Church History 6.7–6.16 (Church History)

Socrates Scholasticus

Church History 6.7–6.16

Socrates Scholasticus · Church History · ca. 439-443 · Constantinople · 10 passages

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).

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Chapter 6

6.7PG 67:683–687

ὧν μικρὸν ἔμπροσθεν ζήτησις κινηθεῖσα, πότερον ὁ Θεὸς σῶμά ἐστι, καὶ ἀνθρώπου ἔχει σχῆμα, ἢ ἀσώματός ἐστιν, καὶ ἀπήλλακται ἀνθρωπίνου τε καὶ παντὸς, ἁπλῶς εἰπεῖν, σωματικοῦ σχήματος. Ἐκ δὲ τούτου τοῦ ζητήματος ἔριδες καὶ φιλονεικίαι παρὰ τοῖς πολλοῖς ἐγίνοντο· τῶν μὲν τούτῳ προστιθεμένων τῷ λόγῳ, τῶν δὲ τῷ ἑτέρῳ συνηγορούντων. Καὶ μάλιστα μὲν πολλοὶ τῶν ἁπλοϊκῶν ἀσκητῶν σωματικὸν καὶ ἀνθρωπόμορφον τὸν Θεὸν εἶναι ἐβούλοντο. Πλεῖστοι δὲ τούτων καταγινώσκοντες, ἀσώματον εἶναι τὸν Θεὸν ἔλεγον, καὶ πάσης ἐκτὸς εἶναι σωματικῆς μορφῆς ἀπεφήναντο. Οἷς καὶ Θεόφιλος συνεφώνει ὁ τῆς ᾿Αλεξανδρείας ἐπίσκοπος, ὡς καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς ἐκκλησίας ἐπὶ τοῦ λαοῦ καταδραμεῖν μὲν τῶν ἀνθρωπόμορφον λεγόντων τὸ Θεῖον, ἀσώματον δὲ αὐτὸν δογματίσαι. Ταῦτα μαθόντες οἱ Αἰγυπτίων ἀσκηταὶ, καταλιπόντες τὰ μοναστήρια, ἐπὶ τὴν ᾿Αλεξάνδρειαν ἔρχονται · καὶ κατεστασίαζον τοῦ Θεοφίλου, κρίναντες ως ἀσεβοῦντα, καὶ ἀνελεῖν βουλόμενοι. Τοῦτο γνοὺς ὁ Θεόφιλος, εἰς ἀγῶνα καθίσταται, καὶ ἐπενόει τέχνην, ὅπως ἂν διαφύγῃ τὸν ἀπειλούμενον θάνατον. Καὶ ὀφθεὶς αὐτοῖς, κολακείᾳ μετῆλθε τοὺς ἄνδρας, οὕτως εἰπὼν πρὸς αὐτούς· Οὕτως ὑμᾶς εἶδον, ὡς Θεοῦ πρόσωπον. Τοῦτο λεχθὲν ἐχαύνωσε τοὺς μοναχοὺς τῆς ὁρμῆς. Ἀλλ᾽ εἰ ἀληθεύεις, ἔφασαν, ὅτι τὸ τοῦ Θεοῦ πρόσωπόν ἐστιν ὡς καὶ τὸ ἡμέτερον, ἀναθεμάτισον τὰ Ὠριγένους βιβλία. Ἐξ αὐτῶν γάρ τινες διαλεγόμενοι ἐναντιοῦνται τῇ δόξῃ ἡμῶν. Εἰ δὲ μὴ τοῦτο ποιήσεις, τὰ τῶν ἀσεβούντων καὶ θεομάχων ἐκδέχου παρ' ἡμῶν. Ἀλλ᾿ ἐγὼ, ἔφη Θεόφιλος, ποιήσω τὰ δεδογμένα ὑμῖν, καὶ μὴ χαλεπαίνετε πρὸς μέ· καὶ γὰρ ἐγὼ ἀπεχθῶς ἔχω πρὸς τὰ Ὠριγένους βιβλία, καὶ μέμφομαι τοὺς δεχομένους αὐτά. Οὕτω μὲν οὖν τότε τοὺς μοναχούς ἀποκρουσάμενος, ἀπεπέμψατο. Καὶ ἴσως δ' ἂν ἡ περὶ τούτου ζήτησις ἄχρι τούτου προελθοῦσα, ἐπαύ. σατο, εἰ μὴ ἐπισυνήφθη τούτῳ ἕτερον πρᾶγμα τοιόνδέ τι· Τῶν ἐν Αἰγύπτῳ ἀσκητηρίων προεστήκεισαν τέσσαρες ἄνδρες εὐλαβεῖς, Διόσκορος, Αμμώνιος, Εὐσέβιος, Εὐθύμιος · οὗτοι αὐτάδελφοι μὲν ἦσαν, οἱ Μακροὶ δὲ ἐκ τοῦ σώματος ὠνομάζοντο. Ἦσαν δὲ καὶ βίῳ καὶ λόγῳ ἐκπρέποντες· καὶ διατοῦτο πολὺς ἦν ἐν τῇ ᾿Αλεξανδρείᾳ περὶ αὐτῶν λόγος. Θεόφιλός τε ὁ ᾿Αλεξανδρείας ἐπίσκοπος πάνυ ἠγάπα καὶ ἐτίμα τοὺς ἄνδρας. Διὸ καὶ ἕνα μὲν αὐτῶν, τὸν Διόσκορον, ἐπίσκοπον καθιστᾷ Ἑρμουπόλεως, βίᾳ ἑλκύσας. Δύο δὲ ἐξ αὐτῶν παρεκάλεσε συνεῖναι αὐτῷ, καὶ μόλις μὲν ἔπεισεν· ὡς ἐπίσκοπος δὲ ὅμως καὶ προσηνάγκασεν, καὶ τῇ τῶν κληρικῶν ἀξίᾳ τιμήσας, τὴν οἰκονομίαν τῆς Ἐκκλησίας αὐτοῖς ἐνεχείρισεν. Οἱ δὲ τῇ ἀνάγκῃ μὲν ἔμενον, καλῶς τῇ οἰκονομίᾳ προσέχοντες. Ἠνιῶντο δὲ ὅμως, ὅτι μὴ ἐφιλοσόφουν ὡς ἤθελον, τῇ ἀσκήσει προσκείμενοι. Ἐπεὶ δὲ, προϊόντος τοῦ χρόνου, καὶ προσβλάπτεσθαι τὴν ψυχὴν ἐνόμιζον, ὁρῶντες τὸν ἐπίσκοπον χρηματιστικόν τε μετερχόμενον βίον, καὶ πολλὴν σπουδὴν περὶ χρημάτων κτῆσιν νον, καὶ διὰ ταῦτα, τὸ δὴ λεγόμενον, πάντα λίθον" κινοῦντα, παρῃτοῦντό τε συνεῖναι αὐτῷ, τὴν ἐρημίαν ἀγαπᾶν εἰπόντες, καὶ ταύτην προτιμᾶν τῆς ἐν ἄστει διαγωγῆς. Ὁ δὲ, ἕως μὲν μὴ ἐγίνωσκε τὴν ἀληθῆ πρόφασιν, παρεκάλει προσμένειν. Ἐπεὶ δὲ ἔγνω καταγινωσκόμενος ὑπ᾿ αὐτῶν, ὀργῆς ὑποπίμπλαται, καὶ πᾶν αὐτοῖς κακὸν ἠπείλει ποιεῖν. Τῶν δὲ μικρὰ φροντισάντων τῆς ἀπειλῆς, καὶ εἰς τὴν ἔρημον χωρησάντων, θερμός τις, ὡς ἔοικεν, ὁ Θεόφιλος ὢν, οὐ μικρὰν ἐποιεῖτο τὴν κίνησιν κατ᾿ αὐτῶν· ἀλλὰ σκευωρεῖσθαι πάσαις μηχαναῖς τοὺς ἄνδρας ἐσπούδαζεν. Ἐμίσει δὲ εὐθὺς καὶ τὸν αὐτῶν ἀδελφὸν Διόσκορον, τὸν τῆς Ἑρμουπόλεως ἐπίσκοπον. Ελύπει δὲ αὐτὸν ἱκανῶς, τὸ προσκεῖσθαι αὐτῷ τοὺς ἀσκητὰς, καὶ περὶ αὐτὸν σέβας ἔχειν πολύ. Ἐγίνωσκέ τε ὡς οὐδενὶ τρόπῳ βλάψει τοὺς ἄνδρας, εἰ μὴ τοὺς μοναχοὺς ἐκπολεμώσει αὐτοῖς. Μεθόδῳ οὖν χρῆται τοιαύτῃ· Εὖ ἡπίστατο τοὺς ἄνδρας πολλάκις ἅμα αὐτῷ περὶ Θεοῦ λόγους κεκινηκότας, ὡς εἴη ὁ Θεὸς ἀσώματος, καὶ οὐδαμῶς ἀνθρωπόμορφος· ἀκολουθεῖ γὰρ ἐξανάγκης τῷ ἀνθρωπομόρφῳ τὸ ἀνθρωποπαθές· καὶ τοῦτο γεγύμνασται παρά τε τῶν παλαιοτέρων, καὶ μάλιστα παρὰ Ὠριγένους. Οὕτως ἔχων καὶ φρονῶν περὶ Θεοῦ ὁ Θεόφιλος, διὰ τὸ ἀμύνασθαι τοὺς ἐχθροὺς, ἀντιστρέφων τὰ καλῶς αὐτοῖς δεδογμένα οὐκ ὤκνησεν· ἀλλὰ συναρπάζει τοὺς πλείστους τῶν μοναχῶν, ἀνθρώπους ἀκεραίους μὲν, ἰδιώτας δὲ τῷ λόγῳ, τοὺς πολλοὺς δὲ ἀγραμμάτους ὄντας. Καὶ διαπέμπε ται τοῖς ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ ἀσκητηρίοις, μὴ δεῖν πείθεσθαι Διοσκόρῳ, μήτε τοῖς ἀδελφοῖς αὐτοῦ, λέγουσιν ἀσώματον τὸν Θεόν. Ὁ γὰρ Θεὸς, φησὶν, κατὰ τὴν θείαν Γραφήν, καὶ ὀφθαλμοὺς ἔχει καὶ ὦτα, καὶ χεῖρας καὶ πόδας, καθὰ καὶ οἱ ἄνθρωποι. Οἱ δὲ περὶ Διόσκορον, Ωριγένει ἀκολουθοῦντες, βλάσφημον δόγμα εἰσάγουσιν, ὡς ἄρα ὁ Θεὸς οὔτε ὀφθαλμοὺς, οὔτε ὦτα, οὔτε πόδας, οὔτε χεῖρας ἔχει. Τούτῳ τῷ σοφίσματι συναρπάζει τοὺς πλείστους τῶν μοναχῶν· καὶ γίνεται διάπυρος στάσις ἐν αὐτοῖς. Ὅσοι μὲν οὖν γεγυμνασμένον εἶχον τὸν νοῦν, οὐ συνηρπάγησαν ὑπὸ τοῦ σοφίσματος· ἀλλὰ καὶ τοῖς περὶ Διόσκορον καὶ Ὠριγένην ἐπείθοντο. Οἱ δὲ ἁπλούστεροι, πλείους τε ὄντες, καὶ ζῆλον ἔχοντες θερμὸν, κατὰ τῶν ἀδελνοὺς ὕμνους εὐχὰς, ἐξ αἰτίας τοιᾶσδε· φῶν εὐθέως ἐχώρουν. ὧν οὖν διαίρεσις ἐν αὐτοῖς, καὶ ἀλλήλους ὡς ἀσεβοῦντας διέσυρον. Καὶ οἱ μὲν Θεοφίλῳ προσέχοντες Ὠριγενιαστὰς καὶ ἀσεβεῖς ἐκάλουν τοὺς ἀδελφούς· οἱ δὲ ἕτεροι Ανθρωπομορφιανοὺς τοὺς ὑπὸ Θεοφίλου ἀναπεισθέντας ὠνόμαζον. Ἐκ τούτου παρατριβὴ γίνεται οὐ μικρὰ, καὶ ἦν μεταξὺ τῶν μοναχῶν πόλεμος ἄσπονδος. Θεόφιλος δὲ ὡς ἔγνω προβάντα τὸν σκοπὸν, ἅμα πλήθει καταλαβὼν τὴν Νιτρίαν, ἔνθα εἰσὶ τὰ ἀσκητήρια, ἐξοπλίζει τοὺς μοναχούς κατά τε Διοσκόρου καὶ τῶν αὐτοῦ ἀδελφῶν. Οἱ δὲ κινδυνεύσαντες ἀπολέσθαι, μόλις διέφυγον. Ταῦτα κατὰ τὴν Αἴγυπτον γινόμενα ὁ Κωνσταντίνου πόλεως ἐπίσκοπος Ἰωάννης τέως ήγνόει ταῖς διδασκαλίαις τε ἤνθει, καὶ διαβόητος ἐπὶ ταύταις ἦν. Ηὔξησε δὲ πρῶτος καὶ τὰς περὶ τοὺς νυκτερι-

