοὺς ἄλλους μετὰ μικρὸν εἰς τὴν ἑαυτοῦ ξαν τὸν ᾿Αθανάσιον ὑποσύρασθαι.
Hoti, phēsin, Athanasios pros ton hesperion ikomenos basilea, kai dōrōn tous autǭ paradynasteuontas hypagagōn aphthonią, malista de Eustathion, hos komēs ēn tōn legomenōn priouatōn, kai tǭ silei pithanōtatos, epistolēn pros Kōnstantion komizetai, legousan hōde; ᾿Athanasios hēken hōs hēmas, heautǭ prosēkein tēn episkopēn tēs ᾿Alexandreias apodeiknys. Tynchanetō toinyn dia sou tautēs, epei tois emois ge autēn anaktēsetai hoplois. Dexamenon de tēn epistolēn ton Kōnstantion, kai tous episkopous epi koinōnią boulēs synkalesanta, gnōmēn; par᾿ autōn labein, ameinon einai mē polemon anarrhēxai tǭ adelphǭ, ē tēs ᾿Athanasiou barytētos tēn ᾿Alexandreian apallaxai. Dio kai ephienai autǭ tēn episkopēn analabein, kai ton Geōrgion met' epistolēs eis heauton metapempsasthai. All᾿ ho men eis tēn heautou patrida tēn Kappadokian aphiketo, kakei diēge ta kath' heauton episkopoumenos. Ho de ᾿Athanasios, meta meizonos ēdē phronēmatos diiōn tas poleis, kath' hous ginoito tōn episkopōn, logois autous exekaleito pros to homoousion; kai tous men allous mē prosdechesthai ᾿Aetion de ton ephoron tēs Palaistinēs epi porneią katangellomenon, kai boulēthenta tę̄ pros ᾿Athanasion epichōrēsei to schos epikalypsasthai, pros tēn ekeinou doxan automolēsai dounai oun homōs oxytata tēn dikēn, tou aidoiou diasapentos kai skōlēkas brysantos, kai houtō tou zę̄n elathenta. ᾿Alla kai Maximon tōn Hierosolymōn episkopon, pros tēn ᾿Athanasiou doxan apoklinai, kaiper ho kata Maximianon diōgmos martyra touton edeikny, kai ton heteron tōn ophthalmōn hyper tēs eusebeias pheronta diorōrygmenon. Kai pollous allous meta mikron eis tēn heautou xan ton ᾿Athanasion hyposyrasthai.
That, he says, Athanasius, having come to the western emperor and won over those who held influence with him by an abundance of gifts, especially Eustathius, who was count of the so-called private estates and had very great influence with the emperor, obtained a letter to Constantius that said this: “Athanasius has come to us, showing that the bishopric of Alexandria belongs to him. Let him therefore obtain it through you, since otherwise he will recover it by my arms.” Constantius received the letter and called the bishops together to share his deliberation, and got from them the opinion that it was better not to break out into war with his brother than to rid Alexandria of the burden of Athanasius. Therefore he allowed Athanasius to take back the bishopric and summoned George to himself by letter. George went to his own homeland, Cappadocia, and lived there looking after his own affairs. Athanasius, now with greater pride, went through the cities and, by argument, called out the bishops he met to the homoousion. The others, he says, did not accept it; but Aetius, the bishop in Palestine, who was charged with sexual immorality and wanted to cover his disgrace by joining Athanasius, deserted to his opinion. Yet he paid the penalty very swiftly: his genitals rotted and bred worms, and so he was driven out of life. Maximus also, bishop of Jerusalem, inclined to Athanasius's opinion, although the persecution under Maximian had shown him a martyr and he bore one of his eyes gouged out for piety's sake. And not long afterwards Athanasius drew many others into his own opinion.
Notes and citation
Summary: Philostorgius's account of Athanasius's restoration through Constans's threat of war, and of the bishops who came over to him.
- Constans's letter is reported by Philostorgius; Photius copies it without comment. The Palestinian bishop Aetius (of Lydda) is not the Anomoean Aetius of 3.15.
- Lemmata of Valesius's notes had leaked into the text; they are removed. Some words have lost letters in the scan (βασιλεῖ, αἶσχος, δόξαν) and are translated by sense.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (lemmata of Valesius's notes leaked into the text): Ἐνιέναι αὐτῷ τὴν ἐπισκοπήν. Καὶ τοὺς μὲν ἄλλους μὴ προσδέχεσθαι. Ἐπιστολὴν πρὸς Κωνστάντιον. τῆς Παλαιστίνης → τῆς Παλαιστίνης.
Topics: Trinity, Church office
Cite (SBL): Philostorgius, Hist. eccl. 3.12 (PG 65:499; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/philostorgius-historia/3-12). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/philostorgius-historia/3-12
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-philostorgius-historia-3-12) · Report an error
Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from Valesius's text of Photius's epitome as printed in PG 65; every section compared afterwards with Walford's English (Bohn, 1855).
3.13PG 65:501
Ὅτι φησὶ τὸν Ἀντιοχείας Φλαβιανὸν, πλῆθος μοναχῶν συναγείραντᾳ, πρῶτον ἀναβοῆσαι· Δόξα Πατρὶ καὶ Υἱῷ καὶ ἁγίῳ Πνεύματι. Τῶν γὰρ πρὸ αὐτοῦ, τοὺς μὲν, Δόξα Πατρὶ Υἱοῦ ἐν ἁγίῳ Πνεύματι λέγειν, καὶ ταύτην μᾶλλον τὴν ἐκφώνησιν ἐπιπολάζειν· τοὺς δὲ, Δόξα Πατρὶ ἐν Υἱῷ καὶ ἁγίῳ Πνεύματι.
Hoti phēsi ton Antiocheias Phlabianon, plēthos monachōn synageirantą, prōton anaboēsai; Doxa Patri kai Huiǭ kai hagiǭ Pneumati. Tōn gar pro autou, tous men, Doxa Patri Huiou en hagiǭ Pneumati legein, kai tautēn mallon tēn ekphōnēsin epipolazein; tous de, Doxa Patri en Huiǭ kai hagiǭ Pneumati.
That he says Flavian of Antioch, having gathered a crowd of monks, was the first to cry out, “Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.” For of those before him, some said, “Glory to the Father through the Son in the Holy Spirit,” and this form of the doxology was the more common; others, “Glory to the Father in the Son and the Holy Spirit.”
Notes and citation
Summary: Philostorgius claims Flavian of Antioch first introduced the doxology “Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.”
- The first doxology as printed (Πατρὶ Υἱοῦ) has lost a word; the usual form is “through (διά) the Son”, and it is translated so.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (stray column letter of the printed page): πλῆθος Β μοναχῶν → πλῆθος μοναχῶν.
Cite (SBL): Philostorgius, Hist. eccl. 3.13 (PG 65:501; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/philostorgius-historia/3-13). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/philostorgius-historia/3-13
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-philostorgius-historia-3-13) · Report an error
Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from Valesius's text of Photius's epitome as printed in PG 65; every section compared afterwards with Walford's English (Bohn, 1855).
3.14PG 65:501
Ὅτι, φησὶν, εἰ καὶ διεφέροντο κατὰ τὰς δόξας τοῖς τὸ ὁμοούσιον πρεσβεύουσιν οἱ ἐξ ᾿Αρείου, ὅμως καὶ εὐχῶν, καὶ ὕμνων, καὶ βουλευμάτων, καὶ τῶν ἄλλων σχεδὸν ἁπάντων, πλὴν τῆς μυστικῆς ἐκοινώνουν θυσίας. Ἐπιγενομένου δὲ τοῦ ᾿Αετίου, καὶ τῆς ἐν τούτοις διαστάσεως ἄρξαντος, τὴν ὁμόδοξον συναγωγὴν πάντας δεσμοὺς καὶ φιλίας καὶ συνηθείας, οἷς τοῖς ἑτεροδόξοις συνήπτοντο, διαῤῥήξαντας, εἰς ἀντίπαλον τούτοις μάλιστα παρασκευάσαι καταστῆσαι τὴν μοῖραν.
Hoti, phēsin, ei kai diepheronto kata tas doxas tois to homoousion presbeuousin hoi ex ᾿Areiou, homōs kai euchōn, kai hymnōn, kai bouleumatōn, kai tōn allōn schedon hapantōn, plēn tēs mystikēs ekoinōnoun thysias. Epigenomenou de tou ᾿Aetiou, kai tēs en toutois diastaseōs arxantos, tēn homodoxon synagōgēn pantas desmous kai philias kai synētheias, hois tois heterodoxois synēptonto, diarrhēxantas, eis antipalon toutois malista paraskeuasai katastēsai tēn moiran.
That, he says, although the followers of Arius differed in their opinions from those who professed the homoousion, they still shared with them in prayers, hymns, counsels and almost everything else except the mystical sacrifice. But when Aetius came on the scene and began the division in these matters, he brought the party of like belief to break all the bonds of friendship and familiarity by which they were joined to those of other belief, and to set itself up as their opponent.
Notes and citation
Summary: Philostorgius says Arians and Nicenes shared worship except the Eucharist until Aetius brought about a full separation.
