Church History 5.7–5.18
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 5
5.7PG 67:573–575
Τότε δὲ Γρηγόριος ὁ Ναζιανζοῦ μετατεθείς ἔνδον τῆς πόλεως ἐν μικρῷ εὐκτηρίῳ τὰς συναγωγὰς ἐποιεἴτο · ᾧτινι ὕστερον οἱ βασιλεῖς μέγιστον οἶκον εὐκτήριον προσσυνάψαντες, ᾿Αναστασίαν ὠνόμασαν Γρηγόριος μὲν οὖν ἀνὴρ ἐλλόγιμος, καὶ εὐλαβείᾳ τοὺς καθ᾽ ἑαυτὸν ὑπερβάλλων, γνοὺς διαγογγύζοντάς τινας, ὡς εἴη ὑπερόριος, ἀσμένως τὴν τοῦ βασιλέως παρουσίαν δεξάμενος, τὴν ἐν Κωνσταντίνου πόλει διαγωγὴν παρῃτήσατο. Ὁ μέντοι βασιλεὺς ἐν τοιαύτῃ καταστάσει τὴν Ἐκκλησίαν εὑρὼν, φροντίδα ἐτίθετο, ὅπως οὖν εἰρήνην ποιήσας, ὁμόνοιαν κατεργάσηται, καὶ τὰς Ἐκκλησίας αὐξήσειε. Δηλοῖ οὖν εὐθὺς τῷ Δημοφίλῳ, ὃς τῆς ᾿Αρειανῆς θρησκείας προειστήκει, εἰ βούλοιτο πιστεύειν τῇ κατὰ Νίκαιαν συνόδῳ, ἐνοῦν τε τὸν λαὸν καὶ τὴν εἰρήνην ἀσπάζεσθαι. Τοῦ δὲ φυγόντος τὴν πρότασιν · Οὐκοῦν, ἔφη ὁ βασιλεὺς, εἰ τὴν εἰρήνην καὶ τὴν ὁμόνοιαν φεύγεις, φεύγειν σε καὶ τῶν εὐκτηρίων τόπων κελεύω. Ταῦτα ἀκούσας ὁ Δημόφιλος, καὶ λογισάμενος ὡς χαλεπὸν πρὸς κρείσσονας ἀντιπίπτειν, συγκαλεσάμενος ἐν τῇ ἐκκλησίᾳ τὰ πλήθη, ἐν μέσοις τε ἀναστὰς, τοιάδε δι᾿ αὐτοῦ πρὸς : τοὺς ὑπηκόους ἐφθέγξατο, ᾿Αδελφοὶ, γέγραπται, φη969 εἰ σὶν, ἐν τῷ Εὐαγγελίῳ ὑμᾶς διώκωσιν ἐκ τῆς πόλεως ταύτης, φεύγετε εἰς τὴν ἄλλην. Ἐπεὶ τοίνυν ὁ βασιλεὺς τῶν ἐκκλησιῶν χωρίζει, ἴστε τῇ ἑξῆς συναχθησομένους ἡμᾶς ἔξω τῆς πόλεως. Ταῦτα εἶπε, ἐξῆλθεν" οὐχ ὡς τὸ τοῦ Εὐαγγελίου λόγιον ἔχει, τὴν θεωρίαν εἰδὼς, τῆς τοῦ κόσμου διαγωγῆς τούτους φεύγοντας, ζητεῖν τὴν ἄνω Ἵερουσαλὴμ " ἀλλ᾽ ἔξω τῶν πυλῶν τῆς πόλεως, τὰς συναγωγὰς τοῦ λοιποῦ ἐποιήσατο. Συνεξήει δὲ αὐτῷ καὶ Λούκιος ὁ τῆς ᾿Αλεξανδρείας, ὡς πρότερον ἔφην, βληθεὶς, φυγῇ τε χρησάμενος ἐν τῇ Κωνσταντίνου πόλει διέτριβεν. Οὕτω μὲν οὖν οἱ ᾿Αρειανοὶ ἐπὶ τεσσαράκοντα ἔτη " τῶν εὐκτηρίων τόπων χρατήσαντες, τὴν τοῦ βασιλέως Θεοδοσίου ὁμόνοιαν φεύγοντες, ὑπεξῆλθον τῆς πόλεως ἐν ὑπατείᾳ Γρατιανοῦ τὸ πέμ.πτον, Θεοδοσίον τοῦ Αὐγούστου τὸ πρῶτον, μηνὶ Νοεμθρίῳ, εἰκάδι ἔχτη. ᾿Αντεισήεσαν δὲ ἀπελάμθανον οἱ τῆς ὁμοουσίου πίστεως τὰς ἐκκλησίας.
Tote de Grēgorios ho Nazianzou metatetheis endon tēs poleōs en mikrǭ euktēriǭ tas synagōgas epoieito ; hǭtini hysteron hoi basileis megiston oikon euktērion prossynapsantes, ᾿Anastasian ōnomasan Grēgorios men oun anēr ellogimos, kai eulabeią tous kath᾽ heauton hyperballōn, gnous diagongyzontas tinas, hōs eiē hyperorios, asmenōs tēn tou basileōs parousian dexamenos, tēn en Kōnstantinou polei diagōgēn parę̄tēsato. Ho mentoi basileus en toiautę̄ katastasei tēn Ekklēsian heurōn, phrontida etitheto, hopōs oun eirēnēn poiēsas, homonoian katergasētai, kai tas Ekklēsias auxēseie. Dēloi oun euthys tǭ Dēmophilǭ, hos tēs ᾿Areianēs thrēskeias proeistēkei, ei bouloito pisteuein tę̄ kata Nikaian synodǭ, enoun te ton laon kai tēn eirēnēn aspazesthai. Tou de phygontos tēn protasin ; Oukoun, ephē ho basileus, ei tēn eirēnēn kai tēn homonoian pheugeis, pheugein se kai tōn euktēriōn topōn keleuō. Tauta akousas ho Dēmophilos, kai logisamenos hōs chalepon pros kreissonas antipiptein, synkalesamenos en tę̄ ekklēsią ta plēthē, en mesois te anastas, toiade di᾿ autou pros : tous hypēkoous ephthenxato, ᾿Adelphoi, gegraptai, phē969 ei sin, en tǭ Euangeliǭ hymas diōkōsin ek tēs poleōs tautēs, pheugete eis tēn allēn. Epei toinyn ho basileus tōn ekklēsiōn chōrizei, iste tę̄ hexēs synachthēsomenous hēmas exō tēs poleōs. Tauta eipe, exēlthen" ouch hōs to tou Euangeliou logion echei, tēn theōrian eidōs, tēs tou kosmou diagōgēs toutous pheugontas, zētein tēn anō Hierousalēm " all᾽ exō tōn pylōn tēs poleōs, tas synagōgas tou loipou epoiēsato. Synexēei de autǭ kai Loukios ho tēs ᾿Alexandreias, hōs proteron ephēn, blētheis, phygę̄ te chrēsamenos en tę̄ Kōnstantinou polei dietriben. Houtō men oun hoi ᾿Areianoi epi tessarakonta etē " tōn euktēriōn topōn chratēsantes, tēn tou basileōs Theodosiou homonoian pheugontes, hypexēlthon tēs poleōs en hypateią Gratianou to pem.pton, Theodosion tou Augoustou to prōton, mēni Noemthriǭ, eikadi echtē. ᾿Anteisēesan de apelamthanon hoi tēs homoousiou pisteōs tas ekklēsias.
At that time Gregory, who had been transferred from Nazianzus, held his assemblies within the city in a small house of prayer, to which the emperors later joined a very great house of prayer and named it Anastasia. Gregory, a learned man who surpassed those of his time in piety, learning that some were grumbling that he was a stranger from another see, gladly welcomed the emperor's arrival but declined to remain in Constantinople. The emperor, finding the church in this state, took care how he might make peace, bring about concord, and enlarge the churches. So he at once let Demophilus, who presided over the Arian worship, know that, if he wished to believe the synod of Nicaea, he should unite the people and embrace peace. When he declined the proposal, the emperor said, 'Then, if you flee peace and concord, I order you to flee the houses of prayer as well.' When Demophilus heard this and reckoned that it was hard to resist the stronger, he called the people together in the church, stood up in their midst, and spoke to his followers thus: 'Brothers, it is written in the Gospel, "If they persecute you in this city, flee to the other." Since, then, the emperor separates us from the churches, know that tomorrow we shall assemble outside the city.' Having said this, he went out, not understanding the meaning of the Gospel saying, that those who flee the conduct of this world are to seek the Jerusalem above; but from then on he held his assemblies outside the gates of the city. With him went out Lucius of Alexandria too, who, as I said before, had been expelled and, taking flight, was living in Constantinople. So the Arians, after holding the houses of prayer for forty years, fleeing the concord of the emperor Theodosius, withdrew from the city in the consulship of Gratian for the fifth time and of Theodosius Augustus for the first time, on the twenty-sixth of November. Those of the faith of the 'same essence' entered in their place and took back the churches.
Matt 10:23 (quotation, high confidence) · Gal 4:26 (allusion, medium confidence) · Heb 12:22 (echo, low confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Gregory resigns at Constantinople; Theodosius orders the Arian Demophilus to accept Nicaea or leave the churches, and the Arians withdraw outside the city after forty years.
- The opening words of the scan text ('... he informs the bishop Demophilus either to join the "same essence" or to leave the city, which he chose rather to do') are the end of Valesius's chapter title and are removed.
- Demophilus quotes Matt 10:23; Socrates' own reading alludes to Gal 4:26 and Heb 12:22.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (end of the printed chapter title leaked into the text; stray footnote letter): σκόπῳ Δημοφίλῳ δηλοῖ, ἢ προσθέσθαι τῷ ὁμοουσίῳ, ἢ τῆς πόλεως ἐξιέναι· ὅπερ μᾶλλον ἐποίησεν. Τότε → Τότε; Δημοφίλῳ β, → Δημοφίλῳ,.
Topics: Heresy, Church office
Cite (SBL): Socrates, Hist. eccl. 5.7 (PG 67:573–575; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/socrates-historia/5-7). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/socrates-historia/5-7
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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.
5.8PG 67:575–581
ὃὲ ὁ βασιλεὺς ὑπερθέμενος, σύνοδον ἔπισκόπων τῆς αὐτοῦ πίστεως συγχαλεῖ |, ἐπὶ τὸ κρατύναι τὴν ἐν Νικαίᾳ πίστιν χειροτονῆσαι τῇ Κωνσταντίνου πόλει ἐπίσκοπον. Ἐλπίδας δὲ δύνασθαι καὶ τοὺς ἀπὸ Μαχεδοόνίου ἐνῶσαι τοῖς ἑαυτοῦ, καὶ τοὺς ἐκείνης τῆς αἱρέσεως προεστῶτας ἐκάλεσε. Συνῆλθον οὖν τῆς μὲν ὁμοουσίου πίστεως, μὲν ᾿Αλεξανδρείας Τιμόθεος δὲ Ἱεροσολύμων Κύριλλος, τότε ἔκ μεταμελείας τῷ ὁμοηυσίῳ προσκείμενος. Μελίτιος δὲ ἐξ πάλαι παρῆν, ὅτε διὰ τὴν Γρηγορίου κατάστασιν μετεστάλη Θεσσαλονίκης ᾿Ασχόλιος, ἄλλοι πολλοί" πάντες δὲ ἦσαν ἑκατὸν πεντήκοντα Τοῦ δὲ Μακεδονιανῶν μέρους ἡγεῖτο μὲν Ἐλεύσιος ὁ Μαρκιανὸς Λαμψάκου. πάντες δὲ ἦσαν τριάχουντα ἔξ, ὧν οἱ πλείους τῶν περὶ Ἑλλήσποντον πόλεων ἧσαν. Συνῆλθον οὖν ἐν ὑπατείᾳ Εὐχαρίου καὶ Εὐαγρίου, τῷ μηνί. Ὁ οὖν βασιλεὺς, καὶ οἱ τῆς αὐτοῦ πίστεως ἐπίσκοποι, παντοῖο: ἐγένοντο ὁμονοῆσαι αὐτοῖς τοὺς περὶ Ἐλεύσιον ὑπομιμνήσχοντες τῆς πρεσβείας, ἧς αὐτοὶ πρὸς Λιδέριον πρότερον τὸν Ῥώμης ἐπίσκοπον διὰ τῶν πιρὶ Εῤστάθιον ἐπεποίηντο" καὶ ὅτι οὐ πρὸ πολλοῦ χρόνου, τὴν κοινωνίαν ἑκουσίως ἀδιάχριτον ἐποιήσαντο μὴ ποιεῖν τὸ ὅσια τοὺς ἐπιγνόντας τὴν ὁμογνώμονα πίστιν, αὖθις ἐπιχειρεῖν ἀνατρέπειν τὰ καλῶς αὐτοῖς ἐγνωσμένα. Οἱ δὲ μικρὰ καὶ τῶν παρα:ινέσεων καὶ τῶν ἐλέγχων φροντίσαντες, μᾶλλον ἔφθασαν τὴν ᾿Αρειανὴν αἱρεῖσθαι ὁμολογεῖν δόξαν, ἢ τῷ ὁμοουσίῳ συντίθεσθαι. Ταῦτα ἀποχρινάμενοι, ἀπηλλάγῆσαν τῆς Κωνσταντίνου πόλεως. δὲ τοῖς πόλεις παρεγγυῶντες, μηδαμῶς ὁμονοῇσαι εἰς τὴν πίστιν τῆς ἐν Νικαίᾳ Οἱ τοῦ ἑτέρου μέρους ἐπιμείναντες, περὶ χειροτονία: ἐπισκόπου βουλὴν ἐτίθεντο. Γρηγόριος γὰρ. ὡς μικρὸν θεν ἔφην, παραιτησάμενος, ἐπὶ τὴν Ναζιανζὸν ἀπαίρειν ἐστέλλετο. Ἣν δέ τις Νεκτάριος ἵ ὕνομα, συγχλητιχοῦ μὲν γένους, ἐπιειχὴς ὃὲ τὸν τρόπον, ὅλου θαυμαζόμενος, χαΐτοι τὴν τοῦ πραίτωρος (Ξ3)χειρίζων ἀρχὴν " ὃς ἁρπασθεὶς ὑπὸ τοῦ λαοῦ, εἰς τὴν ἐπισκοπὴν πρηεδλήθη, τῶν τότε παρόντων ἑκατὸν πεντήκοντα ἐπισκόπων χειροτονησάντων αὐτόν. Τότε δὴ καὶ ὄρον ἐκφέρουσιν, ὥστε τὸν Κωνσταντίνου πόλεως ἐπίσκοπον τὰ πρεσῦθεῖα ἔχειν τῆς τιμῆς μετὰ τὸν Ῥώμης ἐπίσκοπον, διὰ τὸ εἶναι αὐτὴν νέαν 'Ῥώμην. Ἐδεθαίωσάν τε αὖθις τὴν ἐν Νικαίᾳ πίστιν πατριάρχας κατέστησαν, διανειμάμεγοι τὰς πὸ : οἱ 270 ἐπαρχίας, ὥστε τοὺς ὑπὲρ διοίκησιν ἐπισκόπους ταῖς ὑπερορίδις ἐκκλησίαις μὴ ὑπερβαίνειν. Τοῦτο γὰρ πρότερον διὰ τοὺς διωγμοὺς ἐγίνετο ἀδιαφόρως. Καὶ κληροῦται Νεκτάριος μὲν τὴν μεγαλόπολιν καὶ τὴν Θράκην · τῆς δὲ Ποντικῆς διοικήσεως, Ἑλλάδιος ὁ μετὰ Βασίλειον Καισαρείας τῆς Καππαδοκῶν ἐπίσκοπος, Γρηγόριος ὁ Νύσσης, ὁ Βασιλείου ἀδελφός· Καππαδοκίας δὲ καὶ ἥδε πόλις· καὶ Ὀτρήϊος ὁ τῆς ἐν ᾿Αρμενίᾳ Μελιτηνῆς τὴν πατριαρχίαν ἐκληρώσατο. Τὴν ᾿Ασιανὴν δὲ λαγχάνουσιν ᾿Αμφιλόχιος ὁ Ἰκονίου, καὶ Ὅπτιμος ὁ Ἀντιοχείας τῆς Πισιδίας. Τὰ δὲ κατὰ τὴν Αἴγυπτον Τιμοθέῳ τῷ ᾿Αλεξανδρείας προσενεμήθη. Τῶν δὲ κατὰ τὴν ἀνατολὴν Ἐκκλησιῶν τὴν διοίκησιν τοῖς αὐτοῖς ἐπισκόποις ἐπ· έτρεψαν, Πελαγίῳ τε τῷ Λαοδικείας, καὶ Διοδώρῳ τῷ Ταρσοῦ, φυλάξαντες τὰ πρεσβεῖα τῇ Ἀντιοχέων Ἐκκλησίᾳ, ἅπερ τότε παρόντι Μελετίῳ ἔδοσαν. Ὥρισαν δὲ, ὥστε εἰ χρεία καλέσοι, τὰ καθ᾽ ἑκάστην ἐπαρχίαν ἵνα ἡ τῆς ἐπαρχίας σύνοδος διοικῇ. Τούτοις καὶ ὁ βασιλεὺς ἐγένετο σύμψηφος. Ἡ μὲν οὖν σύνοδος τοιοῦτον ἔσχε τέλος.
