Church History 7.32–7.47
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 7
7.32PG 67:807–811
Συνῆν αὐτῷ ᾿Αναστάσιος πρεσβύτερος ἅμα αὐτῷ ἐκ τῆς Ἀντιοχείας σταλείς. Τοῦτον διὰ τιμῆς εἶχε πολλῆς· καὶ ἐν τοῖς πράγμασι συμβούλῳ ἐχρῆτο. Καί ποτε ἐπ᾿ ἐκκλησίας ὁ ᾿Αναστάσιος διδάσκων ἔφη, Θεοτόκον τὴν Μαρίαν καλείτω μηδείς. Μαρία γὰρ ἄνθρωπος ἦν · ὑπὸ ἀνθρώπου δὲ Θεὸν τεχθῆναι, ἀδύνατον. Τοῦτο ἀκουσθὲν, πολλοὺς κληρικούς τε καὶ λαϊκοὺς ἐν ταυτῷ πάντας ἑτάραξεν. Ἡσαν γὰρ πάλαι διδαχθέντες θεολογεῖν τὸν Χριστὸν, καὶ μηδαμῶς αὐτὸν τῆς οἰκονομίας, ὡς ἄνθρωπον, χωρίζειν ἐκ τῆς θεότητος, πειθόμενοι τῇ τοῦ ᾿Αποστόλου φωνῇ λεγούσῃ· Εἰ καὶ ἐγνώκαμεν κατὰ σάρκα Χριστὸν, ἀλλὰ νῦν οὐκέτι γινώσκομεν· καί Διὸ ἀφέντες · τὸν περὶ Χριστοῦ λόγον, ἐπὶ τὴν τελειότητα φερώμεθα. Ταραχῆς οὖν, ὡς ἔφην, ἐν τῇ ἐκκλησίᾳ γενομένης, ὁ Νεστόριος τὸν τοῦ ᾿Αναστασίου λόγον κυρώσασθαι σπεύδων· οὐ γὰρ ἐξελέγχεσθαι ὡς βλάσφημον τὸν παρ' αὐτοῦ τιμώμενον ἤθελε· συνεχῶς περὶ τούτου ἐπὶ τῆς ἐκκλησίας ἐδίδασκε, φιλονεικότερόν τε περὶ αὐτοῦ τὰς ζητήσεις ποιούμενος, καὶ πανταχοῦ τὴν λέξιν τοῦ Θεοτόκος ἐκβάλλων. Διὸ τῆς περὶ τούτου ζητήσεως παρ᾿ ἄλλοις ἄλλως ἐκδεχθείσης, διαίρεσις ἐν τῇ Ἐκκλησίᾳ ἐγένετο. Καὶ ὥσπερ ἐν νυκτομαχίᾳ καθεστῶτες, νῦν μὲν ταῦτα ἔλεγον, νῦν δὲ τὰ ἕτερα· συγκατετίθεντό τε ἐν ταυτῷ, καὶ ἠρνοῦντο. Νεστόριος δὲ δόξαν παρὰ τοῖς πολλοῖς εἶχεν, ὡς ψιλὸν ἄνθρωπον λέγων τὸν Κύριον, καὶ ὡς Παύλου τοῦ Σαμοσατέως καὶ Φωτεινοῦ τὸ δόγμα εἰς τὴν Ἐκκλησίαν ἄγων. ᾿Αλλὰ περὶ τούτου τοσαύτη ἐκινήθη ζήτησις καὶ ταραχὴ, ὡς καὶ συνόδου οἰκουμενικῆς δεηθῆναι. Ἐγὼ δὲ ἐντυχών τοῖς παρὰ Νεστορίου λόγοις δοθεῖσιν, ἀγνοοῦντα ἐφευρίσκω τὸν ἄνδρα, καὶ μετ' ἀληθείας ἐρῶ, Οὐδὲ γὰρ οὔτε ἀπεχθανόμενος πρὸς αὐτὸν, ὧν εἶχεν ἐλατπωμάτων ἐμνήσθην· οὔτε χαριζόμενός τισιν, ἐλαττονοῦντα ὧν ἐφεῦρον, ἐκθήσομαι. Οὔ μοι δοκεῖ ὁ Νεστόριος, οὔτε τὸν Σαμοσατέα Παῦλον ζηλῶν, οὔτε μὴν Φωτεινὸν, μηδ᾽ ὅλως ψιλὸν ἄνθρωπον λέγειν τὸν Κύριον. ᾿Αλλὰ τὴν λέξιν μόνην ὡς τὰ μορμολύκια πεφόβηται. Καὶ τοῦτο πέπονθεν ὑπὸ ἀμαθίας πολ- : λῆς. Φυσικὸς γὰρ εὔλαλος ὢν, πεπαιδεῦσθαι μὲν ἐνομίζετο· τῇ δὲ ἀληθείᾳ, ἀνάγωγος ἦν· καὶ τὰς τῶν παλαιῶν ἑρμηνεύων βίβλους, ἀπηξίου μανθάνειν. Τυφούμενος γὰρ ὑπὸ τῆς εὐγλωττίας, οὐx ἀκριβῶς προσεῖχε τοῖς παλαιοῖς· ἀλλὰ πάντων κρείττονα ἐνόμιζεν ἑαυτόν. Αὐτίκα γοῦν ἡγνόησεν, ὅτι ἐν τῇ Καθολικῇ Ἰωάννου γέγραπτο ἐν τοῖς παλαιοῖς ἀντιγράφοις, ὅτι Πᾶν πνεῦμα ὃ λύει τὸν Ἰησοῦν, ἀπὸ τοῦ Θεοῦ οὐκ ἐστι. Ταύτην γὰρ - τὴν διάνοιαν ἐκ τῶν παλαιῶν ἀντιγράφων περιεῖλον οἱ χωρίζειν ἀπὸ τοῦ τῆς οἰκονομίας ἀνθρώπου βουλό μενοι τὴν θεότητα. Διὸ καὶ οἱ παλαιοὶ ἑρμηνεῖς αὐτὸ τοῦτο ἐπεσημήναντο, ὡς τινες εἶεν ῥᾳδιουργήσαντες τὴν ἐπιστολὴν, λύειν ἀπὸ τοῦ Θεοῦ τὸν ἄνθρωπον θέλοντες. Συνανείληπται δὲ ἡ ἀνθρωπότης τῇ θεότητι· καὶ οὐκέτι εἰσὶ δύο, ἀλλὰ ἕν. Τοῦτο θαῤῥοῦντες οἱ παλαιοί, Θεοτόκον τὴν Μαρίαν λέγειν οὐκ ἄκνησαν. Οὕτω γὰρ καὶ ὁ Παμφίλου Εὐσέβιος ἐν τῷ τρίτῳ λόγῳ τῷ εἰς τὸν βίον Κωνσταντίνου, κατὰ λέξιν ταῦτα φησί · Καὶ γὰρ καὶ γέννησιν ὑπομένειν ὁ μεθ᾽ ἡμῶν Θεὸς δι' ἡμᾶς ἡνέσχετο· καὶ τόπος αὐτοῦ τῆς ἐνσάρκου γεννήσεως, ὀνομαστὶ παρ' Ἑβραίοις ἡ Βηθλεέμ ἐκηρύττετο. Διὸ δὴ καὶ ἡ βασίλισσα Ἑλένη ἡ θεοφιλεστάτη, τῆς Θεοτόκου τὴν κύησιν μνήμασι θαυμασίοις κατεκόσμει, παντοίως τὸ τῇδε ἱερὸν ἄντρον φαιδρύνουσα. Καὶ Ὠριγένης δὲ ἐν τῷ πρώτῳ τόμῳ τῶν εἰς τὴν πρὸς Ῥωμαίους τοῦ ᾿Αποστόλου ἐπιστολὴν, ἑρμηνεύων πῶς Θεοτόκος λέγεται, πλατέως ἐξήτασε. Φαίνεται τοίνυν ὁ Νεστόριος ἀγνοήσας τὰς πραγματείας τῶν παλαιῶν. Διὸ, καθὼς ἔφην, τὴν λέξιν μόνην περιίσταται. Ἐπεὶ ὅτι ψιλὸν οὐ λέγει ἄνθρωπον τὸν Χριστὸν, ὡς Φωτεινὸς ἢ Παῦλος ὁ Σαμοσατεὺς, καὶ αἱ ἐκδοθεῖσαι αὐτοῦ προσομιλίαι διδάσκουσιν, ὡς οὐδαμοῦ τὴν τοῦ Θεοῦ Λόγου ὑπόστασιν ἀναιρεῖ, ἀλλὰ πανταχοῦ ἐνυπόστατον αὐτὸν ὁμολογεῖ καὶ ἐνούσιον · οὐ μὴν ὡς Φωτεινὸς καὶ ὁ Σαμοσατεὺς, ἀναιρεῖ αὐτοῦ τὴν ὕπαρξιν. Τοῦτο γὰρ καὶ Μανιχαῖοι, καὶ οἱ ἀπὸ Μοντανοῦ δογματίζειν ἐτόλμησαν. Οὕτω μὲν οὖν τὸν Νεστόριον φρο: νοῦντα εὑρίσκω ἐγὼ, ἔκ τε ὧν ἀνέγνων αὐτοῦ λόγων, καὶ ἀφ᾿ οὗ οἱ ἐρασταὶ αὐτοῦ λέγουσιν. Οὐ μικρὰν μέντοι ταραχὴν τῇ οἰκουμένῃ ἡ ψυχρολογία Νεστορίου ἐκίνησεν.
Synēn autǭ ᾿Anastasios presbyteros hama autǭ ek tēs Antiocheias staleis. Touton dia timēs eiche pollēs; kai en tois pragmasi symboulǭ echrēto. Kai pote ep᾿ ekklēsias ho ᾿Anastasios didaskōn ephē, Theotokon tēn Marian kaleitō mēdeis. Maria gar anthrōpos ēn ; hypo anthrōpou de Theon techthēnai, adynaton. Touto akousthen, pollous klērikous te kai laïkous en tautǭ pantas hetaraxen. Hēsan gar palai didachthentes theologein ton Christon, kai mēdamōs auton tēs oikonomias, hōs anthrōpon, chōrizein ek tēs theotētos, peithomenoi tę̄ tou ᾿Apostolou phōnę̄ legousę̄; Ei kai egnōkamen kata sarka Christon, alla nyn ouketi ginōskomen; kai Dio aphentes ; ton peri Christou logon, epi tēn teleiotēta pherōmetha. Tarachēs oun, hōs ephēn, en tę̄ ekklēsią genomenēs, ho Nestorios ton tou ᾿Anastasiou logon kyrōsasthai speudōn; ou gar exelenchesthai hōs blasphēmon ton par' autou timōmenon ēthele; synechōs peri toutou epi tēs ekklēsias edidaske, philoneikoteron te peri autou tas zētēseis poioumenos, kai pantachou tēn lexin tou Theotokos ekballōn. Dio tēs peri toutou zētēseōs par᾿ allois allōs ekdechtheisēs, diairesis en tę̄ Ekklēsią egeneto. Kai hōsper en nyktomachią kathestōtes, nyn men tauta elegon, nyn de ta hetera; synkatetithento te en tautǭ, kai ērnounto. Nestorios de doxan para tois pollois eichen, hōs psilon anthrōpon legōn ton Kyrion, kai hōs Paulou tou Samosateōs kai Phōteinou to dogma eis tēn Ekklēsian agōn. ᾿Alla peri toutou tosautē ekinēthē zētēsis kai tarachē, hōs kai synodou oikoumenikēs deēthēnai. Egō de entychōn tois para Nestoriou logois dotheisin, agnoounta epheuriskō ton andra, kai met' alētheias erō, Oude gar oute apechthanomenos pros auton, hōn eichen elatpōmatōn emnēsthēn; oute charizomenos tisin, elattonounta hōn epheuron, ekthēsomai. Ou moi dokei ho Nestorios, oute ton Samosatea Paulon zēlōn, oute mēn Phōteinon, mēd᾽ holōs psilon anthrōpon legein ton Kyrion. ᾿Alla tēn lexin monēn hōs ta mormolykia pephobētai. Kai touto peponthen hypo amathias pol- : lēs. Physikos gar eulalos ōn, pepaideusthai men enomizeto; tę̄ de alētheią, anagōgos ēn; kai tas tōn palaiōn hermēneuōn biblous, apēxiou manthanein. Typhoumenos gar hypo tēs euglōttias, oux akribōs proseiche tois palaiois; alla pantōn kreittona enomizen heauton. Autika goun hēgnoēsen, hoti en tę̄ Katholikę̄ Iōannou gegrapto en tois palaiois antigraphois, hoti Pan pneuma ho lyei ton Iēsoun, apo tou Theou ouk esti. Tautēn gar - tēn dianoian ek tōn palaiōn antigraphōn perieilon hoi chōrizein apo tou tēs oikonomias anthrōpou boulo menoi tēn theotēta. Dio kai hoi palaioi hermēneis auto touto epesēmēnanto, hōs tines eien rhądiourgēsantes tēn epistolēn, lyein apo tou Theou ton anthrōpon thelontes. Synaneilēptai de hē anthrōpotēs tę̄ theotēti; kai ouketi eisi dyo, alla hen. Touto tharrhountes hoi palaioi, Theotokon tēn Marian legein ouk aknēsan. Houtō gar kai ho Pamphilou Eusebios en tǭ tritǭ logǭ tǭ eis ton bion Kōnstantinou, kata lexin tauta phēsi ; Kai gar kai gennēsin hypomenein ho meth᾽ hēmōn Theos di' hēmas hēnescheto; kai topos autou tēs ensarkou gennēseōs, onomasti par' Hebraiois hē Bēthleem ekērytteto. Dio dē kai hē basilissa Helenē hē theophilestatē, tēs Theotokou tēn kyēsin mnēmasi thaumasiois katekosmei, pantoiōs to tę̄de hieron antron phaidrynousa. Kai Ōrigenēs de en tǭ prōtǭ tomǭ tōn eis tēn pros Rhōmaious tou ᾿Apostolou epistolēn, hermēneuōn pōs Theotokos legetai, plateōs exētase. Phainetai toinyn ho Nestorios agnoēsas tas pragmateias tōn palaiōn. Dio, kathōs ephēn, tēn lexin monēn periistatai. Epei hoti psilon ou legei anthrōpon ton Christon, hōs Phōteinos ē Paulos ho Samosateus, kai hai ekdotheisai autou prosomiliai didaskousin, hōs oudamou tēn tou Theou Logou hypostasin anairei, alla pantachou enypostaton auton homologei kai enousion ; ou mēn hōs Phōteinos kai ho Samosateus, anairei autou tēn hyparxin. Touto gar kai Manichaioi, kai hoi apo Montanou dogmatizein etolmēsan. Houtō men oun ton Nestorion phro: nounta heuriskō egō, ek te hōn anegnōn autou logōn, kai aph᾿ hou hoi erastai autou legousin. Ou mikran mentoi tarachēn tę̄ oikoumenę̄ hē psychrologia Nestoriou ekinēsen.
