Church History 1.0–1.2
Greek text: GCS 19.English: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), public domain (CC0). Compare: Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 2, vol. 3 (1892), trans. B. Jackson.
Chapter 1
1.0GCS 19:4
Ζωγράφοι μὲν σανίσι καὶ τοίχοις τὰς παλαιὰς ἐγγράφοντες ἱστορίας τέρψιν μὲν τοῖς ὁρῶσι προσφέρουσι, τῶν δὲ γεγενημένων τὴν μνήμην ἐπὶ πλεῖστον ἀνθοῦσαν φυλάττουσι" λογογράφοι δέ, ἀντὶ μὲν σανίδων ταῖς βίβλοις ἀντὶ δὲ χρωμάτων τοῖς τῶν λόγων ἄνθεσι κεχρημένοι, διαρχεστέραν καὶ μονιμωτέραν τῶν πεπραγμένων ποιοῦσι τὴν μνήμην" ὃ γὰρ χρόνος λωβᾶται τῶν ξωγράφων τὴν τέχνην. τούτου δὴ χάριν κἀγὼ τῆς ἐκκλησιαστικῆς ἱστορίας τὰ λειπόμενα ὃ συγγράψαι πειράσομαι" οὐ γὰρ ὅσιον φήθην λαμπροτάτων ἔργων καὶ ὀνησιφόρων διηγημάτων τὸ κλέος παριδεῖν ὑπὸ τῆς λήθης συλώμεγον. διὰ γὰρ δὴ τοῦτο καὶ τῶν συνήθων τινὲς ἐπὶ τόνδε μὲ τὸν ὃ πόνον πολλάκις παρώτρυναν᾽ ἐγὼ δὲ τῇ μὲν ἐμαυτοῦ δυνάμει τόδε τὸ ἔργον σταθμώμενος τὴν ἐγχείρησιν ὀρρωδῶ, θαρρῶν δὲ τῷ φιλοτίμῳ δοτῆρι τῶν ἀγαθῶν μείζοσιν ἢ κατ᾽ ἐμαυτὸν ἐ ἐγχειρῶ. Εὐσέβιος μὲν οὖν ὁ Παλαιστῖνος ἀπὸ τῶν ἱερῶν ἀποστόλων τῆς ἱστορίας ἀρξάμενος μέχρι τῆς Κωνσταντίνου θεοφιλοῦς βασιλείας τὰ ταῖς ἐκκλησίαις συμβεβηκότα συνέγραψεν" ἐγὼ δὲ τῆς συγγραφῆς ἐκείνης τὸ τέλος ἀρχὴν τῆς ἱστορίας ποιήσομαι.
Zōgraphoi men sanisi kai toichois tas palaias engraphontes historias terpsin men tois horōsi prospherousi, tōn de gegenēmenōn tēn mnēmēn epi pleiston anthousan phylattousi" logographoi de, anti men sanidōn tais biblois anti de chrōmatōn tois tōn logōn anthesi kechrēmenoi, diarchesteran kai monimōteran tōn pepragmenōn poiousi tēn mnēmēn" ho gar chronos lōbatai tōn xōgraphōn tēn technēn. toutou dē charin kagō tēs ekklēsiastikēs historias ta leipomena ho syngrapsai peirasomai" ou gar hosion phēthēn lamprotatōn ergōn kai onēsiphorōn diēgēmatōn to kleos paridein hypo tēs lēthēs sylōmegon. dia gar dē touto kai tōn synēthōn tines epi tonde me ton ho ponon pollakis parōtrynan᾽ egō de tę̄ men emautou dynamei tode to ergon stathmōmenos tēn encheirēsin orrōdō, tharrōn de tǭ philotimǭ dotēri tōn agathōn meizosin ē kat᾽ emauton e encheirō. Eusebios men oun ho Palaistinos apo tōn hierōn apostolōn tēs historias arxamenos mechri tēs Kōnstantinou theophilous basileias ta tais ekklēsiais symbebēkota synegrapsen" egō de tēs syngraphēs ekeinēs to telos archēn tēs historias poiēsomai.