hōn mikron emprosthen zētēsis kinētheisa, poteron ho Theos sōma esti, kai anthrōpou echei schēma, ē asōmatos estin, kai apēllaktai anthrōpinou te kai pantos, haplōs eipein, sōmatikou schēmatos. Ek de toutou tou zētēmatos erides kai philoneikiai para tois pollois eginonto; tōn men toutǭ prostithemenōn tǭ logǭ, tōn de tǭ heterǭ synēgorountōn. Kai malista men polloi tōn haploïkōn askētōn sōmatikon kai anthrōpomorphon ton Theon einai eboulonto. Pleistoi de toutōn kataginōskontes, asōmaton einai ton Theon elegon, kai pasēs ektos einai sōmatikēs morphēs apephēnanto. Hois kai Theophilos synephōnei ho tēs ᾿Alexandreias episkopos, hōs kai epi tēs ekklēsias epi tou laou katadramein men tōn anthrōpomorphon legontōn to Theion, asōmaton de auton dogmatisai. Tauta mathontes hoi Aigyptiōn askētai, katalipontes ta monastēria, epi tēn ᾿Alexandreian erchontai ; kai katestasiazon tou Theophilou, krinantes ōs asebounta, kai anelein boulomenoi. Touto gnous ho Theophilos, eis agōna kathistatai, kai epenoei technēn, hopōs an diaphygę̄ ton apeiloumenon thanaton. Kai ophtheis autois, kolakeią metēlthe tous andras, houtōs eipōn pros autous; Houtōs hymas eidon, hōs Theou prosōpon. Touto lechthen echaunōse tous monachous tēs hormēs. All᾽ ei alētheueis, ephasan, hoti to tou Theou prosōpon estin hōs kai to hēmeteron, anathematison ta Ōrigenous biblia. Ex autōn gar tines dialegomenoi enantiountai tę̄ doxę̄ hēmōn. Ei de mē touto poiēseis, ta tōn asebountōn kai theomachōn ekdechou par' hēmōn. All᾿ egō, ephē Theophilos, poiēsō ta dedogmena hymin, kai mē chalepainete pros me; kai gar egō apechthōs echō pros ta Ōrigenous biblia, kai memphomai tous dechomenous auta. Houtō men oun tote tous monachous apokrousamenos, apepempsato. Kai isōs d' an hē peri toutou zētēsis achri toutou proelthousa, epau. sato, ei mē episynēphthē toutǭ heteron pragma toionde ti; Tōn en Aigyptǭ askētēriōn proestēkeisan tessares andres eulabeis, Dioskoros, Ammōnios, Eusebios, Euthymios ; houtoi autadelphoi men ēsan, hoi Makroi de ek tou sōmatos ōnomazonto. Ēsan de kai biǭ kai logǭ ekprepontes; kai diatouto polys ēn en tę̄ ᾿Alexandreią peri autōn logos. Theophilos te ho ᾿Alexandreias episkopos pany ēgapa kai etima tous andras. Dio kai hena men autōn, ton Dioskoron, episkopon kathistą Hermoupoleōs, bią helkysas. Dyo de ex autōn parekalese syneinai autǭ, kai molis men epeisen; hōs episkopos de homōs kai prosēnankasen, kai tę̄ tōn klērikōn axią timēsas, tēn oikonomian tēs Ekklēsias autois enecheirisen. Hoi de tę̄ anankę̄ men emenon, kalōs tę̄ oikonomią prosechontes. Ēniōnto de homōs, hoti mē ephilosophoun hōs ēthelon, tę̄ askēsei proskeimenoi. Epei de, proïontos tou chronou, kai prosblaptesthai tēn psychēn enomizon, horōntes ton episkopon chrēmatistikon te meterchomenon bion, kai pollēn spoudēn peri chrēmatōn ktēsin non, kai dia tauta, to dē legomenon, panta lithon" kinounta, parę̄tounto te syneinai autǭ, tēn erēmian agapan eipontes, kai tautēn protiman tēs en astei diagōgēs. Ho de, heōs men mē eginōske tēn alēthē prophasin, parekalei prosmenein. Epei de egnō kataginōskomenos hyp᾿ autōn, orgēs hypopimplatai, kai pan autois kakon ēpeilei poiein. Tōn de mikra phrontisantōn tēs apeilēs, kai eis tēn erēmon chōrēsantōn, thermos tis, hōs eoiken, ho Theophilos ōn, ou mikran epoieito tēn kinēsin kat᾿ autōn; alla skeuōreisthai pasais mēchanais tous andras espoudazen. Emisei de euthys kai ton autōn adelphon Dioskoron, ton tēs Hermoupoleōs episkopon. Elypei de auton hikanōs, to proskeisthai autǭ tous askētas, kai peri auton sebas echein poly. Eginōske te hōs oudeni tropǭ blapsei tous andras, ei mē tous monachous ekpolemōsei autois. Methodǭ oun chrētai toiautę̄; Eu hēpistato tous andras pollakis hama autǭ peri Theou logous kekinēkotas, hōs eiē ho Theos asōmatos, kai oudamōs anthrōpomorphos; akolouthei gar exanankēs tǭ anthrōpomorphǭ to anthrōpopathes; kai touto gegymnastai para te tōn palaioterōn, kai malista para Ōrigenous. Houtōs echōn kai phronōn peri Theou ho Theophilos, dia to amynasthai tous echthrous, antistrephōn ta kalōs autois dedogmena ouk ōknēsen; alla synarpazei tous pleistous tōn monachōn, anthrōpous akeraious men, idiōtas de tǭ logǭ, tous pollous de agrammatous ontas. Kai diapempe tai tois en tę̄ erēmǭ askētēriois, mē dein peithesthai Dioskorǭ, mēte tois adelphois autou, legousin asōmaton ton Theon. Ho gar Theos, phēsin, kata tēn theian Graphēn, kai ophthalmous echei kai ōta, kai cheiras kai podas, katha kai hoi anthrōpoi. Hoi de peri Dioskoron, Ōrigenei akolouthountes, blasphēmon dogma eisagousin, hōs ara ho Theos oute ophthalmous, oute ōta, oute podas, oute cheiras echei. Toutǭ tǭ sophismati synarpazei tous pleistous tōn monachōn; kai ginetai diapyros stasis en autois. Hosoi men oun gegymnasmenon eichon ton noun, ou synērpagēsan hypo tou sophismatos; alla kai tois peri Dioskoron kai Ōrigenēn epeithonto. Hoi de haplousteroi, pleious te ontes, kai zēlon echontes thermon, kata tōn adelnous hymnous euchas, ex aitias toiasde; phōn eutheōs echōroun. hōn oun diairesis en autois, kai allēlous hōs asebountas diesyron. Kai hoi men Theophilǭ prosechontes Ōrigeniastas kai asebeis ekaloun tous adelphous; hoi de heteroi Anthrōpomorphianous tous hypo Theophilou anapeisthentas ōnomazon. Ek toutou paratribē ginetai ou mikra, kai ēn metaxy tōn monachōn polemos aspondos. Theophilos de hōs egnō probanta ton skopon, hama plēthei katalabōn tēn Nitrian, entha eisi ta askētēria, exoplizei tous monachous kata te Dioskorou kai tōn autou adelphōn. Hoi de kindyneusantes apolesthai, molis diephygon. Tauta kata tēn Aigypton ginomena ho Kōnstantinou poleōs episkopos Iōannēs teōs ēgnoei tais didaskaliais te ēnthei, kai diaboētos epi tautais ēn. Ēuxēse de prōtos kai tas peri tous nykteri-

A little before, a question had been raised whether God is a body and has the form of a man, or is incorporeal and free from human and, in a word, from every bodily form. From this question arose strife and contention among many, some adhering to the one view, others defending the other. Many of the simpler ascetics in particular held that God is corporeal and in human form; but most, condemning them, said that God is incorporeal and declared him to be beyond every bodily form. Theophilus, the bishop of Alexandria, agreed with these, so far as even to inveigh in church before the people against those who say the divine has human form, and to teach that he is incorporeal. When the ascetics of Egypt learned this, they left their monasteries and came to Alexandria; and they raised a riot against Theophilus, judging him impious and wishing to kill him. Theophilus, learning this, was in distress and devised a way to escape the death threatened. Appearing before them, he won the men over by flattery, saying to them: 'In seeing you I have seen as it were the face of God.' This saying slackened the monks' rage. 'But if you speak the truth,' they said, 'that the face of God is like ours, anathematize the books of Origen; for some, arguing from them, oppose our opinion. If you will not do this, expect from us what the impious and enemies of God deserve.' 'I will do what you have decided,' said Theophilus, 'and do not be angry with me; for I too dislike the books of Origen and blame those who accept them.' So he then repelled the monks and sent them away. And perhaps the question about this, having gone so far, would have ceased, had not another matter of the following kind been joined to it. Four devout men presided over the ascetic houses in Egypt: Dioscorus, Ammonius, Eusebius and Euthymius. They were brothers, and were called the Tall Brothers from their bodies. They were distinguished in both life and speech, and for this reason there was much talk about them in Alexandria. Theophilus, the bishop of Alexandria, loved and honoured the men greatly. So he made one of them, Dioscorus, bishop of Hermopolis, dragging him there by force. Two of them he urged to stay with him, and barely persuaded them; but nonetheless, as bishop, he compelled them, and honouring them with the rank of clergy he entrusted them with the management of the church's affairs. They stayed under compulsion, attending well to the management, but they were grieved that they could not practise philosophy as they wished, devoted to asceticism. As time went on they thought their souls were even being harmed, seeing the bishop following a life of money-making, taking great pains over the acquisition of money, and for this, as the saying goes, moving every stone; and they begged to be excused from staying with him, saying that they loved the desert and preferred it to life in the city. As long as he did not know the real reason, he urged them to stay; but when he learned that he was condemned by them, he was filled with anger and threatened to do them every harm. When they cared little for the threat and went off to the desert, Theophilus, being a hot-tempered man, it seems, made no small stir against them, but was eager to plot against the men by every device. At once he hated their brother Dioscorus too, the bishop of Hermopolis. It vexed him greatly that the ascetics were attached to them and held them in great reverence. He knew that he could in no way harm the men unless he made the monks their enemies. So he used the following method. He knew well that the men had often discussed with him about God, maintaining that God is incorporeal and in no way of human form; for human passions follow necessarily on human form; and this had been worked out by the more ancient writers and especially by Origen. Though Theophilus held and thought this about God, in order to take revenge on his enemies he did not hesitate to turn against what had rightly been decided by them; and he carried away most of the monks, men who were guileless but unskilled in speech, most of them unlettered. He sent word to the ascetic houses in the desert that they must not trust Dioscorus or his brothers, who say that God is incorporeal. 'For God,' he said, 'according to the divine Scripture, has eyes and ears, hands and feet, as men do. But Dioscorus and his party, following Origen, introduce a blasphemous doctrine, that God has neither eyes nor ears nor feet nor hands.' By this sophism he carried away most of the monks, and a fiery faction arose among them. Those who had a trained mind were not carried away by the sophism, but followed Dioscorus and Origen; but the simpler, who were more numerous and had hot zeal, went at once against the brothers. So a division arose among them, and they reviled each other as impious. Those who adhered to Theophilus called the brothers Origenists and impious; the others called those persuaded by Theophilus Anthropomorphites. From this arose no small clash, and there was a truceless war among the monks. When Theophilus knew that his aim was advancing, he went with a crowd to Nitria, where the ascetic houses are, and armed the monks against Dioscorus and his brothers; and they, in danger of being killed, barely escaped. While these things were happening in Egypt, John, bishop of Constantinople, knew nothing of them for the time; he flourished in his teaching and was famous for it. He was also the first to increase the prayers at the night hymns, for the following reason.

Gen 33:10 (allusion, medium confidence) · Ps 34:15 (echo, low confidence)

Notes and citation

Summary: The Anthropomorphite controversy: Theophilus, threatened by monks who believe God has human form, condemns Origen's books, then turns the monks against the Tall Brothers, whom he had come to hate.

Socrates' account is hostile to Theophilus; it is translated as written.
Theophilus's flattery echoes Gen 33:10. Scripture speaks of God's eyes, ears, hands and feet in many places (e.g. Ps 34:15).
In the scan text the words 'night hymns, for the following reason' (the end of the chapter's last sentence) stand in the middle of the chapter; they are translated at the end, where they belong.
Socrates' last sentence runs on into the next chapter.

Notes on the original text

Digital text corrected (stray footnote numeral; stray mark): διέφυγον 8. → διέφυγον.; Θεὸν (τ) εἶναι → Θεὸν εἶναι.

Topics: Heresy, Scripture and canon, Church office

Cite (SBL): Socrates, Hist. eccl. 6.7 (PG 67:683–687; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/socrates-historia/6-7). (abbreviation not yet checked)

Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/socrates-historia/6-7

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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.

6.8PG 67:687–691

Οἱ ᾿Αρειανίζοντες, ὥσπερ ἔφημεν, ἔξω τῆς πόλεως τὰς συναγωγὰς ἐποιοῦντο. Ἡνίκα οὖν ἑκάστης ἑβδ0μάδος ἑορταὶ χατελάμδανον, φημὶ δὴ τό τε Σάδθατον ἡ αἷς συνάξεις κατὰ τὰς ἐκκλησίας εἰώθασι γένεσθαι, αὐτοὶ ἐντὸς τῶν τῆς πόλεως πυλῶν περὶ τὰς στοὰς ἀθροιζόμενοι, καὶ ᾧδὰς ἀντιφώνους πρὸς τὴν ᾿Αρειανὴν δόξαν συντιθέντες ἧδον καὶ τοῦτο ἐποίουν κατὰ τὸ πλεῖστον μέρος τῆς νυκτός. Ὑπὸ δὲ ὄρθρον, τὰ τοιαῦτα "ἀντίφωνα λέγοντες, διὰ μέσης τῆς πόλεως ἐξήεσαν τῶν πυλῶν, καὶ τοὺς τόποὺς ἔνθα συνῆγον χατελάμβθανον. Ἐπεὶ δὲ ἔρεθισμοὺς κατὰ τῶν τὸ ὁμοούσιον φρονούντων λέγοντες οὐκ ἐπαύοντο" πολλάκις γὰρ καὶ τοιαύτην ᾧδὴν ἔλεγον" Ποῦ εἶσιν οἱ λέγοντες τὰ τρία μίαν δύναμιν ; τότε δὴ Ἰωάννης εὐλαδηθεὶς, μήτις τῶν ἀπλουστέρων ὑπὸ τῶν τοιούτων δῶν ἀφελχυσθῇ τῆς Ἐχκλησίας, ἀντιτίθησιν αὐτοῖς τοὺς τοῦ ἰδίου λαοῦ, ὅπως ἂν καὶ αὐτοὶ ταῖς νυχτεριναῖς ὑμνολογίαις σχολάζοντες,ἀμαυρώσωσι μὲν τὴν ἐκείνων περὶ τούτον σπουδὴν, βεδαίους δὲ τοὺς οἰκείους πρὸς τὴν ἑαυτῶν πίστιν ἐργάσωνται. ᾿Αλλ᾽ ὁ μὲν σκοπὸς Ἰωάννου ἐδόκει εἶνα: χρηστός σὺν ταραχῇ δὲ κινδύνοις τὸ τέλος ἐδέξατο, Ὡς γὰρ λαμπρότεροι οἱ τοῦ ὁμοουσίου ὕμνοι ἐν ταῖς νυχτεριναῖς ὑμνολογίαις ἐδείκνυντο " ἐπινενόηντο γὰρ παρ᾽ αὐτοῦ σταυροὶ ἀργυροῖ, φέροντες φῶτα ἐχ τῶν χηρίνων λαμπάδων, τῆς βασιλίδος Εὐδοξίας παρεχούσης τὴν εἰς αὐτὰ δαπάνην" πλῆθος ὄντες οἱ ᾿Αρειανίζοντες, καὶ ζηλοτυπίᾳ ληφθέντες, ἀμύνεσθαί τε καὶ συμπληγάδας ἐπεχείρουν ποιεῖν. Ἔτι γὰρ τῆς παραλαθούσης δυναστείας, ἔνθερμο! τε πρὸς μάχην ἧσαν, καὶ κατεφρόνουν αὐτῶν. Μὴ μελλήσαντες οὖν, ἐν μιᾷ τῶν νυκτῶν ' βάλλεται μὲν λίθῳ κατὰ μετώπου ὁ τῆς βασιλίδος εὐνοῦχος, συγχροτῶν τότε τοὺς ὑμνῳδούς. ᾿ΑἈπόλλυνται δὲ χαί τινες τοῦ λαοῦ, ἐξ ἀμφοτέρων τῶν μερῶν. οἷς κινηθεὶς ὁ βασιλεὺς, διεκώλυσε τοὺς ᾿Αρειανοὺς τὰς ὑμνολογίας ἐν τῷ δημοσίῳ ποιεῖν. Καὶ τὰ μὲν λεγόμενα τοιαῦτα ἦν. Λεκτέον δὲ καὶ ὅθεν τὴν ἀρχὴν ἔλαθεν ἡ κατὰ τοὺς ἀντιφώνους ὕμνους ἐν τῇ ἐκκλησίᾳ συνήθεια. Ἰγνάτιος ᾿Αντιοχείας τῆς Συρίας, τρίτος ἀπὸ τοῦ ἀποστόλου Πέτρου ἐπίσκοπος, ὃς καὶ τοῖς ἀποστόλοις αὐτοῖς συνδιέτριψεν, ὀπτασίαν εἶδεν ἀγγέλων, διὰ τῶν ἀντιφώνων ὕμνων τὴν ἁγίαν Τριάδα ὑμνούντων, καὶ τὸν τρόπον τοῦ ὁράματος τῇ ἐν Ἀντιοχείᾳ Ἐκκλησίᾳ παρέδωκεν. Ὅθεν καὶ ἐν πάσαις ταῖς Ἐκκλησίαις αὕτη ἡ παράδοσις διεδόθη. Οὗτος μὲν οὖν ὁ περὶ τῶν ἀντιφώνων ὕμνων λόγος ἐστίν.

