Church History 1.12–1.21
Greek text: PG 67 (OCR text layer from the Bavarian State Library, cleaned for this site).English: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), public domain (CC0). Compare: Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 2, vol. 2 (1890).
Chapter 1
1.12PG 67:103–105
Περὶ δὲ Σπυρίδωνος 1, τοσαύτη τῷ ποιμένι προσῆν ὁσιότης, ὡς καὶ ἀξιωθῆναι αὐτὸν καὶ ἀνθρώπων ποιμένα γενέσθαι. Ὃς μιᾶς τῶν ἐν Κύπρῳ πόλεων “ὀνόματι Τριμιθοῦντος, τὴν ἐπισκοπὴν ἐκεκλήρωτο. Διὰ δὲ ἀτυφίαν πολλὴν, ἐχόμενος τῆς ἐπισκοπῆς ἐποίμαινε καὶ τὰ πρόβατα. Πολλὰ μὲν οὖν τὰ περὶ αὐτοῦ λεγόμενα. Ἑνὸς δὲ ἢ δύο ἐπιμνησθήσομαι, ἵνα μὴ ἔξω τοῦ προκειμένου δόξω πλανᾶσθαι. Μεσούσης ποτὲ τῆς νυκτός, κλέπται ταῖς ἐπαύλεσι τῶν προβάτων λαθραίως ἐπελθόντες, ἀφαιρεῖσθαι τῶν προβάτων ἐσπούδαζον. Ὁ Θεὸς δὲ ἄρα ὁ τὸν ποιμένα σώζων, ἔσωζε καὶ τὰ πρόβατα. Οἱ γὰρ κλέπται, ἀοράτῳ δυνάμει παρὰ ταῖς ἐπαύλεσιν ἐδέδεντο. "Ορθρος τε ἦν· καὶ ἧκε παρὰ τὰ ποίμνια. Ὡς δὲ εὗρεν ὀπίσω τὰς χεῖρας ἔχοντας, ἔγνω τὸ γεγονός· καὶ εὐχόμενος, λύει τοὺς κλέπτας, πολλά τε νουθετήσας, παραινέσας δικαίων πόνων σπουδάζειν, μὴ μὴν ἐξ ἀδικίας λαμδάνειν" χριόν τε αὑτοῖς χαρισάμενος ἀπέλυσε, χαριέντως ἐπιφθεγξάμενος, Ἵνα φησὶ, μάτην ἡγρυπνηχότες φανείητε. μὲν δὴ τοῦτο τῶν περὶ Σπυρίξωνος θαυμάτων. Ἕτερον δὲ τοιοῦτο ἦν αὐτῷ θυγάτηρ παρθένος, τῆς τοῦ πατρὸς εὐλαδείας μετέχουσα, τοὔνομα Εἰρήνη. Ταύτῃ γνώρ:ἡ μός πολύτιμον παρέθετο χόσμιον" ἡ δὲ ἀσφαλέστερὸν ποιοῦσα, γῇ τὴν παρακαταθήκην ἔχρυψε μετοὐπολὺ δὲ τὸν βίον ἀπέλιπεν. "Ἤχει μετὰ χρόνον ὁ παραθέμενος. Μὴ εὑρών τε τὴν παρθένον, ἐμπλέχεται τῷ πατρὶ, νῦν μὲν ἐγκαλῶν, ἔστιν δὲ ὅτε καὶ παραχαλῶν. Ἐπεὶ συμφορὰν ἐποιεῖτο τὴν τοῦ παραθεμένου ζημίαν ὁ γέρων, ἐλθὼν ἐπὶ τὸ μνῆμα τῆς θυγατρὸς, ἐπεκαλεῖτο τὸν Θεὸν, πρὸ καιροῦ δεῖξαι — , αὐτῷ τὴν ἐπαγγελλομένην ἀνάστασιν. Καὶ τῆς ἐλπίδος ἥμαρτε. Ζῶσα γὰρ αὖθις ἡ παρθένος, φαίγεται τῷ πατρί, τὸν τόπον σημάνασα, ἔνθα κόσμιον ἀπεχέχρυπτο, αὖθις ἀπεχώρει. Τοιοῦτοι — δοῖς ἐν τοῖς χρόνοις τοῦ βασιλέως Κωνσταντίνου — τὰς Ἐκκλησίας ἐξέλαμπον. Ταῦτα δὲ ἐγὼ καὶ ἀχοῆ παρὰ πολλῶν Κυπρίων παρέλαθον, συντάγματι — τινὸς πρεσῆυτέρου ἐνέτυχον, Ῥωμαϊκῇ λέξει συγγεγραμμένῳ. ὧν ταῦτα καὶ ἕτερά τινα — τῶν μετ᾽ οὐ πολὺ ῥηθησομένων συνήγαγον.
Peri de Spyridōnos 1, tosautē tǭ poimeni prosēn hosiotēs, hōs kai axiōthēnai auton kai anthrōpōn poimena genesthai. Hos mias tōn en Kyprǭ poleōn “onomati Trimithountos, tēn episkopēn ekeklērōto. Dia de atyphian pollēn, echomenos tēs episkopēs epoimaine kai ta probata. Polla men oun ta peri autou legomena. Henos de ē dyo epimnēsthēsomai, hina mē exō tou prokeimenou doxō planasthai. Mesousēs pote tēs nyktos, kleptai tais epaulesi tōn probatōn lathraiōs epelthontes, aphaireisthai tōn probatōn espoudazon. Ho Theos de ara ho ton poimena sōzōn, esōze kai ta probata. Hoi gar kleptai, aoratǭ dynamei para tais epaulesin ededento. "Orthros te ēn; kai hēke para ta poimnia. Hōs de heuren opisō tas cheiras echontas, egnō to gegonos; kai euchomenos, lyei tous kleptas, polla te nouthetēsas, parainesas dikaiōn ponōn spoudazein, mē mēn ex adikias lamdanein" chrion te hautois charisamenos apelyse, charientōs epiphthenxamenos, Hina phēsi, matēn hēgrypnēchotes phaneiēte. men dē touto tōn peri Spyrixōnos thaumatōn. Heteron de toiouto ēn autǭ thygatēr parthenos, tēs tou patros euladeias metechousa, tounoma Eirēnē. Tautę̄ gnōr:hē mos polytimon paretheto chosmion" hē de asphalesteron poiousa, gę̄ tēn parakatathēkēn echrypse metoupoly de ton bion apelipen. "Ēchei meta chronon ho parathemenos. Mē heurōn te tēn parthenon, emplechetai tǭ patri, nyn men enkalōn, estin de hote kai parachalōn. Epei symphoran epoieito tēn tou parathemenou zēmian ho gerōn, elthōn epi to mnēma tēs thygatros, epekaleito ton Theon, pro kairou deixai — , autǭ tēn epangellomenēn anastasin. Kai tēs elpidos hēmarte. Zōsa gar authis hē parthenos, phaigetai tǭ patri, ton topon sēmanasa, entha kosmion apechechrypto, authis apechōrei. Toioutoi — dois en tois chronois tou basileōs Kōnstantinou — tas Ekklēsias exelampon. Tauta de egō kai achoē para pollōn Kypriōn parelathon, syntagmati — tinos presēuterou enetychon, Rhōmaïkę̄ lexei syngegrammenǭ. hōn tauta kai hetera tina — tōn met᾽ ou poly rhēthēsomenōn synēgagon.
As for Spyridon, such holiness belonged to this shepherd that he was counted worthy to become a shepherd of men as well. He had been allotted the bishopric of one of the cities of Cyprus, called Trimithus. Because of his great humility, while he held the bishopric he also tended his sheep. Many things are told about him; I will mention one or two, so as not to seem to wander from my subject. Once, at midnight, thieves secretly came to the sheepfolds and tried to carry off some of the sheep. But God, who kept the shepherd safe, kept the sheep safe too; for the thieves were bound beside the folds by an invisible power. At daybreak he came to the flocks, and when he found them with their hands behind them, he knew what had happened. He prayed and set the thieves free, and after admonishing them at length and urging them to strive for honest labour and not to take from wrongdoing, he gave them a ram and sent them away, saying pleasantly, “so that you may not seem to have stayed awake for nothing.” This is one of Spyridon’s wonders. Another was of this kind. He had a virgin daughter named Irene, who shared her father’s piety. An acquaintance entrusted a costly ornament to her, and she, to keep it more safely, hid the deposit in the ground; not long afterwards she departed this life. Some time later the man who had deposited it came, and not finding the virgin, he pressed her father, now accusing him, now pleading with him. Since the old man counted the depositor’s loss his own misfortune, he went to his daughter’s tomb and called on God to show him before its time the promised resurrection. Nor was he disappointed in his hope: the virgin, alive again, appeared to her father, showed him the place where the ornament was hidden, and departed again. Such men shone in the churches in the times of the emperor Constantine. These things I learned by hearing from many Cypriots, and I also came upon a treatise … of a certain presbyter written in Latin, from which I have collected these and some other things that will be told shortly.
Textual problem in this passage: see the notes.
Notes and citation
Summary: Spyridon of Trimithus, a shepherd-bishop, frees thieves miraculously bound at his sheepfold and recovers a deposit by his dead daughter’s brief return.
- Several words are lost in the scan near the end (marked “…”). The Latin work Socrates used is Rufinus’s Church History (10.5), which tells these stories.
Extrabiblical texts: Rufinus of Aquileia, Hist. (Rufinus of Aquileia, Rufinus, Church History; allusion)
Cite (SBL): Socrates, Hist. eccl. 1.12 (PG 67:103–105; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/socrates-historia/1-12). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/socrates-historia/1-12
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from Valesius's Greek text as printed in Migne PG 67 (Bavarian State Library OCR and Tesseract re-OCR); every chapter compared afterwards with Zenos's English in NPNF² 2.
1.13PG 67:105–109
δὲ ἐγὼ περὶ Εὐτυχιανοῦ, θεοφιλοῦς ἀνδρὸς κατὰ τοὺς αὐτοὺ: χρόνους ἀχμάσαντος. Ὃ: αὑτὸς τῆ: Ἐκκλησίας τῶν Νανατιανῶν τυγχάνων, παραπλήσια ἔργα ποιῶν ἐθαυμάζετο. Τίς τε ὁ περὶ τούτου διηγησάμενος, ἐρῶ μετὰ ἀκριβείας, καὶ οὐχ ἀποχρύψομαι, κἂν δόξω τισὶν ἀπεχθάνεσθαι. Αὐξάνων τις τῆς Ναυατιανῶν Ἐχκχλησίας πρεσθδύτερυς, μαχροδιώτατος γέγονεν " ὃς καὶ τῇ ἐν Νιχαί συνόδῳ κομιδῇ νήπιος ὧν, ἅμα τῷ ᾿Αχεσίῳ παρέδαλλε, καὶ τὰ ᾿Ακέσιον ἐμοὶ διηγήσατο. Οὗτος ἐξ ἐκείνων τῶν χρόνων, ἄχρι τῆς βασιλείας τοῦ Νέου Θεοδοσίου ἐξέτεινε, νεωτέρῳ μοι σφόδρα τυγχάνοντι, τὰ περὶ — Εὐτυχιανοῦ διηγήσατο, πολλὰ μὲν διεξελθὼν περὶ τῆς προσούσης αὐτῷ θείας χάριτος " ἕν δὲ κἀκεῖνο μνήμης ἄξιον ἐπὶ τοῦ βασιλέως ἔφη Κωνσταντίνου. Τῶν δ᾽ρυτόρων τις͵ οὖς; οἰκείους καλεῖ ὁ βασιλεὺς, τυ-. ραννιχά τινα ὑποπτευθεὶς, φυγῇ σατο. Ὃ βασιλεὺς δὲ ἐκέλευσεν ἀπειλῇ ἀναιρεῖσθαι — αὐτὸν, ἔνθα ἂν εὑρίσκοιτο. Ὃς περὶ τὸν Βιθυνὸν — —— εὑρεθεὶς, βαρυτάτοις χαλεποῖς σιδήξοις — περὶ τὰ μέρη τοῦ — 41 : καὶ ὁ Εὐτυχιανὸς τὸν μονήρη βίον ἀσκῶν, — » τε τὰ σώματα τὰ: ψυχὰς ἐθεράπευεν. ἘΣ αὐτῷ καὶ ὁ Μμαχροδιώτατος Λὐξάνων, νέος — ι τὰ τοῦ μοναχιχοῦ βίου ὑπ᾽ αὐτῷ — τοῦτον τὸν Εὐτυχιανὸν ἦκον πολλοὶ, — συ παρακαλοῦντες ῥύεσθαι τὸν δέσμιον, βασιλεῖ παρακλήσεις προσφέροντα. Καὶ γὰρ ἐληλύθει εἰς τὰς ἀκοὰς τοῦ βασιλέως τὰ παρὰ τοῦ Εὐτυχιανοῦ γινόμενα θαύματα. Ὁ δὲ ἑτοίμως ὑπέσχετο παρὰ τὸν βασιλέα πορεύεσθαι. Ἐπεὶ δὲ ὁ δεσμώτης ἐκ τῶν δεσμῶν ἀνήκεστα ἔπασχεν, οἱ παρακαλοῦντες ὑπὲρ αὐτοῦ, φθάνειν ἔλεγον καὶ τὴν παρὰ βασιλέως τιμωρίαν καὶ τὰς ὑπὲρ αὐτοῦ παρακλήσεις, τὸν ἐκ τῶν δεσμῶν ἐπικείμενον θάνατον. Εὐτυχιανὸς δὲ πέμψας παρακαλεῖ τοὺς δεσμοφύλακας, ἀνεῖναι τὸν ἄνθρωπον. Τῶν δὲ λεγόντων κίνδυνον φέρειν αὐτοῖς τὴν ἄνεσιν τοῦ δεσμώτου, αὐτὸς δι᾽ ἑαυτοῦ ἅμα τῷ Αὐξάνοντι, πρὸς τὸ δεσμωτήριον παραγίνεται. Ἐκείνων δὲ μὴ βουλομένων ἀνοίγειν τὴν εἰρκτὴν, ἡ προσοῦσα χάρις Εὐτυχιανῷ φανερωτέρα ἐγίνετο· αὐτόματοι γὰρ αἱ πύΒλαι τοῦ δεσμωτηρίου ἡνοίγοντο, τῶν δεσμοφυλάκων τὰς κλεῖς ἐχόντων παρ' ἑαυτοῖς. Εἰσελθόντος δὲ τοῦ Εὐτυχιανοῦ ἅμα τῷ Αὐξάνοντι, καὶ πολλῆς τοῖς τότε παροῦσιν ἐκπλήξεως γενομένης, αὐτόματοι οἱ δεσμοὶ τὸν δεσμώτην ἀπέλιπον. Μετὰ ταῦτα ἐπὶ τὸ πάλαι μὲν Βυζάντιον, ὕστερον δὲ Κωνσταντίνου πόλιν, ἅμα τῷ Αὐξάνοντι παρεγένετο. Δεχθείς τε εἰς τὰς βασιλικὰς αὐλὰς, τοῦ θανάτου ἐρύσατο τὸν ἄνθρωπον. Ἑτοίμως γὰρ ὁ βασιλεὺς τιμῶν τὸν ἄνδρα, κατένευσε πρὸς τὴν αἴτησιν. Τοῦτο μὲν οὖν ὕστερον ἐγένετο. Τότε δὲ οἱ ἐν τῇ συνόδῳ ἐπίσκοποι, καὶ ἄλλα τινὰ ἐγγράψαντες, ἃ κανόνας ὀνομάζειν εἰώθασιν, αὖθις κατὰ πόλιν τὴν ἑαυτῶν ἀνεχώρησαν. Φιλομαθὲς δὲ εἶναι νομίζω, καὶ τὰ ὀνόματα τῶν ἐν Νικαίᾳ συνελθόντων ἐπισκόπων, ἃ εὑρεῖν ἐδυνήθημεν, καὶ ἧς ἕκαστος ἐπαρχίας τε καὶ πόλεως ἦν, καὶ τὸν χρόνον ἐν ᾧ συνῆλθον, παραθέσθαι ἐνταῦθα. Ὅσιος ἐπίσκοπος Κουδρούβης Ἱσπανίας, οὕτως πιστεύω ὡς προγέγραπται· Ρώμης Βίτων καὶ Βικεντίνος πρε - σβύτεροι· Αἰγύπτου ᾿Αλέξανδρος· ᾿Αντιοχείας τῆς μεγάλης Εὐστάθιος· Ἱεροσολύμων Μακάριος· Αρποκρατίων Κύνων· καὶ τῶν λοιπῶν· ὧν εἰς πλῆρες τὰ ὀνόματα κεῖται ἐν τῷ Συνοδικῷ ᾿Αθανασίου τοῦ ᾿Αλεξανδρείας ἐπισκόπου. Καὶ ὁ χρόνος τῆς συνόδου, ὡς ἔν παρασημειώσεσιν εὕρομεν, ὑπατείας Παυλίνου καὶ Ἰουλιανοῦ, τῇ εἰκάδι τοῦ Μαΐου μηνός τοῦτο δὲ ἦν ἑξαχοσιοστὸν τριαχοστὸν ἔχτον ἔτος, ἀπὸ τῆς ᾿Αλεξάνδρου τοῦ Μακεδόνος βασιλείας. Τὰ μὲν οὖν τῆς συνόδου τέλος εἶχεν" ἰστέον δὲ, ὅτι μετὰ τὴν σύνοδον ὁ βασιλεὺς ἐπὶ τὰ ἑσπέρια μέρη ἀφίκετο.
