Church History 9.1–9.12
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 9
9.1PG 67:1593–1597
Τὰ μὲν δὴ κατὰ Ἰωάννην ὧδε ἔσχε. Μετ᾿ οὐ πολὺ δὲ τῆς τούτου τελευτῆς, τρίτον ἔτος; ἤδη ᾿Αττικοῦ διανύοντος τὴν Κωνσταντινουπόλεως ἐπισκοπὴν, Βάσσου καὶ Φιλίππου ὑπατευόντων, τελευτᾷ τὸν βίον Αρχάξιος, διάδοχον τῆς ἡγεμονίας Θεοδόσιον τὸν υἱέα καταλιπὼν, ἀρτίως γάλακτι τρέφεσθαι πεπαυμένον θυγατέρας δὲ, Πουλχερίαν καὶ ᾿Αρχαδίαν Μαρίναν, ἔτι κομιδῇ νέας. Ἧ μοι δοκεῖ μάλιστα τὸν Θεὸν ἐπιδεῖξαι, μόνην εὐσέδειαν ἀρκεῖν πρὸς σωτηρίαν τοῖς βασιλεύουσιν ἄνευ δὲ ταύτης, μηδὲν εἶναι στρατεύματα καὶ βασιλέως ἰσχὺν, καὶ τὴν ἄλλην Ἐπεὶ οὖν εὐσεδέστατον τὸν βασιλέα ἔσεσθαι προεῖδεν ἡ τῶν ὅλων θεία δύναμις, ἐπίτροπον αὐτοῦ τῆς ἡγεμονίας κατἐστησε Πουλχερίαν τὴν ἀδελφήν. Ἢ δὲ, οὔπω πεντεχαιδέχατον ἔτος ἄγουσα, ὑπὲρ τὴν ἡλικίαν σοφώτατον θεῖον νοῦν. Καὶ πρῶτα μὲν τὴν αὐτῆς παρθενίαν τῷ Θεῷ ἀνέθηχε, καὶ τὰς ἀδελφὰς ἐπὶ τὸν αὐτὸν ἐπαιδαγώγησε βίον, ὅπως μὴ ἄλλον ἄνδρα ἐπεισαγάγη τοῖς βασιλείοις, καὶ ζήλου ἐπιδουλῆς πᾶσαν ἀνέλῃ ἀφορμήν. Ἐπιδεδαιοῦσα δὲ τὰ δόξαντα, καὶ Θεὸν αὐτὸν, καὶ ἱερέας, καὶ πάντα ἀρχόμενον μάρτυρας ποιουμένη τῶν αὐτῇ βεδουλευμένων, ἐχ χρυσοῦ λίθων τιμίων θαυμάσιόν τι χρῆμα θεα- , , μάτων κάλλιστον, ὑπὲρ τῆς ἰδίας παρθενίας καὶ τῆς πον τρί αἱὸ τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ ἡγεμονίας, ἱερὰν ἀνέθετο τράπεζαν ἐν τῇ ἐκκλησίᾳ Κωνσταντινουπόλεως " καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ μετώπου τῆς τραπέζης, ὡς ἂν πᾶσιν ἔχδηλα ἧ, τάδε ἐπέγραψεν. Ὑπεισελθοῦσα δὲ τῆς ἡγεμονίας τὴν φροντίδα, ἄριστα καὶ ἐν κόσμῳ πολλῷ τὴν Ῥωμαίων οἰκουμένην διῴχησεν " εὖ βουλευομένη, ὡς ἐν τάχει τὰ πρακτέα ἐπιτελοῦσα καὶ γράφουσα 47). Ἠχρίδωτο γὰρ λέγειν, καὶ γράφειν ὀρθῶς τὴν Ῥωμαίων ᾿Ἑλλήνων φωνήν. Τῶν δὲ πραττομένων τὴν δόχησιν εἰς τὸν ἀδελφὸν ἀνέφερε " ἐπεμελεῖτο, ὡς ἂν μάλιστα βασιλικῶς ἀναχθείη τοῖς καθ᾽ ἡλικίαν παιδευομένοις μαθήμασιν. ᾿Αλλ᾽ ἱππικὴν μὲν καὶ τὴν ἐν τοῖς ὅπλοιξ καὶ τοῖς λόγοις ἄτχησιν, παρὰ τῶν ἐπιστημόνων ἐξεδίδάσχετο. Περὶ δὲ τὰς προόδους χόσμιος εἶναι καὶ βασιλιχὺὸς, παρὰ τῆς ἀδελφῆς ἐῤῥυθμίζετο - ἐσθῆτα χρὴ περιστέλλειν μανθάνων, καὶ τρόπῳ τίνι καθῆσθαι, καὶ βαδίζειν, καὶ γέλωτος κρατεῖν, πρᾷος. φοβερὸς ἐν καιρῷ εἶναι, ἁρμοδίως πυνθάνεσθαι τῶν περί του δεομένων. Οὐχ ἥκιστα δὲ εἰς εὐσέδειαν αὐτὸν ἦγε, συνεχῶς εὔχεσθαι, καὶ ταῖς ἐκκλησίαις φοιτᾶν ἐθίζουσα καὶ ἀναθήμασι καὶ κειμηλίοις τοὺς εὐκτηρίους οἴκους γεραΐθειν" καὶ ἐν τιμῇ ἔχειν τοὺς ἱερέας, ἄλλου: ἀγαθοὺς ἄνδρας, καὶ τοὺς νόμῳ Χριστιανῶν φιλοσοφοῦντας. Οὐ μὴν ἀλλὰ καὶ ὑπὸ νόθων δογμάτων νεωτερίζεσθαι χινδυνευούσης τῆς θρησκείας, σπουδῇ καὶ σοφῶς προύὔπτη. Καὶ τοῦ μὴ καινὰς αἱρέσεις ἐν τοῖς ἡμᾶς χρόνοις κρατεῖν, μάλιστα αὐτὴν αἰτίαν εὑρήσομεν, ὡς ἐν τοῖς μετὰ ταῦτα εἰσόμεθα. Δέει δὲ πολλῷ τὸ Θεῖον θρησχεύουσα, μακρὸν ἂν εἴη παρὰ τίσι λέγειν, πόσους εὐκτηρίους οἴκους μεγαλοπρεπῶς ἐτεχτήνατο' πόσα δὲ χαταγώγια πτωχῶν καὶ ξένων, καὶ μοναστιχὰς συνοικίας συνεστήσατο, διηνεχῇ τάξατα τὴν εἰς ταῦτα δαπάνην, καὶ τὸ σιτηρέσιον τῶν ἐνοικούντων. Εἴ τῳ δὲ φίλον τῶν πραὙμάτων πειρᾶσθαι τῆς ἀληθείας, μὴ τοῖς ἐμοῖς πείθεσθαι λόγοις, μαθήσεται μὴ ψευδῶς, μηδὲ πρὸς χάριν με τάδε συγγράφειν, εἰ παρὰ τῶν ἐπιτρόπευὄντων τὸν αὐτῆς οἶχον ἀνάγραπτον οὖσαν διέλθοι τῶν τοιούτων γνῶσιν, καὶ παρὰ τῶν γεγραμμένων πύθοιτο, εἰ τῇ γραφῇ συνάδει τὰ πράγματα. δὲ μὴ ταῦτα μόνα πρὸς πίστιν ἀρκεῖ, πιστούσθω καὶ Θεὸς αὐτὸς, πάντως που διὰ τὴν πολιτείαν κεχαρισμένην αὐτὴν ἔχων᾽ ὡς εὐχομένης ἑτοίμως ὑπαχούειν, πολλάκις αὐτῇ περὶ τῶν πρακτέων προφαΐνεσθαι. Οὐ ἂν φαΐην ποτὲ θεοφίλειαν παραγίνεσθα: τοῖς ἀνθρώποις, ἣν μὴ σφᾶς ἀξίους ταύτης διὰ τῶν ἔργων παρέχωσιν. ὅσα μὲν τῶν καθ᾽ ἕκαστον εἰς ἀπόδεῖξιν ἐπιδειχνύντων θεοφιλῆ εἶναι τὴν τοῦ βασιλέως ἀδελφὴν, ἐχὼν παρήσω τέως, μὴ μωμέσηταίτις ὡς ἕτερα πραγματευόμενος, εἰς μίων νόμον ἐτράπην. Ὁ δὲ μοι καὶ κατ᾿ αὐτὸν, ἐκκλησιαστικῆς τε ἱστορίας ἴδιον εἶναι δοκεῖ, καὶ θεoφιλείας αὐτῆς περιφανὴς ἔλεγχος, αὐτόθεν ἐρῶ, εἰ καὶ χρόνῳ ὕστερον συνέβη. Ἔχει δὲ ὧδε.
Ta men dē kata Iōannēn hōde esche. Met᾿ ou poly de tēs toutou teleutēs, triton etos? ēdē ᾿Attikou dianyontos tēn Kōnstantinoupoleōs episkopēn, Bassou kai Philippou hypateuontōn, teleutą ton bion Archaxios, diadochon tēs hēgemonias Theodosion ton huiea katalipōn, artiōs galakti trephesthai pepaumenon thygateras de, Poulcherian kai ᾿Archadian Marinan, eti komidę̄ neas. Hē moi dokei malista ton Theon epideixai, monēn eusedeian arkein pros sōtērian tois basileuousin aneu de tautēs, mēden einai strateumata kai basileōs ischyn, kai tēn allēn Epei oun eusedestaton ton basilea esesthai proeiden hē tōn holōn theia dynamis, epitropon autou tēs hēgemonias katestēse Poulcherian tēn adelphēn. Ē de, oupō pentechaidechaton etos agousa, hyper tēn hēlikian sophōtaton theion noun. Kai prōta men tēn autēs parthenian tǭ Theǭ anethēche, kai tas adelphas epi ton auton epaidagōgēse bion, hopōs mē allon andra epeisagagē tois basileiois, kai zēlou epidoulēs pasan anelę̄ aphormēn. Epidedaiousa de ta doxanta, kai Theon auton, kai hiereas, kai panta archomenon martyras poioumenē tōn autę̄ bedouleumenōn, ech chrysou lithōn timiōn thaumasion ti chrēma thea- , , matōn kalliston, hyper tēs idias parthenias kai tēs pon tri haio tou adelphou hēgemonias, hieran anetheto trapezan en tę̄ ekklēsią Kōnstantinoupoleōs " kai epi tou metōpou tēs trapezēs, hōs an pasin echdēla hē, tade epegrapsen. Hypeiselthousa de tēs hēgemonias tēn phrontida, arista kai en kosmǭ pollǭ tēn Rhōmaiōn oikoumenēn diǭchēsen " eu bouleuomenē, hōs en tachei ta praktea epitelousa kai graphousa 47). Ēchridōto gar legein, kai graphein orthōs tēn Rhōmaiōn ᾿Hellēnōn phōnēn. Tōn de prattomenōn tēn dochēsin eis ton adelphon anephere " epemeleito, hōs an malista basilikōs anachtheiē tois kath᾽ hēlikian paideuomenois mathēmasin. ᾿All᾽ hippikēn men kai tēn en tois hoploix kai tois logois atchēsin, para tōn epistēmonōn exedidascheto. Peri de tas proodous chosmios einai kai basilichyos, para tēs adelphēs errhythmizeto - esthēta chrē peristellein manthanōn, kai tropǭ tini kathēsthai, kai badizein, kai gelōtos kratein, prąos. phoberos en kairǭ einai, harmodiōs pynthanesthai tōn peri tou deomenōn. Ouch hēkista de eis eusedeian auton ēge, synechōs euchesthai, kai tais ekklēsiais phoitan ethizousa kai anathēmasi kai keimēliois tous euktērious oikous geraïthein" kai en timę̄ echein tous hiereas, allou: agathous andras, kai tous nomǭ Christianōn philosophountas. Ou mēn alla kai hypo nothōn dogmatōn neōterizesthai chindyneuousēs tēs thrēskeias, spoudę̄ kai sophōs prouyptē. Kai tou mē kainas haireseis en tois hēmas chronois kratein, malista autēn aitian heurēsomen, hōs en tois meta tauta eisometha. Deei de pollǭ to Theion thrēscheuousa, makron an eiē para tisi legein, posous euktērious oikous megaloprepōs etechtēnato' posa de chatagōgia ptōchōn kai xenōn, kai monastichas synoikias synestēsato, diēnechę̄ taxata tēn eis tauta dapanēn, kai to sitēresion tōn enoikountōn. Ei tǭ de philon tōn praUmatōn peirasthai tēs alētheias, mē tois emois peithesthai logois, mathēsetai mē pseudōs, mēde pros charin me tade syngraphein, ei para tōn epitropeuontōn ton autēs oichon anagrapton ousan dielthoi tōn toioutōn gnōsin, kai para tōn gegrammenōn pythoito, ei tę̄ graphę̄ synadei ta pragmata. de mē tauta mona pros pistin arkei, pistousthō kai Theos autos, pantōs pou dia tēn politeian kecharismenēn autēn echōn᾽ hōs euchomenēs hetoimōs hypachouein, pollakis autę̄ peri tōn prakteōn prophaïnesthai. Ou an phaïēn pote theophileian paraginestha: tois anthrōpois, hēn mē sphas axious tautēs dia tōn ergōn parechōsin. hosa men tōn kath᾽ hekaston eis apodeixin epideichnyntōn theophilē einai tēn tou basileōs adelphēn, echōn parēsō teōs, mē mōmesētaitis hōs hetera pragmateuomenos, eis miōn nomon etrapēn. Ho de moi kai kat᾿ auton, ekklēsiastikēs te historias idion einai dokei, kai theophileias autēs periphanēs elenchos, autothen erō, ei kai chronǭ hysteron synebē. Echei de hōde.
Such were the events concerning John. Not long after his death, when Atticus was already completing the third year of his episcopate of Constantinople, in the consulship of Bassus and Philip, Arcadius died, leaving as successor to the rule his son Theodosius, just weaned, and daughters, Pulcheria, Arcadia and Marina, still very young. In this, it seems to me, God showed above all that piety alone suffices rulers for their safety, and that without it armies and an emperor’s strength and the rest of his power are nothing. For since the divine power over all things foresaw that the emperor would be most pious, it appointed Pulcheria his sister as guardian of his rule. She, not yet in her fifteenth year, received a mind most wise and divine beyond her age. First she dedicated her virginity to God and trained her sisters in the same life, so that she might bring no other man into the palace and remove every occasion of jealousy and plotting. Confirming her decision, and making God himself, the priests and all the subjects witnesses of what she had resolved, she dedicated in the church of Constantinople, on behalf of her own virginity and her brother’s rule, a holy table, a marvellous work of gold and precious stones, most beautiful to behold; and on the front of the table she inscribed these things, so that they might be plain to all. Taking up the care of the government, she ruled the Roman world excellently and in great order, taking good counsel, so as to carry out quickly what had to be done, and writing it; for she was exactly trained to speak and write correctly in the language of the Romans and of the Greeks. She referred the credit for what was done to her brother; and she took care that he should be brought up as royally as possible in the studies suited to his age. Horsemanship and practice in arms and in letters he was taught by experts; but he was trained by his sister to be orderly and kingly in his public appearances, learning how to wear his robe, how to sit and walk, to restrain laughter, to be gentle or fearsome as occasion required, and to inquire fittingly of those who came with requests. Above all she led him to piety, accustoming him to pray continually, to frequent the churches, to honour the houses of prayer with offerings and treasures, and to hold in honour the priests and other good men and those who live the philosophic life according to the law of the Christians. Moreover, when religion was in danger of being disturbed by spurious doctrines, she provided against it zealously and wisely; and we shall find her chiefly responsible that new heresies have not prevailed in our times, as we shall learn later. With what great awe she worshipped the divine, it would take long to tell — how many houses of prayer she built magnificently, how many hostels for the poor and strangers and monastic communities she founded, appointing permanent funds for these and the maintenance of those who live in them. If anyone wishes to test the truth of these things, not trusting my words, he will learn that I do not write them falsely or to gain favour, if he goes through the record of such things, kept in writing by the stewards of her household, and learns from the documents whether the facts agree with what is written. And if these alone do not suffice for belief, let God himself confirm it, who has surely found her pleasing because of her conduct, so that he readily hears her prayers and often shows her beforehand what is to be done. I would never say that the love of God comes to people unless they make themselves worthy of it by their deeds. But the many particular things that show the emperor’s sister to be dear to God I will willingly pass over for now, lest anyone blame me for having turned to the rule of encomium while engaged in other matters. But one thing, which seems to me both proper to church history and a plain proof of her love of God, I will tell here, even though it happened later. It is as follows.