Cite (SBL): Philostorgius, Hist. eccl. 3.14 (PG 65:501; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/philostorgius-historia/3-14). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/philostorgius-historia/3-14
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-philostorgius-historia-3-14) · Report an error
Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from Valesius's text of Photius's epitome as printed in PG 65; every section compared afterwards with Walford's English (Bohn, 1855).
3.15PG 65:501
Ὅτι πατρὶς ᾿Αετίῳ ἡ ἐν κοίλῃ γέγονε ρίᾳ τοῦ δὲ πατρὸς αὐτοῦ τῶν ἐν στρατείᾳ δυσπραγέστερον ἐνηνεγμένων Καὶ τὸν βίον ἐν τούτοις ἀπολιπόντος, τὴν μὲν οὐσίαν τὸν τηνικάδε ἄρχοντά φησι δημοσιεῦσαι Νέον δὲ τὸν ᾿Αέτιον ὄντα εἰς ἔσχατον σὺν τῇ μητρὶ πενίας ἐλάσαι· καὶ διὰ τοῦτο ἐπὶ τὸ χρυσοχοεῖν ὁρμῆσαι, ὡς ἂν ἀμωσγέπως αὐτός τε καὶ ἡ γεννησαμένη διαβιῷ. ᾿Αποχρώντως δὲ τῇ τέχνῃ κεχρημένον, διὰ ῥώμην φύσεως ἐπὶ τὰς λογικὰς ἐπιστραφῆναι μαθήσεις. Καὶ Παυλίνου μὲν ἀκροάσασθαι πρότερον, ὃς ἐκ τῆς ἐφορείας Τύρου εἰς τὴν τῆς ᾿Αντιοχείας μετέστη. Τῆς δὲ τρὸς τὸν βίον λειπούσης, δι᾽ ἣν μᾶλλον καὶ ἡ ποικίλαις εἰδέαις τὸν χρυσὸν ἐπιμορφοῦσα τέχνη μετεχειρίζετο τῷ ᾿Αετίῳ, ἐκεῖθεν αὐτὸν ὅλον εἰς τὴν τῶν λογικῶν μαθημάτων μετατάξασθαι θεωρίαν· καὶ θᾶττον ἐπὶ λόγων ἁμίλλαις τῶν πλειόνων ὁρᾶσθαι κρατοῦντα· καὶ φθόνον ἐκ τούτου οὐ μικρὸν ἀνάπτειν. Ἀλλὰ μέχρι μὲν ὁ Παυλῖνος ἔζη, τὴν ἰσχὺν ὁ φθόνος παρῃρεῖτο. Ἐπεὶ δὲ ἐκεῖνος μετὰ νας ἓξ ἀπεβίω, ἀντ᾿ αὐτοῦ δὲ Εὐλάλιος τὸν θρότον εἶχεν, εἰς τὴν αὐτοῦ δύναμιν ἐπανελθὼν ὁ φθόνος, κινεῖ τὸν Εὐλάλιον τῆς ᾿Αντιοχείας τὸν ᾿Αέτιον ελάσαι. Ὁ δὲ, εἰς τὴν τῆς Κιλικίας ᾿Αναζαρβὸν ικόμενος, τῇ τέχνῃ πάλιν πρὸς τὸ ζῇν ἀπεχρῆτο, οὐδὲ τῆς ἐν λόγοις ἀφιστάμενος πρὸς τοὺς ἐντυγχάνοντας ἁμίλλης. Γραμματικοῦ δὲ τινος τὴν φύσιν αὐτοῦ ἀγαμένου, καὶ μεταδοῦναι τῆς τέχνης ὁρμημένου, ὁ ᾿Αέτιος παρ᾿ αὐτὸν εἰσοικισθεὶς ἐθήτευεν, τὰς οἰκετικὰς αὐτῷ τελῶν λειτουργίας. Καὶ ὁ μὲν τὴν γραμματικὴν προθύμως αὐτὸν ἐδιδάξατο. Ὁ δὲ, τοῦ διδασκάλου δημοσίᾳ ποτὲ καταστὰς εἰς ἔλεγχον, ὅτι μὴ τῶν θείων λογίων ὀρθὴν ἐποιεῖτο τὴν διήγησιν, καὶ πολλὴν αὐτοῦ τὴν ἐπ᾿ ἀμαθείᾳ τοιούτων αἰσχύνην καταχεάμενος, ἀντιμισθίαν εὗρε τὴν ἀποκήρυξιν τῆς εὐεργετούσης αὐτὸν οἰκίας. Ἐκεῖθεν δὲ ἐλαθεὶς ᾿Αθανασίῳ συγγίνεται, ὃς τῶν μὲν Λουκιανοῦ τοῦ μάρτυρος ὁμιλητῶν εἷς ἐγεγόνει, τὴν ᾿Αναβαρζὸν διεσκόπει παρ' ᾧ τοὺς εὐαγγελιστὰς ἀναγνοὺς, καὶ τοῖς καθ' ἕκαστον αὐτὸν ἐπιστήσας, ἐπὶ τὴν Ταρσὸν παρὰ ᾿Αντώνιον ἀφικνείται. Τῶν Λουκιανοῦ δὲ καὶ οὗτος ἦν γνωρίμων. οὗ τὰς τοῦ ᾿Αποστόλου ἀναδιδαχθεὶς Ἐπιστολὰς, ίκανὸν αὐτῷ συνδιέτριβε χρόνον, τὴν τοῦ πρεσβυτέρου τάξιν πληροῦντι. Ἐπεὶ δ᾽ ὁ ᾿Αντώνιος ἔφορος ἐγεγόνει, καὶ οὐχ οἷός τε ἦν ἐνασχολεῖσθαι τῇ σοφιζούσῃ τὸν ᾿Αέτιον διδασκαλίᾳ, εἰς τὴν ᾿Αντιόχου πάλιν ὁ ᾿Αέτιος ἐπάνεισιν, ἀκροασόμενος Λεοντίου πρεσβύτερος δὲ ἦν ὁ Λεόντιος κατ' ἐκεῖνο καιροῦ, καὶ σὐτὸς τῶν μαθητῶν Λουκιανοῦ χρηματίσας· ὃς αὐτῷ καὶ τοὺς προφήτας ἐξηγήσατο, καὶ μάλιστα τὸν ζεκιήλ. ᾿Αλλὰ κἀκεῖθεν αὐτὸν ὁ φθόνος αὖθις, ὡς Φιλοστόργιος ληρεῖ, ὡς ἄν τις ἀληθεύων εἴποι, τῆς γλώσσης ἡ ἀκρασία, καὶ τὸ τοῦ φρονήματος δυσσεβὲς ἀπελαύνει. Ἐκεῖθεν οὖν τὴν Κιλικίαν καταλαμβάνει· καί τις τῶν Βορβοριανῶν λόγοις αὐτῷ ὑπὸ τῆς ἰδίας δόξης συμπλακεὶς εἰς ἐσχάτην κατέστησεν ἧτταν. Ἐφ᾽ ᾧ ἀθυμία τε αὐτὸν κατείχε, καὶ τὸ ζῇν οὐκ ἀνεκτὸν ἡγεῖτο, ὁρῶν τὸ ψεῦδος τῆς ἀληθείας ἐπικρατέστερον. Οὕτω δὲ τῷ ᾿Αετίῳ διακειμένῳ ὀπτασία τις, ὡς οὗτος τερατολογεῖ, ἐφίσταται λύουσα τὴν ἀθυμίαν, συμβόλοις παρεχομένη τὸ ἀνανταγώνιστον τῆς ἤδη παρεχομένης αὐτοῦ σοφίας Κἀκεῖθεν παραγεγόνει τῷ Ἀετίῳ τὸ μηδενὸς ἐν συμπλοκαῖς ἡττᾶσθαι λόγων. Μετ᾿ οὐ πολὺ γοῦν ᾿Αφθόνιός τις τῆς Μανιχαίων λύσσης προεστώς, καὶ γάλην παρὰ πολλοῖς ἐπὶ σοφίᾳ καὶ δεινότητι λόγων φέρων τὴν δόξαν, ἐν τῇ κατ᾿ Αἴγυπτον αὐτῷ ᾿Αλεξανδρείᾳ συμπλέκεται. Καὶ γὰρ ἦκε πρὸς αὐτὸν ἐξ Αντιοχείας ὁ ᾿Αέτιος, ὑπὸ τῆς αὐτοῦ φήμης ἑλκόμενος. Ὡς δ᾽ εἰς ἅμιλλαν ἀλλήλοις κατέστησαν, οὐδὲ πολλοῖς καταναλωθείσης διαλέξεως, εἰς ἀφωνίαν συνελάσας ὁ ᾿Αέτιος τὸν Ἀφθόνιον, ἐκ μεγάλης δόξης εἰς μεγάλην αἰσχύνην κατήνεγκε. Διὸ καὶ τῷ ἀπροσδοκήτῳ βαρυθυμήσας τῆς ἥττης, νόσον τε ἐπεσπάσατο χαλεπήν, καὶ τῇ νόσῳ πέρας ὁ θάνατος ἦν, οὐδὲ ραιτέρω τῶν ἑπτὰ ἡμερῶν διαρκέσαντος τοῦ σώματος ἀπὸ τῆς πληγῆς. ᾿Αέτιος δὲ διὰ πάντων ἐχώρει, τοῖς λόγοις τοὺς ἀντιπάλους κατὰ κράτος βάλλων, καὶ τὴν νίκην λαμπρὰν ἀναδούμενος. Τότε δὲ καὶ τῆς ἰατρικῆς ἐξῆπτο ὡς ἂν μὴ μόνον ψυχῶν, ἀλλὰ καὶ σωμάτων ἔχοι τὰς νόσους ἰᾶσθαι. Σώπολις δ᾽ ἦν αὐτῷ τοῦ μαθήματος ὁ διδάσκαλος, ἀνὴρ ἐν τῇ χνῃ μηδενὸς ἔχων τὰ δεύτερα ἀριστεύων δὲ ἐν τρικῇ ὁ ᾿Αέτιος, ἄμισθον παρεῖχε τοῖς δεομένοις τὴν θεραπείαν. Εἰ δὲ ποτε ἐδέησεν αὐτῷ τῶν ἀναγκαίων, παρά τινι τῶν ὁμοτέχνων νύκτωρ φοιτῶν, ἵνα μὴ δι᾿ ἡμέρας ἀπάγοιτο τῶν σπουδαιοτέρων, ὅσον τοῦ χρυσίου τεχνικωτέρας ἐδεῖτο χειρὸς, τοῦτο δὲ ἄρα ἐξεργαζόμενος θᾶττον, παρὰ τοῦ ὁμοτέχνου τὸν σθὸν ἐκομίζετο, καὶ τὸν ἑαυτοῦ βίον συνεῖχε. Ταῦτα δὲ κατ' ἐκείνους καιροὺς τοῦ Κωνσταντίου ἦν, καθ' οὓς καὶ ὁ Θεόφιλος ἐκ τῶν Ἰνδῶν ἐπανελθὼν διῆγεν ἐν ᾿Αντιοχείᾳ.