de egō peri Eutychianou, theophilous andros kata tous autou: chronous achmasantos. Ho: hautos tē: Ekklēsias tōn Nanatianōn tynchanōn, paraplēsia erga poiōn ethaumazeto. Tis te ho peri toutou diēgēsamenos, erō meta akribeias, kai ouch apochrypsomai, kan doxō tisin apechthanesthai. Auxanōn tis tēs Nauatianōn Echkchlēsias presthdyterys, machrodiōtatos gegonen " hos kai tę̄ en Nichai synodǭ komidę̄ nēpios hōn, hama tǭ ᾿Achesiǭ paredalle, kai ta ᾿Akesion emoi diēgēsato. Houtos ex ekeinōn tōn chronōn, achri tēs basileias tou Neou Theodosiou exeteine, neōterǭ moi sphodra tynchanonti, ta peri — Eutychianou diēgēsato, polla men diexelthōn peri tēs prosousēs autǭ theias charitos " hen de kakeino mnēmēs axion epi tou basileōs ephē Kōnstantinou. Tōn d᾽rytorōn tis͵ ous? oikeious kalei ho basileus, ty-. rannicha tina hypopteutheis, phygę̄ sato. Ho basileus de ekeleusen apeilę̄ anaireisthai — auton, entha an heuriskoito. Hos peri ton Bithynon — —— heuretheis, barytatois chalepois sidēxois — peri ta merē tou — 41 : kai ho Eutychianos ton monērē bion askōn, — » te ta sōmata ta: psychas etherapeuen. ES autǭ kai ho Mmachrodiōtatos Lyxanōn, neos — i ta tou monachichou biou hyp᾽ autǭ — touton ton Eutychianon ēkon polloi, — sy parakalountes rhyesthai ton desmion, basilei paraklēseis prospheronta. Kai gar elēlythei eis tas akoas tou basileōs ta para tou Eutychianou ginomena thaumata. Ho de hetoimōs hypescheto para ton basilea poreuesthai. Epei de ho desmōtēs ek tōn desmōn anēkesta epaschen, hoi parakalountes hyper autou, phthanein elegon kai tēn para basileōs timōrian kai tas hyper autou paraklēseis, ton ek tōn desmōn epikeimenon thanaton. Eutychianos de pempsas parakalei tous desmophylakas, aneinai ton anthrōpon. Tōn de legontōn kindynon pherein autois tēn anesin tou desmōtou, autos di᾽ heautou hama tǭ Auxanonti, pros to desmōtērion paraginetai. Ekeinōn de mē boulomenōn anoigein tēn eirktēn, hē prosousa charis Eutychianǭ phanerōtera egineto; automatoi gar hai pyBlai tou desmōtēriou hēnoigonto, tōn desmophylakōn tas kleis echontōn par' heautois. Eiselthontos de tou Eutychianou hama tǭ Auxanonti, kai pollēs tois tote parousin ekplēxeōs genomenēs, automatoi hoi desmoi ton desmōtēn apelipon. Meta tauta epi to palai men Byzantion, hysteron de Kōnstantinou polin, hama tǭ Auxanonti paregeneto. Dechtheis te eis tas basilikas aulas, tou thanatou erysato ton anthrōpon. Hetoimōs gar ho basileus timōn ton andra, kateneuse pros tēn aitēsin. Touto men oun hysteron egeneto. Tote de hoi en tę̄ synodǭ episkopoi, kai alla tina engrapsantes, ha kanonas onomazein eiōthasin, authis kata polin tēn heautōn anechōrēsan. Philomathes de einai nomizō, kai ta onomata tōn en Nikaią synelthontōn episkopōn, ha heurein edynēthēmen, kai hēs hekastos eparchias te kai poleōs ēn, kai ton chronon en hǭ synēlthon, parathesthai entautha. Hosios episkopos Koudroubēs Hispanias, houtōs pisteuō hōs progegraptai; Rōmēs Bitōn kai Bikentinos pre - sbyteroi; Aigyptou ᾿Alexandros; ᾿Antiocheias tēs megalēs Eustathios; Hierosolymōn Makarios; Arpokratiōn Kynōn; kai tōn loipōn; hōn eis plēres ta onomata keitai en tǭ Synodikǭ ᾿Athanasiou tou ᾿Alexandreias episkopou. Kai ho chronos tēs synodou, hōs en parasēmeiōsesin heuromen, hypateias Paulinou kai Ioulianou, tę̄ eikadi tou Maïou mēnos touto de ēn hexachosioston triachoston echton etos, apo tēs ᾿Alexandrou tou Makedonos basileias. Ta men oun tēs synodou telos eichen" isteon de, hoti meta tēn synodon ho basileus epi ta hesperia merē aphiketo.
… I … about Eutychian, a man dear to God who flourished in the same times. Though he belonged to the church of the Novatianists, he was admired for doing works like these. Who told me about him I will state exactly, and I will not conceal it, even if I seem to some to give offence. Auxanon, a presbyter of the Novatianist church, lived to a great age. When still quite young he attended the synod at Nicaea together with Acesius, and he told me what concerned Acesius. He lived on from those times until the reign of Theodosius the Younger, and when I was still very young he told me about Eutychian, going through much about the divine grace that was in him, and he related one thing worth remembering that happened in the time of the emperor Constantine. One of the guards whom the emperor calls “household troops”, suspected of plotting against the emperor, fled. The emperor ordered with threats that he be put to death wherever he was found. He was found near the Bithynian … and was bound with very heavy iron chains … in the parts of … Eutychian, living the solitary life, … healed both bodies and souls. With him was also the long-lived Auxanon, as a young man … the monastic life under him. Many came to this Eutychian … begging him to rescue the prisoner by bringing petitions to the emperor; for the miracles done by Eutychian had come to the emperor’s ears. He readily promised to go to the emperor. But since the prisoner was suffering terribly from his chains, those pleading for him said that the death threatening him from his chains would come before either the emperor’s punishment or the petitions on his behalf. Eutychian sent and asked the jailers to release the man. When they said that releasing the prisoner would bring danger on themselves, he went in person to the prison with Auxanon. When they would not open the prison, the grace that was in Eutychian became more evident: the gates of the prison opened of their own accord, though the jailers had the keys with them. When Eutychian entered with Auxanon, to the great astonishment of those present, the chains fell from the prisoner of their own accord. After this he went with Auxanon to the city formerly called Byzantium and afterwards Constantinople. He was received into the imperial palace and rescued the man from death; for the emperor, honouring the man, readily granted his request. This, however, happened later.
At that time the bishops of the synod, having also written certain other things which they are accustomed to call canons, went back to their own cities. I think it worthwhile for those who love learning to set down here also the names of the bishops who met at Nicaea, as far as we have been able to find them, with the province and city of each, and the time when they met. “Hosius, bishop of Corduba in Spain: I believe as is written above. For Rome, Vito and Vincentius, presbyters. For Egypt, Alexander. For Antioch the Great, Eustathius. For Jerusalem, Macarius. Harpocration of Cynopolis”; and the rest, whose names are given in full in the Synodicon of Athanasius, bishop of Alexandria. The time of the synod, as we found it in notes in the margin, was in the consulship of Paulinus and Julian, on the twentieth of May; this was the six hundred and thirty-sixth year from the reign of Alexander of Macedon. So the business of the synod came to an end. It should be known that after the synod the emperor went to the western parts.
Textual problem in this passage: see the notes.
Notes and citation
Summary: Socrates tells, on the authority of the Novatianist Auxanon, how the monk Eutychian freed a prisoner; the bishops of Nicaea issue canons and go home, and a partial list of signatories and the date are given.
- The opening and several passages of this chapter are lost in the scan (marked “…”); what remains is translated as printed. The lost place-names evidently refer to Mount Olympus in Bithynia, where Eutychian lived.
- The list of signatories is given only in part; Socrates refers to a Synodicon of Athanasius which does not survive under that name.
- The consulship of Paulinus and Julian is AD 325.
Extrabiblical texts: Conc. Nic. (Creed and Canons of the Council of Nicaea (325); allusion)
Topics: Church office
Cite (SBL): Socrates, Hist. eccl. 1.13 (PG 67:105–109; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/socrates-historia/1-13). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/socrates-historia/1-13
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from Valesius's Greek text as printed in Migne PG 67 (Bavarian State Library OCR and Tesseract re-OCR); every chapter compared afterwards with Zenos's English in NPNF² 2.
1.14PG 67:109–113
Εὐσέβιος δὲ Θέογνις, βιδλίον μετανοίας τεῖς χορυφαίοις τῶν ἐπισκόπων ἀποστείλαντες, ἀνεκλήθησάν τε τῆς ἐξορίας ἐκ βασιλικοῦ προστάγματος, καὶ τὰς Ἐκκλησίας ἑαυτῶν ἀπέλαβον, τοὺς εἰς τόπον ἑαυτῶν χειροτονηθέντας ἐξωθήσαντες, Αμφίωνα μὲν Εὐσέβιος, Χρῆστον δὲ Θέογνις. Οὗ βιβλίου τὸ ἀντίγραφόν ἐστι τόδε · Ἤδη μὲν οὖν καταψηφισθέντες πρὸ κρίσεως παρὰ τῆς εὐλαβείας ὑμῶν, ἐν ἡσυχίᾳ φέρειν τὰ κεκριμένα παρὰ τῆς ἁγίας ὑμῶν ἐπικρίσεως ὀφείλομεν. ᾿Αλλ' ἐπειδὴ ἄτοπον, καθ' ἑαυτῶν δοῦναι τῶν συκοφαντῶν τὴν ἀπόδειξιν τῇ σιωπῇ, τούτου ἕνεκα ἀναφέρομεν, ὡς ἡμεῖς καὶ τῇ πίστει συνεδράμομεν, καὶ τὴν ἔννοιαν ἐξετάσαντες ἐπὶ τῷ ὁμοουσίῳ, ὅλοι ἐγενόμεθα τῆς εἰρήνης, οἱ μηδαμοῦ τῇ αἱρέσει ἐξακολουθήσαντες. Ὑπομνήσαντες δὲ ἐπὶ ἀσφαλείᾳ τῶν Ἐκκλησιῶν, ὅσα τὸν λογισμὸν ἡμῶν ὑπέτρεχε, καὶ πληροφορήσαντες τοὺς δι' ἡμῶν πεισθῆναι ὀφείλοντας, ὑπεσημηνάμεθα τῇ πίστει· τῷ δὲ ἀναθεματισμῷ οὐχ ὑπεγράψαμεν, οὐχ ὡς τῆς πίστεως κατηγοροῦντες, ἀλλ᾽ ὡς ἀπιστοῦντες τοιοῦτον εἶναι τὸν κατηγορηθέντα, ἐκ τῶν ἰδίᾳ πρὸς ἡμᾶς παρ᾿ αὐτοῦ διά τε ἐπιστολῶν, καὶ τῶν εἰς πρόσωπον διαλέξεων, πεπληροφορημένοι μὴ τοιοῦτον εἶναι. Εἰ δὲ ἐπείσθη ἡ ἁγία ὑμῶν σύνοδος, οὐκ ἀντιτείνοντες, ἀλλὰ συντιθέμενοι τοῖς παρ' ὑμῖν κεκριμένοις, καὶ διὰ τούτου τοῦ γράμματος πληροφοροῦμεν τὴν συγκατάθεσιν· οὐ τὴν ἐξορίαν βαρέως φέροντες, ἀλλὰ τὴν ὑπόνοιαν τῆς αἱρέσεως ἀποδυόμενοι. Εἰ γὰρ καταξιώσητε νῦν γοῦν εἰς πρόσωπον ἐπαναλαβεῖν ἡμᾶς, ἔχετε ἐν πᾶσι συμψήφους, ἀκολουθοῦντας τοῖς παρ' ὑμῖν κεκριμένοις· ὁπότε αὐτὸν τὸν ἐπὶ τούτοις ἐναγόμενον, ἔδοξε τῇ ὑμῶν εὐλαβείᾳ φιλανθρωπεύσασθαι καὶ ἀνακαλέσασθαι. ῎Ατοπον δὲ, τοῦ δοκοῦντος εἶναι ὑπευθύνου, ἀνακεκλημένου, καὶ ἀπολογησαμένου ἐφ᾽ οἷς διεβάλλετο, ἡμᾶς σιωπᾶν, καθ' ἑαυτῶν διδόντας τὸν ἔλεγχον. Καταξιώσατε γοῦν, ὡς ἁρμόζει τῇ φιλοχρίστῳ ὑμῶν εὐλαβείᾳ, καὶ τὸν θεοφιλέστατον βασιλέα ὑπομνῆσαι, καὶ τὰς δεήσεις ἡμῶν ἐγχειρίσαι, καὶ θᾶττον βουλεύσασθαι τὰ ὑμῖν ἁρμόζοντα ἐφ᾽ ἡμῖν. Καὶ τοῦτο μὲν τὸ τῆς παλινῳδίας βιβλίον Εὐσεβίου καὶ Θεόγνιἑὸς ἐστιν· ἀπὸ δὲ τῶν ῥημάτων αὐτοῦ τεκμαίρομαι, ὅτι οὗτοι μὲν τῇ ὑπαγορευθείσῃ πίστει ὑπεσημήναντο, τῇ δὲ καθαιρέσει ᾿Αρείου σύμψηφοι γενέσθαι οὐκ ἐβουλήθησαν· καὶ ὅτι ῎Αρειος πρὸ τούτων φαίνεται ἀνακληθείς. ᾿Αλλ' εἰ καὶ τοῦτο οὕτως ἔχειν δοκεῖ, ὅμως τῆς ᾿Αλεξανδρείας ἐπιβαίνειν κεκώλυτο · τοῦτο δὲ δείκνυται, ἀφ᾿ ὧν ὕστερον ἑαυτῷ κάθοδον εἰς τὴν Ἐκκλησίαν καὶ εἰς τὴν ᾿Αλεξάνδρειαν ἐπενόησεν, ἐπιπλάστῳ μετανοίᾳ χρησάμενος, ὡς κατὰ χώραν ἐροῦμ
Eusebios de Theognis, bidlion metanoias teis choryphaiois tōn episkopōn aposteilantes, aneklēthēsan te tēs exorias ek basilikou prostagmatos, kai tas Ekklēsias heautōn apelabon, tous eis topon heautōn cheirotonēthentas exōthēsantes, Amphiōna men Eusebios, Chrēston de Theognis. Hou bibliou to antigraphon esti tode ; Ēdē men oun katapsēphisthentes pro kriseōs para tēs eulabeias hymōn, en hēsychią pherein ta kekrimena para tēs hagias hymōn epikriseōs opheilomen. ᾿All' epeidē atopon, kath' heautōn dounai tōn sykophantōn tēn apodeixin tę̄ siōpę̄, toutou heneka anapheromen, hōs hēmeis kai tę̄ pistei synedramomen, kai tēn ennoian exetasantes epi tǭ homoousiǭ, holoi egenometha tēs eirēnēs, hoi mēdamou tę̄ hairesei exakolouthēsantes. Hypomnēsantes de epi asphaleią tōn Ekklēsiōn, hosa ton logismon hēmōn hypetreche, kai plērophorēsantes tous di' hēmōn peisthēnai opheilontas, hypesēmēnametha tę̄ pistei; tǭ de anathematismǭ ouch hypegrapsamen, ouch hōs tēs pisteōs katēgorountes, all᾽ hōs apistountes toiouton einai ton katēgorēthenta, ek tōn idią pros hēmas par᾿ autou dia te epistolōn, kai tōn eis prosōpon dialexeōn, peplērophorēmenoi mē toiouton einai. Ei de epeisthē hē hagia hymōn synodos, ouk antiteinontes, alla syntithemenoi tois par' hymin kekrimenois, kai dia toutou tou grammatos plērophoroumen tēn synkatathesin; ou tēn exorian bareōs pherontes, alla tēn hyponoian tēs haireseōs apodyomenoi. Ei gar kataxiōsēte nyn goun eis prosōpon epanalabein hēmas, echete en pasi sympsēphous, akolouthountas tois par' hymin kekrimenois; hopote auton ton epi toutois enagomenon, edoxe tę̄ hymōn eulabeią philanthrōpeusasthai kai anakalesasthai. ᾿Atopon de, tou dokountos einai hypeuthynou, anakeklēmenou, kai apologēsamenou eph᾽ hois dieballeto, hēmas siōpan, kath' heautōn didontas ton elenchon. Kataxiōsate goun, hōs harmozei tę̄ philochristǭ hymōn eulabeią, kai ton theophilestaton basilea hypomnēsai, kai tas deēseis hēmōn encheirisai, kai thatton bouleusasthai ta hymin harmozonta eph᾽ hēmin. Kai touto men to tēs palinǭdias biblion Eusebiou kai Theognieos estin; apo de tōn rhēmatōn autou tekmairomai, hoti houtoi men tę̄ hypagoreutheisę̄ pistei hypesēmēnanto, tę̄ de kathairesei ᾿Areiou sympsēphoi genesthai ouk eboulēthēsan; kai hoti ᾿Areios pro toutōn phainetai anaklētheis. ᾿All' ei kai touto houtōs echein dokei, homōs tēs ᾿Alexandreias epibainein kekōlyto ; touto de deiknytai, aph᾿ hōn hysteron heautǭ kathodon eis tēn Ekklēsian kai eis tēn ᾿Alexandreian epenoēsen, epiplastǭ metanoią chrēsamenos, hōs kata chōran eroum
Eusebius and Theognis sent a statement of repentance to the leading bishops, were recalled from exile by imperial order, and recovered their churches, driving out those who had been ordained in their place: Eusebius drove out Amphion, and Theognis Chrestus. The copy of their statement is as follows:
“Though we were condemned by your piety before a trial, we ought to bear in silence what was decided by your holy judgment. But since it is absurd by our silence to give evidence against ourselves to the slanderers, we therefore declare that we have agreed to the faith, and that, having examined the sense of homoousios, we have been wholly for peace, never having followed the heresy. Having suggested for the safety of the churches whatever occurred to our minds, and having fully satisfied those who were to be persuaded through us, we signed the faith; but we did not sign the anathema, not as finding fault with the faith, but as not believing that the accused was such a man, having been fully satisfied that he was not, from what he had said to us privately in letters and in conversations face to face. But if your holy synod was persuaded, we do not resist but agree with what you decided, and by this letter we confirm our assent; not because we take our exile hard, but to clear ourselves of the suspicion of heresy. If you will now deign to receive us into your presence, you will find us agreeing in everything and following what you have decided; since your piety has seen fit to deal kindly with the very man who was accused on these charges and to recall him. It is absurd that, when he who was thought to be liable has been recalled and has defended himself against what he was accused of, we should keep silent and give evidence against ourselves. Deign therefore, as befits your Christ-loving piety, to remind our most God-loving emperor, to hand him our petitions, and to decide quickly what is fitting for you in our case.”
