Church History 4.26–5.8
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 4
4.26GCS 19:269–270
Κατὰ τοῦτον τὸν χρόνον ἐν Ἐδέσσῃ μὲν Ἐφραὶμ ὁ θαυμάσιος, ἐν Ἀλεξανδρείᾳ δὲ διέπρεπε Δίδυμος, κατὰ τῶν ἀντιπάλων τῆς ἀληθείας δογμάτων συγγράφοντες. καὶ οὗτος μὲν τῇ Σύρων κεχρημένος φονῇ τῆς πνευματικῆς χάριτος τὰς ἀχτίνας ἠφίει" παιδείας γὰρ οὐ γεγευμένος Ἑλληνικῆς, τούς τε πολυσχιδεῖς τῶν Ἑλλήνων διήλεγξε πλάνους καὶ πάσης αἱρετικῆς χαχοτεχνίας ἐγύμνωσε τὴν ἀσθένειαν. καὶ ἐπειδὴ ρμόνιος ὁ Βαρδησάνου ῳὐάς τινας συνετεθείχει πάλαι καὶ τῇ τοῦ μέλους ἡδονῇ τὴν ἀσέβειαν κεράσας κατεχήλει τοὺς ἀκούοντας καὶ πρὸς ὄλεθρον ἤγρεντε, τὴν ἁρμονίαν τοῦ μέλους ἐχεῖθεν λαβὼν ἀνέμιξε τὴν εὐσέβειαν καὶ προσενήγοχε τοῖς ἀκούουσιν ἥδιστον ὁμοῦ καὶ ὀνησιφόρον φάρμακον. ταῦτα καὶ νῦν τὰ ἄσματα φαιδροτέρας τῶν νικηφόρων μαρτύρων τὰς πανηγύρεις ποιεῖ. ὁ δὲ Δίδυμος. παιδόθεν τῆς ὀπτικῆς ἐστερημένος αἰσθήσεως, καὶ ποιητικῶν καὶ ῥητορικῶν μετέλαχε παιδευματων᾽ ἀριθμητιχῆς τε καὶ γεωμετρίας καὶ ἀστρονομίας καὶ τῶν “ριστοτέλους συλλογισμῶν καὶ τῆς Πλατῶνος εὐεπείας διὰ τῶν ἀκοῶν εἰσεδέξατο τὰ μαθήματα, οὐχ ὡς ἀληθειαν ἐχπαιδεύοντα, ἀλλ ὡς ὅπλα τῆς ἀληθείας κατὰ τοῦ ψεύδους γιγνόμενα. καὶ μέντοι καὶ τῆς θείας γραφῆς μεμάθηχεν οὐ μόνον τὰ γράμματα, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὰ τούτων νοήματα. ἐν μὲν οὖν ἀσκηταῖς καὶ τῆς ἀρετῆς φροντισταῖς οὗτοι κατ᾽ ἐκεῖνον διέλαμπον τὸν καιρόν.
Kata touton ton chronon en Edessę̄ men Ephraim ho thaumasios, en Alexandreią de dieprepe Didymos, kata tōn antipalōn tēs alētheias dogmatōn syngraphontes. kai houtos men tę̄ Syrōn kechrēmenos phonę̄ tēs pneumatikēs charitos tas achtinas ēphiei" paideias gar ou gegeumenos Hellēnikēs, tous te polyschideis tōn Hellēnōn diēlenxe planous kai pasēs hairetikēs chachotechnias egymnōse tēn astheneian. kai epeidē rmonios ho Bardēsanou ǭyas tinas synetetheichei palai kai tę̄ tou melous hēdonę̄ tēn asebeian kerasas katechēlei tous akouontas kai pros olethron ēgrente, tēn harmonian tou melous echeithen labōn anemixe tēn eusebeian kai prosenēgoche tois akouousin hēdiston homou kai onēsiphoron pharmakon. tauta kai nyn ta asmata phaidroteras tōn nikēphorōn martyrōn tas panēgyreis poiei. ho de Didymos. paidothen tēs optikēs esterēmenos aisthēseōs, kai poiētikōn kai rhētorikōn metelache paideumatōn᾽ arithmētichēs te kai geōmetrias kai astronomias kai tōn “ristotelous syllogismōn kai tēs Platōnos euepeias dia tōn akoōn eisedexato ta mathēmata, ouch hōs alētheian echpaideuonta, all hōs hopla tēs alētheias kata tou pseudous gignomena. kai mentoi kai tēs theias graphēs memathēchen ou monon ta grammata, alla kai ta toutōn noēmata. en men oun askētais kai tēs aretēs phrontistais houtoi kat᾽ ekeinon dielampon ton kairon.
At this time the admirable Ephrem was distinguished in Edessa and Didymus in Alexandria, writing against the doctrines opposed to the truth. Ephrem, using the Syrian tongue, sent out the rays of spiritual grace; for though he had not tasted Greek education, he refuted the many-branched errors of the Greeks and laid bare the weakness of every heretical device. And since Harmonius, the son of Bardaisan, had long before composed certain songs and, mixing impiety with the pleasure of melody, charmed his hearers and drew them to destruction, Ephrem took the harmony of the melody from there, mixed piety into it, and offered his hearers a medicine at once most pleasant and beneficial. These songs make the festivals of the victorious martyrs more splendid even now. Didymus, deprived of sight from childhood, shared in the study of poetry and rhetoric; and he received through his ears the teachings of arithmetic, geometry, and astronomy, the syllogisms of Aristotle and the eloquence of Plato, not as instructing in the truth, but as becoming weapons of the truth against falsehood. Moreover, of the divine Scripture he learned not only the letters but also their meanings. These, then, shone at that time among the ascetics and those devoted to virtue.
Notes and citation
Summary: Ephrem the Syrian, untrained in Greek learning, counters the hymns of Harmonius son of Bardaisan with orthodox hymns still sung at martyrs' festivals, and Didymus the Blind masters the liberal arts and Scripture by ear.
- Harmonius, son of the Edessene teacher Bardaisan, wrote hymns that Theodoret regards as heretical.
Topics: Heresy, Scripture and canon
Cite (SBL): Theodoret, Hist. eccl. 4.26 (GCS 19:269–270; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-historia-ecclesiastica/4-26). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-historia-ecclesiastica/4-26
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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.