Hoi ᾿Areianizontes, hōsper ephēmen, exō tēs poleōs tas synagōgas epoiounto. Hēnika oun hekastēs hebd0mados heortai chatelamdanon, phēmi dē to te Sadthaton hē hais synaxeis kata tas ekklēsias eiōthasi genesthai, autoi entos tōn tēs poleōs pylōn peri tas stoas athroizomenoi, kai hǭdas antiphōnous pros tēn ᾿Areianēn doxan syntithentes hēdon kai touto epoioun kata to pleiston meros tēs nyktos. Hypo de orthron, ta toiauta "antiphōna legontes, dia mesēs tēs poleōs exēesan tōn pylōn, kai tous topous entha synēgon chatelambthanon. Epei de erethismous kata tōn to homoousion phronountōn legontes ouk epauonto" pollakis gar kai toiautēn hǭdēn elegon" Pou eisin hoi legontes ta tria mian dynamin ? tote dē Iōannēs euladētheis, mētis tōn aplousterōn hypo tōn toioutōn dōn aphelchysthę̄ tēs Echklēsias, antitithēsin autois tous tou idiou laou, hopōs an kai autoi tais nychterinais hymnologiais scholazontes,amaurōsōsi men tēn ekeinōn peri touton spoudēn, bedaious de tous oikeious pros tēn heautōn pistin ergasōntai. ᾿All᾽ ho men skopos Iōannou edokei eina: chrēstos syn tarachę̄ de kindynois to telos edexato, Hōs gar lamproteroi hoi tou homoousiou hymnoi en tais nychterinais hymnologiais edeiknynto " epinenoēnto gar par᾽ autou stauroi argyroi, pherontes phōta ech tōn chērinōn lampadōn, tēs basilidos Eudoxias parechousēs tēn eis auta dapanēn" plēthos ontes hoi ᾿Areianizontes, kai zēlotypią lēphthentes, amynesthai te kai symplēgadas epecheiroun poiein. Eti gar tēs paralathousēs dynasteias, enthermo! te pros machēn hēsan, kai katephronoun autōn. Mē mellēsantes oun, en mią tōn nyktōn ' balletai men lithǭ kata metōpou ho tēs basilidos eunouchos, synchrotōn tote tous hymnǭdous. ᾿AApollyntai de chai tines tou laou, ex amphoterōn tōn merōn. hois kinētheis ho basileus, diekōlyse tous ᾿Areianous tas hymnologias en tǭ dēmosiǭ poiein. Kai ta men legomena toiauta ēn. Lekteon de kai hothen tēn archēn elathen hē kata tous antiphōnous hymnous en tę̄ ekklēsią synētheia. Ignatios ᾿Antiocheias tēs Syrias, tritos apo tou apostolou Petrou episkopos, hos kai tois apostolois autois syndietripsen, optasian eiden angelōn, dia tōn antiphōnōn hymnōn tēn hagian Triada hymnountōn, kai ton tropon tou horamatos tę̄ en Antiocheią Ekklēsią paredōken. Hothen kai en pasais tais Ekklēsiais hautē hē paradosis diedothē. Houtos men oun ho peri tōn antiphōnōn hymnōn logos estin.

The Arianizers, as we said, held their assemblies outside the city. Whenever the weekly feasts came round, I mean the Sabbath and the Lord's day, on which assemblies are usually held in the churches, they gathered inside the city gates about the colonnades and sang songs composed antiphonally according to the Arian opinion; and they did this for most of the night. Toward dawn, chanting such antiphons, they went out through the middle of the city by the gates and reached the places where they assembled. Since they did not cease to say things provoking those who held the 'same essence', for they often sang a song like this, 'Where are those who say that the three are one power?', John, fearing that some of the simpler people might be drawn away from the church by such songs, set the members of his own people against them, so that they too, giving themselves to night-time hymn-singing, might obscure the Arians' zeal in this and make their own people firm in their own faith. John's aim seemed good, but it ended in turmoil and danger. For when the hymns of those of the 'same essence' were shown to be more splendid in the night-time singing, since he had devised silver crosses bearing lights from wax tapers, the empress Eudoxia providing the expense, the Arianizers, who were numerous and seized with jealousy, tried to take revenge and to start clashes. For they were still hot for fighting from the power they had formerly held, and they despised the others. So without delay, one night the empress's eunuch, who was then leading the hymn-singers, was struck on the forehead with a stone; and some of the people on both sides were killed. Moved by this, the emperor forbade the Arians to hold their hymn-singing in public. Such were these events. We must also tell where the custom of antiphonal hymns in the church took its beginning. Ignatius of Antioch in Syria, the third bishop after the apostle Peter, who had also spent time with the apostles themselves, saw a vision of angels praising the holy Trinity in antiphonal hymns, and he handed down the manner of the vision to the church in Antioch. Hence this tradition spread to all the churches. This is the account of the antiphonal hymns.

Textual problem in this passage: see the notes.

Notes and citation

Summary: John organizes Nicene night processions with hymns to counter the Arians' antiphonal songs, leading to a riot; Socrates traces antiphonal singing to a vision of Ignatius of Antioch.

The opening words of the scan text ('... took its beginning from Ignatius the God-bearer') are the end of Valesius's chapter title and are removed. 'And the Lord's day' and the eunuch's name (Briso, in other sources) are lost in the scan; the first is supplied by sense.
The story of Ignatius's vision is a tradition reported by Socrates; it is not found in earlier sources.

Notes on the original text

Digital text corrected (end of the printed chapter title leaked into the text; stray letters): Ἰγνατίου τοῦ Θεοφόρου τὴν ἀρχὴν ἔσχεν. Οἱ → Οἱ; ἀποστόλου Θιπηὶ Πέτρου → ἀποστόλου Πέτρου.

Topics: Prayer, Heresy, Trinity

Cite (SBL): Socrates, Hist. eccl. 6.8 (PG 67:687–691; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/socrates-historia/6-8). (abbreviation not yet checked)

Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/socrates-historia/6-8

BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-socrates-historia-6-8) · 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.

6.9PG 67:691–693

καὶ τοῖς αὐτοῦ ἀδελφοῖς. Συνῆν δὲ αὐτοῖς καὶ ἸσίΟὐκ εἰς μακρὰν δὲ οἱ ἀπὸ τῆς ἐρήμου μοναχοί ἐπὶ τὴν Κωνσταντινούπολιν ἔρχονται, ἄμα Διοσκόρῳ δωρος 4, ὁ πάλαι Θεοφίλῳ τῷ ἐπισκόπῳ φιλαίτατος· τότε δὲ ἀπεχθέστατος γενόμενος, δι' αἰτίαν τοιάνδε· Πέτρος τις πρωτοπρεσβύτερος ἦν τῆς ἐν ᾿Αλεξανδρείᾳ Ἐκκλησίας. Πρὸς τοῦτον ἀπεχθῶς ἑσχηκὼς ὁ Θεόφιλος, τῆς Ἐκκλησίας αὐτὸν ἐκβαλεῖν κὸς ὁ ἐπίσκοπος. Ἐτύγχανε δὲ κατ᾿ αὐτὸν τὸν καιρὸν ἐπενόησε· καὶ μέμψιν αὐτῷ κατήνεγκεν, ὡς εἴη τινὰ γυναῖκα, Μανιχαῖαν τὴν θρησκείαν, εἰς τὰ ἱερὰ μυστήρια προσδεξάμενος, μή πρότερον τῆς Μανιχαϊκῆς αἱρέσεως ἀποστήσας αὐτήν. Ἐπεὶ δὲ ὁ Πέτρος ἔλεγε καὶ μετατίθεσθαι τῆς θρησκείας τὴν γυναῖκα, καὶ μηδὲ παρὰ γνώμην Θεοφίλου δεδέχθαι αὐτὴν, ἠγανάκτει ὁ Θεόφιλος, ὡς συκοφαντούμενος · μὴ γὰρ εἰδέναι τὸ γεγονὸς ἔλεγεν. Ὁ οὖν Πέτρος Ἰσίδωρον ἐκάλει μαρτυρῆσαι αὐτῷ, ὡς οὐκ ἠγνόει τὰ περὶ τῆς γυναιἐν τῇ βασιλευούσῃ Ῥώμῃ διάγων ὁ Ἰσίδωρος· ἐπέμπετο γὰρ παρὰ Θεοφίλου πρὸς Δάμασον τὸν Ῥώμης ἐπίσκοπον, ἐπὶ τῷ καταλλάξαι αὐτὸν πρὸς Φλαβιανὸν τὸν ἐπίσκοπον ᾿Αντιοχείας. Διεκρίνοντο γὰρ οἱ Μελεείῳ προσκείμενοι πρὸς Φλαβιανὸν, διὰ τὸν ὅρκον, ὡς μοι καὶ πρότερον εἴρηται. Ἐπανελθὼν τοίνυν ἐκ τῆς Ῥώμης ὁ Ἰσίδωρος, καὶ πρὸς μαρτυρίαν παρὰ τοῦ Πέτρου κληθεὶς, ἔλεγεν ὡς εἴη δεχθεῖσα ἡ Μανιχαία κατὰ γνώμην τοῦ ἐπισκόπου· μεταδεδωκέναι δὲ αὐτῇ καὶ αὐτὸν τὰ μυστήρια. Ἐξάπτεται οὖν πρὸς ὀργὴν ὁ Θεόφιλος, καὶ ἀμφοτέρους πρὸς ὀργὴν ἀπήλασεν. Αὕτη πρόφασις γέγονε τοῦ καὶ Ἰσίδωρον ἅμα τοῖς περὶ Διόσκορον ἐλθεῖν ἐν τῇ Κωνσταντίνου πόλει, ὅπως ἂν παρά τε τῷ βασιλεῖ καὶ τῷ ἐπισκόπῳ Ἰωάννῃ, τὰ κατ᾿ αὐτῶν ἐσκευωρημένα ἐξελεγχθήσηται. Μαθών δὲ ταῦτα ὁ Ἰωάννης, ἐν τιμῇ μὲν ἦγε τοὺς ἄνδρας καὶ τῶν εὐχῶν μετέχειν οὐκ ἐκώλυσε, κοινωνίαν δὲ τῶν μυστηρίων οὐκ ἔφη πρὸ διαγνώσεως μεταδώσειν αὐτοῖς. Ἐν τούτοις καθεστῶτος τοῦ πράγματος, ἥκει εἰς τὰς ἀκοὰς Θεοφίλου λόγος ψευδής, ὡς εἴη Ἰωάννης καὶ εἰς τὰ μυστήρια δεξάμενος αὐτοὺς, καὶ ἕτοιμος πρὸς τὸ ἐπικουρῆσαι αὐτοῖς · καὶ παντοῖος ἐγίνετο, ὅπως ἂν μὴ μόνον τοὺς περὶ Διόσκορον καὶ Ἰσίδωρον ἀμύνηται, ἀλλὰ γὰρ καὶ Ἰωάννην κατενέγκῃ τοῦ θρόνου. Διαπέμπεται οὖν κατὰ πόλεις πρὸς τοὺς ἐπισκόπους ἐπιστολὰς, κρύπτων μὲν τὸν ἑαυτοῦ σκοπὸν, μόνοις δὲ τοῖς Ωριγένους βιβλίοις δῆθεν μεμφόμενος · οἷς πρὸ αὐτοῦ ᾿Αθανάσιος μάρτυσι τῆς οἰκείας πίστεως, ἐν τοῖς κατὰ ᾿Αρειανῶν λόγοις, ἐχρήσατο πολλάκις.

kai tois autou adelphois. Synēn de autois kai IsiOuk eis makran de hoi apo tēs erēmou monachoi epi tēn Kōnstantinoupolin erchontai, ama Dioskorǭ dōros 4, ho palai Theophilǭ tǭ episkopǭ philaitatos; tote de apechthestatos genomenos, di' aitian toiande; Petros tis prōtopresbyteros ēn tēs en ᾿Alexandreią Ekklēsias. Pros touton apechthōs heschēkōs ho Theophilos, tēs Ekklēsias auton ekbalein kos ho episkopos. Etynchane de kat᾿ auton ton kairon epenoēse; kai mempsin autǭ katēnenken, hōs eiē tina gynaika, Manichaian tēn thrēskeian, eis ta hiera mystēria prosdexamenos, mē proteron tēs Manichaïkēs haireseōs apostēsas autēn. Epei de ho Petros elege kai metatithesthai tēs thrēskeias tēn gynaika, kai mēde para gnōmēn Theophilou dedechthai autēn, ēganaktei ho Theophilos, hōs sykophantoumenos ; mē gar eidenai to gegonos elegen. Ho oun Petros Isidōron ekalei martyrēsai autǭ, hōs ouk ēgnoei ta peri tēs gynaien tę̄ basileuousę̄ Rhōmę̄ diagōn ho Isidōros; epempeto gar para Theophilou pros Damason ton Rhōmēs episkopon, epi tǭ katallaxai auton pros Phlabianon ton episkopon ᾿Antiocheias. Diekrinonto gar hoi Meleeiǭ proskeimenoi pros Phlabianon, dia ton horkon, hōs moi kai proteron eirētai. Epanelthōn toinyn ek tēs Rhōmēs ho Isidōros, kai pros martyrian para tou Petrou klētheis, elegen hōs eiē dechtheisa hē Manichaia kata gnōmēn tou episkopou; metadedōkenai de autę̄ kai auton ta mystēria. Exaptetai oun pros orgēn ho Theophilos, kai amphoterous pros orgēn apēlasen. Hautē prophasis gegone tou kai Isidōron hama tois peri Dioskoron elthein en tę̄ Kōnstantinou polei, hopōs an para te tǭ basilei kai tǭ episkopǭ Iōannę̄, ta kat᾿ autōn eskeuōrēmena exelenchthēsētai. Mathōn de tauta ho Iōannēs, en timę̄ men ēge tous andras kai tōn euchōn metechein ouk ekōlyse, koinōnian de tōn mystēriōn ouk ephē pro diagnōseōs metadōsein autois. En toutois kathestōtos tou pragmatos, hēkei eis tas akoas Theophilou logos pseudēs, hōs eiē Iōannēs kai eis ta mystēria dexamenos autous, kai hetoimos pros to epikourēsai autois ; kai pantoios egineto, hopōs an mē monon tous peri Dioskoron kai Isidōron amynētai, alla gar kai Iōannēn katenenkę̄ tou thronou. Diapempetai oun kata poleis pros tous episkopous epistolas, kryptōn men ton heautou skopon, monois de tois Ōrigenous bibliois dēthen memphomenos ; hois pro autou ᾿Athanasios martysi tēs oikeias pisteōs, en tois kata ᾿Areianōn logois, echrēsato pollakis.

Not long after, the monks from the desert came to Constantinople, with Dioscorus and his brothers. With them was also Isidore, who had once been very dear to Theophilus the bishop but had then become most hateful to him, for the following reason. A certain Peter was archpresbyter of the church in Alexandria. Theophilus, being hostile to him, planned to expel him from the church; and he brought a charge against him that he had admitted to the sacred mysteries a woman of the Manichaean religion without first turning her away from the Manichaean heresy. When Peter said that the woman had changed her religion and had been received not without Theophilus's consent, Theophilus was indignant as one falsely accused, for he said he did not know of the matter. So Peter called Isidore to testify for him that the bishop was not ignorant of the facts about the woman. At that very time Isidore happened to be staying in imperial Rome; for he had been sent by Theophilus to Damasus, bishop of Rome, to reconcile him with Flavian, bishop of Antioch; for those attached to Meletius were at odds with Flavian because of the oath, as I said before. Isidore, then, having returned from Rome and been called by Peter to testify, said that the Manichaean woman had been received with the bishop's consent, and that he himself had given her the mysteries. So Theophilus was kindled to anger and in his anger drove them both out. This was the reason why Isidore too came to Constantinople with Dioscorus and his party, so that the plots contrived against them might be exposed before the emperor and John the bishop. John, learning this, held the men in honour and did not prevent them from sharing in the prayers, but said he would not give them communion in the mysteries before the case was decided. While matters stood so, a false report reached Theophilus's ears that John had received them into the mysteries and was ready to help them; and he did everything not only to take revenge on Dioscorus and Isidore and their party but also to bring John down from his throne. So he sent letters to the bishops city by city, concealing his own aim and professing only to blame the books of Origen, which Athanasius before him had often used as witnesses to his own faith in his discourses against the Arians.