There was with him Anastasius, a presbyter who had come with him from Antioch. He held him in great honour and used him as adviser in his affairs. Once Anastasius, teaching in church, said, 'Let no one call Mary Theotokos [Mother of God]; for Mary was a human being, and it is impossible for God to be born of a human being.' When this was heard it troubled many, clergy and laity alike. For they had long been taught to speak of Christ as God, and by no means to separate him, as man, in the dispensation from the Godhead, trusting the Apostle's word that says, 'Even if we have known Christ according to the flesh, now we know him so no longer'; and 'Therefore, leaving the word about Christ, let us go on to perfection.' When turmoil arose in the church, as I said, Nestorius, eager to confirm Anastasius's word, for he did not wish the one he honoured to be convicted of blasphemy, taught about this continually in church, making his inquiries about it in a more contentious way and everywhere rejecting the word Theotokos. So, as the question about this was taken by different people in different ways, a division arose in the church. Like men fighting a battle at night, they said now one thing, now another, assenting and denying at the same time. Nestorius had the reputation among most of saying that the Lord was a mere man and of bringing the doctrine of Paul of Samosata and Photinus into the church. And so great a question and turmoil was stirred up about this that an ecumenical synod was needed. But I, having read the discourses published by Nestorius, find the man ignorant, and I will say it with truth. For neither did I mention his failings out of hostility to him, nor will I set them out as less than I found them to gratify anyone. Nestorius does not seem to me to be emulating either Paul of Samosata or Photinus, or to say at all that the Lord was a mere man; but he feared the word alone as one fears bogeys. And this he suffered from great lack of learning. For being naturally fluent he was thought educated, but in truth he was untrained, and he disdained to study the books of the ancient interpreters. Puffed up by his eloquence, he did not attend carefully to the ancients, but thought himself better than all. For instance, he did not know that in the Catholic Epistle of John it was written in the ancient copies, 'Every spirit that separates Jesus is not from God.' For those who wished to separate the Godhead from the man of the dispensation removed this sense from the ancient copies. For this reason the ancient interpreters too remarked on this very point, that some had tampered with the letter, wishing to separate the man from God. But the humanity has been taken up together with the Godhead, and they are no longer two but one. Trusting this, the ancients did not shrink from calling Mary Theotokos. For so Eusebius, son of Pamphilus, in the third book of the Life of Constantine says word for word: 'For God with us endured even to undergo birth for our sake; and the place of his birth in the flesh was proclaimed by the Hebrews by name, Bethlehem. Therefore the most God-loving empress Helena adorned the pregnancy of the Theotokos with wonderful monuments, beautifying the sacred cave there in every way.' And Origen, in the first volume of his commentary on the Apostle's Letter to the Romans, explaining how she is called Theotokos, examined it at length. It appears, then, that Nestorius was ignorant of the writings of the ancients; so, as I said, he shuns the word alone. For that he does not call Christ a mere man, as Photinus or Paul of Samosata did, his published homilies also teach: he nowhere abolishes the hypostasis of God the Word, but everywhere confesses him to be existing in his own hypostasis and essence; he does not, like Photinus and the Samosatene, abolish his existence. For the Manichees and the followers of Montanus too dared to teach this. So I find Nestorius thinking, both from his discourses that I have read and from what his admirers say. Yet Nestorius's frigid talk stirred up no small turmoil in the world.
Textual problem in this passage: see the notes.
Luke 1:43 (echo, low confidence) · 2 Cor 5:16 (quotation, high confidence) · Heb 6:1 (quotation, high confidence) · 1 John 4:3 (quotation, high confidence) · Matt 1:23 (allusion, medium confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Nestorius's presbyter Anastasius denies that Mary is Theotokos, and Nestorius defends him; Socrates, from Nestorius's writings, judges him ignorant of the older authorities rather than a follower of Paul of Samosata, and cites 1 John, Eusebius and Origen for the title Theotokos.
- Theotokos ('God-bearer', 'Mother of God') is the title of Mary at issue in the Nestorian controversy.
- Quotations: 2 Cor 5:16; Heb 6:1. The reading 'every spirit that separates (lyei) Jesus' in 1 John 4:3 is a variant known to some Greek and Latin writers; most manuscripts read 'does not confess'.
- The quotation from Eusebius is Life of Constantine 3.43. Origen's comment on Theotokos in the first book on Romans is lost in Greek and absent from Rufinus's Latin translation.
- Socrates' judgment on Nestorius's views is his own and is translated as written; the council of Ephesus judged otherwise.
- 'Existing in his own hypostasis and essence' renders enypostatos and enousios.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (stray footnote numeral; stray letter): Μοντανοῦ 8 δογματίζειν → Μοντανοῦ δογματίζειν; λόγῳ ἡ τῷ εἰς → λόγῳ τῷ εἰς.
Extrabiblical texts: Eusebius, Vit. Const. 3.43 (Life of Constantine; quotation)
Topics: Christology, Heresy, Scripture and canon
Cite (SBL): Socrates, Hist. eccl. 7.32 (PG 67:807–811; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/socrates-historia/7-32). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/socrates-historia/7-32
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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.
7.33PG 67:811–813
Καὶ τούτων γενομένων, ἐπισυνέβη μυσαρόν τι πρᾶγμα κατὰ τὴν ἐκκλησίαν γενέσθαι. Οἰκέται γὰρ ἑνὸς τῶν μεγάλα δυναμένων, βάρβαροι ὄντες τὸ γένος, ἀπηνοῦς τοῦ δεσπότου πειρώμενοι, τῇ ἐκκλησίᾳ προσφεύγουσι. Καὶ ξιφηροῦντες, εἰς τὸ θυσιαστήριον εἰσεπήδησαν · παρακαλούμενοί τε ἐξελθεῖν, οὐδενὶ τρόπῳ ἐπείθοντο· ἀλλ᾿ ἐμποδὼν ταῖς ἱεραῖς λειτουργίαις ἐγίνοντο. Ἐπί τε ἡμέρας πολλὰς τὰ ξίφη γυμνὰ κατέχοντες, ἕτοιμοι πρὸς τὸ ἀμύνασθαι πάντα τὸν προσιόντα ἐγίνοντο. Καὶ δὴ ἕνα τῶν κληρικῶν ἀποσφάξαντες, καὶ ἄλλον τραυματίσαντες, τέλος ἐπικατέσφαξαν ἑαυτούς. Καί τις τῶν παρόντων, οὐ καλὸν ἔλεγε σημαίνειν τὸν μολυσμὸν τοῦ ναοῦ, ἐπιλέγων ἀρχαίου τινὸς ποιητοῦ δύο Ιάμβους· Σημεῖα γὰρ τὰ τοιαῦτα γίνεσθαι φιλεῖ, "Ὅταν ἐν ναοῖς ἐγκατασκήψη μῦσος. Καὶ τῆς δόξης ὁ εἰπὼν οὐ διήμαρτεν. Τὴν διαίρεσιν γὰρ ὡς ἔοικεν ἐσήμαινε τοῦ λαοῦ, καὶ καθαίρεσιν τοῦ αἰτίου τῆς διαιρέσεως.
Kai toutōn genomenōn, episynebē mysaron ti pragma kata tēn ekklēsian genesthai. Oiketai gar henos tōn megala dynamenōn, barbaroi ontes to genos, apēnous tou despotou peirōmenoi, tę̄ ekklēsią prospheugousi. Kai xiphērountes, eis to thysiastērion eisepēdēsan ; parakaloumenoi te exelthein, oudeni tropǭ epeithonto; all᾿ empodōn tais hierais leitourgiais eginonto. Epi te hēmeras pollas ta xiphē gymna katechontes, hetoimoi pros to amynasthai panta ton prosionta eginonto. Kai dē hena tōn klērikōn aposphaxantes, kai allon traumatisantes, telos epikatesphaxan heautous. Kai tis tōn parontōn, ou kalon elege sēmainein ton molysmon tou naou, epilegōn archaiou tinos poiētou dyo Iambous; Sēmeia gar ta toiauta ginesthai philei, "Hotan en naois enkataskēpsē mysos. Kai tēs doxēs ho eipōn ou diēmarten. Tēn diairesin gar hōs eoiken esēmaine tou laou, kai kathairesin tou aitiou tēs diaireseōs.
While these things were happening, an abominable thing also happened in the church. Slaves of one of the powerful, barbarians by race, experiencing a harsh master, fled to the church for refuge. Bearing swords, they rushed into the sanctuary; and when urged to come out, they would by no means obey, but obstructed the sacred services. For many days they held their swords drawn, ready to fight off anyone who came near. Then, having killed one of the clergy and wounded another, they finally killed themselves. One of those present said that the pollution of the temple signified no good, quoting two iambic lines of some ancient poet: 'For such signs are wont to come to pass when abomination falls upon the temples.' And the one who said it was not wrong in his opinion; for it signified, it seems, the division of the people and the deposition of the cause of the division.
Notes and citation
Summary: Armed slaves seeking sanctuary kill a cleric and themselves in the church at Constantinople, taken as an omen of division.
- The two iambic lines are from an unidentified ancient poet.
Cite (SBL): Socrates, Hist. eccl. 7.33 (PG 67:811–813; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/socrates-historia/7-33). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/socrates-historia/7-33
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-socrates-historia-7-33) · 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.
7.34PG 67:813–815
Οὐ πολὺς γὰρ ἐν μέσῳ χρόνος, καὶ τοὺς πανταχόθεν ἐπισκόπους πρόσταγμα τοῦ βασιλέως εἰς τὴν Ἐφεσίων συνιέναι ἐκέλευσεν. Εὐθὺς οὖν μετὰ τὴν τοῦ Πάσχα ἑορτὴν, ὁ Νεστόριος σὺν πολλῇ δυνάμει ὄχλων παρὴν εἰς τὴν Ἔφεσον, εὑρίσκει τε πολλοὺς τῶν ἐπισκόπων συνεληλυθότας ἐκεῖ. Ὁ δὲ τῆς ᾿Αλεξανδρείας Κύριλλος μικρὸν ὑστερήσας, περὶ τὴν Πεντηκοστὴν ἀπήντησεν. Πέμπτῃ δὲ μετὰ τὴν σ Πεντηκοστὴν ἡμέρᾳ, καὶ Ἰουβενάλιος ὁ τῆς Ἱεροσο λύμων, ἐπέστη. Ἰωάννου δὲ τοῦ ᾿Αντιοχείας βραδύναντος, οἱ παρόντες ἀνεκινοῦντο ζήτημα. Καὶ Κύριλλος ᾿Αλεξανδρείας, ἀκροβολισμούς τινας ἐποιεῖτο τῶν λόγων, Νεστόριον ταράττειν βουλόμενος, καὶ γὰρ ἀπεχθῶς εἶχε πρὸς αὐτόν. Καὶ δὴ πολλῶν θεολογούντων τὸν Χριστὸν, Ἐγὼ, ἔφη Νεστόριος, τὸν γενόμενον διμηνιαῖον καὶ τριμηνιαῖον, οὐκ ἂν Θεὸν ὀνομάσαιμι. Καὶ διατοῦτο καθαρός εἰμι ἀπὸ τοῦ αἵματος ὑμῶν. Καὶ ἀπὸ τοῦ νῦν, πρὸς ὑμᾶς οὐκ ἐλεύσομαι. Καὶ ταῦτα εἰπὼν, μετὰ τῶν λοιπῶν ἐπισκόπων ἠθροίζετο, οἱ τῇ αὐτοῦ ἠκολούθουν γνώμῃ. Διῃροῦντο οὖν οἱ παρόντες εἰς δύο τμήματα. Οἱ οὖν περὶ Κύριλλον, συνέδριον ποιησάμενοι ἐκάλεσαν τὸν Νεστόριον. Ὁ δὲ οὐχ ὑπήκουσεν, εἰς τὴν παρουσίαν Ἰωάννου τοῦ ᾿Αντιοχέως ὑπερτιθέμενος. Οἱ δὲ περὶ Κύριλλον, τὰς προσομιλίας Νεστορίου ἃς περὶ τοῦ ζητήματος εἰρήκει, πολλάκις ὑπαναγνόντες, ἐξ αὐτῶν τε κρίναντες εὐτόνως βλασφημήσαντα εἰς τὸν Υἱὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ, καθεῖλον αὐτόν. Τούτου γενομένου, οἱ περὶ Νεστόριον ἕτερον καθ' ἑαυτοὺς συνέδριον ποιησάμενοι, καθαιροῦσι Κύριλλον, καὶ σὺν αὐτῷ Μέμνονα τὸν τῆς Ἐφέσου ἐπίσκοπον. Οὐκ εἰς μακρὰν δὲ καὶ μεταταῦτα ἐπέστη Ἰωάννης ὁ τῆς ᾿Αντιοχείας ἐπίσκοπος. Καὶ γνοὺς τὰ γενόμενα, ἀπήχθετο πρὸς Κύριλλον, ὡς αἴτιον τῆς γεγενημένης ταραχῆς, τὸ θερμῶς ποιῆσαι τὴν Νεστορίου καθαίρεσιν. Κύριλλος δὲ ἅμα καὶ Ἰουβεναλίῳ, ἀμυνόμενος τὸν Ἰωάννην, καθαιρεῖ καὶ αὐτόν. Τούτων δὴ τότε οὕτω συμπεφυρμένων, γνοὺς ὁ Νεστόριος εἰς κοινωνίαν προβᾶσαν τὴν φιλονεικίαν, ἐκ μεταμελείας Θεοτόκον τὴν Μαρίαν ἐκάλει, λέγων· Λεγέσθω, φησὶ, καὶ Θεοτόκος ἡ Μαρία, καὶ παυσάσθω τὰ λυπηρά· ἀλλ᾽ οὐδεὶς αὐτὸν ἐκ μετανοίας ταῦτα λέγοντα προσεδέξατο. Διὸ καὶ ἄχρι νῦν καθῃρημένος, εἰς ἐξορίαν πεμφθεὶς εἰς τὴν Οασιν κατοικεῖ. Ἡ μὲν οὖν τότε γενομένη σύνοδος ή, τοιοῦτον ἔσχε τὸ τέλος. "Καὶ πέπρακται μὲν ταῦτα ἐν ὑπατείᾳ Βάσσου καὶ Ει ᾿Αντιόχου, τῇ εἰκάδι ὀγδόῃ τοῦ Ἰουνίου μηνός. Ἰωάννης δὲ καταλαβὼν τὴν ᾿Αντιόχειαν, καὶ πολλοὺς συναγαγὼν ἐπισκόπους, καθαιρεῖ Κύριλλον, ἤδη κατειληφότα τὴν ᾿Αλεξάνδρειαν. Μικρόν τε ὕστερον λύσαντες τὴν ἔχθραν, συνέβησαν τε εἰς φιλίαν, καὶ ἀλλήλοις τοὺς θρόνους ἀπέδοσαν. Μετὰ δὲ τὴν Νεστορίου καθαίρεσιν, δεινὴ ἐν τῇ Κωνσταντίνου πόλει ταραχή κατὰ τὰς ἐκκλησίας ἐγένετο. Διῃρέθη γὰρ ὁ λαὸς διὰ τὴν, ὡς φθάσας εἶπον, ψυχρολογίαν αὐτοῦ. Κοινῇ μέντοι ψήφῳ πάντες οἱ πληρικοὶ αὐτὸν ἀνεθεμάτισαν. Οὕτω γὰρ οἱ Χριστιανοὶ καλεῖν εἰώθαμεν τὴν κατὰ τοῦ βλασφήμου ψῆφον, ὅταν αὐτὴν ὥσπερ ἐν στήλῃ ἀναστήσαντες, φανερὰν τοῖς ἅπασι καταστήσωμεν.
Ou polys gar en mesǭ chronos, kai tous pantachothen episkopous prostagma tou basileōs eis tēn Ephesiōn synienai ekeleusen. Euthys oun meta tēn tou Pascha heortēn, ho Nestorios syn pollę̄ dynamei ochlōn parēn eis tēn Epheson, heuriskei te pollous tōn episkopōn synelēlythotas ekei. Ho de tēs ᾿Alexandreias Kyrillos mikron hysterēsas, peri tēn Pentēkostēn apēntēsen. Pemptę̄ de meta tēn s Pentēkostēn hēmerą, kai Ioubenalios ho tēs Hieroso lymōn, epestē. Iōannou de tou ᾿Antiocheias bradynantos, hoi parontes anekinounto zētēma. Kai Kyrillos ᾿Alexandreias, akrobolismous tinas epoieito tōn logōn, Nestorion tarattein boulomenos, kai gar apechthōs eiche pros auton. Kai dē pollōn theologountōn ton Christon, Egō, ephē Nestorios, ton genomenon dimēniaion kai trimēniaion, ouk an Theon onomasaimi. Kai diatouto katharos eimi apo tou haimatos hymōn. Kai apo tou nyn, pros hymas ouk eleusomai. Kai tauta eipōn, meta tōn loipōn episkopōn ēthroizeto, hoi tę̄ autou ēkolouthoun gnōmę̄. Dię̄rounto oun hoi parontes eis dyo tmēmata. Hoi oun peri Kyrillon, synedrion poiēsamenoi ekalesan ton Nestorion. Ho de ouch hypēkousen, eis tēn parousian Iōannou tou ᾿Antiocheōs hypertithemenos. Hoi de peri Kyrillon, tas prosomilias Nestoriou has peri tou zētēmatos eirēkei, pollakis hypanagnontes, ex autōn te krinantes eutonōs blasphēmēsanta eis ton Huion tou Theou, katheilon auton. Toutou genomenou, hoi peri Nestorion heteron kath' heautous synedrion poiēsamenoi, kathairousi Kyrillon, kai syn autǭ Memnona ton tēs Ephesou episkopon. Ouk eis makran de kai metatauta epestē Iōannēs ho tēs ᾿Antiocheias episkopos. Kai gnous ta genomena, apēchtheto pros Kyrillon, hōs aition tēs gegenēmenēs tarachēs, to thermōs poiēsai tēn Nestoriou kathairesin. Kyrillos de hama kai Ioubenaliǭ, amynomenos ton Iōannēn, kathairei kai auton. Toutōn dē tote houtō sympephyrmenōn, gnous ho Nestorios eis koinōnian probasan tēn philoneikian, ek metameleias Theotokon tēn Marian ekalei, legōn; Legesthō, phēsi, kai Theotokos hē Maria, kai pausasthō ta lypēra; all᾽ oudeis auton ek metanoias tauta legonta prosedexato. Dio kai achri nyn kathę̄rēmenos, eis exorian pemphtheis eis tēn Oasin katoikei. Hē men oun tote genomenē synodos ē, toiouton esche to telos. "Kai pepraktai men tauta en hypateią Bassou kai Ei ᾿Antiochou, tę̄ eikadi ogdoę̄ tou Iouniou mēnos. Iōannēs de katalabōn tēn ᾿Antiocheian, kai pollous synagagōn episkopous, kathairei Kyrillon, ēdē kateilēphota tēn ᾿Alexandreian. Mikron te hysteron lysantes tēn echthran, synebēsan te eis philian, kai allēlois tous thronous apedosan. Meta de tēn Nestoriou kathairesin, deinē en tę̄ Kōnstantinou polei tarachē kata tas ekklēsias egeneto. Dię̄rethē gar ho laos dia tēn, hōs phthasas eipon, psychrologian autou. Koinę̄ mentoi psēphǭ pantes hoi plērikoi auton anethematisan. Houtō gar hoi Christianoi kalein eiōthamen tēn kata tou blasphēmou psēphon, hotan autēn hōsper en stēlę̄ anastēsantes, phaneran tois hapasi katastēsōmen.