4.27GCS 19:270
Ἔν ἐπισκόποις δὲ Γρηγόριος ἑκάτερος, ὁ τε Ναζιανζοῦ καὶ ὁ Ννύσσῆς, ὃ μὲν ἀδελφός, ὁ δὲ σύσχηνός τε καὶ συνεργὸς τοῦ μεγάλου Βασιλείου τυγχάνων. οὗτοι μὲν οὖν ἐν Καππαδοκίᾳ τῆς εὐσεβείας ὑπερμαχοῦντες ἠρίστευον. συνηρίστευε δὲ αὐτοῖς καὶ Πέτρος, γεννήτορας μὲν Βασιλείῳ καὶ Γρηγορίῳ τοὺς αὐτοὺς ἐσχηκώς, τῆς δὲ θύραθεν παιδείας οὐ μετειληχὼς σὺν ἐκείνοις, τὰς δὲ τοῦ βίου μαρμαρυγὰς ἀφιείς. ἐν Πισιδίᾳ δὲ Ὄπτιμος καὶ ᾿ἀμφιλόχιος ἐν Μυκαονίᾳ, γενναίως ὑπὲρ τῆς προγονικῆς παραταττόμενοι πίστεως, τὰς ἐναντίας ἀπεχρούοντο προσβολάς. ἐν δέ γε τῇ Ἑσπέρᾳ, Δάμασος μὲν τῆς Ῥώμης ἡγούμενος, Ἀμβρόσιος δὲ Μεδιόλανον ἰθύνειν πεπιστευμένος, καὶ τοὺς πόρρωθεν ἀχοντίζοντες ἔβαλλον. καὶ μετὰ τούτων οἱ τὰς ἐσχατιὰς οἰκεῖν ἠναγκασμένοι γράμμασι καὶ τοὺς οἰκείους ἐστήριζον καὶ τοὺς πολεμίους κατέλυον. ἀντιρρόπους γὰρ τῷ μεγέθει τοῦ κλύδωνος ἔδωκε κυβερνήτας τῶν ὅλων ὁ πρύτανις, καὶ τῇ τῶν πολέμων σφοδρότητι τὴν τῶν στρατηγῶν ἀντέταξεν ἀρετήν, καὶ πρόσφορα τῇ τοῦ καιροῦ δυσχολίᾳ τὰ ἀλεξίκακα ἔδωκε φάρμακα.
En episkopois de Grēgorios hekateros, ho te Nazianzou kai ho Nnyssēs, ho men adelphos, ho de syschēnos te kai synergos tou megalou Basileiou tynchanōn. houtoi men oun en Kappadokią tēs eusebeias hypermachountes ēristeuon. synēristeue de autois kai Petros, gennētoras men Basileiǭ kai Grēgoriǭ tous autous eschēkōs, tēs de thyrathen paideias ou meteilēchōs syn ekeinois, tas de tou biou marmarygas aphieis. en Pisidią de Optimos kai ᾿amphilochios en Mykaonią, gennaiōs hyper tēs progonikēs paratattomenoi pisteōs, tas enantias apechrouonto prosbolas. en de ge tę̄ Hesperą, Damasos men tēs Rhōmēs hēgoumenos, Ambrosios de Mediolanon ithynein pepisteumenos, kai tous porrōthen achontizontes eballon. kai meta toutōn hoi tas eschatias oikein ēnankasmenoi grammasi kai tous oikeious estērizon kai tous polemious katelyon. antirropous gar tǭ megethei tou klydōnos edōke kybernētas tōn holōn ho prytanis, kai tę̄ tōn polemōn sphodrotēti tēn tōn stratēgōn antetaxen aretēn, kai prosphora tę̄ tou kairou dyscholią ta alexikaka edōke pharmaka.
Among the bishops were the two Gregories, of Nazianzus and of Nyssa, the latter the brother, the former the companion and fellow worker of the great Basil. These, fighting for true religion in Cappadocia, were foremost; and Peter too was foremost with them, who had the same parents as Basil and Gregory, but did not share their secular education, though he sent out the flashes of his life. In Pisidia Optimus and in Lycaonia Amphilochius, nobly arrayed for the ancestral faith, beat back the attacks of the opponents. In the West, Damasus, leader of Rome, and Ambrose, entrusted with governing Milan, struck from afar with their javelins. And with them those compelled to live at the ends of the world strengthened their own people and overthrew the enemies by letters. For the Ruler of the universe gave helmsmen matched to the greatness of the storm, set the virtue of the generals against the violence of the wars, and gave medicines against evil suited to the difficulty of the time.
Notes and citation
Summary: Theodoret names the bishops who defended orthodoxy under Valens: Gregory of Nazianzus, Gregory of Nyssa, and Peter of Sebaste in Cappadocia, Optimus and Amphilochius, Damasus of Rome, Ambrose of Milan, and the exiles who wrote to their flocks.
Topics: Church office, Heresy
Cite (SBL): Theodoret, Hist. eccl. 4.27 (GCS 19:270; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-historia-ecclesiastica/4-27). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-historia-ecclesiastica/4-27
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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.
4.28GCS 19:270–271
Οὐ μόνο δὲ ταύτης τῆς προμηθείας ταῖς ἐκκλησίαις μετέδωκεν ὃ “φιλάνθρωπος κύριος, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἑτέρας αὐτὰς κηδεμονίας ἠξίωσε. τὸ γὰρ τῶν Γότθων ἔθνος παρακινήσας εἰς πόλεμον ἐπὶ τὸν Βόσπορον εἵλκυσε τὸν κατὰ μόνων τῶν εὐσεβῶν μεμαθηκότα στρατεύειν. τότε δὴ τὴν οἰκείαν ἀσθένειαν ὁ μάταιος ἐγνωκὼς ἀπέστειλε πρὸς τὸν ἀδελφὸν στρατιὰν ἐξαιτῶν. ὁ δὲ ἐπέστειλεν ὡς οὐχ ὅσιον ἐπαμύνειν ἀνδρὶ πολεμοῦντι θεῷ, δίκαιον δὲ τὴν τούτου καταπαύειν θρασύτητα. ταῦτα τὸν δείλαιον ἐκεῖνον μείζονος ἀνίας ἐνέπλησεν" οὐ μὴν ἐξέληξε τῆς θρασύτητος, ἀλλ᾽ ἐπέμεινε κατὰ τῆς ἀληθείας παραταττόμενος.