hoe ho basileus hyperthemenos, synodon episkopōn tēs autou pisteōs synchalei |, epi to kratynai tēn en Nikaią pistin cheirotonēsai tę̄ Kōnstantinou polei episkopon. Elpidas de dynasthai kai tous apo Machedooniou enōsai tois heautou, kai tous ekeinēs tēs haireseōs proestōtas ekalese. Synēlthon oun tēs men homoousiou pisteōs, men ᾿Alexandreias Timotheos de Hierosolymōn Kyrillos, tote ek metameleias tǭ homoēusiǭ proskeimenos. Melitios de ex palai parēn, hote dia tēn Grēgoriou katastasin metestalē Thessalonikēs ᾿Ascholios, alloi polloi" pantes de ēsan hekaton pentēkonta Tou de Makedonianōn merous hēgeito men Eleusios ho Markianos Lampsakou. pantes de ēsan triachounta ex, hōn hoi pleious tōn peri Hellēsponton poleōn hēsan. Synēlthon oun en hypateią Euchariou kai Euagriou, tǭ mēni. Ho oun basileus, kai hoi tēs autou pisteōs episkopoi, pantoio: egenonto homonoēsai autois tous peri Eleusion hypomimnēschontes tēs presbeias, hēs autoi pros Liderion proteron ton Rhōmēs episkopon dia tōn piri Erstathion epepoiēnto" kai hoti ou pro pollou chronou, tēn koinōnian hekousiōs adiachriton epoiēsanto mē poiein to hosia tous epignontas tēn homognōmona pistin, authis epicheirein anatrepein ta kalōs autois egnōsmena. Hoi de mikra kai tōn para:ineseōn kai tōn elenchōn phrontisantes, mallon ephthasan tēn ᾿Areianēn haireisthai homologein doxan, ē tǭ homoousiǭ syntithesthai. Tauta apochrinamenoi, apēllagēsan tēs Kōnstantinou poleōs. de tois poleis parengyōntes, mēdamōs homonoę̄sai eis tēn pistin tēs en Nikaią Hoi tou heterou merous epimeinantes, peri cheirotonia: episkopou boulēn etithento. Grēgorios gar. hōs mikron then ephēn, paraitēsamenos, epi tēn Nazianzon apairein estelleto. Hēn de tis Nektarios hi hynoma, synchlētichou men genous, epieichēs hoe ton tropon, holou thaumazomenos, chaïtoi tēn tou praitōros (X3)cheirizōn archēn " hos harpastheis hypo tou laou, eis tēn episkopēn prēedlēthē, tōn tote parontōn hekaton pentēkonta episkopōn cheirotonēsantōn auton. Tote dē kai oron ekpherousin, hōste ton Kōnstantinou poleōs episkopon ta presytheia echein tēs timēs meta ton Rhōmēs episkopon, dia to einai autēn nean 'Rhōmēn. Edethaiōsan te authis tēn en Nikaią pistin patriarchas katestēsan, dianeimamegoi tas po : hoi 270 eparchias, hōste tous hyper dioikēsin episkopous tais hyperoridis ekklēsiais mē hyperbainein. Touto gar proteron dia tous diōgmous egineto adiaphorōs. Kai klēroutai Nektarios men tēn megalopolin kai tēn Thrakēn ; tēs de Pontikēs dioikēseōs, Helladios ho meta Basileion Kaisareias tēs Kappadokōn episkopos, Grēgorios ho Nyssēs, ho Basileiou adelphos; Kappadokias de kai hēde polis; kai Otrēïos ho tēs en ᾿Armenią Melitēnēs tēn patriarchian eklērōsato. Tēn ᾿Asianēn de lanchanousin ᾿Amphilochios ho Ikoniou, kai Hoptimos ho Antiocheias tēs Pisidias. Ta de kata tēn Aigypton Timotheǭ tǭ ᾿Alexandreias prosenemēthē. Tōn de kata tēn anatolēn Ekklēsiōn tēn dioikēsin tois autois episkopois ep; etrepsan, Pelagiǭ te tǭ Laodikeias, kai Diodōrǭ tǭ Tarsou, phylaxantes ta presbeia tę̄ Antiocheōn Ekklēsią, haper tote paronti Meletiǭ edosan. Hōrisan de, hōste ei chreia kalesoi, ta kath᾽ hekastēn eparchian hina hē tēs eparchias synodos dioikę̄. Toutois kai ho basileus egeneto sympsēphos. Hē men oun synodos toiouton esche telos.
The emperor, without delay, called a synod of bishops of his own faith to strengthen the faith of Nicaea and to ordain a bishop for Constantinople. Hoping that he could unite those who followed Macedonius with his own party, he also summoned the leaders of that sect. There assembled, of the faith of the 'same essence', Timothy of Alexandria; Cyril of Jerusalem, who by then through repentance held the 'same essence'; Meletius of Antioch, who had come long before, when he was summoned for the installation of Gregory; Ascholius of Thessalonica; and many others, in all one hundred and fifty. Of the Macedonian party the leaders were Eleusius of Cyzicus and Marcian of Lampsacus; they were thirty-six in all, most of them from the cities of the Hellespont. They assembled, then, in the consulship of Eucherius and Evagrius, in the month of May. The emperor and the bishops of his faith did everything to bring Eleusius and his party into concord with them, reminding them of the embassy they had earlier sent to Liberius, bishop of Rome, through Eustathius and the others, and that not long before they had of their own will held communion without distinction; and that it was not right for those who had acknowledged the common faith to try again to overturn what they had rightly recognized. But they, caring little for either the exhortations or the rebukes, chose rather to confess the Arian opinion than to agree to the 'same essence'. Having given this answer, they departed from Constantinople, and wrote to those of their opinion in the cities, charging them by no means to agree to the faith of the synod of Nicaea. Those of the other party remained and took counsel about ordaining a bishop; for Gregory, as I said a little before, had resigned and was preparing to leave for Nazianzus. There was a man named Nectarius, of senatorial family, of gentle character, admired by all, though he held the office of praetor. He was seized by the people and put forward for the episcopate, and the one hundred and fifty bishops then present ordained him. Then they also issued a definition that the bishop of Constantinople should have the precedence of honour after the bishop of Rome, because it is New Rome. They confirmed again the faith of Nicaea and appointed patriarchs, dividing up the provinces, so that bishops should not cross over beyond their own diocese into churches outside it; for formerly, because of the persecutions, this was done indiscriminately. Nectarius was allotted the great city and Thrace; of the Pontic diocese Helladius, Basil's successor as bishop of Caesarea in Cappadocia, Gregory of Nyssa, Basil's brother (this too is a city of Cappadocia), and Otreius of Melitene in Armenia obtained the patriarchate. Amphilochius of Iconium and Optimus of Antioch in Pisidia received the Asian diocese. The affairs of Egypt were assigned to Timothy of Alexandria. The administration of the churches of the East they entrusted to the bishops of the same region, Pelagius of Laodicea and Diodore of Tarsus, reserving its prerogatives to the church of Antioch, which they then gave to Meletius, who was present. They decided that, if need arose, the synod of each province should administer the affairs of that province. The emperor too gave his vote to these decisions. This, then, was the end of the synod.
Textual problem in this passage: see the notes.
Notes and citation
Summary: Theodosius convenes the synod of Constantinople (381): the Macedonians walk out, Nectarius is ordained bishop, Constantinople is given precedence after Rome, and the dioceses are assigned to leading bishops.
- Several words are lost in the scan text of this chapter (the first word; the sees of Timothy, Cyril, Meletius, Ascholius and Eleusius; the month; 'wrote to those of their opinion'); they are translated by sense from the context.
- The consulship of Eucherius and Evagrius is 381. The ruling on the precedence of Constantinople is canon 3 of the council of Constantinople.
- 'Patriarchs' here is Socrates' term for the bishops charged with each diocese.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (stray footnote numeral): Νύσσης 1, → Νύσσης,.
Extrabiblical texts: Conc. Const. I 3 (Canons of the Council of Constantinople (381); allusion)
Topics: Church office, Trinity, Heresy
Cite (SBL): Socrates, Hist. eccl. 5.8 (PG 67:575–581; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/socrates-historia/5-8). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/socrates-historia/5-8
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-socrates-historia-5-8) · 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.
5.9PG 67:581–583
Ὁ δὲ βασιλεὺς τὸ σῶμα Παύλου τοῦ ἐπισκόπου ἐκ τῆς ᾿Αγκύρας τότε μετέφερεν · ὃν Φίλιππος ὁ τῶν βασιλείων ἔπαρχος διὰ Μακεδόνιον εἰς ἐξορίαν πέμψας, ἐν Κουκουσσῷ τῆς ᾿Αρμενίας ἀποπνιγῆναι πεποίηκεν, ὡς μοι καὶ πρότερον εἴρηται. Σὺντιμῇ οὖν καὶ σεβάσματι πολλῷ δεξάμενος, εἰς τὴν ἐκκλησίαν, τὴν νῦν ἐξ αὐτοῦ χρηματίζουσαν ἀπέθετο, ἣν πρότερον οἱ τὰ Μακεδονίου φρονοῦντες κατέσχον, τῶν ᾿Αρειανῶν χωρισθέντες. Τότε δὲ ἐξωσθέντες ὑπὸ τοῦ βασιλέως, ὅτι αὐτοῦ τὴν πίστιν ἀπέφυγον. Τότε δὴ καὶ Μελίτιος ὁ τῆς ᾿Αντιοχείας ἐπίσκοπος ἀῤῥωστίᾳ περιπεσών, ἐτελεύτησεν · ὅτε καὶ τὸν ἐπική - δειον ἐπ᾿ αὐτῷ λόγον ὁ ἀδελφὸς Βασιλείου Γρηγόριος ἐπεξῆλθεν. ᾿Αλλὰ Μελιτίου μὲν τὸ σῶμα οἱ προσήκοντες ἐπὶ τὴν ᾿Αντιόχειαν διεκόμισαν. Πάλιν δὲ οἱ Μελιτίῳ προσκείμενοι, ὑπὸ Παυλῖνον εἶναι οὐκ ἤθελον· ἀλλ᾽ εἰς τόπον Μελιτίου Φλαβιανὸν προβληθῆναι παρασκευάζουσι. Πάλιν τε ὁ λαὸς ἄνωθεν διεκρίνετο. Οὕτως αὖθις διὰ τοὺς ἐπισκόπους, οὐ μὴν διὰ τὴν πίστιν, ἡ ᾿Αντιοχέων Ἐκκλησία διήρητο.
Ho de basileus to sōma Paulou tou episkopou ek tēs ᾿Ankyras tote metepheren ; hon Philippos ho tōn basileiōn eparchos dia Makedonion eis exorian pempsas, en Koukoussǭ tēs ᾿Armenias apopnigēnai pepoiēken, hōs moi kai proteron eirētai. Syntimę̄ oun kai sebasmati pollǭ dexamenos, eis tēn ekklēsian, tēn nyn ex autou chrēmatizousan apetheto, hēn proteron hoi ta Makedoniou phronountes kateschon, tōn ᾿Areianōn chōristhentes. Tote de exōsthentes hypo tou basileōs, hoti autou tēn pistin apephygon. Tote dē kai Melitios ho tēs ᾿Antiocheias episkopos arrhōstią peripesōn, eteleutēsen ; hote kai ton epikē - deion ep᾿ autǭ logon ho adelphos Basileiou Grēgorios epexēlthen. ᾿Alla Melitiou men to sōma hoi prosēkontes epi tēn ᾿Antiocheian diekomisan. Palin de hoi Melitiǭ proskeimenoi, hypo Paulinon einai ouk ēthelon; all᾽ eis topon Melitiou Phlabianon problēthēnai paraskeuazousi. Palin te ho laos anōthen diekrineto. Houtōs authis dia tous episkopous, ou mēn dia tēn pistin, hē ᾿Antiocheōn Ekklēsia diērēto.
The emperor then transferred the body of Paul the bishop from Ancyra. Philip, the prefect of the palace, had sent him into exile because of Macedonius and had him strangled at Cucusus in Armenia, as I have also said before. Receiving it with honour and much reverence, he laid it in the church now named after him, which those who held the opinion of Macedonius had formerly held after they separated from the Arians, but from which they were then driven out by the emperor because they shunned his faith. At that time Meletius, the bishop of Antioch, fell ill and died; and Basil's brother Gregory delivered the funeral oration over him. Meletius's relatives carried his body to Antioch. Again those attached to Meletius were unwilling to be under Paulinus, but arranged for Flavian to be put forward in Meletius's place. And the people were divided once more. So again, because of the bishops and not because of the faith, the church of Antioch was divided.
Notes and citation
Summary: Theodosius brings the body of Paul of Constantinople back to the city; Meletius dies during the synod, and his party makes Flavian bishop instead of accepting Paulinus.
- Gregory of Nyssa's funeral oration for Meletius survives.
Topics: Church office
Cite (SBL): Socrates, Hist. eccl. 5.9 (PG 67:581–583; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/socrates-historia/5-9). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/socrates-historia/5-9
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-socrates-historia-5-9) · 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.