Hoti patris ᾿Aetiǭ hē en koilę̄ gegone rią tou de patros autou tōn en strateią dyspragesteron enēnegmenōn Kai ton bion en toutois apolipontos, tēn men ousian ton tēnikade archonta phēsi dēmosieusai Neon de ton ᾿Aetion onta eis eschaton syn tę̄ mētri penias elasai; kai dia touto epi to chrysochoein hormēsai, hōs an amōsgepōs autos te kai hē gennēsamenē diabiǭ. ᾿Apochrōntōs de tę̄ technę̄ kechrēmenon, dia rhōmēn physeōs epi tas logikas epistraphēnai mathēseis. Kai Paulinou men akroasasthai proteron, hos ek tēs ephoreias Tyrou eis tēn tēs ᾿Antiocheias metestē. Tēs de tros ton bion leipousēs, di᾽ hēn mallon kai hē poikilais eideais ton chryson epimorphousa technē metecheirizeto tǭ ᾿Aetiǭ, ekeithen auton holon eis tēn tōn logikōn mathēmatōn metataxasthai theōrian; kai thatton epi logōn hamillais tōn pleionōn horasthai kratounta; kai phthonon ek toutou ou mikron anaptein. Alla mechri men ho Paulinos ezē, tēn ischyn ho phthonos parę̄reito. Epei de ekeinos meta nas hex apebiō, ant᾿ autou de Eulalios ton throton eichen, eis tēn autou dynamin epanelthōn ho phthonos, kinei ton Eulalion tēs ᾿Antiocheias ton ᾿Aetion elasai. Ho de, eis tēn tēs Kilikias ᾿Anazarbon ikomenos, tę̄ technę̄ palin pros to zę̄n apechrēto, oude tēs en logois aphistamenos pros tous entynchanontas hamillēs. Grammatikou de tinos tēn physin autou agamenou, kai metadounai tēs technēs hormēmenou, ho ᾿Aetios par᾿ auton eisoikistheis ethēteuen, tas oiketikas autǭ telōn leitourgias. Kai ho men tēn grammatikēn prothymōs auton edidaxato. Ho de, tou didaskalou dēmosią pote katastas eis elenchon, hoti mē tōn theiōn logiōn orthēn epoieito tēn diēgēsin, kai pollēn autou tēn ep᾿ amatheią toioutōn aischynēn katacheamenos, antimisthian heure tēn apokēryxin tēs euergetousēs auton oikias. Ekeithen de elatheis ᾿Athanasiǭ synginetai, hos tōn men Loukianou tou martyros homilētōn heis egegonei, tēn ᾿Anabarzon dieskopei par' hǭ tous euangelistas anagnous, kai tois kath' hekaston auton epistēsas, epi tēn Tarson para ᾿Antōnion aphikneitai. Tōn Loukianou de kai houtos ēn gnōrimōn. hou tas tou ᾿Apostolou anadidachtheis Epistolas, ikanon autǭ syndietribe chronon, tēn tou presbyterou taxin plērounti. Epei d᾽ ho ᾿Antōnios ephoros egegonei, kai ouch hoios te ēn enascholeisthai tę̄ sophizousę̄ ton ᾿Aetion didaskalią, eis tēn ᾿Antiochou palin ho ᾿Aetios epaneisin, akroasomenos Leontiou presbyteros de ēn ho Leontios kat' ekeino kairou, kai sytos tōn mathētōn Loukianou chrēmatisas; hos autǭ kai tous prophētas exēgēsato, kai malista ton zekiēl. ᾿Alla kakeithen auton ho phthonos authis, hōs Philostorgios lērei, hōs an tis alētheuōn eipoi, tēs glōssēs hē akrasia, kai to tou phronēmatos dyssebes apelaunei. Ekeithen oun tēn Kilikian katalambanei; kai tis tōn Borborianōn logois autǭ hypo tēs idias doxēs symplakeis eis eschatēn katestēsen hēttan. Eph᾽ hǭ athymia te auton kateiche, kai to zę̄n ouk anekton hēgeito, horōn to pseudos tēs alētheias epikratesteron. Houtō de tǭ ᾿Aetiǭ diakeimenǭ optasia tis, hōs houtos teratologei, ephistatai lyousa tēn athymian, symbolois parechomenē to anantagōniston tēs ēdē parechomenēs autou sophias Kakeithen paragegonei tǭ Aetiǭ to mēdenos en symplokais hēttasthai logōn. Met᾿ ou poly goun ᾿Aphthonios tis tēs Manichaiōn lyssēs proestōs, kai galēn para pollois epi sophią kai deinotēti logōn pherōn tēn doxan, en tę̄ kat᾿ Aigypton autǭ ᾿Alexandreią sympleketai. Kai gar ēke pros auton ex Antiocheias ho ᾿Aetios, hypo tēs autou phēmēs helkomenos. Hōs d᾽ eis hamillan allēlois katestēsan, oude pollois katanalōtheisēs dialexeōs, eis aphōnian synelasas ho ᾿Aetios ton Aphthonion, ek megalēs doxēs eis megalēn aischynēn katēnenke. Dio kai tǭ aprosdokētǭ barythymēsas tēs hēttēs, noson te epespasato chalepēn, kai tę̄ nosǭ peras ho thanatos ēn, oude raiterō tōn hepta hēmerōn diarkesantos tou sōmatos apo tēs plēgēs. ᾿Aetios de dia pantōn echōrei, tois logois tous antipalous kata kratos ballōn, kai tēn nikēn lampran anadoumenos. Tote de kai tēs iatrikēs exēpto hōs an mē monon psychōn, alla kai sōmatōn echoi tas nosous iasthai. Sōpolis d᾽ ēn autǭ tou mathēmatos ho didaskalos, anēr en tę̄ chnę̄ mēdenos echōn ta deutera aristeuōn de en trikę̄ ho ᾿Aetios, amisthon pareiche tois deomenois tēn therapeian. Ei de pote edeēsen autǭ tōn anankaiōn, para tini tōn homotechnōn nyktōr phoitōn, hina mē di᾿ hēmeras apagoito tōn spoudaioterōn, hoson tou chrysiou technikōteras edeito cheiros, touto de ara exergazomenos thatton, para tou homotechnou ton sthon ekomizeto, kai ton heautou bion syneiche. Tauta de kat' ekeinous kairous tou Kōnstantiou ēn, kath' hous kai ho Theophilos ek tōn Indōn epanelthōn diēgen en ᾿Antiocheią.