Not much time passed before an order of the emperor commanded the bishops from everywhere to assemble at Ephesus. Immediately after the feast of Easter, Nestorius arrived at Ephesus with a great force of crowds, and found many of the bishops assembled there. Cyril of Alexandria, a little late, arrived about Pentecost; and on the fifth day after Pentecost Juvenal of Jerusalem also arrived. As John of Antioch was delaying, those present raised the question. Cyril of Alexandria made some skirmishing attacks in argument, wishing to disturb Nestorius, for he was hostile to him. When many were speaking of Christ as God, Nestorius said, 'I would not call one who was two and three months old God. And so I am clean of your blood, and from now on I will not come to you.' Having said this, he gathered with the other bishops who followed his opinion. So those present were divided into two parts. Cyril's party, forming a council, summoned Nestorius. He did not obey, putting it off until the arrival of John of Antioch. Cyril's party, having read out several times the homilies Nestorius had delivered on the question, and judging from them that he had blasphemed vehemently against the Son of God, deposed him. When this had been done, Nestorius's party formed another council of their own and deposed Cyril, and with him Memnon, the bishop of Ephesus. Not long after this John, the bishop of Antioch, arrived. Learning what had happened, he was angry with Cyril as the cause of the turmoil, for having carried out Nestorius's deposition hotly. Cyril, together with Juvenal, in revenge on John, deposed him too. When matters had become so confused, Nestorius, seeing that the contention had gone as far as breaking communion, called Mary Theotokos from a change of mind, saying, 'Let Mary be called Theotokos too, and let the troubles cease.' But no one accepted him saying this from repentance. So to this day he is deposed and, sent into exile, lives in the Oasis. The synod held at that time had such an end. This was done in the consulship of Bassus and Antiochus, on the twenty-eighth of June. John, reaching Antioch and gathering many bishops, deposed Cyril, who had already reached Alexandria. A little later they put an end to their enmity, came to friendship, and gave each other back their thrones. After Nestorius's deposition there was terrible turmoil in the churches of Constantinople; for the people were divided because of his frigid talk, as I said before. But by common vote all the clergy anathematized him; for so we Christians are accustomed to call the vote against a blasphemer, when we set it up as on a pillar and make it plain to all.
Acts 18:6 (allusion, medium confidence) · Acts 20:26 (allusion, medium confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: At the council of Ephesus (431) Cyril's party deposes Nestorius and Nestorius's party deposes Cyril; John of Antioch joins the quarrel; Nestorius's late acceptance of Theotokos is rejected, he is exiled, and the clergy of Constantinople anathematize him.
- The consulship of Bassus and Antiochus is 431. The acts of the council of Ephesus are on this site.
- 'I am clean of your blood' echoes Acts 18:6 and 20:26.
- Socrates' account of the council is critical of Cyril; it is translated as written.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (stray letter): Νεστορίου καθαίρεσιν ἱ, → Νεστορίου καθαίρεσιν,.
Extrabiblical texts: Conc. Ephes. Doc. (Documents of the Council of Ephesus and the Formula of Reunion; allusion)
Topics: Christology, Heresy, Church office
Cite (SBL): Socrates, Hist. eccl. 7.34 (PG 67:813–815; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/socrates-historia/7-34). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/socrates-historia/7-34
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-socrates-historia-7-34) · 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.
7.35PG 67:817
Πάλιν περὶ ἐπιλογῆς ἐπισκόπων ζήτησις ἦν. Καὶ πολλοὶ μὲν Φίλιππον, οὗ καὶ ἤδη ἐπεμνήσθημεν, πλείους δὲ τὸν Πρόκλον ἐπελέγοντο. Καὶ ἐκράτησεν ἂν ἡ Πρόκλου γνώμη, εἰ μὴ τινες τῶν μεγάλα δυναμένων ἐκώλυσαν, φήσαντες, κανόνα ἐκκλησιαστικὸν κωλύειν, τὸν ὀνομασθέντα τινὸς πόλεως ἐπίσκοπον εἰς ἑτέραν μεταφέρεσθαι πόλιν. Τοῦτο λεχθὲν καὶ πιστευθὲν, τὸν λαὸν ἡσυχάζειν ἠνάγκαζεν. Τετραμηνιαίου δὲ διαδραμόντος χρόνου μετὰ τὴν Νεστορίου καθαίρεσιν, προχειρίζεται πρὸς τὴν ἐπισκοπὴν ξιμιανὸς ὄνομα, ἀνὴρ ἀσκητικὸς μὲν τὸν βίον· ἐν τοῖς πρεσβυτέροις δὲ καὶ αὐτὸς ἑτέτακτο. Οὗτος ὑπόληψιν εὐλαβείας πάλαι ἐκέκτητο, διότι οἰκείοις ἀναλώμασι κατεσκευάκει μνήματα, ὥστε ἐν αὐτοῖς τοὺς εὐλαβεῖς τελευτῶντας κηδεύεσθαι. Ἧν δὲ καὶ ἰδιώτης τῷ λόγῳ, καὶ ἀπραγμονέστερον ζῇν προαιρούμενος.
Palin peri epilogēs episkopōn zētēsis ēn. Kai polloi men Philippon, hou kai ēdē epemnēsthēmen, pleious de ton Proklon epelegonto. Kai ekratēsen an hē Proklou gnōmē, ei mē tines tōn megala dynamenōn ekōlysan, phēsantes, kanona ekklēsiastikon kōlyein, ton onomasthenta tinos poleōs episkopon eis heteran metapheresthai polin. Touto lechthen kai pisteuthen, ton laon hēsychazein ēnankazen. Tetramēniaiou de diadramontos chronou meta tēn Nestoriou kathairesin, procheirizetai pros tēn episkopēn ximianos onoma, anēr askētikos men ton bion; en tois presbyterois de kai autos hetetakto. Houtos hypolēpsin eulabeias palai ekektēto, dioti oikeiois analōmasi kateskeuakei mnēmata, hōste en autois tous eulabeis teleutōntas kēdeuesthai. Hēn de kai idiōtēs tǭ logǭ, kai apragmonesteron zę̄n proairoumenos.
Again there was a question about the election of a bishop. Many chose Philip, whom we have already mentioned, but more chose Proclus. And the choice of Proclus would have prevailed, had not some of the powerful prevented it, saying that an ecclesiastical canon forbade one named bishop of one city to be transferred to another city. This, said and believed, forced the people to be quiet. Four months after Nestorius's deposition, a man named Maximian was advanced to the bishopric, an ascetic in his life, who was himself ranked among the presbyters. He had long had a reputation for piety, because at his own expense he had built tombs so that devout people might be buried in them when they died. He was unskilled in speech and preferred to live a rather quiet life.
Notes and citation
Summary: After Nestorius's deposition Proclus is blocked by appeal to a canon against translating bishops, and the ascetic presbyter Maximian is chosen.
- The scan text has lost the first syllables of Maximian's name.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (stray letter): κωλύειν ἱ, → κωλύειν,.
Topics: Church office
Cite (SBL): Socrates, Hist. eccl. 7.35 (PG 67:817; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/socrates-historia/7-35). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/socrates-historia/7-35
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-socrates-historia-7-35) · 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.
7.36PG 67:817–821
Ἐπειδὴ δὲ τινες ἐπιφημίσαντες ἐκκλησιαστικὸν κάνονα, ἐκώλυσαν τὸν Πρόκλον ἐνθρονισθῆναι, ἤδη τοῦ Κυζίκου ὀνομασθέντα ἐπίσκοπον, βούλομαι περί τούτου βραχέα εἰπεῖν. Οὗ μοι δοκοῦσιν ἀληθεῦσαι, οἱ τότε ταῦτα λέγειν ἐπιχειρήσαντες, ἀλλ' ἢ κατασκευάσασθαι φθόνῳ τῷ πρὸς τὸν Πρόκλον, ἢ ἀγνοεῖν καὶ τοὺς κανόνας, καὶ τὰ πολλάκις χρειωδῶς ἐν ταῖς Ἐκκλησίαις γενόμενα. Εὐσέβιος γοῦν ὁ Παμφίλου ἐν τῇ ἕκτῃ τῆς Ἐκκλησιαστικῆς Ἱστορίας, ᾿Αλέξανδρον μιᾶς τῶν ἐκ Καππαδοκίας πόλεων ἐπίσκοπον ὄντα, εὐχῆς ἕνεκα ἐπὶ τὰ Ἱεροσόλυμα παραγενόμενον, και τασχεθῆναι ὑπὸ τῶν Ἱεροσολυμιτῶν φησι, καὶ εἰς τόπον Ναρκίσσου τοῦ ἐπισκόπου ἐνθρονισθῆναι, καὶ τοῦ λοιποῦ τῆς ἐκεῖ Ἐκκλησίας διὰ βίου προστῆναι. Οὕτω μὲν οὖν παρὰ τοῖς παλαιοτέροις ἡμῶν ἀδιάφορον ἦν, ἀπὸ πόλεως εἰς πόλιν μετάγειν ἐπίσκοπον, ὀσάκις χρεία ἐκάλει. Εἰ δὲ δεῖ καὶ τὸν περὶ τούτου ☑ κανόνα τῇδε συζεύξαι τῇ συγγραφῇ, δειχθήσεται ὅπως αὐτοῦ κατεψεύσαντο οἱ τὸν Πρόκλον ἐνθρονισθῆναι κωλύσαντες. Ἔστι δὲ ὁ κανὼν οὗτος· « Εἴ τις ἐπίσκοπος χειροτονηθεὶς εἰς παροικίαν μὴ ἀπέλθοι εἰς ἣν ἐχειροτονήθη, οὐ παρὰ τὴν αὐτοῦ αἰτίαν, ἀλλ᾿ ἤτοι διὰ τὴν τοῦ λαοῦ παραίτησιν, ἢ δι᾽ ἑτέραν αἰτίαν καὶ τῆς λειτουργίας, μόνον μηδὲν παρενοχλοῦντα τοῖς πράγμασι τῆς Ἐκκλησίας, ἔνθα ἂν συνάγοιτο. Ἐκδέχεσθαι δὲ αὐτὸν ὅπερ ἂν ἡ τῆς ἐπαρχίας σύνοδος κρίνασα τὸ παριστάμενον ὀρίσῃ. » Οὗτος μὲν οὖν ὁ κανών. Ὅτι δὲ πολλοὶ ἐπίσκοποι καὶ ἀπὸ ἑτέρων πόλεων εἰς ἄλλας μετηνέχθησαν, διὰ τὰς κατὰ καιρὸν τῶν Ἐκκλησιῶν χρείας, αὐτῶν τῶν μετενεχθέντων τὰ ὀνόματα παραθήσομαι. Περιγένης ἐν Πάτραις ἐχειροτονήθη ἐπίσκοπος· καὶ ἐπειδὴ οἱ τῆς προειρημένης πόλεως αὐτὸν οὐκ ἐδέχοντο, ὁ τῆς Ῥώμης ἐπίσκοπος ἐκέλευσεν αὐτὸν ἐνθρονισθῆναι ἐν Κορίνθῳ τῇ μητροπόλει, τοῦ ἐκεῖ ἐπισκόπου τελευτήσαντος, καὶ τῆς ἐκεῖ Ἐκκλησίας διὰ βίου προέστη. Γρηγόριος ὁ Ναζιανζηνός, πρότερον Σασίμων μιᾶς τῶν ἐν Καποὐκ ἐξ ἀνάγκης γενομένην, τοῦτον μετέχειν τῆς τιμῆς η παδοκίᾳ πόλεων ἐπίσκοπος ἦν. Εἶτα γέγονε Ναζιανζοῦ. Μελίτιος πρότερον τῆς ἐν Σεβαστείᾳ προέστη Έκκλησίας, καὶ μεταταῦτα τῆς ἐν ᾿Αντιοχείᾳ προέστη. Δοσίθεον τὸν Σελευκείας ἐπίσκοπον, ᾿Αλέξανδρὸς ὁ ᾿Αντιοχείας ἐπίσκοπος εἰς Ταρσὸν τῆς Κιλικίας μετήγαγεν. Ὁ Ῥενβερέντιος ἀπὸ Ἀρκῶν τῆς Φοινίκης, μεταταῦτα μετηνέχθη εἰς Τύρον. Ἰωάννης ἀπὸ Γόρδου τῆς Λυδίας, μετηνέχθη ἐν Προικονήσῳ, καὶ τῆς ἐκεῖ προέστη Ἐκκλησίας. Παλλάδιος ἀπὸ Ἑλενοπόλεως, μετηνέχθη εἰς ῎Ασπουνα. ᾿Αλέξανδρος ἀπὸ Ἑλενοπόλεως, μετηνέχθη εἰς ᾿Αδριανούς. Θεόφιλος ἀπὸ ᾿Απαμείας τῆς ἐν ᾿Ασίᾳ, μετηνέχθη εἰς Εὐδοξίου πόλιν, τὴν τὸ παλαιὸν Σαλαμβρίαν καλουμένην. Πολύκαρπος ἀπὸ Σεξανταπρίστων τῆς Μυσίας, μετηνέχθη εἰς Νικόπολιν τῆς Θράκης. Ἱερόφιλος ἀπὸ Τραπεζουπόλεως τῆς Φρυγίας, μετηνέχθη εἰς Πλωτινούπολιν τῆς Θράκης. Ὅπτιμος ὁ ἀπὸ ᾿Αγδαμίας τῆς Φρυγίας, μετπηνέχθη εἰς ᾿Αντιόχειαν τῆς Πισιδίας. Σιλβανὸς ἀπὸ Φιλίππου πόλεως τῆς Θράκης, μετηνέχθη εἰς Τρωάδα. Καὶ τοσούτων μὲν ἐπὶ τοῦ παρόντος ἐκ τῶν οἰκείων πόλεων εἰς ἑτέρας μετατεθέντων, αὐτάρκως ἐμνημονεύσαμεν. Περὶ Σιλβανοῦ τοῦ ἀπὸ Φιλίππου πόλεως τῆς Θράκης μετενεχθέντος εἰς Τρωάδα, χρήσιμον βραχέα μνημονεῦσαι νομίζω.