This is the statement of recantation of Eusebius and Theognis. From its words I conclude that they signed the faith that had been dictated, but would not agree to the deposition of Arius; and that Arius appears to have been recalled before them. But even if this seems to be so, he had nevertheless been forbidden to set foot in Alexandria. This is shown by the fact that afterwards he contrived for himself a return to the church and to Alexandria by a pretended repentance, as we shall tell in its place.
Notes and citation
Summary: Eusebius of Nicomedia and Theognis of Nicaea submit a statement accepting the Nicene faith, though not Arius’s condemnation, and are restored to their sees.
- The statement of Eusebius and Theognis is quoted in full.
- The scan begins this chapter with the last words of the editor’s chapter title (“their own sees”); they are removed by a logged correction.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (end of the chapter title leaked into the text; OCR slips in the name): τοὺς ἑαυτῶν θρόνους. Εὐσέδιος; → Εὐσέβιος.
Topics: Heresy, Christology
Cite (SBL): Socrates, Hist. eccl. 1.14 (PG 67:109–113; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/socrates-historia/1-14). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/socrates-historia/1-14
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from Valesius's Greek text as printed in Migne PG 67 (Bavarian State Library OCR and Tesseract re-OCR); every chapter compared afterwards with Zenos's English in NPNF² 2.
1.15PG 67:113–115
Μεταταῦτα δὲ εὐθέως ᾿Αλεξάνδρου τοῦ ἐπισκόπου τῆς ᾿Αλεξανδρείας τελευτήσαντος προΐστα - φῖνος η κομιδῇ νήπιον ὄντα, παίζειν σὺν ἑτέροις ἡλικιώταις ἱερὸν παίγνιον. Τοῦτο δὲ ἦν μίμησις ἱεροσύνης καὶ τοῦ καταλόγου τῶν ἱερωμένων ἀνδρῶν. Ἐν δὴ οὖν τῷ παιγνίῳ τούτῳ, ᾿Αθανάσιος μὲν τῆς ἐπισκοπῆς ἐκεκλήρωτο τὸν θρόνον· τῶν δὲ ἄλλων νέων ἕκαστος, ἢ πρεσβύτερον, ἢ διάκονον ἐμιμεῖτο. Ταῦτα ἔπαιζον οἱ παῖδες κατὰ τὴν ἡμέραν, ἐν ᾗ τοῦ μάρτυρος καὶ ἐπισκόπου Πέτρου ἐπετελεῖτο μνήμη· τότε δὲ ᾿Αλέξανδρος ὁ τῆς ᾿Αλεξανδρείας ἐπίσκοπος διαβαίνων, ὁρᾷ τὸ γιγνόμενον παίγνιον· καὶ μεταπεμψάμενος τοὺς παῖδας, ἐπύθετο παρ᾿ αὐτῶν τὸν ἐν τῷ παιγνίῳ κληρωθέντα τόπον ἑκάστῳ, προμηνύεσθαί τι διὰ τοῦ γεγονότος ἡγησάμενος. Ἐκέλευσέν τε ἐν τῇ ἐκκλησίᾳ ἄγεσθαι τοὺς παῖδας, καὶ παιδείας μεταται τῆς Ἐκκλησίας ᾿Αθανάσιος. Τοῦτόν φησιν ὁ Ῥουλαμβάνειν, ἐξαιρέτως δὲ τὸν ᾿Αθανάσιον. Εἶτα ἐν τελείᾳ γενόμενον ἡλικίᾳ, καὶ διάκονον χειροτονήσας, ἦγεν ἐπὶ τὴν Νίκαιαν, συναγωνιζόμενον αὐτῷ ἐκεῖ, ὅτε συνεκροτεῖτο ἡ σύνοδος. Ταῦτα μὲν ὁ Ῥουφίνος περὶ αὐτοῦ ᾿Αθανασίου ἐν τοῖς συντάγμασιν ἑαυτοῦ εἴρηκεν. Οὐκ ἀπεικὸς δὲ γενέσθαι· καὶ γὰρ πολλά τοιαῦτα γενόμενα πολλάκις ἐφεύρηται περὶ οὗ τέως τοσαῦτα εἰρήσθω μοι.
Metatauta de eutheōs ᾿Alexandrou tou episkopou tēs ᾿Alexandreias teleutēsantos proïsta - phinos ē komidę̄ nēpion onta, paizein syn heterois hēlikiōtais hieron paignion. Touto de ēn mimēsis hierosynēs kai tou katalogou tōn hierōmenōn andrōn. En dē oun tǭ paigniǭ toutǭ, ᾿Athanasios men tēs episkopēs ekeklērōto ton thronon; tōn de allōn neōn hekastos, ē presbyteron, ē diakonon emimeito. Tauta epaizon hoi paides kata tēn hēmeran, en hę̄ tou martyros kai episkopou Petrou epeteleito mnēmē; tote de ᾿Alexandros ho tēs ᾿Alexandreias episkopos diabainōn, horą to gignomenon paignion; kai metapempsamenos tous paidas, epytheto par᾿ autōn ton en tǭ paigniǭ klērōthenta topon hekastǭ, promēnyesthai ti dia tou gegonotos hēgēsamenos. Ekeleusen te en tę̄ ekklēsią agesthai tous paidas, kai paideias metatai tēs Ekklēsias ᾿Athanasios. Touton phēsin ho Rhoulambanein, exairetōs de ton ᾿Athanasion. Eita en teleią genomenon hēlikią, kai diakonon cheirotonēsas, ēgen epi tēn Nikaian, synagōnizomenon autǭ ekei, hote synekroteito hē synodos. Tauta men ho Rhouphinos peri autou ᾿Athanasiou en tois syntagmasin heautou eirēken. Ouk apeikos de genesthai; kai gar polla toiauta genomena pollakis epheurētai peri hou teōs tosauta eirēsthō moi.
Immediately after this, Alexander, bishop of Alexandria, died, and Athanasius became head of the church. Rufinus says that when he was quite a child he played a sacred game with others of his own age. This was an imitation of the priesthood and of the order of men in holy orders. In this game Athanasius was allotted the bishop’s throne, and each of the other boys imitated either a presbyter or a deacon. The children were playing this on the day when the memory of the martyr and bishop Peter was being kept. Just then Alexander, bishop of Alexandria, was passing by and saw the game going on. He sent for the children and asked them what place each had been allotted in the game, thinking that something was foretold by what had happened. He ordered the children to be brought up in the church and to receive instruction, Athanasius above all. Then, when he had reached full age, Alexander ordained him deacon and took him to Nicaea to help him in the contest there when the synod met. This is what Rufinus says about Athanasius in his writings. It is not unlikely to have happened; for many such things have often been found to happen. Let this be enough about him for now.
Notes and citation
Summary: Athanasius succeeds Alexander at Alexandria; Socrates repeats Rufinus’s story that as a boy he played at being bishop and was then trained by Alexander.
- The scan displaces two phrases at the beginning (“and Athanasius became head of the church. Rufinus says that”) and “to receive instruction”; they are translated in their proper places.
- The source is Rufinus, Church History 10.15. Rufinus’s Church History is not on this site (proposed extrabiblical id rufinus-historia-ecclesiastica).
Extrabiblical texts: Rufinus of Aquileia, Hist. (Rufinus of Aquileia, Rufinus, Church History; allusion)
Topics: Church office
Cite (SBL): Socrates, Hist. eccl. 1.15 (PG 67:113–115; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/socrates-historia/1-15). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/socrates-historia/1-15
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from Valesius's Greek text as printed in Migne PG 67 (Bavarian State Library OCR and Tesseract re-OCR); every chapter compared afterwards with Zenos's English in NPNF² 2.
1.16PG 67:115–117
Ὁ βασιλεὺς δὲ μετὰ τὴν σύνοδον ἐν εὐφροσύνῃ διῆγεν· ἐπιτελέσας οὖν δημοτελῆ τῆς εἰκοσαετηρίδος αὐτοῦ ἑορτὴν ο, εὐθέως περὶ τὸ ἀνορθοῦν τὰς ἐκκλησίας ἐσπούδαζεν. Ἐποίει τε τοῦτο κατὰ τὰς ἄλλας πόλεις, καὶ ἐν τῇ αὐτοῦ ἐπωνύμῳ. Ην Βυζάν τιον καλουμένην τοπρότερον, ηὔξησε, τείχη μεγάλα περιβαλὼν, καὶ διαφόροις κοσμήσας οἰκοδομήμασιν · ἴσην τε τῇ βασιλευούσῃ Ῥώμῃ ἀποδείξας, Κωνσταντινούπολιν μετονομάσας, χρηματίζειν δευτέραν Ῥώμην νόμῳ ἐκύρωσεν. Ὃς νόμος ἐν λιθίνῃ γέγραπται στήλῃ καὶ δημοσίᾳ ἐν τῷ καλουμένῳ Στρατηγίῳ, πλησίον τοῦ ἑαυτοῦ ἐφίππου παρέθηκε. Καὶ ἐν ταύτῃ τῇ πόλει, δύο μὲν οἰκοδομήσας ἐκκλησίας, μίαν ἐπωνόμασεν Εἰρήνην, ἑτέραν δὲ τὴν τῶν ᾿Αποστόλων ἐπώνυμον. Καὶ οὐ μόνον, ὡς ἔφην, ηὔξει τὰ τῶν Χριστιανῶν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὰ τῶν Ἑλλήνων καθᾑρει. Τὰ γοῦν ἀγάλματα, κόσμον τῇ Κωνσταντίνου πόλει προυτίθει δημοσίᾳ, καὶ τοὺς Δελφικοὺς τρίποδας ἐν τῷ ἱπποδρομίῳ δημοσιεύσας προὔθηκε. Ταῦτα μὲν οὖν δόξει περιττὰ λέγεσθαι νῦν· ὁρᾶται γὰρ πρότερον ἢ ἀκούεται. Τότε δὲ ὅμως μεγίστην ἐπίδοσιν ἔλαβε τὰ τοῦ Χριστιανισμοῦ. Καὶ γὰρ ἐν τοῖς καιροῖς τοῦ βασιλέως Κωνσταντίνου, καὶ ἄλλα πλεῖστα ἡ τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐφύλαττε πρόνοια. Οὕτω τῶν τοῦ βασιλέως ἐγκωμίων μετὰ μεγαλοφώνου φράσεως ὁ Παμφίλου Εὐσέβιος μνήμην πεποίηται. Οὐκ ἄκαιρον δὲ ἡγοῦμαι καὶ ἡμᾶς περὶ τῶν αὐτῶν, ὡς οἷόν τε, διὰ βραχέων εἰπεῖν.