That Aetius's homeland was in Coele-Syria. When his father, who had fared badly in his military service, died in that condition, he says that the governor of the time confiscated his property, and Aetius, who was young, was reduced with his mother to extreme poverty; and for this reason he turned to goldsmith's work, so that he and his mother might somehow live. Having practised the craft sufficiently, through strength of natural ability he turned to the studies of logic. First he heard Paulinus, who was transferred from the bishopric of Tyre to that of Antioch. When his mother died, for whose sake above all Aetius had practised the craft of shaping gold into varied forms, he thereupon transferred himself entirely to the study of logic, and was soon seen to get the better of most people in contests of argument, and from this he kindled no small envy. As long as Paulinus lived, envy was robbed of its force; but when he died six months later and Eulalius held the throne in his place, envy regained its strength and moved Eulalius to drive Aetius out of Antioch. Aetius went to Anazarbus in Cilicia and again supported himself by his craft, not giving up contests of argument with those he met. A grammarian, admiring his natural ability and eager to share his art with him, took Aetius into his house, where he served him, performing a servant's duties for him; and the grammarian eagerly taught him grammar. But Aetius once publicly refuted his teacher for not giving a correct explanation of the divine oracles, and covered him with great shame for his ignorance of such things, and he received as his reward expulsion from the house that had been his benefactor. Driven out from there, he joined Athanasius, who had been one of the disciples of Lucian the martyr and was bishop of Anazarbus. With him he read the Evangelists, and having made him study each of them closely, he went to Tarsus, to Antony, who was also one of Lucian's pupils. Having been taught by him the Epistles of the Apostle, he spent considerable time with him while Antony held the rank of presbyter. When Antony became bishop and could no longer give his time to the teaching that was making Aetius wise, Aetius went back again to Antioch to hear Leontius. Leontius was a presbyter at that time, and had himself been one of Lucian's disciples; he explained the prophets to him, especially Ezekiel. But from there too, envy drove him out again, as Philostorgius drivels, or, as one would say truly, the intemperance of his tongue and the impiety of his opinion. From there he went to Cilicia; and one of the Borborians, entering into argument with him about his own belief, brought him to utter defeat. At this he fell into despondency and thought life unbearable, seeing falsehood stronger than truth. While Aetius was in this state, a vision, as this man tells in his tale of marvels, appeared to him, dispelling his despondency and showing by signs that the wisdom that would be given him could not be withstood. And from then on Aetius was never defeated in argument. Not long afterwards, a certain Aphthonius, a leader of the Manichaean madness, who had a great reputation with many for wisdom and skill in argument, engaged him in debate at Alexandria in Egypt; for Aetius had come to him from Antioch, drawn by his fame. When they entered into contest with each other, after no long discussion Aetius reduced Aphthonius to silence and brought him down from great fame to great shame. Taking his unexpected defeat hard, Aphthonius contracted a serious illness, and the illness ended in death, his body holding out no longer than seven days after the blow. Aetius went through everything, striking down his opponents by force of argument and wearing a brilliant crown of victory. At that time he also took up medicine, so that he could heal the diseases not only of souls but also of bodies. His teacher in this study was Sopolis, a man second to none in the art. Aetius, excelling in medicine, gave his treatment free to those who needed it. And if he ever lacked necessities, he would go at night to one of his fellow craftsmen, so as not to be drawn away by day from more serious pursuits, and would quickly finish whatever gold work needed a more skilled hand, receive his pay from his fellow craftsman, and so support his life. This was in those times of Constantius in which Theophilus, too, having returned from the Indians, was living at Antioch.
Notes and citation
Summary: Philostorgius's life of Aetius: his poverty and goldsmith's trade, his teachers among Lucian's disciples, his vision, his defeat of the Manichaean Aphthonius, and his medical practice.
- Photius interrupts Philostorgius's eulogy of Aetius with his own judgments (“as Philostorgius drivels”, “his tale of marvels”).
- The Borborians were a Gnostic sect. The Athanasius here is the Arian bishop of Anazarbus, not Athanasius of Alexandria.
- Many words in this section have lost letters in the scan (e.g. μητρὸς, μῆνας, θρόνον, Ἰεζεκιήλ, ἰατρικῇ, μισθόν); they are translated by sense. The opening phrase (ἐν κοίλῃ γέγονε ρίᾳ) is read as Coele-Syria.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (word split by OCR; word split by OCR with stray letters; word split by a line break and a stray column letter): Λου- Β κιανοῦ → Λουκιανοῦ; ᾿Αφθό νιός → ᾿Αφθόνιός; ἀπροσ Εκ δοκήτῳ → ἀπροσδοκήτῳ; σώμα τος → σώματος; ἐξερ γαζόμενος → ἐξεργαζόμενος.
Topics: Heresy
Cite (SBL): Philostorgius, Hist. eccl. 3.15 (PG 65:501; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/philostorgius-historia/3-15). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/philostorgius-historia/3-15
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-philostorgius-historia-3-15) · Report an error
Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from Valesius's text of Photius's epitome as printed in PG 65; every section compared afterwards with Walford's English (Bohn, 1855).
3.16PG 65:507
Ὅτι ᾿Αέτιος, φησὶ, τοῖς περὶ βασίλειον τὸ ᾿Αγκύρας, καὶ Εὐστάθιον τὸν Σεβαστείας, εἰς τοὺς περὶ τοῦ ὁμοουσίου λόγους καταστὰς, καὶ πάντων ἀνθρώπων αὐτοὺς διελέγξας ἀφωνοτάτους, ὡς οὗτος τερατολογεῖ, εἰς μίσος αὐτοῖς ἄσπονδον κατέστη.
Hoti ᾿Aetios, phēsi, tois peri basileion to ᾿Ankyras, kai Eustathion ton Sebasteias, eis tous peri tou homoousiou logous katastas, kai pantōn anthrōpōn autous dielenxas aphōnotatous, hōs houtos teratologei, eis misos autois aspondon katestē.
That Aetius, he says, entering into discussion about the homoousion with Basil of Ancyra and Eustathius of Sebaste, and proving them, as this man tells in his tale of marvels, the most speechless of all men, became the object of their implacable hatred.
Notes and citation
Summary: Aetius defeats Basil of Ancyra and Eustathius of Sebaste in debate and earns their hatred.
- “As this man tells in his tale of marvels” is Photius's comment.
Cite (SBL): Philostorgius, Hist. eccl. 3.16 (PG 65:507; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/philostorgius-historia/3-16). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/philostorgius-historia/3-16
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-philostorgius-historia-3-16) · Report an error
Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from Valesius's text of Photius's epitome as printed in PG 65; every section compared afterwards with Walford's English (Bohn, 1855).
3.17PG 65:507
Ὅτι Λεόντιος, φησὶν, ὃν ὁ ἔμπροσθεν λόγος πρεσβύτερόν τε καὶ διδάσκαλον ᾿Αετίου ὑπέδειξεν, ἐπίσκοπος Αντιοχείας καταστὰς, εἰς διακονίαν τὸν μαθητὴν προχειρίζεται, καὶ διδάσκειν ἐν ἐκκλησίᾳ τὰ τῆς Ἐκκλησίας ἐπιτρέπει δόγματα. Ὁ δὲ πρὸς μὲν τὸ τῆς διακονίας ἔργον ὑπεστάλη διδάσκειν δὲ ἀνεδέξατο. Χρόνον δὲ διατρίψας, ὃς ἐνόμιζεν αὐτῷ εἰς τὴν τῶν θείων μαθημάτων ἐξαρκέσειν παράδοσιν, ἐπὶ τὴν ᾿Αλεξάνδρειαν αὖθις παραγίνεται. Ἤδη γὰρ ἐν αὐτῇ ὁ ᾿Αθανάσιος πολὺς ἦν ἐπὶ τοῦ ὁμοουσίου ῥέων, καὶ ἐχρῆν εἶναι τὸν ἀντιπνέοντα.
Hoti Leontios, phēsin, hon ho emprosthen logos presbyteron te kai didaskalon ᾿Aetiou hypedeixen, episkopos Antiocheias katastas, eis diakonian ton mathētēn procheirizetai, kai didaskein en ekklēsią ta tēs Ekklēsias epitrepei dogmata. Ho de pros men to tēs diakonias ergon hypestalē didaskein de anedexato. Chronon de diatripsas, hos enomizen autǭ eis tēn tōn theiōn mathēmatōn exarkesein paradosin, epi tēn ᾿Alexandreian authis paraginetai. Ēdē gar en autę̄ ho ᾿Athanasios polys ēn epi tou homoousiou rheōn, kai echrēn einai ton antipneonta.
That Leontius, he says, whom the earlier account showed to be a presbyter and Aetius's teacher, having become bishop of Antioch, appointed his pupil to the diaconate and entrusted him with teaching the church's doctrines in church. Aetius declined the work of the diaconate but undertook to teach. After spending as much time as he thought would suffice for handing on the divine teachings, he went back to Alexandria. For Athanasius was already there, pouring forth a great flood in favour of the homoousion, and someone had to blow against him.
Notes and citation
Summary: Leontius, now bishop of Antioch, makes Aetius a deacon and teacher; Aetius goes to Alexandria to oppose Athanasius.
Topics: Church office
Cite (SBL): Philostorgius, Hist. eccl. 3.17 (PG 65:507; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/philostorgius-historia/3-17). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/philostorgius-historia/3-17
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-philostorgius-historia-3-17) · Report an error
Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from Valesius's text of Photius's epitome as printed in PG 65; every section compared afterwards with Walford's English (Bohn, 1855).