Notes and citation

Summary: The Tall Brothers and Isidore, expelled by Theophilus, come to Constantinople; John receives them without giving communion, but Theophilus, hearing otherwise, begins a campaign against Origen's books to bring John down.

In the scan text several clauses are displaced ('and his brothers; Isidore was with them'; 'the bishop. At that time ...'); they are translated where the sense requires.
Damasus had died in 384; Socrates' chronology here is confused.

Notes on the original text

Digital text corrected (stray letter; stray mark): ἀπήλασεν ". → ἀπήλασεν.; αὐτοῖς ν. → αὐτοῖς..

Topics: Church office, Heresy

Cite (SBL): Socrates, Hist. eccl. 6.9 (PG 67:691–693; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/socrates-historia/6-9). (abbreviation not yet checked)

Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/socrates-historia/6-9

BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-socrates-historia-6-9) · 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.

6.10PG 67:693–695

Σπένδεται δὴ φιλίαν καὶ πρὸς Ἐπιφάνιον τὸν Κωνσταντίας τῆς Κύπρου ἐπίσκοπον, πρότερον διαφερόμενος πρὸς αὐτόν. Ἐμέμφετο γὰρ Ἐπιφανίῳ Θεόφιλος, ὡς μικρὰ φρονοῦντι περὶ Θεοῦ, ὅτι ἀνθρωπόμορφον αὐτὸν εἶναι ἐνόμιζεν. Οὕτως οὖν Θεόφιλος ἔχων περὶ Θεοῦ, καὶ μεμφόμενος τοῖς ἀνθρωπόμορφον τὸ Θεῖον νομίζουσι, διὰ τὴν πρὸς ἑτέρους ἀπέχθειαν, ἠρνεῖτο μὲν ἐν τῷ φανερῷ ὁ ἐδόξαζεν · φιλοποιείται δὲ τότε τὸν Ἐπιφάνιον, διαφερόμενος πρὸς αὑτὸν, ἃ ὡς μετανοίας ὁμοφρονήσας κατὰ τὴν περὶ Θεοῦ δόξαν αὐτῷ " παρασχενάζει σύνοδον ποιῆσαι τῶν ἐν Κύπρῳ ἐπισκόπων, ἐπὶ τῷ διαβαλεῖν τὰ Ὠριγένους βιῦλία. Ἐπιφάνιος δὲ δι᾽ ὑπερβάλλουσαν εὐλάδεια". ἁπλοϊχὸς ὧν τὸν τρόπον, ταχέως ὑπήχθη ὑπὸ τῶν Θεοφίλον γραμμάτων. Καὶ καθίσας δυνέδριον τῶν ἐν τῇ νήσῳ ἐπισκόπων, ἀπαγορεύξι μὲν τοῦ ἀναγιγώσχειν τὰ Ὠριγένους βιδλία, Διαπέμπεται δὲ γράμματα πρὸς Ἰωάννην, παραινῶν ἀπέχεσθαι μὲν τῶν Ὠριγενείων ἀναγνωσμάτων συνάγειν δὲ αὐτὸν συνέδριον, καὶ σύμψηφον τοῦτο γίνεσθαι. Θεόφιλος τοίνυν τὸν ἐπ᾽ εὐλαδείᾳ περιδόητον Ἐπιφάνιον συναρπάσας, καὶ γνοὺς προβάντα αὐτοῦ τὸν δχοπὸν, θαῤῥῶν καὶ αὐτὸς συνήγαγε πολλοὺς τῶν ἐπισκόπων " παραπλησίαν τῷ Ἐπιφανίῳ κατὰ τῶν Ὠριγένους βιβλίων, τοῦ πρὰ διαχοσίων περίπου ἑτῶν τελευτήσαντος, διαδολὴν ἐποιεῖτο" οὐ τοῦτον προηγουμένως ἔχων τὸν σχηπὸν, ἀλλὰ τοὺς περὶ Διόσκορον σπεύδων ἀμύνασθαι. Ἰωάννης δὲ μικρὰ φροντίσας τῶν μηνυθέντων αὐτῷ πᾶρά τε Ἐπιφανίου καὶ αὐτοῦ Θεοφίλου, τῇ διδασκαλίᾳ τῶν Ἐκκλησιῶν προσεῖχς τὸν νοῦν. Καὶ ἤνθει μὲν αὐτὴν" τῆς δὲ αὐτοῦ γενομένης σκευωρίας οὐδένα λόγον ἐτίθετο. Ἐπεὶ δὲ Θεόφιλος χαταφανὴς ἐγένετο τοῖς πολλοῖς σπουδάζων καθελεῖν τῆς ἐπισκοπῆς τὸν Ἰωάννην, τότε δὴ καὶ οἱ ἀπεχθῶς πρὸς Ἰωάννην ἔχοντες πρὸς τὴν αὐτοῦ σκευωρίαν ἀνεκινοῦντο. Καὶ πολλοὶ μὲν τοῦ κλήρου, πολλοὶ δὲ καὶ τῶν ἐν τέλει κατὰ τὰ βχσίλεια μέγιστον ἰσχύονπες, καιρὸν εὑρηκέναι λογιζόμενοι ὃν Ἰωάννην ἀμύνωνται, μεγίστην ἐν τῇ Κωνσταντίνου πόλει σύνὑδον γενέσθαι παρεσκεύαζον, τοῦτο μὲν δι᾽ ἐπιστολῶν, τοῦτο δὲ καὶ ἀγράφως διαπεμπόμενοι.

Spendetai dē philian kai pros Epiphanion ton Kōnstantias tēs Kyprou episkopon, proteron diapheromenos pros auton. Emempheto gar Epiphaniǭ Theophilos, hōs mikra phronounti peri Theou, hoti anthrōpomorphon auton einai enomizen. Houtōs oun Theophilos echōn peri Theou, kai memphomenos tois anthrōpomorphon to Theion nomizousi, dia tēn pros heterous apechtheian, ērneito men en tǭ phanerǭ ho edoxazen ; philopoieitai de tote ton Epiphanion, diapheromenos pros hauton, ha hōs metanoias homophronēsas kata tēn peri Theou doxan autǭ " paraschenazei synodon poiēsai tōn en Kyprǭ episkopōn, epi tǭ diabalein ta Ōrigenous biylia. Epiphanios de di᾽ hyperballousan euladeia". haploïchos hōn ton tropon, tacheōs hypēchthē hypo tōn Theophilon grammatōn. Kai kathisas dynedrion tōn en tę̄ nēsǭ episkopōn, apagoreuxi men tou anagigōschein ta Ōrigenous bidlia, Diapempetai de grammata pros Iōannēn, parainōn apechesthai men tōn Ōrigeneiōn anagnōsmatōn synagein de auton synedrion, kai sympsēphon touto ginesthai. Theophilos toinyn ton ep᾽ euladeią peridoēton Epiphanion synarpasas, kai gnous probanta autou ton dchopon, tharrhōn kai autos synēgage pollous tōn episkopōn " paraplēsian tǭ Epiphaniǭ kata tōn Ōrigenous bibliōn, tou pra diachosiōn peripou hetōn teleutēsantos, diadolēn epoieito" ou touton proēgoumenōs echōn ton schēpon, alla tous peri Dioskoron speudōn amynasthai. Iōannēs de mikra phrontisas tōn mēnythentōn autǭ para te Epiphaniou kai autou Theophilou, tę̄ didaskalią tōn Ekklēsiōn proseichs ton noun. Kai ēnthei men autēn" tēs de autou genomenēs skeuōrias oudena logon etitheto. Epei de Theophilos chataphanēs egeneto tois pollois spoudazōn kathelein tēs episkopēs ton Iōannēn, tote dē kai hoi apechthōs pros Iōannēn echontes pros tēn autou skeuōrian anekinounto. Kai polloi men tou klērou, polloi de kai tōn en telei kata ta bchsileia megiston ischyonpes, kairon heurēkenai logizomenoi hon Iōannēn amynōntai, megistēn en tę̄ Kōnstantinou polei synydon genesthai pareskeuazon, touto men di᾽ epistolōn, touto de kai agraphōs diapempomenoi.

He made friends also with Epiphanius, bishop of Constantia in Cyprus, with whom he had earlier been at odds. For Theophilus had blamed Epiphanius for having low thoughts about God, because he thought him to be of human form. So Theophilus, though holding such views about God and blaming those who think the divine has human form, because of his enmity toward others publicly denied what he believed; and he then made a friend of Epiphanius, with whom he had been at odds, as though by a change of mind he now agreed with him in his opinion about God; and he arranged for him to hold a synod of the bishops in Cyprus to condemn the books of Origen. Epiphanius, being simple in character because of his exceeding piety, was quickly led on by Theophilus's letters. Convening a council of the bishops of the island, he forbade the reading of Origen's books. He sent letters to John, urging him to keep away from reading Origen and to convene a council himself and vote with them on this. Theophilus, then, having carried along Epiphanius, famous for his piety, and seeing his aim advancing, took courage and himself assembled many bishops; and like Epiphanius he made an attack on the books of Origen, who had died about two hundred years before, not having this as his chief aim, but hastening to take revenge on Dioscorus and his brothers. John, caring little for what Epiphanius and Theophilus himself had informed him, attended to the teaching of the churches and flourished in it, and took no account of the plot being formed against him. But when it became plain to many that Theophilus was eager to depose John from his bishopric, then those who were hostile to John were also stirred to plot against him. Many of the clergy, and many of the officials who had very great power at the palace, reckoning that they had found the moment to take revenge on John, arranged for a very great synod to be held in Constantinople, sending word partly by letters and partly without writing.

Notes and citation

Summary: Theophilus wins over Epiphanius, who condemns Origen's books at a Cypriot synod; Theophilus assembles bishops against Origen, and John's enemies at Constantinople prepare a synod against him.

The opening words of the scan text ('... finding fault with the books of Origen'), the end of Valesius's chapter title, are removed.
Socrates' statement that Epiphanius held God to be of human form reflects Theophilus's accusation; it is not confirmed by Epiphanius's own writings.

Notes on the original text

Digital text corrected (end of the printed chapter title leaked into the text): μένῳ ταῖς βίβλοις Ωριγένους. Σπένδεται → Σπένδεται.

Topics: Heresy, Church office

Cite (SBL): Socrates, Hist. eccl. 6.10 (PG 67:693–695; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/socrates-historia/6-10). (abbreviation not yet checked)

Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/socrates-historia/6-10

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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.

6.11PG 67:695–699

Ηὔξησε δὲ τὸ κατὰ Ἰωάννου μῖσος ἕτερον ἐπισυμϑδὰν τοιόνδε" Δύο ἐπίσκοποι αὑτὸν ἤνθησαν, Σύροι ὄντες τὸ γένο;, Σεδηριανὸς καὶ ᾿Αντίοχος. ΣεΓηριανὸς μὲν Γαβάλων, πόλις δὲ αὕτη τῆς Συρίας · ᾿Αντίοχος δὲ Πτολεμαΐδος τῆς ἐν Φοινίκῃ Ἐκκλησίας προειστήκει. "Αμφω μὲν οὖν διὰ λόγων ῥητορικῶν ἤχθησαν. Σεβηριανὸς δὲ δοκῶν πεπαιδεῦσθαι, οὐ πάνυ τῇ φωνῇ τὴν Ἑλληνικὴν ἐξετράνου γλῶσσαν· ἀλλὰ καὶ Ἑλληνιστὶ φθεγγόμενος, Σύρος ἦν τὴν φωνήν. ᾿Αντίοχος μὲν οὖν πρότερον ἐκ τῆς Πτολεμαΐδος ἐπὶ Κωνσταντινούπολιν ἐλθὼν, κατὰ τὰς ἐκκλησίας ἐπὶ χρόνον τινὰ πεπονημένως διδάξας, καὶ πολλὰ ἐκ τούτων χρηματισάμενος, ἐπὶ τὴν ἑαυτοῦ ἀνέδραμε. Σεβηριανὸς δὲ πυθόμενος μεταταῦτα πολλὰ τὸν ᾿Αντίοχον ἐκ τῆς Κωνσταντίνου πόλεως συλλέξαντα, ζηλοῦν καὶ αὐτὸς τοῦτο ἐσπούδασεν. Ασκηθείς τε οὖν καὶ συντάξας λόγους συχνοὺς, καὶ αὐτὸς ἐπὶ τὴν Κων. σταντίνου πόλιν ἔρχεται. Καὶ δεχθεὶς ἀσμένως ὑπὸ Ἰωάννου, μέχρι μέν τινος ὑπέτρεχε τὸν ἄνδρα καὶ ἐκολάκευε, καὶ αὐτὸς οὐδὲν ἧττον ἀγαπώμενος καὶ τιμώμενος, ἤνθει τε κατὰ τὰς διδασκαλίας, καὶ πολλοῖς τῶν ἐν τέλει, καὶ δὴ καὶ αὐτῷ βασιλεῖ γίνεται γνώριμος. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ ἐν τοσούτῳ συνέβη τῆς Ἐφέσου τελευτῆσαι τὸν ἐπίσκοπον, ἀνάγκη κατέλαβε τὸν Ἰωάννην εἰς τὴν Ἔφεσον ἀπελθεῖν, ἐπὶ τῷ χειροτονῆσαι ἐπίσκοπον · καὶ γενόμενος ἐν αὐτῇ, ἄλλον τε ἄλλων προβάλλεσθαι σπουδαζόντων, καὶ σφόδρα διαπληκτιζομένων πρὸς ἑαυτοὺς περὶ ὧν ἕκαστος ἐψηφίζετο, συνιδὼν ὁ Ἰωάννης ἀμφότερα τὰ μέρη φιλονείκως διακείμενα, καὶ ἐν οὐδενὶ πείθεσθαι τῇ παραινέσει αὐτοῦ θέλοντα, ἐσπούδασεν ἀκοπιαστὶ τὴν τούτων ἔριν λῦσαι. Αὐτὸς τοίνυν Ἡρακλείδην τινὰ διάκονον ἑαυτοῦ, γένει Κύπριον, εἰς τὴν ἐπισκοπὴν ( προεβάλλετο · καὶ οὕτω ἀμφότερα τὰ μέρη, παυσάμενα τῆς πρὸς σφᾶς φιλονεικίας, ἡσύχασαν. Ἀνάγκη οὖν γέγονε χρονίζειν τὸν Ἰωάννην κατὰ τὴν Ἔφεσον. Παρέλκοντος δὲ αὐτοῦ κατ᾿ αὐτὴν, ὁ Σεβηριανὸς ἐν τῇ Κωνσταντινουπόλει ἐρασμιώτερος τοῖς ἀκροαταῖς ἐγίνετο. Καὶ ταῦτα οὐκ ἐλάνθανε μὲν τὸν Ἰωάννην ταχέως γὰρ αὐτῷ τὰ γινόμενα διηγγέλλετο. Σαραπίωνος δὲ, οὗ καὶ πρότερον ἐποιησάμην μνήμην, ὑποβάλλοντος καὶ ταράττεσθαι λέγοντος ὑπὸ Σεβηριανοῦ τὴν Ἐκκλησίαν, πρὸς ζηλοτυπίαν ὁ Ἰωάννης προήχθη. Ὁδοῦ οὖν πάρεργον, πολλὰς ἐκκλησίας τιανῶν καὶ Τεσσαρεσκαιδεκατιτῶν ἀφελὼν, ἐπὶ τὴν Κωνσταντίνου πόλιν ἔρχεται. Καὶ αὐτὸς μὲν πάλιν τὴν προσήκουσαν κηδεμονίαν τῶν ἐκκλησιῶν ἐποιεῖτο. Σαραπίωνος δὲ τὴν ὀφρὺν καὶ τὴν ἀλαζονείαν οὐδεὶς ὑποφέρειν ἐδύνατο. Ἐπεὶ γὰρ πολλὴν τὴν παῤῥησίαν παρὰ τῷ ἐπισκόπῳ Ἰωάννῃ ἐκέκτητο, πέρα τοῦ καθήκοντος πᾶσι προσεφέρετο. Διὸ καὶ τὸ κατὰ τοῦ ἐπισκόπου μίσος πλέον ἐξήπτετο· καί ποτε τοῦ Σεβηριανοῦ παριόντος, τὴν προσήκουσαν ἐπισκόπῳ τιμὴν οὐκ ἀπένειμεν· ἀλλὰ καθήμενος διετέλει, δεικνὺς μικρὰ φροντίζειν τῆς Σεβηριανοῦ παρουσίας. Ταύτην οὐκ ἤνεγκεν ὁ Σεβηριανὸς τὴν τοῦ Σαραπίωνος καταφρόνησιν" πρὸς τούτοις μέγα ἀναχέχραγεν εἰπών" ἃ Σαραπίων Χριστιανὸς ἀποθάνοι, Χριστὸς οὐχ ἐνηνθρώπησε. Ταύτης τῆς ἀφορμῆς ὁ Σαραπίων δραξάμενος, φανερῶς ἐχθρὸν τὸν Σεβηριανὸν τῷ Ἰωάννῃ κατέστησεν, ἀποκρύψας μὲν τὸν προτδιορισμὸν τοῦ, Εἰ Σαραπίων Χριστιανὸς ἀποθάνοι" μόνον δὲ εἰρηκέναι εἰπὼν τὸν Σεδηριανὸν, Χριστὸς οὐχ ἐνηνθρώπησε. Καὶ τὸ στίφος ἑαυτοῦ μάρτυρας ὡς ἐπὶ εἰρημένῳ τούτῳ παρῆγε. Μὴ μελλήσας οὖν ὁ Ἰωάννης ἐξελαύνει αὐτὸν τῆς πόλεως. Καὶ γνοῦσα ταῦτα ἡ Αὐγοῦστα Εὐδοξία, μέμφεται μὲν τῷ Ἰωάννῃ παρασκευάζει δὲ τάχος καλεῖσθαι τὸν Σεθηριανὼὸν τῆς ιθυνίᾳ Χαλκχηδόνος. Καὶ ὁ μὲν ὅσον υὐδέπω παρῆν. Ἰωάννης δὲ τὴν πρὸς αὐτὸν φιλίαν ἐξέκλινε, οὐδενὶ παραινοῦντι πειθήνιος ἣν" ὡς καὶ ἡ βασίλισσα Εὐδοξία, ἐν τῇ ἐπωνύμῳ τῶν ᾿Αποστόλων ἐκκλησίᾳ τὸν υἱὸν Θεοδόσιον τὸν νῦν εὐτυχῶς λεύοντα, κομιδῇ τότε νήπιον ὄντα, εἰς τὰ γόνατα τοῦ Ἰωάννου ἐμβαλοῦσα, ὄρχους χατ᾽ αὐτοῦ πολλοὺς καθορκώσασα μόλις τὴν πρὸς Σεδηριανὸν ἔπεισε φιλίαν ἀσπάσασθαι. Τοῦτον μὲν οὖν τὸν τρόπον οὗτοι κατὰ τὸ φανερὸν ἐφιλιώθησαν " ἔμενον δὲ οὐδὲν ἧττον τὴν γνώμην ὕπουλον πρὸς ἀλλήλους φυλάττοντες. μὲν οὖν ὑπόθεσις τῆς πρὸς Σεδηριανὸν λύπης τοιαύτη τις