5.10PG 67:583–593
Ἐγίνοντο δὲ ταραχαὶ καὶ κατὰ τὰς ἄλλας πόλεις, ἐξωθουμένων τῶν ᾿Αρειανιζόντων ἐκ τῶν εὐκτηρίων τόπων. Ἐφ᾽ ᾧ θαυμάσαι ἔπεισι τὴν τοῦ βασιλέως γνώμην. Οὐ γὰρ ἡνέσχετο ὅσον τὸ ἐπ᾿ αὐτῷ θορύβων πληρῶσαι τὰς πόλεις · ἀλλὰ βραχέως χρόνου διελθόντος, αὖθις σύνοδον – πασῶν τῶν αἱρέσεων συγκροτηθῆναι παρεσκεύασε, νομίσας ἐκ τῆς πρὸς ἑαυτοὺς τῶν ἐπισκόπων διαλέξεως, μίαν παρὰ πᾶσιν ὁμόφωνον δόξαν κρατήσειν. Ταύτην ἡγοῦμαι τὴν πρόθεσιν τοῦ βασιλέως, αἰτίαν αὐτῷ τοῦ εὖ πράττειν γενέσθαι. Θείᾳ γάρ τινι προνοίᾳ ὑπὸ τοὺς αὐτοὺς χρόνους, τὰ βαρβάρων ἔθνη αὐτῷ ὑπετάττετο. Ἐν οἷς καὶ ᾿Αθανάριχος ὁ τῶν Γότθων ἀρχηγός, ὑπήκοον ἑαυτὸν ἅμα τῷ οἰκείῳ πλήθει παρέσχεν, ὃς καὶ εὐθὺς ἐν Κωνσταντίνου πόλει τὸν βίον κατέστρεψεν. Τότε δὴ καὶ ὁ βασιλεὺς τὸν υἱὸν ᾿Αρκάδιον Αὔγουστον ἀνηγόρευσε, κατὰ τὴν ὑπατείαν Μεροβαύδου τὸ δεύτερον, καὶ Σατορνίλου, τῇ ἑκκαιδεκάτῃ τοῦ Ἰαννουαρίου μηνός. Οὐκ εἰς μακρὰν δὲ μεταταῦτα παρῆσαν οἱ πανταχόθεν πάσης θρησκείας ἐπίσκοποι, κατὰ τὴν αὐτὴν ὑπατείαν, τῷ Ἰουνίῳ μηνί. Μεταπεμψάμενος οὖν ὁ βασιλεὺς Νεκτάριον τὸν ἐπίσκοπον, ἐκοινολογεῖτο πρὸς αὐτὸν, τὶς ἂν γένοιτο μηχανή, ὅπως ἂν μὴ διαφωνοίη ὁ χριστιανισμός, ἀλλ᾽ ἑνωθῇ ἡ Ἐκκλησία. Ἔλεγέν τε δεῖν γυμνασθῆ ναι τὸ χωρίζον τὰς Ἐκκλησίας ζήτημα, τὴν τε διαφωνίαν ἐκποδὼν ποιήσαντας, ὁμοφωνίαν ταῖς Ἐκκλησίαις ἐργάσασθαι· τοῦτο ἀκούσας ὁ Νεκτάριος, ἐν φροντίσιν ἦν. Καὶ μεταστειλάμενος τὸν τηνικαῦτα τῶν Ναυατιανῶν ἐπίσκοπον Αγέλιον, ὡς κατὰ τὴν πίστιν ὁμόφρονα, φανερὰν αὐτῷ τὴν τοῦ βασιλέως καθίστησι γνώμην. δὲ, τὰ μὲν ἄλλα ἣν εὐλαδές" συστῆναι δὲ λόγοις περὶ τοῦ δόγματος οὐχ ἰσχύων, ἀναγνώστην ὑπ᾽ αὐτῷ Σισίννιον ὄνομα, πρὸς τὸ διαλεχθῆναι προεδάλλετο. Σισίννιος δὲ, ἀνὴρ ἐλλόγιπραγμάτων ἔμπειρος, ἀκριβῶς τε εἰδὼς τὰς τῶν ἱερῶν Γραμμάτων ἑρμηνείας καὶ τὰ φιλόσοφα δόγματα, σύνοιδεν ὡς αἱ διαλέξεις οὐ μόνον οὐχ ἐνοῦσι τὰ σχίσματα, ἀλλὰ γὰρ φιλονειχοτέρας τὰς αἱρέσεις μᾶλλον ἀπεργάζονται" καὶ διατοῦτο τοιάνδε τινὰ συμδουλὴν τῷ Νεκταρίῳ ὑπέθετο, Εὐ ἐπιστάμενος ὡς οἱ παλαιοὶ ἀρχὴν ὑπάρξεως τῷ Υἱῷ τοῦ Θεοῦ δοῦναι ἀπέφυγον " χατειλήφεισαν γὰρ τὸν συναΐδιον τῷ Πατρί " συμδουλεύει φυγεῖν μὲν τὰς διαλεχτιχὰς μάχας" μάρτυρας δὲ χαλέσειν τὰς ἐχδόσεις τῶν παλαιῶν, καὶ πεῦσιν παρὰ τοῦ βασιλέως τοῖς αἱρεσιάρχαις προσάγεσθαι, πότερον λόγον ποτὲ ποιοῦνται τῶν πρὸ τῆς διαιρέσεως ἐν τῇ Ἐκκλησίᾳ προσαρμοσάντων διδασχάλων, ἢ ὡς ἀλλοτρίους τοῦ Χριστιανισμοῦ παρακρούονται. Εἰ μὲν γὰρ τούτους ἀθετοῦσιν, οὐκοῦν ἀναθεματίζειν αὑτοὺς τολμάτωσαν" εἰ τοῦτο τολμῇσαι ποιήσωσιν, ὑπὸ τὸῦ πλήθους ἐξελαθήσονται. Καὶ τούτου γενομένου, προφανὴς ἔσται ἡ νίχη τῆς ἀληθείας. Εἰ δὲ παρακρούονται τοὺς ἀρχαίους τῶν διδασχάλων, ἠμέτερόν ἐστι τὸ παρασχεῖν τὰς βίβλους τῶν παλαιῶν, δι' ὧν ἡ παρ᾽ ἡμῶν δόξα μαρτυρηθήσεται. Ταῦτα ἀκούσας παρὰ τοῦ Σιτιννίον ὁ , δρομαῖος ἐπὶ τὰ βασίλεια χωρεῖ" γνωρίζει δὲ τῷ βασιλεῖ τὰ συμδεδουλευμένα αὐτῷ. δὲ ἁρπάζει τὴν γνώμην, καὶ σοφῶς τὸ πρᾶγμα μετεχειρίσατο. Οὐ γὰρ προειπὼν τὸν σκοπὸν, ἐδήλωσε μόνον, εἰ λόγον ἔχουσι καὶ δέχονται τὰ τῶν πρὸ τῆς διαιρέσεως τῆς Ἐκκλησίας διδασχάλων. Τῶν δὲ οὐχ ἀρνησαμένων., ἀλλὰ πάνυ τιμᾷν αὐτοὺς ὡς καθηγητὰς εἰπόντων αὖθις ἐδήλου ὁ βασιλεὺς, εἰ τούτοις στοιχοῦσιν ἀξιοπίστοις μάρτυσι τοῦ Χριστιανιχοῦ δόγματος. 'Γαῦτα ἀκούσαντες οἱ τῶν θρησκειῶν προεστῶτες, οἱ παρ᾽ ἐχάστοις αὐτῶν διαλεκτικοὶ, γὰρ ἦσαν πολλοὶ παρ᾽ αὑτῶν ηὐτρεπισμένοι πρὸς τὸν ἀγῶνα τῆς διαλέξεως, οὐκ εἶχον ὅ τι ποιήσουσιν. Ἐνέπεσε γὰρ εἰς ἐχάστους διαφωνία, τῶν μὲν λεγόντων καλὴν εἶναι τὴν τοῦ βασιλέως πρότασιν " τῶν δὲ, συμφέρουσαν : τῷ σκοπῷ τῷ αὐτῶν. ῎Αλλοι γὰρ ἄλλως εἶχον περὶ τὰ βιβλία τῶν παλαιῶν· καὶ οὐκέτι ἀλλήλοις συνέπνεον· ἐδιχονόουν τε οὐ μόνον πρὸς τὰς ἄλλας τῶν θρησκειῶν, ἀλλ᾽ ἤδη καὶ εἰς ἑαυτοὺς, οἱ τῆς μιᾶς ὄντες αἱρέσεως. Ἡ οὖν ὁμόφωνος κακία, ὡς ἡ γλῶσσα τῶν πάλαι γιγάντων διέσπαρτο, καὶ ἀνατέτραπτο ὁ τῆς κακίας πύργος αὐτῶν. Γνοὺς δὲ ὁ βα σιλεὺς τὴν συγκεχυμένην αὐτῶν διασπορὰν, καὶ ὡς διαλέξει μόνῃ, καὶ οὐκ ἀρχαίων ἐκθέσει τεθαῤῥήκασιν, ἐπὶ δευτέραν γνώμην ἐβάδιζε. Καὶ δηλοῖ ἔγγραφον ἑκάστην θρησκείαν γνωρίζειν τὸν ὅρον αὐτῶν, ἧς ἔχουσι πίστεως. Τότε οἱ παρ' ἑκάστοις δεινοὶ τὰς λέξεις ἀκριβοῦντες, τὸ οἰκεῖον δόγμα ἐνέγραφον. Ὥριστό τε ἡμέρα, καὶ οἱ παρ᾽ ἑκάστοις ἐπίσκοποι ἐπὶ τὰ βασίλεια κληθέντες συνήρχοντο. 274 Παρῆσαν οὖν Νεκτάριος μὲν καὶ ᾿Αγέλιος, τῆς ὁμοουσίου προεστῶτες πίστεως · ᾿Αρειανῶν δὲ Δημόφιλος • Εὐνομιανῶν δὲ αὐτὸς Εὐνόμιος· τῶν δὲ τὰ Μακεδονίου φρονούντων, Ἐλεύσιος ὁ Κυζίκου. Ὁ δὲ βασιλεὺς, δέχεται μὲν τοὺς συνεληλυθότας · καὶ τὸ παρ' ἑκάστου δόγμα ἔγγραφον λαβών, καθ' ἑαυτόν τε γενόμενος, ηύξατο ἐκτενῶς συνεργῆσαι αὐτῷ τὸν Θεὸν, πρὸς τὴν τῆς ἀληθείας ἐπιλογήν. Εἶτα ἕκαστον τῶν γεγραμμένων δογμάτων ἀναγνούς, 275 τὰ μὲν ἄλλα πάντα ὡς χωρισμὸν τῆς Τριάδος εἰσάγοντα μεμψάμενος, ἔῤῥηξε η μόνην δὲ τὴν τοῦ ὁμοουσίου ἐπαινέσας ἐδέξατο. πρόφασις γέγονε ποῦ τοὺς Ναυατιανοὺς πάλιν εὐπράξαντας., ἔνδον τῶν πόλεων τὰς συναγωγὰς ποιεῖσθαι. Ὁ γὰρ βασιλεὺς θαυμάσα: αὐτῶν τὴν περὶ τοὺς οἰκείους κατὰ τὴν πίστιν ὁμόνοιαν, νόμῳ ἐκέλευε τῶν μὲν οἰκείων κρατεῖν ἀδεῶς εὐκτηρίων τόπων " ἔχειν δὲ : καὶ προνόμια τὰς ἐκκλησίας αὐτῶν, ἅπερ οἱ τῆς αὑτοῦ πίστεως ἔχουσιν. Οἱ δὲ προεστῶτες τῶν ἄλλων θρησκειῶν, τῆς πρὸς ἑαυτοὺς διαφωνίας ἐν χαταγνώσεν παρὰ τοῖς ὑφ᾽ ἑαυτοῖς ἐγεγόνεισαν ἀμηχανίᾳ τε λύπῃ χατασχεθέντες ἀνεχώρουν " καὶ γράμμασι τοὺς οἰκείους παρεμυθοῦντο, νοῦντες μὴ ἄχθεσθαι ἐφ᾽ οἷς πολλοὶ καταλιπόντες αὐὖτοὺς, τῷ ὁμοονσίῳ προσέθεντο. Πολλοὺς γὰρ εἶναι ποὺς χλητοὺς, ὀλίγους δὲ τοὺς ἐχλεχτούς. Ὅπερ οὐχ ἔλεγον, ἡνίκα τὸ πολὺ τοῦ λαοῦ αὐτοῖς δυναστείας προσέκειτο, ᾿Αλλὰ μὴν οὐδὲ οἱ τῆς ὁμοουσίου πίστεως, τῶν λυπηρῶν τελέως ἧσαν ἐλεύθεροι " τὰ γὰρ κατὰ ᾿Αντιόχειαν, τοὺς τῇ συνόδῳ παρόντας διέχριψεν. Αἰγύπτιοι μὲν γὰρ οἱ ἐξ ᾿Αραθίας Κύπάλιν συμπράττοντες, τὸν Φλαβιανὸν ἐξωθεῖσθαι τῆς ᾿Αντιοχείας ἔλεγον. Οἱ δὲ Παλαιστίνης, Φοινίκης τε Συρίας, ὑπὲρ Φλαβιανοῦ συνεστήχεσαν. Τοῦτο μὲν οἷον τέλος ἐδέξατο, κατὰ χώραν ἐρῶ.
Eginonto de tarachai kai kata tas allas poleis, exōthoumenōn tōn ᾿Areianizontōn ek tōn euktēriōn topōn. Eph᾽ hǭ thaumasai epeisi tēn tou basileōs gnōmēn. Ou gar hēnescheto hoson to ep᾿ autǭ thorybōn plērōsai tas poleis ; alla bracheōs chronou dielthontos, authis synodon – pasōn tōn haireseōn synkrotēthēnai pareskeuase, nomisas ek tēs pros heautous tōn episkopōn dialexeōs, mian para pasin homophōnon doxan kratēsein. Tautēn hēgoumai tēn prothesin tou basileōs, aitian autǭ tou eu prattein genesthai. Theią gar tini pronoią hypo tous autous chronous, ta barbarōn ethnē autǭ hypetatteto. En hois kai ᾿Athanarichos ho tōn Gotthōn archēgos, hypēkoon heauton hama tǭ oikeiǭ plēthei pareschen, hos kai euthys en Kōnstantinou polei ton bion katestrepsen. Tote dē kai ho basileus ton huion ᾿Arkadion Augouston anēgoreuse, kata tēn hypateian Merobaudou to deuteron, kai Satornilou, tę̄ hekkaidekatę̄ tou Iannouariou mēnos. Ouk eis makran de metatauta parēsan hoi pantachothen pasēs thrēskeias episkopoi, kata tēn autēn hypateian, tǭ Iouniǭ mēni. Metapempsamenos oun ho basileus Nektarion ton episkopon, ekoinologeito pros auton, tis an genoito mēchanē, hopōs an mē diaphōnoiē ho christianismos, all᾽ henōthę̄ hē Ekklēsia. Elegen te dein gymnasthē nai to chōrizon tas Ekklēsias zētēma, tēn te diaphōnian ekpodōn poiēsantas, homophōnian tais Ekklēsiais ergasasthai; touto akousas ho Nektarios, en phrontisin ēn. Kai metasteilamenos ton tēnikauta tōn Nauatianōn episkopon Agelion, hōs kata tēn pistin homophrona, phaneran autǭ tēn tou basileōs kathistēsi gnōmēn. de, ta men alla hēn eulades" systēnai de logois peri tou dogmatos ouch ischyōn, anagnōstēn hyp᾽ autǭ Sisinnion onoma, pros to dialechthēnai proedalleto. Sisinnios de, anēr ellogipragmatōn empeiros, akribōs te eidōs tas tōn hierōn Grammatōn hermēneias kai ta philosopha dogmata, synoiden hōs hai dialexeis ou monon ouch enousi ta schismata, alla gar philoneichoteras tas haireseis mallon apergazontai" kai diatouto toiande tina symdoulēn tǭ Nektariǭ hypetheto, Eu epistamenos hōs hoi palaioi archēn hyparxeōs tǭ Huiǭ tou Theou dounai apephygon " chateilēpheisan gar ton synaïdion tǭ Patri " symdouleuei phygein men tas dialechtichas machas" martyras de chalesein tas echdoseis tōn palaiōn, kai peusin para tou basileōs tois hairesiarchais prosagesthai, poteron logon pote poiountai tōn pro tēs diaireseōs en tę̄ Ekklēsią prosarmosantōn didaschalōn, ē hōs allotrious tou Christianismou parakrouontai. Ei men gar toutous athetousin, oukoun anathematizein hautous tolmatōsan" ei touto tolmę̄sai poiēsōsin, hypo tou plēthous exelathēsontai. Kai toutou genomenou, prophanēs estai hē nichē tēs alētheias. Ei de parakrouontai tous archaious tōn didaschalōn, ēmeteron esti to paraschein tas biblous tōn palaiōn, di' hōn hē par᾽ hēmōn doxa martyrēthēsetai. Tauta akousas para tou Sitinnion ho , dromaios epi ta basileia chōrei" gnōrizei de tǭ basilei ta symdedouleumena autǭ. de harpazei tēn gnōmēn, kai sophōs to pragma metecheirisato. Ou gar proeipōn ton skopon, edēlōse monon, ei logon echousi kai dechontai ta tōn pro tēs diaireseōs tēs Ekklēsias didaschalōn. Tōn de ouch arnēsamenōn., alla pany timąn autous hōs kathēgētas eipontōn authis edēlou ho basileus, ei toutois stoichousin axiopistois martysi tou Christianichou dogmatos. 'Gauta akousantes hoi tōn thrēskeiōn proestōtes, hoi par᾽ echastois autōn dialektikoi, gar ēsan polloi par᾽ hautōn ēutrepismenoi pros ton agōna tēs dialexeōs, ouk eichon ho ti poiēsousin. Enepese gar eis echastous diaphōnia, tōn men legontōn kalēn einai tēn tou basileōs protasin " tōn de, sympherousan : tǭ skopǭ tǭ autōn. ᾿Alloi gar allōs eichon peri ta biblia tōn palaiōn; kai ouketi allēlois synepneon; edichonooun te ou monon pros tas allas tōn thrēskeiōn, all᾽ ēdē kai eis heautous, hoi tēs mias ontes haireseōs. Hē oun homophōnos kakia, hōs hē glōssa tōn palai gigantōn diesparto, kai anatetrapto ho tēs kakias pyrgos autōn. Gnous de ho ba sileus tēn synkechymenēn autōn diasporan, kai hōs dialexei monę̄, kai ouk archaiōn ekthesei tetharrhēkasin, epi deuteran gnōmēn ebadize. Kai dēloi engraphon hekastēn thrēskeian gnōrizein ton horon autōn, hēs echousi pisteōs. Tote hoi par' hekastois deinoi tas lexeis akribountes, to oikeion dogma enegraphon. Hōristo te hēmera, kai hoi par᾽ hekastois episkopoi epi ta basileia klēthentes synērchonto. 274 Parēsan oun Nektarios men kai ᾿Agelios, tēs homoousiou proestōtes pisteōs ; ᾿Areianōn de Dēmophilos • Eunomianōn de autos Eunomios; tōn de ta Makedoniou phronountōn, Eleusios ho Kyzikou. Ho de basileus, dechetai men tous synelēlythotas ; kai to par' hekastou dogma engraphon labōn, kath' heauton te genomenos, ēuxato ektenōs synergēsai autǭ ton Theon, pros tēn tēs alētheias epilogēn. Eita hekaston tōn gegrammenōn dogmatōn anagnous, 275 ta men alla panta hōs chōrismon tēs Triados eisagonta mempsamenos, errhēxe ē monēn de tēn tou homoousiou epainesas edexato. prophasis gegone pou tous Nauatianous palin eupraxantas., endon tōn poleōn tas synagōgas poieisthai. Ho gar basileus thaumasa: autōn tēn peri tous oikeious kata tēn pistin homonoian, nomǭ ekeleue tōn men oikeiōn kratein adeōs euktēriōn topōn " echein de : kai pronomia tas ekklēsias autōn, haper hoi tēs hautou pisteōs echousin. Hoi de proestōtes tōn allōn thrēskeiōn, tēs pros heautous diaphōnias en chatagnōsen para tois hyph᾽ heautois egegoneisan amēchanią te lypę̄ chataschethentes anechōroun " kai grammasi tous oikeious paremythounto, nountes mē achthesthai eph᾽ hois polloi katalipontes auytous, tǭ homoonsiǭ prosethento. Pollous gar einai pous chlētous, oligous de tous echlechtous. Hoper ouch elegon, hēnika to poly tou laou autois dynasteias prosekeito, ᾿Alla mēn oude hoi tēs homoousiou pisteōs, tōn lypērōn teleōs hēsan eleutheroi " ta gar kata ᾿Antiocheian, tous tę̄ synodǭ parontas diechripsen. Aigyptioi men gar hoi ex ᾿Arathias Kypalin symprattontes, ton Phlabianon exōtheisthai tēs ᾿Antiocheias elegon. Hoi de Palaistinēs, Phoinikēs te Syrias, hyper Phlabianou synestēchesan. Touto men hoion telos edexato, kata chōran erō.