Ho basileus de meta tēn synodon en euphrosynę̄ diēgen; epitelesas oun dēmotelē tēs eikosaetēridos autou heortēn o, eutheōs peri to anorthoun tas ekklēsias espoudazen. Epoiei te touto kata tas allas poleis, kai en tę̄ autou epōnymǭ. Ēn Byzan tion kaloumenēn toproteron, ēuxēse, teichē megala peribalōn, kai diaphorois kosmēsas oikodomēmasin ; isēn te tę̄ basileuousę̄ Rhōmę̄ apodeixas, Kōnstantinoupolin metonomasas, chrēmatizein deuteran Rhōmēn nomǭ ekyrōsen. Hos nomos en lithinę̄ gegraptai stēlę̄ kai dēmosią en tǭ kaloumenǭ Stratēgiǭ, plēsion tou heautou ephippou parethēke. Kai en tautę̄ tę̄ polei, dyo men oikodomēsas ekklēsias, mian epōnomasen Eirēnēn, heteran de tēn tōn ᾿Apostolōn epōnymon. Kai ou monon, hōs ephēn, ēuxei ta tōn Christianōn, alla kai ta tōn Hellēnōn kathę̄rei. Ta goun agalmata, kosmon tę̄ Kōnstantinou polei proutithei dēmosią, kai tous Delphikous tripodas en tǭ hippodromiǭ dēmosieusas prouthēke. Tauta men oun doxei peritta legesthai nyn; horatai gar proteron ē akouetai. Tote de homōs megistēn epidosin elabe ta tou Christianismou. Kai gar en tois kairois tou basileōs Kōnstantinou, kai alla pleista hē tou Theou ephylatte pronoia. Houtō tōn tou basileōs enkōmiōn meta megalophōnou phraseōs ho Pamphilou Eusebios mnēmēn pepoiētai. Ouk akairon de hēgoumai kai hēmas peri tōn autōn, hōs hoion te, dia bracheōn eipein.
After the synod the emperor lived in gladness. Having celebrated the public festival of his twentieth year of reign, he at once set himself to restore the churches. He did this in the other cities and in the city named after him. This city, formerly called Byzantium, he enlarged, surrounding it with great walls and adorning it with various buildings; he made it equal to imperial Rome, renamed it Constantinople, and confirmed by law that it should be called the second Rome. This law is written on a stone column, which he set up publicly in the place called the Strategium, near his own equestrian statue. In this city he built two churches, naming one Irene and the other after the Apostles. Not only, as I said, did he advance the Christian cause, but he also pulled down that of the pagans. He set up their statues publicly as ornaments for the city of Constantine, and he displayed the Delphic tripods publicly in the hippodrome. To mention these things now will seem superfluous, since they are seen before they are heard of. But at that time Christianity grew very greatly; for in the times of the emperor Constantine the providence of God preserved very many other things too. Eusebius, son of Pamphilus, has recorded the emperor’s praises in lofty language; I think it not out of place for us also to speak briefly about the same things, as far as we can.
Notes and citation
Summary: After his twentieth-year festival Constantine rebuilds churches, enlarges Byzantium as Constantinople, the second Rome, and displays pagan statues and the Delphic tripods there.
- The vicennalia, the twentieth anniversary of Constantine’s reign, fell in 325–326.
Cite (SBL): Socrates, Hist. eccl. 1.16 (PG 67:115–117; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/socrates-historia/1-16). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/socrates-historia/1-16
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from Valesius's Greek text as printed in Migne PG 67 (Bavarian State Library OCR and Tesseract re-OCR); every chapter compared afterwards with Zenos's English in NPNF² 2.
1.17PG 67:117–121
Ἡ τοῦ βασιλέως μήτηρ Ἑλένη, ἧς ἐπονόματι τὴν ποτε κώμην Δρεπάνην, πόλιν ποιήσας ὁ βασιλεὺς Ελενούπολιν ἐπωνόμασε, δι᾽ ὀνείρων χρηματισθεῖσα, εἰς τὰ Ἱεροσόλυμα παρεγένετο. Καὶ τὴν ποτε Ἱερουσαλήμ ἔρημον ὡς ὀπωροφυλάκιον κατὰ τὸν Προφήτην εὐροῦσα, τὸ τοῦ Χριστοῦ μνῆμα ἔνθα ταφεὶς ἀνέστη, σπουδαίως ἐζήτει. Καὶ δυσχερῶς μὲν, σὺν Θεῷ δὲ εὐρίσκει. Τις δὲ ἡ αἰτία τῆς δυσχερείας, διὰ βραχέων ἐρῶ. Ὅτι οἱ μὲν τὰ τοῦ Χριστοῦ φρονοῦντες, μετὰ τὸν καιρὸν τοῦ πάθους ἐτίμων τὸ μνῆμα. Οἱ δὲ φεύγοντες τὰ τοῦ Χριστοῦ, χώσαντες τὸν τόπον, Αφροδίτης κατ' αὐτοῦ ναὸν κατασκευάσαντες ἐπέστησαν ἄγαλμα, μη ποιοῦντες μνήμην τοῦ τόπου. Τοῦτο μὲν οὖν πάλαι προὐχώρει. Τῇ δὲ μητρὶ τοῦ βασιλέως φανερὸν τοῦτο ἐγένετο. Καθελοῦσα οὖν τὸ ξόανον, καὶ τὸν τόπον ἐκχώσασα καὶ καθαρὸν ἐργασαμένη, τρεῖς εὑρίσκει σταυροὺς ἐν τῷ μνήματι · ἕνα μὲν τὸν μακαριστὸν, ἐν ᾧ Χριστὸς ἐξετανύσθη· τοὺς δὲ ἑτέρους, ἐν οἷς οἱ συσταυρωθέντες δύο λῃσταὶ τεθνήκεσαν. Σὺν αὐτοῖς δὲ εὕρητο καὶ ἡ τοῦ Πιλάτου σανὶς, ἐν ᾗ βασιλέα τῶν Ἰουδαίων τὸν σταυρωθέντα Χριστὸν προσγράφων, ἐν διαφόροις γράμμασι ἐκήρυττεν. Ἐπεὶ δὲ ἀμφίβολος ἦν ὁ σταυρὸς ὁ ζητούμενος Ρ, οὐχ ἡ τυχοῦσα λύπη τὴν τοῦ βασιλέως μητέρα. Οὐχ εἰς μααυφθηϑπ δὲ παύει τὰ τῆς λύπης ὁ τῶν Ἱεροσολύμων ἐπίσκοπος, ὄνομα ἣν Μακάριος. Λύει δὲ πίστει τὸ ἀμφίβολον. Σημεῖον γὰρ ἥτει παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ, καὶ ἐλάμβανε. Τὸ δὲ σημεῖον ἣν τοιοῦτο γυνή τις τῶν ἐγχωρίων, νόσῳ χρονίᾳ ληφθεῖσα, πρὸς αὐτῷ λοιπὸν τῷ θανάτῳ ἐγένετο. Προσάγεσθα: οὖν τῇ ἀποθνησχούσῃ τῶν σταυρῶν ἕκαστον ὁ ἐπίσκοπος παρεσκεύασε, πιστεύσας ἀναῤῥωσθῆναι τὴν γυναῖκα, ἀψαμένην τοῦ τιμίου σταυροῦ. Καὶ τῆς ἐλπίδος οὐχ ἥμαρτε. Προσἐνεχθέντων γὰρ τῶν μὴ Κυρίων δύο σταυρῶν, ἔμενεν οὐδὲν ἧττον ἡ γυνὴ ἀποθνήσχουσα. Ὡς δὲ ὁ τρίτος ὁ γνήσιος προσηνέχθη. ἡ ἀποθνήσχουσα εὐθὺς ἀνεῤῥώσθη, καὶ ἐν τοῖς ὑγιαίνουσιν ἦν. Τοῦτον μὲν οὖν τὸν τρόπον τὸ τοῦ σταυροῦ ξύλον ηὕρητα:. δὲ τοῦ βασιλέως μήτηρ, οἶχον μὲν εὐκτήριον ἐν τῷ τοῦ μνήματος τόπῳ πολυτελῇ κατεσκεύασεν, Ἱερουσαλήμ τε Νέαν ἐπωνόμασεν, ἀντιπρόσωπον τῇ παλαιᾷ ἐκείνῃ καὶ χαταλελειμμένῃ ποιήσασα. Τοῦ δὲ σταυροῦ, μέρος μέν τι θήκῃ ἀργυρᾷ περιχλείσασα,, μνημόσυνην τοῖς ἱστορεῖν βουλομένοις, αὐτόθι κατέλιπε " τὸ δὲ ἕτερον μέρος ἀποστέλλει τῷ βασιλεῖ. “Ὅπερ δεξάμενος, καὶ πιστεύσας τελείως σωθήσεσθαι τὴν πόλιν ἔνθα ἂν ἐκεῖνο φυλάττηται, τῷ ἑαυτοῦ ἀνδρι - ἀντιχατέχρυψεν, ὃς ἐν τῇ κατὰ Κωνσταντίνον πόλιν( 6)» ἐν τῇ ἐπιλεγομένῃ ἀγορᾷ Κωνσταντίνου, ἐπὶ τοῦ πορφυροῦ καὶ μεγάλου κίονος ἵδρυται. Τοῦτο μὲν ἀκοῇ γράψας ἔχω. Πάντες δὲ σχεδὸν οἱ τὴν Κωνστανκίνου πόλιν οἰκοῦντες, ἀληθὲς εἶναί φασι, Καὶ τοὺς ἥλους δὲ, οἱ ταῖς χερσὶ τοῦ Χριστοῦ κατὰ τὸν σταυρὸν ἐνεπάγησαν, ὁ Κωνσταντῖνος λαθὼν (καὶ γὰρ καὶ τούτους ἢ μήτηρ ἐν τῷ μνήματι εὑροῦσα ἀπέστειλεν), χαλινούς τε καὶ περικεφαλαίαν ποιήσας, ἐν τοῖς πολέμοις ἐκέχρητο. Ἐχορήγει μὲν οὖν πάσας τὰς ὕλας ὁ βασιλεὺς εἰς τὴν χατασχευὴν τῶν ἐκκλησιῶν, Ἔγραφε δὲ Μακαρίῳ τῷ ἐπισκόπῳ, ἐπισπεύδειν τὰς οἰχοδομάς. Ἢ] δὲ τοῦ βασιλέως μήτηρ, ποιῆσασα τὴν Νέαν Ἱερουσαλὴμ,χαὶ ἐν τῷ ἄντρῳ τῆς Βηθλεὲμ, ἔνθα ἡ κατὰ σάρκα γέννησις τοῦ Χριστοῦ, ἑτέραν ἐκκλησίαν οὐχ ἧττον χατεσχεύαζεν Οὐ μὴν ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐν τῷ ὄρει τῆς ἀναλήψεως. Οὕτω δὲ εἶχεν εὐλαπερὶ ταῦτα, ὡς καὶ συνεύχεσθαι ἐν τῷ τῶν γυναιχῶν τάγματι. Καὶ τὰς παρθένους τὰς ἀναγεγραμ.μένας ἐν τῷ τῶν ἐκκλησιῶν κανόνι, ἐπὶ ἐστίασιν προτρεπομένη, δι᾽ ἑαυτῆς λειτουργοῦσα, τὰ ὄψα ταῖς τραπέζαις προσέφερε. Πολλὰ δὲ καὶ ἐδωρεῖτο ταῖς ἐκκλησίαις τοῖς πένησιν εὐσεβῶς τε διανύσασα τὴν ζωὴν, ἐτελεύτησε περὶ ὀγδοηχοστὸν ἕτος " καὶ τὸ σῶμα αὐτῆς εἰς τὴν βασιλεύουσαν νέαν Ῥώμην διακομισθὲν, ἐν τοῖς βασιλικοῖς μνήμασιν ἀπετέθη.
Hē tou basileōs mētēr Helenē, hēs eponomati tēn pote kōmēn Drepanēn, polin poiēsas ho basileus Elenoupolin epōnomase, di᾽ oneirōn chrēmatistheisa, eis ta Hierosolyma paregeneto. Kai tēn pote Hierousalēm erēmon hōs opōrophylakion kata ton Prophētēn eurousa, to tou Christou mnēma entha tapheis anestē, spoudaiōs ezētei. Kai dyscherōs men, syn Theǭ de euriskei. Tis de hē aitia tēs dyschereias, dia bracheōn erō. Hoti hoi men ta tou Christou phronountes, meta ton kairon tou pathous etimōn to mnēma. Hoi de pheugontes ta tou Christou, chōsantes ton topon, Aphroditēs kat' autou naon kataskeuasantes epestēsan agalma, mē poiountes mnēmēn tou topou. Touto men oun palai prouchōrei. Tę̄ de mētri tou basileōs phaneron touto egeneto. Kathelousa oun to xoanon, kai ton topon ekchōsasa kai katharon ergasamenē, treis heuriskei staurous en tǭ mnēmati ; hena men ton makariston, en hǭ Christos exetanysthē; tous de heterous, en hois hoi systaurōthentes dyo lę̄stai tethnēkesan. Syn autois de heurēto kai hē tou Pilatou sanis, en hę̄ basilea tōn Ioudaiōn ton staurōthenta Christon prosgraphōn, en diaphorois grammasi ekērytten. Epei de amphibolos ēn ho stauros ho zētoumenos R, ouch hē tychousa lypē tēn tou basileōs mētera. Ouch eis maauphthēϑp de pauei ta tēs lypēs ho tōn Hierosolymōn episkopos, onoma hēn Makarios. Lyei de pistei to amphibolon. Sēmeion gar hētei para tou Theou, kai elambane. To de sēmeion hēn toiouto gynē tis tōn enchōriōn, nosǭ chronią lēphtheisa, pros autǭ loipon tǭ thanatǭ egeneto. Prosagestha: oun tę̄ apothnēschousę̄ tōn staurōn hekaston ho episkopos pareskeuase, pisteusas anarrhōsthēnai tēn gynaika, apsamenēn tou timiou staurou. Kai tēs elpidos ouch hēmarte. Prosenechthentōn gar tōn mē Kyriōn dyo staurōn, emenen ouden hētton hē gynē apothnēschousa. Hōs de ho tritos ho gnēsios prosēnechthē. hē apothnēschousa euthys anerrhōsthē, kai en tois hygiainousin ēn. Touton men oun ton tropon to tou staurou xylon hēurēta:. de tou basileōs mētēr, oichon men euktērion en tǭ tou mnēmatos topǭ polytelę̄ kateskeuasen, Hierousalēm te Nean epōnomasen, antiprosōpon tę̄ palaią ekeinę̄ kai chataleleimmenę̄ poiēsasa. Tou de staurou, meros men ti thēkę̄ argyrą perichleisasa,, mnēmosynēn tois historein boulomenois, autothi katelipe " to de heteron meros apostellei tǭ basilei. “Hoper dexamenos, kai pisteusas teleiōs sōthēsesthai tēn polin entha an ekeino phylattētai, tǭ heautou andri - antichatechrypsen, hos en tę̄ kata Kōnstantinon polin( 6)» en tę̄ epilegomenę̄ agorą Kōnstantinou, epi tou porphyrou kai megalou kionos hidrytai. Touto men akoę̄ grapsas echō. Pantes de schedon hoi tēn Kōnstankinou polin oikountes, alēthes einai phasi, Kai tous hēlous de, hoi tais chersi tou Christou kata ton stauron enepagēsan, ho Kōnstantinos lathōn (kai gar kai toutous ē mētēr en tǭ mnēmati heurousa apesteilen), chalinous te kai perikephalaian poiēsas, en tois polemois ekechrēto. Echorēgei men oun pasas tas hylas ho basileus eis tēn chatascheuēn tōn ekklēsiōn, Egraphe de Makariǭ tǭ episkopǭ, epispeudein tas oichodomas. Ē] de tou basileōs mētēr, poiēsasa tēn Nean Hierousalēm,chai en tǭ antrǭ tēs Bēthleem, entha hē kata sarka gennēsis tou Christou, heteran ekklēsian ouch hētton chatescheuazen Ou mēn alla kai en tǭ orei tēs analēpseōs. Houtō de eichen eulaperi tauta, hōs kai syneuchesthai en tǭ tōn gynaichōn tagmati. Kai tas parthenous tas anagegram.menas en tǭ tōn ekklēsiōn kanoni, epi estiasin protrepomenē, di᾽ heautēs leitourgousa, ta opsa tais trapezais prosephere. Polla de kai edōreito tais ekklēsiais tois penēsin eusebōs te dianysasa tēn zōēn, eteleutēse peri ogdoēchoston hetos " kai to sōma autēs eis tēn basileuousan nean Rhōmēn diakomisthen, en tois basilikois mnēmasin apetethē.