Epeidē de tines epiphēmisantes ekklēsiastikon kanona, ekōlysan ton Proklon enthronisthēnai, ēdē tou Kyzikou onomasthenta episkopon, boulomai peri toutou brachea eipein. Hou moi dokousin alētheusai, hoi tote tauta legein epicheirēsantes, all' ē kataskeuasasthai phthonǭ tǭ pros ton Proklon, ē agnoein kai tous kanonas, kai ta pollakis chreiōdōs en tais Ekklēsiais genomena. Eusebios goun ho Pamphilou en tę̄ hektę̄ tēs Ekklēsiastikēs Historias, ᾿Alexandron mias tōn ek Kappadokias poleōn episkopon onta, euchēs heneka epi ta Hierosolyma paragenomenon, kai taschethēnai hypo tōn Hierosolymitōn phēsi, kai eis topon Narkissou tou episkopou enthronisthēnai, kai tou loipou tēs ekei Ekklēsias dia biou prostēnai. Houtō men oun para tois palaioterois hēmōn adiaphoron ēn, apo poleōs eis polin metagein episkopon, osakis chreia ekalei. Ei de dei kai ton peri toutou ☑ kanona tę̄de syzeuxai tę̄ syngraphę̄, deichthēsetai hopōs autou katepseusanto hoi ton Proklon enthronisthēnai kōlysantes. Esti de ho kanōn houtos; « Ei tis episkopos cheirotonētheis eis paroikian mē apelthoi eis hēn echeirotonēthē, ou para tēn autou aitian, all᾿ ētoi dia tēn tou laou paraitēsin, ē di᾽ heteran aitian kai tēs leitourgias, monon mēden parenochlounta tois pragmasi tēs Ekklēsias, entha an synagoito. Ekdechesthai de auton hoper an hē tēs eparchias synodos krinasa to paristamenon orisę̄. » Houtos men oun ho kanōn. Hoti de polloi episkopoi kai apo heterōn poleōn eis allas metēnechthēsan, dia tas kata kairon tōn Ekklēsiōn chreias, autōn tōn metenechthentōn ta onomata parathēsomai. Perigenēs en Patrais echeirotonēthē episkopos; kai epeidē hoi tēs proeirēmenēs poleōs auton ouk edechonto, ho tēs Rhōmēs episkopos ekeleusen auton enthronisthēnai en Korinthǭ tę̄ mētropolei, tou ekei episkopou teleutēsantos, kai tēs ekei Ekklēsias dia biou proestē. Grēgorios ho Nazianzēnos, proteron Sasimōn mias tōn en Kapouk ex anankēs genomenēn, touton metechein tēs timēs ē padokią poleōn episkopos ēn. Eita gegone Nazianzou. Melitios proteron tēs en Sebasteią proestē Ekklēsias, kai metatauta tēs en ᾿Antiocheią proestē. Dositheon ton Seleukeias episkopon, ᾿Alexandros ho ᾿Antiocheias episkopos eis Tarson tēs Kilikias metēgagen. Ho Rhenberentios apo Arkōn tēs Phoinikēs, metatauta metēnechthē eis Tyron. Iōannēs apo Gordou tēs Lydias, metēnechthē en Proikonēsǭ, kai tēs ekei proestē Ekklēsias. Palladios apo Helenopoleōs, metēnechthē eis ᾿Aspouna. ᾿Alexandros apo Helenopoleōs, metēnechthē eis ᾿Adrianous. Theophilos apo ᾿Apameias tēs en ᾿Asią, metēnechthē eis Eudoxiou polin, tēn to palaion Salambrian kaloumenēn. Polykarpos apo Sexantapristōn tēs Mysias, metēnechthē eis Nikopolin tēs Thrakēs. Hierophilos apo Trapezoupoleōs tēs Phrygias, metēnechthē eis Plōtinoupolin tēs Thrakēs. Hoptimos ho apo ᾿Agdamias tēs Phrygias, metpēnechthē eis ᾿Antiocheian tēs Pisidias. Silbanos apo Philippou poleōs tēs Thrakēs, metēnechthē eis Trōada. Kai tosoutōn men epi tou parontos ek tōn oikeiōn poleōn eis heteras metatethentōn, autarkōs emnēmoneusamen. Peri Silbanou tou apo Philippou poleōs tēs Thrakēs metenechthentos eis Trōada, chrēsimon brachea mnēmoneusai nomizō.
Since some, by alleging an ecclesiastical canon, prevented Proclus, who had already been named bishop of Cyzicus, from being enthroned, I wish to say a little about this. Those who then undertook to say this do not seem to me to have spoken the truth, but either to have contrived it out of envy of Proclus, or to have been ignorant both of the canons and of what has often been done in the churches out of need. Eusebius, son of Pamphilus, in the sixth book of the Church History, says that Alexander, bishop of one of the cities of Cappadocia, having come to Jerusalem to pray, was detained by the people of Jerusalem, enthroned in the place of Narcissus the bishop, and presided over the church there for the rest of his life. So among our predecessors it was a matter of indifference to move a bishop from city to city whenever need called. If the canon on this must also be joined to this writing, it will be shown how those who prevented Proclus from being enthroned falsified it. The canon is this: 'If a bishop ordained to a diocese does not go to the one to which he was ordained, not through his own fault, but either because of the people's refusal or for some other reason not arising from himself, let him share in the honour and the ministry, only not interfering in the affairs of the church where he assembles; and let him await whatever the synod of the province, judging the matter before it, shall decide.' Such is the canon. That many bishops have been transferred from some cities to others because of the needs of the churches at various times, I will set down the names of those transferred. Perigenes was ordained bishop at Patrae; and since the people of that city would not receive him, the bishop of Rome ordered him to be enthroned at Corinth, the metropolis, when the bishop there died; and he presided over the church there for life. Gregory of Nazianzus was formerly bishop of Sasima, one of the cities in Cappadocia; then he became bishop of Nazianzus. Meletius first presided over the church in Sebaste, and afterwards over that in Antioch. Alexander, bishop of Antioch, transferred Dositheus, bishop of Seleucia, to Tarsus in Cilicia. Reverentius was transferred from Arca in Phoenicia to Tyre. John was transferred from Gordus in Lydia to Proconnesus and presided over the church there. Palladius was transferred from Helenopolis to Aspuna. Alexander was transferred from Helenopolis to Adriani. Theophilus was transferred from Apamea in Asia to Eudoxiopolis, anciently called Salambria. Polycarp was transferred from Sexantaprista in Mysia to Nicopolis in Thrace. Hierophilus was transferred from Trapezopolis in Phrygia to Plotinopolis in Thrace. Optimus was transferred from Agdamia in Phrygia to Antioch in Pisidia. Silvanus was transferred from Philippopolis in Thrace to Troas. We have mentioned enough of those transferred from their own cities to others for the present. About Silvanus, who was transferred from Philippopolis in Thrace to Troas, I think it useful to mention a few things.
Notes and citation
Summary: Socrates argues that the canon against transferring bishops was misused against Proclus, quotes it, and lists many bishops who moved from one see to another.
- The canon quoted is canon 18 of the council of Antioch (341). In the scan text part of it ('not arising from himself, let him share in the honour') has been displaced into the list of names; it is translated in the canon, where it belongs.
- Eusebius tells of Alexander of Jerusalem in Church History 6.11.
Extrabiblical texts: Conc. Antioch. 18 (Canons of the Council of Antioch (in Encaeniis); quotation); Eusebius, Hist. eccl. 6.11 (Church History; allusion)
Topics: Church office
Cite (SBL): Socrates, Hist. eccl. 7.36 (PG 67:817–821; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/socrates-historia/7-36). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/socrates-historia/7-36
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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.
7.37PG 67:821–825
Σιλβανὸς ῥήτωρ μὲν ἐγεγόνει πρότερον Τρωίλου τοῦ Σοφιστοῦ. ᾿Ακριβῶς δὲ χριστιανίζειν ἐσπουδακὰς, καὶ τὸν ἀσκητικὸν βίον ἀσκῶν, τρίβωνα φορεῖν οὐ προήρητο. Μεταταῦτα δὲ αὐτὸν ᾿Αττικὸς ὁ ἐπίσκοπος συλλαβὼν, ἐπίσκοπον τῆς Φιλίππου πόλεω; κατέστησεν. Ὁ δὲ τρεῖς ἐνιαυτους ἐν τῇ πλατὴ Θράκῃ διαγαγὼν, μὴ ὑποφέρων τὸ κρύος λεπτὸν γὰρ εἶχε πάνυ καὶ ἀσθενὲς τὸ σῶμα, παρεκάλεσε τὸν ᾿Αττικὸν, ὥστε εἰς τόπον αὐτοῦ ἕτερον γειροτονῆσαι᾿ φήσας δι᾽ οὐδὲν ἕτερον, ἢ διὰ τὸ κρύος παραιτεῖσθαι τὴν ἐν Θράκῃ διαγωγῆν. Ἑτέρου οὖν διατοῦτο ἀντιχατασταθέντος, ἔμενεν ὁ Σιλβανὸς τῇ Κωνσταντίνου πόλει, τὸν ἀσκητικὸν βίον ἄκρως μετερχόμενος. οὔτον δὲ ἄτρυφος ἦν, ὡς τὰ πολλὰ ἐν τοσούτῳ πλήθει τῆς τηλικαύτης πόλεως, ἀπὸ χορτίνων σανδαλίων προέρχεσθαι. Χρόνου δέ τινος διαγενομένου, ὁ τῆς ἐν Τρωάδι προεστὼς Ἐκκλησίας ἐτελεύτη σεν. Διὸ παρῆσαν οἱ Τρῶες ζητοῦντες ἐπίσκοπον. ᾿Αττικοῦ δὲ διασχεπτομένου τίνα χειροτονήσει, συνἐθη τὸν Σιλβανὸν ἐπὶ θέαν παρεῖναι αὐτοῦ. Ὃ δὲ θεασάμενος αὐτὸν, εὐθὺς τὴν φροντίδα ἐπέθετο, πρὸς τὸν Σιλβανὸν, Οὐχέτι πρόφασιν ἔχεις, φησὶ, τοῦ ἀποφυγεῖν Ἐκκλησίας φροντίδα. Ἧ γὰρ Τρωὰς χρυμὸν οὐχ ἔχει. ᾿Αλλ᾽ ἰδού σοι τόπος εὔχαιρος πρὸς τὴν τοῦ σώματος ἀσθένειαν Θεοῦ εὐτρεπίζεται. Μὴ ᾿μέλλε οὖν, ἀδελφὲ, ἀλλ᾽ ἐπὶ τὴν Τρωάδα πορεύου. Μετέστη οὖν ἐκεῖ ὁ Σιλθανός. Καὶ θαῦμα ἐν ταῖς χερσὶν αὐτοῦ γενόμενον διηγήσομαι. Ναῦς ἀχθοφόρος μεγίστη, τοὺς μεγάλους χομίζουσα κίονας, πλατὴν αὐτὴν ὀνομάζουσι, νεωστὶ κατεσκεύαστο ἐν τῷ τῆς Τρωάδος αἰγιαλῷ" ταύτην τε ἔδει χαθέλχεσθαι εἰς τὴν θάλασσαν, Πολλῶν τε χαλωδίων, καὶ πολυπληθείας ἀνδρῶν ἑλχόντων αὐτὴν, οὐδαμῶς ἐχινεῖτο ναῦς. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ τοῦτο πολλαῖς ἡμέραις ἐγίνετο, ᾧήθησαν δαιμόνιον τὴν ναῦν. Καὶ γενόμενοι ἃ παρὰ τὸν ἐπίσκοπον παρεκάλουν αὐτὸν εὐχὴν ἐπὶ τοῦ τόπου τελέσαι, Οὕτω γὰρ μόνως τὴν γαῦν καθελκυσθῆναι ἐπίστευσαν. Ὁ δὲ μετριοφρονῶν, ἁμαρτωλὸν ἑαυτὸν ἀπεκάλει, καὶ ἔλεγε τὸ ἔργον διχαίου εἶναι τινὸς, οὐ μὴν ἑαυτοῦ. ᾿Εχλιπαρησάντων δ᾽ οὖν, ἧκε παρὰ τὸν αἰγιαλόν. Εὐχὴν τε ἐχτελέσας, ἥψατο ἑνὸς τῶν σχοινίων, τοῦ ἔργου παρεκελεύετο ἔχεσθαι. Τῶν δὲ βραχὺν ὠθισμὸν ποιησαμένων, δρομαία ἡ ναῦς ἐπὶ τὴν θάλασσαν ἐπορεύετο. Τοῦτο τὸ θαῦμα ἐν ταῖς χερσὶ Σιλβανοῦ γενόμενον, πάντας τοὺς κατὰ τὴν ἐπαρχίαν εἰς εὐλάδειαν ἦγεν. δὲ Σιλβανὸς τὰ ἄλλα ἀνὴρ ἀγαθός. Κατιδὼν γοῦν τοὺς κληρικοὺς ἐμπορίαν ποιουμένους τὰς τῶν διχαζομένων ἐρεσχελίας, οὐδένα τὸν τοῦ κλήρου δικαστὴν ἐδίδου ποτέ " ἀλλὰ τὰ βιβλία τῶν δεομένων δεχόμενος, παρεκάλει ἕνα τῶν πιστῶν λαϊκῶν, ὃν ἤδει φιλοῦντα τὸ δίκαιον " χἀχείνῳ ἐγχειρίσας τὴν ἀκρόασιν, τοὺς δικαζομένους τῆς ἐρεσχελίας ἀπὴλασεν. Καὶ διαταῦτα γοῦν μεγίστην εὔκλειαν παρὰ πᾶσιν ἐκέκτητο. Τὰ μὲν περὶ Σιλβανοῦ, εἰ καὶ ἐν παρεκβάσει εἴμηται, ἀλλ᾽ οὐκ ἀχρείως ἡγοῦμαι μνήμην αὐτῶν γεγονέναι. Ἐπανέλθωμεν δὲ ὅθεν ἐξα έβημεν. Μαξιμιανοῦ τοίνυν προχειρισθέντος εἰς τὴν ἐπισκοπὴν, ἐν ὑπατείᾳ Βάσσου καὶ ᾿Αντιόχου, περὶ τὴν εἰκάδα πέμπτην τοῦ Ὀκτωβρίου κ μηνὸς, τὰ τῶν Ἐκκλησιῶν ἡσύχαζε πράγματα.
Silbanos rhētōr men egegonei proteron Trōilou tou Sophistou. ᾿Akribōs de christianizein espoudakas, kai ton askētikon bion askōn, tribōna phorein ou proērēto. Metatauta de auton ᾿Attikos ho episkopos syllabōn, episkopon tēs Philippou poleō? katestēsen. Ho de treis eniautous en tę̄ platē Thrakę̄ diagagōn, mē hypopherōn to kryos lepton gar eiche pany kai asthenes to sōma, parekalese ton ᾿Attikon, hōste eis topon autou heteron geirotonēsai᾿ phēsas di᾽ ouden heteron, ē dia to kryos paraiteisthai tēn en Thrakę̄ diagōgēn. Heterou oun diatouto antichatastathentos, emenen ho Silbanos tę̄ Kōnstantinou polei, ton askētikon bion akrōs meterchomenos. outon de atryphos ēn, hōs ta polla en tosoutǭ plēthei tēs tēlikautēs poleōs, apo chortinōn sandaliōn proerchesthai. Chronou de tinos diagenomenou, ho tēs en Trōadi proestōs Ekklēsias eteleutē sen. Dio parēsan hoi Trōes zētountes episkopon. ᾿Attikou de diascheptomenou tina cheirotonēsei, synethē ton Silbanon epi thean pareinai autou. Ho de theasamenos auton, euthys tēn phrontida epetheto, pros ton Silbanon, Oucheti prophasin echeis, phēsi, tou apophygein Ekklēsias phrontida. Hē gar Trōas chrymon ouch echei. ᾿All᾽ idou soi topos euchairos pros tēn tou sōmatos astheneian Theou eutrepizetai. Mē ᾿melle oun, adelphe, all᾽ epi tēn Trōada poreuou. Metestē oun ekei ho Silthanos. Kai thauma en tais chersin autou genomenon diēgēsomai. Naus achthophoros megistē, tous megalous chomizousa kionas, platēn autēn onomazousi, neōsti kateskeuasto en tǭ tēs Trōados aigialǭ" tautēn te edei chathelchesthai eis tēn thalassan, Pollōn te chalōdiōn, kai polyplētheias andrōn helchontōn autēn, oudamōs echineito naus. Epeidē de touto pollais hēmerais egineto, hǭēthēsan daimonion tēn naun. Kai genomenoi ha para ton episkopon parekaloun auton euchēn epi tou topou telesai, Houtō gar monōs tēn gaun kathelkysthēnai episteusan. Ho de metriophronōn, hamartōlon heauton apekalei, kai elege to ergon dichaiou einai tinos, ou mēn heautou. ᾿Echliparēsantōn d᾽ oun, hēke para ton aigialon. Euchēn te echtelesas, hēpsato henos tōn schoiniōn, tou ergou parekeleueto echesthai. Tōn de brachyn ōthismon poiēsamenōn, dromaia hē naus epi tēn thalassan eporeueto. Touto to thauma en tais chersi Silbanou genomenon, pantas tous kata tēn eparchian eis euladeian ēgen. de Silbanos ta alla anēr agathos. Katidōn goun tous klērikous emporian poioumenous tas tōn dichazomenōn ereschelias, oudena ton tou klērou dikastēn edidou pote " alla ta biblia tōn deomenōn dechomenos, parekalei hena tōn pistōn laïkōn, hon ēdei philounta to dikaion " chacheinǭ encheirisas tēn akroasin, tous dikazomenous tēs ereschelias apēlasen. Kai diatauta goun megistēn eukleian para pasin ekektēto. Ta men peri Silbanou, ei kai en parekbasei eimētai, all᾽ ouk achreiōs hēgoumai mnēmēn autōn gegonenai. Epanelthōmen de hothen exa ebēmen. Maximianou toinyn procheiristhentos eis tēn episkopēn, en hypateią Bassou kai ᾿Antiochou, peri tēn eikada pemptēn tou Oktōbriou k mēnos, ta tōn Ekklēsiōn hēsychaze pragmata.