Painters, depicting ancient histories on panels and walls, give pleasure to those who look at them and keep the memory of what happened in bloom for a very long time. Writers of history, using books instead of panels and the flowers of words instead of colours, make the memory of past deeds more lasting and more permanent; for time ravages the painter's art. For this reason I too shall attempt to write what remains of the church's history; for I did not think it right to look on while the fame of most brilliant deeds and profitable narratives was stolen away by forgetfulness. For this very reason some of my friends too have often urged me to this labour. When I weigh this work against my own ability, I shrink from the undertaking; but trusting in the generous Giver of good things, I take in hand things greater than my own strength. Eusebius of Palestine, beginning his history from the holy apostles, recorded what happened to the churches down to the reign of Constantine, beloved of God; I shall make the end of that work the beginning of my history.
Notes and citation
Summary: Theodoret explains that history preserves memory better than painting and that he will continue the Church History of Eusebius from where it ends.
- Prologue. Eusebius's Church History is published on this site (eusebius-historia).
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR dropped the initial capital; OCR: word broken at the line end with a stray mark): ἱστο- Ἴ οἰας → ἱστορίας; ὐσέβιος μὲν → Εὐσέβιος μὲν.
Extrabiblical texts: Eusebius, Hist. eccl. (Church History; allusion)
Cite (SBL): Theodoret, Hist. eccl. 1.0 (GCS 19:4; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-historia-ecclesiastica/1-0). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-historia-ecclesiastica/1-0
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-theodoret-historia-ecclesiastica-1-0) · Report an error
Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from Parmentier's Greek text (GCS 19, 1911; OCR by this project); every chapter compared afterwards with Jackson's English in NPNF² 3.
1.1GCS 19:5–7