Ēuxēse de to kata Iōannou misos heteron episymϑdan toionde" Dyo episkopoi hauton ēnthēsan, Syroi ontes to geno?, Sedērianos kai ᾿Antiochos. SeGērianos men Gabalōn, polis de hautē tēs Syrias ; ᾿Antiochos de Ptolemaïdos tēs en Phoinikę̄ Ekklēsias proeistēkei. "Amphō men oun dia logōn rhētorikōn ēchthēsan. Sebērianos de dokōn pepaideusthai, ou pany tę̄ phōnę̄ tēn Hellēnikēn exetranou glōssan; alla kai Hellēnisti phthengomenos, Syros ēn tēn phōnēn. ᾿Antiochos men oun proteron ek tēs Ptolemaïdos epi Kōnstantinoupolin elthōn, kata tas ekklēsias epi chronon tina peponēmenōs didaxas, kai polla ek toutōn chrēmatisamenos, epi tēn heautou anedrame. Sebērianos de pythomenos metatauta polla ton ᾿Antiochon ek tēs Kōnstantinou poleōs syllexanta, zēloun kai autos touto espoudasen. Askētheis te oun kai syntaxas logous sychnous, kai autos epi tēn Kōn. stantinou polin erchetai. Kai dechtheis asmenōs hypo Iōannou, mechri men tinos hypetreche ton andra kai ekolakeue, kai autos ouden hētton agapōmenos kai timōmenos, ēnthei te kata tas didaskalias, kai pollois tōn en telei, kai dē kai autǭ basilei ginetai gnōrimos. Epeidē de en tosoutǭ synebē tēs Ephesou teleutēsai ton episkopon, anankē katelabe ton Iōannēn eis tēn Epheson apelthein, epi tǭ cheirotonēsai episkopon ; kai genomenos en autę̄, allon te allōn proballesthai spoudazontōn, kai sphodra diaplēktizomenōn pros heautous peri hōn hekastos epsēphizeto, synidōn ho Iōannēs amphotera ta merē philoneikōs diakeimena, kai en oudeni peithesthai tę̄ parainesei autou thelonta, espoudasen akopiasti tēn toutōn erin lysai. Autos toinyn Hērakleidēn tina diakonon heautou, genei Kyprion, eis tēn episkopēn ( proeballeto ; kai houtō amphotera ta merē, pausamena tēs pros sphas philoneikias, hēsychasan. Anankē oun gegone chronizein ton Iōannēn kata tēn Epheson. Parelkontos de autou kat᾿ autēn, ho Sebērianos en tę̄ Kōnstantinoupolei erasmiōteros tois akroatais egineto. Kai tauta ouk elanthane men ton Iōannēn tacheōs gar autǭ ta ginomena diēngelleto. Sarapiōnos de, hou kai proteron epoiēsamēn mnēmēn, hypoballontos kai tarattesthai legontos hypo Sebērianou tēn Ekklēsian, pros zēlotypian ho Iōannēs proēchthē. Hodou oun parergon, pollas ekklēsias tianōn kai Tessareskaidekatitōn aphelōn, epi tēn Kōnstantinou polin erchetai. Kai autos men palin tēn prosēkousan kēdemonian tōn ekklēsiōn epoieito. Sarapiōnos de tēn ophryn kai tēn alazoneian oudeis hypopherein edynato. Epei gar pollēn tēn parrhēsian para tǭ episkopǭ Iōannę̄ ekektēto, pera tou kathēkontos pasi prosephereto. Dio kai to kata tou episkopou misos pleon exēpteto; kai pote tou Sebērianou pariontos, tēn prosēkousan episkopǭ timēn ouk apeneimen; alla kathēmenos dietelei, deiknys mikra phrontizein tēs Sebērianou parousias. Tautēn ouk ēnenken ho Sebērianos tēn tou Sarapiōnos kataphronēsin" pros toutois mega anachechragen eipōn" ha Sarapiōn Christianos apothanoi, Christos ouch enēnthrōpēse. Tautēs tēs aphormēs ho Sarapiōn draxamenos, phanerōs echthron ton Sebērianon tǭ Iōannę̄ katestēsen, apokrypsas men ton protdiorismon tou, Ei Sarapiōn Christianos apothanoi" monon de eirēkenai eipōn ton Sedērianon, Christos ouch enēnthrōpēse. Kai to stiphos heautou martyras hōs epi eirēmenǭ toutǭ parēge. Mē mellēsas oun ho Iōannēs exelaunei auton tēs poleōs. Kai gnousa tauta hē Augousta Eudoxia, memphetai men tǭ Iōannę̄ paraskeuazei de tachos kaleisthai ton Sethērianōon tēs ithynią Chalkchēdonos. Kai ho men hoson yydepō parēn. Iōannēs de tēn pros auton philian exekline, oudeni parainounti peithēnios hēn" hōs kai hē basilissa Eudoxia, en tę̄ epōnymǭ tōn ᾿Apostolōn ekklēsią ton huion Theodosion ton nyn eutychōs leuonta, komidę̄ tote nēpion onta, eis ta gonata tou Iōannou embalousa, orchous chat᾽ autou pollous kathorkōsasa molis tēn pros Sedērianon epeise philian aspasasthai. Touton men oun ton tropon houtoi kata to phaneron ephiliōthēsan " emenon de ouden hētton tēn gnōmēn hypoulon pros allēlous phylattontes. men oun hypothesis tēs pros Sedērianon lypēs toiautē tis

Another thing that happened increased the hatred against John. Two bishops flourished in his time, Syrians by race, Severian and Antiochus. Severian presided over the church of Gabala, a city of Syria, and Antiochus over that of Ptolemais in Phoenicia. Both were noted for rhetorical speeches. But Severian, though he seemed educated, did not speak the Greek language very clearly; even when speaking Greek he had a Syrian accent. Antiochus had earlier come from Ptolemais to Constantinople, taught laboriously in the churches for some time, made a great deal of money from it, and gone back to his own city. Severian, learning afterwards that Antiochus had collected much from Constantinople, was eager to emulate him. So he practised and composed many discourses and he too came to Constantinople. Gladly received by John, he for a time courted and flattered the man; and being no less loved and honoured himself, he flourished in his teaching and became known to many of the officials and to the emperor himself. When, meanwhile, the bishop of Ephesus happened to die, John had to go to Ephesus to ordain a bishop. When he was there, different people were eager to put forward different men and were quarrelling fiercely about the candidates each voted for; John, seeing both sides contentiously disposed and unwilling to follow his advice at all, was eager to end their strife without trouble. So he himself put forward for the bishopric one Heraclides, a deacon of his own, a Cypriot by birth; and so both sides, ceasing from their contention with each other, were quiet. So John had to stay some time in Ephesus. While he lingered there, Severian became more beloved by his hearers in Constantinople. This did not escape John's notice, for what was happening was quickly reported to him. When Serapion, whom I mentioned before, hinted and said that the church was being disturbed by Severian, John was moved to jealousy. On his way, as a by-work, he took away many churches from the Novatians and the Quartodecimans, and came to Constantinople. He again exercised the proper care of the churches. But no one could bear the haughtiness and arrogance of Serapion. Since he had acquired great freedom with the bishop John, he behaved toward everyone beyond what was fitting. So the hatred against the bishop was kindled more; and once, when Severian passed by, he did not give him the honour due to a bishop, but remained seated, showing that he cared little for Severian's presence. Severian could not bear this contempt from Serapion, and in addition cried out loudly, saying, 'If Serapion dies a Christian, Christ did not become man.' Seizing on this occasion, Serapion made Severian openly an enemy of John, hiding the condition 'If Serapion dies a Christian' and saying that Severian had said only 'Christ did not become man'; and he brought his own band forward as witnesses that this had been said. Without delay John drove him out of the city. When the Augusta Eudoxia learned this, she blamed John and had Severian quickly recalled from Chalcedon in Bithynia. He was there almost at once. But John refused friendship with him and would not yield to anyone who advised it, until the empress Eudoxia, in the church named after the Apostles, put her son Theodosius, who now reigns happily, then a very small infant, on John's knees, and, adjuring him with many oaths, barely persuaded him to embrace friendship with Severian. In this way they were reconciled in public; but they nonetheless kept their minds festering toward each other. Such was the occasion of John's grievance against Severian.

Notes and citation

Summary: Severian of Gabala, a popular preacher in Constantinople, quarrels with John's deacon Serapion; John expels Severian, and Eudoxia forces a public reconciliation.

In the scan text the first part of the name 'Novatians' in 'many churches from the Novatians and the Quartodecimans' is lost; supplied by sense.
Severian's saying is reported as a curse on Serapion's insincerity; Socrates says Serapion misreported it as a denial of the incarnation.

Notes on the original text

Digital text corrected (stray page numbers): Εὐδοξία (58-359), → Εὐδοξία,.

Topics: Church office

Cite (SBL): Socrates, Hist. eccl. 6.11 (PG 67:695–699; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/socrates-historia/6-11). (abbreviation not yet checked)

Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/socrates-historia/6-11

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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.

6.12PG 67:699–701

Μετ᾿ οὐ πολὺ ὃὲ τῆς Κύπρον ὁ ἐπίσκοπος Ἐπιφάνιος ἐπὶ τὴν Κωνσταντινούπολιν πάλιν ἔρχεται, ταῖς ὑποθήχαις Θεοφίλου πεισθεὶς, ἐπιχομιζόμενος ἐν ταυτῷ τὰ χαθαιρετιχὰ τῶν Ὠριγένους ϑιθλίων, δι ὧν οὐχ αὐτὸν Ὠριγένην ἀκοινώνητον εἶναι ἀπἔφηνεν, ἀλλὰ τὰ βιδλία μόνον διέβαλλεν. Προσορμήσας οὖν τῷ ἐπὶ Ἰωάννην μαρτυρίῳ: ἀπέχει δὲ τοῦτο ἑπτὰ σημεῖα τῆς πόλεως" ἐξελθὼν τῆς νεὼς, σύναξίν τε ἐπιτελέσας, καὶ διάκονον χειροτονήσας, αὖθις εἰς τὴν πόλιν εἰσέρχεται. Καὶ τὴν μὲν προτροπὴν Ἰωάννου ἐξέκλινε, Θεοφίλῳ χαριζόμενος" ἐν ἰδιαζούσῃ ὃὲ καταλύει μονῇ συγχαλῶν τοὺς ἐπιδημοῦντας τῶν ἐπισκόπων, τὰ χαθαιρετιχὰ τῶν βιδλίων Ὠριγένους ὑπανεγίνωσχεν. Οὐχ ἔχω μέν τι λέγειν πρὸς αὑτά’ δοκεῖ δὲ αὐτῷ Θεοφίλῳ ἐκβαλεῖν αὐτά. Καί τινες μὲν, αἰδούμενοι τὸν ᾿Ἐπιφάνιον, προσυπἐγραφον" πολλοὶ δὲ τοῦτο ποιεῖν ἐξετρέποντο᾽ ὧν Θεότιμος ὁ ἐπίσκοπος Σχυθίας, ὃς πρὸς τὸν Ἐπιφάνιον τοιάδε ἀπεχρίνατο᾽ Ἐγὼ, ἔφη, ὦ ᾿Ἐπιφάνιε, οὔτε τὸν πάλαι καλῶς χεχοιμημένον χαθυδρίζειν αἱροῦμαι" οὔτε βλάσφημον ἐπιχειρεῖν πρᾶγμα τολμῶ, ἐχδάλλων ἃ οἱ πρὸ ἡμῶν οὐχ ἠθέτησαν. ΓΛλλω; τε, μήτε κακὴν εἶναι διδασκαλίαν ἐν τοῖς βιδλίοις εἰπὼν, προχομίσας τε βιβλίον Ὡριγέὑπανέγνω ἐδείκνυεν τὰς ἐχχλησιαστιχὰ: ἐκθέσεις. Καὶ μεταταῦτα ἐπῆγε λέγων" Οἱ ταῦτα ὑθρίσαντες, εἰς τὰ περὶ ὧν οἱ λόγοι, ἐξυθρίσαντες ἔλαθον ἑαυτούς. Ταῦτα μὲν ὁ ἐπ᾽ εὐλαδείᾳ καὶ βίου ὀρθότητι περιδόητος Θεότιμος πρὸς Ἐπιφάνιον ἀπ-