Notes and citation
Summary: Arcadius dies (408) leaving the infant Theodosius II; his sister Pulcheria, aged fifteen, vows virginity with her sisters, governs for her brother, trains him in piety and royal bearing, and founds churches and hostels.
- Arcadius died on 1 May 408. The text of Pulcheria’s inscription is not given in the scan (it may never have been copied).
Cite (SBL): Sozomen, Hist. eccl. 9.1 (PG 67:1593–1597; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/sozomen-historia/9-1). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/sozomen-historia/9-1
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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 Hartranft's English in NPNF² 2.
9.2PG 67:1597–1601
Γυνή τις Εὐσεβία τούνομα, διάκονος τῆς Μακεδονίου αἱρέσεως, οἴκημα καὶ κῆπον εἶχε πρὸ τοῦ τείχους τῆς Κωνσταντινουπόλεως· καὶ ἱερὰ λείψανα ἐνθάδε ἐφύλαττε τῶν ἐν Σεβαστείᾳ τῆς ᾿Αρμενίας κατὰ τοὺς Λικινίου χρόνους μαρτυρησάντων τεσσαράκοντα στρατιωτῶν ". Μέλλουσα δὲ τελευτᾷν, κατέλιπε τὸν προειρημένον τόπον μοναχοῖς ὁμοδόξοις, καὶ μεθ' ὅρκων αὐτῶν ἐδεήθη ἐκεῖσε ταφῆναι · ὑπὲρ δὲ κεφαλῆς ἐπὶ τῷ ἄκρῳ τῆς αὐτῆς σορὸν ἰδίᾳ ξέσαι, καὶ συγκαταθέσθαι αὐτῇ τῶν μαρτύρων τὰ λείψανα, καὶ μηδενὶ καταμηνύσαι. Καὶ οἱ μὲν ὧδε ἐποίουν. Ὥστε δὲ τῆς προσηκούσης θεραπείας μεταλαγχάνειν τοὺς μάρτυρας · καὶ τοὺς ἔξωθεν ἀγνοεῖν· κατὰ τὰ συντεθειμένα πρὸς Εὐσεβίαν, εὐκτήριον οἶκον ὑπὸ γῆν ἐτεκτήναντο περὶ τὴν αὐτῆς θήκην· εἰς δὲ τὸ προφανές, οἴκημα ὑπεράνω πλίνθοις ὀπταῖς τὸ ἔδαφος ἡμφιεσμένον, καὶ καταβάσιον ἐκ τούτου λανθάνον ἐπὶ τοὺς μάρτυρας. Μετὰ δὲ ταῦτα Καισάριος ἀνὴρ τῶν τότε ἐν δυνάμει, ὃς καὶ ὑπάτου καὶ ὑπάρχου εἰς ἀξίαν προῆλθε, θανοῦσαν αὐτοῦ τὴν γαμετὴν παρὰ τὴν Εὐσεβίας σορὸν ἔθαψε. Τοῦτο γὰρ ἔτι περιούσαις αὐταῖς συνέδοξεν, ὑπερφυῶς κεχαρισμέναις ἀλλήλαις, καὶ περὶ τὸ δόγμα καὶ τὴν θρησκείαν ὁμοφρονούσαις. Ἐντεῦθεν πρόφασις ἐγένετο Καισαρίῳ κτήσασθαι τοῦτον τὸν τόπον, ὡς ἂν καὶ αὐτὸς πλησίον τῆς γαμετῆς ταφείη. Οἱ δὲ προειρημένοι μοναχοί, ἀλλαχῆ μετῳκίσθησαν, μηδὲν περὶ τῶν μαρτύρων ὁμολογήσαντες. Καταπεσόντος δὲ τοῦ οἴκου μετὰ ταῦτα, γῆς τε καὶ φορυτοῦ ἐπιβληθέντος, πᾶς ὁ τῇδε τόπος ἐξωμαλίσθη· καθότι αὐτὸς Καισάριος εἰς τιμὴν Θύρσου τοῦ μάρτυρος, μεγαλοπρεπῆ ναὸν τῷ Θεῷ ἐνθάδε ἀνέστησεν. Ὡς ἔοικε δὲ, ἐπιμελῶς ωδε ἀφανισθῆναι τὸν προειρημένον τόπον, καὶ τοσοῦτον προΒΟΖΌΜΕΝΙ , ελθεῖν χρόνον ὁ Θεὸς ἐδούλετο, παραδοξοτέραν καὶ ἐπιφανεστέραν παρασχευάζων τῶν μαρτύρων τὴν εὕρεσιν, τῆς εὑρούσης τὴν θεοφίλειαν. δὲ τοῦ κρατοῦντος ἡ ἀδελφὴ Πουλχερία ἡ βασιλίς. Ἔπιφανεὶς γὰρ αὑτῇ τρίτον ὁ θαυμάσιος Θύρσος, τοὺς ὑπὸ γῆν κρυπτομένους ἐμήνυσε, καὶ μετατίθεσθαι πρὸς ἑχυτὸν ἐκέλευσεν ὥστε τῆς ὁμοίας θέσεως τιμῆς μετέχειν. δὲ αὐτοὶ οἱ τεσσαράκοντα χλανίδας ἡμφιεσμένοι λαμπρὰς, καταδήλους αὑτῇ σφᾶς ἐποίησαν. Ἐδόκει δὲ πίστεως εἶναι κρεῖττον τὸ πρᾶγμα, καὶ παντελῶς ἄπορον. Οὔτε γὰρ οἱ παλαιότεροι τῶν ἐνθάδε κληρικῶν πολλάκις ἐρωτηθέντες, οὔτε ἄλλος οὐδεὶς καταμηνύειν εἶχε τοὺς μάρτυρας. Τὸ δὴ τελευταῖον, πάντων ἀμηχανούντων, Πολυχρονίῳ τινὶ πρεσβυτέρῳ, πάλαι γενομένῳ τῶν Καισαρίου οἰκείων, ἄγει τὸ θεῖον εἰς νοῦν τούς ποτε τὸν τόπον οἰχήσαντας μοναχούς. Καὶ παρὰ τοὺς Μακεδονιανῶν κληρικοὺς ἐλθὼν, ἐπυνθάνετο περὶ αὐτῶν. Ἤδη δὲ πάντων τετελευτηκότων, ἕνα μόνον περιόντα εὑρὼν ὡς ἐπὶ μηνύσει τῶν ἐπιζητουμένων μαρτύρων ἔτι πεφυλαγμένον ἐν ζῶσιν, ἐδεῖτο φράζειν, εἴγε ἱερὰ λείψανα εἶδεν ὑπὸ τὸν δηλωθέντα χῶρον κρυπτόμενα. Ἐπεὶ δὲ διὰ τὰς πρὸς Εὐσεδίαν συνθήκας, ἰδὼν αὑτὸν Πολυχρόνιος ὑποπαραιτούμενον, καὶ τὴν θείαν ἐπιφάνειαν ἐδήλωσε, καὶ τῆς βασιλίδος τὰς ὀχλήσεις, καὶ αὑτῶν τὴν ἀμηχανίαν, συνωμολόγησεν ἀληθῇ τὸν Θεὸν ἐπιδεῖξαι τῇ κρατούσῃ " βούπαιδα γὰρ τότε ὄντα, ὑπὸ γέροντας ἡγουμένους τὴν μοναστικὴν ἐχδιδασχόμενον, ἀκχριδθῶς ἐπίστασθαι, μάρτυρας ( χεῖσθα: περὶ τὴν σορόν μὴ εἰδέναι μέντοι, πότερον ὑπὸ τέμενος, ἢ ἑτέρωθι χατορωρυγμένοι εἰσι, τῷ πολὺν παρελθεῖν χρόνον, τὴν προτέραν ὄψιν τοῦ τόπου εἰς τὸ νῦν φαινόμενον ἀμειφθῆναι, Καὶ μὴν, ἔφη Πολυχρόνιος, οὐ τὸ αὑτὸ πέπονθα. Μέμνημαι γὰρ παρατυχὼν τῇ ταφῇ τῆς Καισαρίου γαμετῆς " καὶ ἀναλογιζόμενος τῆς πέλας παρακειμένης λεωφόρον, εἰκάζω αὐτὴν κεῖσθαι περὶ" βῆμα δὲ τοῦτο τῶν ἀναγνωστῶν. Οὐκοῦν, ὑπολαδὼν ὁ μοναχὸς εἶπε, καὶ τῆς Εὐσεδίας σορὸν παρὰ τὴν Καισαρίου γαμετὴν ζητητέον " καθότι περιοῦσαι τὰ πολλὰ συνῆσαν ἀλλήλαις, θανοῦσαι συνέθεντο ἅμα τὰς θήκας ἔχειν. Ἐπεὶ δὲ κατὰ τὰ εἰρημένα ὀρύττειν ἔδει, τὰ ἱερὰ λείΨανα ἀνιχνεύειν, μαθοῦσα ταῦτα ἡ βασιλὶς, ἐταξεν ἔχεσθαι τοῦ ἔργου. ᾿Ανορυγέντος τε τοῦ περὶ τὸν ἄμθωνα χώρου, εὑρέθη ἡ τῆς Καισαρίου γαμετῆς θήκη, καθὼς συνέδαλε Πολυχρόνιος ὀλίγον δὲ διεστὼς ἐκ πλαγίου κατάστρωμα πλίνθων ὀπτῶν, Ισομέτρως τε τῇ τούτων περιβολῇ πλὰξ μαρμαρίνη· ὑφ᾽ ἣν αὐτῆς Εὐσεβίας ἡ σορὸς ἀπεδείχθη, καὶ τὸ περὶ αὐτὴν εὐκτήριον, ἐπιεικῶς μάλα λευκοπορφύροις μαρμάροις ἡμφιεσμένον. Τὸ δὲ ἐπίθεμα τῆς θήκης, ὥσπερ εἰς ἱερὰν ἐξησκεῖτο τράπεζαν. Ἐπ' ἄκρου δὲ καθ᾿ ὅ οἱ μάρτυρες ἔκειντο, τρύπημα μικρὸν ἀνεφάνη. Παρεστὼς δὲ τις τοῦ βασιλέως οἴκου, ῥάβδον λεπτὴν ἣν ἔτυχε κατέχων, διὰ τοῦ τρυπήματος καθῆκεν· καὶ ἀνιμήσας, τῇ ῥινὶ προσἡγαγε, καὶ μύρον εὐωδίας ὠσφράνθη. Ἐκ τούτου γε ἀγαθαὶ ἐλπίδες τοῖς ἐργαζομένοις, καὶ τοῖς ἐφεστῶσιν ἐγένοντο · καὶ σπουδῇ τὴν σορὸν ἀποκαλύψαντες, εὑρίσκουσι τὴν Εὐσεβίαν. Τὸ δὲ πρὸς κεφαλὴν αὐτῆς ἐξέχον τῆς θήκης, εἰς κιβωτοῦ σχῆμα περιεξεσμένον, ἰδίῳ ἔνδοθεν ἐκαλύπτετο ἐπιθέματι · καὶ ἑκατέρωθεν αὐτῷ πρὸς τὰ χείλη σίδηρος ἐπικείμενος, συνεῖχε μολίβδῳ συμπεπηγώς. Ἐπὶ δὲ μέσου τὸ αὐτὸ τρύπημα πάλιν ἀναφανὲν, ἔτι σαφέστερον ἐδείκνυ ἔνδον ἔχειν τοὺς μάρτυρας. Ὡς δὲ ταῦτα ἠγγέλθη, συνἐδραμον εἰς τὸ μαρτύριον, ἤ τε βασιλὶς καὶ ὁ ἐπίσκοπος · αὐτίκα δὲ διὰ τῶν ἐπιστημόνων περιαιρεθέντων τῶν σιδηρείων δεσμῶν, εὐπετῶς ἐξειλκύσθη τὸ ἐπίθεμα · ὑπὸ δὲ τοῦτο μύρα πολλὰ, καὶ ἐν τοῖς μύροις ἀλαβαστροθῆκαι ἀργυραῖ δύο εὑρέθησαν, ἐν αἷς τὰ ἱερὰ λείψανα ἔκειντο. Τότε μὲν οὖν ἡ βασιλὶς εὐχαριστήρια ηὔξατο τῷ Θεῷ, τοσαύτης ἐπιφανείας ἀξιωθεῖσα καὶ τῆς εὑρέσεως ἐπιτυχοῦσα τῶν ἱερῶν λειψάνων · μετὰ δὲ ταῦτα, πολυτελεστάτῃ θήκῃ τιμῶσα τοὺς μάρτυρας, παρὰ τὸν θεσπέσιον Θύρσον κατέθετο, δημοτελοῦς ἑορτῆς, ὡς εἰκὸς, καὶ τῆς προσηκούσης τιμῆς καὶ πομπῆς σὺν ψαλμῳδίαις ἐπιτελεσθείσης, ᾗ καὶ αὐτὸς ἐγὼ παρεγενόμην. Καὶ τὰ μὲν ὧδε γενέσθαι, οἱ παρατυχόντες τῇ ἑορτῇ μαρτυρήσουσι • σχεδὸν γὰρ ἔτι πάντες περίεισι, καθότι πολλῷ ὕστερον συνέβη, Πρόκλου ἐπιτροπεύοντος τὴν Κωνσταντινουπόλεως Ἐκκλησίαν.