3.18PG 65:509
Ὅτι φησὶ Φλαβιανὸν καὶ Παυλῖνον, οἳ καὶ μετὰ ταῦτα τὸν ᾿Αντιοχείας θρόνον εἶχον διανειμάμενοι, τούτους τὸν εἰρημένον Λεόντιον ἅτε δὴ μὴ ὁμοδοξοῦντας καθελεῖν. Οὗτοι δὲ ἦσαν Εὐσταθίῳ συνακολουθήσαντες, ἐς τὴν μεθόριον ἀπαγομένῳ. Ὃς τῶν ἱερῶν τῆς ᾿Αντιοχείας φροντίδων μᾶλλον δὲ τῆς ὅλης εὐσεβείας, οὐδὲν ἠνέσχετο τοῖς καιροῖς συγκαπηλεύσασθαι.
Hoti phēsi Phlabianon kai Paulinon, hoi kai meta tauta ton ᾿Antiocheias thronon eichon dianeimamenoi, toutous ton eirēmenon Leontion hate dē mē homodoxountas kathelein. Houtoi de ēsan Eustathiǭ synakolouthēsantes, es tēn methorion apagomenǭ. Hos tōn hierōn tēs ᾿Antiocheias phrontidōn mallon de tēs holēs eusebeias, ouden ēnescheto tois kairois synkapēleusasthai.
That he says that Flavian and Paulinus, who afterwards divided the throne of Antioch between them, were deposed by the aforementioned Leontius because they were not of his belief. They had followed Eustathius when he was led off into exile, who would not make a trade of his sacred cares for Antioch, or rather of the whole of piety, to suit the times.
Notes and citation
Summary: Leontius deposes Flavian and Paulinus, followers of the exiled Eustathius.
- The relative clause (“who would not…”) most naturally refers to Eustathius; Valesius refers it to Leontius.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (stray column letter of the printed page): μᾶλλον Β δὲ → μᾶλλον δὲ.
Topics: Church office
Cite (SBL): Philostorgius, Hist. eccl. 3.18 (PG 65:509; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/philostorgius-historia/3-18). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/philostorgius-historia/3-18
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-philostorgius-historia-3-18) · Report an error
Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from Valesius's text of Photius's epitome as printed in PG 65; every section compared afterwards with Walford's English (Bohn, 1855).
3.19PG 65:509
Ὅτι Σεκούνδου καὶ Σέῤῥα εἰς ἐπισκοπὴν τὸν ᾿Αέτιον προχειριζομένων, αὐτὸς, φησὶν, οὐκ έσχετο, μὴ καθαρῶς αὐτοὺς ἱερᾶσθαι, διὰ τὴν ἐπιμιξίαν τῶν τὸ ὁμοούσιον θρησκευόντων ἀποφαινόμενος.
Hoti Sekoundou kai Serrha eis episkopēn ton ᾿Aetion procheirizomenōn, autos, phēsin, ouk escheto, mē katharōs autous hierasthai, dia tēn epimixian tōn to homoousion thrēskeuontōn apophainomenos.
That when Secundus and Serras were appointing Aetius to the episcopate, he himself, he says, would not accept it, declaring that they did not exercise the priesthood purely because they mixed with those who professed the homoousion.
Notes and citation
Summary: Aetius refuses ordination as bishop from Secundus and Serras because they communicated with the homoousians.
- The printed οὐκ έσχετο has lost letters (οὐκ ἠνέσχετο, “would not accept”).
Topics: Church office
Cite (SBL): Philostorgius, Hist. eccl. 3.19 (PG 65:509; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/philostorgius-historia/3-19). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/philostorgius-historia/3-19
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-philostorgius-historia-3-19) · Report an error
Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from Valesius's text of Photius's epitome as printed in PG 65; every section compared afterwards with Walford's English (Bohn, 1855).
3.20PG 65:509
Ὅτι, φησὶν, Εὐνόμιος κατὰ πύστιν τῆς ᾿Αετίου σοφίας εἰς ᾿Αντιόχειαν ἐκ Καππαδοκίας ἀφικόμενος, τῷ Σεκούνδῳ συνέμιξεν. Ὁ δὲ αὐτὸν ἐν ξανδρείᾳ τότε τῷ ᾿Αετίῳ διατρίβοντι συνέστηκε• συνέστην ἄμφω, ὁ μὲν διδάσκων, ὁ δὲ τοῖς ἱεροῖς μαθήμασι συνασκούμενος.
Hoti, phēsin, Eunomios kata pystin tēs ᾿Aetiou sophias eis ᾿Antiocheian ek Kappadokias aphikomenos, tǭ Sekoundǭ synemixen. Ho de auton en xandreią tote tǭ ᾿Aetiǭ diatribonti synestēke• synestēn amphō, ho men didaskōn, ho de tois hierois mathēmasi synaskoumenos.
That, he says, Eunomius, having heard of the wisdom of Aetius, came from Cappadocia to Antioch and joined Secundus. Secundus introduced him to Aetius, who was then living in Alexandria; and the two were together, the one teaching, the other being trained in the sacred learning.
Notes and citation
Summary: Eunomius comes to Antioch and is introduced by Secundus to Aetius at Alexandria, becoming his pupil.
- The end of this section is garbled in the scan (συνέστηκε• συνέστην ἄμφω) and is translated by sense; ἐν ξανδρείᾳ is Alexandria with letters lost.
Cite (SBL): Philostorgius, Hist. eccl. 3.20 (PG 65:509; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/philostorgius-historia/3-20). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/philostorgius-historia/3-20
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-philostorgius-historia-3-20) · Report an error
Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from Valesius's text of Photius's epitome as printed in PG 65; every section compared afterwards with Walford's English (Bohn, 1855).
3.21PG 65:509
Ὅτι Εὐνομίου φησὶν οὗτος ὁ δυσσεβής, οὐκ αἰσχυνόμενος, ἐγκώμιον ἀνατάξασθαι
Hoti Eunomiou phēsin houtos ho dyssebēs, ouk aischynomenos, enkōmion anataxasthai
That this impious man, unashamed, composed a eulogy of Eunomius.
Notes and citation
Summary: Photius notes that Philostorgius wrote a eulogy of Eunomius.
- “This impious man” is Photius's description of Philostorgius.
Cite (SBL): Philostorgius, Hist. eccl. 3.21 (PG 65:509; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/philostorgius-historia/3-21). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/philostorgius-historia/3-21
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-philostorgius-historia-3-21) · Report an error
Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from Valesius's text of Photius's epitome as printed in PG 65; every section compared afterwards with Walford's English (Bohn, 1855).
3.22PG 65:509
Ὅτι φησὶ τὸν Κώνσταντα, διὰ τὴν ὑπὲρ ᾿Αθανασίου σπουδὴν ὑπὸ τυραννίδι τῇ Μαγνεντίου τὴν ζωὴν καταστρέψασθαι. Τελευτήσαντος δὲ αὐτοῦ, καὶ τοῦ μὲν Κωνσταντίου κατὰ τὴν Ἔδεσαν τῆς Μεσοποταμίας διατρίβοντος (τοῦτο γὰρ ὁ Περσικὸς ήτει πόλεμος), ἡ πρεσβυτάτη τούτων ἀδελφὴ Κωνσταντίνα (᾿Αναβιλλιανοῦ δὲ ἦν κεχηρωμένη γυνή), δείσασα μὴ φθάσειεν ὁ τυραννήσας Μαγνέντιος τὸ πάντων ἀναρτήσασθαι κράτος, Οὐετερανίωνά τινα τῶν στρατηγούντων ἕνα καθίστησι Καίσαρα. Ἐδόκει δὲ δύνασθαι τὴν πρᾶξιν, διότι ζήνων ὁ κοινὸς αὐτῶν πατήρ διαδήματί τε αὐτὴν ἐταινίωσε, καὶ Αὐγοῦσταν ἐπωνόμασεν. Ὁ δὲ Κωνστάντιος ταῦτα μαθὼν παραυτίκα μὲν Οὐετερανίωνι τὸ διάδημα πέμπει, συνεπικυρῶν αὐτῷ καὶ τὸ τῆς βασιλείας ἀξίωμα· ἔπειτα δὲ πρὸς ἐσπερίους κατὰ Μαγνεντίου στρατευόμενος, καὶ συμμίξαι φιλίως τῷ Οὐετερανίωνι βουληθεὶς, ἐπείπερ ἐκεῖνος παρέσχεν ὑποψίαν ἐπαναστάσεως, χειροῦται μὲν τὸν Οὐετερανίωνα, καὶ τῆς βασιλικῆς ἀποδύει στολῆς· μηδὲν δὲ κακὸν ἐπεργασάμενος ἄλλο, ἀλλὰ καὶ τραπέζης αὐτῷ κοινωνήσας, εἰς Προῦσαν τῆς Βιθυνίας ἐκπέμπει, λαμπρὰς καὶ μεγαλοπρεπεῖς ἀφορίσας αὐτῷ τὰς χορηγίας, μηδενὸς ὑστερῆσθαι, ὧν ἀνθρώπου βίος ὡς ἐν ἰδιώταις εὐδαιμονεῖ, προνοησάμενος.