Τῶν ἀνοσιουργῶν ἐκείνων καὶ δισσεβῶν καταλυθέντων τυράννων, “Μαξεντίου φημὶ “καὶ Μαξιμίνου καὶ Λικιννίου, κατηυνάσθη τῆς ἐκκλησίας ἡ ζάλη. ἣν οἱ ἀλάστορες ἔχεῖνοι καθάπερ τινὲς καταιγίδες ἐκίνησαν, καὶ γαλήνης λοιπὸν ἀπήλαυνε σταθερᾶς. τῶν στρεβλῶν παυσαμένων ἀνέμων. καὶ Κωνσταντῖνος δὲ ὁ πανεύφημος βασιλεύς, ὃς οὐκ ἀπ’ ἀνθρώπων οὐδὲ δι᾽ ἀνθρώπους ἀλλ᾽ οὐρανόθεν κατὰ τὸν θεῖον ἀπόστολον τῆς κλήσεως ταύτης ἔτυχε, ταύτην αὐτῇ ἐπρυτάνευσε. νόμους γὰρ ἔγραψε, θύειν μὲν εἰδώλοις ἀπείργων, δομᾶσθαι δὲ τὰς ἐκκλησίας παρεγγυῶν" καὶ ἄρχοντας: δὲ πίστει κοσμουμένους ἐφίστησι τοῖς ἔθνεσι. γεραίρειν κελεύων τοὺ ς ἱερέας καὶ τοῖς παροινεῖν εἰς τούτους ἐπιχειροῦσιν ὄλεθρον ἀπειλῶν. τότε δὴ οἱ μὲν τὰς καταλυθείσα: ἐκκλησίας ἀνήγειρον, οἱ ὁὲ ἑτέρας εὐρυτέρας ἄνῳχοδόμουν καὶ λαμπροτέρας. τούτων οὕτω δρωμένων, τὰ μὲν ἡμέτερα χορείας ἦν ἔμπλεα καὶ θυμηδίας, τὰ δὲ τῶν ἐναντίων κατηφείας καὶ ἀθυμίας μεστά. τὰ μὲν γὰρ τῶν εἰδώλων ἀπεκέκλειστο τεμένη, ἐν δὲ ταῖς ἐκκλησίαις ἑορταὶ καὶ πανηγύρεις ἐπετελοῦντο συχναί. Ἀλλ᾽ ὁ παμπόνηρος καὶ βάσκανος δαίμων, ὃ τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἀλάστωρ, οὐχ ἤνεγκεν ἐξ οὐρίων φερομένην τὴν ἐκκλησίαν ὁρῶν, ἀλλὰ τὰς κακομηχάνους ἐκίνει βουλὰς χκαταδῦσαι φιλονεικῶν τὴν ὑπὸ τοῦ ποιητοῦ καὶ δεσπότου τῶν ὅλων κυβερνωμένην. ἑώρα δὲ τὴν Ἑλληνικὴν πλάνην δήλην γεγενημένην καὶ φωραθέντα τὰ ποικίλα τῶν δαιμόνων τεχνάσματα, καὶ τὴν μὲν κτίσιν παρὰ τῶν πλείστων οὐκ ἔτι προσκυνουμένην, τὸν δὲ ποιητὴν ἀντὶ ταύτης ὑμνούμενον. οὗ δὴ χάριν οὐκ ἔτι προφανῶς τὸν κατὰ τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ σωτῆρος ἡμῶν ἀνερρίπιξε πόλεμον, ἀλλ᾽ ἄνδρας εὑρὼν τῆς μὲν Χριστιανικῆς προσηγορίας ἠξιωμένους, φιλοτιμίᾳ δὲ καὶ κενῇ δόξῃ δεδουλωμένους, ὄργανα τούτους τῶν οἰκείων ἀπέφηνε τεχνρασμάτων" καὶ διὰ τούτων πολλοὺς εἰς τὴν προτέραν ἐπανήγαγε πλάνην, οὐ τὴν κτίσιν πάλιν προσκχυνεῖσθαι παρασκευάσας, ἀλλὰ τὸν ποιητὴν καὶ δημιουργὸν συνδ ταχθῆναι τῇ κτίσει κατασκευάσας. ποῦ δὲ τὴν ἀρχὴν καὶ ὅπως ἔσπειρε τὰ ζιζάνια, ἐγὼ διηγήσομαι. ᾿ἡλεξάνδρεια πόλις ἐστὶ μεγίστη καὶ πολυάνθρωπος, οὐχ Λἰγυπτίων μόνον ἀλλὰ καὶ Θηβαίων καὶ Λιβύων τῶν πρὸς Αἴγυπτον τὴν ἡγεμονίαν πεπιστευμένη. ταύτης μετὰ Πέτρον ἐκεῖνον τὸν νικηφόρον ἀγωνιστήν, ὃς ἐπὶ τῶν δυσσεβῶν τυράννων τοῦ μαρτυρίου τὸν στέφανον ἀνεδήσατο, "Ἀχιλλᾶς μὲν ὀλίγον χρόνον τὰ τῆς ἐκκλησίας κατέσχε πηδάλια, μετὰ δὲ τοῦτον Ἀλέξανδρος ὁ γενναῖος τῶν εὐαγγελικῶν δογμάτων γενόμενος πρόμαχος. Κατὰ τοῦτον τὸν χρόνον Ἄρειος τῷ μὲν καταλόγῳ τῶν πρεσβυτέρων ἐντεταγμένος, τὴν δὲ τῶν θείων γραφῶν πεπιστευμένος ἐξήγησιν, ἰδὼν τὸν Ἀλέξανδρον τῆς ἀρχιερωσύνης ἐγχειρισθέντα τοὺς οἴακας, οὐκ ἤνεγκε τοῦ φθόνου τὴν προσβολήν, ἀλλ᾽ ὑπὸ τούτου υττόμενος ἀφορμὰς ἔριδος ἐπεζήτει καὶ μάχης. καὶ τὴν μὲν ἀξιέπαινον τοῦ ἀνδρὸς πολιτείαν θεώμενος