The emperor’s mother Helena, after whom the emperor made the former village of Drepanum a city and named it Helenopolis, was directed by dreams and went to Jerusalem. Finding Jerusalem, once a city, desolate “as a hut for keeping fruit”, according to the prophet, she eagerly searched for the tomb of Christ, where he was buried and rose again. With difficulty, but with God’s help, she found it. What caused the difficulty I will say briefly. Those who held to Christ honoured the tomb after the time of the Passion; but those who shunned Christ heaped earth over the place, built a temple of Aphrodite on it, and set up a statue, so that no memory of the place should remain. This had gone on for a long time; but it became known to the emperor’s mother. She pulled down the idol, dug out the place, and cleared it, and found three crosses in the tomb: one the most blessed cross on which Christ was stretched out, and the others those on which the two thieves crucified with him had died. With them was also found Pilate’s board, on which he had written, proclaiming in various letters that the crucified Christ was King of the Jews. Since it was doubtful which was the cross that was sought, the emperor’s mother was in no small grief. But the bishop of Jerusalem, whose name was Macarius, soon ended her grief; he resolved the doubt by faith. He asked a sign from God and received it. The sign was this. A woman of the place, who had been seized by a long illness, was by now at the point of death. The bishop had each of the crosses brought to the dying woman, believing that she would recover if she touched the precious cross. Nor was he disappointed in his hope. When the two crosses that were not the Lord’s were brought, the woman remained no less dying; but when the third, the true one, was brought, the dying woman at once recovered and was well. In this way the wood of the cross was found.
The emperor’s mother built a costly house of prayer on the place of the tomb and called it New Jerusalem, setting it opposite that old and abandoned one. Part of the cross she enclosed in a silver case and left there as a memorial for those who wish to see it; the other part she sent to the emperor. Receiving it, and believing that the city where it was kept would be wholly safe, he hid it within his own statue, which stands on the great porphyry column in the so-called Forum of Constantine at Constantinople. I have written this from hearsay, but almost all who live in Constantinople say it is true. The nails, too, which were driven into Christ’s hands on the cross (his mother found these also in the tomb and sent them), Constantine took and made into bridle-bits and a helmet, which he used in his wars. The emperor supplied all the materials for building the churches, and wrote to bishop Macarius to hasten the buildings. The emperor’s mother, having built the New Jerusalem, built another church no less fine at the cave of Bethlehem, where Christ was born according to the flesh; and another on the mount of the Ascension. She was so devout in these things that she prayed among the women; and inviting to a meal the virgins enrolled in the register of the churches, she served them herself and brought the dishes to the tables. She gave much to the churches and to the poor, and having lived her life piously, she died at about eighty years of age. Her body was carried to the imperial city, New Rome, and laid in the imperial tombs.
Isa 1:8 (quotation, high confidence) · John 19:19 (allusion, high confidence) · John 19:20 (allusion, medium confidence) · Luke 23:33 (allusion, medium confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Helena finds the tomb of Christ, three crosses, and Pilate’s inscription; a dying woman healed by one cross identifies the true cross; Helena builds churches in Jerusalem, Bethlehem, and on the Mount of Olives.
- “As a hut for keeping fruit” quotes Isa 1:8 (Septuagint).
- Socrates notes that the story of the relic in Constantine’s statue is hearsay.
Cite (SBL): Socrates, Hist. eccl. 1.17 (PG 67:117–121; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/socrates-historia/1-17). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/socrates-historia/1-17
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-socrates-historia-1-17) · Report an error
Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from Valesius's Greek text as printed in Migne PG 67 (Bavarian State Library OCR and Tesseract re-OCR); every chapter compared afterwards with Zenos's English in NPNF² 2.
1.18PG 67:121–125
Καὶ μεταταῦτα δὲ ὁ βασιλεὺς ἐπιμελέστερος ὧν περὶ τὰ Χριστιανῶν, ἀπεστράφη τὰς Ελληνιχὰς θρησκείας. Καὶ παύει, μὲν τὰ μονομάχια 4 δὲ τὰς ἰδίας ἐν τοῖς ναοῖς ἐνα-νέθετο. Λεγόντων ὃὲ τῶν Ἑλλήνων ὡς ἄρα ὁ Σάραπις εἴη ὁ τὸν Νεῖλον ἀνάγων ἐπὶ ἀρδείᾳ τῆς Αἰγύπτου, τῷ τὸν πῆχυν εἰς τὸν τοῦ Σαράπιδος κομίζεσθαι, αὐτὸς εἰς τὴν ἐκκλησίαν τὸν πῆχυν ᾿Αλέξανδρον μετατιθέναι ἐκέλευσε. Τῶν ὃΣ φημιζόντων, ὡς οὐχ ἀναθήσεται ὁ Νεῖλος ὀργῇ τοῦ Σαράπιδος, ἢ τε ἄνοδος τοῦ ποταμοῦ τῷ τε ἑξῆς ἔτει εἰς τὸ μεταταῦτα, ἐγένετό τε γίνετα: ἔργῳ τε δείκνυται, ὡς οὐ διὰ θρησκείαν, ἀλλὰ διὰ τοὺς ὄρους τῆς Προνοίας, ἡ τοῦ Νείλου ἀνάθασις γίνεται. Ὑπὸ δὲ τοὺς αὐτοῦ, βαρβάρων Σαρματῶν Γότθων τ χατατρεχόντων τὴν Ῥωμαίων γῆν, οὐδαμῶς ἡ περὶ τὰς ἐκκλησίας τοῦ βασιλέως πρόθεσις ἐνεχόπτετο" ἀλλ᾽ ἀμφοτέρων τὴν ἁρμόζουσαν ἐποιήσατο πρόνοιαν" τοὺς μὲν γὰρ τῷ Χριστιανικῷ τροπαίῳ πεπιστευκὼς, κατὰ κράτος ἐνέχα, ὡς τὸ εἰωθὸς παρὰ τῶν πάλαι βασιλέων δίδοσθαι χρυσίον τοῖς βαρβάροις περιελεῖν, ἐκείνους τε ἐχπεπληγμέγους τῷ παραλόγῳ τῆς ἥττης, στεῦσαι τότε πρῶτον τῇ Χριστιανισμοῦ θρησχείλ. δι᾽ ἧς Κωνσταντῖνας ἐσώζετο. Αὖθις δὲ ἑτέρας ἐκκλησίας ἐποίει· καὶ μίαν μὲν ἐν τῇ καλουμένῃ δρυΐ τῇ Μαμβρῇ, ὑφ᾽ ἣν τοὺς ἀγγέλους ἐξενίσθαι πρὸς τοῦ Ἀβραὰμ οἱ ἱεροὶ λόγοι μηνύουσι, κατεσκεύαζε. Μαθὼν γὰρ ὁ βασιλεὺς βωμοὺς ὑπὸ τῇ δρυΐ ἱδρύσθαι, καὶ θυσίας Ἑλληνικὰς τελεῖσθαι ἐπ᾿ αὐτῷ, μέμφεται μὲν δι' ἐπιστολῆς Εὐσεβίῳ τῷ τῆς Καισαρείας ἐπισκόπῳ· κελεύει δὲ, τὸν μὲν βωμὸν ἀνατραπῆναι· πρὸς δὲ τὴν δρῦν κατασκευασθῆναι οἶκον εὐκτήριον. Ἑτέραν δὲ ἐκκλησίαν ἐν Ἡλίου πόλει τῆς Φοινίκης κατασκευασθῆναι προσέταξε, δι' αἰτίαν τοιαύτην · οἱ Ἡλίου πολῖται, τίνα μὲν ἔσχον ἐξ ἀρχῆς νομοθέτην οὐκ ἔχω εἰπεῖν, ὁποῖος ἦν τὸ ἦθος· τὸ δὲ ἦθος ἐκ τῆς πόλεως δείκνυται. Κοινὰς γὰρ εἶναι παρ' αὐτοῖς τὰς γυναῖκας ἐγχώριος νόμος ἐκέλευε. Καὶ διὰ τοῦτο, ἀμφίβολα μὲν ἦν παρ' αὐτοῖς τὰ τικτόμενα. Γονέων γὰρ καὶ τέκνων οὐδεμία διάκρισις ἦν. Τὰς δὲ παρθένους τοῖς παριοῦσι ξένοις παρείχον πορνεύεσθαι. - Καὶ τοῦτο ἐξ ἀρχαίου κρατοῦν παρ᾿ αὐτοῖς, λῦσαι ἐσπούδασε. Νόμῳ γὰρ σεμνῷ τῶν αἰσχρῶν ἀνελὼν τὸ μῦσος, τὰ γένη ἑαυτὰ ἐπιγινώσκειν παρεσκεύασεν. Ἐκκλησίας τε κτίσας, καὶ ἐπίσκοπον χειροτονηθῆναι παρεσκεύασε, καὶ κλῆρον ἱερόν. Οὕτω τὰ Ἡλιουπολιτῶν κακὰ μετριώτερα ἀπειργάσατο. Παραπλησίῳ δὲ τρόπῳ καὶ τὸ ἐν ᾿Αφάκοις τοῦ Λιβάνου ἱερὸν τῆς 'Αφροδίτης καθελὼν, τὰς ἐκεῖ γιγνομένας ἀναίδην ἀῤῥητοποιΐας ἐξέκοψε. Τί δ' ἂν εἴποιμι, ὅπως τὸν ἐν Κιλικίᾳ Πυθωνικὸν ἐξήλασε δαίμονα, τὸν οἶκον ἐν ᾧ ἐνεφώλευεν, ἐκ θεμελίων ἀνατραπῆναι κελεύσας; Τοσοὗτος δὲ ἦν ὁ τοῦ βασιλέως περὶ τὸν Χριστιανισμὸν πόθος, ὡς καὶ Περσικοῦ μέλλοντος κινεῖσθαι πολέμου, κατασκευάσας σκηνὴν ἐκ ποικίλης ὀθόνης, ἐκκλησίας τύπον ἀποτελοῦσαν, ὥσπερ Μωϋσῆς ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ πεποιήκει, καὶ ταύτην φέρεσθαι, ἵνα ἔχοι κατὰ τοὺς ἐρημοτάτους τόπους εὐκτήριον ηὐτρεπισμένον. Αλλ' οὐ προέβη τότε ὁ πόλεμος· ἔφθη γὰρ δέει τοῦ βασιλέως σβεσθῆναι. Ὅτι δὲ καὶ περὶ τὸ ἀνορθοῦν τὰς πόλεις σπουδαῖος ἦν ὁ βασιλεὺς, καὶ ὅπως κώμας πολλὰς, πόλεις ἀπέδειξεν, ὡς τὴν Δρεπάνην, ἐπώνυμον τῆς μητρὸς, καὶ ἐν Παλαιστίνῃ Κωνσταντίαν, ἐπ᾿ ὀνόματι τῆς ἑαυτοῦ ἀδελφῆς Κωνσταντίας, οὐκ εὔκαιρον ἡγοῦμαι γράφειν. Οὐ γὰρ πρόκειται τὰς πράξεις τοῦ βασιλέως ἀριθμεῖν, ὅτι μὴ ὅσαι πρὸς Χριστιανισμὸν ἁρμόζουσιν, ἀλλ᾽ ὅσαι μόνον περὶ τὰς ἐκκλησίας ἐγένοντο. Διὸ τὰ κατορθώματα τοῦ βασιλέως ἑτέρας ὑποθέσεως ὄντα, ἰδίας τε δεόμενα πραγματείας, ἑτέροις ἀφίημι, τοῖς τὰ τοιαῦτα συγγράφειν δυναμένοις· ἐγὼ δὲ, εἰ μὲν ἀδιαίρετος ἡ ἐκκλησία μεμενήκει, καὶ αὐτὸς ἡσυχίαν ἂν ἦγον. "Όπου γὰρ ὑπόθεσις μὴ χορηγεῖ τὰ γινόμενα, περιττὸς ὁ λέγων ἐστίν. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ τὴν ἀποστολικὴν τοῦ Χρι· στιανισμοῦ πίστιν, ἡ διαλεκτικὴ καὶ κενὴ ἀπάτη συνέχεεν ἐν ταὐτῷ καὶ διέσπειρεν, ᾠήθην δεῖν γραφῇ ταῦτα παραδοῦναι, ὅπως ἂν μὴ ἀφανῆ γένηται τὰ κατὰ τὰς ἐκκλησίας γενόμενα· ἡ γὰρ περὶ τούτων γνῶσις, παρὰ μὲν τοῖς πολλοῖς καὶ εὔκλειαν φέρει· αὐτὸν δὲ τὸν ἐπιστάμενον ἀσφαλέστερον ἀπεργάζεται διδάσκει δὲ μὴ σαλεύεσθαι, κενοφωνίας τινὸς ἐμπεσούσης ἐκ λέξεων.
Kai metatauta de ho basileus epimelesteros hōn peri ta Christianōn, apestraphē tas Ellēnichas thrēskeias. Kai pauei, men ta monomachia 4 de tas idias en tois naois ena-netheto. Legontōn hoe tōn Hellēnōn hōs ara ho Sarapis eiē ho ton Neilon anagōn epi ardeią tēs Aigyptou, tǭ ton pēchyn eis ton tou Sarapidos komizesthai, autos eis tēn ekklēsian ton pēchyn ᾿Alexandron metatithenai ekeleuse. Tōn hoS phēmizontōn, hōs ouch anathēsetai ho Neilos orgę̄ tou Sarapidos, ē te anodos tou potamou tǭ te hexēs etei eis to metatauta, egeneto te gineta: ergǭ te deiknytai, hōs ou dia thrēskeian, alla dia tous orous tēs Pronoias, hē tou Neilou anathasis ginetai. Hypo de tous autou, barbarōn Sarmatōn Gotthōn t chatatrechontōn tēn Rhōmaiōn gēn, oudamōs hē peri tas ekklēsias tou basileōs prothesis enechopteto" all᾽ amphoterōn tēn harmozousan epoiēsato pronoian" tous men gar tǭ Christianikǭ tropaiǭ pepisteukōs, kata kratos enecha, hōs to eiōthos para tōn palai basileōn didosthai chrysion tois barbarois perielein, ekeinous te echpeplēgmegous tǭ paralogǭ tēs hēttēs, steusai tote prōton tę̄ Christianismou thrēscheil. di᾽ hēs Kōnstantinas esōzeto. Authis de heteras ekklēsias epoiei; kai mian men en tę̄ kaloumenę̄ dryï tę̄ Mambrę̄, hyph᾽ hēn tous angelous exenisthai pros tou Abraam hoi hieroi logoi mēnyousi, kateskeuaze. Mathōn gar ho basileus bōmous hypo tę̄ dryï hidrysthai, kai thysias Hellēnikas teleisthai ep᾿ autǭ, memphetai men di' epistolēs Eusebiǭ tǭ tēs Kaisareias episkopǭ; keleuei de, ton men bōmon anatrapēnai; pros de tēn dryn kataskeuasthēnai oikon euktērion. Heteran de ekklēsian en Hēliou polei tēs Phoinikēs kataskeuasthēnai prosetaxe, di' aitian toiautēn ; hoi Hēliou politai, tina men eschon ex archēs nomothetēn ouk echō eipein, hopoios ēn to ēthos; to de ēthos ek tēs poleōs deiknytai. Koinas gar einai par' autois tas gynaikas enchōrios nomos ekeleue. Kai dia touto, amphibola men ēn par' autois ta tiktomena. Goneōn gar kai teknōn oudemia diakrisis ēn. Tas de parthenous tois pariousi xenois pareichon porneuesthai. - Kai touto ex archaiou kratoun par᾿ autois, lysai espoudase. Nomǭ gar semnǭ tōn aischrōn anelōn to mysos, ta genē heauta epiginōskein pareskeuasen. Ekklēsias te ktisas, kai episkopon cheirotonēthēnai pareskeuase, kai klēron hieron. Houtō ta Hēlioupolitōn kaka metriōtera apeirgasato. Paraplēsiǭ de tropǭ kai to en ᾿Aphakois tou Libanou hieron tēs 'Aphroditēs kathelōn, tas ekei gignomenas anaidēn arrhētopoiïas exekopse. Ti d' an eipoimi, hopōs ton en Kilikią Pythōnikon exēlase daimona, ton oikon en hǭ enephōleuen, ek themeliōn anatrapēnai keleusas? Tosoutos de ēn ho tou basileōs peri ton Christianismon pothos, hōs kai Persikou mellontos kineisthai polemou, kataskeuasas skēnēn ek poikilēs othonēs, ekklēsias typon apotelousan, hōsper Mōÿsēs en tę̄ erēmǭ pepoiēkei, kai tautēn pheresthai, hina echoi kata tous erēmotatous topous euktērion ēutrepismenon. All' ou proebē tote ho polemos; ephthē gar deei tou basileōs sbesthēnai. Hoti de kai peri to anorthoun tas poleis spoudaios ēn ho basileus, kai hopōs kōmas pollas, poleis apedeixen, hōs tēn Drepanēn, epōnymon tēs mētros, kai en Palaistinę̄ Kōnstantian, ep᾿ onomati tēs heautou adelphēs Kōnstantias, ouk eukairon hēgoumai graphein. Ou gar prokeitai tas praxeis tou basileōs arithmein, hoti mē hosai pros Christianismon harmozousin, all᾽ hosai monon peri tas ekklēsias egenonto. Dio ta katorthōmata tou basileōs heteras hypotheseōs onta, idias te deomena pragmateias, heterois aphiēmi, tois ta toiauta syngraphein dynamenois; egō de, ei men adiairetos hē ekklēsia memenēkei, kai autos hēsychian an ēgon. "Opou gar hypothesis mē chorēgei ta ginomena, perittos ho legōn estin. Epeidē de tēn apostolikēn tou Chri; stianismou pistin, hē dialektikē kai kenē apatē synecheen en tautǭ kai diespeiren, ǭēthēn dein graphę̄ tauta paradounai, hopōs an mē aphanē genētai ta kata tas ekklēsias genomena; hē gar peri toutōn gnōsis, para men tois pollois kai eukleian pherei; auton de ton epistamenon asphalesteron apergazetai didaskei de mē saleuesthai, kenophōnias tinos empesousēs ek lexeōn.