Ou mono de tautēs tēs promētheias tais ekklēsiais metedōken ho “philanthrōpos kyrios, alla kai heteras autas kēdemonias ēxiōse. to gar tōn Gotthōn ethnos parakinēsas eis polemon epi ton Bosporon heilkyse ton kata monōn tōn eusebōn memathēkota strateuein. tote dē tēn oikeian astheneian ho mataios egnōkōs apesteile pros ton adelphon stratian exaitōn. ho de epesteilen hōs ouch hosion epamynein andri polemounti theǭ, dikaion de tēn toutou katapauein thrasytēta. tauta ton deilaion ekeinon meizonos anias eneplēsen" ou mēn exelēxe tēs thrasytētos, all᾽ epemeine kata tēs alētheias paratattomenos.
Not only did the merciful Lord give this providence to the churches, but he also counted them worthy of another care. For stirring up the nation of the Goths to war, he drew to the Bosporus the man who had learned to make war only on the pious. Then the vain man, recognizing his own weakness, sent to his brother asking for an army. But he wrote back that it was not holy to help a man who was fighting against God, and that it was right rather to stop his audacity. This filled that wretch with greater grief; yet he did not cease from his audacity, but continued arrayed against the truth.
Notes and citation
Summary: When the Goths attack, Valens asks his brother for troops, but receives the reply that one should not help a man fighting against God.
- The section opens with Theodoret's transitional sentence (“Not only did the merciful Lord give this providence ...”), linking it to the list of bishops in 4.27; it is kept as printed.
- “His brother”: Theodoret means the western emperor; Valentinian had died in 375, and the emperor in 378 was his nephew Gratian. Translated as written.
Topics: Heresy
Cite (SBL): Theodoret, Hist. eccl. 4.28 (GCS 19:270–271; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-historia-ecclesiastica/4-28). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-historia-ecclesiastica/4-28
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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.
4.29GCS 19:271
Ἐπανῆχε μὲν γὰρ ἀπὸ τῆς Ἀρμενίας Τερέντιος τρόπαια στήσας· ἦν δὲ στρατηγὸς ἄριστος καὶ εὐσεβείᾳ κοσμούμενος. τούτῳ δωρεὰν ὁ Βάλης αἰτῆσαι προσέταξεν" ὃ δὲ ἀπήγγειλεν ἥνπερ ἔδει τὸν εὐσεβείᾳ συντεθραμμένον. ἤτησε γὰρ οὐ χρυσὸν οὐδὲ ἄργυρον, οὐ χωρίον, οὐ διναστείαν, οὐκ οἰχίαν, ἀλλ᾽ ἐκκλησίαν παρασχεθῆναι μίαν τοῖς τῆς ἀποστολικῆς διδασκαλίας προκινδυνεύουσιν. ὁ δὲ τὴν ἱκετείαν δεξάμενος καὶ γνοὺς τὰ ἐγκείμενα, χαλεπήνας διέρρηξε καί οἱ ἄλλα τινὰ αἰτῆσαι προσέταξεν. ὃ δὲ τῆς ἱκεσίας συλλέξας τὰ ῥήγματα' ἐδεξάμηνε, ἔφη, ὦ βασιλεῦ, καὶ ἔχω τὸ δῶρον καὶ ἕτερον οὐκ αἰτήσω σκοποῦ γὰρ κριτὴς ὁ τῶν ὕλων χριτήςς.
Epanēche men gar apo tēs Armenias Terentios tropaia stēsas; ēn de stratēgos aristos kai eusebeią kosmoumenos. toutǭ dōrean ho Balēs aitēsai prosetaxen" ho de apēngeilen hēnper edei ton eusebeią syntethrammenon. ētēse gar ou chryson oude argyron, ou chōrion, ou dinasteian, ouk oichian, all᾽ ekklēsian paraschethēnai mian tois tēs apostolikēs didaskalias prokindyneuousin. ho de tēn hiketeian dexamenos kai gnous ta enkeimena, chalepēnas dierrēxe kai hoi alla tina aitēsai prosetaxen. ho de tēs hikesias syllexas ta rhēgmata' edexamēne, ephē, ō basileu, kai echō to dōron kai heteron ouk aitēsō skopou gar kritēs ho tōn hylōn chritēss.
Terentius returned from Armenia having set up trophies; he was an excellent general adorned with piety. Valens told him to ask for a gift; and he asked for what one brought up in piety ought to ask. For he asked not for gold or silver, not land, not power, not a house, but that one church be given to those who were in danger for the apostolic teaching. The emperor, receiving the petition and learning what it contained, angrily tore it up and told him to ask for something else. He gathered up the pieces of the petition and said: “I have received it, emperor, and I have the gift, and I will not ask for another; for the Judge of the universe is judge of the intention.”
Notes and citation
Summary: The victorious general Terentius asks Valens, as his reward, only for a church for the orthodox; when Valens tears up the petition, Terentius gathers the pieces and says God will judge the intention.
- A stray mark of the OCR after “trophies” has been removed (logged).
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (stray OCR mark (marginal number) removed): στήσας [2γ] ἦν → στήσας· ἦν.
Topics: Persecution
Cite (SBL): Theodoret, Hist. eccl. 4.29 (GCS 19:271; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-historia-ecclesiastica/4-29). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-historia-ecclesiastica/4-29
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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.