οὐδὲ συκοφαντίαν ὑφαίνειν ἠδύνατο, ἡσυχίαν δὲ ὅμως ἄγειν αὐτὸν ὃ φθόνος ἐκώλυε. τοῦτον εὐρὼν ὁ τῆς ἀληθείας ἀντίπαλος δι᾿ αὐτοῦ κυχᾷ καὶ κινεῖ τῆς ἐκχκλησίας τὴν ζάλην" ταῖς γὰρ ἀποστολικαῖς Ἀλεξάνδρου διδασκαλίαις προφανῶς ἀντιτείνειν ἀνέπειθε. καὶ ὃ μὲν τοῖς θείοις λογίοις ἑπόμενος ὁμότιμον ἔλεγε τοῦ πατρὸς τὸν υἱὸν καὶ τὴν αὐτὴν οὐσίαν ἔχειν τῷ γεγεννηχότε θεῷ᾽ ὁ δὲ Ἄρειος ἄντικρυς τῇ ἀληθείᾳ μαχόμενος κτίσμα καὶ ποίημα προσηγόρευεν, καὶ τὸ ἣν ποτὲ ὅτε οὐκ ἡν προσετίθει καὶ τἄλλα ὅσα ἐκ τῶν ἐκείνου γραμμάτων σαφέστερον μαθησόμεθα. καὶ ταῦτα οὐ μόνον ἐν ἐκκλησίᾳ διετέλεε λέγων, ἀλλα κἀν τοῖς ἔξω συλλόγοις καὶ συνεδρίοις, καὶ τὰς οἰκίας περινοστῶν ἐξηνδραπόδιξεν ὅσους ἴσχυεν. Ἀλέξανδρος δέ, ὁ τῶν ἀποστολικῶν δογμάτων συνήγορος, πρῶτον μὲν αὐτὸν παραινέσεσι μεταπείθειν ἐπειρᾶτο καὶ συμβουλαῖς" ἐπειδὴ δὲ κορυβαντιῶντα εἰδε καὶ ἀναφανδὸν κηρύττοντα τὴν ἀσέβειαν, τῶν ἱερατικῶν ἐξήλασε καταλόγων. ἤκουσε γὰρ τοῦ θείου νόμου βοῶντος ἐὰν ὁ ὀφθαλμὸς σου ὁ δεξιὸς σκανδαλίζῃ σε, ἔκκοψον αὑτον καὶ βάλε ἀπὸ σοῦς.
Tōn anosiourgōn ekeinōn kai dissebōn katalythentōn tyrannōn, “Maxentiou phēmi “kai Maximinou kai Likinniou, katēunasthē tēs ekklēsias hē zalē. hēn hoi alastores echeinoi kathaper tines kataigides ekinēsan, kai galēnēs loipon apēlaune statheras. tōn streblōn pausamenōn anemōn. kai Kōnstantinos de ho paneuphēmos basileus, hos ouk ap’ anthrōpōn oude di᾽ anthrōpous all᾽ ouranothen kata ton theion apostolon tēs klēseōs tautēs etyche, tautēn autę̄ eprytaneuse. nomous gar egrapse, thyein men eidōlois apeirgōn, domasthai de tas ekklēsias parengyōn" kai archontas: de pistei kosmoumenous ephistēsi tois ethnesi. gerairein keleuōn tou s hiereas kai tois paroinein eis toutous epicheirousin olethron apeilōn. tote dē hoi men tas katalytheisa: ekklēsias anēgeiron, hoi hoe heteras euryteras anǭchodomoun kai lamproteras. toutōn houtō drōmenōn, ta men hēmetera choreias ēn emplea kai thymēdias, ta de tōn enantiōn katēpheias kai athymias mesta. ta men gar tōn eidōlōn apekekleisto temenē, en de tais ekklēsiais heortai kai panēgyreis epetelounto sychnai. All᾽ ho pamponēros kai baskanos daimōn, ho tōn anthrōpōn alastōr, ouch ēnenken ex ouriōn pheromenēn tēn ekklēsian horōn, alla tas kakomēchanous ekinei boulas chkatadysai philoneikōn tēn hypo tou poiētou kai despotou tōn holōn kybernōmenēn. heōra de tēn Hellēnikēn planēn dēlēn gegenēmenēn kai phōrathenta ta poikila tōn daimonōn technasmata, kai tēn men