Gynē tis Eusebia tounoma, diakonos tēs Makedoniou haireseōs, oikēma kai kēpon eiche pro tou teichous tēs Kōnstantinoupoleōs; kai hiera leipsana enthade ephylatte tōn en Sebasteią tēs ᾿Armenias kata tous Likiniou chronous martyrēsantōn tessarakonta stratiōtōn ". Mellousa de teleutąn, katelipe ton proeirēmenon topon monachois homodoxois, kai meth' horkōn autōn edeēthē ekeise taphēnai ; hyper de kephalēs epi tǭ akrǭ tēs autēs soron idią xesai, kai synkatathesthai autę̄ tōn martyrōn ta leipsana, kai mēdeni katamēnysai. Kai hoi men hōde epoioun. Hōste de tēs prosēkousēs therapeias metalanchanein tous martyras ; kai tous exōthen agnoein; kata ta syntetheimena pros Eusebian, euktērion oikon hypo gēn etektēnanto peri tēn autēs thēkēn; eis de to prophanes, oikēma hyperanō plinthois optais to edaphos hēmphiesmenon, kai katabasion ek toutou lanthanon epi tous martyras. Meta de tauta Kaisarios anēr tōn tote en dynamei, hos kai hypatou kai hyparchou eis axian proēlthe, thanousan autou tēn gametēn para tēn Eusebias soron ethapse. Touto gar eti periousais autais synedoxen, hyperphyōs kecharismenais allēlais, kai peri to dogma kai tēn thrēskeian homophronousais. Enteuthen prophasis egeneto Kaisariǭ ktēsasthai touton ton topon, hōs an kai autos plēsion tēs gametēs tapheiē. Hoi de proeirēmenoi monachoi, allachē metǭkisthēsan, mēden peri tōn martyrōn homologēsantes. Katapesontos de tou oikou meta tauta, gēs te kai phorytou epiblēthentos, pas ho tę̄de topos exōmalisthē; kathoti autos Kaisarios eis timēn Thyrsou tou martyros, megaloprepē naon tǭ Theǭ enthade anestēsen. Hōs eoike de, epimelōs ōde aphanisthēnai ton proeirēmenon topon, kai tosouton proBOZOMENI , elthein chronon ho Theos edouleto, paradoxoteran kai epiphanesteran parascheuazōn tōn martyrōn tēn heuresin, tēs heurousēs tēn theophileian. de tou kratountos hē adelphē Poulcheria hē basilis. Epiphaneis gar hautę̄ triton ho thaumasios Thyrsos, tous hypo gēn kryptomenous emēnyse, kai metatithesthai pros hechyton ekeleusen hōste tēs homoias theseōs timēs metechein. de autoi hoi tessarakonta chlanidas hēmphiesmenoi lampras, katadēlous hautę̄ sphas epoiēsan. Edokei de pisteōs einai kreitton to pragma, kai pantelōs aporon. Oute gar hoi palaioteroi tōn enthade klērikōn pollakis erōtēthentes, oute allos oudeis katamēnyein eiche tous martyras. To dē teleutaion, pantōn amēchanountōn, Polychroniǭ tini presbyterǭ, palai genomenǭ tōn Kaisariou oikeiōn, agei to theion eis noun tous pote ton topon oichēsantas monachous. Kai para tous Makedonianōn klērikous elthōn, epynthaneto peri autōn. Ēdē de pantōn teteleutēkotōn, hena monon perionta heurōn hōs epi mēnysei tōn epizētoumenōn martyrōn eti pephylagmenon en zōsin, edeito phrazein, eige hiera leipsana eiden hypo ton dēlōthenta chōron kryptomena. Epei de dia tas pros Eusedian synthēkas, idōn hauton Polychronios hypoparaitoumenon, kai tēn theian epiphaneian edēlōse, kai tēs basilidos tas ochlēseis, kai hautōn tēn amēchanian, synōmologēsen alēthę̄ ton Theon epideixai tę̄ kratousę̄ " boupaida gar tote onta, hypo gerontas hēgoumenous tēn monastikēn echdidaschomenon, akchridthōs epistasthai, martyras ( cheistha: peri tēn soron mē eidenai mentoi, poteron hypo temenos, ē heterōthi chatorōrygmenoi eisi, tǭ polyn parelthein chronon, tēn proteran opsin tou topou eis to nyn phainomenon ameiphthēnai, Kai mēn, ephē Polychronios, ou to hauto pepontha. Memnēmai gar paratychōn tę̄ taphę̄ tēs Kaisariou gametēs " kai analogizomenos tēs pelas parakeimenēs leōphoron, eikazō autēn keisthai peri" bēma de touto tōn anagnōstōn. Oukoun, hypoladōn ho monachos eipe, kai tēs Eusedias soron para tēn Kaisariou gametēn zētēteon " kathoti periousai ta polla synēsan allēlais, thanousai synethento hama tas thēkas echein. Epei de kata ta eirēmena oryttein edei, ta hiera leiPsana anichneuein, mathousa tauta hē basilis, etaxen echesthai tou ergou. ᾿Anorygentos te tou peri ton amthōna chōrou, heurethē hē tēs Kaisariou gametēs thēkē, kathōs synedale Polychronios oligon de diestōs ek plagiou katastrōma plinthōn optōn, Isometrōs te tę̄ toutōn peribolę̄ plax marmarinē; hyph᾽ hēn autēs Eusebias hē soros apedeichthē, kai to peri autēn euktērion, epieikōs mala leukoporphyrois marmarois hēmphiesmenon. To de epithema tēs thēkēs, hōsper eis hieran exēskeito trapezan. Ep' akrou de kath᾿ ho hoi martyres ekeinto, trypēma mikron anephanē. Parestōs de tis tou basileōs oikou, rhabdon leptēn hēn etyche katechōn, dia tou trypēmatos kathēken; kai animēsas, tę̄ rhini prosēgage, kai myron euōdias ōsphranthē. Ek toutou ge agathai elpides tois ergazomenois, kai tois ephestōsin egenonto ; kai spoudę̄ tēn soron apokalypsantes, heuriskousi tēn Eusebian. To de pros kephalēn autēs exechon tēs thēkēs, eis kibōtou schēma periexesmenon, idiǭ endothen ekalypteto epithemati ; kai hekaterōthen autǭ pros ta cheilē sidēros epikeimenos, syneiche molibdǭ sympepēgōs. Epi de mesou to auto trypēma palin anaphanen, eti saphesteron edeikny endon echein tous martyras. Hōs de tauta ēngelthē, synedramon eis to martyrion, ē te basilis kai ho episkopos ; autika de dia tōn epistēmonōn periairethentōn tōn sidēreiōn desmōn, eupetōs exeilkysthē to epithema ; hypo de touto myra polla, kai en tois myrois alabastrothēkai argyrai dyo heurethēsan, en hais ta hiera leipsana ekeinto. Tote men oun hē basilis eucharistēria ēuxato tǭ Theǭ, tosautēs epiphaneias axiōtheisa kai tēs heureseōs epitychousa tōn hierōn leipsanōn ; meta de tauta, polytelestatę̄ thēkę̄ timōsa tous martyras, para ton thespesion Thyrson katetheto, dēmotelous heortēs, hōs eikos, kai tēs prosēkousēs timēs kai pompēs syn psalmǭdiais epitelestheisēs, hę̄ kai autos egō paregenomēn. Kai ta men hōde genesthai, hoi paratychontes tę̄ heortę̄ martyrēsousi • schedon gar eti pantes perieisi, kathoti pollǭ hysteron synebē, Proklou epitropeuontos tēn Kōnstantinoupoleōs Ekklēsian.
A certain woman named Eusebia, a deaconess of the Macedonian heresy, had a house and garden before the wall of Constantinople, and kept there sacred relics of the forty soldiers who were martyred at Sebasteia in Armenia in the time of Licinius. When about to die, she left the place to monks of her own belief, and begged them with oaths to bury her there, and above her head, at the top of her coffin, to hollow out a separate receptacle and lay the relics of the martyrs with her, and to tell no one. They did so. And so that the martyrs might receive fitting veneration while those outside knew nothing, according to the agreement with Eusebia they built a house of prayer underground about her tomb, and openly a dwelling above it with its floor covered with baked bricks, and from it a hidden descent to the martyrs. After this Caesarius, one of the powerful men of the time, who had advanced to the rank of consul and of prefect, buried his wife, when she died, beside Eusebia’s coffin; for they had agreed on this while still alive, being exceedingly dear to each other and of one mind about doctrine and religion. Hence Caesarius had a pretext for acquiring this place, so that he too might be buried near his wife. The monks mentioned moved elsewhere, having said nothing about the martyrs. When the house afterwards fell down, and earth and rubbish were thrown on it, the whole place there was levelled; for Caesarius himself raised a magnificent temple to God there in honour of the martyr Thyrsus. It seems that God willed the place to be thus carefully obliterated and so much time to pass, preparing a more wonderful and more glorious finding of the martyrs and of the love of God of her who found them. And this was the emperor’s sister, the empress Pulcheria. For the wonderful Thyrsus appeared to her three times, disclosed those hidden underground, and ordered them to be moved beside himself, so as to share the same position and honour; and the Forty themselves, clothed in splendid cloaks, made themselves known to her. The thing seemed beyond belief and altogether impossible; for neither the older clergy there, though often asked, nor anyone else could point out the martyrs. At last, when all were at a loss, God brought to the mind of a certain Polychronius, a presbyter, who had once been of Caesarius’s household, the monks who had formerly lived in the place. Going to the clergy of the Macedonians, he inquired about them. All had already died; but finding one alone surviving, as if kept alive for the disclosure of the martyrs sought for, he begged him to say whether he had seen sacred relics hidden under the place in question. When Polychronius saw him somewhat refusing, because of the agreement with Eusebia, and told him of the divine appearance, the empress’s urgings and their own perplexity, he admitted that God had shown the ruler the truth. For being a young boy then, being taught the monastic life under the old men who led it, he knew exactly that martyrs lay about the coffin; but he did not know whether they were buried under the sanctuary or elsewhere, since, much time having passed, the former appearance of the place had changed to what is now seen. “But I,” said Polychronius, “have not had the same experience. For I remember being present at the burial of Caesarius’s wife; and reckoning from the highway lying nearby, I conjecture that she lies about the ambo” — this is the readers’ platform. “Then,” the monk answered, “Eusebia’s coffin too must be sought beside Caesarius’s wife; for while alive they were mostly together, and when dying they agreed to have their tombs together.” When it became necessary to dig according to what had been said and to track the sacred relics, the empress, learning of it, ordered the work to begin. When the place about the ambo had been dug up, the tomb of Caesarius’s wife was found, as Polychronius had conjectured; and a little way off to the side a pavement of baked bricks, and a marble slab equal in measure to their enclosure, under which the coffin of Eusebia herself was revealed, and the oratory about it, very fittingly faced with white and purple marble. The lid of the coffin was worked like a holy table; and at the top, where the martyrs lay, a small hole appeared. One of the emperor’s household standing by let down through the hole a thin rod he happened to be holding; and drawing it up he brought it to his nose and smelled a fragrant perfume. From this good hopes arose in the workers and those overseeing them; and quickly uncovering the coffin, they found Eusebia. The part of the tomb projecting at her head, carved out in the shape of a chest, was covered within by its own lid; and iron laid along its edges on each side held it, fixed with lead. In the middle the same hole appeared again and showed still more clearly that the martyrs were inside. When this was reported, the empress and the bishop ran together to the martyr’s shrine; and at once, the iron fastenings having been removed by craftsmen, the lid was easily drawn off. Under it much perfume was found, and in the perfume two silver caskets in which the sacred relics lay. Then the empress gave thanks to God for having been thought worthy of so great a manifestation and of finding the sacred relics; and afterwards, honouring the martyrs with a most costly casket, she laid them beside the divine Thyrsus, a public festival being held, as was fitting, with due honour, procession and psalm-singing, at which I myself was present. That these things happened so, those present at the festival will bear witness; for almost all are still alive, since it happened much later, when Proclus governed the church of Constantinople.
Notes and citation
Summary: Relics of the Forty Martyrs of Sebasteia, hidden in the tomb of the Macedonian deaconess Eusebia, are rediscovered through visions to Pulcheria and the memory of an old monk, and enshrined beside St. Thyrsus; Sozomen attended the festival.
- The finding took place under Proclus, bishop of Constantinople 434–446.
Topics: Martyrdom
Cite (SBL): Sozomen, Hist. eccl. 9.2 (PG 67:1597–1601; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/sozomen-historia/9-2). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/sozomen-historia/9-2
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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 Hartranft's English in NPNF² 2.
9.3PG 67:1603
Λόγος δὲ καὶ ἐπὶ ἄλλοις πράγμασι πολλάκις τὸν Θεὸν προαναφανῆναι τὸ μέλλον τῇ βασιλίδι, καὶ πλεῖστα θεοφίλειαν μαρτυροῦντα συμβῆναι περὶ αὐτὴν καὶ τὰς αὐτῆς ἀδελφάς · ἐπεὶ καὶ αὗται τὸν ἶσον πολιτεύονται τρόπον, περὶ τοὺς ἱερέας, καὶ τοὺς εὐκτηρίους οἴκους σπουδάζουσαι, καὶ περὶ τοὺς δεομένους ξένους καὶ πτωχοὺς φιλοτιμούμεναι. Τράπεζα καὶ πρόοδος ὡς ἐπίπαν ἡ αὐτὴ πάσαις· κοινῇ τε νύκτωρ καὶ μεθ᾽ ἡμέραν τὸν Θεὸν ὑμνοῦσι· καὶ οἷος ἀξιαγάστων γυναικῶν νόμος, ὑφασμάτων καὶ τῶν τοιούτων ἔργων ἐπιμελοῦνται. Ῥαστώνην γὰρ καὶ ἀργίαν, καίπερ βασιλεύουσαι, καὶ ἐν τοῖς βασιλείοις τεχθεῖσαι καὶ τραφεῖσαι, παρθενίας ἱερᾶς ἣν μετιᾶς σιν ἀναξίαν ἡγήσαντο, καὶ τοῦ οἰκείου βίου ἀφώρισαν. Διὰ ταῦτα δὲ προφανῶς ἵλεω ὄντος τοῦ Θεοῦ, καὶ τοῦ αὐτῶν οἴκου ὑπερμαχοῦντος, τῷ μὲν κρατοῦντι τὰ τῆς ἡλικίας καὶ τῆς ἀρχῆς ἐπεδίδου · πᾶσα δὲ ἐπιβουλὴ, καὶ πόλεμος κατ' αὐτοῦ συνιστάμενος, αὐτομάτως διελύετο.
Logos de kai epi allois pragmasi pollakis ton Theon proanaphanēnai to mellon tę̄ basilidi, kai pleista theophileian martyrounta symbēnai peri autēn kai tas autēs adelphas ; epei kai hautai ton ison politeuontai tropon, peri tous hiereas, kai tous euktērious oikous spoudazousai, kai peri tous deomenous xenous kai ptōchous philotimoumenai. Trapeza kai proodos hōs epipan hē autē pasais; koinę̄ te nyktōr kai meth᾽ hēmeran ton Theon hymnousi; kai hoios axiagastōn gynaikōn nomos, hyphasmatōn kai tōn toioutōn ergōn epimelountai. Rhastōnēn gar kai argian, kaiper basileuousai, kai en tois basileiois techtheisai kai trapheisai, parthenias hieras hēn metias sin anaxian hēgēsanto, kai tou oikeiou biou aphōrisan. Dia tauta de prophanōs hileō ontos tou Theou, kai tou autōn oikou hypermachountos, tǭ men kratounti ta tēs hēlikias kai tēs archēs epedidou ; pasa de epiboulē, kai polemos kat' autou synistamenos, automatōs dielyeto.
It is said that in other matters too God often revealed the future to the empress beforehand, and that very many things bearing witness to the love of God happened concerning her and her sisters. For they too live in the same way, zealous for the priests and the houses of prayer, and generous to strangers in need and to the poor. Their table and their going out are for the most part the same for all; they sing hymns to God together night and day; and, as is the rule of admirable women, they busy themselves with weaving and such works. For though they are princesses, born and brought up in the palace, they thought ease and idleness unworthy of the holy virginity they pursue, and banished them from their life. Because of this, God being plainly gracious and fighting for their house, the ruler grew in age and in power, and every plot and war raised against him was dissolved of itself.
Notes and citation
Summary: Pulcheria and her sisters live a common life of prayer, charity and weaving in the palace, and God protects the young emperor’s reign.
Topics: Prayer
Cite (SBL): Sozomen, Hist. eccl. 9.3 (PG 67:1603; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/sozomen-historia/9-3). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/sozomen-historia/9-3
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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 Hartranft's English in NPNF² 2.