4.30GCS 19:271–272
“πειόὴ δὲ τὸν οσπορον διαβὰς εἰς τὴν Θράχην ἀφίκετο, πρῶτον μὲν ἐν Κωνσταντινουπόλει πλεῖστον διέτριψε χρόνον δειμαίνων τὸν πόλεμον" Τραϊανὸν δὲ σὺν τῇ στρατιᾷ τὸν στρατηγὸν κατὰ τῶν βαρβάρων ἀπέστειλεν. ἐπειδὴ δὲ ἡττηθεὶς ἐπανῆλθεν ἐκεῖνος, ἐλοιδορεῖτο λίαν ὁ Βάλης, μαλακίαν αὐτῷ καὶ δειλίαν ἐγκαλῶν. ὁ δὲ παρρησίᾳ χρησάμενος ἀνδρὶ γενναίῳ πρεπούσῃ" οὐκ ἐγώς, ἔφη, ὦ βασιλεῦ, ἥττημαι᾿ ἀλλὰ σὺ προΐῃ τὴν νίκην, κατὰ τοῦ θεοῦ παραταττόμενος καὶ τὴν ἐκείνου δοπὴν προξενῶν τοῖς βαρβάροις παρὰ σοῦ γὰρ πολεμούμενος ἐκείνοις συντάττεται. τῷ δὲ θεῷ ἡ νίκη ἕπεται καὶ τοῖς ὑπὸ τοῦ θεοῦ στρατηγουμένοις προσγίνεται. ἢ οὐκ οἶσθας, ἔφη, τίνας τῶν ἐκκλησιῶν ἐξελάσας, τίσι παρέδωκας ταύτας: ταῦτα καὶ ᾿Δρίνθεος καὶ Βίκτωρ (στρατηγὼ γὰρ ἤστην καὶ τούτω) συνωμολογησάτην οὕτως ἔχει, καὶ τῷ βασιλεῖ μὴ χαλεπαίνειν παρῃνεσάτην ῦ ἐπ᾽ ἐλέγχοις ἀληθείᾳ συνεζευγμένοις.
“peioē de ton osporon diabas eis tēn Thrachēn aphiketo, prōton men en Kōnstantinoupolei pleiston dietripse chronon deimainōn ton polemon" Traïanon de syn tę̄ stratią ton stratēgon kata tōn barbarōn apesteilen. epeidē de hēttētheis epanēlthen ekeinos, eloidoreito lian ho Balēs, malakian autǭ kai deilian enkalōn. ho de parrēsią chrēsamenos andri gennaiǭ prepousę̄" ouk egōs, ephē, ō basileu, hēttēmai᾿ alla sy proïę̄ tēn nikēn, kata tou theou paratattomenos kai tēn ekeinou dopēn proxenōn tois barbarois para sou gar polemoumenos ekeinois syntattetai. tǭ de theǭ hē nikē hepetai kai tois hypo tou theou stratēgoumenois prosginetai. ē ouk oisthas, ephē, tinas tōn ekklēsiōn exelasas, tisi paredōkas tautas: tauta kai ᾿Drintheos kai Biktōr (stratēgō gar ēstēn kai toutō) synōmologēsatēn houtōs echei, kai tǭ basilei mē chalepainein parę̄nesatēn y ep᾽ elenchois alētheią synezeugmenois.
When he crossed the Bosporus and came into Thrace, he first stayed a very long time in Constantinople, fearing the war, and sent the general Trajan with the army against the barbarians. When he came back defeated, Valens reproached him severely, charging him with softness and cowardice. But he, using the boldness befitting a brave man, said: “I have not been defeated, emperor; it is you who are giving up the victory, by arraying yourself against God and procuring his favour for the barbarians. For being fought against by you, he fights alongside them. Victory follows God and comes to those whom God leads. Or do you not know,” he said, “whom you have driven out of the churches and to whom you have handed them over?” Arintheus and Victor (they too were generals) agreed that this was so, and urged the emperor not to be angry at rebukes joined with truth.
Notes and citation
Summary: The general Trajan, defeated by the Goths, tells Valens that the emperor's war on God has given the victory to the barbarians, and the generals Arintheus and Victor agree.
Topics: Persecution
Cite (SBL): Theodoret, Hist. eccl. 4.30 (GCS 19:271–272; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-historia-ecclesiastica/4-30). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-historia-ecclesiastica/4-30
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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.
4.31GCS 19:272–273
Φασὶ δὲ καὶ Ἰσαάκην σκηνὴν αὐτόθιε μοναχικὴν ἔχοντα, ἐπειδὴ εἶδεν αὐτὸν συνεξιόντα τῇ στρατιᾷ, βοῇ χρησάμενον φάναι" ποῖ βαδίζεις, ὦ βασιλεῦ, κατὰ θεοῦ στρατευόμενος καὶ τοῦτον οὐκ ἔχων ἐπίκουρον; αὐτὸς γὰρ κατὰ σοῦ τοὺς βαρβάρους κεκίνηχεν, ἐπειδὴ καὶ σὺ κατ᾽ αὐτοῦ πολλὰς γλώττας εἰς βλασφημίαν παρέθηξας καὶ τοὺς ἐκεῖνον ὑμνοῦντας τῶν θείων οἴκων ἐξήλασας. παῦσαι δὴ οὖν πολεμῶν καὶ παύσει τὸν πόλεμον. ἀπόδος ταῖς ποίμναις τοὺς ἀρίστους νομέας καὶ λήψῃ τὴν νίκην ἀπονητί. εἰ δὲ τούτων μηδὲν δεδρακὼς παρατάξαιο, μαθήσῃ τῇ πείρᾳ ὅπως σκληρὸν τὸ πρὸς κέντρα λακτίζει οὔτε γὰρ ἐπανήξεις καὶ προσαπολέσεις τὴν στρατιάνε. ὀργιἃ σθεὶς δὲ ὁ βασιλεύς" καὶ ἐπανήξως, ἔφη, καὶ κατακτενῶ σε καὶ τῆς ψευδοῦς προαγορεύσεως εἰσπράξομαι δίκας. ὃ δὲ ἥκιστα δείσας τὴν ἀπειλὴν ἔφη βοῶν" νκτεῖνον, εἰ φωραθείη τῶν λόγων τὸ ψεῦδοςε. Καὶ Βετρανίων δέ, παντοδαπῇ μὲν λαμπρυνόμενος ἀρετῇ, πάσης δὲ τῆς Σχυθίας τὰς πόλεις ἀρχιερατικῶς ἰθύνειν πεπιστευμένος, ἐπύρσευσέ τε τῷ ζήλῳ τὸ φρόνημα καὶ τὴν τῶν δογμάτων διαφθορὰν καὶ τὰς κατὰ τῶν ἁγίων παρανομίας τοῦ Βάλεντος ἤλεγξε, καὶ μετὰ δ τοῦ θειοτάτου Δαβὶδ ἐβόα᾽ νἐλάλουν ἐν τοῖς μαρτυρίδις σου ἐναντίον βασιλέων καὶ οὐκ ἠσχυνύμηνε.