Met᾿ ou poly hoe tēs Kypron ho episkopos Epiphanios epi tēn Kōnstantinoupolin palin erchetai, tais hypothēchais Theophilou peistheis, epichomizomenos en tautǭ ta chathaireticha tōn Ōrigenous ϑithliōn, di hōn ouch auton Ōrigenēn akoinōnēton einai apephēnen, alla ta bidlia monon dieballen. Prosormēsas oun tǭ epi Iōannēn martyriǭ: apechei de touto hepta sēmeia tēs poleōs" exelthōn tēs neōs, synaxin te epitelesas, kai diakonon cheirotonēsas, authis eis tēn polin eiserchetai. Kai tēn men protropēn Iōannou exekline, Theophilǭ charizomenos" en idiazousę̄ hoe katalyei monę̄ synchalōn tous epidēmountas tōn episkopōn, ta chathaireticha tōn bidliōn Ōrigenous hypaneginōschen. Ouch echō men ti legein pros hauta’ dokei de autǭ Theophilǭ ekbalein auta. Kai tines men, aidoumenoi ton ᾿Epiphanion, prosypegraphon" polloi de touto poiein exetreponto᾽ hōn Theotimos ho episkopos Schythias, hos pros ton Epiphanion toiade apechrinato᾽ Egō, ephē, ō ᾿Epiphanie, oute ton palai kalōs chechoimēmenon chathydrizein hairoumai" oute blasphēmon epicheirein pragma tolmō, echdallōn ha hoi pro hēmōn ouch ēthetēsan. GLllō? te, mēte kakēn einai didaskalian en tois bidliois eipōn, prochomisas te biblion Hōrigeupanegnō edeiknyen tas echchlēsiasticha: ektheseis. Kai metatauta epēge legōn" Hoi tauta hythrisantes, eis ta peri hōn hoi logoi, exythrisantes elathon heautous. Tauta men ho ep᾽ euladeią kai biou orthotēti peridoētos Theotimos pros Epiphanion ap-

Not long after, Epiphanius, bishop of Cyprus, came again to Constantinople, persuaded by Theophilus's suggestions, bringing with him the condemnations of Origen's books, in which he did not declare Origen himself excommunicate but only denounced his books. Putting in at the martyr-shrine of John, which is seven miles from the city, he left the ship, held an assembly, ordained a deacon, and then entered the city. He declined John's invitation, to oblige Theophilus, and lodged in a private house. Summoning the bishops in residence, he read out the condemnations of Origen's books, though he had nothing to say against them, except that he and Theophilus had decided to reject them. Some, out of respect for Epiphanius, signed; but many refused to do so, among them Theotimus, bishop of Scythia, who answered Epiphanius thus: 'I, Epiphanius, choose neither to insult one who long ago fell asleep well, nor do I dare to undertake a blasphemous thing, rejecting what those before us did not set aside.' Besides, saying that there was no bad teaching in the books, he brought out a book of Origen, read from it, and showed the church's teachings in it. Then he added: 'Those who insult these writings have, without perceiving it, insulted the things the words are about.' This is what Theotimus, famous for his piety and the uprightness of his life, answered Epiphanius.

Notes and citation

Summary: Epiphanius comes to Constantinople with condemnations of Origen's books; Theotimus of Scythia refuses to sign, showing orthodox teaching in Origen's writings.

'The things the words are about' means the Scriptures and doctrines Origen expounded.
The last word of the scan text runs on into the next chapter.
The scan text reads this clause as if spoken by Epiphanius ('I have nothing to say ... Theophilus has decided'); it is translated as Socrates' narrative, as the grammar of the sentence requires.

Topics: Heresy, Church office

Cite (SBL): Socrates, Hist. eccl. 6.12 (PG 67:699–701; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/socrates-historia/6-12). (abbreviation not yet checked)

Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/socrates-historia/6-12

BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-socrates-historia-6-12) · 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.

6.13PG 67:701–703

Ἐπειδὴ δὲ οἱ φιλολοίδοροι τοὺς πολλοὺς συνήρπασαν, ὡς βλασφήμῳ προσέχειν τῷ Ὡριγένει, μικρὰ ἐιελθεῖν περὶ τούτων οὐχ ἄκαιρον εἶναι ἡγοῦμαι. Οἱ εὖτελεῖς ἀφ᾽ ἑαυτῶν μὴ δυνάμενοι φαίνεστα:, τοῦ ψέγειν τοὺς ἑαυτῶν χρείττονας δείχνυσθαι βούλονται. Τοῦτο πέπονθε πρῶτος Μεθόδιος, τῆς ἐν Λυκίᾳ πόλεως λεγομένης Ὀλύμπου ἐπίσκοπος " εἶτα Εὐστάθιος ὁ τῆς ἐν ᾿Αντιοχείᾳ πρὸς ὀλίγον Ἐκκλησίας προττάς " μεταταῦτα ᾿Απολινάριος, καὶ τὸ τελευταῖον Θεόοἱ Αὕτη τῶν χαχολόγων τετραχτὺς, κατὰ ταὐτὸν ἐλθόντες, τὸν ἄνδρα διέβαλλον· ἄλλος γὰρ δι' ἄλλο ἐπὶ τὴν κατ᾿ αὐτοῦ κατηγορίαν ἐχώρησαν, δεικνύντες ἕκαστοι, ὡς ὁ μὴ διέβαλλον, τοῦτο πάντως ἐδέξαντο. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ἄλλος ἄλλου δόγματος ὁ καθ' εἷς ἐπελαμβάνοντο, δῆλον ὡς ἕκαστος ὁ μὴ ἔσκωπτεν, τοῦτο ὡς ἀληθὲς πάντως ἐδέχετο, τῷ ἀποσιωπῶν ἐπαινῶν τοῦτο ὁ μὴ διέβαλλε. Μεθόδιος μὲν οὖν πολλὰ καταδραμὼν τοῦ Ωριγένους, ὕστερον ὡς ἐκ παλινῳδίας θαυμάζει τὸν ἄνδρα ἐν τῷ διαλόγῳ, ᾧ ἐπέγραψε Ξενώνα. Ἐγὼ δὲ τι καὶ πλέον ἐκ τῆς ἐκείνων αἰτιάσεως εἰς σύστασιν Ωριγένους φημί. Οἱ γὰρ κινήσαντες ὅσαπερ ᾤοντο μέμψεως ἄξια, δι' ὧν ὡς κακῶς δοξάζοντα περὶ τῆς ἁγίας Τριάδος οὐδ᾽ ὅλως ἐμέμψαντο, δείκνυνται περιφανῶς τὴν ὀρθὴν εὐσέβειαν μαρτυροῦντες αὐτῷ. Οὗτοι μὲν διὰ τοῦ μὴ μέμψασθαι μαρτυροῦσιν αὐτῷ. ᾿Αθανάσιος δὲ ὁ τῆς ὁμοουσίου πίστεως ὑπερασπιστὴς, ἐν τοῖς κατὰ ᾿Αρειανῶν λόγοις, μεγάλῃ τῇ φωνῇ μάρτυρα τῆς οἰκείας πίστεως τὸν ἄνδρα καλεῖ, τοὺς ἐκείνου λόγους τοῖς ἰδίοις συνάπτων καὶ λέγων· Ὁ θαυμαστός, φησὶ, καὶ φιλοπονώτατος Ωριγένης τάδε περὶ τοῦ Υἱοῦ τοῦ Θεοῦ τῇ ἡμετέρᾳ δόξῃ μαρτυρεῖ, συναΐδιον αὐτὸν λέγων τῷ Πατρί. Ἔλαθον οὖν ἐν τοὺς οἱ λοιδορήσαντες Ωριγένην, βλασφημήσαντες καὶ τὸν ἐπαινέτην αὐτοῦ ᾿Αθανάσιον. Περὶ μὲν οὖν Ωριγένους τοσαῦταν εἰρήσθω· ἐξῆς δὲ τῆς ἱστορίας ἐχώμεθα.

Epeidē de hoi philoloidoroi tous pollous synērpasan, hōs blasphēmǭ prosechein tǭ Hōrigenei, mikra eielthein peri toutōn ouch akairon einai hēgoumai. Hoi euteleis aph᾽ heautōn mē dynamenoi phainesta:, tou psegein tous heautōn chreittonas deichnysthai boulontai. Touto peponthe prōtos Methodios, tēs en Lykią poleōs legomenēs Olympou episkopos " eita Eustathios ho tēs en ᾿Antiocheią pros oligon Ekklēsias prottas " metatauta ᾿Apolinarios, kai to teleutaion Theooi Hautē tōn chachologōn tetrachtys, kata tauton elthontes, ton andra dieballon; allos gar di' allo epi tēn kat᾿ autou katēgorian echōrēsan, deiknyntes hekastoi, hōs ho mē dieballon, touto pantōs edexanto. Epeidē gar allos allou dogmatos ho kath' heis epelambanonto, dēlon hōs hekastos ho mē eskōpten, touto hōs alēthes pantōs edecheto, tǭ aposiōpōn epainōn touto ho mē dieballe. Methodios men oun polla katadramōn tou Ōrigenous, hysteron hōs ek palinǭdias thaumazei ton andra en tǭ dialogǭ, hǭ epegrapse Xenōna. Egō de ti kai pleon ek tēs ekeinōn aitiaseōs eis systasin Ōrigenous phēmi. Hoi gar kinēsantes hosaper ǭonto mempseōs axia, di' hōn hōs kakōs doxazonta peri tēs hagias Triados oud᾽ holōs emempsanto, deiknyntai periphanōs tēn orthēn eusebeian martyrountes autǭ. Houtoi men dia tou mē mempsasthai martyrousin autǭ. ᾿Athanasios de ho tēs homoousiou pisteōs hyperaspistēs, en tois kata ᾿Areianōn logois, megalę̄ tę̄ phōnę̄ martyra tēs oikeias pisteōs ton andra kalei, tous ekeinou logous tois idiois synaptōn kai legōn; Ho thaumastos, phēsi, kai philoponōtatos Ōrigenēs tade peri tou Huiou tou Theou tę̄ hēmeterą doxę̄ martyrei, synaïdion auton legōn tǭ Patri. Elathon oun en tous hoi loidorēsantes Ōrigenēn, blasphēmēsantes kai ton epainetēn autou ᾿Athanasion. Peri men oun Ōrigenous tosautan eirēsthō; exēs de tēs historias echōmetha.

Since the lovers of abuse have carried many people away into thinking that Origen is to be shunned as a blasphemer, I think it not out of place to go through a few things about this. Worthless people, unable to make a show by their own merits, wish to be noticed by finding fault with their betters. This happened first to Methodius, bishop of the city in Lycia called Olympus; then to Eustathius, who for a short time presided over the church in Antioch; afterwards to Apollinaris, and last of all to Theophilus. This foursome of slanderers, coming together on the same course, denounced the man; for each went on to accuse him on a different ground, showing that what each did not denounce he fully accepted. For since each laid hold of a different doctrine, one by one, it is plain that each fully accepted as true whatever he did not ridicule, praising by his silence what he did not denounce. Methodius, after attacking Origen in many things, later admires the man as if in recantation in the dialogue he entitled Xenon. But I say that from their accusation there is something more in Origen's favour. For those who stirred up whatever they thought deserving of blame, yet never blamed him at all as holding wrong views about the holy Trinity, are plainly shown to bear witness to his right piety. These bear witness to him by not blaming him. But Athanasius, the defender of the faith of the 'same essence', in his discourses against the Arians calls the man with a loud voice as witness to his own faith, joining Origen's words to his own and saying: 'The admirable and most laborious Origen bears witness to our opinion with these words about the Son of God, calling him co-eternal with the Father.' So those who reviled Origen did not perceive that they were blaspheming his praiser Athanasius too. So much about Origen; let us keep to the course of the history.

Textual problem in this passage: see the notes.

Notes and citation

Summary: Socrates defends Origen: his critics Methodius, Eustathius, Apollinaris and Theophilus never accused him of error about the Trinity, and Athanasius cited him as a witness to Nicene faith.

Methodius’s Xenon is lost. Socrates places the quotation in the discourses against the Arians; the words are found in Athanasius, On the Decrees of Nicaea 27, and are paraphrased.
The name Theophilus is partly lost in the scan text and supplied by sense.

Extrabiblical texts: Athanasius, Decr. 27 (Defence of the Nicene Definition; allusion)

Topics: Trinity, Heresy

Cite (SBL): Socrates, Hist. eccl. 6.13 (PG 67:701–703; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/socrates-historia/6-13). (abbreviation not yet checked)

Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/socrates-historia/6-13

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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.

6.14PG 67:705–707

Ἰωάννης οὐκ ἠγανάκτησεν, ἐφ᾽ οἷς παρὰ κανόνα ἐν τῇ αὐτοῦ Ἐκκλησίᾳ Ἐπιφάνιος χειροτονίαν πεποίητο· ἀλλὰ παρεκάλει, ἐν τοῖς ἐπισκοπικοῖς οἴκοις συμμένειν αὐτῷ. Ὁ δὲ οὐκ ἔφη, οὐδὲ συμμένειν αὐτῷ, οὐδὲ συνεύξασθαι, ἐὰν μὴ τοὺς περὶ Διόσκορον ἐξελάσῃ τῆς πόλεως, αὐτὸς δὲ καθυπογράψῃ τοῖς καθαιρετικοῖς τῶν Ωριγένους βίβλων. Ἰωάννου δὲ ταῦτα ποιεῖν ὑπερτιθεμένου, καὶ λέγοντος μὴ δεῖν πρὸ καθολικῆς διαγνώσεως προπετές τι ποιεῖν, ἐπὶ ἑτέραν βουλὴν οἱ ἀπεχθῶς πρὸς Ἰωάννην ἔχοντες τὸν Ἐπιφάνιον ἄγουσι. Κατασκευάζουσι γὰρ, μελλούσης ἐν τῇ ἐκκλησίᾳ τῇ ἐπωνύμῳ τῶν ᾿Αποστόλων συνάξεως γίνεσθαι, προελθεῖν τὸν Ἐπιφάνιον, καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ λαοῦ παντὸς διαβαλεῖν μὲν τὰ Ωριγένους βιβλία, ἀποκηρύξαι δὲ τοὺς περὶ Διόσκομον, καὶ διασύραι Ἰωάννην, ὡς καὶ αὐτὸν ἐκείνοις τιθέμενον. Ταῦτα ἀνηγγέλη τῷ Ἰωάννῃ· καὶ τῇ ἑξῆς τῷ Ἐπιφανίῳ τὴν ἐκκλησίαν ἤδη κατειληφότι δηλοῖ διὰ Σαραπίωνος τάδε· Παρὰ κανόνας πράττεις πολλὰ, ὦ Ἐπιφάνιε· πρῶτον μὲν χειροτονίαν ἐν ταῖς ὑπ᾿ ἐμὲ ἐκκλησίαις ποιησάμενος· εἶθ᾽ ὅτι μὴ προταγεὶς παρ᾽ ἐμοῦ, ἐν αὐταῖς ἐλειτούργησας, οἱκείᾳ αὐθεντίᾳ χρησάμενος. Πάλιν τε αὐτόθι προτραπεὶς παρῃτήσω, καὶ νῦν αὖθις ἐπιτρέπεις σαυτῷ. Φύλαξαι οὖν, μὴ ταραχῆς ἐν τῷ λαῷ διαγενομένης, τὸν ἐκ ταύτης κίνδυνον ἀναδέξῃ καὶ αὐτός. Ταῦτα ἀκούσας ὁ Ἐπιφάνιος, εὐλαβηθεὶς ἀναχωρεί μὲν τῆς ἐκκλησίας. Πολλὰ δὲ τῷ Ἰωάννῃ μεμφόμε· νος, ἀπαίρειν ἐπὶ τὴν Κύπρον ἐστέλλετο. Λέγουσι δέ τινες ὅτι ἀπαίρειν μέλλων, τῷ Ἰωάννῃ ταῦτα ἐδήλωσεν, Ἐλπίζω σὲ μὴ ἀποθανεῖν ἐπίσκοπον. Ὁ δὲ ἀντεδήλωσεν, Ἐλπίζω σὲ μὴ ἐπιβῆναι τῆς σαυτοῦ πατρίδος. Ταῦτα οὐκ ἔχω εἰπεῖν, εἰ ἀληθῆ ἔλεξαν οἱ ἐμοὶ ἀπαγγείλαντες. ᾿Αμφότεροι δὲ ὅμως ταύτην ἔσχον τὴν ἔκβασιν. Οὔτε γὰρ Ἐπιφάνιος τῆς Κύπρου ἐπέβη· ἐν γὰρ τῷ πλοίῳ ἀπιὼν ἐτελεύτησεν. Καὶ Ἰωάννης μικρὸν ὕστερον κατηνέχθη τοῦ θρόνου, ὡς προϊόντες δηλώσομεν.