Silvanus had formerly been an orator of the school of Troilus the sophist. But being eager to be a Christian strictly and practising the ascetic life, he would no longer wear the cloak of the schools (tribōn). Afterwards Atticus the bishop took him and made him bishop of Philippopolis. He spent three years in broad Thrace; but not bearing the cold, for he had a very thin and weak body, he asked Atticus to ordain another in his place, saying that he declined to live in Thrace for no other reason than the cold. So another was appointed in his place, and Silvanus stayed in Constantinople, following the ascetic life to the utmost. He was so free from luxury that in so great a crowd in so great a city he usually went out in sandals of grass. Some time later the head of the church in Troas died, and the Trojans came seeking a bishop. While Atticus was considering whom to ordain, it happened that Silvanus came to visit him. On seeing him he at once gave up his worry, and said to Silvanus, 'You no longer have an excuse for avoiding the care of a church; for Troas has no frost. See, God is preparing for you a place suited to your body's weakness. So do not delay, brother, but go to Troas.' So Silvanus moved there. I shall relate a wonder done by his hands. A very large cargo ship, of the kind that carries the great columns, which they call a platē, had just been built on the shore of Troas, and it had to be launched into the sea. Though it was hauled with many cables and by a great number of men, the ship would not move at all. When this went on for many days, they thought that a demon held the ship. So they went to the bishop and begged him to offer prayer on the spot, for they believed that only so could the ship be launched. He, being humble-minded, called himself a sinner and said that the work belonged to some righteous man, not to him. But when they pressed him, he came to the shore, offered prayer, took hold of one of the ropes, and urged them to set to the work. When they made a slight push, the ship ran swiftly into the sea. This wonder done by Silvanus's hands led all in the province to piety. Silvanus was a good man in other ways too. Seeing that the clergy made a trade of the wrangles of litigants, he never gave anyone of the clergy as judge; but receiving the petitions of those in need, he asked one of the faithful laity whom he knew to love justice, entrusted him with the hearing, and freed the litigants from their wrangling. For this too he gained the greatest renown among all. What concerns Silvanus, though told in a digression, I think has not been mentioned uselessly. Let us return to where we left off. When Maximian had been advanced to the bishopric, in the consulship of Bassus and Antiochus, about the twenty-fifth of October, the affairs of the churches were quiet.
Notes and citation
Summary: The frail ascetic Silvanus, moved from cold Philippopolis to Troas, launches a stuck ship by prayer and has disputes judged by honest laymen; Maximian becomes bishop of Constantinople in 431.
- The tribōn was the short cloak worn by philosophers and rhetoricians; Silvanus gave it up when he became an ascetic.
- The consulship of Bassus and Antiochus is 431.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (stray footnote numeral; stray page number): ἐχινεῖτο 1 ναῦς → ἐχινεῖτο ναῦς; ἐγίνετο, 3888 ᾧήθησαν → ἐγίνετο, ᾧήθησαν.
Topics: Church office, Prayer
Cite (SBL): Socrates, Hist. eccl. 7.37 (PG 67:821–825; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/socrates-historia/7-37). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/socrates-historia/7-37
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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.
7.38PG 67:825–827
Περὶ δὲ τὸν χρόνον τοῦτον πολλοὶ τῶν ἐν Κρήτῃ Ἰουδαίων ἐγχριστιάνισαν διὰ πάθος τοιόνδε · ᾿Απατεών τις Ἰουδαῖος ὑπεκρίνατο εἶναι Μωϋσῆς· πεπέμφθαι δὲ ἔλεγεν ἐκ τῶν οὐρανῶν, ὅπως ἂν τοὺς τὴν νῆσον οἰκοῦντας Ἰουδαίους ἐκβάλῃ διὰ τῆς θαλάσσης ἀγαγών · αὐτὸς γὰρ εἶναι ἔλεγεν, ὁ καὶ τὸν Ἰσραὴλ πάλαι διὰ τῆς Ἐρυθρᾶς θαλάσσης σώσας. Ἐφ᾿ ὅλον οὖν ἐνιαυτὸν περιῄει καθ' ἑκάστην τῆς νήσου πόλιν· καὶ τοὺς ἐν αὐταῖς οἰκοῦντας Ἰουδαίους τὰ τοιαῦτα πιστεύειν ἀνέπειθε. Παρήνει τε πάντα τὰ χρήματα καὶ τὰ κτήματα καταλιπεῖν· ἄξειν γὰρ αὐτοὺς διὰ ξηρᾶς τῆς θαλάσσης εἰς τὴν γῆν τῆς ἐπαγγελίας ὑπισχνεῖτο. Οἱ δὲ ταῖς τοιαύταις ἐλπίσι βουκολούμενοι, πάντων μὲν τῶν ἔργων ἡμέλουν· κατεφρόνουν δὲ καὶ ὧν ἐκέκτηντο, τοῖς ἐπιτυχοῦσιν ἀφέντες λαμβάνειν αὐτά. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ ἦν ἡμέρα ἣν ὁ ἀπατεὼν Ἰουδαῖος ἐσήμαινεν, ἡγεῖτο μὲν αὐτὸς, ἠκολούθουν δὲ οἱ σύμπαντες, ἅμα γυναιξὶ καὶ τῇ € 389 : μικρᾷ ἡλικίᾳ. ῎Αγει οὖν αὐτοὺς ἐπὶ τι ἀκρωτήριον ἐπὶ τῆς θαλάσσης ἐκνεῦον, καὶ κυβιστᾷν κατ᾿ αὐτῆς ἐκέλευε. Τοῦτο οὖν ἐποίουν οἱ πρότεροι τῷ κρημνῷ προσπελάσαντες, καὶ εὐθὺς ἔθνησκον, τοῦτο μὲν τοῖς κρημνοῖς προσρηγνύμενοι, τοῦτο δὲ καὶ εἰς τὸ ὕδωρ ἀποπνιγόμενοι. Καὶ πλείους ἂν διεφθάρησαν, εἰ μὴ Θεοῦ προνοήσαντος παρέτυχον ἄνδρες Χριστιανοί, ἁλιεῖς τε καὶ ἔμποροι. Οἱ τοὺς μὲν πνιγομένους ἀνέλκοντες ἔσωζον, τότε τῆς ἀνοίας αἴσθησιν ἐν τῷ κακῶς πάσχειν λαμβάνοντας. Τοὺς δὲ ἄλλους ἀνεῖργον ῥίπτειν ἑαυτοὺς, μηνύοντες τὴν ἀπώλειαν τῶν πρότερον ῥιψάντων ἑαυτούς. Οἱ καὶ γνόντες τότε τὴν ἀπάτην, ἐμέμφοντο μὲν τὴν ἄκριτον ἑαυτῶν πίστιν, τὸν δὲ ψευδο-Μωϋσῆν ἀνελεῖν σπεύδοντες, συλλαβεῖν οὐ δεδύνηνται. ᾿Αφανὴς γὰρ ἐγένετο, ὑπόνοιάν τε παρέσχε τοῖς πλείοσιν, ὡς εἴη δαίμων ἀλάστωρ, άνθρώπου σχῆμα ὑποδὺς, ἐπὶ λύμῃ τοῦ ἐκεῖ ἔθνους αὐτῶν. Διὰ δὲ τόδε τὸ πάθος πολλοὶ τότε τῶν ἐν τῇ Κρήτῃ Ἰουδαίων, χαιρειν τῷ Ἰουδαϊσμῷ φράσαντες, τῇ πίστει τοῦ Χριστιανισμοῦ προσεχώρησαν.
Peri de ton chronon touton polloi tōn en Krētę̄ Ioudaiōn enchristianisan dia pathos toionde ; ᾿Apateōn tis Ioudaios hypekrinato einai Mōÿsēs; pepemphthai de elegen ek tōn ouranōn, hopōs an tous tēn nēson oikountas Ioudaious ekbalę̄ dia tēs thalassēs agagōn ; autos gar einai elegen, ho kai ton Israēl palai dia tēs Erythras thalassēs sōsas. Eph᾿ holon oun eniauton perię̄ei kath' hekastēn tēs nēsou polin; kai tous en autais oikountas Ioudaious ta toiauta pisteuein anepeithe. Parēnei te panta ta chrēmata kai ta ktēmata katalipein; axein gar autous dia xēras tēs thalassēs eis tēn gēn tēs epangelias hypischneito. Hoi de tais toiautais elpisi boukoloumenoi, pantōn men tōn ergōn hēmeloun; katephronoun de kai hōn ekektēnto, tois epitychousin aphentes lambanein auta. Epeidē de ēn hēmera hēn ho apateōn Ioudaios esēmainen, hēgeito men autos, ēkolouthoun de hoi sympantes, hama gynaixi kai tę̄ € 389 : mikrą hēlikią. ᾿Agei oun autous epi ti akrōtērion epi tēs thalassēs ekneuon, kai kybistąn kat᾿ autēs ekeleue. Touto oun epoioun hoi proteroi tǭ krēmnǭ prospelasantes, kai euthys ethnēskon, touto men tois krēmnois prosrēgnymenoi, touto de kai eis to hydōr apopnigomenoi. Kai pleious an diephtharēsan, ei mē Theou pronoēsantos paretychon andres Christianoi, halieis te kai emporoi. Hoi tous men pnigomenous anelkontes esōzon, tote tēs anoias aisthēsin en tǭ kakōs paschein lambanontas. Tous de allous aneirgon rhiptein heautous, mēnyontes tēn apōleian tōn proteron rhipsantōn heautous. Hoi kai gnontes tote tēn apatēn, ememphonto men tēn akriton heautōn pistin, ton de pseudo-Mōÿsēn anelein speudontes, syllabein ou dedynēntai. ᾿Aphanēs gar egeneto, hyponoian te paresche tois pleiosin, hōs eiē daimōn alastōr, anthrōpou schēma hypodys, epi lymę̄ tou ekei ethnous autōn. Dia de tode to pathos polloi tote tōn en tę̄ Krētę̄ Ioudaiōn, chairein tǭ Ioudaïsmǭ phrasantes, tę̄ pistei tou Christianismou prosechōrēsan.
About this time many of the Jews in Crete became Christians because of a calamity of the following kind. A Jewish impostor pretended to be Moses, and said he had been sent from heaven to lead out the Jews living on the island by bringing them through the sea; for he said he was the one who had long ago saved Israel through the Red Sea. For a whole year he went round every city of the island and persuaded the Jews living in them to believe such things. He urged them to leave all their money and possessions, for he promised to lead them through the sea on dry ground into the land of promise. They, led on by such hopes, neglected all their work and despised what they possessed, leaving it to anyone who came along to take. When the day came that the impostor had appointed, he himself led, and all followed, with women and little children. He led them to a promontory jutting out over the sea and ordered them to throw themselves headlong into it. Those in front did this as they came to the cliff and died at once, some dashed against the rocks, others drowned in the water. And more would have perished, had not, by God's providence, Christian men, fishermen and merchants, happened to be there. They pulled out and saved those who were drowning, who then, in their suffering, came to see their folly; and they stopped the others from throwing themselves down, telling them of the destruction of those who had thrown themselves down before. Then, recognizing the deception, they blamed their own uncritical belief and were eager to kill the false Moses, but they could not seize him; for he disappeared, and gave most people the suspicion that he was an avenging demon who had taken human form for the ruin of their nation there. Because of this calamity many of the Jews in Crete then bade farewell to Judaism and came over to the Christian faith.
Exod 14:21–22 (allusion, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: A false Moses in Crete leads Jews to leap from a cliff into the sea; Christian fishermen rescue many, and numbers of Cretan Jews become Christians.
- Socrates is the only source for this episode; his remarks on the Jews are his own and are translated as written.
Cite (SBL): Socrates, Hist. eccl. 7.38 (PG 67:825–827; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/socrates-historia/7-38). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/socrates-historia/7-38
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-socrates-historia-7-38) · 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.
7.39PG 67:827–829
Μικρὸν δὲ μετὰ τόνδε τὸν χρόνον, Παῦλος ὁ τῶν Ναυατιανῶν ἐπίσκοπος, θεοφιλοῦς ὄντως ἀνδρὸς δό-. ξαν ἐκτήσατο, καὶ πολλῷ πλεῖον ἧς ἐκέκτητο πρότερον. Συμβάν γὰρ ἐμπρησμὸν γενέσθαι χαλεπώτατον, καὶ οἷος οὐδεπώποτε ἐγεγόνει πρότερον · πολύ γὰρ μέρος τῆς πόλεως τὸ πῦρ κατηνάλωσεν, ὡς καὶ τὰ μέγιστα τῶν ὠρίων ἀπολέσθαι, καὶ τὸ δημόσιον, ᾧ ἐπώνυμόν ἐστιν ᾿Αχιλλεύς · τέλος ἐπινεμόμενον τὸ πῦρ, καὶ τῇ Ναυατιανῶν ἐκκλησίᾳ, τῇ κειμένῃ πλησίον τοῦ Πελαργοῦ προσέβαλλεν. Ἐπεὶ δὲ ὁ ἐπίσκοπος Παῦλος κινδυνεύουσαν τὴν ἐκκλησίαν ἑώρα, εἰσπηδήσας εἰς τὸ θυσιαστήριον, Θεῷ τὰ κατὰ τὴν ἐκκλησίαν τῆς σωτηρίας ἐπέτρεπε. Καὶ οὐ διέλιπεν εὐχόμενος ὑπέρ τε τῆς πόλεως καὶ τοῦ εὐκτηρίου τόπου. Θεὸς δὲ ἄρα ἐπήκουσε τοῦ ἀνδρὸς, ὡς τὸ ἔργον ἀπέδειξεν. Τὸ γὰρ πῦρ εἰς τὸ εὐκτήριον διὰ πασῶν θυρῶν καὶ θυρίδων εἰσπεσὸν, οὐδὲν ἐλυ μήνατο. Ἀλλὰ πολλὰ μὲν τῶν πέριξ γειτνιαζόντων ἠφάνιζεν. Αὐτὸν δὲ ἦν ἰδεῖν ἐν μέσῳ ὅλῳ πυρὶ, νικῶντα αὐτοῦ τὴν ὑπερβάλλουσαν ἔκκαυσιν. Καὶ τούτου ἐπὶ δύο νυχθήμερα γενομένου, ἀπεσβέσθη μὲν ὁ σύμπας ἐμπρησμός, πολλὰ μέρη καταναλώσας τῆς πόλεως. Ἡ δὲ ἐκκλησία ἑωρᾶτο ἀκέραιος. Καὶ τὸ γε θαυμαστόν, ὅτι μηδὲ καπνοῦ ἴχνος ἦν ἰδεῖν ἐν τοῖς ξύλοις ἢ τοίχοις αὐτῆς. Τοῦτο μὲν οὖν γέγονε περὶ τὴν ἑπτακαιδεκάτην τοῦ Αὐγούστου μηνὸς, ἐν ὑπατείᾳ Θεοδοσίου τὸ τεσσαρεσκαιδέκατον, καὶ Μαξίμου. Ναυατιανοὶ δὲ σῶστρα τῆς ἐκκλησίας ἐξ ἐκείνου καθ' ἕκαστον ἔτος ἐπιτελοῦσι, περὶ τὴν ἑπτακαιδεκάτην τοῦ Αὐγούστου μηνὸς, εὐχαριστηρίους εὐχὰς πέμποντες τῷ Θεῷ. Σχεδόν τε πάντες διὰ τὸ ἐπ᾿ αὐ τῆς συμβὰν θαῦμα, τιμῶσιν ἐξ ἐκείνου τὸν τόπον, καὶ ὡς ἀληθῶς ἅγιον προσκυνοῦσιν, οὐ μόνον Χριστιανοὶ, ἀλλὰ τῶν Ἑλληνιζόντων πλείονες, Τοσαῦτα , μὲν περὶ τούτων.