Phasi de kai Isaakēn skēnēn autothie monachikēn echonta, epeidē eiden auton synexionta tę̄ stratią, boę̄ chrēsamenon phanai" poi badizeis, ō basileu, kata theou strateuomenos kai touton ouk echōn epikouron? autos gar kata sou tous barbarous kekinēchen, epeidē kai sy kat᾽ autou pollas glōttas eis blasphēmian parethēxas kai tous ekeinon hymnountas tōn theiōn oikōn exēlasas. pausai dē oun polemōn kai pausei ton polemon. apodos tais poimnais tous aristous nomeas kai lēpsę̄ tēn nikēn aponēti. ei de toutōn mēden dedrakōs parataxaio, mathēsę̄ tę̄ peirą hopōs sklēron to pros kentra laktizei oute gar epanēxeis kai prosapoleseis tēn stratiane. orgia stheis de ho basileus" kai epanēxōs, ephē, kai kataktenō se kai tēs pseudous proagoreuseōs eispraxomai dikas. ho de hēkista deisas tēn apeilēn ephē boōn" nkteinon, ei phōratheiē tōn logōn to pseudose. Kai Betraniōn de, pantodapę̄ men lamprynomenos aretę̄, pasēs de tēs Schythias tas poleis archieratikōs ithynein pepisteumenos, epyrseuse te tǭ zēlǭ to phronēma kai tēn tōn dogmatōn diaphthoran kai tas kata tōn hagiōn paranomias tou Balentos ēlenxe, kai meta d tou theiotatou Dabid eboa᾽ nelaloun en tois martyridis sou enantion basileōn kai ouk ēschynymēne.
They say that Isaac too, who had a monastic tent there, when he saw him going out with the army, cried out: “Where are you going, emperor, making war against God and not having him as helper? For he himself has stirred up the barbarians against you, since you too have sharpened many tongues against him for blasphemy and have driven out of the divine houses those who praise him. Stop fighting, then, and you will stop the war. Give back to the flocks their excellent shepherds, and you will win the victory without labour. But if you take the field without doing any of these things, you will learn by experience how hard it is to kick against the goads; for you will not return, and you will lose the army besides.” The emperor, angered, said: “I shall return, and kill you, and exact the penalty for your false prophecy.” He, not at all fearing the threat, cried out: “Kill me, if the falsehood of my words is detected.”
Vetranio too, distinguished for every kind of virtue and entrusted with governing as high priest the cities of all Scythia, kindled his mind with zeal and rebuked Valens for the corruption of doctrines and the lawless acts against the saints, and cried out with the most divine David: “I spoke of your testimonies before kings and was not ashamed.”
Acts 26:14 (quotation, high confidence) · Ps 119:46 (118:46 LXX) (quotation, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: The monk Isaac warns Valens that he will not return from his war against the Goths unless he restores the orthodox bishops, and Vetranio, bishop of Scythia, also rebukes him.
- “To kick against the goads”: Acts 26:14. “I spoke of your testimonies before kings”: Ps 119:46 (LXX 118:46).
- Isaac's prophecy is introduced with “they say”; translated as written.
Topics: Persecution, Church office
Cite (SBL): Theodoret, Hist. eccl. 4.31 (GCS 19:272–273; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-historia-ecclesiastica/4-31). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-historia-ecclesiastica/4-31
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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.
4.32GCS 19:273
Ὁ δὲ τῶν συμβούλων ἐκείνων τῶν ἀρίστων καταφρονήσας, τὴν ἢ μὲν στρατιὰν εἰς τὴν παράταξιν προύπεμψεν, αὐτὸς δὲ ἔν τινι κώμῃ καθήμενος τὴν νίκην προσέμενεν. οἱ δὲ στρατιῶται τῶν βαρβάρων οὐκ ἐνεγκόντες τὴν δύμην ἐτρέποντο “αὶ κατεχτείνοντο διωκόμενοι" καὶ οἱ μὲν ἔφευγον κατὰ τάχος, οἱ δὲ κατὰ κράτος ἐδίωκον. καταλαβόντες δὲ τὴν κώμην ἐκείνην οἱ βάρβαροι ἔνθα ὁ Βάλης τὴν ἧτταν μεμαθηχὼς ἐπειράθη λαθεῖν, πῦρ ἐμβαλόντες ἐνέπρησαν σὺν τῇ κώμῃ καὶ τὸν τῆς εὐσεβείας ἀντίπαλον. οὕτω μὲν οὖν ἐκεῖνος κἀν τῷ παρότε βίῳ ποινὴν ἔτισεν ὑπὲρ ὧν ἐπλημμέλησεν.
Ho de tōn symboulōn ekeinōn tōn aristōn kataphronēsas, tēn ē men stratian eis tēn parataxin proupempsen, autos de en tini kōmę̄ kathēmenos tēn nikēn prosemenen. hoi de stratiōtai tōn barbarōn ouk enenkontes tēn dymēn etreponto “ai katechteinonto diōkomenoi" kai hoi men epheugon kata tachos, hoi de kata kratos ediōkon. katalabontes de tēn kōmēn ekeinēn hoi barbaroi entha ho Balēs tēn hēttan memathēchōs epeirathē lathein, pyr embalontes eneprēsan syn tę̄ kōmę̄ kai ton tēs eusebeias antipalon. houtō men oun ekeinos kan tǭ parote biǭ poinēn etisen hyper hōn eplēmmelēsen.
But he, despising those excellent counsellors, sent the army ahead into battle and himself sat in a village awaiting the victory. The soldiers, not bearing the onslaught of the barbarians, turned and were killed as they were pursued; some fled at full speed, others pursued with all their might. The barbarians reached that village where Valens, learning of the defeat, tried to hide, set fire to it, and burned the enemy of true religion together with the village. So he paid the penalty in the present life too for his offences.
Notes and citation
Summary: At Adrianople (378) the Roman army is routed by the Goths, and Valens, hiding in a village, is burned to death when the Goths set it on fire.
- Theodoret's version of Valens's death is one of several current in antiquity.
Cite (SBL): Theodoret, Hist. eccl. 4.32 (GCS 19:273; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-historia-ecclesiastica/4-32). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-historia-ecclesiastica/4-32
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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.