Iōannēs ouk ēganaktēsen, eph᾽ hois para kanona en tę̄ autou Ekklēsią Epiphanios cheirotonian pepoiēto; alla parekalei, en tois episkopikois oikois symmenein autǭ. Ho de ouk ephē, oude symmenein autǭ, oude syneuxasthai, ean mē tous peri Dioskoron exelasę̄ tēs poleōs, autos de kathypograpsę̄ tois kathairetikois tōn Ōrigenous biblōn. Iōannou de tauta poiein hypertithemenou, kai legontos mē dein pro katholikēs diagnōseōs propetes ti poiein, epi heteran boulēn hoi apechthōs pros Iōannēn echontes ton Epiphanion agousi. Kataskeuazousi gar, mellousēs en tę̄ ekklēsią tę̄ epōnymǭ tōn ᾿Apostolōn synaxeōs ginesthai, proelthein ton Epiphanion, kai epi tou laou pantos diabalein men ta Ōrigenous biblia, apokēryxai de tous peri Dioskomon, kai diasyrai Iōannēn, hōs kai auton ekeinois tithemenon. Tauta anēngelē tǭ Iōannę̄; kai tę̄ hexēs tǭ Epiphaniǭ tēn ekklēsian ēdē kateilēphoti dēloi dia Sarapiōnos tade; Para kanonas pratteis polla, ō Epiphanie; prōton men cheirotonian en tais hyp᾿ eme ekklēsiais poiēsamenos; eith᾽ hoti mē protageis par᾽ emou, en autais eleitourgēsas, hoikeią authentią chrēsamenos. Palin te autothi protrapeis parę̄tēsō, kai nyn authis epitrepeis sautǭ. Phylaxai oun, mē tarachēs en tǭ laǭ diagenomenēs, ton ek tautēs kindynon anadexę̄ kai autos. Tauta akousas ho Epiphanios, eulabētheis anachōrei men tēs ekklēsias. Polla de tǭ Iōannę̄ memphome; nos, apairein epi tēn Kypron estelleto. Legousi de tines hoti apairein mellōn, tǭ Iōannę̄ tauta edēlōsen, Elpizō se mē apothanein episkopon. Ho de antedēlōsen, Elpizō se mē epibēnai tēs sautou patridos. Tauta ouk echō eipein, ei alēthē elexan hoi emoi apangeilantes. ᾿Amphoteroi de homōs tautēn eschon tēn ekbasin. Oute gar Epiphanios tēs Kyprou epebē; en gar tǭ ploiǭ apiōn eteleutēsen. Kai Iōannēs mikron hysteron katēnechthē tou thronou, hōs proïontes dēlōsomen.

John was not indignant that Epiphanius had held an ordination in his church contrary to the canons, but invited him to stay with him in the bishop's residence. Epiphanius said he would neither stay with him nor pray with him unless he drove Dioscorus and his brothers out of the city and himself signed the condemnations of Origen's books. When John put off doing this, saying that nothing rash should be done before a general examination, those hostile to John led Epiphanius to another plan. They arranged that, when an assembly was to be held in the church named after the Apostles, Epiphanius should come forward and before all the people denounce Origen's books, proscribe Dioscorus and his brothers, and disparage John as siding with them. This was reported to John; and the next day, when Epiphanius had already reached the church, he sent him this message through Serapion: 'You are doing many things contrary to the canons, Epiphanius: first, holding an ordination in the churches under me; then, officiating in them without being invited by me, using your own authority. Again, when invited here, you refused, and now you allow yourself this again. Take care, then, lest if a tumult arises among the people you yourself incur the danger from it.' When Epiphanius heard this, he was afraid and left the church; and blaming John much, he prepared to sail for Cyprus. Some say that when he was about to depart he sent this message to John: 'I hope you will not die a bishop'; and John answered, 'I hope you will not set foot in your own country.' Whether those who reported this to me told the truth I cannot say. But both, nevertheless, had this outcome: Epiphanius did not set foot in Cyprus, for he died on the ship on his way; and John not long after was brought down from his throne, as we shall show further on.

Notes and citation

Summary: John rebukes Epiphanius for uncanonical actions in Constantinople; Epiphanius leaves for Cyprus and dies at sea, and the two men's reported mutual predictions come true.

The opening words of the scan text ('... acting; so Epiphanius, alarmed, withdrew'), the end of Valesius's chapter title, are removed.
Socrates reports the exchange of predictions as hearsay, as he says.

Notes on the original text

Digital text corrected (end of the printed chapter title leaked into the text; stray mark): πράττοντι. "Οθεν ὁ Ἐπιφάνιος εὐλαβηθεὶς ἀνεχώρησε. Ἰωάννης → Ἰωάννης; ἐτελεύτησεν «. → ἐτελεύτησεν..

Topics: Church office, Heresy

Cite (SBL): Socrates, Hist. eccl. 6.14 (PG 67:705–707; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/socrates-historia/6-14). (abbreviation not yet checked)

Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/socrates-historia/6-14

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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.

6.15PG 67:707–711

Αποπλεύσαντος γὰρ τοῦ Ἐπιφανίου, πυνθάνεται παρὰ τινῶν ὁ Ἰωάννης, ὡς ἡ βασίλισσα Εὐδοξία τὸν Ἐπιφάνιον ἐξώπλισε κατ᾿ αὐτοῦ. Καὶ θερμὸς ὢν τὸ ἦθος, καὶ περὶ τὸν λόγον ἕτοιμος, μὴ μελλήσας διέξεισι ψόγον κοινὸν κατὰ πασῶν γυναικῶν ἐπὶ τοῦ λαοῦ. ᾿Αρπάζει τὸ πλῆθος τὸν λόγον, ὡς αἴνιγμα κατὰ τῆς βασιλίδος λεχθέν. Καὶ ὁ λόγος ἐκληφθεὶς ὑπὸ τῶν κακουργούντων, εἰς γνῶσιν ἄγεται τῶν κρατούντων. Γνοῦσα δὲ ἡ Αὐγοῦστα, πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα τὴν οἰκείαν ὕβριν ὠδύρατο, αὐτοῦ ὕβριν εἶναι λέγουσα τὴν ἑαυτῆς. Παρασκευάζει οὖν, τὸν Θεό φιλον ταχεῖαν ποιεῖσθαι σύνοδον κατ᾿ αὐτοῦ· συγ( κατασκευάζει δὲ ταῦτα καὶ Σεβηριανός· ἔτι γὰρ τὴν λύπην ἐφύλαττεν. Οὐ πολὺς οὖν ἐν μέσῳ χρόνος, καὶ παρῆν Θεόφιλος, πολλοὺς ἐκ διαφόρων πόλεων ἐπισκόπους ὁ κινήσας. Τοῦτο δὲ καὶ τοῦ βασιλέως ἐκέλευε πρόσταγμα· μάλιστα δὲ συνέῤῥεον, ὅσοι πρὸς Ἰωάννην ἄλλος δι᾿ ἄλλην αἰτίαν λελύπηντο. Παρῆσαν δὲ καὶ ὅσους τῆς ἐπισκοπῆς ἀπεκίνησε· πολλοὺς γὰρ ὁ Ἰωάννης καθῃρήκει · τῶν ἐν Ἀσίᾳ ἐπισκόπων, ὅτε διὰ τὴν Ἡρακλείδου χειροτονίαν ἀπεληλύθει ἐπὶ τὴν Ἔφεσον. Πάντες οὖν συμφωνήσαντες εἰς τὴν Χαλκηδόνα τῆς Βιθυνίας συνήρχοντο. Τότε δὲ ἦν ἐπίσκοπος τῆς Χαλκηδόνος Κυρῖνος ὄνομα, γένει γύπτιος, ὅστις πολλὰ πρὸς τοὺς ἐπισκόπους ἔλεγε, τὸν ἀσεβῆ, τὸν ἀλαζόνα, τὸν ἀγόνατον ἀποκαλῶν. Ἤδοντο μὲν οὖν ἐπὶ τοῖς λεγομένοις οἱ ἐπίσκοποι. Μαρουθᾶς δὲ, Μεσοποταμίας ἐπίσκοπος, ἄκων τὸν πόδα τοῦ Κυρίνου ἐπάτησεν. Ὁ δὲ ὀδυνηρῶς ἐκ τούτου διατεθεὶς, συνδιαβῆναι τοῖς ἐπισκόποις ἐπὶ τὴν Κωνσταντίνου πόλιν οὐ δεδύνηται. Ἀλλὰ μένει μὲν αὐτὸς ἐν τῇ Χαλκηδόνι· οἱ δὲ ἄλλοι διεπεραιώθησαν. Θεοφίλῳ δὲ οὐδενὸς τῶν τῆς ἐκκλησίας ἀπαντησάντων, οὐδὲ τιμὴν τὴν εἰωθυῖαν παρεσχηκότων· φανερὸς γὰρ ἐχθρὸς ἐγινώσκετο· τῶν ᾿Αλεξανδρέων τὸ ναυτικὸν, ἔτυχε γὰρ τότε παρεῖναι τὰ σιτηγοῦντα τῶν πλοίων, ἀπαντήσαντα σὺν εὐφημίᾳ ἐδέξαντο. δὲ παρῃτεῖτο μὲν ἐπὶ τὸν εὐκτήριον οἶκον εἰσελθεῖν· • : ἐν μιᾷ δὲ τῶν βασιλίδων οἰκίᾳ καταλύει, ᾗ προσωνυμία Πλακιδιαναί. Τότε ἐντεῦθεν ἀνεκινοῦντο κατὰ Ἰωάννου κατηγορίαι πολλαί· καὶ οὐκέτι μὲν τῶν Ωριγένους βιβλίων μνεία τις ἦν· ἐπὶ ἑτέρας δὲ ἀτόπους κατηγορίας ἐτρέποντο. Τούτων δὲ οὕτω προκατεσκευασμένων, συνελθόντες οἱ ἐπίσκοποι ἐν προαστείῳ Χαλκηδόνος ᾧ ἐπώνυμον Δρῦς, καλοῦσιν εὐθὺς τὸν Ἰωάννην, ἀπολογησόμενον περὶ ὧν κατηγορεῖτο. Ἐκέλευον δὲ παρεῖναι ἅμα αὐτῷ Σαραπίωνα, καὶ Τίγριν εὐνοῦχον πρεσβύτερον, καὶ Παῦλον ἀναγνώστην. Καὶ γὰρ οὗτοι συγκατηγοροῦντο αὐτῷ. Ἐπεὶ δὲ ὁ Ἰωάννης τοὺς καλοῦντας ὡς ἐχθροὺς παρεγγράφετο, οἰκουμενικὴν δὲ ἐπεκαλεῖτο σύνοδον, μὴ μελλήσαντες τετράκις αὐτὸν ἐκάλεσαν. Τοῦ δὲ μὴ βουληθέντος ἀπαντῆσαι, ἀλλὰ τὰ αὐτὰ λέγοντος, κατεψηφίσαντο καὶ καθεῖλον αὐτὸν, ἄλλο μὲν οὐδὲν αἰτιασάμενοι, μόνον δὲ ὅτι καλούμενος οὐχ ὑπήκουσε. Τοῦτο ἀπαγγελθὲν περὶ ἑσπέραν πρὸς μεγίστην στάσιν ἐξῆπτε τὸ πλῆθος· καὶ διανυχτερεύοντες οὐ συνεχώρουν ἀφέλκεσθαι τῆς ἐκκλησίας αὐτόν· ἀλλ᾽ ἐβόων δεῖν κρίνεσθαι τὰ κατ᾿ αὐτὸν ἐπὶ μείζονος συνεδρίου. Τοῦ βασιλέως δὲ ἐκέλευε πρόσταγμα, ᾗ τάχος ἐξωθεῖσθαι αὐτὸν, καὶ ἐπ᾿ ἐξορίαν ἀπάγεσθαι. Τοῦτο γνοὺς ὁ Ἰωάννης, τῇ τρίτῃ ἡμέρᾳ μετὰ τὴν καθαίρεσιν περὶ τὸ μεσημβρινὸν ἑαυτὸν ἐξέδωκε, λαθὼν τὸ πλῆθος. Ἐφυλάττετο γὰρ μή τις ταραχή γένηται δι' αὐτόν· καὶ ὁ μὲν ἀπήγετο.

Apopleusantos gar tou Epiphaniou, pynthanetai para tinōn ho Iōannēs, hōs hē basilissa Eudoxia ton Epiphanion exōplise kat᾿ autou. Kai thermos ōn to ēthos, kai peri ton logon hetoimos, mē mellēsas diexeisi psogon koinon kata pasōn gynaikōn epi tou laou. ᾿Arpazei to plēthos ton logon, hōs ainigma kata tēs basilidos lechthen. Kai ho logos eklēphtheis hypo tōn kakourgountōn, eis gnōsin agetai tōn kratountōn. Gnousa de hē Augousta, pros ton basilea tēn oikeian hybrin ōdyrato, autou hybrin einai legousa tēn heautēs. Paraskeuazei oun, ton Theo philon tacheian poieisthai synodon kat᾿ autou; syg( kataskeuazei de tauta kai Sebērianos; eti gar tēn lypēn ephylatten. Ou polys oun en mesǭ chronos, kai parēn Theophilos, pollous ek diaphorōn poleōn episkopous ho kinēsas. Touto de kai tou basileōs ekeleue prostagma; malista de synerrheon, hosoi pros Iōannēn allos di᾿ allēn aitian lelypēnto. Parēsan de kai hosous tēs episkopēs apekinēse; pollous gar ho Iōannēs kathę̄rēkei ; tōn en Asią episkopōn, hote dia tēn Hērakleidou cheirotonian apelēlythei epi tēn Epheson. Pantes oun symphōnēsantes eis tēn Chalkēdona tēs Bithynias synērchonto. Tote de ēn episkopos tēs Chalkēdonos Kyrinos onoma, genei gyptios, hostis polla pros tous episkopous elege, ton asebē, ton alazona, ton agonaton apokalōn. Ēdonto men oun epi tois legomenois hoi episkopoi. Marouthas de, Mesopotamias episkopos, akōn ton poda tou Kyrinou epatēsen. Ho de odynērōs ek toutou diatetheis, syndiabēnai tois episkopois epi tēn Kōnstantinou polin ou dedynētai. Alla menei men autos en tę̄ Chalkēdoni; hoi de alloi dieperaiōthēsan. Theophilǭ de oudenos tōn tēs ekklēsias apantēsantōn, oude timēn tēn eiōthuian pareschēkotōn; phaneros gar echthros eginōsketo; tōn ᾿Alexandreōn to nautikon, etyche gar tote pareinai ta sitēgounta tōn ploiōn, apantēsanta syn euphēmią edexanto. de parę̄teito men epi ton euktērion oikon eiselthein; • : en mią de tōn basilidōn oikią katalyei, hę̄ prosōnymia Plakidianai. Tote enteuthen anekinounto kata Iōannou katēgoriai pollai; kai ouketi men tōn Ōrigenous bibliōn mneia tis ēn; epi heteras de atopous katēgorias etreponto. Toutōn de houtō prokateskeuasmenōn, synelthontes hoi episkopoi en proasteiǭ Chalkēdonos hǭ epōnymon Drys, kalousin euthys ton Iōannēn, apologēsomenon peri hōn katēgoreito. Ekeleuon de pareinai hama autǭ Sarapiōna, kai Tigrin eunouchon presbyteron, kai Paulon anagnōstēn. Kai gar houtoi synkatēgorounto autǭ. Epei de ho Iōannēs tous kalountas hōs echthrous parengrapheto, oikoumenikēn de epekaleito synodon, mē mellēsantes tetrakis auton ekalesan. Tou de mē boulēthentos apantēsai, alla ta auta legontos, katepsēphisanto kai katheilon auton, allo men ouden aitiasamenoi, monon de hoti kaloumenos ouch hypēkouse. Touto apangelthen peri hesperan pros megistēn stasin exēpte to plēthos; kai dianychtereuontes ou synechōroun aphelkesthai tēs ekklēsias auton; all᾽ eboōn dein krinesthai ta kat᾿ auton epi meizonos synedriou. Tou basileōs de ekeleue prostagma, hę̄ tachos exōtheisthai auton, kai ep᾿ exorian apagesthai. Touto gnous ho Iōannēs, tę̄ tritę̄ hēmerą meta tēn kathairesin peri to mesēmbrinon heauton exedōke, lathōn to plēthos. Ephylatteto gar mē tis tarachē genētai di' auton; kai ho men apēgeto.