Mikron de meta tonde ton chronon, Paulos ho tōn Nauatianōn episkopos, theophilous ontōs andros do-. xan ektēsato, kai pollǭ pleion hēs ekektēto proteron. Symban gar emprēsmon genesthai chalepōtaton, kai hoios oudepōpote egegonei proteron ; poly gar meros tēs poleōs to pyr katēnalōsen, hōs kai ta megista tōn ōriōn apolesthai, kai to dēmosion, hǭ epōnymon estin ᾿Achilleus ; telos epinemomenon to pyr, kai tę̄ Nauatianōn ekklēsią, tę̄ keimenę̄ plēsion tou Pelargou proseballen. Epei de ho episkopos Paulos kindyneuousan tēn ekklēsian heōra, eispēdēsas eis to thysiastērion, Theǭ ta kata tēn ekklēsian tēs sōtērias epetrepe. Kai ou dielipen euchomenos hyper te tēs poleōs kai tou euktēriou topou. Theos de ara epēkouse tou andros, hōs to ergon apedeixen. To gar pyr eis to euktērion dia pasōn thyrōn kai thyridōn eispeson, ouden ely mēnato. Alla polla men tōn perix geitniazontōn ēphanizen. Auton de ēn idein en mesǭ holǭ pyri, nikōnta autou tēn hyperballousan ekkausin. Kai toutou epi dyo nychthēmera genomenou, apesbesthē men ho sympas emprēsmos, polla merē katanalōsas tēs poleōs. Hē de ekklēsia heōrato akeraios. Kai to ge thaumaston, hoti mēde kapnou ichnos ēn idein en tois xylois ē toichois autēs. Touto men oun gegone peri tēn heptakaidekatēn tou Augoustou mēnos, en hypateią Theodosiou to tessareskaidekaton, kai Maximou. Nauatianoi de sōstra tēs ekklēsias ex ekeinou kath' hekaston etos epitelousi, peri tēn heptakaidekatēn tou Augoustou mēnos, eucharistērious euchas pempontes tǭ Theǭ. Schedon te pantes dia to ep᾿ au tēs symban thauma, timōsin ex ekeinou ton topon, kai hōs alēthōs hagion proskynousin, ou monon Christianoi, alla tōn Hellēnizontōn pleiones, Tosauta , men peri toutōn.
A little after this time Paul, the bishop of the Novatians, gained the reputation of a man truly dear to God, much more than he had before. A very severe fire broke out, such as had never happened before; for the fire consumed a large part of the city, so that the greatest of the granaries were destroyed, and the public bath called Achilles. At last the fire, spreading, attacked the church of the Novatians lying near the Pelargus. When Paul the bishop saw the church in danger, he rushed into the sanctuary and committed the safety of the church to God; and he did not cease praying for the city and for the house of prayer. And God heard the man, as the event showed. For the fire, falling into the house of prayer through all its doors and windows, did no damage; it destroyed many of the buildings neighbouring it round about, but the church itself could be seen in the midst of the whole fire, overcoming its excessive heat. When this had gone on for two days and nights, the whole fire was put out, having consumed many parts of the city; but the church was seen untouched, and, what is wonderful, there was not even a trace of smoke to be seen on its timbers or walls. This happened about the seventeenth of August, in the consulship of Theodosius for the fourteenth time and Maximus. The Novatians since then celebrate each year a feast of thanksgiving for the saving of the church, about the seventeenth of August, offering prayers of thanksgiving to God. And nearly everyone, because of the wonder that happened there, honours the place from then on and reveres it as truly holy, not only Christians but most of the pagans too. So much about these things.
Notes and citation
Summary: In a great fire at Constantinople in 433 the Novatian church is preserved untouched while Bishop Paul prays at the altar.
- The consulship of Theodosius (fourteenth time) and Maximus is 433.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (stray footnote numeral): τεσσαρεσκαιδέκατον 1, → τεσσαρεσκαιδέκατον,.
Topics: Prayer
Cite (SBL): Socrates, Hist. eccl. 7.39 (PG 67:827–829; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/socrates-historia/7-39). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/socrates-historia/7-39
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-socrates-historia-7-39) · 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.
7.40PG 67:829
τοῦ ᾿Απριλλίου μηνός. Συνέδη δὲ ἐν αὑτῇ ἐθδομάδα εἶναι τῶν νηστειῶν, τὴν γε:τνιάζουσαν τῇ τοῦ Πάσχα ἑορτῇ " ἡμέρα 65 ἣν καλουμένη πέμπτη. Τότε δὴ καὶ ὁ βασιλεὺς Θεοδόσιος, σοφῶς τοῦ πράγματος προενόησεν, “ἵνα γὰρ μὴ πάλιν περὶ ἐπιλογῆς ἐπισκόπου ξήτησις ἧ, ταραχὴν τῇ Ἐκκλησίᾳ χινήσῃ, μὴ μελλήσας, ἀλλ᾽ ἔτι κειμένου τοῦ σώματος Μαξιμιανοῦ, τοῖς παροῦσιν ἐπισκόποις ἐνθρονίσαι τὸν Πρόἐπέτρεψεν. Τοῦτο γὰρ τοῦ ἐπισκόπου τῆς Ῥωμαίων Κελεστίνου ἐπιστολαὶ παροῦσαι ἐγίνοντὸ σύμψηφοι, ἃς ἐκεῖνος ἀπεστάλχει τε τῷ ᾿Αλεξανδρείας, καὶ Ἰωάννῃ τῷ ᾿Αντιοχείας, καὶ Ῥούφῳ τῷ Θεσσαλονίκης, διδάσκων ὡς οὐδὲν κωλύει τόν τε ἑτέρας πόλεως ὀνομασθέντα ἣ ὄντα ἐπίσκοπον, εἰς ἄλλην μετατίθεσθαι. Ἐνθρονισθεὶς οὖν ὁ Πρόκλος, τὴν ἐκκομιδὴν τοῦ Μαξιμιανοῦ σώ - ματος ἐποιήσατο, Καιρὸς δὲ ἤδη, καὶ περὶ αὐτοῦ βραχέα διεξελθεῖν,
tou ᾿Aprilliou mēnos. Synedē de en hautę̄ ethdomada einai tōn nēsteiōn, tēn ge:tniazousan tę̄ tou Pascha heortę̄ " hēmera 65 hēn kaloumenē pemptē. Tote dē kai ho basileus Theodosios, sophōs tou pragmatos proenoēsen, “hina gar mē palin peri epilogēs episkopou xētēsis hē, tarachēn tę̄ Ekklēsią chinēsę̄, mē mellēsas, all᾽ eti keimenou tou sōmatos Maximianou, tois parousin episkopois enthronisai ton Proepetrepsen. Touto gar tou episkopou tēs Rhōmaiōn Kelestinou epistolai parousai eginonto sympsēphoi, has ekeinos apestalchei te tǭ ᾿Alexandreias, kai Iōannę̄ tǭ ᾿Antiocheias, kai Rhouphǭ tǭ Thessalonikēs, didaskōn hōs ouden kōlyei ton te heteras poleōs onomasthenta hē onta episkopon, eis allēn metatithesthai. Enthronistheis oun ho Proklos, tēn ekkomidēn tou Maximianou sō - matos epoiēsato, Kairos de ēdē, kai peri autou brachea diexelthein,
Maximian, having presided over the church quietly for two years and five months, died in the consulship of Areobindus and Aspar, on the twelfth of April. It happened to be the week of the fasts next to the feast of Easter, the day called Thursday. Then the emperor Theodosius wisely provided for the matter. So that the question of the election of a bishop might not again stir up turmoil in the church, he did not delay, but while the body of Maximian still lay unburied he instructed the bishops present to enthrone Proclus. Letters of Celestine, bishop of the Romans, which were at hand, agreed with this; he had sent them to Cyril of Alexandria, John of Antioch and Rufus of Thessalonica, teaching that nothing prevents one named or being bishop of one city from being transferred to another. So Proclus, having been enthroned, carried out the funeral of Maximian's body. It is now time to go through a few things about him too.
Notes and citation
Summary: When Maximian dies in Holy Week of 434, Theodosius has Proclus enthroned at once, with the support of letters of Celestine of Rome on transferring bishops.
- The opening sentence of the chapter ('Maximian ... died in the consulship of Areobindus and Aspar, on the twelfth') stands in the staged heading rather than in the text; it is translated here. The consulship of Areobindus and Aspar is 434.
Topics: Church office
Cite (SBL): Socrates, Hist. eccl. 7.40 (PG 67:829; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/socrates-historia/7-40). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/socrates-historia/7-40
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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.
7.41PG 67:829–831
Πρόκλος ἐχ πρώτης ἡλικίας ἀναγνώστης ἐτύγχανεν ὧν, ἐφοίτα τε εἰς διδασκάλους, καὶ ῥητορικῆς ἐγίνετο ζηλωτής. Τελέσας δὲ εἰς ἄνδρα, τὰ πολλὰ παρῆν τῷ ἐπισκόπῳ ᾿Αττικῷ, ὑπογραφεὺς αὐτοῦ τῶν λόγων γενόμενος. Προχόψαντα δὲ αὐτὸν τῇ τάξει τῆς διακονίας ᾿Αττικὸς προηγάγετο. ᾿Αξιωθεὶς δὲ πρεσθδυτερείου, ὡς προεῖπον, ὑπὸ Σισιννίου πρὸς τὴν Κυξίχου ἐπισκοπὴν ? προξθλήθη. Ταῦτα μὲν ἤδη πρότερον ἐγένετο. Τότε δὴ τῆς ἐν Κωνσταντίνου ὁ: ! ὅ. ! 25, Ἐκκλησίας τὸν θρόνον ἐχληρώθη. δὲ ἀνὴρ ἀγαθὸς τὸ ἦθος, εἰ καί τις ἄλλος. Ὑπὸ γὰρ τῷ ᾿Αττιχῷ παιδευθεὶς, πάντα αὐτοῦ τὰ χρηστὰ ἐμιμήσατο. Τὴν δὲ ἀνεξιχαχίαν πλέον ἣν ἐκεῖνος ἐξήσχησεν. μὲν γὰρ τοῖς αἱρεσιώταις φοδερὸν ἐν καιρῷ ἑχυτὸν ἐπεδείχνυσεν " οὗτος δὲ προσηνὴς τοῖς πᾶσιν ἐγίνετο, τούτῳ δὲ μᾶλλον αὐτοὺς ἢ βίᾳ προνἀγεσθαι προνοῶν. Αἴρεσιν γὰρ οὐδεμίαν σκύλλειν αἱρούμενος, τὸ ἀξίωμα τῆς πραότητος τῇ Ἐκκλησίᾳ φυλάξας ἀπέδωκε, κατὰ τοῦτο τὸ μέρος, τὸν βασιλέα μιμούμενος: Θεοδόσιον. Ἐχείνῳ μὲν γὰρ κατὰ τῶν ὑπαιτίων μὴ χρήσασθαι τῇ βασιλικῇ ἐξουσίχ " τούτῳ δὲ, μικρὰ φροντίσαι τῶν μὴ φρονούντων περὶ Θεοῦ, ἧ ἐφρόνει αὐτός.
Proklos ech prōtēs hēlikias anagnōstēs etynchanen hōn, ephoita te eis didaskalous, kai rhētorikēs egineto zēlōtēs. Telesas de eis andra, ta polla parēn tǭ episkopǭ ᾿Attikǭ, hypographeus autou tōn logōn genomenos. Prochopsanta de auton tę̄ taxei tēs diakonias ᾿Attikos proēgageto. ᾿Axiōtheis de presthdytereiou, hōs proeipon, hypo Sisinniou pros tēn Kyxichou episkopēn ? proxthlēthē. Tauta men ēdē proteron egeneto. Tote dē tēs en Kōnstantinou ho: ! ho. ! 25, Ekklēsias ton thronon echlērōthē. de anēr agathos to ēthos, ei kai tis allos. Hypo gar tǭ ᾿Attichǭ paideutheis, panta autou ta chrēsta emimēsato. Tēn de anexichachian pleon hēn ekeinos exēschēsen. men gar tois hairesiōtais phoderon en kairǭ hechyton epedeichnysen " houtos de prosēnēs tois pasin egineto, toutǭ de mallon autous ē bią pronagesthai pronoōn. Airesin gar oudemian skyllein hairoumenos, to axiōma tēs praotētos tę̄ Ekklēsią phylaxas apedōke, kata touto to meros, ton basilea mimoumenos: Theodosion. Echeinǭ men gar kata tōn hypaitiōn mē chrēsasthai tę̄ basilikę̄ exousich " toutǭ de, mikra phrontisai tōn mē phronountōn peri Theou, hē ephronei autos.
Proclus was a reader from his earliest youth; he attended teachers and became a devotee of rhetoric. When he reached manhood he was much with Atticus the bishop, becoming the secretary of his discourses. As he advanced, Atticus promoted him to the order of deacon. Having been made a presbyter, he was put forward, as I said before, by Sisinnius for the bishopric of Cyzicus. These things happened earlier. Now he obtained the throne of the church in Constantinople. He was a man of good character if anyone was. Taught by Atticus, he imitated all his good qualities; and he practised forbearance even more than he. For Atticus showed himself formidable to the heretics on occasion; but Proclus was gentle to all, taking care to win them by this rather than by force. Choosing to harass no sect, he preserved and restored to the church the dignity of gentleness, imitating in this respect the emperor Theodosius. For the emperor's way was not to use his imperial power against offenders; Proclus's, to care little about those who did not think about God as he himself thought.
Notes and citation
Summary: Socrates describes Proclus's career under Atticus and praises his gentleness toward the sects, like that of Theodosius.
Topics: Church office, Heresy
Cite (SBL): Socrates, Hist. eccl. 7.41 (PG 67:829–831; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/socrates-historia/7-41). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/socrates-historia/7-41
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-socrates-historia-7-41) · 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.