After this the emperor, being more and more devoted to the Christian cause, turned away from the pagan religions. He put an end to the gladiatorial combats and set up his own [statues] in the temples. When the pagans said that it was Sarapis who brought up the Nile to water Egypt, because the cubit was carried to the temple of Sarapis, he ordered Alexander to transfer the cubit to the church. They spread the report that the Nile would not rise because of Sarapis’s anger; but the river rose the next year and afterwards, and still does, and it is shown in fact that the rising of the Nile comes not through religion but through the decrees of providence. About the same time the barbarian Sarmatians and Goths overran Roman territory, but the emperor’s purpose concerning the churches was in no way interrupted; he took fitting care of both. Trusting in the Christian trophy, he conquered the barbarians by force, so that he did away with the gold which the earlier emperors used to give the barbarians; and they, astonished at their unexpected defeat, then for the first time believed in the Christian religion, through which Constantine was kept safe.
Again he built other churches. One he built at the so-called oak of Mamre, under which the sacred books tell that the angels were entertained by Abraham. For the emperor learned that altars had been set up under the oak and pagan sacrifices were offered on them; he rebuked Eusebius, bishop of Caesarea, by letter, and ordered the altar to be overturned and a house of prayer built by the oak. He ordered another church to be built at Heliopolis in Phoenicia, for the following reason. Who the lawgiver of the people of Heliopolis was from the beginning I cannot say, but what his character was is shown by the city. A local law required their women to be held in common; and for this reason their children were of doubtful parentage, for there was no distinguishing of parents and children. They gave their virgins to passing strangers for prostitution. This custom, which had prevailed among them from of old, he set himself to abolish. By a solemn law he took away the abomination of these shameful practices and arranged that families should recognize their own members. He built churches and had a bishop ordained and a sacred clergy. So he made the evils of the Heliopolitans more moderate. In a similar way he pulled down the temple of Aphrodite at Aphaca on Lebanon and cut off the unspeakable practices shamelessly carried on there. What need I say of how he drove out the Pythonic demon in Cilicia, ordering the house in which it lurked to be overturned from its foundations?
The emperor’s love for Christianity was so great that when a Persian war was about to break out, he made a tent of embroidered linen in the form of a church, as Moses had done in the wilderness, and had it carried with him, so that he might have a house of prayer ready even in the most desolate places. But the war did not go forward at that time; it was quenched first through fear of the emperor. That the emperor was also zealous in restoring cities, and how he made many villages into cities, such as Drepanum, named after his mother, and Constantia in Palestine, named after his sister Constantia, I think it not the place to write. For it is not my purpose to recount the emperor’s deeds, except those that concern Christianity, and only those that concern the churches. Therefore I leave the emperor’s achievements, which belong to another subject and need a treatise of their own, to others who can write of such things. As for me, if the church had remained undivided, I too would have kept silent; for where the subject supplies no events, the speaker is superfluous. But since dialectic and empty deceit at once confused and scattered the apostolic faith of Christianity, I thought I ought to commit these things to writing, so that what happened in the churches might not be lost. For knowledge of these things brings renown among the many, makes him who knows them more secure, and teaches him not to be shaken when some empty talk breaks in through mere words.
Textual problem in this passage: see the notes.
Gen 18:1 (allusion, high confidence) · Gen 18:8 (allusion, medium confidence) · Exod 33:7 (allusion, medium confidence) · Col 2:8 (allusion, medium confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Constantine ends gladiatorial shows, moves the Nile cubit to the church, defeats Goths and Sarmatians, builds churches at Mamre and Heliopolis, suppresses immoral cults, and carries a tent-church on campaign.
- The word “statues” (eikonas) is lost in the scan after “his own”; it is supplied in brackets from the sense.
- The Nile cubit (a gauge measuring the flood) had been kept in the Serapeum. “Alexander” is presumably the bishop of Alexandria.
- Mamre: Gen 18:1–8. The tent: Exod 26; 33:7.
- “Dialectic and empty deceit” echoes Col 2:8.
- The description of the customs at Heliopolis is translated as Socrates gives it.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (stray Latin word from the parallel column): illosἀμφίβολα → ἀμφίβολα.
Cite (SBL): Socrates, Hist. eccl. 1.18 (PG 67:121–125; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/socrates-historia/1-18). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/socrates-historia/1-18
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from Valesius's Greek text as printed in Migne PG 67 (Bavarian State Library OCR and Tesseract re-OCR); every chapter compared afterwards with Zenos's English in NPNF² 2.
1.19PG 67:125–129
Αὖθις οὖν μνημονευτέον καὶ ὅπως ἐπὶ τῶν καιρῶν τοῦ βασιλέως ὁ Χριστιανισμὸς ἐπλατύνετο· τηνικαῦτα γὰρ Ἰνδῶν τε τῶν ἐνδοτέρω καὶ Ἰβήρων τὰ ἔθνη, πρὸς τὸ χριστιανίζειν ἐλάμβανε τὴν ἀρχήν. Τίνος δὲ ἕνεκεν τῇ προσθήκῃ τῶν ἐνδοτέρω ἐχρησάμην, διὰ βραχέων ἐρῶ. Ἰνίκα οἱ ἀπόστολοι κλήρῳ τὴν εἰς τὰ ἔθνη πορείαν ἐποιοῦντο, Θωμᾶς μὲν μὲν τὴν Πάρθων ἀποστολὴν ὑπεδέχετο· Ματθαῖος δὲ τὴν Αἰθιοπίαν· Βαρθολομαῖος δὲ ἐκληροῦτο τὴν συνημμένην ταύτῃ Ἰνδίαν· τὴν μέντοι ἐνδοτέρω Ἰνδίαν, ᾗ προσοικεῖ βαρβάρων ἔθνη πολλά, διαφόροις χρώμενα γλώσσαις, οὐδέ πω πρὸ τῶν Κωνσταντίνου χρόνων ὁ τοῦ Χριστιανισμοῦ λόγος ἐφώτιζε. Τίς δὲ ἡ αἰτία τοῦ καὶ αὐτοὺς χριστιανίσαι, νῦν ἔρχομαι καταλέξων. Μερόπιός τις φιλόσοφος, τῷ γένει Τύριος, ἱστορῆσαι τὴν Ἰνδῶν χώραν ἔσπευσεν, ἁμιλλησάμενος πρὸς τὸν φιλόσοφον Μητρόδωρον, ὃς πρὸ αὐτοῦ τὴν Ἰνδῶν χώραν ἰστόρησεν. Παραλαβὼν οὖν δύο παιδάρια συγγενῆ ὁ Μερόπιος, Ἑλληνικῆς οὐκ ἄμοιρα διαλέκτου, καταλαμβάνει πλοίῳ τὴν χώραν. Ἱστορήσας τε ὅσα ἐβούλετο, προσορμίζει χρείᾳ τῶν ἐπιτηδείων τόπῳ λιμένα ἔχοντι ἀσφαλῆ. Συμβεβήκει δὲ τότε πρὸς ὀλίγον, τὰς σπονδὰς διεσπᾶσθαι, τὰς μεταξὺ Ῥωμαίων τε καὶ Ἰνδῶν. Συλλαβόντες δὲ οἱ Ἰνδοὶ τὸν φιλόσοφον καὶ τοὺς συμπλέοντας, πλὴν τῶν δύο συγγενῶν παιδαρίων, ἅπαντας διεχρήσαντο. Τοὺς δὲ δύο παῖδας, οἴκτῳ τῆς ἡλικίας διασώσαντες, δῶρον τῷ Ἰνδῶν βασιλεῖ προσκομίζουσιν. Ὁ δὲ ἡσθεὶς τῇ προσόψει τῶν νέων, ἕνα μὲν αὐτῶν, ᾧ ὄνομα ἦν Αἰδέσιος, οἰνοχόον τῆς αὐτοῦ τραπέζης καθίστησι· τὸν δὲ ἕτερον, Φουρμέντιος ὄνομα αὐτῷ, τῶν βασιλικῶν γραμματοφυλάκων φροντίζειν προσέταξεν. Μετ᾿ οὐ πολὺ δὲ τελευτῶν ὁ βασιλεὺς ἐπὶ υἱῷ κομιδῇ νηπίῳ καὶ γυναικὶ, ἐλευθέρους τούτους ἀφίησιν. Ἡ δὲ γυνὴ τοῦ βασιλέως, υἱὸν ἔχουσα καταλελειμμένον ἐν ἡλικίᾳ μικρᾷ, εἶπεν αὐτοῖς πρόνοιαν αὐτοῦ ποιήσασθαι, ἄχρις οὗ εἰς ἄνδρα τελέσῃ. Πεισθέντες οὖν οἱ νεανίσκοι, πρόνοιαν ποιοῦνται τῶν τοῦ βασιλέως πραγμάτων. Φουρμέντιος δὲ ἦν μάλιστα ὁ διοικῶν σύμπαντα. Ἔργον δὲ ἐποιεῖτο, τοὺς ἐπιδημοῦντας τὴν χώραν Ῥωμαίους ἐμπόρους ζητεῖν, εἴπου τινὰ τῶν χριστιανιζόντων ἐφεύροι. Εὑρὼν δὲ, καὶ τὰ καθ' ἑαυτὸν διδάσκων, παρεκάλει τόπους καταλαμβάνειν ἰδιάζοντας ἐπὶ τῷ τὰς Χριστιανικὰς ἐκτελεῖν εὐχάς. Καταβραχὺ δὲ προϊόντος τοῦ χρόνου, καὶ εὐκτήριον κατεσκεύασε, καί τινας τῶν Ἰνδῶν κατηχοῦντες συνεύχεσθαι αὐτοῖς παρεσκεύασαν. Ἐπεὶ δὲ ὁ τοῦ βασιλέως παῖς τῆς τελείας ἡλικίας ἐπέβη, οἱ περὶ τὸν Φουρμέντιον παραδόντες τὰ καλῶς ὑπ᾿ αὐτῶν διοικηθέντα πράγματα, ᾔτουν ἐπὶ τὴν ἑαυτῶν ἀποχωρῆσαι πατρίδα. Τοῦ δὲ βασιλέως, καὶ τῆς ἑαυτοῦ μητρὸς ἐπιμένειν παρακαλούντων, καὶ μὴ πεισάντων, ἀνεχώρουν ἐπιθυμίᾳ τῆς ἐνεγκαμένης. Αἰδέσιος μὲν οὖν ὡς ἐπὶ τὴν Τύρον ἐσπούδαζεν, ὀψόμενος γονέας τε καὶ συγγενεῖς· Φουρμέντιος δὲ καταλαβὼν τὴν · ᾿Αλεξάνδρειαν, τῷ ἐπισκόπῳ ᾿Αθανασίῳ τότε νεωστὶ τῆς ἐπισκοπῆς ἀξιωθέντι, ὑπαναφέρει τὸ πρᾶγμα, διδάξας τὰ τε τῆς ἑαυτοῦ ἀποδημίας, καὶ ὡς ἐλπίδας ἔχουσιν Ἰνδοὶ τὸν Χριστιανισμὸν παραδέξασθαι· ἐπίσκοπόν τε καὶ κλῆρον ἀποστέλλειν, καὶ μηδαμῶς περιορᾶν τοὺς δυναμένους σωθῆναι. ᾿Αθανάσιος δὲ λαβὼν εἰς ἔννοιαν τὸ λυσιτελὲς, αὐτὸν Φουρμέντιον τὴν ἐπισκοπὴν ἀναδέξασθαι παρεσκεύασεν, εἰπὼν μὴ ἔχειν αὐτοῦ ἐπιτηδειότερον. Γίνεται δὴ τοῦτο. Καὶ Φουρμέντιος ἀξιωθεὶς τῆς ἐπισκοπῆς, αὖθις ἐπὶ τὴν Ἰνδῶν παραγίνεται χώραν, καὶ κήρυξ τοῦ Χριστιανισμοῦ γίνεται, εὐκτήριά τε πολλὰ ἱδρύει. ᾿Αξιωθείς τε θείας χάριτος, πολλὰ μὲν σημεῖα, πολλῶν δὲ σὺν τῇ ψυχῇ καὶ τὰ σώματα ἐθεράπευε. Ταῦτα δὲ ὁ Ῥουφῖνος παρὰ τοῦ Αἰδεσίου, ὕστερον καὶ αὐτοῦ ἱερωσύνης ἀξιωθέντος τῆς ἐν Τύρῳ, ἀκηκοέναι φησίν.