9.4PG 67:1603–1605
Τότε γοῦν Πέρσαι μὲν εἰς μάχην κεκινημένοι, ἑκατοντούτεις σπονδὰς πρὸς Ῥωμαίους ἔθεντο. Στολίχων δὲ ὁ τῆς Ονωρίου στρατιᾶς ἡγούμενος, ὕποπτος ὢν ὡς Εὐχέριὸν τὸν υἱέα τὸν ἑαυτοῦ σπουδάζων ἀναγορεῦσαι βασιλέα κατὰ τὴν Ἕω, κτίννυται παρὰ τῶν ἐν Ῥαβέννῃ στρατιωτῶν. Οὗτος δὲ πρότερον, ἔτι περιόντος ᾿Αρκαδίου, καταστὰς εἰς ἔχθραν τοῖς αὐτοῦ ἄρχουσιν, ἐβεβούλευτο παρ' ἑαυτὰ συγκροῦσαι τὰ βασίλεια. Καὶ στρατηγοῦ Ῥωμαίων ἀξίαν προξενήσας ᾿Αλαρίχῳ τῷ ἡγουμένῳ τῶν Γότθων, προϋτρέψατο καταλαβεῖν τοὺς Ἰλλυριούς. Καὶ ὕπαρχον αὐτὸν καταστάντα τὸν Ἰόβιον προπέμψας, συνέθετο καὶ αὐτὸς συνδραμεῖσθαι μετὰ τῶν Ῥωμαίων στρατιωτῶν, ὥστε καὶ τοὺς τῇδε ὑπηκόους ὑπὸ τὴν Ονωρίου δῆθεν ἡγεμονίαν ποιῆσαι. Καὶ ὁ μὲν ᾿Αλάριχος ἐκ τῆς πρὸς τῇ Δαλματίᾳ καὶ Παννονίᾳ γῆς βαρβάρου, οὗ διῆγε, παραλαβὼν τοὺς ὑπ᾿ αὐτὸν, ἦγεν εἰς τὰς Ἠπείρους· καὶ 370 συννὸν ἐνταῦθα προσμείνας χρόνον, ἄπρακτος ἐπαν - ἴλϑεν Ἰταλίαν, Μέλλων γὰρ ἐκδημεῖν κατὰ τὰ συντεθειμένα, 'θνωρίου γράμμασιν ἐπεσχέθη. Ἐπεὶ δὲ ἐτελεύτησεν ᾿Αρκάδιος, ὥρμησε ρίος φειδοῖ τῇ περὶ τὸν ἀδελφιδοῦν ἐπανελθεῖν εἰς Κωνσταντινούπολιν, καὶ πιστοὺς ἄρχοντας καταστῆσαι τῆς αὐτοῦ σωτηρίας βασιλείας. Ἐν τάξει γὰρ υἱέος αὐτὸν ἔχων, ἐδεδίει ματι πάθοι διὰ τὸ νέον, ἕτοιμος ὧν πρὸς ἐπιθουλήν. Ἤδη δὲ μέλλοντα ἔχεσθαι τῆς ὁδοῦ, πείθει Στελίχων ἐν τῇ Ἰταλίᾳ μένειν τὸν Ὅνώριον, ἀναγκαῖον εἶναι τοῦτο εἰπὼν, καθότι Κωνσταντῖνός τις ἐτύγχανεν ἔναγχος ἐν ᾿Αρηλάτῳ τυραννήσας. Θάτερον δὲ τῶν σχήπτρων ὃ Λάδωρον Ῥωμαῖοι καλοῦσι, γράμματα βασιλέως λαβὼν, ἐπιτρέποντα αὐτῷ τὴν εἰς τὴν ᾿Ανατολὴν ἄφιξιν, ἔμελλεν ἐκδημεῖν, τέσσαρας ἀριθμοὺς στρατιωτῶν παραλαβών. Ἐν τούτῳ δὲ φήμης διαδραμούσης ὡς ἐπιθουλεύει τῷ βασιλεῖ, ἐπὶ τυραννίδα τοῦ υἱέως παρασχευάζεται, συμπράττοντας ἔχων τοὺς ἐν δυνάμει, στασιάσαντες οἱ στρατιῶται κτείνουσι τὸν Ἰταλίας ὕπαρχον ,. καὶ τὸν τῶν Γαλαπῶν, καὶ τοὺς στρατηγοὺς, τοὺς ἄλλους τοὺς διέποντας τὰς ἐν τοῖς βασιλείοις ἀρχάς. ᾿Αναιρεῖται ὃς καὶ αὐτὸς παρὰ τῶν Ῥαδέννῃ στρατιωτῶν " ἀνὴρ εἴπερ τις ἄλλος πώποτε, ἐν πολλῇ δυνάμει γενόμενος, καὶ πάντας, ὡς εἰπεῖν, Βαρβάρους τε καὶ Ῥωμαίους πειθομένους ἔχων. Στελίχων μὲν οὖν ὑπονοηθεὶς χαχόνους εἶναι τοῖς βασιλείοις, ὧδε ἀπὠλετο κτίννυται δὲ καὶ Εὐχέριος ὁ τούτου υἱός.
Tote goun Persai men eis machēn kekinēmenoi, hekatontouteis spondas pros Rhōmaious ethento. Stolichōn de ho tēs Onōriou stratias hēgoumenos, hypoptos ōn hōs Eucherion ton huiea ton heautou spoudazōn anagoreusai basilea kata tēn Heō, ktinnytai para tōn en Rhabennę̄ stratiōtōn. Houtos de proteron, eti periontos ᾿Arkadiou, katastas eis echthran tois autou archousin, ebebouleuto par' heauta synkrousai ta basileia. Kai stratēgou Rhōmaiōn axian proxenēsas ᾿Alarichǭ tǭ hēgoumenǭ tōn Gotthōn, proÿtrepsato katalabein tous Illyrious. Kai hyparchon auton katastanta ton Iobion propempsas, synetheto kai autos syndrameisthai meta tōn Rhōmaiōn stratiōtōn, hōste kai tous tę̄de hypēkoous hypo tēn Onōriou dēthen hēgemonian poiēsai. Kai ho men ᾿Alarichos ek tēs pros tę̄ Dalmatią kai Pannonią gēs barbarou, hou diēge, paralabōn tous hyp᾿ auton, ēgen eis tas Ēpeirous; kai 370 synnon entautha prosmeinas chronon, apraktos epan - ilϑen Italian, Mellōn gar ekdēmein kata ta syntetheimena, 'thnōriou grammasin epeschethē. Epei de eteleutēsen ᾿Arkadios, hōrmēse rios pheidoi tę̄ peri ton adelphidoun epanelthein eis Kōnstantinoupolin, kai pistous archontas katastēsai tēs autou sōtērias basileias. En taxei gar huieos auton echōn, edediei mati pathoi dia to neon, hetoimos hōn pros epithoulēn. Ēdē de mellonta echesthai tēs hodou, peithei Stelichōn en tę̄ Italią menein ton Honōrion, anankaion einai touto eipōn, kathoti Kōnstantinos tis etynchanen enanchos en ᾿Arēlatǭ tyrannēsas. Thateron de tōn schēptrōn ho Ladōron Rhōmaioi kalousi, grammata basileōs labōn, epitreponta autǭ tēn eis tēn ᾿Anatolēn aphixin, emellen ekdēmein, tessaras arithmous stratiōtōn paralabōn. En toutǭ de phēmēs diadramousēs hōs epithouleuei tǭ basilei, epi tyrannida tou huieōs parascheuazetai, symprattontas echōn tous en dynamei, stasiasantes hoi stratiōtai kteinousi ton Italias hyparchon ,. kai ton tōn Galapōn, kai tous stratēgous, tous allous tous diepontas tas en tois basileiois archas. ᾿Anaireitai hos kai autos para tōn Rhadennę̄ stratiōtōn " anēr eiper tis allos pōpote, en pollę̄ dynamei genomenos, kai pantas, hōs eipein, Barbarous te kai Rhōmaious peithomenous echōn. Stelichōn men oun hyponoētheis chachonous einai tois basileiois, hōde apōleto ktinnytai de kai Eucherios ho toutou huios.
At that time, at any rate, the Persians, who had been roused to battle, made a hundred years’ truce with the Romans. Stilicho, commander of Honorius’s army, being suspected of being eager to proclaim his son Eucherius emperor in the East, was killed by the soldiers at Ravenna. Earlier, while Arcadius was still alive, he had become hostile to his officials and had planned to set the two courts against each other. Having obtained for Alaric, the leader of the Goths, the rank of a Roman general, he urged him to seize Illyricum; and sending ahead Jovius, appointed its prefect, he agreed that he himself would join them with the Roman soldiers, so as supposedly to bring the subjects there under the rule of Honorius. Alaric, taking those under him from the barbarian land bordering Dalmatia and Pannonia where he was living, led them to the Epiruses; and having stayed there a long time, he returned to Italy without success. For when he was about to depart according to the agreement, he was held back by letters of Honorius. When Arcadius died, Honorius set out, out of concern for his nephew, to go to Constantinople and appoint faithful officials for his safety and rule; for regarding him as a son, he feared lest he suffer something because of his youth, being easily exposed to plots. But when he was already about to set out, Stilicho persuaded Honorius to remain in Italy, saying this was necessary because a certain Constantine had lately made himself usurper at Arles. Taking one of the standards which the Romans call the labarum, and receiving letters of the emperor entrusting to him the journey to the East, Stilicho was about to set out with four units of soldiers. Meanwhile a rumour ran that he was plotting against the emperor and preparing to make his son usurper, with the powerful working with him; the soldiers rioted and killed the prefect of Italy and that of the Gauls, and the generals and others holding offices in the palace. And he himself was killed by the soldiers at Ravenna, a man who, if anyone ever, had come to great power and had, so to speak, all, barbarians and Romans, obedient to him. So Stilicho, suspected of being ill disposed toward the court, perished thus; and Eucherius his son was also killed.
Notes and citation
Summary: Persia makes a long truce; Stilicho, who had set Alaric against Illyricum and then dissuaded Honorius from going East, is suspected of plotting for his son Eucherius and is killed with him at Ravenna (408).
- Stilicho was killed on 22 August 408.
Cite (SBL): Sozomen, Hist. eccl. 9.4 (PG 67:1603–1605; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/sozomen-historia/9-4). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/sozomen-historia/9-4
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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 Hartranft's English in NPNF² 2.
9.5PG 67:1605–1607
Κατὰ ταυτὸν δὲ συνέδη Οὔννους στρατοπεδευομένου: ἐν Θράκῃ, μήτε πολεμοῦντος αὑτοῦ, μὴτε διώκοντος, αἰσχρῶς ὑποστρέψαι; τοὺς πλείους ἀπο᾿Επεὶ γὰρ Οὔλδις ὁ ἡγούμενος τῶν περὶ τὸν Ἴστρον βαρδάρων, πλείστην ἔχων στρατιὰν ἐπεραιώθη τὸν ποταμὸν, ἐν τοῖς Θρχαχῶν ἐστρατοπεδεύετο. Καὶ Καστράμαρτις πόλιν τῆς Μυσίας προδοσίᾳ ἐλὼν, ἐντεῦθεν τὴν ἄλλην Θράκην χατέτρεχε, σπονδὰς θέσθαι πρὸς Ῥωμαίους ὑπ᾽ ἀλαζονείας οὐχ ἠνείχετο. Διαλεγομένου δὲ αὐτῷ περὶ εἰρήνης τοῦ ὑπάρχου τῶν Θρᾳχίων στρατευμάτων, ἀνίσχοντα τὸν ἥλιον ἐπιδείξας, οὐ γαλεπὸν αὐτῷ ἔφη, ἣν βούλοιτο, πᾶσαν ἣν ἐφορᾷ γῆν χαταστῥέψασθαι. Τερατευομένου τοιάδε, καὶ δασμὸν ὅσον ἐβούλετο ἐπιτάττοντος, ἐπὶ τούτοις Ρωμαίοις εἰρήνην ἔχειν ἢ πόλεμον ἀμηχάνου τε τοῦ πράγματος ὄντος, ἐπέδειξεν ὁ Θεὸς ἣν ἔχει προμήθειαν περὶ τὴν παροῦσαν βασιλείαν. Οὐκ εἰς μακρὰν γὰρ λόγοι πρὸς τοὺς ἀμφὶ τὸν Οὔλδιν οἰκείους λοχαγοὺς ἐγένοντο περὶ τῆς Ῥωμαίων πολιτείας, τῆς τοῦ βασιλέως φιλαν - θρωπίας, ὁποίων τε καὶ ὅσων ἀξιοῖ γερῶν τοὺς ἀρίστους καὶ ἀγαθοὺς ἄνδρας. Οὐχ ἀθεεὶ δὲ τούτων εἰς ἔρωτα χαταστάντες, Ῥωμαίοις προσεχώρησαν, σὺν αὐτοῖς; ἐστρατοπεδεύοντο ἅμα τοῖς ὑπ᾽ αὐτοὺς τεταγμένοις. Ὁ δὲ Οὔλδις πρὸς τὸ πέραν τοῦ ποταμοῦ μόλις διεσώθη, πολλοὺς ἀποδαλὼν, ἄρδην δὲ τοὺς καλουμένους Σχιρούς" ἔθνος δὲ τοῦτο βαρον, ἱκανῶς πολυάνθρωπον, πρὶν τοιᾷδε περιπεσεῖν συμφορᾷ. Ὑστερήσαντες γὰρ ἐν τῇ φυγῇ, οἱ μὲν αὐτῶν ἀνῃρέθησαν" οἱ δὲ ζωγρηθέντες, δέσμιοι πρὸς τὴν Κωνσταντινούπολιν ἐξεπέμφθησαν. Δόξαν ὃΣ τοῖς ἄρχουτιν διανεῖμαι τούτους, μή τι πλῆθος ὄντες νεωτερίσωσι" τοὺς μὲν ἐπ᾽ ὀλίγοις τιμήμασὶ ἀπέδοντο" τοὺς δὲ πολλοῖς προῖκα δουλεύειν παρέδοἐπὶ τὸ μήτε Κωνσταντινουπόλεως, μήτε πάσης Εὑρώπης ἐπιβαίνειν, καὶ τῇ μέσῃ θαλάσσῃ χωρίζεσθαι τὸν ἐγνωσμένον αὐτοῖς τόπον. τούτων τε πλῆθος ἄπρατον περιλειφθὲν, ἄλλος ἀλλαχῇ διατρίθειν ἐτάχθησαν " πολλοὺς δὲ ἐπὶ τῆς Βιθυνίας τεθέαπρὸς τῷ καλουμένῳ Ὀλύμπῳ ὄρει, σποράδην οἰκοῦντας, τοὺς αὐτόθι λόφους ὑπωρείας γεωργοῦντας.
Kata tauton de synedē Ounnous stratopedeuomenou: en Thrakę̄, mēte polemountos hautou, mēte diōkontos, aischrōs hypostrepsai? tous pleious apo᾿Epei gar Ouldis ho hēgoumenos tōn peri ton Istron bardarōn, pleistēn echōn stratian eperaiōthē ton potamon, en tois Thrchachōn estratopedeueto. Kai Kastramartis polin tēs Mysias prodosią elōn, enteuthen tēn allēn Thrakēn chatetreche, spondas thesthai pros Rhōmaious hyp᾽ alazoneias ouch ēneicheto. Dialegomenou de autǭ peri eirēnēs tou hyparchou tōn Thrąchiōn strateumatōn, anischonta ton hēlion epideixas, ou galepon autǭ ephē, hēn bouloito, pasan hēn ephorą gēn chatastrhepsasthai. Terateuomenou toiade, kai dasmon hoson ebouleto epitattontos, epi toutois Rōmaiois eirēnēn echein ē polemon amēchanou te tou pragmatos ontos, epedeixen ho Theos hēn echei promētheian peri tēn parousan basileian. Ouk eis makran gar logoi pros tous amphi ton Ouldin oikeious lochagous egenonto peri tēs Rhōmaiōn politeias, tēs tou basileōs philan - thrōpias, hopoiōn te kai hosōn axioi gerōn tous aristous kai agathous andras. Ouch atheei de toutōn eis erōta chatastantes, Rhōmaiois prosechōrēsan, syn autois? estratopedeuonto hama tois hyp᾽ autous tetagmenois. Ho de Ouldis pros to peran tou potamou molis diesōthē, pollous apodalōn, ardēn de tous kaloumenous Schirous" ethnos de touto baron, hikanōs polyanthrōpon, prin toiąde peripesein symphorą. Hysterēsantes gar en tę̄ phygę̄, hoi men autōn anę̄rethēsan" hoi de zōgrēthentes, desmioi pros tēn Kōnstantinoupolin exepemphthēsan. Doxan hoS tois archoutin dianeimai toutous, mē ti plēthos ontes neōterisōsi" tous men ep᾽ oligois timēmasi apedonto" tous de pollois proika douleuein paredoepi to mēte Kōnstantinoupoleōs, mēte pasēs Heurōpēs epibainein, kai tę̄ mesę̄ thalassę̄ chōrizesthai ton egnōsmenon autois topon. toutōn te plēthos apraton perileiphthen, allos allachę̄ diatrithein etachthēsan " pollous de epi tēs Bithynias tetheapros tǭ kaloumenǭ Olympǭ orei, sporadēn oikountas, tous autothi lophous hypōreias geōrgountas.