Hoti phēsi ton Kōnstanta, dia tēn hyper ᾿Athanasiou spoudēn hypo tyrannidi tę̄ Magnentiou tēn zōēn katastrepsasthai. Teleutēsantos de autou, kai tou men Kōnstantiou kata tēn Edesan tēs Mesopotamias diatribontos (touto gar ho Persikos ētei polemos), hē presbytatē toutōn adelphē Kōnstantina (᾿Anabillianou de ēn kechērōmenē gynē), deisasa mē phthaseien ho tyrannēsas Magnentios to pantōn anartēsasthai kratos, Oueteraniōna tina tōn stratēgountōn hena kathistēsi Kaisara. Edokei de dynasthai tēn praxin, dioti zēnōn ho koinos autōn patēr diadēmati te autēn etainiōse, kai Augoustan epōnomasen. Ho de Kōnstantios tauta mathōn parautika men Oueteraniōni to diadēma pempei, synepikyrōn autǭ kai to tēs basileias axiōma; epeita de pros esperious kata Magnentiou strateuomenos, kai symmixai philiōs tǭ Oueteraniōni boulētheis, epeiper ekeinos pareschen hypopsian epanastaseōs, cheiroutai men ton Oueteraniōna, kai tēs basilikēs apodyei stolēs; mēden de kakon epergasamenos allo, alla kai trapezēs autǭ koinōnēsas, eis Prousan tēs Bithynias ekpempei, lampras kai megaloprepeis aphorisas autǭ tas chorēgias, mēdenos hysterēsthai, hōn anthrōpou bios hōs en idiōtais eudaimonei, pronoēsamenos.
That he says Constans, because of his zeal for Athanasius, ended his life under the tyranny of Magnentius. After his death, while Constantius was staying at Edessa in Mesopotamia (for the Persian war required it), Constantina, the eldest of their sisters (she was the widow of Hannibalianus), fearing that the usurper Magnentius might get control of everything first, made Vetranio, one of the generals, Caesar. She was thought to have the power to do this because their common father, while still alive, had crowned her with a diadem and named her Augusta. Constantius, learning this, at once sent Vetranio the diadem, confirming him in the imperial dignity too; but afterwards, marching west against Magnentius and wanting to meet Vetranio as a friend, since Vetranio gave cause to suspect a revolt, he seized Vetranio and stripped him of the imperial robe. He did him no other harm, but even shared his table and sent him off to Prusa in Bithynia, assigning him splendid and generous allowances and taking care that he should lack nothing by which a man's life is happy as a private person.
Notes and citation
Summary: Philostorgius on the death of Constans, Constantina's elevation of Vetranio, and Constantius's mild treatment of him.
- “While still alive” renders ζήνων, a damaged word read as ζῶν.
Cite (SBL): Philostorgius, Hist. eccl. 3.22 (PG 65:509; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/philostorgius-historia/3-22). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/philostorgius-historia/3-22
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-philostorgius-historia-3-22) · Report an error
Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from Valesius's text of Photius's epitome as printed in PG 65; every section compared afterwards with Walford's English (Bohn, 1855).
3.23PG 65:511
Ὅτι Σαπώρην τὸν βασιλέα Περσῶν ἀναγράφει στρατεῦσαι κατὰ τῆς Νισίβιδος, καὶ εἰς πολιορκίαν αὐτῆς καταστῆναι ἄπρακτον δὲ καὶ παρὰ δόξαν κατῃσχυμένον ὑποστρέψαι, Ἰακώβου τοῦ τῆς πόλεως ἐπισκόπου τό τε πρακτέον τοῖς πολίταις εἰσηγουμένου, καὶ τῇ πρὸς Θεὸν παῤῥησίᾳ, κατὰ τὸ υπέρβλητον τῆς πόλεως ὑπερμαχεσαμένου.
Hoti Sapōrēn ton basilea Persōn anagraphei strateusai kata tēs Nisibidos, kai eis poliorkian autēs katastēnai aprakton de kai para doxan katę̄schymenon hypostrepsai, Iakōbou tou tēs poleōs episkopou to te prakteon tois politais eisēgoumenou, kai tę̄ pros Theon parrhēsią, kata to yperblēton tēs poleōs hypermachesamenou.
That he records that Shapur, king of the Persians, marched against Nisibis and laid siege to it, but went back without success and unexpectedly put to shame, because James, the bishop of the city, advised the citizens what to do, and by his boldness toward God defended the city in an unsurpassable way.
Notes and citation
Summary: Bishop James of Nisibis saves the city from Shapur's siege.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR lost two letters): τῆς λεως → τῆς πόλεως.
Topics: Prayer
Cite (SBL): Philostorgius, Hist. eccl. 3.23 (PG 65:511; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/philostorgius-historia/3-23). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/philostorgius-historia/3-23
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-philostorgius-historia-3-23) · Report an error
Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from Valesius's text of Photius's epitome as printed in PG 65; every section compared afterwards with Walford's English (Bohn, 1855).
3.24PG 65:511
Ὅτι αἱ ῎Αλπεις, αἵ τε Σούκεις καλούμεναι, καὶ αἱ Ἰούλιαι, δίοδοί εἰσι στεναὶ μεγίστων ὁρῶν ἑκατέρωθεν, καὶ ὑφ᾽ ἓν χωρίον ἐγγὺς τοῦ συμπτύσσεσθαι συγκλειομένων. Ἐοίκασι δὲ αἱ δίοδοι αὗται τοῖς ἐν Θερμοπύλαις στενοῖς. ᾿Αλλ' αἱ μὲν Ἰούλιαι Ἄλπεις τὰς Γαλλίας καὶ Ἰταλίας διορίζουσι τῶν Ἰταλῶν· αἱ δὲ Σούκεις μεταξὺ τῆς Δακίας εἰσὶ καὶ τῆς Θράκης, ἃς καὶ καταλαβεῖν ἐπειγόμενος Οὐετερανίων τὴν ὑπόνοιαν τῆς ἐπαναστάσεως παρέσχε Κωνσταντίῳ.
Hoti hai ᾿Alpeis, hai te Soukeis kaloumenai, kai hai Iouliai, diodoi eisi stenai megistōn horōn hekaterōthen, kai hyph᾽ hen chōrion engys tou symptyssesthai synkleiomenōn. Eoikasi de hai diodoi hautai tois en Thermopylais stenois. ᾿All' hai men Iouliai Alpeis tas Gallias kai Italias diorizousi tōn Italōn; hai de Soukeis metaxy tēs Dakias eisi kai tēs Thrakēs, has kai katalabein epeigomenos Oueteraniōn tēn hyponoian tēs epanastaseōs paresche Kōnstantiǭ.
That the Alps, both those called the Succi and the Julian Alps, are narrow passes between very great mountains on either side, which close together at one spot until they almost fold into one another. These passes resemble the narrows at Thermopylae. The Julian Alps divide the Gauls from Italy, while the Succi lie between Dacia and Thrace; and Vetranio, by hastening to seize these, gave Constantius cause to suspect a revolt.
Notes and citation
Summary: Philostorgius describes the Julian and Succi passes, whose seizure made Constantius suspect Vetranio.
- The printed text adds a redundant τῶν Ἰταλῶν (“of the Italians”) after “Italy”; it is not translated separately.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR lost the first letters of the word): Ἰούλιαι πεις → Ἰούλιαι Ἄλπεις.
Cite (SBL): Philostorgius, Hist. eccl. 3.24 (PG 65:511; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/philostorgius-historia/3-24). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/philostorgius-historia/3-24
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-philostorgius-historia-3-24) · Report an error
Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from Valesius's text of Photius's epitome as printed in PG 65; every section compared afterwards with Walford's English (Bohn, 1855).
3.25PG 65:511
Ὅτι ἐν ᾧ Κωνστάντιος κατὰ Μαγνεντίου παρεσκευάζετο τοῦ τυράννου, τὸ Περσικὸν ἀκούσας κατὰ τῆς ἐψας βαρυτέρᾳ χειρὶ κινεῖσθαι, εἰς ἀνάγκην ἧκε Γάλλον Καίσαρα χειροτονῆσαι, καὶ ἐπ᾿ αὐτοὺς πέμψαι. ᾿Ανεψιὸς δὲ ἦν ὁ Γάλλος· καὶ γὰρ ὁ Γάλλου πατὴρ Κωνστάντιος ἀδελφὸς ἦν Κωνσταντίνου τοῦ μεγάλου, ὃς ἐγείνατο Κωνστάντιον καὶ τοὺς αὐτοῦ ἀδελφούς.
Hoti en hǭ Kōnstantios kata Magnentiou pareskeuazeto tou tyrannou, to Persikon akousas kata tēs epsas baryterą cheiri kineisthai, eis anankēn hēke Gallon Kaisara cheirotonēsai, kai ep᾿ autous pempsai. ᾿Anepsios de ēn ho Gallos; kai gar ho Gallou patēr Kōnstantios adelphos ēn Kōnstantinou tou megalou, hos egeinato Kōnstantion kai tous autou adelphous.