After Epiphanius had sailed away, John learned from some people that the empress Eudoxia had armed Epiphanius against him. Being hot-tempered by character and ready of speech, he did not delay but delivered before the people a general invective against all women. The crowd seized on the speech as spoken in riddles against the empress; and the speech, taken up by ill-disposed people, was brought to the knowledge of those in power. When the Augusta learned of it, she complained to the emperor of the insult to her, saying that the insult to her was an insult to him. So she arranged for Theophilus to hold a synod against him quickly; and Severian helped to arrange it, for he still kept his grievance. Not much time passed before Theophilus arrived, having set in motion many bishops from various cities; an order of the emperor also commanded this. Above all those came flocking who had been aggrieved with John for one reason or another. Those whom he had removed from their bishoprics were also present; for John had deposed many of the bishops in Asia when he went to Ephesus for the ordination of Heraclides. So all, in agreement, assembled at Chalcedon in Bithynia. At that time the bishop of Chalcedon was a man named Cyrinus, an Egyptian by race, who said much against John to the bishops, calling him the impious, the arrogant, the man who will not bend the knee. The bishops were pleased with what was said. But Maruthas, bishop of Mesopotamia, accidentally trod on Cyrinus's foot; and he, badly hurt by it, could not cross with the bishops to Constantinople, but stayed himself in Chalcedon while the others crossed over. None of the church went to meet Theophilus or gave him the customary honour, for he was known to be an open enemy; but the Alexandrian sailors, for the grain ships happened to be there then, met him with acclamation and received him. He declined to enter the house of prayer, and lodged in one of the imperial houses, called the Placidianae. From then many accusations were stirred up against John; and there was no longer any mention of Origen's books, but they turned to other absurd accusations. When these things had been prepared in this way, the bishops met in a suburb of Chalcedon called The Oak and at once summoned John to defend himself on the charges brought against him. They ordered Serapion, Tigrius the eunuch presbyter, and Paul the reader to be present with him, for these were accused together with him. When John objected to those summoning him as his enemies and appealed to an ecumenical synod, they did not delay but summoned him four times. When he would not appear but said the same things, they condemned and deposed him, accusing him of nothing else, but only that he had not obeyed when summoned. When this was reported toward evening, it kindled the multitude to a very great riot; they stayed up all night and would not allow him to be dragged from the church, but shouted that his case must be judged by a greater council. But an order of the emperor commanded that he be expelled with all speed and taken into exile. When John learned this, on the third day after his deposition, about midday, he gave himself up without the crowd's knowledge, for he took care that no tumult should arise on his account; and he was led away.

Notes and citation

Summary: After a sermon against women taken as aimed at Eudoxia, Theophilus convenes the Synod of the Oak, which deposes John for not appearing; John gives himself up for exile.

The opening words of the scan text ('... when a synod was held against him at Chalcedon, he is expelled from the church'), the end of Valesius's chapter title, are removed.
The Synod of the Oak met in 403.

Notes on the original text

Digital text corrected (end of the printed chapter title leaked into the text; stray letter): συνόδου γενομένης ἐν Χαλκηδόνι κατ᾿ αὐτοῦ, τῆς Ἐκκλησίας ἐξωθεῖται. Αποπλεύσαντος → Αποπλεύσαντος; ἀπήγετο ο. → ἀπήγετο.; κατηγορίαι πολλαί ἀ· → κατηγορίαι πολλαί·.

Topics: Church office

Cite (SBL): Socrates, Hist. eccl. 6.15 (PG 67:707–711; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/socrates-historia/6-15). (abbreviation not yet checked)

Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/socrates-historia/6-15

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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.

6.16PG 67:711–713

Ὁ δὲ λαὸς ἀφόρητα ἐστασίαζεν. Οἷα δὲ ἐν τοῖς τοιούτοις φιλεῖ γίνεσθαι, πολλοὶ τῶν ἀπεχθῶς πρὸς αὐτὸν ἐχόντων ἐπὶ οἶκτον μετεβάλλοντο, καὶ συκοφαντεῖσθαι ἔλεγον, ὃν μικρῷ ἔμπροσθεν καθῃρημένον ἐπεθύμουν θεάσασθαι. Πλείους οὖν καὶ διατοῦτο ἐγίν νοντο οἱ καταβοῶντες καὶ τοῦ βασιλέως καὶ τῆς συν· όδου τῶν ἐπισκόπων. Μάλιστα δὲ Θεοφίλῳ τῆς σκευωρίας τὴν αἰτίαν ἐτίθεσαν. Οὐ γὰρ ἔτι λανθάνειν ἐπὶ - τοῖς σκευωρημένοις ἐδύνατο· ἐκ πολλῶν μὲν οὖν καὶ ἄλλων τεκμηρίων, μάλιστα δὲ ὅτι τοῖς περὶ Διόσκορον, τοῖς ἐπιλεγομένοις Μακροῖς, εὐθὺς μετὰ τὴν Ἰωάννου καθαίρεσιν ἐκοινώνησε. Τότε δὴ καὶ Σεβηριανὸς ἐπὶ τῆς ἐκκλησίας διδάσκων, εὐκαίρως ἔδοξε διασύρειν τὸν Ἰωάννην, φήσας, Εἰ καὶ μηδὲν ἄλλο κατέγνωστο Ἰωάννης, ἀλλ᾽ οὖν γε ἱκανὸν ἔγκλημα πρὸς καθαίρεσιν τὸ ἀλαζονικὸν ἦθος αὐτοῦ. Πάντα μὲν γὰρ τὰ ἁμαρτήματα συγχωρεῖται τοῖς ἀνθρώποις· ὑπερηφάνοις δὲ ὁ Θεὸς ἀντιτάσσεται, ὡς διδάσκουσιν αἱ θεῖαι Γραφαί. Ταῦτα λεχθέντα, φιλονεικότερον ἐποίει τὸ πλῆθος. Διὸ τὴν ἀνάκλησιν ταχεῖαν ὁ βασιλεὺς ἐποίησε γενέσθαι. Πεμφθεὶς οὖν Βρίσων, ὁ τῆς βασιλίδος εὐνοῦχος, καταλαμβάνει αὐτὸν ἐν Πρενέτῳ, ἐμπόριον δὲ τοῦτο καταντικρὺ τῆς Νικομηδείας κείμενον, καὶ ἀναστρέφει αὐτὸν ἐπὶ τὴν Κωνσταντίνου πόλιν. Ἐπεὶ δὲ ἀνακληθεὶς Ἰωάννης οὐ πρότερον εἰς τὴν πόλιν εἰσελθεῖν προ ῃρεῖτο, ἢ ἐν μείζονι δικαστηρίῳ ἀθωωθῆναι, ἐν προαστείῳ, ὅ καλεῖται Μαριαναὶ τέως ἐπέμενε. Παρέλκοντος δὲ αὐτοῦ καὶ μὴ βουλομένου εἰς τὴν πόλιν ἐπανελθεῖν, ἠγανάκτει τὸ πλῆθος, καὶ ᾗ τάχος βλάσφημα κατὰ τῶν κρατούντων ἠφίεσαν ῥήματα· διὸ καὶ ἀνάγκην ἐπέθηκαν τῇ ἐπανόδῳ αὐτοῦ. Ἀπαντῆσαν οὖν τὸ πλῆθος σὺν πολλῇ σεβασμίῳ τιμῇ, ἐπὶ τὴν ἐκκλησίαν εὐθὺς ἄγουσι· καὶ παρεκάλουν, ἔν τε τῷ ἐπισκοπικῷ θρόνῳ καθέζεσθαι, καὶ συνήθως τῷ λαῷ τὴν εἰρήνην ἐπεύξασθαι. Τοῦ δὲ παραιτουμένου, καὶ λέγοντος ὅτι τοῦτο δεῖ κρίσει γενέσθαι, καὶ δεῖν τοὺς καταψηφισαμένους πάλιν ἀποψηφίσασθαι, ἐξεκαίετο τὸ πλῆθος, ἰδεῖν αὐτὸν καθήμενον ἐν τῷ θρόνῳ ποθοῦντες, καὶ πάλιν αὐτοῦ διδάσκοντος ἀκροᾶσθαι· ἐξίσχυσεν ὁ λαὸς ταῦτα κατεργάσασθαι. Καl καθίσας ὁ Ἰωάννης εἰς τὸν ἐπισκοπικὸν θρόνον συνήθως μὲν τὴν εἰρήνην τῷ λαῷ ἐπηύξατο. Προσαναγκασθεὶς δὲ καὶ ἐδίδαξε. Τοῦτο πραχθὲν τοῖς ἀπεχθῶς ἔχουσι πρὸς αὐτὸν ἑτέρας σκευωρίας παρέσχεν ὑπόθεσιν· ἀλλὰ περὶ τούτου μὲν τέως ἡσύχαζον.

Ho de laos aphorēta estasiazen. Hoia de en tois toioutois philei ginesthai, polloi tōn apechthōs pros auton echontōn epi oikton meteballonto, kai sykophanteisthai elegon, hon mikrǭ emprosthen kathę̄rēmenon epethymoun theasasthai. Pleious oun kai diatouto egin nonto hoi kataboōntes kai tou basileōs kai tēs syn; odou tōn episkopōn. Malista de Theophilǭ tēs skeuōrias tēn aitian etithesan. Ou gar eti lanthanein epi - tois skeuōrēmenois edynato; ek pollōn men oun kai allōn tekmēriōn, malista de hoti tois peri Dioskoron, tois epilegomenois Makrois, euthys meta tēn Iōannou kathairesin ekoinōnēse. Tote dē kai Sebērianos epi tēs ekklēsias didaskōn, eukairōs edoxe diasyrein ton Iōannēn, phēsas, Ei kai mēden allo kategnōsto Iōannēs, all᾽ oun ge hikanon enklēma pros kathairesin to alazonikon ēthos autou. Panta men gar ta hamartēmata synchōreitai tois anthrōpois; hyperēphanois de ho Theos antitassetai, hōs didaskousin hai theiai Graphai. Tauta lechthenta, philoneikoteron epoiei to plēthos. Dio tēn anaklēsin tacheian ho basileus epoiēse genesthai. Pemphtheis oun Brisōn, ho tēs basilidos eunouchos, katalambanei auton en Prenetǭ, emporion de touto katantikry tēs Nikomēdeias keimenon, kai anastrephei auton epi tēn Kōnstantinou polin. Epei de anaklētheis Iōannēs ou proteron eis tēn polin eiselthein pro ę̄reito, ē en meizoni dikastēriǭ athōōthēnai, en proasteiǭ, ho kaleitai Marianai teōs epemene. Parelkontos de autou kai mē boulomenou eis tēn polin epanelthein, ēganaktei to plēthos, kai hę̄ tachos blasphēma kata tōn kratountōn ēphiesan rhēmata; dio kai anankēn epethēkan tę̄ epanodǭ autou. Apantēsan oun to plēthos syn pollę̄ sebasmiǭ timę̄, epi tēn ekklēsian euthys agousi; kai parekaloun, en te tǭ episkopikǭ thronǭ kathezesthai, kai synēthōs tǭ laǭ tēn eirēnēn epeuxasthai. Tou de paraitoumenou, kai legontos hoti touto dei krisei genesthai, kai dein tous katapsēphisamenous palin apopsēphisasthai, exekaieto to plēthos, idein auton kathēmenon en tǭ thronǭ pothountes, kai palin autou didaskontos akroasthai; exischysen ho laos tauta katergasasthai. Kal kathisas ho Iōannēs eis ton episkopikon thronon synēthōs men tēn eirēnēn tǭ laǭ epēuxato. Prosanankastheis de kai edidaxe. Touto prachthen tois apechthōs echousi pros auton heteras skeuōrias pareschen hypothesin; alla peri toutou men teōs hēsychazon.

The people rioted beyond control. As usually happens in such cases, many of those hostile to him turned to pity, and said that he was being falsely accused whom a little before they had longed to see deposed. So for this reason those who cried out against both the emperor and the synod of bishops became more numerous. Above all they laid the blame for the plot on Theophilus, for he could no longer hide what he had contrived, from many other signs, but above all because immediately after John's deposition he entered into communion with Dioscorus and his brothers, the ones called the Tall. Then Severian too, teaching in the church, thought it a good moment to disparage John, saying: 'Even if John had been convicted of nothing else, his arrogant character is a sufficient charge for deposition. For all sins are forgiven men, but God opposes the proud, as the divine Scriptures teach.' This speech made the multitude more contentious. So the emperor had the recall made speedily. Briso, the empress's eunuch, was sent and found him at Prenetus, a market town lying opposite Nicomedia, and brought him back to Constantinople. When John, recalled, chose not to enter the city before being acquitted by a greater court, he stayed for a time in the suburb called Marianae. As he delayed and would not return to the city, the multitude grew indignant and at once let fly blasphemous words against those in power; and so they forced his return. The multitude met him with great reverence and honour and at once led him to the church, and urged him to sit on the bishop's throne and, as usual, to pray peace on the people. When he declined, saying that this must be done by judgment and that those who had condemned him must reverse their vote, the multitude burned with desire, longing to see him seated on the throne and to hear him teach again; and the people prevailed in bringing this about. John took his seat on the bishop's throne and prayed peace on the people as usual; and being compelled, he also taught. This gave those hostile to him material for another plot; but for the time being they kept quiet about it.

Jas 4:6 (quotation, high confidence) · 1 Pet 5:5 (quotation, high confidence) · Prov 3:34 (allusion, medium confidence)

Notes and citation

Summary: The people's uproar and Severian's tactless sermon lead the emperor to recall John, whom the crowd forces back onto his throne.

'God opposes the proud' is from Prov 3:34, quoted in Jas 4:6 and 1 Pet 5:5.

Topics: Church office

Cite (SBL): Socrates, Hist. eccl. 6.16 (PG 67:711–713; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/socrates-historia/6-16). (abbreviation not yet checked)

Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/socrates-historia/6-16

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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.