7.42PG 67:831
Ἐπὶ τούτοις μὲν οὖν, καὶ ὁ βασιλεὺς αὐτὸν ἀπεδέχετο. Καὶ γὰρ αὐτὸς τοῖς ἀληθῶς ἱερωμένοις ἐφάμιλλος ἦν, καὶ οὐδαμοῦ τοὺς διώκειν ἐθέλοντας ἀπεδέχετο. Τολμήσας δ᾽ ἂν εἴποιμι, ὅτι τῇ πραότητ' πάντας τοὺς ἀληθῶς ἱερωμένους ἐνίκα, καθάπερ ἡ βίβλος τῶν ᾿Αριθμῶν. ἐπὶ Μωῦϊσέως φησί" Καὶ ὁ ἄνθρωπος Μωῦσῆς πρᾶος σφόδρα παρὰ πάντας τοὺς ἀνθρώπους τοὺς ὄντας ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς" τουτ᾽ ἔστι καὶ νῦν εἰπεῖν, ὅτι ὁ βασιλεὺς Θεοδόσιος, πραῦς σφόδρα παρὰ πάντας τοὺς ἀνθρώπους τοὺς ὄντας ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς. Διὰ ταύτην γὰρ αὐτοῦ τὴν πραότητα, καὶ ὁ Θεὸς τοὺς πολεμίους αὐτῷ δίχα πολεμικῶν ἀγώνων ὑπέταττεν " ὡς ἔδειξεν τά τε κατὰ τοῦ τυράννου Ἰωάννου τρόπαια, καὶ ἡ ἐπιγενομένη μεταταῦτα τῶν Βαρβάρων ἀπώλεια. Οἷα γὰρ τοῖς πάλαι διχαίοις ὑπῆρχε παρὰ Θεοῦ, τοιαῦτα καὶ ἐπὶ τῶνδε τῶν χρόνων τῷ θεοφιλεστάτῳ βασιλεῖ παρεῖχεν ὁ τῶν ὅλων Θεός. Καὶ οὐ κολακείᾳ ταῦτα γράφω, ἀλλὰ μετὰ τῆς ἀληθείας τὰ πᾶσι γενόμενα γνώριμα παραθήσο-
Epi toutois men oun, kai ho basileus auton apedecheto. Kai gar autos tois alēthōs hierōmenois ephamillos ēn, kai oudamou tous diōkein ethelontas apedecheto. Tolmēsas d᾽ an eipoimi, hoti tę̄ praotēt' pantas tous alēthōs hierōmenous enika, kathaper hē biblos tōn ᾿Arithmōn. epi Mōyïseōs phēsi" Kai ho anthrōpos Mōysēs praos sphodra para pantas tous anthrōpous tous ontas epi tēs gēs" tout᾽ esti kai nyn eipein, hoti ho basileus Theodosios, praus sphodra para pantas tous anthrōpous tous ontas epi tēs gēs. Dia tautēn gar autou tēn praotēta, kai ho Theos tous polemious autǭ dicha polemikōn agōnōn hypetatten " hōs edeixen ta te kata tou tyrannou Iōannou tropaia, kai hē epigenomenē metatauta tōn Barbarōn apōleia. Hoia gar tois palai dichaiois hypērche para Theou, toiauta kai epi tōnde tōn chronōn tǭ theophilestatǭ basilei pareichen ho tōn holōn Theos. Kai ou kolakeią tauta graphō, alla meta tēs alētheias ta pasi genomena gnōrima parathēso-
For these reasons the emperor too approved of him. For he himself was a rival of those truly consecrated, and nowhere approved those who wished to persecute. I would dare to say that in gentleness he surpassed all those truly consecrated, as the book of Numbers says of Moses: 'And the man Moses was very meek, above all the men who were on the earth.' That is, one may now say that the emperor Theodosius is very meek above all the men who are on the earth. For because of this gentleness of his, God also subdued his enemies to him without battles, as was shown by the trophies over the usurper John and the destruction of the barbarians that followed. For such things as were given by God to the righteous of old, the God of all gave in these times too to the most God-loving emperor. And I do not write this in flattery, but I shall set down with truth what is known to all.
Num 12:3 (quotation, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Socrates praises Theodosius II as meek above all men, like Moses, and so given victories by God.
- The quotation is Num 12:3. The last sentence runs on into the next chapter.
Cite (SBL): Socrates, Hist. eccl. 7.42 (PG 67:831; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/socrates-historia/7-42). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/socrates-historia/7-42
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-socrates-historia-7-42) · 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.
7.43PG 67:831–833
Μετὰ γὰρ τὴν τοῦ τυράννου ἀναίρεσιν, οἱ ροι οὃς ἐκεῖνος πρὸς βοήθειαν κατὰ Ῥωμαίων ἐκάλεσεν, ἕτοιμοι ἦσαν χατατρέχειν τὰ Ῥωμαίων πράγματα. Ταῦτα ὁ βασιλεὺς πυθόμενος, συνήθως τὴν περὶ τούτων φροντίδα ἐπέτρεψε τῷ Θεῷ· εὐχαῖς τε σχολάσας, οὐκ εἰς μακρὰν ἐξήνυσεν ἃ ἐζήτει λαβεῖν. Οἷα γὰρ δὴ καὶ ἐγένετο τοῖς βαρβάροις, καλὸν ἐπακοῦσαι. Θνήσκει μὲν αὐτῶν ὁ ἔπαρχος, ᾧ ὄνομα ἦν Ῥούγας, βληθεὶς κεραυνῷ. Λοιμός τε ἐπιλαβόμένος τὸ πλεῖστον τῶν ὑπ᾿ αὐτῷ ἀνθρώπων διέφθειρε. Καὶ οὐ τοῦτο μόνον ἐξήρκεσεν· ἀλλὰ γὰρ καὶ πῦρ ἐξ οὐρανοῦ κατελθὸν, πολλοὺς τῶν ὑπολειφθέντων ἀνάλωσεν. Καὶ τοῦτο εἰς δέος μέγιστον τοὺς βαρβάρους κατέστησεν, οὐ τοσοῦτον ὅτι πρὸς ἔθνος γενναῖον τὸ Ῥωμαίων ὅπλα ἀνταίρειν ἐτόλμησαν · ἀλλ' ὅτι πλέον ὑπὸ ἰσχυροῦ Θεοῦ βοηθουμένους ἐφεύρισκον. Τότε δὴ καὶ ὁ ἐπίσκοπος Πρόκλος, ἐκ τοῦ Ἱεζεκιήλ προφητείαν ἐπ᾿ ἐκκλησίας διδάσκων, τῇ γενομένῃ ἐκ Θεοῦ σωτηρίᾳ προσαρμόσας, ἱκανῶς ἐθαυμάσθη. Ἡ δὲ προφητεία ἐστὶν αὕτη· Καὶ σὺ, υἱὲ ἀνθρώπου, προφήτευσον ἐπὶ Γὼν ἄρχοντα, Ῥὼς, Μισόχ καὶ Θόβελ. Κρινῶ γὰρ αὐτὸν θανάτῳ, καὶ αἵματι, καὶ ὑετῷ κατακλύζοντι, καὶ λίθοις χαλάζης. Καὶ πῦρ καὶ θεῖον βρέξω ἐπ' αὐτὸν, καὶ ἐπὶ πάντας τοὺς μετ' αὐτοῦ, καὶ εἰς ἔθνη πολλὰ μετ' αὐτοῦ. Καὶ μεγαλυνθήσομαι, καὶ ἐνδοξασθήσομαι, καὶ γνωσθήσομαι ἐναντίον πολλῶν ἐθνῶν· καὶ γνώσονται, ὅτι ἐγώ εἰμι ὁ Κύριος. Σφόδρα μὲν οὖν, ὡς ἔφην, ἐθαυμάσθη ἐπὶ τούτοις ὁ Πρόκλος. Τῷ δέ γε βασιλεῖ διὰ τὴν πραότητα, καὶ ἄλλα μὲν πλεῖστα παρείχεν ἡ τοῦ Θεοῦ πρόνοια· ἓν δὲ κἀκεῖνο.
Meta gar tēn tou tyrannou anairesin, hoi roi hoos ekeinos pros boētheian kata Rhōmaiōn ekalesen, hetoimoi ēsan chatatrechein ta Rhōmaiōn pragmata. Tauta ho basileus pythomenos, synēthōs tēn peri toutōn phrontida epetrepse tǭ Theǭ; euchais te scholasas, ouk eis makran exēnysen ha ezētei labein. Hoia gar dē kai egeneto tois barbarois, kalon epakousai. Thnēskei men autōn ho eparchos, hǭ onoma ēn Rhougas, blētheis keraunǭ. Loimos te epilabomenos to pleiston tōn hyp᾿ autǭ anthrōpōn diephtheire. Kai ou touto monon exērkesen; alla gar kai pyr ex ouranou katelthon, pollous tōn hypoleiphthentōn analōsen. Kai touto eis deos megiston tous barbarous katestēsen, ou tosouton hoti pros ethnos gennaion to Rhōmaiōn hopla antairein etolmēsan ; all' hoti pleon hypo ischyrou Theou boēthoumenous epheuriskon. Tote dē kai ho episkopos Proklos, ek tou Hiezekiēl prophēteian ep᾿ ekklēsias didaskōn, tę̄ genomenę̄ ek Theou sōtērią prosarmosas, hikanōs ethaumasthē. Hē de prophēteia estin hautē; Kai sy, huie anthrōpou, prophēteuson epi Gōn archonta, Rhōs, Misoch kai Thobel. Krinō gar auton thanatǭ, kai haimati, kai hyetǭ kataklyzonti, kai lithois chalazēs. Kai pyr kai theion brexō ep' auton, kai epi pantas tous met' autou, kai eis ethnē polla met' autou. Kai megalynthēsomai, kai endoxasthēsomai, kai gnōsthēsomai enantion pollōn ethnōn; kai gnōsontai, hoti egō eimi ho Kyrios. Sphodra men oun, hōs ephēn, ethaumasthē epi toutois ho Proklos. Tǭ de ge basilei dia tēn praotēta, kai alla men pleista pareichen hē tou Theou pronoia; hen de kakeino.
For after the usurper's death, the barbarians whom he had called to his help against the Romans were ready to overrun the Roman domain. When the emperor learned this, as usual he entrusted the care of it to God; and giving himself to prayer, he soon obtained what he sought. It is good to hear what happened to the barbarians. Their leader, whose name was Rugas, died struck by a thunderbolt. A plague took hold and destroyed most of the men under him. And not only this was enough; fire too came down from heaven and consumed many of those who were left. This put the barbarians in the greatest fear, not so much because they had dared to raise arms against a brave nation, the Romans, but because they found them helped by a mighty God. Then Proclus the bishop, teaching in church on a prophecy from Ezekiel and fitting it to the deliverance that had come from God, was much admired. The prophecy is this: 'And you, son of man, prophesy against Gog, prince of Rosh, Meshech and Tubal. For I will judge him with death and with blood and with overflowing rain and with hailstones; and I will rain fire and brimstone upon him and upon all those with him, and upon many nations with him. And I will be magnified and glorified and known before many nations; and they shall know that I am the Lord.' So, as I said, Proclus was greatly admired for this. And the providence of God, because of his gentleness, gave the emperor very many other things, and this one too.
Ezek 38:2 (quotation, high confidence) · Ezek 38:22–23 (quotation, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: The Huns who had supported the usurper John are struck by lightning, plague and fire from heaven; Proclus applies Ezekiel's prophecy against Gog to the deliverance.
- The prophecy is Ezek 38:2 with 38:22–23 in the Septuagint form ('prince of Rosh, Meshech and Tubal').
- Rugas (Rua) was king of the Huns; he died about 434.
Topics: Prayer
Cite (SBL): Socrates, Hist. eccl. 7.43 (PG 67:831–833; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/socrates-historia/7-43). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/socrates-historia/7-43
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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.
7.44PG 67:833–835
Ἧν αὐτῷ θυγάτηρ ἐκ τῆς γαμετῆς Εὐδοκίας, ὄνομα Εὐδοξία. Ταύτην Οὐαλεντινιανὸς ὁ ἀνεψιὸς ὑπ' αὐτοῦ τῶν Ἑσπερίων μερῶν καταστὰς βασιλεὺς, ᾔτησε πρὸς γάμον λαβεῖν. Ὡς δὲ ὁ βασιλεὺς ἐπένευσε Θεοδόσιος, καὶ ἐβουλεύοντο ἐν μεσαιχμίῳ που τοὺς γάμους τελέσαι, ἐδόκει δὲ μερισαμένους τὴν ὁδὸν, ἐν τῇ Θεσσαλονίκῃ τοῦτο ποιῆσαι, μηνύει Οὐαλεντινιανός μὴ σκύλλεσθαι · αὐτὸς γὰρ ἤξειν εἰς τὴν Κωνσταντινούπολιν. Ασφαλισάμενος οὖν τὰ Ἑσπέρια μέρη, αὐτὸς ἐπὶ τὴν Κωνσταντινούπολιν παραγίνεται τοῦ γάμου χάριν. Οὗ ἐπιτελεσθέντος ἐν ὑπατείᾳ Ἰσιδώρου καὶ Σινάτορος, λαβὼν τὴν γαμετὴν, αὖθις ἐπὶ τὰ Ἑσπέρια μέρη ἀνέδραμεν. Τοιοῦτο μὲν οὖν καὶ τόδε τῷ βασιλεῖ εὐτύχημα γέγονεν.
Hēn autǭ thygatēr ek tēs gametēs Eudokias, onoma Eudoxia. Tautēn Oualentinianos ho anepsios hyp' autou tōn Hesperiōn merōn katastas basileus, ę̄tēse pros gamon labein. Hōs de ho basileus epeneuse Theodosios, kai ebouleuonto en mesaichmiǭ pou tous gamous telesai, edokei de merisamenous tēn hodon, en tę̄ Thessalonikę̄ touto poiēsai, mēnyei Oualentinianos mē skyllesthai ; autos gar ēxein eis tēn Kōnstantinoupolin. Asphalisamenos oun ta Hesperia merē, autos epi tēn Kōnstantinoupolin paraginetai tou gamou charin. Hou epitelesthentos en hypateią Isidōrou kai Sinatoros, labōn tēn gametēn, authis epi ta Hesperia merē anedramen. Toiouto men oun kai tode tǭ basilei eutychēma gegonen.
He had a daughter by his wife Eudocia named Eudoxia. Valentinian, his cousin, whom he had made emperor of the western parts, asked to take her in marriage. When the emperor Theodosius consented, and they were planning to celebrate the wedding somewhere midway between them, and it seemed best to divide the journey and do it at Thessalonica, Valentinian sent word that he should not trouble himself, for he would come to Constantinople himself. So, having secured the western parts, he came to Constantinople for the wedding. When it had been celebrated, in the consulship of Isidore and Senator, he took his wife and returned to the western parts. This too was such a piece of good fortune for the emperor.
Notes and citation
Summary: Valentinian III comes to Constantinople to marry Eudoxia, daughter of Theodosius II, in 437.
- The consulship of Isidore and Senator is 436; the wedding took place in October 437.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (stray letter): Σινάτορος ο, → Σινάτορος,.
Topics: Marriage
Cite (SBL): Socrates, Hist. eccl. 7.44 (PG 67:833–835; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/socrates-historia/7-44). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/socrates-historia/7-44
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-socrates-historia-7-44) · 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.
7.45PG 67:835
Οὐκ εἰς μακρὰν δὲ μετὰ τόνδε τὸν χρόνον, καὶ ὁ ἐπίσκοπος Πρόκλος τοὺς χωριζομένους διὰ τὴν τοῦ ἐπισκόπου Ἰωάννου καθαίρεσιν ἐπανήγαγε, φρονήσει παραμυθησάμενος τὴν λύπην αὐτῶν. Τί δὲ τοῦτο ἦν, λεκτέον. Τὸ σῶμα Ἰωάννου ἐν Κομάνοις τεθαμμένον, βασιλέα πείσας, τριακοστῷ πέμπτῳ ἔτει μετὰ τὴν καθαίρεσιν, εἰς τὴν Κωνσταντίνου πόλιν μετεκόμισε. Καὶ μετὰ πολλῆς τιμῆς, δημοσίᾳ πομπεύσας αὐτὸ, εἰς τὴν ἐπώνυμον τῶν ᾿Αποστόλων ἐκκλησίαν ἀπέθετο. Πεισθέντες οὖν ἐπὶ τούτῳ οἱ δι᾽ αὐτὸν χωριζόμενοι, τῇ Ἐκκλησίᾳ ἡνώθησαν. Καὶ γέγονεν τῇ ἑξκαιδεκάτῃ ὑπατείᾳ τοῦ βασιλέως Θεοδοσίου, περὶ τὴν ἑβδόμην καὶ εἰκάδα τοῦ Ἰανουαρίου μηνός. Θαυμάσαι δέ μοι ἔπεισι, πῶς ὁ φθόνος Ωριγένους μὲν τελευτήσαντος ἥψατο, Ἰωάννου δὲ ἐφείσατο. Ὁ μὲν γὰρ μετὰ διακόσια ἔτη που τῆς ἑαυτοῦ τελευτῆς, ὑπὸ Θεοφίλου ἀκοινώνητος γέγονεν. Ἰωάννης δὲ, τριακοστῷ πέμπτῳ ἔτει μετὰ τὴν τελευτὴν εἰς κοι νωνίαν ὑπὸ Πρόκλου ἐδέχθη. Τοσοῦτον Πρόκλος Θεοdis-φίλου τῷ τρόπῳ διήνεγκεν. Ἀλλὰ ταῦτα μὲν ὅπως – γέγονέ τε καὶ ἀεὶ γίνεται, τοὺς σωφρονοῦντας οὐ διαφεύγει.