ktisin para tōn pleistōn ouk eti proskynoumenēn, ton de poiētēn anti tautēs hymnoumenon. hou dē charin ouk eti prophanōs ton kata tou theou kai sōtēros hēmōn anerripixe polemon, all᾽ andras heurōn tēs men Christianikēs prosēgorias ēxiōmenous, philotimią de kai kenę̄ doxę̄ dedoulōmenous, organa toutous tōn oikeiōn apephēne technrasmatōn" kai dia toutōn pollous eis tēn proteran epanēgage planēn, ou tēn ktisin palin proskchyneisthai paraskeuasas, alla ton poiētēn kai dēmiourgon synd tachthēnai tę̄ ktisei kataskeuasas. pou de tēn archēn kai hopōs espeire ta zizania, egō diēgēsomai. ᾿hēlexandreia polis esti megistē kai polyanthrōpos, ouch Ligyptiōn monon alla kai Thēbaiōn kai Libyōn tōn pros Aigypton tēn hēgemonian pepisteumenē. tautēs meta Petron ekeinon ton nikēphoron agōnistēn, hos epi tōn dyssebōn tyrannōn tou martyriou ton stephanon anedēsato, "Achillas men oligon chronon ta tēs ekklēsias katesche pēdalia, meta de touton Alexandros ho gennaios tōn euangelikōn dogmatōn genomenos promachos. Kata touton ton chronon Areios tǭ men katalogǭ tōn presbyterōn entetagmenos, tēn de tōn theiōn graphōn pepisteumenos exēgēsin, idōn ton Alexandron tēs archierōsynēs encheiristhenta tous oiakas, ouk ēnenke tou phthonou tēn prosbolēn, all᾽ hypo toutou yttomenos aphormas eridos epezētei kai machēs. kai tēn men axiepainon tou andros politeian theōmenos oude sykophantian hyphainein ēdynato, hēsychian de homōs agein auton ho phthonos ekōlye. touton eurōn ho tēs alētheias antipalos di᾿ autou kychą kai kinei tēs ekchklēsias tēn zalēn" tais gar apostolikais Alexandrou didaskaliais prophanōs antiteinein anepeithe. kai ho men tois theiois logiois hepomenos homotimon elege tou patros ton huion kai tēn autēn ousian echein tǭ gegennēchote theǭ᾽ ho de Areios antikrys tę̄ alētheią machomenos ktisma kai poiēma prosēgoreuen, kai to hēn pote hote ouk hēn prosetithei kai talla hosa ek tōn ekeinou grammatōn saphesteron mathēsometha. kai tauta ou monon en ekklēsią dietelee legōn, alla kan tois exō syllogois kai synedriois, kai tas oikias perinostōn exēndrapodixen hosous ischyen. Alexandros de, ho tōn apostolikōn dogmatōn synēgoros, prōton men auton parainesesi metapeithein epeirato kai symboulais" epeidē de korybantiōnta eide kai anaphandon kēryttonta tēn asebeian, tōn hieratikōn exēlase katalogōn. ēkouse gar tou theiou nomou boōntos ean ho ophthalmos sou ho dexios skandalizę̄ se, ekkopson hauton kai bale apo sous.