At the same time it happened that the Huns, encamped in Thrace, withdrew disgracefully, losing most of their men, though no one fought against them or pursued them. For Uldis, the leader of the barbarians along the Ister, having crossed the river with a very large army, encamped in Thrace; and having taken Castra Martis, a city of Moesia, by treachery, he overran the rest of Thrace from there, and out of arrogance would not make a treaty with the Romans. When the commander of the troops in Thrace was discussing peace with him, he pointed to the rising sun and said that it would not be hard for him, if he wished, to subdue all the land it looked upon. While he was boasting so, and demanding as much tribute as he pleased, on these terms to have peace with the Romans or war, and the matter was desperate, God showed what providence he has for the present reign. For not long after, conversations took place with the officers of Uldis’s own following about the Roman constitution, the emperor’s kindness, and what and how great rewards he gives to excellent and good men. Not without God, falling in love with these things, they went over to the Romans and encamped with them, together with those ranked under them. Uldis barely escaped to the other side of the river, having lost many, and above all those called the Sciri — a barbarian nation, quite numerous before it fell into such a disaster. For being left behind in the flight, some of them were killed, while others were taken alive and sent in chains to Constantinople. Since the officials thought it best to distribute them, lest, being numerous, they cause some disturbance, they sold some for small prices, and gave many to serve free, on condition that they never set foot in Constantinople or anywhere in Europe, and that the place assigned to them be separated by the sea between. Of these a great number were left unsold and were ordered to live in different places; and I have seen many in Bithynia near the mountain called Olympus, living scattered and farming the hills and foothills there.
Notes and citation
Summary: The Hun king Uldis invades Thrace boasting he could conquer all the sun shines on, but his officers desert to the Romans and he flees, losing the Sciri, who are sold or settled in Asia; Sozomen has seen them farming near the Bithynian Olympus.
- The first words of the staged text belong to the chapter title and are removed by a correction, as are words leaked into the text from notes or another page.
- Uldis’s invasion is dated 408–409.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (end of the chapter title printed by Valesius leaked into the text; fragments of notes and of the preceding page leaked into the line; OCR τ for σ and δ for β): δασμὸν ὅτον Μέλιων γὰρ ἐκδημεῖν κατὰ τὰ συγντεθειὁ Στελίχων, 25 τυραννίδα τοῦ Τὸν Ἰταλίας ὕπαρχον. ἐδούλετο → δασμὸν ὅσον ἐβούλετο; δὲ καὶ ὑποσπόνδων γενομένων. Κατὰ ταυτὸν δὲ συνέδη → Κατὰ ταυτὸν δὲ συνέδη.
Cite (SBL): Sozomen, Hist. eccl. 9.5 (PG 67:1605–1607; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/sozomen-historia/9-5). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/sozomen-historia/9-5
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-sozomen-historia-9-5) · 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 Hartranft's English in NPNF² 2.
9.6PG 67:1607–1609
Τὰ μὲν οὖν πρὸς τῆς ἀρχομένης, πολεμίων ἀπήλλακτο, σὺν χότμῳ πολλῷ ἰθύνετο παρὰ τὴν πάντων δόξαν. τὰρ ἔτι νέος ὁ κρατῶν. Τὰ πρὺς Δύσιν, ἐν ἀταξίαις ἦν, πολλῶν ἐπανισταμένων τυράννων. ᾿Ἡνέχα δὴ μετὰ τὴν Στελίχωνος ἀναΐίρετιν, ᾿Αλάριχος ὁ τῶν Γότθων ἡγούμενος, πρεσδευσάμε:νος περὶ εἰρήνης πρὸς Ονώριον, ἀπέτυχε· καὶ ταλαβων τὴν Ῥώμην, ἐπολιόρκει, πολλοὺς βαρβάρους ἐπιστήσας Θύμβριδι τῷ ποταμῷ· ὥστε μὴ εἰσκομίζεσθαι τὰ ἐπιτήδεια τοῖς ἐν τῇ πόλει ἀπὸ τοῦ Πόρτου ὧδε γὰρ ὀνομάζουσι τὸ Ῥωμαῖον ἐπίνειον. Χρονίας δὲ γενομένης τῆς πολιορκίας, λιμοῦ τε καὶ λοιμοῦ τὴν πόλιν πιέζοντος, δούλων τε πολλῶν, καὶ μάλιστα βαρβάρων τῷ γένει, πρὸς τὸν ᾿Αλάριχον αὐτομολούντων, ἀναγκαῖον ἐδόκει τοῖς Ἑλληνίζουσι τῆς συγκλήτου, θύειν ἐν τῷ Καπιτωλίῳ καὶ τοῖς ἄλλοις ναοῖς. Θοῦσκοι γάρ τινες ἐπὶ τοῦτο μετακληθέντες παρὰ τοῦ ὑπάρχου τῆς πόλεως, ὑπισχνοῦντο σκηπτοῖς καὶ βρονταῖς ἀπελάσειν τοὺς βαρβάρους. Ηὔχουν δὲ τοιοῦτον αὐτοῖς εἰργᾶσθαι καὶ περὶ Λαρνίαν πόλιν τῆς Θουσκίας, ἣν παριών ᾿Αλάριχος ἐπὶ τὴν Ῥώμην οὐχ εἶλεν. Ἀλλὰ τούτων μὲν οὐδὲν ὄφελος ἔσεσθαι τῇ πόλει, ἡ ἀπόβασις ἔδειξε. Τοῖς γὰρ εὖ φρονοῦσιν ὑπὸ θεομηνίας κατεφαίνετο ταῦτα συμβαίνειν Ῥωμαίοις, κατὰ ποινὴν ὧν προτοῦ ὑπὸ πολλῆς ῥαστώνης καὶ ἀκολασίας εἰς αὐτοὺς καὶ ξένους ἀδίκως ἥμαρτον. Λέγεται γοῦν ἀγαθός τις τῶν ἐν Ἰταλίᾳ μοναχῶν, σπεύδοντι ἐπὶ Ῥώμην ᾿Αλαρίχῳ παραινέσαι, φείσασθαι τῆς πόλεως, μηδὲ τηλικούτων αἴτιον γενέσθαι κακῶν. Τὸν δὲ φάναι, ὡς οὐχ ἑκὼν τάδε ἐπιχειρεῖ · ἀλλά τις συνεχῶς ἐνοχλῶν αὐτὸν βιάζεται, καὶ ἐπιτάττει τὴν Ῥώμην πορθεῖν · ὃ δὴ τελευτῶν ἐποίησεν. Ἐν ᾧ δὲ ἐπολιόρκει, πλεῖστα δῶρα λαβών, ἐπὶ χρόνον τινὰ πολιορκίαν ἔλυσε, συνθεμένων Ῥωμαίων τὸν βασιλέα πείσειν εἰς εἰρήνην αὐτὸν δέχεσθαι.
Ta men oun pros tēs archomenēs, polemiōn apēllakto, syn chotmǭ pollǭ ithyneto para tēn pantōn doxan. tar eti neos ho kratōn. Ta prys Dysin, en ataxiais ēn, pollōn epanistamenōn tyrannōn. ᾿Hēnecha dē meta tēn Stelichōnos anaïiretin, ᾿Alarichos ho tōn Gotthōn hēgoumenos, presdeusame:nos peri eirēnēs pros Onōrion, apetyche; kai talabōn tēn Rhōmēn, epoliorkei, pollous barbarous epistēsas Thymbridi tǭ potamǭ; hōste mē eiskomizesthai ta epitēdeia tois en tę̄ polei apo tou Portou hōde gar onomazousi to Rhōmaion epineion. Chronias de genomenēs tēs poliorkias, limou te kai loimou tēn polin piezontos, doulōn te pollōn, kai malista barbarōn tǭ genei, pros ton ᾿Alarichon automolountōn, anankaion edokei tois Hellēnizousi tēs synklētou, thyein en tǭ Kapitōliǭ kai tois allois naois. Thouskoi gar tines epi touto metaklēthentes para tou hyparchou tēs poleōs, hypischnounto skēptois kai brontais apelasein tous barbarous. Ēuchoun de toiouton autois eirgasthai kai peri Larnian polin tēs Thouskias, hēn pariōn ᾿Alarichos epi tēn Rhōmēn ouch eilen. Alla toutōn men ouden ophelos esesthai tę̄ polei, hē apobasis edeixe. Tois gar eu phronousin hypo theomēnias katephaineto tauta symbainein Rhōmaiois, kata poinēn hōn protou hypo pollēs rhastōnēs kai akolasias eis autous kai xenous adikōs hēmarton. Legetai goun agathos tis tōn en Italią monachōn, speudonti epi Rhōmēn ᾿Alarichǭ parainesai, pheisasthai tēs poleōs, mēde tēlikoutōn aition genesthai kakōn. Ton de phanai, hōs ouch hekōn tade epicheirei ; alla tis synechōs enochlōn auton biazetai, kai epitattei tēn Rhōmēn porthein ; ho dē teleutōn epoiēsen. En hǭ de epoliorkei, pleista dōra labōn, epi chronon tina poliorkian elyse, synthemenōn Rhōmaiōn ton basilea peisein eis eirēnēn auton dechesthai.
So the eastern part of the empire was free of enemies and was governed in great order, contrary to everyone’s expectation, though the ruler was still young. But the West was in disorder, as many usurpers rose up. Then, after the killing of Stilicho, Alaric, the leader of the Goths, having sent envoys about peace to Honorius and failed, seized and besieged Rome, posting many barbarians on the river Tiber, so that provisions could not be brought in to those in the city from Portus — for so they call the Roman harbour. The siege being prolonged, and famine and pestilence pressing the city, and many slaves, especially barbarians by race, deserting to Alaric, it seemed necessary to the pagans of the senate to sacrifice on the Capitol and in the other temples. For some Tuscans, summoned for this by the prefect of the city, promised to drive away the barbarians with thunderbolts and thunders; and they boasted that they had done such a thing at Narnia, a city of Tuscany, which Alaric had not taken in passing on his way to Rome. But the outcome showed that these things would be of no use to the city. For to the sensible it appeared that these things befell the Romans through the wrath of God, as punishment for the sins they had formerly committed unjustly, through great ease and licentiousness, against themselves and strangers. It is said, at any rate, that a good monk in Italy urged Alaric, as he hastened toward Rome, to spare the city and not become the cause of such great evils; and that he said that he was not attempting this willingly, but that someone continually troubled him and forced him, ordering him to sack Rome — which at last he did. While he was besieging it, having received very many gifts, he lifted the siege for a time, the Romans agreeing to persuade the emperor to receive him into peace.
Notes and citation
Summary: Alaric besieges Rome; pagan senators resort to Etruscan diviners; Alaric tells a monk that an unseen power drives him against the city, and lifts the siege for a ransom.
- The first siege of Rome was in late 408.
Cite (SBL): Sozomen, Hist. eccl. 9.6 (PG 67:1607–1609; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/sozomen-historia/9-6). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/sozomen-historia/9-6
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-sozomen-historia-9-6) · 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 Hartranft's English in NPNF² 2.
9.7PG 67:1609–1611
Γενομένης δὲ περὶ τούτου πρεσβείας, οἱ τὰ ἐναντία πράττοντες ᾿Αλαρίχῳ ἐν τοῖς βασιλείοις, ἐνεπόδιζον τῇ εἰρήνῃ. Μετὰ δὲ ταῦτα πρεσβευσαμένου Ἰνοκεντίου 5 τοῦ Ῥωμαίων ἐπισκόπου, μετακληθεὶς ᾿Αλάριχος γράμμασι τοῦ βασιλέως, ἧκεν εἰς ᾿Αρίμηνον πόλιν, δέκα καὶ διακοσίοις σταδίοις τῆς Ῥαβέννης ἀφεστῶσαν. Ἐνταῦθα δὲ σκηνὰς ἔχοντι πρὸ τῶν τειχῶν, εἰς λόγους ἐλθὼν Ἰόβιος τῆς Ἰταλίας ὕπαρχος ὢν, δηλοῖ τῷ βασιλεῖ τὴν ᾿Αλαρίχου αἴτησιν, Αι καὶ ὡς δέοι δέλτοις αὐτὸν τιμῆσαι στρατηγοῦ δυνάμεως ἑκατέρας. Ὁ δὲ βασιλεὺς χρημάτων μὲν καὶ σιτηρεσίων ὧν ᾔτει, ὡς ὑπάρχῳ Ἰοβίῳ τὴν ἐξουσίαν δέδωκεν· ἀξίας δὲ οὗ ποτε μεταδώσειν αὐτῷ ἀντι εδήλωσεν. ᾿Αβούλως δὲ Ἰόβιος ἐν τῇ Ἀλαρίχου σκηνῇ περιμείνας τὸν ἐκ τῶν βασιλείων ἀπεσταλμένον, ἀναγινώσκειν ἐκέλευε, παρόντων τῶν βαρβάρων, τὰ δόξαντα τῷ βασιλεῖ. Ἐπὶ δὲ τῇ ἀρνήσει τοῦ ἀξιώματος ὀργισθεὶς Αλάριχος ὡς ὑβρισμένος, αὐθωρὸν τῇ σάλπιγγι σημήνας, ἐπὶ τὴν Ῥώμην ἤλαυνε. Δείσας δὲ ὁ Ἰόβιος μὴ ὑπονοηθῇ τῷ βασιλεῖ ᾿Αλαρίχῳ σπουδάζειν, ἀβουλοτέρῳ ἢ πρότερον περιπεσών, πρὸς τῆς σωτηρίας τοῦ βασιλέως αὐτὸς ὤμοσε, καὶ τοὺς ἄλλους ἄρχοντας παρεσκεύασε, μή ποτε εἰρήνην θέσθαι πρὸς ᾿Αλάριχον. Οὐκ εἰς μακρὰν δὲ μεταμεληθεὶς ὁ βάρβαρος, ἐδήλωσε μηδὲν ἀξιωμάτων δεῖσθαι· σύμμαχον δὲ παρέξειν ἑαυτὸν ἐπὶ μετρίᾳ σίτου δόσει, καὶ οἰκήσει τόπων, οὐ πάνυ Ῥωμαίοις ἐσπουδασμένων.
Genomenēs de peri toutou presbeias, hoi ta enantia prattontes ᾿Alarichǭ en tois basileiois, enepodizon tę̄ eirēnę̄. Meta de tauta presbeusamenou Inokentiou 5 tou Rhōmaiōn episkopou, metaklētheis ᾿Alarichos grammasi tou basileōs, hēken eis ᾿Arimēnon polin, deka kai diakosiois stadiois tēs Rhabennēs aphestōsan. Entautha de skēnas echonti pro tōn teichōn, eis logous elthōn Iobios tēs Italias hyparchos ōn, dēloi tǭ basilei tēn ᾿Alarichou aitēsin, Ai kai hōs deoi deltois auton timēsai stratēgou dynameōs hekateras. Ho de basileus chrēmatōn men kai sitēresiōn hōn ę̄tei, hōs hyparchǭ Iobiǭ tēn exousian dedōken; axias de hou pote metadōsein autǭ anti edēlōsen. ᾿Aboulōs de Iobios en tę̄ Alarichou skēnę̄ perimeinas ton ek tōn basileiōn apestalmenon, anaginōskein ekeleue, parontōn tōn barbarōn, ta doxanta tǭ basilei. Epi de tę̄ arnēsei tou axiōmatos orgistheis Alarichos hōs hybrismenos, authōron tę̄ salpingi sēmēnas, epi tēn Rhōmēn ēlaune. Deisas de ho Iobios mē hyponoēthę̄ tǭ basilei ᾿Alarichǭ spoudazein, abouloterǭ ē proteron peripesōn, pros tēs sōtērias tou basileōs autos ōmose, kai tous allous archontas pareskeuase, mē pote eirēnēn thesthai pros ᾿Alarichon. Ouk eis makran de metamelētheis ho barbaros, edēlōse mēden axiōmatōn deisthai; symmachon de parexein heauton epi metrią sitou dosei, kai oikēsei topōn, ou pany Rhōmaiois espoudasmenōn.