Ouk eis makran de meta tonde ton chronon, kai ho episkopos Proklos tous chōrizomenous dia tēn tou episkopou Iōannou kathairesin epanēgage, phronēsei paramythēsamenos tēn lypēn autōn. Ti de touto ēn, lekteon. To sōma Iōannou en Komanois tethammenon, basilea peisas, triakostǭ pemptǭ etei meta tēn kathairesin, eis tēn Kōnstantinou polin metekomise. Kai meta pollēs timēs, dēmosią pompeusas auto, eis tēn epōnymon tōn ᾿Apostolōn ekklēsian apetheto. Peisthentes oun epi toutǭ hoi di᾽ auton chōrizomenoi, tę̄ Ekklēsią hēnōthēsan. Kai gegonen tę̄ hexkaidekatę̄ hypateią tou basileōs Theodosiou, peri tēn hebdomēn kai eikada tou Ianouariou mēnos. Thaumasai de moi epeisi, pōs ho phthonos Ōrigenous men teleutēsantos hēpsato, Iōannou de epheisato. Ho men gar meta diakosia etē pou tēs heautou teleutēs, hypo Theophilou akoinōnētos gegonen. Iōannēs de, triakostǭ pemptǭ etei meta tēn teleutēn eis koi nōnian hypo Proklou edechthē. Tosouton Proklos Theodis-philou tǭ tropǭ diēnenken. Alla tauta men hopōs – gegone te kai aei ginetai, tous sōphronountas ou diapheugei.
Not long after this time Proclus the bishop also brought back those who had separated because of the deposition of John the bishop, consoling their grief with prudence. What this was must be told. Having persuaded the emperor, he brought the body of John, buried at Comana, to Constantinople in the thirty-fifth year after his deposition; and having carried it publicly in procession with great honour, he laid it in the church named after the Apostles. Won over by this, those who had separated on his account were united with the church. This happened in the sixteenth consulship of the emperor Theodosius, about the twenty-seventh of January. I cannot help wondering how envy laid hold of Origen after his death but spared John. For the one was excommunicated by Theophilus some two hundred years after his death, while John, in the thirty-fifth year after his death, was received into communion by Proclus. So much did Proclus differ in character from Theophilus. But how these things happened and always happen does not escape the sober-minded.
Notes and citation
Summary: Proclus has John Chrysostom's body brought to Constantinople in 438, reconciling the Johannites; Socrates contrasts the treatment of John and of Origen.
- The sixteenth consulship of Theodosius II is 438. Socrates counts thirty-five years from John's deposition (403/404); he died in 407.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (stray footnote numeral; stray letter): καθαίρεσιν Ρ, → καθαίρεσιν,; Ἰανουαρίου 4 μηνός → Ἰανουαρίου μηνός.
Topics: Church office
Cite (SBL): Socrates, Hist. eccl. 7.45 (PG 67:835; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/socrates-historia/7-45). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/socrates-historia/7-45
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-socrates-historia-7-45) · 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.
7.46PG 67:837–839
Ολίγον δὲ μετὰ τὴν τοῦ σώματος Ἰωάννου ἀπόθεσιν, καὶ Παῦλος ὁ τῆς τῶν Ναυατιανῶν Ἐκκλησίας ἐτελεύτησεν, ἐν ὑπατείᾳ τῇ αὐτῇ, περὶ τὴν μίαν καὶ εἰκάδα τοῦ Ἰουλίου μηνός. "Ος τῇ ἑαυτοῦ ἐκκομιδῇ πάσας τὰς διαφόρους αἱρέσεις τρόπον τινὰ μίαν Ἐκκλησίαν εἰργάσατο. Πᾶσαι γὰρ αὐτοῦ τὸ σῶμα ἄχρι τοῦ μνήματος σὺν ψαλμῳδίαις παρέπεμπον, ἐπείπερ καὶ ζῶν διὰ βίου ὀρθότητα πάσαις ἐπέραστος ἦν. Ἐπεὶ δὲ Παῦλος ἄξιον μνήμης τελευτᾷν μέλλων διεπράξατο, χρειῶδες εἶναι ἡγοῦμαι τῇδε τῇ ἱστορίᾳ αὐτὸ προσθεῖναι, πρὸς ὠφέλειαν τῶν ἐντυγχανόντων αὐτῇ. Ὅτι μὲν γὰρ ἀῤῥωστῶν τῇ συνήθει τῆς ἀσκήσεως διαίτῃ ἐχρῆτο, μηδαμῶς παρεκβαίνων αὐτὴν, καὶ ὡς διέλειπε τὰς εὐχὰς ἀόκνως ἐκτελῶν, παραλιπεῖν μοι δοκῶ, ἵνα μὴ περὶ τοῦτο διατρίβων, ἀμαυρώσω τὴν ἀξίαν μνήμης, ὡς ἔφην, καὶ ἐπωφελῆ πρᾶξιν αὐτοῦ. Τις δὲ ἐστιν, ἤδη λεκτέον. Μέλλων τελευτᾷν, πάντας τοὺς τῶν ὑπ᾿ αὐτὸν ἐκκλησιῶν ἱερωμένους μεταπεμψάμενος · Φροντίσατε, ἔφη, ἀναδεῖξαι τινὰ ἐπίσκοπον, ἕως ἔτι ἐν πνέουσίν εἰμι · ἵνα μὴ μεταταῦτα ταραχὴν αἱ ᾿Εκκλησίαι ὑμῶν ὑπομείνωσι. Τῶν δὲ λεγόντων, μὴ αὐτοῖς τὴν περὶ τούτου ψῆφον ἐπιτρέπειν · ἄλλος γὰρ ἄλλο κριτήριον ἔχοντες, οὐδαμῶς τὸν αὐτὸν ὀνομάσαιμεν · ἀλλ᾿ αὐτόν σε ἀναδεικνύναι ὂν βούλει αἱρούμεθα. Οὐκοῦν, ἔφη ὁ Παῦλος, ἔγγραφόν μοι τὴν ὁμολογίαν ταύτην ἐπίδοτε, ὅτι τοῦτον αἱρεῖσθε, ὂν ἂν ἐγὼ αὐτὸς ψηφισαίμην. Τῶν δὲ τοῦτο ποιησάντων καὶ ὑπογραψάντων, αὐτὸς ἀνακαθίσας τῆς κλίνης, καὶ λαθὼν τοὺς παρόντας, ἐνέγραψεν ὄνομα Μαρκιανοῦ· ὃς ἐν μὲν τῇ τῶν πρεσβυτέρων τάξει ἐτέτακτο, καὶ ὑπ᾿ αὐτὸν τὸν ἀσκητικὸν ἐπαιδεύετο βίον· ἀπεδήμει δὲ τηνικαῦτα. Εἶτα σφραγίσας αὐτὸς, καὶ τοὺς πρώτους τοῦ πρεσβυτερίου ἐπισφραγίσαι ποιήσας, παρέθετο τοῦτο τὸ βιβλίον Μάρκῳ, ὅστις ἐν Σκυθίᾳ Ναυατιανῶν ἐπίσκοπος ἦν, τότε δὲ ἐπεδήμει τῇ πόλει· καὶ τάδε ἔφη πρὸς αὐτόν· Εἰ μὲν θέλει Θεὸς ἔτι με περιεῖναι εἰς τόνδε τὸν βίον, τήνδε μοι παρακαταθήκην φυλάξας ἀπόδος. Εἰ δὲ με δοκεῖ αὐτῷ μεταστῆσαι, ἐν τούτῳ εὑρήσεις τὸν ὑπ᾿ ἐμοῦ μετ' ἐμὲ ψηφισθέντα ἐπίσκοπον. Ταῦτα εἰπὼν, ἐτελεύτησε. Τρίτῃ οὖν μετὰ τὴν τελευτὴν ἡμέρᾳ, ἀνελίξαντες τὸ βιβλίον ἐπὶ πλήθους πολλοῦ, καὶ εὑρόντες τὸ Μαρκιανοῦ ὄνομα, πάντες μὲν ἄξιον εἶναι ἐβόων· καὶ μὴ μελλήσαντες, ἐξαπέστειλαν τοὺς συλληψομένους αὐτόν. Οἱ δὲ, δόλῳ ἀγαθῷ ἐν Τιβερίου πόλει τῆς Φρυγίας διάγοντα συλλαβόντες, ἄγουσι · καὶ περὶ τὴν μίαν καὶ εἰκάδα τοῦ αὐτοῦ μηνὸς χειροτονηθέντα ἐνθρονίζουσι. Ταῦτα μὲν οὖν ἐπιτοσοῦτον εἰρήσθω
Oligon de meta tēn tou sōmatos Iōannou apothesin, kai Paulos ho tēs tōn Nauatianōn Ekklēsias eteleutēsen, en hypateią tę̄ autę̄, peri tēn mian kai eikada tou Iouliou mēnos. "Os tę̄ heautou ekkomidę̄ pasas tas diaphorous haireseis tropon tina mian Ekklēsian eirgasato. Pasai gar autou to sōma achri tou mnēmatos syn psalmǭdiais parepempon, epeiper kai zōn dia biou orthotēta pasais eperastos ēn. Epei de Paulos axion mnēmēs teleutąn mellōn diepraxato, chreiōdes einai hēgoumai tę̄de tę̄ historią auto prostheinai, pros ōpheleian tōn entynchanontōn autę̄. Hoti men gar arrhōstōn tę̄ synēthei tēs askēseōs diaitę̄ echrēto, mēdamōs parekbainōn autēn, kai hōs dieleipe tas euchas aoknōs ektelōn, paralipein moi dokō, hina mē peri touto diatribōn, amaurōsō tēn axian mnēmēs, hōs ephēn, kai epōphelē praxin autou. Tis de estin, ēdē lekteon. Mellōn teleutąn, pantas tous tōn hyp᾿ auton ekklēsiōn hierōmenous metapempsamenos ; Phrontisate, ephē, anadeixai tina episkopon, heōs eti en pneousin eimi ; hina mē metatauta tarachēn hai ᾿Ekklēsiai hymōn hypomeinōsi. Tōn de legontōn, mē autois tēn peri toutou psēphon epitrepein ; allos gar allo kritērion echontes, oudamōs ton auton onomasaimen ; all᾿ auton se anadeiknynai on boulei hairoumetha. Oukoun, ephē ho Paulos, engraphon moi tēn homologian tautēn epidote, hoti touton haireisthe, on an egō autos psēphisaimēn. Tōn de touto poiēsantōn kai hypograpsantōn, autos anakathisas tēs klinēs, kai lathōn tous parontas, enegrapsen onoma Markianou; hos en men tę̄ tōn presbyterōn taxei etetakto, kai hyp᾿ auton ton askētikon epaideueto bion; apedēmei de tēnikauta. Eita sphragisas autos, kai tous prōtous tou presbyteriou episphragisai poiēsas, paretheto touto to biblion Markǭ, hostis en Skythią Nauatianōn episkopos ēn, tote de epedēmei tę̄ polei; kai tade ephē pros auton; Ei men thelei Theos eti me perieinai eis tonde ton bion, tēnde moi parakatathēkēn phylaxas apodos. Ei de me dokei autǭ metastēsai, en toutǭ heurēseis ton hyp᾿ emou met' eme psēphisthenta episkopon. Tauta eipōn, eteleutēse. Tritę̄ oun meta tēn teleutēn hēmerą, anelixantes to biblion epi plēthous pollou, kai heurontes to Markianou onoma, pantes men axion einai eboōn; kai mē mellēsantes, exapesteilan tous syllēpsomenous auton. Hoi de, dolǭ agathǭ en Tiberiou polei tēs Phrygias diagonta syllabontes, agousi ; kai peri tēn mian kai eikada tou autou mēnos cheirotonēthenta enthronizousi. Tauta men oun epitosouton eirēsthō
A little after the laying of John's body to rest, Paul too, the bishop of the church of the Novatians, died, in the same consulship, about the twenty-first of July. By his funeral he made all the different sects in a way one church; for all escorted his body to the tomb with psalm-singing, since even while living he was beloved by all for the uprightness of his life. Since Paul did something worth remembering when about to die, I think it useful to add it to this history for the benefit of its readers. That during his illness he kept to his usual ascetic diet, never departing from it, and that he did not stop performing his prayers tirelessly, I think best to pass over, lest by dwelling on this I obscure the deed worth remembering and, as I said, useful. What it is must now be told. When about to die, he sent for all the priests of the churches under him and said: 'Take care to appoint a bishop while I am still among the living, so that your churches may not afterwards suffer turmoil.' They said that the vote on this should not be entrusted to them: 'For each of us having a different judgment, we would never name the same man; but we choose that you yourself appoint whom you wish.' 'Then,' said Paul, 'give me this agreement in writing, that you choose whomever I myself vote for.' When they had done this and signed it, he sat up in his bed and, without those present seeing, wrote in the name of Marcian, who was ranked among the presbyters and had been trained by him in the ascetic life, but was then away from the city. Then he sealed it himself and had the leading members of the presbytery seal it too, and he entrusted this document to Mark, who was bishop of the Novatians in Scythia and was then staying in the city, saying to him: 'If God wishes me still to remain in this life, keep this deposit and give it back to me. But if it seems good to him to take me away, in this you will find the one I have voted to be bishop after me.' Having said this, he died. On the third day after his death they unrolled the document before a great crowd, and finding the name of Marcian, they all cried out that he was worthy; and without delay they sent men to seize him. These, by a good deceit, seized him while he was staying at Tiberiopolis in Phrygia and brought him; and about the twenty-first of the same month he was ordained and enthroned. Let this much be said about these things.
Textual problem in this passage: see the notes.
Notes and citation
Summary: The Novatian bishop Paul, whose funeral unites all the sects, secretly names his ascetic disciple Marcian as successor in a sealed document, and Marcian is ordained.
- The consulship is 438. The scan reads 'about the twenty-first of the same month' for Marcian's ordination; Paul had died on 21 July, so the figure may be corrupt.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (stray letter): ἐβόων τ· → ἐβόων·.
Topics: Church office
Cite (SBL): Socrates, Hist. eccl. 7.46 (PG 67:837–839; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/socrates-historia/7-46). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/socrates-historia/7-46
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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.
7.47PG 67:839
ἐποίει, ἐξαιρέτοις τιμαῖς γεραίρων τὸν Χριστόν. Καὶ τὴν γαμετὴν Εὐδοκίαν ἐπὶ τὰ Ἱεροσόλυμας ἔπεμπεν. Καὶ γὰρ αὐτὴν ταύτην εὐχὴν ἐπιτελέσειν ἐπηγγέλλετο, ἐὰν τὴν θυγατέρα γαμηθεῖσαν ἐπόψηται· ἀλλὰ αὕτη μὲν, καὶ τὰς περὶ Ἱεροσόλυμα ἐκκλησίας, καὶ πάσας τὰς ἐν ταῖς ᾿Ανατολικαῖς πόλεσι, ποικίλως ἐτίμησεν, ἔν τε τῷ ἀπιέναι, καὶ αὖθις ἐπανιοῦσα.
epoiei, exairetois timais gerairōn ton Christon. Kai tēn gametēn Eudokian epi ta Hierosolymas epempen. Kai gar autēn tautēn euchēn epitelesein epēngelleto, ean tēn thygatera gamētheisan epopsētai; alla hautē men, kai tas peri Hierosolyma ekklēsias, kai pasas tas en tais ᾿Anatolikais polesi, poikilōs etimēsen, en te tǭ apienai, kai authis epaniousa.
The emperor Theodosius offered prayers of thanksgiving to God for the benefits he had received, and he did this honouring Christ with special honours. He also sent his wife Eudocia to Jerusalem; for she had promised to fulfil this very vow if she saw her daughter married. She honoured in various ways the churches about Jerusalem and all those in the cities of the East, both going and returning again.
Notes and citation
Summary: Theodosius gives thanks to God and sends the empress Eudocia to Jerusalem to fulfil a vow; she endows the churches of the East.
- The opening words of the chapter ('The emperor Theodosius offered prayers of thanksgiving to God for the benefits he had received, and he did this') stand in the staged heading; they are translated here. Eudocia's first journey to Jerusalem was in 438–439.
Topics: Prayer
Cite (SBL): Socrates, Hist. eccl. 7.47 (PG 67:839; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/socrates-historia/7-47). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/socrates-historia/7-47
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-socrates-historia-7-47) · 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.