When those unholy and impious tyrants had been overthrown (I mean Maxentius, Maximinus, and Licinius), the storm of the church was lulled to sleep, the storm which those destroyers had stirred up like so many hurricanes; and the twisted winds having ceased, she enjoyed from then on a settled calm. Constantine, the emperor worthy of all praise, who obtained this calling, as the divine apostle says, not from men nor through men but from heaven, provided it for her. For he wrote laws forbidding sacrifice to idols and ordering churches to be built; he set over the provinces governors adorned with faith, commanding them to honour the priests and threatening death to those who attempted to insult them. Then some rebuilt the churches that had been destroyed, while others built new ones, more spacious and more splendid. While this was being done, our side was full of dancing and joy, and that of our opponents full of dejection and despondency. For the precincts of the idols had been shut, while in the churches frequent feasts and festivals were celebrated.
But the utterly wicked and envious demon, the destroyer of mankind, could not bear to see the church carried along by fair winds, but set in motion his evil-contriving plans, striving to sink the ship steered by the Maker and Master of the universe. He saw that the Greek error had been exposed and the many devices of the demons detected, that creation was no longer worshipped by most people and that the Maker was praised in its place. For this reason he no longer openly fanned the flames of war against our God and Saviour; but having found men who had been honoured with the Christian name and yet were enslaved to ambition and vainglory, he made them instruments of his own devices, and through them led many back into their former error, not by bringing about once more the worship of creation, but by contriving that the Maker and Creator should be ranked with creation. Where he first sowed the tares, and how, I shall now relate.
Alexandria is a very great and populous city, entrusted with the leadership not only of the Egyptians but also of the Thebans and the Libyans next to Egypt. After that victorious champion Peter, who under the impious tyrants bound on the crown of martyrdom, Achillas held the helm of its church for a short time, and after him Alexander, who became a noble champion of the doctrines of the gospel. At this time Arius, who had been enrolled in the list of presbyters and entrusted with the exposition of the divine Scriptures, seeing that Alexander had been handed the rudder of the high priesthood, could not withstand the assault of envy, but, stung by it, sought occasions for strife and fighting. Observing the man's praiseworthy way of life, he could not even weave a slander; yet envy did not allow him to keep quiet. The enemy of the truth, having found him, through him stirs up and sets in motion the storm of the church; for he persuaded him to oppose openly the apostolic teachings of Alexander. Alexander, following the divine oracles, said that the Son is equal in honour with the Father and has the same essence as the God who begot him; but Arius, fighting directly against the truth, called him a creature and a thing made, and added “there was once when he was not,” and the other things that we shall learn more clearly from his own writings. And he kept saying these things not only in church but also in meetings and gatherings outside, and going round the houses he enslaved as many as he could. Alexander, the advocate of the apostolic doctrines, first tried to change his mind with exhortations and advice; but when he saw him raving and proclaiming his impiety openly, he expelled him from the lists of the clergy. For he heard the divine law crying out: “If your right eye causes you to stumble, cut it out and throw it from you.”
Gal 1:1 (allusion, high confidence) · Matt 13:25 (allusion, medium confidence) · Matt 5:29 (quotation, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: After the fall of the persecuting emperors and Constantine's favour to the church, the devil stirs up Arius, an Alexandrian presbyter jealous of Bishop Alexander, who teaches that the Son is a creature, and Alexander removes him from the clergy.
- “Not from men nor through men”: Gal 1:1, applied by Theodoret to Constantine.
- The tares: Matt 13:25.
- The quotation is Matt 5:29 (with “cut it out” for “pluck it out”, perhaps from Matt 18:9).
- Theodoret's account of Arius's motive (envy at Alexander's election) is his own; it is translated as written.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR debris inside the word; OCR garbled the word ending): τυράνγΩΨ, → τυράννων,; προσηθ ᾿ῬΒθοάογοῦ γορίας → προσηγορίας.
Topics: Heresy, Christology
Cite (SBL): Theodoret, Hist. eccl. 1.1 (GCS 19:5–7; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-historia-ecclesiastica/1-1). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-historia-ecclesiastica/1-1
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-theodoret-historia-ecclesiastica-1-1) · Report an error
Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from Parmentier's Greek text (GCS 19, 1911; OCR by this project); every chapter compared afterwards with Jackson's English in NPNF² 3.