When an embassy was sent about this, those working against Alaric in the palace hindered the peace. After this, when Innocent, the bishop of the Romans, had gone as an envoy, Alaric, summoned by a letter of the emperor, came to Ariminum, a city two hundred and ten stadia from Ravenna. There, while he had his tents before the walls, Jovius, being prefect of Italy, came to terms with him and informed the emperor of Alaric’s request, and that he ought to honour him with the commission of general of both forces. The emperor gave Jovius as prefect authority over the money and provisions he asked for, but replied that he would never give him the rank. Jovius, unwisely, waiting in Alaric’s tent for the one sent from the palace, ordered the emperor’s decision to be read in the presence of the barbarians. Alaric, angry at the refusal of the rank as insulted, at once sounded the trumpet and marched on Rome. Jovius, fearing lest he be suspected by the emperor of supporting Alaric, falling into more unwise conduct than before, himself swore by the emperor’s safety, and made the other officials swear, never to make peace with Alaric. But not long after the barbarian changed his mind and declared that he needed no rank, but would offer himself as an ally for a moderate gift of grain and a dwelling in places not much prized by the Romans.
Notes and citation
Summary: Negotiations at Ariminum break down when the prefect Jovius has Honorius’s refusal of a generalship read before Alaric, who marches on Rome; the officials swear never to make peace, though Alaric soon offers alliance for grain and land.
- The first words of the staged text are the end of the chapter title and are removed by a correction.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (end of the chapter title printed by Valesius leaked into the text): Ἀλαρίχῳ συνέβη. Γενομένης δὲ περὶ τούτου → Γενομένης δὲ περὶ τούτου.
Cite (SBL): Sozomen, Hist. eccl. 9.7 (PG 67:1609–1611; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/sozomen-historia/9-7). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/sozomen-historia/9-7
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-sozomen-historia-9-7) · 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 Hartranft's English in NPNF² 2.
9.8PG 67:1611–1613
Ἐπεὶ δὲ δὶς ἀπέτυχε περὶ τούτου πρεσβευσάμενος διά τινων ἐπισκόπων, ἐλθὼν εἰς Ῥώμην, ἐπολιόρκει τὴν πόλιν· καὶ ἐξ ἑνὸς μέρους τὸν Πόρτον ἑλὼν, βιάζεται Ῥωμαίους βασιλέα ψηφίσασθαι τὸν ῎Ατταλον, ὕπαρχον ὄντα τότε τῆς πόλεως. Ῥωμαίων δὲ Ει προβληθέντων ἐπὶ τὰς ἄλλας ἀρχὰς, χειροτονεῖται ᾿Αλάριχος στρατηγὸς ἑκατέρας δυνάμεως, ᾿Αδάουλφος δὲ ὁ τῆς αὐτοῦ γαμετῆς ἀδελφὸς, ἡγεμὼν τῶν ἱππέων δομεστίκων καλουμένων. Συγκαλέσας δὲ τὴν γερουσίαν "Ατταλος, λόγον διῆλθε μακρὸν καὶ λαμπρῶς μάλα πεπονημένον, ὑπισχνούμενος τὰ πάτρια τῇ συγκλήτῳ φυλάξειν, καὶ τὴν Αἴγυπτον καὶ πᾶσαν τὴν πρὸς Ἕω ἀρχομένην, ὑπήκοον Ἰταλοῖς ποιῆσαι. Καὶ ὁ μὲν ὧδε ἀλαζονευόμενος, οὐδὲ εἰς ἐνιαυτὸν ὁλόκληρον ἤμελλε βασιλεὺς καλεῖσθαι · μάντεσι δέ τισιν ὑπαχθεὶς, ὑπισχνουμένοις ἀμαχητί τὴν Ἀφρικὴν καθέξειν, οὔτε ᾿Αλαρίχῳ ἐπείσθη, μετρίαν δύναμιν εἰσηγησαμένῳ πέμψαι εἰς Καρχηδόνα –ἐπὶ ἀναιρέσει τῶν Ονωρίου ἀρχόντων, εἰ ἀντιπαραΟ τάξοιεν αὐτῷ· οὔτε Ἰωάννῃ, ὃν προεστήσατο τῶν ἀμφ᾿ αὐτὸν βασιλικῶν τάξεων, φάσκοντι χρῆναι Κώνσταντα τὸν ἐκδημεῖν εἰς Λιβύην παρ᾿ αὐτοῦ τεταγμένον, ὡς παρὰ Ονωρίου ἀπεσταλμένον, γράμματι συνήθει ὃ διάταγμα καλοῦσι, παῦσαι τῆς ἀρχῆς Ἡρακλειανὸν, τὸν τηνικάδε τῶν ἐν ᾿Αφρικῇ στρατιωτῶν ἐπιτετραμμένον τὴν ἡγεμονίαν. Ἴσως δ᾽ ἂν καὶ τοῦτο προὐχώρησεν · οὔπω γὰρ δῆλα έγεγόνει τοῖς ἐν Λιβύῃ τὰ κατὰ ῎Ατταλον. Ἐπεὶ δὲ Κώνστας, τοῦτο τοῖς μάντεσι δόξαν, ἔπλευσεν εἰς Καρχηδόνα, Ατταλος δὲ ἐπὶ τοσοῦτον ἐβλάβη τὸν νοῦν, ὡς μηδὲ ἀμφιβάλλειν ἀξιοῦν, ἀλλὰ πεπεῖσθαι τοὺς ῎Αφρους ὑπηκόους ἔχειν κατὰ τὴν πρόῤῥησιν τῶν μάντεων, ἐπιστρατεύει τῇ Ραβέννῃ. "Αμα δὲ ἠγγέλθη εἰς Ἀρίμινον ἀφίχθαι μετὰ τῆς Ῥωμαίων στρατιᾶς καὶ τῶν βαρβάρων, γράφει αὐτῷ Ονώριος ὡς βασιλεῖ, καὶ πρεσβεύεται διὰ τῶν ἀμφ᾿ αὐτὸν τὰς μεγίστας ἀρχὰς λαχόντων, κοινωνὸν ἀγαπῶν ἔχειν τῆς βασιλείας. ῎Ατταλος δὲ τὴν μὲν κοινωνίαν τοῦ κράτους ἀπαρνεῖται, δηλοῖ δὲ Ονωρίῳ, νῆσον ἢ τόπον ἑλέσθαι ὂν βούλεται, καὶ καθ' ἑαυτὸν διάγειν, πάσης βασιλικῆς θεραπείας ἀξιούμενον. Εἰς τοῦτο δὲ περιστάντων τῶν πραγμάτων, ὡς εὐπρεπεῖς αὐτὸν ἔχειν ναῦς, ἵν᾽, εἰ δεήσειεν, ἀποπλεύσῃ πρὸς τὸν ἀδελφιδοῦν, ἀδοκήτω, ἐν ἓξ ἀριθμοῖς ἀμφὶ τετρακισχίλιοι στρατιῶται νύκτωρ τῇ Ῥαβέννῃ προσἐπλευσαν ἐκ τῆς Ἀνατολῆς · οἷς τὴν φυλακὴν τῶν τειχῶν ἐπέτρεψε, δεδιὼς τῶν ἐπιχωρίων στρατιωτῶν τὸ ἔτοιμον εἰς προδοσίαν. Ἐν τούτῳ δὲ Ἡρακλειανὸς ἀνελὼν τὸν Κώνσταντα, φύλακας ἐπέστησεν ἐν τοῖς λιμέσι καὶ ταῖς ἀκταῖς τῆς ᾿Αφρικῆς, καὶ τὰ πλοῖα τῶν ἐμπόρων ἐκώλυσεν εἰς Ῥώμην ἀνάγεσθαι. Λιμοῦ δὲ ἐντεῦθεν καταλαβόντος τοὺς Ῥωμαίους, πρεσβεύονται περὶ τούτου πρὸς ῎Ατταλον. Ὁ δὲ πρὸς τὸ πρακτέον ἀμηχανῶν, ἐπανῆλθεν εἰς Ῥώμην, ὡς α μετὰ τῆς συγκλήτου συμβουλευσόμενος. Ἐπικρατήσαντος δὲ τοῦ λιμοῦ ἐπὶ τοσοῦτον, ὡς καστάνοις ἀντὶ σίτου κεχρῆσθαι, ὑπονοηθῆναι δὲ τινας καὶ ἀνθρωπίνων ἀπογεύσασθαι κρεῶν · ᾿Αλάριχος μὲν συνεβούλευε πεντακοσίους βαρβάρους κατὰ Ήρακλειανοῦ πέμπειν· τῇ δὲ συγκλήτῳ καὶ ᾿Αττάλῳ ἐδόκει, μὴ δεῖν πιστευθῆναι βαρβάροις τὴν ᾿Αφρικήν. Ἐπεὶ δὲ δῆλον ἦν τὸν Θεὸν ἀντιπράττειν τῇ Αττάλου βασιλείᾳ, συνιδὼν ᾿Αλάριχος μάτην πονεῖν ἐπὶ πράγματι οὐκ ἐν αὐτῷ κειμένῳ, συντίθεται περὶ καταλύσεως τῆς αὐτοῦ ἀρχῆς πρὸς Ονώριον, ὑποσχέσεις λαβών. Πάντων τοίνυν συνελθόντων πρὸ τῆς πόλεως, ἀποτίθεται ῎Ατταλος τὰ σύμβολα τῆς βασιλείας· συναποτίθενται δὲ τὰς ζώνας καὶ οἱ αὐτοῦ ἄρχοντες, καὶ συγγνώμην ἐπὶ τοῖς συμβεβηκόσι νέμει πᾶσιν Ονώριος, ἕκαστον ἔχειν τὴν τιμὴν καὶ τὴν ἀξίαν ἧς προτοῦ μετελάγχανεν. Ἄτταλος δὲ ἅμα τῷ παιδὶ ᾿Αλαρίχῳ συνῆν, οὐκ ἂν οὐκ ἀσφαλὲς τέως ἡγούμενος ἐν Ῥωμαίοις διάγειν.
Epei de dis apetyche peri toutou presbeusamenos dia tinōn episkopōn, elthōn eis Rhōmēn, epoliorkei tēn polin; kai ex henos merous ton Porton helōn, biazetai Rhōmaious basilea psēphisasthai ton ᾿Attalon, hyparchon onta tote tēs poleōs. Rhōmaiōn de Ei problēthentōn epi tas allas archas, cheirotoneitai ᾿Alarichos stratēgos hekateras dynameōs, ᾿Adaoulphos de ho tēs autou gametēs adelphos, hēgemōn tōn hippeōn domestikōn kaloumenōn. Synkalesas de tēn gerousian "Attalos, logon diēlthe makron kai lamprōs mala peponēmenon, hypischnoumenos ta patria tę̄ synklētǭ phylaxein, kai tēn Aigypton kai pasan tēn pros Heō archomenēn, hypēkoon Italois poiēsai. Kai ho men hōde alazoneuomenos, oude eis eniauton holoklēron ēmelle basileus kaleisthai ; mantesi de tisin hypachtheis, hypischnoumenois amachēti tēn Aphrikēn kathexein, oute ᾿Alarichǭ epeisthē, metrian dynamin eisēgēsamenǭ pempsai eis Karchēdona –epi anairesei tōn Onōriou archontōn, ei antiparaO taxoien autǭ; oute Iōannę̄, hon proestēsato tōn amph᾿ auton basilikōn taxeōn, phaskonti chrēnai Kōnstanta ton ekdēmein eis Libyēn par᾿ autou tetagmenon, hōs para Onōriou apestalmenon, grammati synēthei ho diatagma kalousi, pausai tēs archēs Hērakleianon, ton tēnikade tōn en ᾿Aphrikę̄ stratiōtōn epitetrammenon tēn hēgemonian. Isōs d᾽ an kai touto prouchōrēsen ; oupō gar dēla egegonei tois en Libyę̄ ta kata ᾿Attalon. Epei de Kōnstas, touto tois mantesi doxan, epleusen eis Karchēdona, Attalos de epi tosouton eblabē ton noun, hōs mēde amphiballein axioun, alla pepeisthai tous ᾿Aphrous hypēkoous echein kata tēn prorrhēsin tōn manteōn, epistrateuei tę̄ Rabennę̄. "Ama de ēngelthē eis Ariminon aphichthai meta tēs Rhōmaiōn stratias kai tōn barbarōn, graphei autǭ Onōrios hōs basilei, kai presbeuetai dia tōn amph᾿ auton tas megistas archas lachontōn, koinōnon agapōn echein tēs basileias. ᾿Attalos de tēn men koinōnian tou kratous aparneitai, dēloi de Onōriǭ, nēson ē topon helesthai on bouletai, kai kath' heauton diagein, pasēs basilikēs therapeias axioumenon. Eis touto de peristantōn tōn pragmatōn, hōs euprepeis auton echein naus, hin᾽, ei deēseien, apopleusę̄ pros ton adelphidoun, adokētō, en hex arithmois amphi tetrakischilioi stratiōtai nyktōr tę̄ Rhabennę̄ prosepleusan ek tēs Anatolēs ; hois tēn phylakēn tōn teichōn epetrepse, dediōs tōn epichōriōn stratiōtōn to etoimon eis prodosian. En toutǭ de Hērakleianos anelōn ton Kōnstanta, phylakas epestēsen en tois limesi kai tais aktais tēs ᾿Aphrikēs, kai ta ploia tōn emporōn ekōlysen eis Rhōmēn anagesthai. Limou de enteuthen katalabontos tous Rhōmaious, presbeuontai peri toutou pros ᾿Attalon. Ho de pros to prakteon amēchanōn, epanēlthen eis Rhōmēn, hōs a meta tēs synklētou symbouleusomenos. Epikratēsantos de tou limou epi tosouton, hōs kastanois anti sitou kechrēsthai, hyponoēthēnai de tinas kai anthrōpinōn apogeusasthai kreōn ; ᾿Alarichos men synebouleue pentakosious barbarous kata Ērakleianou pempein; tę̄ de synklētǭ kai ᾿Attalǭ edokei, mē dein pisteuthēnai barbarois tēn ᾿Aphrikēn. Epei de dēlon ēn ton Theon antiprattein tę̄ Attalou basileią, synidōn ᾿Alarichos matēn ponein epi pragmati ouk en autǭ keimenǭ, syntithetai peri katalyseōs tēs autou archēs pros Onōrion, hyposcheseis labōn. Pantōn toinyn synelthontōn pro tēs poleōs, apotithetai ᾿Attalos ta symbola tēs basileias; synapotithentai de tas zōnas kai hoi autou archontes, kai syngnōmēn epi tois symbebēkosi nemei pasin Onōrios, hekaston echein tēn timēn kai tēn axian hēs protou metelanchanen. Attalos de hama tǭ paidi ᾿Alarichǭ synēn, ouk an ouk asphales teōs hēgoumenos en Rhōmaiois diagein.