4.33GCS 19:273–274
Ἐγὼ δὲ προύργου νομίζω διδάξαι τοὺς ἀγνοοῦντας ὅπος οἵδε οἱ βάρβαροι τὴν ᾿Δἀρειανικὴν εἰσεδέξαντο νόσον. ὅτε τὸν Ἴστρον διαβάντες πρὸς τὸν Βάλεντα τὴν εἰρήνην ἐσπείσαντο. τηνικαῦτα παρὼν Εὐδόξιος ὁ δυσώνυμος ὑπέθετο τῷ βασιλεῖ πεῖσαί οἱ κοινωνῆσαι τοὺς Πύτθους" πάλαι γὰρ τὰς τῆς θεογνωσίας ἀκτίνας δεξάμενοι τοῖς ἀποστολικοῖς ἐνετρέφοντο δόγμασι. βεβαιοτέραν γάρε, ἔφη, τὸ κοινὸν τοῦ φρονήματος τὴ εἰρήνην ἐργάσεταιε. ταύτην ἐπαινέσας τὴν γνώμην ὁ Βάλης προύτεινε τοῖς ἐκείνων ἡγεμόσι τῶν δογμάτων τὴν συμφωνίαν" οἱ δὲ οὐχ ἀνέξεσθαι ἔλεγον τὴν πατρῴαν καταλείψειν διδασκαλίαν. κατ᾽ ἐκεῖνον δὲ τὸν χρόνον Οὐλφίλας αὐτῶν ἐπίσκοπος ἦν, ᾧ μάλα ἐπείθοντο, καὶ τοὺς ἐχείνου λόγους ἀκινήτους ὑπελάμβανον νόμους. τοῦτον καὶ λόγοις κατακηλήσας Εὐδόξ ξιος καὶ χρήμασι δελεάσας, πεῖσαι παρεσκεύασε τοὺς βαρβάρους τὴν βασιλέως κοινωνίαν ἀσπάσασθαι. ἔπεισε δὲ φήσας ἐκ φιλοτιμίας γεγενῆσθαι τὴν ἔριν, δογμάτων δὲ μηδεμίαν εἶναι διαφοράν. οὗ δὴ εἵνεκα μέχρι καὶ τήμερον οἱ Γότθοι μείζονα μὲν τὸν πατέρα λέγουσι τοῦ υἱοῦ, κτίσμα δὲ τὸν υἱὸν εἰπεῖν οὐκ ἀνέχονται, καίτοι κοινωνοῦντες τοῖς λέγουσιν. ἀλλ ὅμως οὐ παντάπασι τὴν πατρῴαν διδασκαλίαν κατέλιπον᾽ καὶ γὰρ Οὐλφίδας Εὐδοξίῳ καὶ Βάλεντι κοινωνῆσαι πείθων αὐτοὺς οὐκ εἶναι δογμάτων ἔφη διαφοράν, ἀλλὰ ματαίαν ἔριν ἐργάσασθαι τὴν διάστασιν.
Egō de prourgou nomizō didaxai tous agnoountas hopos hoide hoi barbaroi tēn ᾿Dareianikēn eisedexanto noson. hote ton Istron diabantes pros ton Balenta tēn eirēnēn espeisanto. tēnikauta parōn Eudoxios ho dysōnymos hypetheto tǭ basilei peisai hoi koinōnēsai tous Pytthous" palai gar tas tēs theognōsias aktinas dexamenoi tois apostolikois enetrephonto dogmasi. bebaioteran gare, ephē, to koinon tou phronēmatos tē eirēnēn ergasetaie. tautēn epainesas tēn gnōmēn ho Balēs prouteine tois ekeinōn hēgemosi tōn dogmatōn tēn symphōnian" hoi de ouch anexesthai elegon tēn patrǭan kataleipsein didaskalian. kat᾽ ekeinon de ton chronon Oulphilas autōn episkopos ēn, hǭ mala epeithonto, kai tous echeinou logous akinētous hypelambanon nomous. touton kai logois katakēlēsas Eudox xios kai chrēmasi deleasas, peisai pareskeuase tous barbarous tēn basileōs koinōnian aspasasthai. epeise de phēsas ek philotimias gegenēsthai tēn erin, dogmatōn de mēdemian einai diaphoran. hou dē heineka mechri kai tēmeron hoi Gotthoi meizona men ton patera legousi tou huiou, ktisma de ton huion eipein ouk anechontai, kaitoi koinōnountes tois legousin. all homōs ou pantapasi tēn patrǭan didaskalian katelipon᾽ kai gar Oulphidas Eudoxiǭ kai Balenti koinōnēsai peithōn autous ouk einai dogmatōn ephē diaphoran, alla mataian erin ergasasthai tēn diastasin.
I think it worthwhile to teach those who do not know how these barbarians took in the Arian disease. When they crossed the Danube and made peace with Valens, the ill-named Eudoxius, who was present, suggested to the emperor that he persuade the Goths to hold communion with him; for they had long before received the rays of the knowledge of God and were nurtured on the apostolic doctrines. “For agreement of opinion,” he said, “will make the peace more secure.” Valens approved this opinion and proposed to their leaders agreement in doctrine; but they said they would not consent to abandon their ancestral teaching. At that time Ulfilas was their bishop, whom they obeyed greatly, and they considered his words unalterable laws. Eudoxius, having charmed him with words and baited him with money, prepared him to persuade the barbarians to embrace communion with the emperor. He persuaded him by saying that the strife had arisen from ambition, and that there was no difference in doctrine. For this reason, to this day the Goths say that the Father is greater than the Son, but do not consent to call the Son a creature, though they hold communion with those who say it. Yet they did not entirely abandon their ancestral teaching; for Ulfilas, persuading them to hold communion with Eudoxius and Valens, said that there was no difference of doctrine, but that vain strife had produced the division.
John 14:28 (allusion, medium confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Theodoret explains that the Goths, formerly orthodox, were brought into communion with the Arians when Eudoxius won over their bishop Ulfilas with flattery and money, persuading him that the dispute was about ambition, not doctrine.
- Theodoret's account of Ulfilas's change of allegiance is his own; most modern accounts place Ulfilas's Homoean faith earlier. Translated as written.
- A line of the edition's apparatus (and a note on its sources) that the OCR ran into the end of the book has been removed (logged).