There were disturbances in the other cities too, as the Arianizers were driven out of the houses of prayer. Here one may well admire the emperor's judgment. He would not, as far as it lay with him, fill the cities with tumults; but after a short time he arranged for a synod of all the sects to be held again, thinking that from the bishops' discussion with one another one opinion agreed by all would prevail. I think that this purpose of the emperor was the cause of his prospering; for by a divine providence at the same time the barbarian nations were subdued to him. Among them Athanaric too, the leader of the Goths, submitted himself together with his own people, and he died soon after in Constantinople. At that time the emperor proclaimed his son Arcadius Augustus, in the consulship of Merobaudes for the second time and Saturninus, on the sixteenth of January. Not long after, the bishops of every religion arrived from every quarter, in the same consulship, in the month of June. The emperor sent for Nectarius the bishop and consulted with him about what means there might be so that Christianity might not be divided but the church be united. He said that the question dividing the churches ought to be thoroughly examined, and that they should remove the disagreement and bring the churches into agreement. When Nectarius heard this, he was anxious. He sent for Agelius, then bishop of the Novatians, as one who shared his faith, and made the emperor's intention known to him. Agelius was devout in other respects, but not being able to hold his own in argument about doctrine, he put forward a reader under him named Sisinnius to conduct the discussion. Sisinnius, a learned man and experienced in affairs, who knew accurately the interpretations of the sacred writings and the doctrines of the philosophers, knew well that disputations not only do not unite schisms but rather make the sects more contentious. So he offered Nectarius the following advice. Knowing well that the ancients avoided giving the Son of God a beginning of existence, for they understood him to be co-eternal with the Father, he advised them to avoid dialectical battles and to call as witnesses the writings of the ancients; and that the emperor should put the question to the leaders of the sects whether they took any account of the teachers who were in harmony in the church before the division, or rejected them as alien to Christianity. If they set them aside, then let them dare to anathematize them; and if they dared to do so, they would be driven out by the people, and when this happened the victory of the truth would be plain. But if they did not reject the ancient teachers, it was for us to produce the books of the ancients, by which our opinion would be attested. When Nectarius heard this from Sisinnius, he hurried to the palace and made known to the emperor the advice given him. The emperor seized on the idea and handled the matter wisely. Without disclosing his purpose beforehand, he only asked whether they took account of and accepted the teachers who lived before the division of the church. When they did not deny it, but said that they honoured them greatly as their masters, the emperor asked again whether they would follow them as trustworthy witnesses of Christian doctrine. When the leaders of the religions and the dialecticians among each of them, for many had been made ready by them for the contest of debate, heard this, they did not know what to do. Disagreement fell upon each of them, some saying that the emperor's proposal was good, others that it was not to the advantage of their aim. For different ones felt differently about the books of the ancients, and they no longer agreed with one another; they were at odds not only with the other religions but now even among themselves, those of the same sect. So their agreement in evil was scattered, like the tongue of the giants of old, and their tower of wickedness was overthrown. When the emperor learned of their confused scattering, and that they trusted only in disputation and not in the exposition of the ancients, he turned to a second plan. He ordered each religion to make known in writing the definition of the faith they held. Then the skilled men among each, weighing their words exactly, wrote down their own doctrine. A day was appointed, and the bishops of each party were summoned to the palace and assembled. Nectarius and Agelius were present, as leaders of the faith of the 'same essence'; Demophilus of the Arians; Eunomius himself of the Eunomians; and Eleusius of Cyzicus of those who held the opinions of Macedonius. The emperor received those who had come, and taking each one's doctrine in writing, he went apart by himself and prayed earnestly that God would help him in choosing the truth. Then, having read each of the written statements, he found fault with all the others as introducing a division of the Trinity and tore them up, and he praised and accepted only that of the 'same essence'. This became the occasion for the Novatians to prosper again and hold their assemblies within the cities. For the emperor, admiring their concord with his own party in the faith, ordered by law that they should hold their own houses of prayer without fear and that their churches should have the same privileges as those of his own faith had. The leaders of the other religions were condemned by their own followers for their disagreement with one another; seized with helplessness and grief, they withdrew, and consoled their followers by letters, exhorting them not to be distressed that many had left them and joined the 'same essence'; for many, they said, are called, but few are chosen. They did not say this when the greater part of the people was attached to them because of their power. Yet not even those of the faith of the 'same essence' were wholly free of troubles; for the affairs of Antioch divided those present at the synod. The Egyptians, with those from Arabia and Cyprus, acting together again, said that Flavian should be driven out of Antioch; but those of Palestine, Phoenicia and Syria stood together for Flavian. What end this had I shall tell in its place.
Textual problem in this passage: see the notes.
Matt 22:14 (quotation, high confidence) · Gen 11:1–9 (allusion, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Theodosius holds a conference of all sects; on Sisinnius's advice he asks whether they accept the pre-Nicene teachers, and then, reading each creed, accepts only the Nicene one and favours the Novatians.
- The consulship of Merobaudes (second time) and Saturninus is 383.
- 'Many are called, but few are chosen' is Matt 22:14; 'the tongue of the giants of old' and 'tower' refer to Babel (Gen 11:1–9).
- Several words are lost in the scan text (Agelius's name; 'the emperor'; the regions at the end); they are translated by sense.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (stray letter): μηνός ο. → μηνός..
Topics: Trinity, Heresy, Church office
Cite (SBL): Socrates, Hist. eccl. 5.10 (PG 67:583–593; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/socrates-historia/5-10). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/socrates-historia/5-10
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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.
5.11PG 67:593–595
. Ὑπὸ δὲ τοὺς αὐτοὺς χρόνους, καθ᾽ οὃς ἐν Κωνσταντίνου πόλει τὰ τῶν συνόδων ἐγίνετο, τάδε περὶ τὰ ἑσπέρια μέρη ἐγένετο. Μάξιμος τῶν περὶ τὰς Βρεττανίας μερῶν, ἐπανέστη τῇ Ῥωμαίων ἀρχῇ, καὶ χάμνοντι Γρατιανῷ εἰς τὸν κατὰ ᾿Αλαμανῶν πόἀοίο οἱ λεμον ἐπίτίθεται. Ἐν δὲ τῇ Ἰταλίᾳ κομιδῇ νέου τυγχάνοντος Οὐαλεντινιανοῦ, τὴν τῶν πραγμάτων εἶχε φροντίδα Πρόβος ἀπὸ ὑπάτων, τὴν ὑπάρχων τότε χειρίζων ἀρχήν. Ἰουστίνα δὲ ἡ τοῦ βασιλέως Οὐαλεντινιανοῦ μήτηρ, τὰ ᾿Αρειανῶν φρονοῦσα, ζῶντος μὲν τοῦ ἀνδρὸς, οὐδὲν εἶχε βλάπτειν τοὺς φρονοῦντας τὸ ὁμοούσιον. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ κομιδῇ νέος ἦν ὁ υἱὸς, καταλαμβάνουσα τὴν Μεδιολάνων, ταραχὰς μεγίστας κατὰ τοῦ ἐπισκόπου ᾿Αμβροσίου ἐκίνησεν, εἰς ἐξορίαν αὐτὸν πεμφθῆναι κελεύουσα. Ὡς δὲ ὁ λαὸς ἀντεῖχεν ὑπε ὑπερβαλλόντως ἀγαπῶν τὸν Ἀμβρόσιον, καὶ τοῖς ἕλκειν ἐπὶ τὴν ἐξορίαν σπουδάζουσιν ἀνθίστατο, ἐν τοσούτῳ ἀγγέλλεται, ὅτι Γρατιανὸς δόλῳ τοῦ τυράν νου Μαξίμου ἀνήρητο. Ἐν φορείῳ γὰρ κλίνην μιμουμένῳ, καὶ ὑπὸ ἡμιόνων φερομένῳ, κατακρυφθεὶς ὁ τοῦ Μαξίμου στρατηγὸς ᾿Ανδραγάθιος, προλέγειν τοῖς δορυφόροις κελεύσας, ὡς εἴη τοῦ βασιλέως Γρατιανοῦ γαμετὴ, ὑπαντᾷ τῷ βασιλεῖ πρὸ Λουγδούνου τῆς ἐν Γαλλίᾳ πόλεως ποταμὸν διαβαίνοντι. Ὁ δὲ πιστεύσας τὴν γαμετὴν εἶναι, τὸν δόλον οὐκ ἐφυλάξατο· ἀλλ᾽ ὥσπερ τυφλὸς εἰς ὄρυγμα, τοῦ πολεμίου εἰς τὰς χεῖρας ἔπεσεν. Ἐκπηδήσας γὰρ ἐκ τοῦ φερέτρου Ανδραγάθιος, τὸν Γρατιανὸν διεχειρίσατο. Τελευτᾷ οὖν ἐν ὑπατείᾳ Μεροβαύδου καὶ Σατορνίνου, βασιλεύσας ἔτη δεκαπέντε ', ζήσας ἔτη εἰκοσιτέσσαρα. Τοῦτο ἐπιγενόμενον ἔπαυσε τὴν κατὰ Ἀμβροσίου τῆς μητρὸς τοῦ βασιλέως ὀργήν. Οὐαλεντινιανὸς δὲ καὶ ἄκων, τῇ ἀνάγκῃ τοῦ καιροῦ πεισθεὶς, τὴν Μαξίμου βασιλείαν προσδέχεται. Τότε ὁ Πρόβος φοβηθεὶς τὴν Μαξίμου δύναμιν, ἐπὶ τὰ ἀνατολικώτερα μέρη ἀναχωρεῖν πειρᾶται. Εὐθὺς οὖν ὡς εἶχεν ἀναχωρεῖ ἀπὸ τῆς Ἰταλίας, καὶ ἐπὶ τὴν Ἰλλυρίδα γενόμενος γῆν, ἐν Θεσσαλονίκῃ τῆς Μακεδονίας διέτριβεν.
. Hypo de tous autous chronous, kath᾽ hoos en Kōnstantinou polei ta tōn synodōn egineto, tade peri ta hesperia merē egeneto. Maximos tōn peri tas Brettanias merōn, epanestē tę̄ Rhōmaiōn archę̄, kai chamnonti Gratianǭ eis ton kata ᾿Alamanōn poaoio hoi lemon epitithetai. En de tę̄ Italią komidę̄ neou tynchanontos Oualentinianou, tēn tōn pragmatōn eiche phrontida Probos apo hypatōn, tēn hyparchōn tote cheirizōn archēn. Ioustina de hē tou basileōs Oualentinianou mētēr, ta ᾿Areianōn phronousa, zōntos men tou andros, ouden eiche blaptein tous phronountas to homoousion. Epeidē de komidę̄ neos ēn ho huios, katalambanousa tēn Mediolanōn, tarachas megistas kata tou episkopou ᾿Ambrosiou ekinēsen, eis exorian auton pemphthēnai keleuousa. Hōs de ho laos anteichen hype hyperballontōs agapōn ton Ambrosion, kai tois helkein epi tēn exorian spoudazousin anthistato, en tosoutǭ angelletai, hoti Gratianos dolǭ tou tyran nou Maximou anērēto. En phoreiǭ gar klinēn mimoumenǭ, kai hypo hēmionōn pheromenǭ, katakryphtheis ho tou Maximou stratēgos ᾿Andragathios, prolegein tois doryphorois keleusas, hōs eiē tou basileōs Gratianou gametē, hypantą tǭ basilei pro Lougdounou tēs en Gallią poleōs potamon diabainonti. Ho de pisteusas tēn gametēn einai, ton dolon ouk ephylaxato; all᾽ hōsper typhlos eis orygma, tou polemiou eis tas cheiras epesen. Ekpēdēsas gar ek tou pheretrou Andragathios, ton Gratianon diecheirisato. Teleutą oun en hypateią Merobaudou kai Satorninou, basileusas etē dekapente ', zēsas etē eikositessara. Touto epigenomenon epause tēn kata Ambrosiou tēs mētros tou basileōs orgēn. Oualentinianos de kai akōn, tę̄ anankę̄ tou kairou peistheis, tēn Maximou basileian prosdechetai. Tote ho Probos phobētheis tēn Maximou dynamin, epi ta anatolikōtera merē anachōrein peiratai. Euthys oun hōs eichen anachōrei apo tēs Italias, kai epi tēn Illyrida genomenos gēn, en Thessalonikę̄ tēs Makedonias dietriben.