When he had twice failed in an embassy about this through some bishops, he came to Rome and besieged the city; and having taken Portus on one side, he forced the Romans to elect as emperor Attalus, who was then prefect of the city. When Romans had been appointed to the other offices, Alaric was made general of both forces, and Ataulf, his wife’s brother, commander of the cavalry called domestics. Attalus, calling the senate together, delivered a long and very elaborate speech, promising to preserve the ancestral rights of the senate and to make Egypt and the whole eastern empire subject to the Italians. Boasting so, he was not to be called emperor even for a full year. Led on by certain diviners who promised that he would take Africa without a battle, he neither obeyed Alaric, who proposed to send a moderate force to Carthage to destroy Honorius’s officials if they resisted him, nor John, whom he had put in charge of his palace staff, who said that Constans, whom he had appointed to go to Libya, ought, as though sent by Honorius, by the usual letter which they call a decree, to remove from office Heraclian, then entrusted with the command of the soldiers in Africa. Perhaps this would have succeeded, for the affairs of Attalus were not yet known to those in Libya. But when Constans, as the diviners had decided, sailed to Carthage, Attalus was so harmed in mind that he did not even think fit to doubt, but was persuaded that he had the Africans as subjects according to the diviners’ prediction, and marched against Ravenna. As soon as it was announced that he had come to Ariminum with the Roman army and the barbarians, Honorius wrote to him as emperor and sent an embassy through those holding the highest offices about him, content to have him as partner in the empire. Attalus refused partnership in power, but sent word to Honorius to choose an island or place where he wished and live by himself, being granted all imperial service. Affairs having come to this, so that Honorius kept ships ready to sail, if necessary, to his nephew, unexpectedly about four thousand soldiers in six units sailed by night to Ravenna from the East; to them he entrusted the guarding of the walls, fearing the readiness of the local soldiers for treachery. Meanwhile Heraclian killed Constans, set guards in the harbours and on the coasts of Africa, and prevented the merchants’ ships from sailing to Rome. As famine then seized the Romans, they sent envoys about it to Attalus. He, at a loss what to do, returned to Rome as if to take counsel with the senate. The famine prevailed so far that they used chestnuts instead of grain, and some were suspected of having tasted human flesh. Alaric advised sending five hundred barbarians against Heraclian; but the senate and Attalus thought that Africa should not be entrusted to barbarians. When it was plain that God opposed the reign of Attalus, Alaric, seeing that he laboured in vain on a matter not in his power, came to terms with Honorius about deposing him, receiving promises. All having gathered before the city, Attalus laid aside the insignia of empire, and his officials laid aside their belts with him; and Honorius granted pardon to all for what had happened, each to keep the honour and rank he had held before. Attalus, with his son, stayed with Alaric, not thinking it safe for the time being to live among the Romans.
Notes and citation
Summary: Alaric makes the prefect Attalus emperor at Rome; Attalus, trusting diviners, loses Africa to Heraclian, marches on Ravenna, and is deposed by Alaric in agreement with Honorius when famine strikes Rome (409–410).
Cite (SBL): Sozomen, Hist. eccl. 9.8 (PG 67:1611–1613; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/sozomen-historia/9-8). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/sozomen-historia/9-8
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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 Hartranft's English in NPNF² 2.
9.9PG 67:1615
Ἐπὶ τούτοις δὲ ὧδε ἀποβεβηκόσιν, οὐ μετρίως ἐδυσφόρουν Ελληνές τε καὶ Χριστιανοὶ οἱ ἀπὸ τῆς ᾿Αρείου αἱρέσεως. Οἱ μὲν γὰρ, τεκμηράμενοι τῆς Αττάλου προαιρέσεως καὶ τῆς προτέρας ἀγωγῆς, εἰς τὸ προφανὲς Ἑλληνίσειν αὐτὸν ἡγοῦντο, καὶ τοὺς πατρίους ἀποδιδόναι ναοὺς, καὶ ἑορτὰς καὶ θυσίας· οἱ δὲ τῶν ἐκκλησιῶν ὡς ἐπὶ Κωνσταντίου καὶ Οὐάλεντος πάλιν κρατήσειν ᾤοντο, εἰ βεβαίως σχοίη τὴν βασιλείαν. Καθότι καὶ βαπτισθεὶς ἦν παρὰ Σιγησαρίου τοῦ ἐπισκόπου τῶν Γότθων, καὶ καταθύμιος ἐπὶ τούτῳ πᾶσί τε αὐτοῖς καὶ ᾿Αλαρίχῳ ἐτύγχανεν. Οὐ πολλῷ δὲ ὕστερον ᾿Αλάριχος καταλαβών τὰς "Αλπεις (χωρίον δὲ τοῦτο ἀμφὶ τὰ ἑξήκοντα στάδια διεστὼς τῆς Ῥαβέννης), εἰς λόγους ἦλθε τῷ βασιλεῖ περὶ τῆς εἰρήνης. Σάρος δέ τις βάρβαρος τὸ γένος, εἰς ἄκρον τὰ πολέμια ἠσκημένος, ἀμφὶ τριακοσίους μόνους περὶ αὐτὸν ἔχων πάντας εὔνους καὶ ἀρίστους, ὕποπτος ὢν ᾿Αλαρίχῳ διὰ προτέραν ἔχθραν, ἐλογίσατο μὴ συνοίσειν αὐτῷ τὰς μεταξὺ Ῥωμαίων καὶ Γότθων σπονδάς. Καὶ ἐξαπίνης μετὰ τῶν ἰδίων ἐπανελθὼν, ἀναιρεῖ τινας τῶν βαρβάρων. Ἐκ τούτου δὲ εἰς ὀργὴν καὶ δέος καταστὰς ᾿Αλάριχος, τὴν αὐτὴν ὁδὸν ἀναστρέφει· καὶ περικαθεσθεὶς τὴν Ῥώμην εἶλε προδοσίᾳ· καὶ τοῖς ( αὐτοῦ πλήθεσιν ἐπέτρεψεν ἑκάστῳ, ὡς ἂν δύναιτο, τῶν Ῥωμαίων πλοῦτον ἁρπάζειν, καὶ πάντας τοὺς οἴκους ληΐζεσθαι· ἄτυλον εἶναι προστάξας, αἰδοῖ τῇ πρὸς τὸν ἀπόστολον Πέτρον, τὴν περὶ τὴν αὐτοῦ σορὸν ἐκκλησίαν, μεγάλην τε καὶ πολὺν χῶρον περιέχουσαν. Τουτὶ δὲ γέγονεν αἴτιον τοῦ μὴ ἄρδην ἀπολέσθαι τὴν Ῥώμην. Οἱ γὰρ ἐνθάδε διασωθέντες (πολλοὶ γὰρ ἦσαν) πάλιν τὴν πόλιν ᾤκησαν.
Epi toutois de hōde apobebēkosin, ou metriōs edysphoroun Ellēnes te kai Christianoi hoi apo tēs ᾿Areiou haireseōs. Hoi men gar, tekmēramenoi tēs Attalou proaireseōs kai tēs proteras agōgēs, eis to prophanes Hellēnisein auton hēgounto, kai tous patrious apodidonai naous, kai heortas kai thysias; hoi de tōn ekklēsiōn hōs epi Kōnstantiou kai Oualentos palin kratēsein ǭonto, ei bebaiōs schoiē tēn basileian. Kathoti kai baptistheis ēn para Sigēsariou tou episkopou tōn Gotthōn, kai katathymios epi toutǭ pasi te autois kai ᾿Alarichǭ etynchanen. Ou pollǭ de hysteron ᾿Alarichos katalabōn tas "Alpeis (chōrion de touto amphi ta hexēkonta stadia diestōs tēs Rhabennēs), eis logous ēlthe tǭ basilei peri tēs eirēnēs. Saros de tis barbaros to genos, eis akron ta polemia ēskēmenos, amphi triakosious monous peri auton echōn pantas eunous kai aristous, hypoptos ōn ᾿Alarichǭ dia proteran echthran, elogisato mē synoisein autǭ tas metaxy Rhōmaiōn kai Gotthōn spondas. Kai exapinēs meta tōn idiōn epanelthōn, anairei tinas tōn barbarōn. Ek toutou de eis orgēn kai deos katastas ᾿Alarichos, tēn autēn hodon anastrephei; kai perikathestheis tēn Rhōmēn eile prodosią; kai tois ( autou plēthesin epetrepsen hekastǭ, hōs an dynaito, tōn Rhōmaiōn plouton harpazein, kai pantas tous oikous lēïzesthai; atylon einai prostaxas, aidoi tę̄ pros ton apostolon Petron, tēn peri tēn autou soron ekklēsian, megalēn te kai polyn chōron periechousan. Touti de gegonen aition tou mē ardēn apolesthai tēn Rhōmēn. Hoi gar enthade diasōthentes (polloi gar ēsan) palin tēn polin ǭkēsan.
At these events the pagans and the Christians of the Arian heresy were not a little vexed. For the former, judging from Attalus’s purpose and his former upbringing, thought he would openly turn pagan and restore the ancestral temples, festivals and sacrifices; while the latter thought they would again hold the churches as under Constantius and Valens, if he held the empire securely; for he had been baptized by Sigesarius, the bishop of the Goths, and for this reason was pleasing to them all and to Alaric. Not long after, Alaric, having occupied the Alps — this is a place about sixty stadia from Ravenna — came into talks with the emperor about peace. But a certain Sarus, a barbarian by race, highly trained in war, who had about him only some three hundred men, all well disposed and excellent, being suspect to Alaric through a former enmity, reckoned that a treaty between the Romans and the Goths would not be to his advantage. Suddenly returning with his men, he killed some of the barbarians. Thrown by this into anger and fear, Alaric turned back by the same road; and besieging Rome, he took it by treachery, and allowed his multitudes to seize the wealth of the Romans, each as he could, and to plunder all the houses; but out of reverence for the apostle Peter he ordered that the church about his tomb, which is large and encloses much space, should be a sanctuary. This was the reason that Rome was not utterly destroyed; for those saved there — and they were many — inhabited the city again.
Notes and citation
Summary: Pagans and Arians hope in Attalus, baptized by the Gothic bishop; Sarus’s attack wrecks Alaric’s peace talks, and Alaric takes Rome by treachery (410), sparing those who fled to St. Peter’s.
- The first words of the staged text are the end of the chapter title and are removed by a correction.
- Rome fell on 24 August 410. “The Alps” here is a place near Ravenna, so named in the Greek.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (end of the chapter title printed by Valesius leaked into the text): λου Πέτρου ἱερόν. Ἐπὶ τούτοις δὲ ὧδε → Ἐπὶ τούτοις δὲ ὧδε.
Cite (SBL): Sozomen, Hist. eccl. 9.9 (PG 67:1615; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/sozomen-historia/9-9). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/sozomen-historia/9-9
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-sozomen-historia-9-9) · Report an error
Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from Valesius's Greek text as printed in Migne PG 67 (Bavarian State Library OCR and Tesseract re-OCR); every chapter compared afterwards with Hartranft's English in NPNF² 2.
9.10PG 67:1615–1617
Οἷα δὲ εἰκὸς, ὡς ἐν ἁλώσει τοιᾶσδε πόλεως πολλῶν συμβεβηκότων, ὃ τότε μοι ἔδοξεν ἐκκλησιαστικῆς ἱστορίας ἄξιον γεγενῆσθαι ἀναγράψομαι. Δηλοῖ γὰρ ἀνδρὸς βαρβάρου πρᾶξιν εὐσεβῆ, καὶ γυναικὸς Ῥωμαίας ἀνδρείαν ἐπὶ φυλακῇ σωφροσύνης. Αμφοτέρων δὲ Χριστιανῶν, οὐκ ἀπὸ τῆς αὐτῆς αἱρέσεως· καθότι ὁ μὲν τὰ ᾿Αρείου, ἡ δὲ τῶν ἐν Νικαίᾳ τὴν πίστιν ἐζήλου. Ταύτην δὲ εὖ μάλα καλὴν ἰδών τις νέος τῶν ᾿Αλαρίχου στρατιωτῶν, ἡττήθη τοῦ κάλλους, καὶ εἰς συνουσίαν εἶλκεν. ᾿Ανθέλκουσαν δὲ καὶ βιαζομένην μηδὲν ἀσελγὲς παθεῖν, γυμνώσας τὸ ξίφος, ἠπείλησεν ἀναιρεῖν· καὶ μετὰ φειδοῦς, οἷά γε ἐρωτικῶς διακείμενος, ἐξ ἐπιπολῆς ἔπληξε τὸν τράχηλον. Πολλῷ δὲ περιῤῥεομένη τῷ αἵματι, τὸν αὐχένα τῷ ξίφει ὑπέσχεν, αἱρετώτερον ἐν σωφροσύνῃ λογισαμένη ἀποθανεῖν, ἢ ζῇν ἑτέρου πειρασθεῖσαν ἀνδρὸς μετὰ τὸν νόμῳ συνοικήσαντα. Ἐπεὶ δὲ πάλιν ὁ βάρβαρος καὶ φοβερώτερον ἐπιὼν, οὐδὲν πλέον ἤνυε, θαυμάσας αὐτῆς τὴν σωφροσύνην, ἤγαγεν εἰς τὸ Πέτρου ἀποστολεῖον· καὶ παραδοὺς τοῖς φύλαξι τῆς ἐκκλησίας, καὶ χρυσοὺς ἓξ εἰς ἀποτροφὴν αὐτῆς, ἐκέλευσε τῷ ἀνδρὶ φυλάττειν.
Hoia de eikos, hōs en halōsei toiasde poleōs pollōn symbebēkotōn, ho tote moi edoxen ekklēsiastikēs historias axion gegenēsthai anagrapsomai. Dēloi gar andros barbarou praxin eusebē, kai gynaikos Rhōmaias andreian epi phylakę̄ sōphrosynēs. Amphoterōn de Christianōn, ouk apo tēs autēs haireseōs; kathoti ho men ta ᾿Areiou, hē de tōn en Nikaią tēn pistin ezēlou. Tautēn de eu mala kalēn idōn tis neos tōn ᾿Alarichou stratiōtōn, hēttēthē tou kallous, kai eis synousian eilken. ᾿Anthelkousan de kai biazomenēn mēden aselges pathein, gymnōsas to xiphos, ēpeilēsen anairein; kai meta pheidous, hoia ge erōtikōs diakeimenos, ex epipolēs eplēxe ton trachēlon. Pollǭ de perirrheomenē tǭ haimati, ton auchena tǭ xiphei hypeschen, hairetōteron en sōphrosynę̄ logisamenē apothanein, ē zę̄n heterou peirastheisan andros meta ton nomǭ synoikēsanta. Epei de palin ho barbaros kai phoberōteron epiōn, ouden pleon ēnye, thaumasas autēs tēn sōphrosynēn, ēgagen eis to Petrou apostoleion; kai paradous tois phylaxi tēs ekklēsias, kai chrysous hex eis apotrophēn autēs, ekeleuse tǭ andri phylattein.
As was likely, many things happened at the capture of so great a city; but I will record what seemed to me then worthy of church history. For it shows the pious act of a barbarian man and the courage of a Roman woman in guarding her chastity. Both were Christians, but not of the same heresy; for he was zealous for the faith of Arius, she for that of those who met at Nicaea. A young soldier of Alaric’s, seeing that she was very beautiful, was overcome by her beauty and tried to drag her to intercourse. When she pulled back and struggled not to suffer any outrage, he drew his sword and threatened to kill her; and with restraint, being in love with her, he struck her neck lightly. Streaming with much blood, she offered her neck to the sword, reckoning it more desirable to die in chastity than to live having known another man after her lawful husband. When the barbarian came at her again more fearfully and accomplished nothing more, admiring her chastity he led her to the church of the apostle Peter, and handing her over to the guardians of the church, with six gold pieces for her keep, ordered them to keep her for her husband.
Notes and citation
Summary: During the sack of Rome a Nicene Roman matron chooses death rather than be violated by an Arian Gothic soldier, who, admiring her chastity, takes her to St. Peter’s and pays for her keep until her husband can claim her.
- A displaced line at the opening of the section is restored by a correction.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (displaced line restored to its place inside ἐκκλησιαστικῆς): ) στικῆς ἱστορίας ἄξιον γεγενῆσθαι ἀναγράψομαι. Οἷα δὲ εἰκὸς, ὡς ἐν ἁλώσει τοιᾶσδε πόλεως πολλῶν συμβεβηκότων, ὃ τότε μοι ἔδοξεν ἘκκλησιαΔηλοῖ → Οἷα δὲ εἰκὸς, ὡς ἐν ἁλώσει τοιᾶσδε πόλεως πολλῶν συμβεβηκότων, ὃ τότε μοι ἔδοξεν ἐκκλησιαστικῆς ἱστορίας ἄξιον γεγενῆσθαι ἀναγράψομαι. Δηλοῖ.