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (line of OCR debris at the end of the book removed): διάστασιν. νεῖ. Αὐχοπῦὶ Ερὶβὺ. ἀθ ἢΔ6 ὙΥ.]Η]Δ6 δᾶ. Καυδηδππ [1᾿οχύθ ἀπὰ ὕ]ηΐειβ. → διάστασιν..
Topics: Heresy, Christology
Cite (SBL): Theodoret, Hist. eccl. 4.33 (GCS 19:273–274; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-historia-ecclesiastica/4-33). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-historia-ecclesiastica/4-33
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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.
Chapter 5
5.1GCS 19:278
Ὅπως μὲν ἐπὶ πλεῖστον φέρει τοὺς κατ᾽ αὐτοῦ λυττῶντας ὁ δεσπότης θεὸς καὶ ὅπως κολάζει τοὺς οὐκ εἰς δέον τῇ μακροθυμίᾳ ὃ χρωμένους, τοιαῦτα καὶ δεδραχὼς καὶ πεπονθὼς ὁ Βάλης ἐδίδαξεν ἀκριβῶς. οἷον γάρ τισι σταθμοῖς καὶ ζυγοῖς οἴκτῳ καὶ δικαιοσύνῃ χρώμενος ὁ φιλάνθρωπος, ὅταν ἴδῃ τινὰ τῷ μεγέθει τῶν πλημμελημάτων ὑπερβάλλοντα τῆς φιλανθρωπίας τὰ μέτρα, τῇ δικαίᾳ τιμωρίᾳ κωλύει τὴν ἐπὶ τὰ πρόσω φοράν. Γρατιανὸς δέ, ὁ Βαλεντινιανοῦ μὲν υἱός, Βάλεντος δὲ ἀδελφιδοῦς, πᾶσαν τὴν Ῥωμαίων ἡγεμονίαν παρέλαβε. πάλαι μὲν γὰρ τῆς Εὐρώπης παρειλήφει τὰ σχῆπτρα ῷ μετὰ τὴν τοῦ πατρὸς τελευτήν" καὶ ἐκείνου δέ γε περιόντος ἐκοινώνει τῆς βασιλείας. προσέλαβεν οὖν καὶ τὴν Ἀσίαν καὶ τὰ λειπόμενα τῆς “ιβύης, ἄπαιδος ἀναιρεθέντος τοῦ Βάλεντος.
Hopōs men epi pleiston pherei tous kat᾽ autou lyttōntas ho despotēs theos kai hopōs kolazei tous ouk eis deon tę̄ makrothymią ho chrōmenous, toiauta kai dedrachōs kai peponthōs ho Balēs edidaxen akribōs. hoion gar tisi stathmois kai zygois oiktǭ kai dikaiosynę̄ chrōmenos ho philanthrōpos, hotan idę̄ tina tǭ megethei tōn plēmmelēmatōn hyperballonta tēs philanthrōpias ta metra, tę̄ dikaią timōrią kōlyei tēn epi ta prosō phoran. Gratianos de, ho Balentinianou men huios, Balentos de adelphidous, pasan tēn Rhōmaiōn hēgemonian parelabe. palai men gar tēs Eurōpēs pareilēphei ta schēptra ǭ meta tēn tou patros teleutēn" kai ekeinou de ge periontos ekoinōnei tēs basileias. proselaben oun kai tēn Asian kai ta leipomena tēs “ibyēs, apaidos anairethentos tou Balentos.
How the Master God bears for a very long time with those who rage against him, and how he punishes those who do not use his long-suffering as they should, Valens taught exactly by what he did and suffered. For the Lover of mankind, using pity and justice as weights and scales, whenever he sees someone by the greatness of his offences exceeding the measures of his love for mankind, checks his onward course by just punishment. Gratian, the son of Valentinian and nephew of Valens, took over the whole empire of the Romans. He had long before received the sceptre of Europe after his father's death, and even while his father lived he had shared the empire. Now, since Valens had been killed without children, he took over Asia and the rest of Libya too.
Notes and citation
Summary: Theodoret draws the lesson of Valens's fate and records that Gratian, already emperor in the West, succeeded to the whole empire.
Cite (SBL): Theodoret, Hist. eccl. 5.1 (GCS 19:278; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-historia-ecclesiastica/5-1). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-historia-ecclesiastica/5-1
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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.
5.2GCS 19:278–279
Εὐθὺς μέντοι τὴν εὐσέβειαν ἣν εἶχεν ἐκδηλοτέραν κατέστησε καὶ Ὁ τῆς βασιλείας τὰς ἀπαρχὰς τῷ παμβασιλεῖ τῶν ὅλων προσήνεγκε. νόμον γὰρ ἔγραψε, καὶ τοὺς ἐληλαμένους ποιμένας ἐπανελθεῖν κελεύων καὶ τοῖς σφετέροις ἀποδοθῆναι ποιμνίοις, καὶ τοὺς θείους οἴκους παραδοθῆναι τοῖς τὴν Δαμάσου κοινωνίαν προαιρουμένοις. Δάμασος δὲ οὗτος Ῥώμης ἐπίσκοπος ἦν, καὶ ἀξιεπαίνῳ βίῳ κοσμούμενος καὶ πάντα λέγειν καὶ πράττειν ὑπὲρ τῶν ἀποστολικῶν δογμάτων αἱρούμενος μετὰ “ιβέριον δὲ τὴν τῆς ἐκκλησίας παρειλήφει κηδεμονίαν. συνεξέπεμψε δὲ τῷ νόμῳ καὶ Σάπωρα τὸν στρατηγὸν ὀνομαστότατον τηνικάδε ὄντα᾽ καὶ τῆς μὲν Ἀρείου βλασφημίας τοὺς κήρυκας, οἷόν τινας θῆρας, τῶν ἱερῶν σηκῶν ἐξελάσαι, τοῖς δὲ ἀρίστοις ποιμέσι καὶ τοῖς θείοις ποιμνίοις τούτους ἀποδοῦναι προσέταξε. καὶ ἐν ἑχάστῳ μὲν ἔθνει τοῦτό γε ἀδηρίτως ἐγένετο, ἐν Ἀντιοχείᾳ δὲ τῇ τῆς Ἑῴας ἡγουμένῃ ἔρις ἐγένετο περὶ τοῦδε τοιάδε.