About the same time as the synods were being held in Constantinople, the following happened in the western parts. Maximus, from the region of Britain, rose up against the Roman empire and attacked Gratian, who was worn out with the war against the Alamanni. In Italy, since Valentinian was very young, Probus, a former consul, then holding the office of prefect, had charge of affairs. Justina, the mother of the emperor Valentinian, who held the opinions of the Arians, had been unable to harm those who held the 'same essence' while her husband was alive. But since her son was very young, she went to Milan and stirred up very great troubles against Ambrose the bishop, ordering that he be sent into exile. As the people held out, loving Ambrose exceedingly, and resisted those who were eager to drag him into exile, meanwhile news came that Gratian had been killed through the treachery of the usurper Maximus. Andragathius, Maximus's general, hid in a litter made like a couch and carried by mules, ordered the guards to announce that it was the wife of the emperor Gratian, and met the emperor as he was crossing a river near Lyons, the city in Gaul. He, believing that it was his wife, did not guard against the trick, but fell into the enemy's hands like a blind man into a pit; for Andragathius leapt out of the litter and killed Gratian. He died, then, in the consulship of Merobaudes and Saturninus, having reigned fifteen years and lived twenty-four. This event stopped the anger of the emperor's mother against Ambrose. Valentinian, though unwillingly, yielding to the necessity of the time, accepted Maximus's rule. Then Probus, fearing the power of Maximus, tried to withdraw to the more eastern parts. So at once he withdrew from Italy and, reaching Illyricum, stayed at Thessalonica in Macedonia.
Matt 15:14 (echo, low confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Maximus revolts in Britain and has Gratian killed by trickery at Lyons, which ends Justina's attempt to exile Ambrose.
- Gratian was killed in 383.
Topics: Persecution
Cite (SBL): Socrates, Hist. eccl. 5.11 (PG 67:593–595; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/socrates-historia/5-11). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/socrates-historia/5-11
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-socrates-historia-5-11) · 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.
5.12PG 67:597
Ὁ δὲ βασιλεὺς Θεοδόσιος ἐν φροντίδι μεγάλῃ καθἵστατο, δύναμίν τε μεγίστην κατὰ τοῦ τυράννου ηὐτρέπιζεν, εὐλαβούμενος μὴ καὶ τῷ Νέῳ Οὐαλεντινιανῷ ὁ τύραννος φόνον βουλεύσειε. Κατὰ ταὐτὸ δὲ καὶ πρεσβεία Περσῶν παρῆν, εἰρήνην παρὰ τοῦ βασιλέως αἰτοῦσα. Τότε δὴ καὶ προσγίνεται τῷ βασιλεῖ υἱὸς Ονώριος ", τεχθεὶς αὐτῷ ἐκ τῆς γαμετῆς Πλακίλλης, ἐν ὑπατείᾳ Ῥιχομηλίου καὶ Κλεάρχου, τῇ ἐννάτῃ τοῦ Σεπτεμβρίου μηνός. Καθ᾿ ἣν ὑπατείαν καὶ ᾿Αγέλιος ὁ τῶν Ναυατιανῶν ἐπίσκοπος, μικρῷ πρότερον ἐτελεύτησεν. Τῇ δὲ ἑξῆς ὑπατείᾳ, ἥτις ἦν Αρκαδίου Αὐγούστου τὸ πρῶτον καὶ Βαύδωνος, τελευτήσαντος Τιμοθέου τοῦ ἐπισκόπου ᾿Αλεξανδρείας, Θεόφιλος τὴν ἐπισκοπὴν ἐκδέχεται. Μεταταῦτα δὲ ἐνιαυτῷ ὕστερον καὶ Δημόφιλος ὁ τῆς Ἀρειανῆς προεστὼς θρησκείας, τέλει τοῦ βίου ἐχρήσατο. ᾿Αρειανοὶ δὲ Μαρῖνόν τινα ἐπίσκοπον τῆς οἰκείας αἱρέσεως ἐκ Θράκης μεταστειλάμενοι, αὐτῷ τὴν ἐπισκοπὴν ἐπέτρεψαν. ᾿Αλλ' οὐκ ἐχρόνισεν ὁ Μαρῖνος. Ἐπ᾿ αὐτῷ γὰρ διῃρέθη ἡ ᾿Αρειανῶν θρησκεία, ὡς ὕστερον λέξω · Δωρόθεόν τε αὖθις ἐκ τῆς ᾿Αντιοχείας τῆς ἐν Συρίᾳ μεταπεμψάμενοι, ὑπ' αὐτῷ ἑτάττοντο. Ὁ δὲ βασιλεὺς ἐπὶ τὸν κατὰ Μαξίμου πόλεμον ἤλαυνε, καταλιπὼν ἐν τῇ Κωνσταντίνου πόλει τὸν υἱὸν ᾿Αρκάδιον βασιλεύοντα · καταλαβών τε τὴν σαλονίκην, εὑρίσκει τοὺς περὶ Οὐαλεντινιανὸν πολλῇ ἀθυμίᾳ διάγοντας, ὅτι δι᾽ ἀνάγκην τὸν τύραννον ὡς βασιλέα ἐδέξαντο. Ὁ Θεοδόσιος δὲ, ἐν μὲν τῷ φανερῷ οὐδέτερον ἐδείκνυεν. Οὔτε γὰρ ἡθέτει, οὔτε προσεδέχετο τὴν Μαξίμου πρεσβείαν. Οὐ μὴν ἠνείχετο περιορᾶν τυραννουμένην τὴν Ῥωμαίων ἀρχὴν, προσχήματι βασιλικοῦ ὀνόματος· ἀναλαβὼν δὲ τὰς δυνάμεις τῶν στρατιωτικῶν ταγμάτων, ἐπὶ τὴν Μεδιόλανον ἐχώρει · ἐκεῖ γὰρ ἐφθάκει ὁ Μάξιμος.
Ho de basileus Theodosios en phrontidi megalę̄ kathistato, dynamin te megistēn kata tou tyrannou ēutrepizen, eulaboumenos mē kai tǭ Neǭ Oualentinianǭ ho tyrannos phonon bouleuseie. Kata tauto de kai presbeia Persōn parēn, eirēnēn para tou basileōs aitousa. Tote dē kai prosginetai tǭ basilei huios Onōrios ", techtheis autǭ ek tēs gametēs Plakillēs, en hypateią Rhichomēliou kai Klearchou, tę̄ ennatę̄ tou Septembriou mēnos. Kath᾿ hēn hypateian kai ᾿Agelios ho tōn Nauatianōn episkopos, mikrǭ proteron eteleutēsen. Tę̄ de hexēs hypateią, hētis ēn Arkadiou Augoustou to prōton kai Baudōnos, teleutēsantos Timotheou tou episkopou ᾿Alexandreias, Theophilos tēn episkopēn ekdechetai. Metatauta de eniautǭ hysteron kai Dēmophilos ho tēs Areianēs proestōs thrēskeias, telei tou biou echrēsato. ᾿Areianoi de Marinon tina episkopon tēs oikeias haireseōs ek Thrakēs metasteilamenoi, autǭ tēn episkopēn epetrepsan. ᾿All' ouk echronisen ho Marinos. Ep᾿ autǭ gar dię̄rethē hē ᾿Areianōn thrēskeia, hōs hysteron lexō ; Dōrotheon te authis ek tēs ᾿Antiocheias tēs en Syrią metapempsamenoi, hyp' autǭ hetattonto. Ho de basileus epi ton kata Maximou polemon ēlaune, katalipōn en tę̄ Kōnstantinou polei ton huion ᾿Arkadion basileuonta ; katalabōn te tēn salonikēn, heuriskei tous peri Oualentinianon pollę̄ athymią diagontas, hoti di᾽ anankēn ton tyrannon hōs basilea edexanto. Ho Theodosios de, en men tǭ phanerǭ oudeteron edeiknyen. Oute gar hēthetei, oute prosedecheto tēn Maximou presbeian. Ou mēn ēneicheto perioran tyrannoumenēn tēn Rhōmaiōn archēn, proschēmati basilikou onomatos; analabōn de tas dynameis tōn stratiōtikōn tagmatōn, epi tēn Mediolanon echōrei ; ekei gar ephthakei ho Maximos.
The emperor Theodosius was in great anxiety and prepared a very large force against the usurper, fearing that the usurper might plot the murder of Valentinian the Younger too. At the same time an embassy of the Persians arrived, asking the emperor for peace. Then also a son, Honorius, was born to the emperor by his wife Placilla, in the consulship of Richomelius and Clearchus, on the ninth of September. In this consulship Agelius, the bishop of the Novatians, had died a little earlier. In the next consulship, that of Arcadius Augustus for the first time and Bauto, when Timothy, the bishop of Alexandria, died, Theophilus took over the bishopric. A year after this Demophilus too, who presided over the Arian worship, died. The Arians sent for one Marinus, a bishop of their own sect, from Thrace and entrusted the bishopric to him. But Marinus did not last long; for under him the Arian worship was divided, as I shall tell later; and sending again for Dorotheus from Antioch in Syria, they ranged themselves under him. The emperor marched to the war against Maximus, leaving his son Arcadius as emperor in Constantinople. Reaching Thessalonica, he found Valentinian and his court in great despondency, because under compulsion they had accepted the usurper as emperor. Theodosius showed neither attitude openly; he neither rejected nor accepted the embassy of Maximus. But he would not bear to see the Roman empire under a usurper under cover of the imperial name; and, taking up the forces of the military units, he advanced on Milan, for Maximus had already got there.
Notes and citation
Summary: Theodosius prepares war against Maximus; Honorius is born; Theophilus succeeds Timothy at Alexandria and the Arians replace Demophilus; Theodosius marches on Milan.
- The opening words of the scan text ('... at Milan, he joined the usurper') are the end of Valesius's chapter title and are removed.
- The consulship of Richomelius and Clearchus is 384; that of Arcadius and Bauto 385.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (end of the printed chapter title leaked into the text): Μεδιολάνῳ, τῷ τυράννῳ προσέμιξεν. Ὁ δὲ → Ὁ δὲ.
Topics: Church office
Cite (SBL): Socrates, Hist. eccl. 5.12 (PG 67:597; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/socrates-historia/5-12). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/socrates-historia/5-12
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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.
5.13PG 67:599
Ὑπὸ δὲ τὸν αὐτὸν χρόνον καθ᾽ ἂν ὁ βασιλεὺς τῷ πολέμῳ ἐσχόλαζεν, καὶ οἱ ἐν Κωνσταντίνου πόλει ᾿Αρειανοὶ ταραχὴν κεκινήκασι δι' ἐπινοίας τοιάσδε. Φιλοῦσιν οἱ ἄνθρωποι λόγους πλάττειν περὶ ὧν οὐκ ἐπίστανται. Εἰ δὲ καί ποτε προφάσεως ἐπιλάβονται, μείζονας τὰς περὶ ὧν βούλονται, φήμας ἐξάπτουσι, νεωτέρων ἀεὶ ὀρεγόμενοι πραγμάτων. Τοῦτο δὴ καὶ τότε κατὰ τὴν πόλιν ἐγίνετο· ἄλλος γὰρ ἄλλο περὶ τοῦ μακρὰν γενομένου πολέμου πλάττοντες διεφήμιζον, ἀεὶ ἐπὶ τὸ χεῖρον τὴν ἐλπίδα λαμβάνοντες. Καὶ μηδενὸς ἐπιγινομένου κατὰ τὸν πόλεμον, αὐτοὶ ὡς τὰ κατ' αὐτὸν ἱστορήσαντες, περὶ ὧν οὐκ ᾔδεισαν ἔλεγον · ὡς ὁ τύραννος ἐπικρατέστερος εἴη τῆς βασιλέως δυνάμεως· καὶ ὅτι τόσοι καὶ τόσοι κατὰ τὴν μάχην πεπτώκασι· καὶ ὅτι ὁ βασιλεὺς ὅσον οὐδέπω τῷ τυράννῳ ὑποχείριος γίνεται. Τότε δὲ καὶ οἱ Αρειανίζοντες ἐκ πάθους κινούμενοι · σφόδρα γὰρ ἡνιῶντο, ὅτι τῶν ἔνδον ἐκκλησιῶν ἐκράτουν οἱ παρ' αὐτῶν πρότερον διωκόμενοι · τὰς φήμας πολλαπλασίους εἰργάζοντο. Ἐπεὶ δὲ ἕτερά τινα τῶν λεγομένων, αὐτοὺς τοὺς πεπλακότας αὐτὰ εἰς πίστιν ἦγεν οὐχ ὡς πεπλασμένων, ἀλλ' ὡς ἀληθῶς γενομένων ἔπλασαν· οἱ γὰρ ἀκοῇ παραλαβόντες, διεβεβαιοῦντα πρὸς τοὺς λογοποιοῦντας, μὴ ἄλλως ἔχειν, ἢ ὡς παρ' αὐτῶν ἀκηκόασι · τότε δὴ ἀναθαῤῥήσαντες οἱ ᾿Αρειανίζοντες, εἰς ἄλογον χωροῦσιν ὁρμήν· καὶ τὴν οἰκίαν τοῦ ἐπισκόπου Νεκταρίου, πῦρ ἐμβαλόντες ἀνήλωσαν. : Τοῦτο μὲν δὴ τοιοῦτον ἐγένετο, κατὰ τὴν ὑπατείαν Θεοδοσίου τὸ δεύτερον καὶ Κυνηγίου.
Hypo de ton auton chronon kath᾽ an ho basileus tǭ polemǭ escholazen, kai hoi en Kōnstantinou polei ᾿Areianoi tarachēn kekinēkasi di' epinoias toiasde. Philousin hoi anthrōpoi logous plattein peri hōn ouk epistantai. Ei de kai pote prophaseōs epilabontai, meizonas tas peri hōn boulontai, phēmas exaptousi, neōterōn aei oregomenoi pragmatōn. Touto dē kai tote kata tēn polin egineto; allos gar allo peri tou makran genomenou polemou plattontes diephēmizon, aei epi to cheiron tēn elpida lambanontes. Kai mēdenos epiginomenou kata ton polemon, autoi hōs ta kat' auton historēsantes, peri hōn ouk ę̄deisan elegon ; hōs ho tyrannos epikratesteros eiē tēs basileōs dynameōs; kai hoti tosoi kai tosoi kata tēn machēn peptōkasi; kai hoti ho basileus hoson oudepō tǭ tyrannǭ hypocheirios ginetai. Tote de kai hoi Areianizontes ek pathous kinoumenoi ; sphodra gar hēniōnto, hoti tōn endon ekklēsiōn ekratoun hoi par' autōn proteron diōkomenoi ; tas phēmas pollaplasious eirgazonto. Epei de hetera tina tōn legomenōn, autous tous peplakotas auta eis pistin ēgen ouch hōs peplasmenōn, all' hōs alēthōs genomenōn eplasan; hoi gar akoę̄ paralabontes, diebebaiounta pros tous logopoiountas, mē allōs echein, ē hōs par' autōn akēkoasi ; tote dē anatharrhēsantes hoi ᾿Areianizontes, eis alogon chōrousin hormēn; kai tēn oikian tou episkopou Nektariou, pyr embalontes anēlōsan. : Touto men dē toiouton egeneto, kata tēn hypateian Theodosiou to deuteron kai Kynēgiou.
At the same time, while the emperor was occupied with the war, the Arians in Constantinople too stirred up a disturbance by the following device. People love to invent stories about what they do not know; and if they ever get hold of a pretext, they kindle greater rumours about what they wish, always hankering after novelties. This happened at that time in the city: one invented one thing, another another, about the distant war and spread it abroad, always expecting the worse. And when nothing had yet happened in the war, they spoke of what they did not know as though they had seen it: that the usurper was stronger than the emperor's forces, that so many and so many had fallen in the battle, and that the emperor was all but in the usurper's hands. Then the Arianizers too, moved by resentment, for they were greatly vexed that those whom they had formerly persecuted held the churches within the city, multiplied the rumours. When some of what was said led even those who had invented it to believe it, not as invented but as really having happened, for those who received it by hearing assured the story-makers that it was no other than as they had heard it from them, then the Arianizers took courage and went to senseless violence: they set fire to the house of the bishop Nectarius and burned it down. This happened in the consulship of Theodosius for the second time and Cynegius.