1.2GCS 19:7–8
Κατὰ τοῦτον δὲ τὸν χρόνον τῆς μὲν Ῥωμαίων ἐκκλησίας Σίλβεστρος κατεῖχε τὰς ἡνίας, Μιλτιάδην διαδεξάμενος ος μετὰ αρκελλῖνον τὸν ἐν τῷ διωγμῷ διαπρέψαντα τὴν τῆς ἀρχιερωσύνης χειροτονίαν ἐδέξατο ἐν Ἀντιοχείᾳ δὲ μετὰ Ἰύραννον, τῆς τῶν ἐκκλησιῶν ἀρξαμένης εἰρήνης, Βιτάλιος τὴν ἡγεμονίαν παρέλαβεν, ὃς καὶ τὴν ἐν τῇ Παλαιᾷξς καταλυθεῖσαν ὑπὸ τῶν τυραννῶν ᾧχοδόμησεν ἐκκλησίαν' Φιλογόνιος δὲ μετὰ τοῦτον τὴ προεδρίαν λαβὼν τά τε λειπόμενα τῇ οἰκοδομίᾳ προστέθεικε καὶ τὸν ὑπὲρ τῆς εὐσεβείας ἐν τοῖς -Ἰικιννίου καιροῖς ἐπεδείξατο ζῆλον. τὴν ἐν Ἱεροσολύμοις δὲ μετὰ ἙῬρμωνᾶν Μακαριος ἐπιστευθὴ, φερώνυμος ἀνὴρ καὶ παντοδαποῖς κοσμούμενος ἀγαθοῖς. τῆς δὲ Κωνσταντινουπόλεως κατὰ τοῦτον αὐτὸν τὸν καιρὸν Ἀλέξανδρος τῆς ἀρχιερατικῆς ἠξιοῦτο λειτουργίας, ἀποστολικοῖς χαρίσμασι λαμπρυνόμενος. τότε τοίνυν ὁ τῆς ᾿Δλεξανόρέων Ἀλέξανδρος, ὁρῶν τὸν ἄρειον τῷ τῆς φιλαρχίας κατεχόμενον οἴστρῳ καὶ τοὺς ὑπὸ τῆς βλασφημίας ἐζωγρημένους ἀγείροντα καὶ συλλόγους ἰδίους ποιού: μενον, τοῖς τῶν ἐκκλησιῶν ἡγεμόσι τὴν τούτου βλασφημίαν διὰ γραμμάτων ἐδήλωσεν. Ἐγὼ δὲ τὴν πρὸς τὸν ὁμώνυμον αὐτῷ,γραφεῖσαν ἐπιστολὴν ἐνθήσω τῇ συγγραφῇ, σαφῶς ἅπαντα τὰ κατ᾽ ἐκεῖνον διδάσκουσαν, ὡς ἂν μή τις ὑπολάβοι πλάττοντά μὲ ταῦτα συγγράφειν" καὶ μετὰ τήνδε, τὴν αὐτοῦ γε "Αρείου, καὶ μετ᾽ ἐκείνην τὰς ἄλλας ὧν ἡ τῆς ἱστορίας δεῖται διήγησις, ἵνα μαρτυρῶσι τῇ ἀληθείᾳ τῆς συγγραφῆς καὶ σαφέστερον τὰ γεγενημένα διδάσκωσιν. γράφει δὲ ὁ τῆς Ἀλεξανδρέων Ἀλέξανδρος πρὸς τὸν ὁμώνυμον ταῦτα᾽
Kata touton de ton chronon tēs men Rhōmaiōn ekklēsias Silbestros kateiche tas hēnias, Miltiadēn diadexamenos os meta arkellinon ton en tǭ diōgmǭ diaprepsanta tēn tēs archierōsynēs cheirotonian edexato en Antiocheią de meta Iyrannon, tēs tōn ekklēsiōn arxamenēs eirēnēs, Bitalios tēn hēgemonian parelaben, hos kai tēn en tę̄ Palaiąxs katalytheisan hypo tōn tyrannōn hǭchodomēsen ekklēsian' Philogonios de meta touton tē proedrian labōn ta te leipomena tę̄ oikodomią prostetheike kai ton hyper tēs eusebeias en tois -Iikinniou kairois epedeixato zēlon. tēn en Hierosolymois de meta HeRhrmōnan Makarios episteuthē, pherōnymos anēr kai pantodapois kosmoumenos agathois. tēs de Kōnstantinoupoleōs kata touton auton ton kairon Alexandros tēs archieratikēs ēxiouto leitourgias, apostolikois charismasi lamprynomenos. tote toinyn ho tēs ᾿Dlexanoreōn Alexandros, horōn ton areion tǭ tēs philarchias katechomenon oistrǭ kai tous hypo tēs blasphēmias ezōgrēmenous ageironta kai syllogous idious poiou: menon, tois tōn ekklēsiōn hēgemosi tēn toutou blasphēmian dia grammatōn edēlōsen. Egō de tēn pros ton homōnymon autǭ,grapheisan epistolēn enthēsō tę̄ syngraphę̄, saphōs hapanta ta kat᾽ ekeinon didaskousan, hōs an mē tis hypolaboi plattonta me tauta syngraphein" kai meta tēnde, tēn autou ge "Areiou, kai met᾽ ekeinēn tas allas hōn hē tēs historias deitai diēgēsis, hina martyrōsi tę̄ alētheią tēs syngraphēs kai saphesteron ta gegenēmena didaskōsin. graphei de ho tēs Alexandreōn Alexandros pros ton homōnymon tauta᾽