That while Constantius was preparing against the usurper Magnentius, hearing that the Persian power was moving against the East with a heavier hand, he was forced to appoint Gallus Caesar and send him against them. Gallus was his cousin; for Gallus's father Constantius was the brother of Constantine the Great, who begot Constantius and his brothers.
Notes and citation
Summary: Constantius makes his cousin Gallus Caesar to face the Persians.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (stray letter): αὐτοῦ ῃ ἀδελφούς → αὐτοῦ ἀδελφούς.
Cite (SBL): Philostorgius, Hist. eccl. 3.25 (PG 65:511; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/philostorgius-historia/3-25). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/philostorgius-historia/3-25
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-philostorgius-historia-3-25) · Report an error
Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from Valesius's text of Photius's epitome as printed in PG 65; every section compared afterwards with Walford's English (Bohn, 1855).
3.26PG 65:511
Ὁ μὲν οὖν Κωνστάντιος ἐγκρατὴς τοῦ τυράννου γίνεται, κάνταῦθα τοῦ σημείου τοῦ σταυροῦ ἐπὶ μέγιστόν τε προφανέντος, καὶ καταπληκτικωτάταις αἴγλαις ὑπεραστράψαντος τὸ τῆς ἡμέρας φῶς. Ωφθη δὲ ἐπὶ τῶν Ἱεροσολύμων περὶ τὴν τρίτην ὥραν λιστα τῆς ἡμέρας, ἑορτῆς τῆς λεγομένης Πεντηκοστῆς ἐνισταμένης. Ὁ δὲ θεόγραφος τύπος ἐκεῖνος ἀπὸ τοῦ λεγομένου Κρανίου μέχρι καὶ τοῦ τῶν Ἐλαιῶν ὄρους διήκων ὡρᾶτο, ἴριδος μεγάλης στεφάνου τρόπον πανταχόθεν αὐτὸν περιελιττούσης. Ἐδήλου δὲ ἄρα ἡ μὲν ἴρις τὴν τοῦ σταυρωθέντος καὶ ἀναληφθέντος εὐμένειαν· ὁ δὲ στέφανος τὴν τοῦ βασιλέως νίκην. Τὸ δὲ σελασφόρον ἐκεῖνο καὶ σεβάσμιον θέαμα. οὐδὲ τοῖς ἐπὶ τοῦ στρατοπέδου ἀθέατον ἦν, ἀλλ᾽ ἐπιδήλως ὁρώμενον, Μαγνέντιον μὲν καὶ τοὺς σὺν αὐτῷ ἅτε τῇ τῶν δαιμόνων θεραπείᾳ προσανακειμένους, εἰς ἀμήχανον δέος κατέστησε· Κωνστάντιον δὲ καὶ τοὺς περὶ αὐτὸν εἰς θάρσος ἄμαχον ἀνεκτήσατο. τηθεὶς δὲ τὰ πρῶτα Μαγνέντιος, εἶτα κατὰ μικρὸν ἀναλαβὼν ἑαυτὸν, καὶ συμπλακεὶς ἐκ δευτέρου τῷ πολέμῳ, καὶ κατὰ τὸ κραταιότατον καταπολεμηθεὶς, καὶ τοὺς σὺν αὐτῷ μικροῦ πάντας ἀποβαλὼν, πρὸς τὴν Λουγδούνων ἀποδιδράσκει πόλιν. Καὶ τὰ μὲν πρῶτα κατ' εὔνοιαν δῆθεν τὸν οἰκεῖον ἀδελφὸν ἀποσφάττει, πολεμίας προαρπάζων ὕβρεως καὶ χειρός. Ἔπειτα καὶ εἴ τις ἄλλος παρῆν τῶν οἰκειοτάτων. λευταῖον δὲ, τὸ ξίφος ὑποστήσας ἑαυτῷ, ἐπηῤῥάχθη τε καὶ διελαθεὶς κατὰ τὸ μετάφρενον ἐξέψυξεν, οὐδ' ὅλα τέσσαρα τυραννήσας ἔτη.
Ho men oun Kōnstantios enkratēs tou tyrannou ginetai, kantautha tou sēmeiou tou staurou epi megiston te prophanentos, kai kataplēktikōtatais aiglais hyperastrapsantos to tēs hēmeras phōs. Ōphthē de epi tōn Hierosolymōn peri tēn tritēn hōran lista tēs hēmeras, heortēs tēs legomenēs Pentēkostēs enistamenēs. Ho de theographos typos ekeinos apo tou legomenou Kraniou mechri kai tou tōn Elaiōn orous diēkōn hōrato, iridos megalēs stephanou tropon pantachothen auton perielittousēs. Edēlou de ara hē men iris tēn tou staurōthentos kai analēphthentos eumeneian; ho de stephanos tēn tou basileōs nikēn. To de selasphoron ekeino kai sebasmion theama. oude tois epi tou stratopedou atheaton ēn, all᾽ epidēlōs horōmenon, Magnention men kai tous syn autǭ hate tę̄ tōn daimonōn therapeią prosanakeimenous, eis amēchanon deos katestēse; Kōnstantion de kai tous peri auton eis tharsos amachon anektēsato. tētheis de ta prōta Magnentios, eita kata mikron analabōn heauton, kai symplakeis ek deuterou tǭ polemǭ, kai kata to krataiotaton katapolemētheis, kai tous syn autǭ mikrou pantas apobalōn, pros tēn Lougdounōn apodidraskei polin. Kai ta men prōta kat' eunoian dēthen ton oikeion adelphon aposphattei, polemias proarpazōn hybreōs kai cheiros. Epeita kai ei tis allos parēn tōn oikeiotatōn. leutaion de, to xiphos hypostēsas heautǭ, epērrhachthē te kai dielatheis kata to metaphrenon exepsyxen, oud' hola tessara tyrannēsas etē.
Constantius, then, got the better of the usurper; and on this occasion too the sign of the cross appeared, very large, and outshone the light of day with most astonishing radiance. It was seen over Jerusalem at about the third hour of the day, as the feast called Pentecost was beginning. That figure drawn by God was seen stretching from the place called the Skull as far as the Mount of Olives, with a great rainbow wound round it on every side like a crown. The rainbow signified the favour of the one who was crucified and taken up; the crown, the emperor's victory. That radiant and venerable sight was not unseen even by those in the camp; plainly visible, it threw Magnentius and those with him, as men devoted to the worship of demons, into helpless fear, and restored Constantius and those with him to invincible courage. Magnentius, defeated at first, then gradually recovering himself and engaging in war a second time, was defeated with the utmost force; and having lost almost all those with him, he fled to the city of Lugdunum. There, first, ostensibly out of kindness, he slaughtered his own brother, snatching him in advance from the enemy's outrage and hand; then anyone else of his closest kin who was present. Finally, setting his sword against himself, he fell on it, and, pierced through to the back, breathed his last, having been usurper for not quite four full years.
Notes and citation
Summary: The sign of the cross over Jerusalem heralds Constantius's victory over Magnentius, who kills his kin and himself at Lyon.
- The Skull is Golgotha (Calvary). The sign over Jerusalem at Pentecost 351 is also described in the letter of Cyril of Jerusalem to Constantius.
- Several words have lost their first letters in the scan (μάλιστα, ἡττηθεὶς, Τελευταῖον) and are translated by sense.
Cite (SBL): Philostorgius, Hist. eccl. 3.26 (PG 65:511; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/philostorgius-historia/3-26). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/philostorgius-historia/3-26
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-philostorgius-historia-3-26) · Report an error
Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from Valesius's text of Photius's epitome as printed in PG 65; every section compared afterwards with Walford's English (Bohn, 1855).
3.27PG 65:513
Ὅτι φησὶ τοὺς περὶ Βασίλειον καὶ Εὐστάθιον ἔχθρας γεγονότας τῷ ᾿Αετίῳ, διαβολὰς ἀτόπους συῤῥάψαι, καὶ τὸν Γάλλον ἐπὶ ταυτὸ παροξύναι ὥστε ἐκεῖνον ὡς ἐπισκόποις πιστεύσαντα καὶ πρὸς ὀργὴν ἐκταραχθέντα, κελεῦσαι τὸν ᾿Αέτιον ἀναζητηθῆναι, καὶ ἀμφοῖν τοῖν σκελοῖν κατεαγῆναι. Λεοντίου δὲ τοῦ ἐπισκόπου Ἀντιοχείας τἀναντία τούτοις τὸν Καίσαρα διδαξαμένου, ἡ τε καταδικάζουσα ψῆφος ἀνεβλήθη, καὶ εἰς θέαν ὁ Γάλλος μετ᾿ οὐ πολὺ τοῦ Αετίου κατέστη, καὶ φίλος ἐκρίθη. Καὶ πολλάκις πρὸς Ἰουλιανὸν ἀπεστάλη, καὶ μάλιστα ἡνίκα επυνθάνετο πρὸς τὸν Ἑλληνισμὸν ὁ ἀδελφὸς ἐκεῖνον ἀποκλίνειν· ἐστέλλετο δὲ, τῆς ἀσεβείας κατὰ τὸ δυνατὸν αὐτὸν ἀνασώσασθαι. Οὐ μὴν ἀλλὰ καὶ τῶν θείων μαθημάτων ὁ Γάλλος διδάσκαλον τὸν ᾿Αέτιον ἐποιεῖτο.