Notes and citation
Summary: False rumours of Theodosius's defeat embolden the Arians of Constantinople, who burn the house of Nectarius.
- The consulship of Theodosius (second time) and Cynegius is 388.
Topics: Heresy
Cite (SBL): Socrates, Hist. eccl. 5.13 (PG 67:599; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/socrates-historia/5-13). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/socrates-historia/5-13
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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.
5.14PG 67:599–601
Τοῦ δὲ βασιλέως ἐπιόντος τῷ τυράννῳ, πυνθανόμενοι τὴν παρασκευὴν οἱ ὑπὸ Μαξίμῳ ταττόμενοι, οὔτε τὴν ἐκ τῆς φήμης προσβολὴν ἐνεγκεῖν ἐδυνήθησαν· ἀλλὰ καταπτήξαντες, δέσμιον αὐτῷ τὸν τύραννον ἐνεχείρισαν· ὃς ἀνῃρέθη ἐν τῇ αὐτῇ ὑπατείᾳ, ἑβδόμῃ καὶ εἰκάδι τοῦ Αὐγούστου μηνός. δραγάθιος δὲ ὁ του βασιλέως Γρατιανοῦ φονεὺς, τῆς ἥττης αἰσθόμενος, εἰς τὸν παρακείμενον ποταμὸν ῥίψας ἑαυτὸν ἀπεπνίγη. Τότε οὖν οἱ βασιλεῖς νιχηφόροι ἐπὶ τὴν Ρώμην ἐχώρουν " ἦν δὲ ὁ υἱὸς ὐνώριος σὺν αὐτοῖς, κομιδῇ νέος ὥν μετὰ γὰρ τὴν κατὰ Μαξίμου νέχην, μεταπέμπεται αὐτὸν ὁ πατὴρ τῆς Κωνσταντίνου πόλεως. Ἦσαν οὖν ἐν τῇ Ῥώμη ἐπινικίους ἑορτὰς ἐπιτελοῦντες" ὅτε τὴν ἑαυτοῦ ἀγαθόἐπὶ Συμμάχου τοῦ ἀπὸ ὑπάτων ὁ βασιλεὺς Θεοδότιος ἐπεδείξατο, Οὗτος γὰρ ὁ πρῶτος μὲν ἣν τῆς ἐν Ῥώμῃ συγκλήτου. Ἐθαυμάζετο δὲ ἐπὶ παιδεύσει λόγων Ῥωμαϊκῶν. Καὶ γὰρ αὐτῷ πολλοὶ λόγοι συγγεγραμμένοι τῇ Ῥωμαίων γλώσσῃ τυγχάνουσι. Βασιλιχὸν οὖν λόγον εἰς Μάξιμον ἔτι περιόντα γεγραφὼς καὶ διεξελθὼν, τῷ τῆς καθοσμύσεως ἐγχλήματι ἔνοχος ὕστερον τοῦτο δὴ δεδιὼς τὸν θάνατον, τῇ ἐκκλησίᾳ προσἔφυγεν. Ὁ δὲ βασιλεὺς οὕτως ἣν περὶ τὸν Χριστιανισμὸν εὐλαδῆς, ὡς μὴ μόνον τοὺς τῆς αὐτοῦ στεως ἱερεῖς ὑπερτιμᾷν ἀλλὰ γὰρ Ναυατιανοὺς τὸ ὁμοούσιον φρονοῦντας ἀσμένως προσεδέχετο, Λεοντίῳ γοῦν ἐπισκόπῳ τῆς ἐν Ρώμῃ τῶν Νανατιαγῶν Ἐκκλησίας παραχαλοῦντι χάριν διδοὺς, τὸν Σύμμαχον ἀπέλυσε τοῦ ἐγκλήματος. Συγγνώμης οὖν ἀξιωθεὶς ὁ Σύμμαχος ; τὸν ἀπολογητιχὸν λόγον εἰς τὸν αὐτοκράτορα Θεοδόσιον ἔγραψεν. Ὁ μὲν δὴ πόλεμος ἀρχὰς μεγίστην ἀπειλὴν ἐσχηκὼς, τελευτῶν ταχεῖαν ἔσχε τὴν κρίσιν.
Tou de basileōs epiontos tǭ tyrannǭ, pynthanomenoi tēn paraskeuēn hoi hypo Maximǭ tattomenoi, oute tēn ek tēs phēmēs prosbolēn enenkein edynēthēsan; alla kataptēxantes, desmion autǭ ton tyrannon enecheirisan; hos anę̄rethē en tę̄ autę̄ hypateią, hebdomę̄ kai eikadi tou Augoustou mēnos. dragathios de ho tou basileōs Gratianou phoneus, tēs hēttēs aisthomenos, eis ton parakeimenon potamon rhipsas heauton apepnigē. Tote oun hoi basileis nichēphoroi epi tēn Rōmēn echōroun " ēn de ho huios ynōrios syn autois, komidę̄ neos hōn meta gar tēn kata Maximou nechēn, metapempetai auton ho patēr tēs Kōnstantinou poleōs. Ēsan oun en tę̄ Rhōmē epinikious heortas epitelountes" hote tēn heautou agathoepi Symmachou tou apo hypatōn ho basileus Theodotios epedeixato, Houtos gar ho prōtos men hēn tēs en Rhōmę̄ synklētou. Ethaumazeto de epi paideusei logōn Rhōmaïkōn. Kai gar autǭ polloi logoi syngegrammenoi tę̄ Rhōmaiōn glōssę̄ tynchanousi. Basilichon oun logon eis Maximon eti perionta gegraphōs kai diexelthōn, tǭ tēs kathosmyseōs enchlēmati enochos hysteron touto dē dediōs ton thanaton, tę̄ ekklēsią prosephygen. Ho de basileus houtōs hēn peri ton Christianismon euladēs, hōs mē monon tous tēs autou steōs hiereis hypertimąn alla gar Nauatianous to homoousion phronountas asmenōs prosedecheto, Leontiǭ goun episkopǭ tēs en Rōmę̄ tōn Nanatiagōn Ekklēsias parachalounti charin didous, ton Symmachon apelyse tou enklēmatos. Syngnōmēs oun axiōtheis ho Symmachos ? ton apologētichon logon eis ton autokratora Theodosion egrapsen. Ho men dē polemos archas megistēn apeilēn eschēkōs, teleutōn tacheian esche tēn krisin.
As the emperor advanced against the usurper, those ranged under Maximus, learning of his preparations, could not bear even the shock of the report, but cowered and handed the usurper over to him in chains; and he was put to death in the same consulship, on the twenty-seventh of August. Andragathius, the murderer of the emperor Gratian, perceiving the defeat, threw himself into the river nearby and was drowned. Then the emperors went victorious to Rome; and the son Honorius was with them, being very young, for after the victory over Maximus his father sent for him from Constantinople. They were then in Rome celebrating festivals of victory, when the emperor Theodosius showed his goodness in the case of Symmachus, the former consul. He was the first man of the senate in Rome and was admired for his learning in Latin letters; indeed many speeches of his are written in the Latin language. Having written and delivered an imperial panegyric on Maximus while he was still alive, he was afterwards charged with treason; and fearing death for this, he fled to the church. The emperor was so devout toward Christianity that he not only honoured highly the priests of his own faith but also gladly received the Novatians, who held the 'same essence'. So, granting a favour to Leontius, bishop of the Novatian church in Rome, who interceded, he released Symmachus from the charge. Symmachus, having been granted pardon, wrote a speech of apology to the emperor Theodosius. Thus the war, which at its beginning held a very great threat, came to a swift decision at its end.
Notes and citation
Summary: Maximus is handed over and executed; at Rome Theodosius pardons the senator Symmachus at the request of the Novatian bishop Leontius.
- The last words of the scan text ('it happened ...', the start of the next chapter title) are removed.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (beginning of the next chapter title leaked into the text; stray letter): ἔσχε τὴν κρίσιν. ἐγένετο δια- → ἔσχε τὴν κρίσιν.; ἐνεχείρισαν τ· → ἐνεχείρισαν·.
Cite (SBL): Socrates, Hist. eccl. 5.14 (PG 67:599–601; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/socrates-historia/5-14). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/socrates-historia/5-14
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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.
5.15PG 67:601–603
Περὶ δὲ τὸν αὐτὸν χρόνον, περὶ τὴν Συρίας ᾿Αντιόχειαν τάδε ἐγένετο. Παυλίνου τελευτήσαντος, ὁ ὑπ᾽ αὐτῷ λαὸς τὸν Φλαδιανὸν ἐξετρέπετο " διατοῦτο παρασκευάζει χειροτονηθῆναι τοῦ οἰκείου μέρους Εὐάγριον". Τοῦ δὲ οὐ πολὺν ἐπιθδιώσαντος χρόνον, ἕτερος εἰς τὸν τόπον αὐτοῦ οὐκέτι χαῦίσταται, Φλαδιανοῦ τοῦτο χατασχενάσαντος. Ὅσοι δὲ τὸν Φλαδιανὸν διὰ τὴν παράθασιν ἀπεστρέφοντο τῶν ὄρχων, ἰδίαν τὰς συναγωγὰς ἐποιοῦντο. Φλαῦιανὺς δὲ, τὸ τοῦ λόγου, πάντα λίθον ἐκίνει, ὑφ᾽ αὑτῷ τούτους ποιήσασθαι, “Ὅπερ πικρὸν ὕστερον ἐξίσχυσε κατεργάσασθαι, τὴν ὀργὴν θεραπεύσας Θεοφίλου τότε τοῦ τῆς ᾿Αλεξανδρείας ἐπισκόπου, δι᾽ οὗ καὶ κατήλλαξε Δάμασον τὸν τῆς Ῥώμης ἐπίσκο᾿Αμφότεροι γὰρ πρὸς Φλαθδιανὸν ἐχαλέπαινον, οὐ μόνον διὰ τὸ ἐπιορχηχέναι, ἀλλ᾽ ὅτι αἰτίαν παρεῖχε τοῦ χωρίζεσθαι τοὺς ὁμόφρονας. Θεραπευθεὶς οὖν τὴν ὀργὴν Θεόφιλος, πέμψας τε Ἰσίδωρον πρεσθδύτερον, χαταλλάσστει λυπούμενον Δάμασον, λυσιτελεῖν εἰπὼν δι᾽ ὁμόνοιαν τοῦ λαοῦ, παριδεῖν τὸ φθάσαν Φλαδιανοῦ πλημμέλημα. Οὕτως τε τῷ Φλαβιανῷ τῆς κοινωνίας ἀποδοθείσης, ὁ ἐν λαὺς κατὰ βραχὺ προϊόντος τοῦ χρόνου, τὴν ὁμόνοιαν ἔστερξαν. Τὰ μὲν δὴ κατὰ ᾿Αντιόχειαν τοιοῦτον ἔσχε τὸ τέλος. Οἱ γὰρ χατ᾽ αὐτὴν ᾿Ἀρειανοὶ τῶν ἐκκλησιῶν ἐξωθηθέντες, ἐν προαστείοις τῆς πόλεως τὰς συναγωγὰς ἐποιήσαντο. Ἐν τοσούτῳ δὲ καὶ Κύριλλον ἃ τὸν τῶν Ἱεροσολύμων ἐπίσκοπον τελευτήσαντα, Ἰωάννης διαδέχεται.
Peri de ton auton chronon, peri tēn Syrias ᾿Antiocheian tade egeneto. Paulinou teleutēsantos, ho hyp᾽ autǭ laos ton Phladianon exetrepeto " diatouto paraskeuazei cheirotonēthēnai tou oikeiou merous Euagrion". Tou de ou polyn epithdiōsantos chronon, heteros eis ton topon autou ouketi chauistatai, Phladianou touto chataschenasantos. Hosoi de ton Phladianon dia tēn parathasin apestrephonto tōn orchōn, idian tas synagōgas epoiounto. Phlauianys de, to tou logou, panta lithon ekinei, hyph᾽ hautǭ toutous poiēsasthai, “Hoper pikron hysteron exischyse katergasasthai, tēn orgēn therapeusas Theophilou tote tou tēs ᾿Alexandreias episkopou, di᾽ hou kai katēllaxe Damason ton tēs Rhōmēs episko᾿Amphoteroi gar pros Phlathdianon echalepainon, ou monon dia to epiorchēchenai, all᾽ hoti aitian pareiche tou chōrizesthai tous homophronas. Therapeutheis oun tēn orgēn Theophilos, pempsas te Isidōron presthdyteron, chatallasstei lypoumenon Damason, lysitelein eipōn di᾽ homonoian tou laou, paridein to phthasan Phladianou plēmmelēma. Houtōs te tǭ Phlabianǭ tēs koinōnias apodotheisēs, ho en laus kata brachy proïontos tou chronou, tēn homonoian esterxan. Ta men dē kata ᾿Antiocheian toiouton esche to telos. Hoi gar chat᾽ autēn ᾿Areianoi tōn ekklēsiōn exōthēthentes, en proasteiois tēs poleōs tas synagōgas epoiēsanto. En tosoutǭ de kai Kyrillon ha ton tōn Hierosolymōn episkopon teleutēsanta, Iōannēs diadechetai.
About the same time the following happened at Antioch in Syria. When Paulinus died, the people under him shunned Flavian; and for this reason they arranged for Evagrius to be ordained for their own party. When he did not live long, no one else was appointed in his place, Flavian having brought this about. But those who turned away from Flavian because of the breaking of the oaths held their assemblies by themselves. Flavian, as the saying goes, moved every stone to bring them under himself, which a little later he succeeded in doing, by soothing the anger of Theophilus, then bishop of Alexandria, through whom he also reconciled Damasus, bishop of Rome. For both were angry with Flavian, not only for having broken his oath but because he had given occasion for the separation of those of one faith. Theophilus, his anger soothed, sent Isidore the presbyter and reconciled the aggrieved Damasus, saying that for the sake of the people's concord it was beneficial to overlook Flavian's earlier fault. When communion had thus been restored to Flavian, the people in the course of a short time embraced concord. Such was the end of affairs at Antioch. The Arians there, driven out of the churches, held their assemblies in the suburbs of the city. Meanwhile, when Cyril, the bishop of Jerusalem, died, John succeeded him.
Notes and citation
Summary: At Antioch the party of Paulinus has Evagrius ordained; after his death Flavian, reconciled with Theophilus and Damasus, gradually reunites the church; John succeeds Cyril at Jerusalem.
- The scan reads 'bitterly later' (pikron) for 'a little later' (mikron); translated by sense.
Topics: Church office
Cite (SBL): Socrates, Hist. eccl. 5.15 (PG 67:601–603; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/socrates-historia/5-15). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/socrates-historia/5-15
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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.