Authis oun mnēmoneuteon kai hopōs epi tōn kairōn tou basileōs ho Christianismos eplatyneto; tēnikauta gar Indōn te tōn endoterō kai Ibērōn ta ethnē, pros to christianizein elambane tēn archēn. Tinos de heneken tę̄ prosthēkę̄ tōn endoterō echrēsamēn, dia bracheōn erō. Inika hoi apostoloi klērǭ tēn eis ta ethnē poreian epoiounto, Thōmas men men tēn Parthōn apostolēn hypedecheto; Matthaios de tēn Aithiopian; Bartholomaios de eklērouto tēn synēmmenēn tautę̄ Indian; tēn mentoi endoterō Indian, hę̄ prosoikei barbarōn ethnē polla, diaphorois chrōmena glōssais, oude pō pro tōn Kōnstantinou chronōn ho tou Christianismou logos ephōtize. Tis de hē aitia tou kai autous christianisai, nyn erchomai katalexōn. Meropios tis philosophos, tǭ genei Tyrios, historēsai tēn Indōn chōran espeusen, hamillēsamenos pros ton philosophon Mētrodōron, hos pro autou tēn Indōn chōran istorēsen. Paralabōn oun dyo paidaria syngenē ho Meropios, Hellēnikēs ouk amoira dialektou, katalambanei ploiǭ tēn chōran. Historēsas te hosa ebouleto, prosormizei chreią tōn epitēdeiōn topǭ limena echonti asphalē. Symbebēkei de tote pros oligon, tas spondas diespasthai, tas metaxy Rhōmaiōn te kai Indōn. Syllabontes de hoi Indoi ton philosophon kai tous sympleontas, plēn tōn dyo syngenōn paidariōn, hapantas diechrēsanto. Tous de dyo paidas, oiktǭ tēs hēlikias diasōsantes, dōron tǭ Indōn basilei proskomizousin. Ho de hēstheis tę̄ prosopsei tōn neōn, hena men autōn, hǭ onoma ēn Aidesios, oinochoon tēs autou trapezēs kathistēsi; ton de heteron, Phourmentios onoma autǭ, tōn basilikōn grammatophylakōn phrontizein prosetaxen. Met᾿ ou poly de teleutōn ho basileus epi huiǭ komidę̄ nēpiǭ kai gynaiki, eleutherous toutous aphiēsin. Hē de gynē tou basileōs, huion echousa kataleleimmenon en hēlikią mikrą, eipen autois pronoian autou poiēsasthai, achris hou eis andra telesę̄. Peisthentes oun hoi neaniskoi, pronoian poiountai tōn tou basileōs pragmatōn. Phourmentios de ēn malista ho dioikōn sympanta. Ergon de epoieito, tous epidēmountas tēn chōran Rhōmaious emporous zētein, eipou tina tōn christianizontōn epheuroi. Heurōn de, kai ta kath' heauton didaskōn, parekalei topous katalambanein idiazontas epi tǭ tas Christianikas ektelein euchas. Katabrachy de proïontos tou chronou, kai euktērion kateskeuase, kai tinas tōn Indōn katēchountes syneuchesthai autois pareskeuasan. Epei de ho tou basileōs pais tēs teleias hēlikias epebē, hoi peri ton Phourmention paradontes ta kalōs hyp᾿ autōn dioikēthenta pragmata, ę̄toun epi tēn heautōn apochōrēsai patrida. Tou de basileōs, kai tēs heautou mētros epimenein parakalountōn, kai mē peisantōn, anechōroun epithymią tēs enenkamenēs. Aidesios men oun hōs epi tēn Tyron espoudazen, opsomenos goneas te kai syngeneis; Phourmentios de katalabōn tēn ; ᾿Alexandreian, tǭ episkopǭ ᾿Athanasiǭ tote neōsti tēs episkopēs axiōthenti, hypanapherei to pragma, didaxas ta te tēs heautou apodēmias, kai hōs elpidas echousin Indoi ton Christianismon paradexasthai; episkopon te kai klēron apostellein, kai mēdamōs perioran tous dynamenous sōthēnai. ᾿Athanasios de labōn eis ennoian to lysiteles, auton Phourmention tēn episkopēn anadexasthai pareskeuasen, eipōn mē echein autou epitēdeioteron. Ginetai dē touto. Kai Phourmentios axiōtheis tēs episkopēs, authis epi tēn Indōn paraginetai chōran, kai kēryx tou Christianismou ginetai, euktēria te polla hidryei. ᾿Axiōtheis te theias charitos, polla men sēmeia, pollōn de syn tę̄ psychę̄ kai ta sōmata etherapeue. Tauta de ho Rhouphinos para tou Aidesiou, hysteron kai autou hierōsynēs axiōthentos tēs en Tyrǭ, akēkoenai phēsin.
We must also mention how Christianity spread in the times of this emperor. For at that time the nations of the inner Indians and of the Iberians began to become Christian. Why I have added the word “inner” I will say briefly. When the apostles set out by lot to the nations, Thomas received the apostleship of the Parthians, Matthew Ethiopia, and Bartholomew was allotted the India adjoining it. But the inner India, near which many barbarian nations live, using various languages, the word of Christianity had not enlightened before the times of Constantine. What led them too to become Christian I now come to relate.
A certain philosopher, Meropius, a Tyrian by birth, was eager to explore the country of the Indians, in emulation of the philosopher Metrodorus, who had explored the country of the Indians before him. Taking with him two boys who were his relatives, not unacquainted with the Greek language, Meropius reached the country by ship. Having explored what he wished, he put in, needing supplies, at a place with a safe harbour. It happened that at that time the treaties between the Romans and the Indians had briefly been broken. The Indians seized the philosopher and those sailing with him and killed them all except the two boys his relatives. These they spared out of pity for their youth and brought them as a gift to the king of the Indians. He, pleased with the young men’s looks, made one of them, whose name was Aedesius, cup-bearer at his table, and appointed the other, whose name was Frumentius, to take charge of the royal records. Not long afterwards the king died, leaving a son who was still a child and a wife, and he set them free. The king’s wife, whose son was left at a young age, asked them to take care of him until he reached manhood. The young men agreed and took care of the king’s affairs; Frumentius in particular managed everything. He made it his work to seek out Roman merchants staying in the country, to see whether he could find any Christians among them. Finding some and telling them about himself, he urged them to take places apart for performing Christian prayers. As time went on he built a house of prayer, and they instructed some of the Indians and brought them to pray with them. When the king’s son reached full age, Frumentius and Aedesius handed over the affairs they had managed well and asked to return to their own country. The king and his mother begged them to stay, but could not persuade them, and they departed in longing for their homeland. Aedesius hastened to Tyre to see his parents and relatives; but Frumentius went to Alexandria and reported the matter to the bishop Athanasius, who had then lately been made bishop. He told of his travels and of how the Indians had hopes of receiving Christianity, and asked him to send a bishop and clergy and by no means to neglect those who could be saved. Athanasius, considering what would be profitable, had Frumentius himself accept the bishopric, saying that he had no one more suitable. This was done. Frumentius, made bishop, returned to the country of the Indians and became a preacher of Christianity and founded many houses of prayer. Being granted divine grace, he worked many signs and healed the bodies as well as the souls of many. Rufinus says that he heard these things from Aedesius, who was afterwards himself made a priest at Tyre.
Notes and citation
Summary: Frumentius, a captive raised at the court of the inner Indians, gathers Christians there, is made bishop by Athanasius, and evangelizes the country.
- The “inner India” of this story is generally identified with the kingdom of Aksum in Ethiopia.
- The source is Rufinus, Church History 10.9–10.
Extrabiblical texts: Rufinus of Aquileia, Hist. (Rufinus of Aquileia, Rufinus, Church History; allusion)
Topics: Church office
Cite (SBL): Socrates, Hist. eccl. 1.19 (PG 67:125–129; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/socrates-historia/1-19). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/socrates-historia/1-19
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from Valesius's Greek text as printed in Migne PG 67 (Bavarian State Library OCR and Tesseract re-OCR); every chapter compared afterwards with Zenos's English in NPNF² 2.
1.20PG 67:129–133
Καιρὸς δὲ ἤδη λέγειν, ὅπως καὶ Ἴβηρες ὑπὸ τὸν αὐτὸν χρόνον ἐχριστιάνισαν. Γυνή τις βίον σεμνὸν καὶ σώφρονα μετερχομένη, θείᾳ τινὶ Προνοίᾳ ὑπ᾿ Ἰβήρων αἰχμάλωτος γίνεται. Ἴβηρες δὲ οὗτοι ν προσοικοῦσι μὲν τὸν Εὔξεινον Πόντον· ἄποικοι δέ εἰσιν Ἰβήρων τῶν ἐν Ἱσπανίᾳ. Ἡ γυνὴ τοίνυν ἡ αἰχμάλωτος, ἐν μέσοις οὖσα τοῖς βαρβάροις ἐφιλοσόφει· σὺν γὰρ τῇ πολλῇ τῆς σωφροσύνης ἀσκήσει, νηστείᾳ τε βαθυτάτῃ καὶ συντόνοις προσέκειτο ταῖς εὐχαῖς. Τοῦτο δὲ ὁρῶντες οἱ βάρβαροι, τὸν ξενισμὸν τοῦ πραττομένου ἐθαύμαζον. Συμβαίνει δὴ τὸν βασιλέως παῖδα νήπιον ὄντα, ἀῤῥωστίᾳ περιπεσεῖν. ἔθει τινὶ ἐγχωρίῳ, παρὰ τὰς ἄλλας γυναῖκας ἡ τοῦ βασιλέως γυνὴ ἔπεμπε τὸν παῖδα θεραπευθησόμενον, εἴπου τι βοήθημα πρὸς τὴν νόσον ἐχ πείρας ἑπίστανπαι. Ὡς δὲ πεοιαχθεὶς ὁ παῖς ὑπὸ τῆς τροφοῦ, παρ᾽ οὐδεμιᾶς τῶν γυνα:ικῶν θεραπείας ἐτύγχανε, τέλος ἄγεται πρὸς τὴν αἰχμάλωτον. Ἡ δὲ, ἐπὶ παρουσίᾳ πολλῶν γυναικῶν, ὑλιχὸν μὲν βοήθημα προσέφερεν οὐδέν" οὐδὲ γὰρ ἠπίστατο. Δεξαμένη δὲ τὸν παῖδα, εἰς τὸ τριχῶν ὑφασμένον αὑτῇ στρωμάτιον ἀναχλίνασα, λόγον εἶπεν ἁπλοῦν" Ὃ Χριστὸς, φησὶν, ὁ πολλοὺς ἰασάμενος, καὶ τοῦτο τὸ ἰάσεται. Ἐπευξαμένης τε ἐπὶ τῷ λόγῳ τούτῳ, καὶ ἐπιχαλεσαμένης Θεὸν, παραχρῆμα ὁ παῖς ἀνεῤῥώννυτο, καὶ εἶχεν ἐξ ἐκείνου καλῶς. Φήμη τε ἐντεῦθεν τὰς Βαργυναῖκας, αὐτὴν τὴν τοῦ βασιλέως διἐτρεχε" καὶ φανερωτέρα ἡ αἰχμάλωτος ἐγίνετο. Μετ᾿ πολὺ δὲ τοῦ βασιλέως γυνὴ ἀῤῥωστίᾳ περιπεσοῦσα, τὴν αἰχμάλωτον γυναῖκα μετεπέμπετο. Τῆς ὃὲ παραιτησαμένης, μετριαζούσης τε τοῖς ἤθεσιν, αὑτὴ φέρεται παρ᾽ αὐτήν. Ποιεῖ δὲ ἡ αἰχμάλωτος, ἃ καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ παιδὸς πεποιήκει πρότερον. Παραχρῆμα ὃὲ, ἡ νοσοῦσα ἐῤῥώσθη, ηὐχαρίστει τῇ γυναιχί, Ἢ δὲ, Οὐχ ἐμὸν, ἔφη, τὸ ἔργον, ἀλλὰ Χριστοῦ, ὃς ἔστι τοῦ Θεοῦ, τοῦ τὸν κόσμον ποιήσαντος. Τοῦτόν τε ἐπικαλεῖσθαι παρΐῆνει, ἀληθῇ γνωρίζειν Θεόν. Θαυμάσας δὲ ὁ βασιλεὺς τῶν Ἰδήρων τὴν ἐχ τῆς νόσου εἰς ὑγείαν ταχυτῆτα, πυθόμενός τε τίς ὁ θεραπεύσας, δώροις ἡμείβετο τὴν αἰχμάλωτον. Ἢ δὲ οὐχ ἔφη δεῖσθαι πλούτου " ἔχειν γὰρ πλοῦτον τὴν εὐσέβειαν, καὶ δέχεσθαι μέγα δῶρον, εἰ ἐπιγνώσειε τὸν Θεὸν, τὸν ὑπ᾽ αὐτῆς γινωσχόμενον. Ταῦτα εἰποῦσα, τὰ δῶρα ἀντέπεμπεν" ὁ δὲ βασιλεὺς, τὸν μὲν λόγον ἐταμιεύσατο. Μεθ᾿ ἡμέραν δὲ ἐξελθόντι αὐτῷ εἰς θήραν, συμβαίνει τοιοῦτό τι. Τὰς χορυφὰς τῶν ὀρέων καὶ τὰς νάπας ἔνθα ἐθήρα, χατέχεεν ὁμίχλη, σκότος τε πολύ. Καὶ ἄπορος μὲν ἡ θήρα, ἀδιεξίτητος δὲ ἡ ὁδός " ἐν ἀμηχανίᾳ δὲ γενόμενος, πολὺ τοὺς Θεοὺς ἐπεκαλεῖτο οὗς ἔσεθεν. Ὡς δὲ οὐδὲν ἤνυε πλέον, τέλος εἰς ἔννοιαν τῆς αἰχμαλώτου λαμβάνει τὸν Θεὸν, καὶ τοῦτον καλεῖ βοηθόν. Καὶ ἅμα γε ηὔχετο, τὸ τῆς ὀμίχλης διελύετο σκότος. Θαυμάζων δὲ τὸ γενόμενον, χαίρων ἐπὶ τὰ οἰκεῖα ἀνεχώρει. Καὶ τὸ συμδεθηχὸς διηγεῖτο τῇ γυναιχί, Καὶ τὴν αἰχμάλωτον ' εὐθὺς μεταπέμπεται, καὶ τίς εἴη ὃν σέδει Θεὸν ἐπυνθάνετο. Ἡ δὲ, εἰς πρόσωπον ἐλθοῦσα, κήρυκα τοῦ Χριστοῦ τῶν Ἰδήρων βασιλέα ἐποίησε γενέσθαι" πιστεύσα: γὰρ τῷ Χριστῷ διὰ τῆς εὐσεβοῦς γυναικὸς, πάντα; τοὺς ὑπ᾽ αὐτὸν Ἰθήρας συνχαλεῖ. Καὶ τὰ συμβάντα περί τε τῆς θεραπείας τῆς γυναικὸς τοῦ παιδίου, οὐ μὴν ἀλλὰ τὰ κατὰ τὴν θήραν ἐχθέμενο;, παρήνει σέθεσθαι τὸν τῆς αἰχμαλώτου Θεόν. Ἐγένοντο οὖν ἀμφότεροι χήρυχες τοῦ Χριστοῦ" ὃ μὲν βασιλεὺς τοῖς ἀνδράσιν, ἡ δὲ γυνὴ ταῖς γυναιξί. Μαθὼν δὲ παρὰ τῆς αἰχμαλώτου τὸ σχῆμα τῶν παρὰ Ῥωμαίοις ἐκκλησιῶν, εὐκτήριον ἐκέλευσε γενέσθαι" εὐθύς τε τὰ πρὸς οἰχοδομὴν προσέταξεν εὐτοεπίζεσθαι. Καὶ ὁ οἶκος ἠγείρετο. Ἐπεὶ δὲ τοὺς στύλους ἀνορθοῦν ἐπειρῶντο, οἰχονομεῖ τι πρὸς πίστιν τοὺς ἐνοικοῦντας ἡ τοῦ Θεοῦ ἕλκουσα νοια. Εἷς γὰρ τῶν στύλων ἀχίνητος ἔμενε καὶ οὐδεμία εὑρίσχετο μηχανὴ, δυναμένη κινῆσαι αὐτό". ᾿Αλλὰ τὰ μὲν χαλώδια διεῤῥήγννυτο, τὰ δὲ μηχανή - ματα χατεάγνυτο᾽" ἀπεγνωχότες οὖν οἱ ἐργαζόμενοι, ἀπεχώρουν. Τότε δείκνυται τῆς αἰχμαλώτου ἡ πίστις. Νυχτὸς γὰρ, μηδενὸς ἐγνωχότος, καταλαμβάνει τὸν τόπον, καὶ διανυχτερεύει τῇ εὐχῇ σχολάζουσα. Προνοίᾳ τε Θεοῦ ὁ στύλος ἀνορθοῦται, καὶ ὑψηλότερος τῆς βάσεως ἐν τῷ ἀέρι ἐστήριχτο, μηδαμῶς τῆς χρηπῖδος ἁπτόμενος. Ἡμέρα δὲ ἦν, ὁ βασιλεὺς ἔμφρων τις ὧν, ἐπὶ τὴν οἰχοδομὴν παρῆν " ὁρᾷ τε τὸν στύλον ἐπὶ τὴν ἰδίαν χρεμάμενον βάσιν" καὶ ἐχπλὴτμὲν αὐτὸς ἐπὶ τῷ γεγονότι. Ἐχπλήττονται δὲ οἱ παρόντες σὺν αὐτῷ. Μετ᾿ οὐ πολὺ γὰρ ἐπ᾽ ὀφθαλμυῖς αὐτῶν, τῇ ἰδίᾳ βάσει ὁ στύλος κατιὼν, ἱδρύεται. τε ἐντεῦθεν τῶν ἀνθρώπων βοώντων, ἀληθῆ τὴν πίστιν ἀναχαλούντων τοῦ βασιλέως, ὑμνούντων τὸν τῆς αἰχμαλώτου Θεόν. ᾿Ἐπίστενόν τε λοιπὸν, σὺν προθυμίᾳ πολλῇ τοὺς ὑπολοίπους στύλους ἀνώρθουν, καὶ οὐχ εἰς μακρὰν τὸ ἔργον τετέλεστο. Πρεσδεία ἐντεῦθεν πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα Κωνσταντῖνον ἐγένετο παρεκάλουν τε τοῦ λοιποῦ ὑπόσπονξοι Ῥωμαίων γίνεσθαι, λαμδάνειν τε ἐπίσκοπον ἱερὸν κλῆρον, πιστεύειν γὰρ εἰλικρινῶς ἔλεγον τῷ Χριστῷ. Ταῦτά φησιν ὁ Ῥουφῖνος παρὰ Βαχουρίου μεμαθηχέναι, ὃς πρότερος μὲν ἦν βασιλίσχος Ἰδήρων" ὕστερον δὲ Ῥωμαίοις προσελθὼν, ταξίαρχος τοῦ ἐν Παλαιστίνῃ στρατιωτικοῦ κατἔστη- μεταταῦτα στρατηλατῶν, τὸν κατὰ Μαξίμου τοῦ τυράννου πόλεμον τῷ βασιλεῖ Θεοδοσίῳ συνηγωνίσατο. Τοῦτον μὲν τὸν τρόπον καὶ Ἴσηρες ἐχριστιάνισαν ἐπὶ τῶν Κωνσταντίνου χρόνων.