At this time Silvester held the reins of the church of the Romans, having succeeded Miltiades, who received ordination to the high priesthood after Marcellinus, who had distinguished himself in the persecution. In Antioch, after Tyrannus, when the peace of the churches began, Vitalis received the leadership; he also rebuilt the church in the Old Town, which had been destroyed by the tyrants. Philogonius, who took the presidency after him, added what was left of the building and showed his zeal for true religion in the times of Licinius. The church in Jerusalem was entrusted after Hermon to Macarius, a man true to his name and adorned with every kind of good. At this same time Alexander was counted worthy of the high-priestly ministry of Constantinople, shining with apostolic gifts.
Then Alexander of Alexandria, seeing Arius gripped by the frenzy of ambition, gathering those whom his blasphemy had taken captive and holding separate meetings, made his blasphemy known by letter to the leaders of the churches. I shall insert in my history the letter written to his namesake, which clearly teaches everything about Arius, so that no one may suppose that I am inventing what I write; and after it, that of Arius himself, and after that the others which the narrative of the history requires, so that they may bear witness to the truth of my history and teach more clearly what happened. Alexander of Alexandria writes the following to his namesake.
Notes and citation
Summary: Theodoret lists the bishops of Rome, Antioch, Jerusalem, and Constantinople at the time and announces that he will quote Alexander's letter against Arius and the related documents.
- The section opens with Theodoret's transitional words “At this time” and ends with his sentence introducing the letter in 1.3.
- “Constantinople”: Theodoret's anachronism (the city was still Byzantium, and its bishop then was probably Alexander of Byzantium; some scholars hold that the letter was addressed to Alexander of Thessalonica).
- Macarius “true to his name”: makarios means “blessed”.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR debris between words): τότε ῷ ῬΒοοδοχοὺ τοίνυν → τότε τοίνυν.
Topics: Church office, Heresy
Cite (SBL): Theodoret, Hist. eccl. 1.2 (GCS 19:7–8; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-historia-ecclesiastica/1-2). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-historia-ecclesiastica/1-2
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-theodoret-historia-ecclesiastica-1-2) · Report an error
Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from Parmentier's Greek text (GCS 19, 1911; OCR by this project); every chapter compared afterwards with Jackson's English in NPNF² 3.