5.16PG 67:603–605
Κατὰ δὲ τὸν χρόνον τόνδε, καὶ ἐν τῇ ᾿Αλεξανδρείᾳ τοιοῦτο πάθος ἐγένετο. Τῇ τοῦ ἐπισκόπου Θεοφίλου σπουδῇ, βασιλέως ἐκέλευε πρόσταγμα λύεσθαι τοὺς ἐν ᾿Αλεξανδρείᾳ τῶν Ἑλλήνων ναοὺς, καὶ τοῦτο γίνεσθαι τῇ Θεοφίλου φροντίδι, Ταύτης τῆς ἐξουσίας δραξάμενος ὁ Θεόφιλος, παντοῖος ἐγένετο χαθυδρίσαν τὰ τῶν Ἑλλήνων μυστήρια " καὶ ἀναχαθαίρει μὲν τὸ Μιθρεῖον. Καταστρέφει δὲ τὸ Σαραπεῖον καὶ τὰ μὲν τοῦ Μιθρείου φονιχὰ μυστήρια, δημόσια ἐπόμπευε " τὰ δὲ τοῦ Σαράπιδος καὶ τῶν ἄλλων, γέλωτος ἐδείκνυ μεστὰ, τοὺς φαλλοὺς φέρεσθα! κελεύσας διὰ μέσης τῆς ἀγορᾶς. Ταῦτα οὕτω γενόμενα ὁρῶντες οἱ κατὰ τὴν ᾿Αλεξάνδρειαν καὶ μάλιστα οἱ φιλοσοφεῖν ἐπαγγελλόμενοι, τὴν λύπην οὐχ ἤνεγκαν " ἀλλὰ τοῖς πάλαι δραματουργηθεῖσι προσέθηκαν μείζονα. Μιᾷ γὰρ ὁρμῇ ἔκ τινος συνθήματος κατὰ τῶν Χριστιανῶν χωρήσαντες, πάντα φόνον εἰργάζοντο, Ἡμύνοντο δὲ οἱ Χριστιανοὶ, καὶ πᾶν ἐπηκολούθει Ἕως τε τοσούτου ἐξετάθη ἡ μάχη, ἕως οὗ κόρος τῶν φόνων τὸ γινόμενον ἔπαυσεν. ᾿Απώλοντο γὰρ ἐν τῇ συμβολῇ, τῶν μὲν Ἑλλήνων ὀλίγοι" τῶν δὲ Χριστιανῶν σφόδρα παλλοί. δὲ τραυματίαι, ἐξ ἐκατέρου μέρους ἦσαν ἀναρίθμητοι. Φόβος ἐκ τῶν γεγονότων εἶχε τοὺς Ἑλληνίζοντας, δεδοικότας τὴν τοῦ βασιλέως ὀργήν. Πράξαντες γὰρ ὁ ἐδόκει αὐτοῖς, καὶ ταῖς μιαιφονίαις τὸν θυμὸν ἀποσβέσαντες, ἄλλος ἀλλαχῆ κατεκρύπτοντο· πολλοὶ δὲ καὶ ἐκ τῆς ᾿Αλεξανδρείας ἔφυγον, κατὰ τὰς πόλεις μεριζόμενοι. Ὧν ἦσαν οἱ δύο γραμματικοὶ, Ἑλλάδιος καὶ ᾿Αμμώνιος, παρ' οἷς ἐγὼ κομιδῇ νέος ὧν ἐν τῇ Κωνσταντίνου πόλει ἐφοίτησα. Ἑλλάδιος μὲν οὖν ἱερεὺς τοῦ Διὸς εἶναι ἐλέγετο · Αμμώνιος δὲ πιθήκου. Οὕτω δὴ τοῦ κακοῦ κατασταλέντος, συνελαμβάνοντο τῷ Θεοφίλῳ πρὸς τὴν κατάλυσιν τῶν ναῶν, ὅ τε τῆς ᾿Αλεξανδρείας ἔπαρχος, καὶ ὁ ἡγούμενος τοῦ στρατιωτικοῦ τάγματος. Τὰ μὲν οὖν ἱερὰ κατεστρέφετο, τὰ δὲ ἀγάλματα τῶν θεῶν μετεχωνεύετο εἰς λεβήτια, καὶ εἰ; ἑτέρας χρείας τῆς ᾿Αλεξανδρέων ἐκκλησίας, τοῦ βασιλέως χαρισαμένου τοὺς θεοὺς εἰς δαπανήματα τῶν πτωχῶν. Πάντας οὖν τοὺς θεοὺς συντρίψας ὁ Θεόφιλος, ἓν ἄγαλμα τοῦδε τοῦ Θεοῦ ἀχώνευτον τηρεῖσθαι κελεύσας, δημοσίᾳ προέστησεν · ἵνα, φησὶ, χρόνου προϊόντος μὴ ἀρνήσωνται οἱ Ἕλληνες τοιούτους προσκεκυνηκέναι θεούς. Ἐπὶ τοῦτο πάνυ ἀνιώμενον οἶδα Αμμώνιον τὸν γραμματικὸν, ὃς ἔλεγε δεινὰ πεπονθέναι τὴν Ἑλλήνων θρησκείαν · ἵνα μὴ καὶ ὁ εἷς ἀνδριὰς ἐχωνεύθη, ἀλλ᾽ ἐπὶ γέλωτι τῆς Ἑλλήνων θρησκείας φυλάττηται. Ἑλλάδιος δὲ παρά τισιν ηὔχει, ὡς ἐννέα εἴη ἄνδρας ἐν τῇ συμπληγάδι φονεύσας. Τὰ μὲν οὖν κατὰ τὴν ᾿Αλεξάνδρειαν τότε τοιαῦτα ἐγένετο.
Kata de ton chronon tonde, kai en tę̄ ᾿Alexandreią toiouto pathos egeneto. Tę̄ tou episkopou Theophilou spoudę̄, basileōs ekeleue prostagma lyesthai tous en ᾿Alexandreią tōn Hellēnōn naous, kai touto ginesthai tę̄ Theophilou phrontidi, Tautēs tēs exousias draxamenos ho Theophilos, pantoios egeneto chathydrisan ta tōn Hellēnōn mystēria " kai anachathairei men to Mithreion. Katastrephei de to Sarapeion kai ta men tou Mithreiou phonicha mystēria, dēmosia epompeue " ta de tou Sarapidos kai tōn allōn, gelōtos edeikny mesta, tous phallous pherestha! keleusas dia mesēs tēs agoras. Tauta houtō genomena horōntes hoi kata tēn ᾿Alexandreian kai malista hoi philosophein epangellomenoi, tēn lypēn ouch ēnenkan " alla tois palai dramatourgētheisi prosethēkan meizona. Mią gar hormę̄ ek tinos synthēmatos kata tōn Christianōn chōrēsantes, panta phonon eirgazonto, Hēmynonto de hoi Christianoi, kai pan epēkolouthei Heōs te tosoutou exetathē hē machē, heōs hou koros tōn phonōn to ginomenon epausen. ᾿Apōlonto gar en tę̄ symbolę̄, tōn men Hellēnōn oligoi" tōn de Christianōn sphodra palloi. de traumatiai, ex ekaterou merous ēsan anarithmētoi. Phobos ek tōn gegonotōn eiche tous Hellēnizontas, dedoikotas tēn tou basileōs orgēn. Praxantes gar ho edokei autois, kai tais miaiphoniais ton thymon aposbesantes, allos allachē katekryptonto; polloi de kai ek tēs ᾿Alexandreias ephygon, kata tas poleis merizomenoi. Hōn ēsan hoi dyo grammatikoi, Helladios kai ᾿Ammōnios, par' hois egō komidę̄ neos hōn en tę̄ Kōnstantinou polei ephoitēsa. Helladios men oun hiereus tou Dios einai elegeto ; Ammōnios de pithēkou. Houtō dē tou kakou katastalentos, synelambanonto tǭ Theophilǭ pros tēn katalysin tōn naōn, ho te tēs ᾿Alexandreias eparchos, kai ho hēgoumenos tou stratiōtikou tagmatos. Ta men oun hiera katestrepheto, ta de agalmata tōn theōn metechōneueto eis lebētia, kai ei? heteras chreias tēs ᾿Alexandreōn ekklēsias, tou basileōs charisamenou tous theous eis dapanēmata tōn ptōchōn. Pantas oun tous theous syntripsas ho Theophilos, hen agalma toude tou Theou achōneuton tēreisthai keleusas, dēmosią proestēsen ; hina, phēsi, chronou proïontos mē arnēsōntai hoi Hellēnes toioutous proskekynēkenai theous. Epi touto pany aniōmenon oida Ammōnion ton grammatikon, hos elege deina peponthenai tēn Hellēnōn thrēskeian ; hina mē kai ho heis andrias echōneuthē, all᾽ epi gelōti tēs Hellēnōn thrēskeias phylattētai. Helladios de para tisin ēuchei, hōs ennea eiē andras en tę̄ symplēgadi phoneusas. Ta men oun kata tēn ᾿Alexandreian tote toiauta egeneto.
At this time a calamity of the following kind also took place in Alexandria. At the urging of the bishop Theophilus, an order of the emperor commanded that the temples of the pagans in Alexandria be destroyed, and that this be done under Theophilus's direction. Seizing this authority, Theophilus did everything to expose the pagan mysteries to contempt. He cleared out the Mithraeum and overthrew the Serapeum; the bloody mysteries of the Mithraeum he paraded in public, and those of Serapis and the others he showed to be full of absurdity, ordering the phalluses to be carried through the middle of the market-place. When the people of Alexandria, and especially those who professed philosophy, saw this, they could not bear their grief, but added greater things to the tragedies of old. With one impulse, by some signal, they rushed upon the Christians and committed every kind of murder. The Christians defended themselves, and evil followed upon evil. The fighting went on until satiety of slaughter put an end to it. In the clash few of the pagans perished, but very many of the Christians; the wounded on both sides were countless. Fear of the consequences seized the pagans, who dreaded the emperor's anger. Having done what they pleased and quenched their rage with bloodshed, they hid themselves, one here, one there; many also fled from Alexandria and scattered among the cities. Among them were the two grammarians Helladius and Ammonius, whose lectures I attended in Constantinople when I was very young. Helladius was said to be a priest of Zeus, and Ammonius of the ape. When the trouble had thus been quelled, the prefect of Alexandria and the commander of the troops assisted Theophilus in demolishing the temples. The shrines were overthrown, and the statues of the gods were melted down into pots and other utensils for the church of the Alexandrians, the emperor having granted the gods for the expenses of the poor. Having smashed all the gods, Theophilus ordered one statue of a certain god to be kept unmelted and set it up in public, so that, he said, in time to come the pagans might not deny that they had worshipped such gods. I know that Ammonius the grammarian was very grieved at this, and said that the pagan religion had suffered a terrible thing in that this one statue had not been melted down but was kept to make a laughing-stock of the pagan religion. Helladius boasted to some that in the clash he had killed nine men. Such were the events at Alexandria at that time.
Notes and citation
Summary: Theophilus, with the emperor's order, destroys the temples of Alexandria; pagans attack the Christians, and the statues of the gods are melted down.
- Socrates reports the riot at the destruction of the Serapeum (391); he personally knew the pagan grammarians Helladius and Ammonius.
- 'The ape' refers to an Egyptian god represented as a baboon (Thoth).
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR slip and stray letter): πόνδε ν, → τόνδε,.
Topics: Persecution
Cite (SBL): Socrates, Hist. eccl. 5.16 (PG 67:603–605; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/socrates-historia/5-16). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/socrates-historia/5-16
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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.
5.17PG 67:607–609
τῷ Χριστιανισμῷ προσελθόντες, τὰ ἱερογλυφικά τε Ἐν δὲ τῷ ναῷ τοῦ Σαράπιδος λουομένου καὶ γυμνουμένου, ηὕρητο γράμματα ἐγκεχαραγμένα τοῖς λίθοις, τῷ καλουμένῳ ἱερογλυφικῷ. Ἧσαν δὲ οἱ χαρακτῆρες, σταυρῶν ἔχοντες τύπους. Τούτους ὁρῶντες Χριστιανοί τε καὶ Ἕλληνες, τῇ ἰδίᾳ ἑκάτεροι θρησκείᾳ προσηρμόζοντο. Χριστιανοὶ μὲν γὰρ, σημεῖον τοῦ κατὰ Χριστὸν σωτηριώδους πάθους εἶναι λέγοντες τὸν σταυρὸν, οἰκεῖον εἶναι τὸν χαρακτῆρα ἐνόμιζον· Ἕλληνες δὲ τί κοινὸν Χριστῷ καὶ Σαράπιδι ἔλεγον· εἰ ὁ σταυροειδής χαρακτήρ, ἄλλο μὲν Χριστιανοῖς, ἄλλο δὲ Ἕλλησι ποιεῖται τὸ σύμβολον. Τούτων δὲ ἀμφισβητουμένων, τινὲς τῶν Ἑλλήνων γράμματα ἐπιστάμενοι, διερμηνεύοντες τὸν σταυροειδή χαρακτῆρα, ἔλεγον σημαίνειν ζωὴν ἐπερχομένην. Τοῦτο πλεῖον οἱ Χριστιανοὶ εἰς τὴν οἰκείαν θρη σκείαν ἁρπάσαντες, ἀλαζονικώτερον διετέθησαν. Ὡς δὲ καὶ δι᾽ ἑτέρων γραμμάτων ἱερογλυφικῶν ἐδηλοῦτο, τέλος ἕξειν τὸ τοῦ Σαράπιδος ἱερὸν, ὅτε σταυροειδής φανῇ χαρακτήρ, τοῦτο γὰρ εἶναι τὴν ἐπερχομένην ζωήν, πολλῷ πλείους προσήρχοντο τῷ Χριστιανισμῷ. Καὶ τὰς ἁμαρτίας ἐξομολογούμενοι, ἐβαπτίζοντο. Τὰ μὲν οὖν ἐπὶ τῷ σταυροειδεῖ χαρακτῆρι γενόμενα, τοιαῦτα ἀκήκοα. Ἐγὼ δὲ οὐ φημι τοὺς Αἰγυπτίων ἱερεῖς, τὰ περὶ τοῦ Χριστοῦ προγινώσκοντας, ἀποτυπῶσαι τὸ σταυροειδὲς γράμμα. Εἰ γὰρ τὸ περὶ τῆς εἰς τὸν κόσμον καθόδου μυστήριον ἦν ἀποκεκρυμμένον ἀπὸ τῶν αἰώνων καὶ ἀπὸ τῶν γενεῶν, ὡς φησιν ὁ Ἀπόστολος, καὶ ἕλαθε τὸν ἄρχοντα τῆς πονηρίας διάβολον, πολλῷ μᾶλλον τοὺς ὑπηρέτας αὐτοῦ ἱερεῖς Αἰγυπτίων τοῦτο διέφυγεν. ᾿Αλλ᾿ ἡ Πρόνοια παρεσκεύασε τοῦτο γενέσθαι, ἐπὶ τῇ τοῦ γράμματος ζητήσει, ὅπερ καὶ ἐν τῷ ᾿Αποστόλῳ Παύλῳ ἐπέδειξε πρότερον. Καὶ γὰρ ἐκεῖνος ὑπὸ τοῦ Θεοῦ Πνεύματος σοφὸς γεγονὼς, τῇ ὁμοίᾳ μεθόδῳ πρὸς ᾿Αθηναίους χρησάμενος, πολλοὺς εἰς τὴν πίστιν προσἡγαγεν, ὅτε τὰ ἐπὶ τῷ βωμῷ γεγραμμένα ἀναγνοὺς, τῷ ἰδίῳ λόγῳ προσήρμοσεν. Εἰ μὴ ἄρα τις λέγοι, ἐνηργηκέναι τὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ Λόγον εἰς τοὺς Αἰγυπτίων ἱερεῖς, ὥσπερ ἐπὶ τοῦ Βαλαὰμ, καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ Καϊάφα. Καὶ γὰρ ἐκεῖνοι ἄκοντες περὶ τῶν ἀγαθῶν προεφήτευσαν. Τοσαῦτα μὲν περὶ τούτων εἰρήσθω.
tǭ Christianismǭ proselthontes, ta hieroglyphika te En de tǭ naǭ tou Sarapidos louomenou kai gymnoumenou, hēurēto grammata enkecharagmena tois lithois, tǭ kaloumenǭ hieroglyphikǭ. Hēsan de hoi charaktēres, staurōn echontes typous. Toutous horōntes Christianoi te kai Hellēnes, tę̄ idią hekateroi thrēskeią prosērmozonto. Christianoi men gar, sēmeion tou kata Christon sōtēriōdous pathous einai legontes ton stauron, oikeion einai ton charaktēra enomizon; Hellēnes de ti koinon Christǭ kai Sarapidi elegon; ei ho stauroeidēs charaktēr, allo men Christianois, allo de Hellēsi poieitai to symbolon. Toutōn de amphisbētoumenōn, tines tōn Hellēnōn grammata epistamenoi, diermēneuontes ton stauroeidē charaktēra, elegon sēmainein zōēn eperchomenēn. Touto pleion hoi Christianoi eis tēn oikeian thrē skeian harpasantes, alazonikōteron dietethēsan. Hōs de kai di᾽ heterōn grammatōn hieroglyphikōn edēlouto, telos hexein to tou Sarapidos hieron, hote stauroeidēs phanę̄ charaktēr, touto gar einai tēn eperchomenēn zōēn, pollǭ pleious prosērchonto tǭ Christianismǭ. Kai tas hamartias exomologoumenoi, ebaptizonto. Ta men oun epi tǭ stauroeidei charaktēri genomena, toiauta akēkoa. Egō de ou phēmi tous Aigyptiōn hiereis, ta peri tou Christou proginōskontas, apotypōsai to stauroeides gramma. Ei gar to peri tēs eis ton kosmon kathodou mystērion ēn apokekrymmenon apo tōn aiōnōn kai apo tōn geneōn, hōs phēsin ho Apostolos, kai helathe ton archonta tēs ponērias diabolon, pollǭ mallon tous hypēretas autou hiereis Aigyptiōn touto diephygen. ᾿All᾿ hē Pronoia pareskeuase touto genesthai, epi tę̄ tou grammatos zētēsei, hoper kai en tǭ ᾿Apostolǭ Paulǭ epedeixe proteron. Kai gar ekeinos hypo tou Theou Pneumatos sophos gegonōs, tę̄ homoią methodǭ pros ᾿Athēnaious chrēsamenos, pollous eis tēn pistin prosēgagen, hote ta epi tǭ bōmǭ gegrammena anagnous, tǭ idiǭ logǭ prosērmosen. Ei mē ara tis legoi, enērgēkenai ton tou Theou Logon eis tous Aigyptiōn hiereis, hōsper epi tou Balaam, kai epi tou Kaïapha. Kai gar ekeinoi akontes peri tōn agathōn proephēteusan. Tosauta men peri toutōn eirēsthō.