Hoti phēsi tous peri Basileion kai Eustathion echthras gegonotas tǭ ᾿Aetiǭ, diabolas atopous syrrhapsai, kai ton Gallon epi tauto paroxynai hōste ekeinon hōs episkopois pisteusanta kai pros orgēn ektarachthenta, keleusai ton ᾿Aetion anazētēthēnai, kai amphoin toin skeloin kateagēnai. Leontiou de tou episkopou Antiocheias tanantia toutois ton Kaisara didaxamenou, hē te katadikazousa psēphos aneblēthē, kai eis thean ho Gallos met᾿ ou poly tou Aetiou katestē, kai philos ekrithē. Kai pollakis pros Ioulianon apestalē, kai malista hēnika epynthaneto pros ton Hellēnismon ho adelphos ekeinon apoklinein; estelleto de, tēs asebeias kata to dynaton auton anasōsasthai. Ou mēn alla kai tōn theiōn mathēmatōn ho Gallos didaskalon ton ᾿Aetion epoieito.
That he says that Basil's and Eustathius's party, having become enemies of Aetius, stitched together absurd slanders and stirred up Gallus to the same, so that he, trusting them as bishops and thrown into anger, ordered Aetius to be sought out and both his legs broken. But when Leontius, bishop of Antioch, informed the Caesar to the contrary, the sentence of condemnation was put off; and not long afterwards Gallus came to see Aetius and judged him a friend. Aetius was often sent to Julian, especially when Gallus heard that his brother was inclining to paganism; he was sent to rescue him from impiety as far as he could. Moreover, Gallus made Aetius his teacher in divine studies.
Notes and citation
Summary: Basil and Eustathius turn Gallus against Aetius, but Leontius reconciles them; Gallus sends Aetius to keep Julian from paganism.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR lost two letters): κατὰ τὸ νατὸν → κατὰ τὸ δυνατὸν.
Cite (SBL): Philostorgius, Hist. eccl. 3.27 (PG 65:513; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/philostorgius-historia/3-27). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/philostorgius-historia/3-27
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-philostorgius-historia-3-27) · Report an error
Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from Valesius's text of Photius's epitome as printed in PG 65; every section compared afterwards with Walford's English (Bohn, 1855).
3.28PG 65:513
Ὅτι Γάλλου κατὰ Περσῶν εἰς τὸ κράτιστον ἀνδραγαθήσαντος, εἰς φθόνον οἱ ταῖς διαβολαῖς χαίροντες ἀναφλέγουσι τὸν βασιλέα. Καὶ τοῦ Περσικοῦ πολέμου ταῖς τοῦ Καίσαρος ἀριστείαις πεπαυμένου, ἀποστέλλει Δομετιανὸν ἔπαρχον τῶν καλουμένων πραιτωρίων ὁ Κωνστάντιος, ἐντειλάμενος αὐτῷ κατὰ τὸ ἀφανὲς, τὰς τοῦ Γάλλου περικόπτειν ἀπὸ τῆς ᾿Αντιοχείας ἐξόδους, τὴν ἐπ᾿ ἀνδρείᾳ καὶ τῇ τῶν κοινῶν ἐπιμελείᾳ δόξαν αὐτοῦ κατασμικρύνειν ταύτῃ διανεούμενος. Ὁ δὲ Δομετιανὸς οὐδὲν τῶν προσταχθέντων μετριώτερον, ἀλλὰ καὶ θρασύτερον καὶ φρονῶν καὶ πράττων, οὐδὲ παραγενόμενος εἰς ᾿Αντιόχειαν, ἔνθα διέτριβεν ὁ Γάλλος, οὐδ᾽ εἰς ὄψιν αὐτοῦ ἐλθεῖν κατεδέξατο. Ἐξ ἧς αἰτίας καὶ ἑτέρων συνεπιῤῥυέντων, θανάτῳ τὸν ὑβριστὴν μετελθεῖν ἐβουλεύετο, καὶ τὸν Μόντιον κοινωνὸν γενέσθαι τῆς κρίσεως παρελάμβανεν. Ὁ δὲ θράσους ἀμετρίᾳ χρησάμενος Οὐδὲ λογιστὴν, ἀντεῖπεν, ἔξεστί σοι προχειρίσασθαι καὶ πῶς ἂν πραιτωρίων ἔπαρχον ἀνελεῖν δύναιο; οἷς ἡ Γάλλου γυνή Κωνσταντία περιαλγής γενομένη, εἰ οὕτως ὁ Γάλλος Καῖσάρ τε ὧν καὶ Αὐγούστης ἀνὴρ (καὶ γὰρ αὕτη πατρόθεν ἦν δεδεγμένη τὸ ἀξίωμα) προπηλακίζοιτο, αὐτὴ δι᾽ ἑαυτῆς ἐπισπασαμένη τὸν Μόντιον τοῖς δορυφόροις ἐκδίδωσιν. Ὥστε τὴν ταχίστην ἀραμένους πρὸς τὸν Δομετιανὸν ἀποκομίσαι. Κἀκεῖνον κατασπάσαντας τοῦ θρόνου, ἄμφω σχοίνοις τῶν ποδῶν ἐξαψαμένους, κακοὺς κακῶς ἀπολέσαι. Καὶ τοῦτο θᾶττον ἐπράχθη, συνεπιψηφίζοντος καὶ τοῦ Γάλλου.
Hoti Gallou kata Persōn eis to kratiston andragathēsantos, eis phthonon hoi tais diabolais chairontes anaphlegousi ton basilea. Kai tou Persikou polemou tais tou Kaisaros aristeiais pepaumenou, apostellei Dometianon eparchon tōn kaloumenōn praitōriōn ho Kōnstantios, enteilamenos autǭ kata to aphanes, tas tou Gallou perikoptein apo tēs ᾿Antiocheias exodous, tēn ep᾿ andreią kai tę̄ tōn koinōn epimeleią doxan autou katasmikrynein tautę̄ dianeoumenos. Ho de Dometianos ouden tōn prostachthentōn metriōteron, alla kai thrasyteron kai phronōn kai prattōn, oude paragenomenos eis ᾿Antiocheian, entha dietriben ho Gallos, oud᾽ eis opsin autou elthein katedexato. Ex hēs aitias kai heterōn synepirrhyentōn, thanatǭ ton hybristēn metelthein ebouleueto, kai ton Montion koinōnon genesthai tēs kriseōs parelambanen. Ho de thrasous ametrią chrēsamenos Oude logistēn, anteipen, exesti soi procheirisasthai kai pōs an praitōriōn eparchon anelein dynaio? hois hē Gallou gynē Kōnstantia perialgēs genomenē, ei houtōs ho Gallos Kaisar te hōn kai Augoustēs anēr (kai gar hautē patrothen ēn dedegmenē to axiōma) propēlakizoito, autē di᾽ heautēs epispasamenē ton Montion tois doryphorois ekdidōsin. Hōste tēn tachistēn aramenous pros ton Dometianon apokomisai. Kakeinon kataspasantas tou thronou, amphō schoinois tōn podōn exapsamenous, kakous kakōs apolesai. Kai touto thatton eprachthē, synepipsēphizontos kai tou Gallou.
That when Gallus had shown the greatest valour against the Persians, those who delight in slander inflamed the emperor to envy. When the Persian war had been ended by the Caesar's feats, Constantius sent Domitian, prefect of the so-called praetorium, secretly instructing him to cut off Gallus's excursions from Antioch, intending in this way to diminish his reputation for courage and for care of the common good. Domitian, in both thought and action nothing more moderate than his orders but even bolder, when he came to Antioch, where Gallus was staying, would not even consent to come into his presence. For this reason, and for others that flowed in with it, Gallus planned to punish the insolent man with death, and took Montius as a partner in the judgment. But Montius, with boundless boldness, replied, “You are not permitted even to appoint a curator; how could you put a praetorian prefect to death?” At these words Gallus's wife Constantia, deeply pained that Gallus, who was Caesar and the husband of an Augusta (for she had received that dignity from her father), should be so insulted, herself dragged Montius off and handed him over to the guards. They took him up at once and carried him to Domitian, dragged Domitian down from his throne, tied both of them by the feet with ropes, and put them to a miserable death. This was done very quickly, with Gallus also giving his assent.
Notes and citation
Summary: The praetorian prefect Domitian and the quaestor Montius are killed at Antioch with Gallus's consent.
- A curator (λογιστής) was a municipal financial officer.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (word split by OCR): κακοὺς και κῶς → κακοὺς κακῶς.
Cite (SBL): Philostorgius, Hist. eccl. 3.28 (PG 65:513; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/philostorgius-historia/3-28). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/philostorgius-historia/3-28
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-philostorgius-historia-3-28) · Report an error
Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from Valesius's text of Photius's epitome as printed in PG 65; every section compared afterwards with Walford's English (Bohn, 1855).