Kairos de ēdē legein, hopōs kai Ibēres hypo ton auton chronon echristianisan. Gynē tis bion semnon kai sōphrona meterchomenē, theią tini Pronoią hyp᾿ Ibērōn aichmalōtos ginetai. Ibēres de houtoi n prosoikousi men ton Euxeinon Ponton; apoikoi de eisin Ibērōn tōn en Hispanią. Hē gynē toinyn hē aichmalōtos, en mesois ousa tois barbarois ephilosophei; syn gar tę̄ pollę̄ tēs sōphrosynēs askēsei, nēsteią te bathytatę̄ kai syntonois prosekeito tais euchais. Touto de horōntes hoi barbaroi, ton xenismon tou prattomenou ethaumazon. Symbainei dē ton basileōs paida nēpion onta, arrhōstią peripesein. ethei tini enchōriǭ, para tas allas gynaikas hē tou basileōs gynē epempe ton paida therapeuthēsomenon, eipou ti boēthēma pros tēn noson ech peiras hepistanpai. Hōs de peoiachtheis ho pais hypo tēs trophou, par᾽ oudemias tōn gyna:ikōn therapeias etynchane, telos agetai pros tēn aichmalōton. Hē de, epi parousią pollōn gynaikōn, hylichon men boēthēma prosepheren ouden" oude gar ēpistato. Dexamenē de ton paida, eis to trichōn hyphasmenon hautę̄ strōmation anachlinasa, logon eipen haploun" Ho Christos, phēsin, ho pollous iasamenos, kai touto to iasetai. Epeuxamenēs te epi tǭ logǭ toutǭ, kai epichalesamenēs Theon, parachrēma ho pais anerrhōnnyto, kai eichen ex ekeinou kalōs. Phēmē te enteuthen tas Bargynaikas, autēn tēn tou basileōs dietreche" kai phanerōtera hē aichmalōtos egineto. Met᾿ poly de tou basileōs gynē arrhōstią peripesousa, tēn aichmalōton gynaika metepempeto. Tēs hoe paraitēsamenēs, metriazousēs te tois ēthesin, hautē pheretai par᾽ autēn. Poiei de hē aichmalōtos, ha kai epi tou paidos pepoiēkei proteron. Parachrēma hoe, hē nosousa errhōsthē, ēucharistei tę̄ gynaichi, Ē de, Ouch emon, ephē, to ergon, alla Christou, hos esti tou Theou, tou ton kosmon poiēsantos. Touton te epikaleisthai parïēnei, alēthę̄ gnōrizein Theon. Thaumasas de ho basileus tōn Idērōn tēn ech tēs nosou eis hygeian tachytēta, pythomenos te tis ho therapeusas, dōrois hēmeibeto tēn aichmalōton. Ē de ouch ephē deisthai ploutou " echein gar plouton tēn eusebeian, kai dechesthai mega dōron, ei epignōseie ton Theon, ton hyp᾽ autēs ginōschomenon. Tauta eipousa, ta dōra antepempen" ho de basileus, ton men logon etamieusato. Meth᾿ hēmeran de exelthonti autǭ eis thēran, symbainei toiouto ti. Tas choryphas tōn oreōn kai tas napas entha ethēra, chatecheen homichlē, skotos te poly. Kai aporos men hē thēra, adiexitētos de hē hodos " en amēchanią de genomenos, poly tous Theous epekaleito hous esethen. Hōs de ouden ēnye pleon, telos eis ennoian tēs aichmalōtou lambanei ton Theon, kai touton kalei boēthon. Kai hama ge ēucheto, to tēs omichlēs dielyeto skotos. Thaumazōn de to genomenon, chairōn epi ta oikeia anechōrei. Kai to symdethēchos diēgeito tę̄ gynaichi, Kai tēn aichmalōton ' euthys metapempetai, kai tis eiē hon sedei Theon epynthaneto. Hē de, eis prosōpon elthousa, kēryka tou Christou tōn Idērōn basilea epoiēse genesthai" pisteusa: gar tǭ Christǭ dia tēs eusebous gynaikos, panta? tous hyp᾽ auton Ithēras synchalei. Kai ta symbanta peri te tēs therapeias tēs gynaikos tou paidiou, ou mēn alla ta kata tēn thēran echthemeno?, parēnei sethesthai ton tēs aichmalōtou Theon. Egenonto oun amphoteroi chēryches tou Christou" ho men basileus tois andrasin, hē de gynē tais gynaixi. Mathōn de para tēs aichmalōtou to schēma tōn para Rhōmaiois ekklēsiōn, euktērion ekeleuse genesthai" euthys te ta pros oichodomēn prosetaxen eutoepizesthai. Kai ho oikos ēgeireto. Epei de tous stylous anorthoun epeirōnto, oichonomei ti pros pistin tous enoikountas hē tou Theou helkousa noia. Heis gar tōn stylōn achinētos emene kai oudemia heurischeto mēchanē, dynamenē kinēsai auto". ᾿Alla ta men chalōdia dierrhēgnnyto, ta de mēchanē - mata chateagnyto᾽" apegnōchotes oun hoi ergazomenoi, apechōroun. Tote deiknytai tēs aichmalōtou hē pistis. Nychtos gar, mēdenos egnōchotos, katalambanei ton topon, kai dianychtereuei tę̄ euchę̄ scholazousa. Pronoią te Theou ho stylos anorthoutai, kai hypsēloteros tēs baseōs en tǭ aeri estērichto, mēdamōs tēs chrēpidos haptomenos. Hēmera de ēn, ho basileus emphrōn tis hōn, epi tēn oichodomēn parēn " horą te ton stylon epi tēn idian chremamenon basin" kai echplētmen autos epi tǭ gegonoti. Echplēttontai de hoi parontes syn autǭ. Met᾿ ou poly gar ep᾽ ophthalmuis autōn, tę̄ idią basei ho stylos katiōn, hidryetai. te enteuthen tōn anthrōpōn boōntōn, alēthē tēn pistin anachalountōn tou basileōs, hymnountōn ton tēs aichmalōtou Theon. ᾿Epistenon te loipon, syn prothymią pollę̄ tous hypoloipous stylous anōrthoun, kai ouch eis makran to ergon tetelesto. Presdeia enteuthen pros ton basilea Kōnstantinon egeneto parekaloun te tou loipou hyposponxoi Rhōmaiōn ginesthai, lamdanein te episkopon hieron klēron, pisteuein gar eilikrinōs elegon tǭ Christǭ. Tauta phēsin ho Rhouphinos para Bachouriou memathēchenai, hos proteros men ēn basilischos Idērōn" hysteron de Rhōmaiois proselthōn, taxiarchos tou en Palaistinę̄ stratiōtikou katestē- metatauta stratēlatōn, ton kata Maximou tou tyrannou polemon tǭ basilei Theodosiǭ synēgōnisato. Touton men ton tropon kai Isēres echristianisan epi tōn Kōnstantinou chronōn.
It is now time to tell how the Iberians too became Christian at the same time. A woman leading a holy and chaste life was, by a divine providence, taken captive by the Iberians. These Iberians live near the Euxine Sea and are colonists of the Iberians of Spain. The captive woman, living in the midst of the barbarians, practised the philosophic life: along with her great discipline of chastity she gave herself to very severe fasting and earnest prayers. Seeing this, the barbarians wondered at the strangeness of what she did. It happened that the king’s son, a small child, fell ill. By a custom of the country the king’s wife sent the child round to the other women to be treated, in case any of them knew of some remedy for the illness from experience. When the child had been carried round by his nurse and received no cure from any of the women, he was at last brought to the captive. In the presence of many women she applied no material remedy, for she knew none. But taking the child and laying him on her little bed woven of hair, she said a simple word: “Christ, who healed many, will heal this one too.” When she had prayed with these words and called on God, the child at once recovered and was well from then on. The report of this ran through the women to the king’s wife herself, and the captive became better known. Not long afterwards the king’s wife fell ill and sent for the captive woman. When she declined, being modest in her ways, the queen had herself carried to her. The captive did what she had done before for the child. At once the sick woman recovered and thanked the woman; but she said: “The work is not mine but Christ’s, who is the Son of God who made the world.” And she urged her to call on him and to acknowledge him as the true God. The king of the Iberians, wondering at the speed of the recovery from illness to health and learning who had healed her, sought to reward the captive with gifts. She said she had no need of wealth, for she had piety as her wealth, and she would receive a great gift if he would acknowledge the God whom she knew. Saying this, she sent the gifts back. The king stored the word away.
One day, when he went out hunting, something of this kind happened. A mist and great darkness covered the mountain peaks and the glens where he was hunting. The hunt became impossible and the way impassable. In his helplessness he called much on the gods he worshipped. When he achieved nothing, he finally thought of the captive’s God and called on him for help; and as he prayed, the darkness of the mist dispersed. Wondering at what had happened, he went home rejoicing and told his wife what had happened. He sent at once for the captive and asked who the God was whom she worshipped. She came into his presence and made the king of the Iberians a preacher of Christ. For having believed in Christ through the pious woman, he called together all the Iberians under him, and setting out what had happened about the healing of his wife and child and about the hunt, he urged them to worship the captive’s God. So both became preachers of Christ, the king to the men and his wife to the women. Learning from the captive the form of the churches among the Romans, he ordered a house of prayer to be made, and at once commanded the things needed for building to be prepared; and the house went up. When they tried to set up the columns, the providence of God, drawing the inhabitants to faith, arranged something. One of the columns remained immovable, and no device could be found able to move it; the ropes broke and the machines were shattered, and the workmen gave up and went away. Then the captive’s faith was shown. At night, without anyone knowing, she came to the place and spent the whole night in prayer. By the providence of God the column was raised up and stood fixed in the air higher than its base, not touching the foundation at all. At daybreak the king, a man of understanding, came to the building and saw the column hanging over its own base. He was astonished at what had happened, and so were those present with him. Not long afterwards, before their eyes, the column came down and settled on its own base. Then the people cried out, calling the king’s faith true and praising the captive’s God. From then on they believed, and with great eagerness raised the remaining columns, and before long the work was finished. After this an embassy was sent to the emperor Constantine; they asked to be allies of the Romans from then on and to receive a bishop and sacred clergy, for they said they believed sincerely in Christ. Rufinus says that he learned these things from Bacurius, who was formerly a petty king of the Iberians, but afterwards came over to the Romans and was made commander of the soldiers in Palestine; later, as a general, he fought with the emperor Theodosius in the war against the tyrant Maximus. In this way the Iberians too became Christian in the times of Constantine.
Notes and citation
Summary: A captive Christian woman heals the Iberian king’s child and queen; the king, saved from darkness while hunting, converts with his people, a column is miraculously raised, and the Iberians ask Constantine for a bishop.
- The captive woman is known in Georgian tradition as Nino; Socrates gives no name. The source is Rufinus, Church History 10.11.
Extrabiblical texts: Rufinus of Aquileia, Hist. (Rufinus of Aquileia, Rufinus, Church History; allusion)
Topics: Prayer
Cite (SBL): Socrates, Hist. eccl. 1.20 (PG 67:129–133; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/socrates-historia/1-20). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/socrates-historia/1-20
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from Valesius's Greek text as printed in Migne PG 67 (Bavarian State Library OCR and Tesseract re-OCR); every chapter compared afterwards with Zenos's English in NPNF² 2.
1.21PG 67:133–135
Ὅποϊῖος δὲ ἣν ἐπὶ τῶν αὑτῶν χρόνων ὁ μοναχὺς ᾿Αντώνιος ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ τῆς Αἰγύπτου, ὃς φανερῶς τοῖς δαίμοσιν ἀντεπάλαιεν, ἐφευρίσχων τε ἁπλῶς τὰς τέχνας αὐτῶν καὶ τοὺς ἄθλους, καὶ ὅπως πολλὰ ἐποίει τεράστια, περιττὸν λέγειν ἡμᾶς Γ. Ἔφθασε γάρ ᾿Αθανάσιος ὁ ᾿Αλεξανδρείας ἐπίσκοπος, μονόβιὅλον εἰς τὸν αὐτοῦ βίον ἐκθέμενος. Τοιούτων ἀγαθῶν εὐφορία κατὰ ταὐτὸν ὑπὸ τοὺς χρόνους Κωνσταντίνου τοῦ βασιλέως ἐγένετο.
Hopoïios de hēn epi tōn hautōn chronōn ho monachys ᾿Antōnios en tę̄ erēmǭ tēs Aigyptou, hos phanerōs tois daimosin antepalaien, epheurischōn te haplōs tas technas autōn kai tous athlous, kai hopōs polla epoiei terastia, peritton legein hēmas G. Ephthase gar ᾿Athanasios ho ᾿Alexandreias episkopos, monobiolon eis ton autou bion ekthemenos. Toioutōn agathōn euphoria kata tauton hypo tous chronous Kōnstantinou tou basileōs egeneto.
What kind of man the monk Antony was at the same time in the desert of Egypt, who openly wrestled with the demons, plainly detecting their tricks and their contests, and how he worked many wonders, it is superfluous for us to say. For Athanasius, bishop of Alexandria, has already set out his life in a single book. Such an abundance of good men arose at the same time, in the times of the emperor Constantine.
Notes and citation
Summary: Socrates refers readers to Athanasius’s Life of Antony for the monk Antony.
Extrabiblical texts: Athanasius, V. Ant. (Life of Antony; allusion)
Cite (SBL): Socrates, Hist. eccl. 1.21 (PG 67:133–135; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/socrates-historia/1-21). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/socrates-historia/1-21
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from Valesius's Greek text as printed in Migne PG 67 (Bavarian State Library OCR and Tesseract re-OCR); every chapter compared afterwards with Zenos's English in NPNF² 2.