Cite (SBL): Sozomen, Hist. eccl. 9.10 (PG 67:1615–1617; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/sozomen-historia/9-10). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/sozomen-historia/9-10
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from Valesius's Greek text as printed in Migne PG 67 (Bavarian State Library OCR and Tesseract re-OCR); every chapter compared afterwards with Hartranft's English in NPNF² 2.
9.11PG 67:1617–1619
Ὑπὸ δὲ τοῦτον τὸν χρόνον, πολλῶν ἐπανισταμένων τυράννων ἐν τῇ πρὸς Δύσιν ἀρχῇ, οἱ μὲν πρὸς ἀλλήλων πίπτοντες, οἱ δὲ παραδόξως συλλαμβανόμενοι, οὐ τὴν τυχοῦσαν ἐπεμαρτύρουν Ονωρίῳ θεοφίλειαν. Πρῶτον μὲν γὰρ οἱ ἐν Βρεττανίᾳ στασιάσαντες τ στρατιῶται ἀναγορεύουσι Μάρκον | τύραννον · μετὰ δὲ τοῦτον Γρατιανὸν, ἀνελόντες Μάρκον· ἐπεὶ δὲ καὶ οὗτος οὐ πλέον τεσσάρων μηνῶν διελθόντων ἐφονεύθη παρ᾿ αὐτῶν, πάλιν Κωνσταντῖνον χειροτονοῦσιν, οἰηθέντες καθότι ταύτην εἶχε προσηγορίαν, καὶ βεβαίως αὐτὸν κρατήσειν τῆς βασιλείας. Ἐκ τοιαύτης γὰρ αἰτίας φαίνονται καὶ τοὺς ἄλλους εἰς τυραννίδα ἐπιλεξάμενοι. Περαιωθεὶς δὲ Κωνσταντῖνος ἀπὸ Βρεττανίας ἐπὶ Βουβονίαν πόλιν τῆς Γαλατίας παρὰ θάλασσαν κειμένην, προσηγάγετο τοὺς παρὰ Γαλάταις καὶ Ἀκουϊτανοῖς στρατιώτας· καὶ τοὺς τῇδε ὑπηκόους περιεποίησεν ἑαυτῷ, μέχρι τῶν μεταξὺ Ἰταλίας Γαλατίας 5, ἃς : οἱ Ῥωμαῖοι καλοῦσι. Κώνσταντα δὲ τὸν σβύτερον τῶν αὑτοῦ υἱέων, ὃν ὕστερον βασιλέως σχῆμα ἐνέδυσε, Καίσαρα τότε ἀναγορεύσας, πέπομφεν εἰς Σπανίας᾽ ὁ δὲ, τὸ ἔθνος χαταλαδὼν, ἄρχοντας ἰδίους κατέστησε. Καὶ δεσμίους αὐτῷ ἀχθῆναι προσέταξε Δίδυμον Βερενιανὸν, τοὺς ᾿θνωρίου συγγενεῖς " οἱ τὰ πρῶτα διαφερόμενοι πρὸς ἑαυτοὺς, εἰς κίνδυνον χαταστάντες ὡμονόησαν" καὶ πλῆθος ἀγροίχων καὶ οἰχετῶν συλλέξαντες, κοινῇ κατὰ τὴν Λυσιτανίαν παρετάξαντο, καὶ πολλοὺς ἀνεῖλον τῶν εἰς σύλληψιν αὐτῶν ἀποσταλέντων παρὰ τοῦ τυράννου στρατιωτῶν.
Hypo de touton ton chronon, pollōn epanistamenōn tyrannōn en tę̄ pros Dysin archę̄, hoi men pros allēlōn piptontes, hoi de paradoxōs syllambanomenoi, ou tēn tychousan epemartyroun Onōriǭ theophileian. Prōton men gar hoi en Brettanią stasiasantes t stratiōtai anagoreuousi Markon | tyrannon ; meta de touton Gratianon, anelontes Markon; epei de kai houtos ou pleon tessarōn mēnōn dielthontōn ephoneuthē par᾿ autōn, palin Kōnstantinon cheirotonousin, oiēthentes kathoti tautēn eiche prosēgorian, kai bebaiōs auton kratēsein tēs basileias. Ek toiautēs gar aitias phainontai kai tous allous eis tyrannida epilexamenoi. Peraiōtheis de Kōnstantinos apo Brettanias epi Boubonian polin tēs Galatias para thalassan keimenēn, prosēgageto tous para Galatais kai Akouïtanois stratiōtas; kai tous tę̄de hypēkoous periepoiēsen heautǭ, mechri tōn metaxy Italias Galatias 5, has : hoi Rhōmaioi kalousi. Kōnstanta de ton sbyteron tōn hautou huieōn, hon hysteron basileōs schēma enedyse, Kaisara tote anagoreusas, pepomphen eis Spanias᾽ ho de, to ethnos chataladōn, archontas idious katestēse. Kai desmious autǭ achthēnai prosetaxe Didymon Berenianon, tous ᾿thnōriou syngeneis " hoi ta prōta diapheromenoi pros heautous, eis kindynon chatastantes hōmonoēsan" kai plēthos agroichōn kai oichetōn syllexantes, koinę̄ kata tēn Lysitanian paretaxanto, kai pollous aneilon tōn eis syllēpsin autōn apostalentōn para tou tyrannou stratiōtōn.
About this time, when many usurpers rose up in the western empire, some falling at one another’s hands, others being unexpectedly captured, they bore witness to no ordinary love of God for Honorius. For first the soldiers in Britain, in revolt, proclaimed Mark usurper; after him Gratian, having killed Mark; and when he too was murdered by them after not more than four months, they elected Constantine, thinking that because he had this name he would hold the empire securely; for it seems that for such a reason they also chose the others for usurpation. Constantine, crossing from Britain to Bononia, a city of Gaul lying by the sea, won over the soldiers among the Gauls and Aquitanians, and gained the subjects there for himself, as far as the Alps between Italy and Gaul which the Romans call the Cottian. Constans, the elder of his sons, on whom he later put the dress of emperor, he then proclaimed Caesar and sent to Spain. He, having seized the province, appointed officials of his own, and ordered Didymus and Verenianus, the kinsmen of Honorius, to be brought to him in chains. They, at odds with each other at first, became of one mind when in danger; and gathering a multitude of peasants and slaves, they took the field together in Lusitania, and killed many of the soldiers sent by the usurper to arrest them.
Notes and citation
Summary: The British army raises the usurpers Mark, Gratian and Constantine III, who takes Gaul and sends his son Constans to Spain, where Honorius’s kinsmen Didymus and Verenianus resist with an army of peasants and slaves.
- Constantine III was proclaimed in 407.
Cite (SBL): Sozomen, Hist. eccl. 9.11 (PG 67:1617–1619; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/sozomen-historia/9-11). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/sozomen-historia/9-11
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from Valesius's Greek text as printed in Migne PG 67 (Bavarian State Library OCR and Tesseract re-OCR); every chapter compared afterwards with Hartranft's English in NPNF² 2.
9.12PG 67:1619–1621
Μετὰ δὲ ταῦτα συμμαχίας προστεθείσης τοῖς ἐναντίοις, ἐζωγρήθησαν, καὶ ἅμα ταῖς αὑτῶν γαμεταῖς ἀπήχθησαν, καὶ ὕστερον ἀνηῃρέϑησαν. Ἔν ἑτέραις δὲ ἐπαρχίαις διατρίβοντες Θεοδοσίωλος καὶ Λαγώδιος, αὐτῶν ἀδελφοὶ, φεύγουσι τὴν πατρίδα, διασώζονται, Θεοδοσίωλος μὲν, εἰς Ἰταλίαν πρὸς Ὁνώριον τὸν βασιλέα" Λαγώδιος δὲ, πρὸς Θεοδόσιον εἰς ᾿Ανατολήν. Καὶ ὁ μὲν Κώνστας ταῦτα διαπραξάμε. ἐπανῆλθε πρὸς τὸν πατέρα, φρουρὰν χαταστῆ ἀπὸ τῶν στρατιωτῶν τῆς ἐπὶ τὰς Σπανίας παρόδου" ἣν δεομένοις Σπάνοις κατὰ τὸ ἀρχαΐην ἔθος φυλάττειν, οὐκ ἐπέτρεψεν. Ὃ αἴτιον γέγονε μετὰ ταῦτα τῆς ἀπωλείας τῶν τῇδε, Καταπεσούσης γὰρ τῆς Κωνσταντίνου δυνάμεως, ἀναλαβόντες ἕαυτοὺς Οὐανδαλοί τε καὶ ᾿Αλανοὶ, ξῦνη βάρδαρα, τῆς παρόδου ἐκράτησαν, πολλὰ φρούρια πόλεις τῶν Ἱσπανῶν Γαλατῶν εἶλον, καὶ τοὺς ἄρχοντας τοῦ τυράννου. Κωνσταντῖνος δὲ τέως κατὰ γνώμην πράττειν δοκῶν, Κώνσταντα τὸν υἱὸν ἀντὶ Καίσαρος βασιλέα καταστήσας, ἐδουλεύετο τὴν Ἰταλίαν χαταλαδεῖν" παραμείψας τὰς Κοττίας "λλπεις, ἧκεν εἰς Λιθερῶνα πόλιν τῆς Λιγουρίας" μέλλων δὲ περαιοῦσθαι τὸν Ἠριδανὸν, τὴν αὐτὴν ὁδὸν ἀνέστρεψε, μαθὼν τὸν ᾿Αλαθίχου θάνατον " ὃν δὴ στρατηγὸν ᾿θνωρίου ὄντα, ὕποπτον ὡς Κωνσταντίνῳ πραγματευόμενον πᾶσαν τὴν πρὸς τὴν Δύσιν ἡγεμονίαν, ἀναιρεθῆναι συνέδη τότε, προηγούμενον ὡς ἔθος ἑπανιόντος ἐκ προόδου τινὸς τοῦ κρατοῦντος. Ἡνίκα δὴ ὁ βασιλεὺς αὖτίκα τοῦ ἵππου ἀποῦὰς, δημοσίᾳ εὐχαριστήρια τῷ Θεῷ ηὔξατο, ὡς προφανοῦς ἐπιδούλου ἀπαλλαγείς. Κωνσταντῖνος δὲ φεύγων, τὴν ᾿Αρήλατον χατέλαθδε, κατὰ ταυτὸν δὲ Κύνστας ὁ αὐτοῦ φεύγων ἐχ τῆς Ἰσπανίας. Καταπεσούσης γὰρ τῆς Κωνσταντίνου δυνάμεως, ἀναλαβόντες ἑαυτοὺς τε Σούϊβοι, καὶ ᾿Αλανοὶ, σπουδῇ τὸ Πυρηναῖον ὄρος κατέλαβον, εὐδαίμονα καὶ πλουσιωτάτην τὴν χώραν ἀκούοντες" παρημεληχότων τε τῶν ἐπιτραπέντων παρὰ Κώναταντος τὴν φρουρὰν τῆς παρόδου, παρἦλθον εἰς Ἰσπάνίαν.
Meta de tauta symmachias prostetheisēs tois enantiois, ezōgrēthēsan, kai hama tais hautōn gametais apēchthēsan, kai hysteron anēę̄reϑēsan. En heterais de eparchiais diatribontes Theodosiōlos kai Lagōdios, autōn adelphoi, pheugousi tēn patrida, diasōzontai, Theodosiōlos men, eis Italian pros Honōrion ton basilea" Lagōdios de, pros Theodosion eis ᾿Anatolēn. Kai ho men Kōnstas tauta diapraxame. epanēlthe pros ton patera, phrouran chatastē apo tōn stratiōtōn tēs epi tas Spanias parodou" hēn deomenois Spanois kata to archaïēn ethos phylattein, ouk epetrepsen. Ho aition gegone meta tauta tēs apōleias tōn tę̄de, Katapesousēs gar tēs Kōnstantinou dynameōs, analabontes heautous Ouandaloi te kai ᾿Alanoi, xynē bardara, tēs parodou ekratēsan, polla phrouria poleis tōn Hispanōn Galatōn eilon, kai tous archontas tou tyrannou. Kōnstantinos de teōs kata gnōmēn prattein dokōn, Kōnstanta ton huion anti Kaisaros basilea katastēsas, edouleueto tēn Italian chataladein" parameipsas tas Kottias "llpeis, hēken eis Litherōna polin tēs Ligourias" mellōn de peraiousthai ton Ēridanon, tēn autēn hodon anestrepse, mathōn ton ᾿Alathichou thanaton " hon dē stratēgon ᾿thnōriou onta, hypopton hōs Kōnstantinǭ pragmateuomenon pasan tēn pros tēn Dysin hēgemonian, anairethēnai synedē tote, proēgoumenon hōs ethos hepaniontos ek proodou tinos tou kratountos. Hēnika dē ho basileus autika tou hippou apouas, dēmosią eucharistēria tǭ Theǭ ēuxato, hōs prophanous epidoulou apallageis. Kōnstantinos de pheugōn, tēn ᾿Arēlaton chatelathde, kata tauton de Kynstas ho autou pheugōn ech tēs Ispanias. Katapesousēs gar tēs Kōnstantinou dynameōs, analabontes heautous te Souïboi, kai ᾿Alanoi, spoudę̄ to Pyrēnaion oros katelabon, eudaimona kai plousiōtatēn tēn chōran akouontes" parēmelēchotōn te tōn epitrapentōn para Kōnatantos tēn phrouran tēs parodou, parēlthon eis Ispanian.
Afterwards, when allies had joined the enemy, they were taken alive, led away with their wives, and later put to death. Their brothers Theodosiolus and Lagodius, living in other provinces, fled their homeland and were saved, Theodosiolus to Italy to the emperor Honorius, Lagodius to Theodosius in the East. Constans, having accomplished this, returned to his father, having set a garrison of his own soldiers over the pass into Spain, which he did not allow the Spaniards, though they asked it, to guard according to ancient custom. This later became the cause of the ruin of those there. For when the power of Constantine collapsed, the Vandals and Alans, barbarian nations, recovering themselves, seized the pass, took many forts and cities of the Spaniards and Gauls, and the usurper’s officials. Constantine, meanwhile seeming to fare as he wished, made his son Constans emperor instead of Caesar, and planned to seize Italy; and passing the Cottian Alps, he came to Liberona, a city of Liguria. But when about to cross the Eridanus, he turned back by the same road, learning of the death of Allobichus. For this man, being Honorius’s general, was suspected of working to secure the whole western rule for Constantine, and it happened that he was then killed as he was leading the way, as was the custom, for the ruler returning from a procession. Then the emperor at once dismounted from his horse and publicly offered thanks to God, as freed from a manifest plotter. Constantine, fleeing, seized Arles; and at the same time Constans his son, fleeing from Spain. For when the power of Constantine collapsed, the Suebi, Vandals and Alans, recovering themselves, eagerly seized the Pyrenees mountains, hearing that the country was prosperous and very rich; and since those entrusted by Constans with the guarding of the pass had neglected it, they passed into Spain.
Notes and citation
Summary: Honorius’s kinsmen in Spain are captured and killed; Constans’s neglect of the Pyrenean passes lets Vandals, Alans and Suebi into Spain; Constantine III advances on Italy but retreats to Arles when his ally Allobichus is killed.
- The barbarian crossing of the Pyrenees took place in 409. Some words are garbled in the scan and are translated by sense.
Cite (SBL): Sozomen, Hist. eccl. 9.12 (PG 67:1619–1621; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/sozomen-historia/9-12). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/sozomen-historia/9-12
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-sozomen-historia-9-12) · Report an error
Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from Valesius's Greek text as printed in Migne PG 67 (Bavarian State Library OCR and Tesseract re-OCR); every chapter compared afterwards with Hartranft's English in NPNF² 2.