When the temple of Serapis was being torn down and laid bare, letters were found carved on the stones, of the kind called hieroglyphic. Among the characters were some having the shape of crosses. Seeing these, Christians and pagans alike each applied them to their own religion. The Christians, saying that the cross is the sign of Christ's saving passion, thought the character was their own; the pagans said that it was something common to Christ and Serapis, since the cross-shaped character means one thing to Christians and another to pagans as a symbol. While this was being disputed, some pagans who had come over to Christianity and knew the hieroglyphic letters interpreted the cross-shaped character and said that it meant 'life to come'. The Christians seized on this all the more for their own religion and became the more boastful. And when it was shown by other hieroglyphic letters that the temple of Serapis would come to an end when the cross-shaped character appeared, for this was the 'life to come', many more came over to Christianity, and, confessing their sins, were baptized. Such is what I have heard about the cross-shaped character. But I do not say that the priests of the Egyptians, knowing beforehand what concerned Christ, engraved the cross-shaped letter. For if the mystery of his coming down into the world was hidden from the ages and from the generations, as the Apostle says, and escaped the notice of the devil, the ruler of wickedness, much more did it escape his servants, the priests of the Egyptians. But Providence arranged that this should happen at the inquiry into the letter, as it showed earlier in the case of the apostle Paul too. For he, made wise by the Spirit of God, used a similar method with the Athenians and brought many to the faith, when he read what was written on the altar and fitted it to his own discourse. Unless perhaps someone should say that the Word of God worked in the priests of the Egyptians, as in the case of Balaam and of Caiaphas; for they too prophesied good things against their will. So much on these matters.
Col 1:26 (quotation, high confidence) · 1 Cor 2:8 (allusion, medium confidence) · Acts 17:23 (allusion, high confidence) · Num 23:7–24:24 (allusion, medium confidence) · John 11:49–52 (allusion, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Cross-shaped hieroglyphs found in the Serapeum, read by pagans as meaning 'life to come', lead many to baptism; Socrates explains it as Providence, not foreknowledge by Egyptian priests.
- In the scan text the words 'came over to Christianity, the hieroglyphic ...' stand at the very beginning of the chapter, displaced from the sentence about the pagans who interpreted the sign; they are translated there.
- The cross-shaped sign is the Egyptian ankh, the hieroglyph for 'life'.
- 'Hidden from the ages and from the generations' is Col 1:26; that the mystery escaped the devil echoes 1 Cor 2:8. Paul at the altar in Athens: Acts 17:23. Balaam: Num 23–24; Caiaphas: John 11:49–52.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (stray letter): τύπους ε. → τύπους..
Topics: Baptism
Cite (SBL): Socrates, Hist. eccl. 5.17 (PG 67:607–609; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/socrates-historia/5-17). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/socrates-historia/5-17
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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.
5.18PG 67:609–613
Ὁ δὲ βασιλεὺς Θεοδόσιος ἐπ' ὀλίγον κατὰ τὴν Ἰταλίαν διατρίψας, μέγιστα τὴν Ῥωμαίων ὤνησε πόλιν· τὰ μὲν τῷ δοῦναι, τὰ δὲ τῷ περιελεῖν. Καὶ γὰρ πολλὰ ἐφιλοτιμήσατο· καὶ περιεῖλε διττὴν αἰσχύνὴν τῆς πόλεως· μίαν μὲν τήνδε. Ἡσαν ἐξ ἀρχαίου κατὰ τὴν μεγίστην Ῥώμην οἶκοι παμμεγέθεις, ἐν οἷς ὁ τῇ πόλει χορηγούμενος ἄρτος ἐγίνετο. Οἱ τε προϊστάμενοι τούτων, οἳ μάγκιπες τῇ Ῥωμαίων γλώσσῃ καλοῦνται, προϊόντος τοῦ χρόνου λῃστήρια τοὺς οἴκους πεποίηνται. Ὡς γὰρ ἦσαν οἱ τῶν οἴκων μυλῶνες κατὰ βάθους τὴν θέσιν ἔχοντες, κατὰ τὸ πλευρὸν ἑκάστου οἰκήματος καπηλεία κατασκευάσαντες, πόρνας τε ἐν αὐτοῖς προστησάμενοι, δι' αὐτῶν ἐλοχῶντο πολλούς· τοὺς μὲν τῇ χρείᾳ τῆς τροφῆς εἰσιόντας, τοὺς δὲ καὶ δι᾿ ἀκρασίαν αἰσχρᾶς ἡδονῆς. Ἐκ γάρ τινος μηχανῆς, ἐκ τοῦ καπηλείου εἰς τὸν μυλῶνα ἐνέπιπτον. Καὶ τοῦτο ἔπασχον μάλιστα οἱ ξένοι τῇ Ῥώμῃ ἐπιδημοῦντες. Ἡναγκάζοντό τε οἱ ἁλόντες, ἐν τοῖς μυλῶσιν ἐργάζεσθαι. Πολλοί τε κατεγήρασαν ἐν αὐτοῖς, μὴ συγχωρηθέντες ὑπεξελθεῖν, τοῖς τε οἰκείοις ἑαυτῶν τοῦ τεθνηκέναι δόξαν παρεσχηκότες. Ἐν τῇ παγίδι ταύτῃ τῶν στρατιωτῶν τις τοῦ βασιλέως Θεοδοσίου ἐνέπεσεν. Ἐπεὶ δὲ ὁ στρατιώτης κατάκλειστος τῷ μυλῶνι γενόμενος ἐξελθεῖν οὐκ ἠφίετο, σπασάμενος ἣν εἶχε παραξιφίδα, τοὺς κωλύοντας διεχρήσατο. Οἱ δὲ φόβῳ τῶν γινομένων, τὸν στρατιώτην ἀπέλυσαν. Γνοὺς ταῦτα ὁ βασιλεὺς, τοὺς μάγκηπας μὲν ἐτιμωρήσατο· τοὺς δὲ λῃστοδόχους οἴκους ἐκείνους καταστραφῆναι ἐκέλευσε. Μίαν μὲν δὴ τοιαύτην αἰσχύνην ὁ βασιλεὺς περιείλε τῆς βασιλευούσης πόλεως· ἑτέραν δὲ τοιαύτην. Εἰ ἥλω ἐπὶ μοιχείᾳ γυνὴ, οὐ διορθώσει, ἀλλὰ προσθήκῃ τῆς ἁμαρτίας ἐτιμωροῦντο τὴν πταίσασαν. Ἐν γὰρ πορνείῳ στενῷ κατάκλειστον ποιήσαντες, ἀναιδῶς ἐποίουν πορνεύεσθαι. Κώδωνάς τε σείεσθαι κατὰ τὸν καιρὸν τῆς ἀκαθάρτου πράξεως ἐποίουν, ὅπως ἂν μὴ λανθάνῃ τοὺς παρόντας τὸ γινόμενον· ἀλλ᾽ ἐκ τοῦ ἤχου τῶν σειομένων κωδώνων, ἡ ἐφύβριστος τιμωρία τοῖς πᾶσιν ἐγνωρίζετο. Ταῦτα οὐκ ἤνεγκεν ὁ βασιλεὺς, πυθόμενος τὴν ἀναιδῆ συνήθειαν· ἀλλὰ κατέλυσε τὰ σεῖστρα, οὕτω γὰρ ὠνομάζετο τὰ καιαῦτα πορνεῖα· τοῖς ἄλλοις ὑποπίπτειν νόμοις τὰς ἁλούσας ἐπὶ μοιχείᾳ κελεύσας. Τοιούτων μὲν δὴ φαυλοτάτων καὶ ἐφυβρίστων δύο πραγμάτων, ὁ βασιλεὺς Θεοδόσιος τὴν Ῥωμαίων πόλιν ἐλευθέραν πεποίηκε. Καταστησάμενος δὲ καλῶς καὶ τὰ ἄλλα πράγματα, καταλείπει μὲν ἐν τῇ Ῥώμῃ Οὐαλεντινιανὸν βασιλεύοντα. Αὐτὸς δὲ ἅμα τῷ υἱῷ Ὁνωρίῳ ἐπὶ τὴν Κωνσταντινούπολιν ἐπορεύθη, εἰς αὐτης τε εἰσέρχεται ἐν ὑπατείᾳ Τατιανοῦ καὶ Συμμάχου, τῇ δεκάτῃ τοῦ Νοεμβρίου μηνός.
Ho de basileus Theodosios ep' oligon kata tēn Italian diatripsas, megista tēn Rhōmaiōn ōnēse polin; ta men tǭ dounai, ta de tǭ perielein. Kai gar polla ephilotimēsato; kai perieile dittēn aischynēn tēs poleōs; mian men tēnde. Hēsan ex archaiou kata tēn megistēn Rhōmēn oikoi pammegetheis, en hois ho tę̄ polei chorēgoumenos artos egineto. Hoi te proïstamenoi toutōn, hoi mankipes tę̄ Rhōmaiōn glōssę̄ kalountai, proïontos tou chronou lę̄stēria tous oikous pepoiēntai. Hōs gar ēsan hoi tōn oikōn mylōnes kata bathous tēn thesin echontes, kata to pleuron hekastou oikēmatos kapēleia kataskeuasantes, pornas te en autois prostēsamenoi, di' autōn elochōnto pollous; tous men tę̄ chreią tēs trophēs eisiontas, tous de kai di᾿ akrasian aischras hēdonēs. Ek gar tinos mēchanēs, ek tou kapēleiou eis ton mylōna enepipton. Kai touto epaschon malista hoi xenoi tę̄ Rhōmę̄ epidēmountes. Hēnankazonto te hoi halontes, en tois mylōsin ergazesthai. Polloi te kategērasan en autois, mē synchōrēthentes hypexelthein, tois te oikeiois heautōn tou tethnēkenai doxan pareschēkotes. En tę̄ pagidi tautę̄ tōn stratiōtōn tis tou basileōs Theodosiou enepesen. Epei de ho stratiōtēs katakleistos tǭ mylōni genomenos exelthein ouk ēphieto, spasamenos hēn eiche paraxiphida, tous kōlyontas diechrēsato. Hoi de phobǭ tōn ginomenōn, ton stratiōtēn apelysan. Gnous tauta ho basileus, tous mankēpas men etimōrēsato; tous de lę̄stodochous oikous ekeinous katastraphēnai ekeleuse. Mian men dē toiautēn aischynēn ho basileus perieile tēs basileuousēs poleōs; heteran de toiautēn. Ei hēlō epi moicheią gynē, ou diorthōsei, alla prosthēkę̄ tēs hamartias etimōrounto tēn ptaisasan. En gar porneiǭ stenǭ katakleiston poiēsantes, anaidōs epoioun porneuesthai. Kōdōnas te seiesthai kata ton kairon tēs akathartou praxeōs epoioun, hopōs an mē lanthanę̄ tous parontas to ginomenon; all᾽ ek tou ēchou tōn seiomenōn kōdōnōn, hē ephybristos timōria tois pasin egnōrizeto. Tauta ouk ēnenken ho basileus, pythomenos tēn anaidē synētheian; alla katelyse ta seistra, houtō gar ōnomazeto ta kaiauta porneia; tois allois hypopiptein nomois tas halousas epi moicheią keleusas. Toioutōn men dē phaulotatōn kai ephybristōn dyo pragmatōn, ho basileus Theodosios tēn Rhōmaiōn polin eleutheran pepoiēke. Katastēsamenos de kalōs kai ta alla pragmata, kataleipei men en tę̄ Rhōmę̄ Oualentinianon basileuonta. Autos de hama tǭ huiǭ Honōriǭ epi tēn Kōnstantinoupolin eporeuthē, eis autēs te eiserchetai en hypateią Tatianou kai Symmachou, tę̄ dekatę̄ tou Noembriou mēnos.
The emperor Theodosius, staying a short time in Italy, did very great good to the city of Rome, partly by giving, partly by taking away. He made many gifts, and he removed two disgraces of the city. One was this. There were from ancient times in great Rome very large buildings in which the bread supplied to the city was made. Their managers, who are called mancipes in the Latin language, had in the course of time made the buildings into dens of robbers. Since the mills of the buildings were set below ground level, they built taverns along the side of each building and placed prostitutes in them, and through them they ambushed many, both those who came in for need of food and those who came through incontinence in shameful pleasure; for by some contrivance they dropped from the tavern into the mill. This happened above all to strangers visiting Rome. Those who were caught were forced to work in the mills, and many grew old in them, not being allowed to get out, while their relatives thought they had died. One of the emperor Theodosius's soldiers fell into this trap. When the soldier, shut up in the mill, was not allowed to leave, he drew the dagger he had and killed those who were stopping him; and they, in fear at what was happening, let the soldier go. When the emperor learned this, he punished the mancipes and ordered those robbers' dens to be demolished. This was one such disgrace that the emperor removed from the imperial city; the other was this. If a woman was caught in adultery, they punished the woman who had fallen not by correcting her but by adding to her sin. They shut her up in a narrow brothel and made her prostitute herself shamelessly; and they had bells rung at the time of the unclean act, so that what was being done might not escape those present, but by the sound of the ringing bells the outrageous punishment might be made known to all. The emperor would not bear this when he learned of the shameless custom, but abolished the Sistra, for so such brothels were called, and ordered that women caught in adultery should be subject to the other laws. From two such very base and outrageous practices the emperor Theodosius freed the city of the Romans. Having settled other affairs well too, he left Valentinian reigning in Rome, and he himself went with his son Honorius to Constantinople, and entered it in the consulship of Tatian and Symmachus, on the tenth of November.
Notes and citation
Summary: At Rome Theodosius abolishes the bakeries where strangers were trapped into forced labour and the punishment of adulteresses by forced prostitution.
- The consulship of Tatian and Symmachus is 391.
- Socrates' account of the punishment of adulteresses at Rome is the only source for it.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (stray letter): ἐπορεύθη δ, → ἐπορεύθη,.
Cite (SBL): Socrates, Hist. eccl. 5.18 (PG 67:609–613; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/socrates-historia/5-18). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/socrates-historia/5-18
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-socrates-historia-5-18) · 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.