Euthys mentoi tēn eusebeian hēn eichen ekdēloteran katestēse kai Ho tēs basileias tas aparchas tǭ pambasilei tōn holōn prosēnenke. nomon gar egrapse, kai tous elēlamenous poimenas epanelthein keleuōn kai tois spheterois apodothēnai poimniois, kai tous theious oikous paradothēnai tois tēn Damasou koinōnian proairoumenois. Damasos de houtos Rhōmēs episkopos ēn, kai axiepainǭ biǭ kosmoumenos kai panta legein kai prattein hyper tōn apostolikōn dogmatōn hairoumenos meta “iberion de tēn tēs ekklēsias pareilēphei kēdemonian. synexepempse de tǭ nomǭ kai Sapōra ton stratēgon onomastotaton tēnikade onta᾽ kai tēs men Areiou blasphēmias tous kērykas, hoion tinas thēras, tōn hierōn sēkōn exelasai, tois de aristois poimesi kai tois theiois poimniois toutous apodounai prosetaxe. kai en hechastǭ men ethnei touto ge adēritōs egeneto, en Antiocheią de tę̄ tēs Heǭas hēgoumenę̄ eris egeneto peri toude toiade.
At once he made the piety he had more evident and offered the firstfruits of his reign to the King of the universe. For he wrote a law ordering the shepherds who had been driven out to return and be restored to their own flocks, and the divine houses to be handed over to those who chose communion with Damasus. This Damasus was bishop of Rome, adorned with a praiseworthy life and choosing to say and do everything on behalf of the apostolic doctrines; he had received the care of the church after Liberius. He sent with the law Sapor, the general, who was then very renowned, and ordered him to drive the heralds of the blasphemy of Arius like wild beasts out of the sacred shrines and to give these back to the excellent shepherds and the divine flocks. In every province this was done without dispute; but in Antioch, the chief city of the East, a contest about it arose as follows.
Notes and citation
Summary: Gratian recalls the exiled bishops and orders the churches given to those in communion with Damasus of Rome, sending the general Sapor to enforce it; at Antioch a dispute follows.
Topics: Church office
Cite (SBL): Theodoret, Hist. eccl. 5.2 (GCS 19:278–279; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-historia-ecclesiastica/5-2). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-historia-ecclesiastica/5-2
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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.
5.3GCS 19:279–282
Διχὴ μέν, ὡς καὶ πρόσθεν εἰρήκαμεν, οἱ τῶν ἀποστολικῶν ὑπεραγωνιζόμενοι δογμάτων διήρηντο. καὶ οἱ μὲν εὐθὺς μετὰ τὴν κατ᾽ Εὐσταθίου τοῦ μεγάλου τυρευθεῖσαν ἐπιβουλὴν τὴν Ἀρειανικὴν βδελυξάμενοι βδελυρίαν καὶ κατὰ σφὰς αὐτοὺς ἀθροιξόμενοι, Παυλῖνον εἶχον ἡγούμενον" οἱ δὲ μετὰ τὴν Εὐζωΐου χειροτονίαν σὺν Μελετίῳ τῷ πάνυ τῶν δυσσεβούντων ἀποκριθέντες καὶ τοὺς κινδύνους ἐκείγνοὺς οὗς διεξήλθομεν ὑπομείναντες, ὑπὸ τῆς Μελετίου σοφωτάτης διδασκαλίας ἰθύνοντο. Πρὸς δὲ τούτοις Ἀπολινάριος ὁ Λαοδικεὺς ἑτέρας συμμορίας ἑαυτὸν ἀπέφηνεν ἀρχηγόν" ὃς τὸ τῆς εὐσεβείας περιθέμενος προσωπεῖον καὶ τῶν ἀποστολικῶν δόξας ὑπερασπίζειν δογμάτων, μικρὸν ὕστερον προφανὴς ὥφθη πολέμιος. καὶ γὰρ περὶ τῆς θείας φύσεως κιβδήλοις ἐχρήσατο λόγοις βαθμούς τενᾶς ἀξιωμάτων γεννήσας, καὶ τὸ τῆς οἰκονομίας μυστήριον ἀτελὲς ἀποφῆναι τετόλμηκε, καὶ τὴν λογικὴν ψυχὴν τὴν ἰθύνειν τὸ σῶμα πεπιστευμένην ἐστερῆσθαι τῆς γεγενημένης ἔφησε σωτηρίας. οὐκ εἰληφὼς γὰρ ταύτην κατὰ τὸν ἐκείνου λόγον ὁ θεὸς λόγος, οὔτε ἰατρείας ἠξίωσεν, οὔτε τιμῆς μετέδωχεν᾽ ἀλλὰ τὸ μὲν σῶμα τὸ γήϊνον ὑπὸ τῶν ἀοράτων προσκυνεῖται δυνάμεων, ἡ δὲ ψυχὴ ἡ κατ᾽ εἰκόνα θείαν γεγενημένη κάτω μεμένηζχε, ὅ τὴν τῆς ἁμαρτίας ἀτιμίαν περικειμένη. πολλὰ δὲ πρὸς τούτοις καὶ ὅ ἕτερα ἐνεόχμωσεν ἐσφαλμένῃ καὶ τυφλωττούσῃ διανοίᾳ. ποτὲ μὲν γὰρ συνωμολόγει καὶ αὐτὸς ἐκ τῆς ἁγίας παρθένου προσειλῆφθαι τὴν σάρκα, ποτὲ δὲ οὐρανόθεν ταύτην τῷ θεῷ λόγῳ συγκατεληλυθέναι ἔφησεν, ἄλλοτε δὲ αὐτὸν γεγενῆσθαι σάρκα, οὐδὲν ἐξ ἡμῶν εἰληφότα. καὶ ἑτέρους δὲ μύθους καὶ λήρους ταῖς θείαις ἐπαγγελίαις συνέζευξεν, οῦς καὶ λέγειν ᾿ περιττὸν ἐπὶ τοῦ παρόντος νενόμικα. ἐκεῖνος μὲν Τ οὖν τοιαῦτα λέγων οὐ μόνον τοὺς οἰκείους τῆς λύμης ἐνέπλησεν, ἀλλὰ καί τισι τῶν ἡμετέρων τῆς λώβης μετέδωκε. χρόνῳ γὰρ ὕστερον τήν τε σφετέραν ὁρῶντες εὐτέλειαν καὶ τὴν τῆς ἐκκλησίας ιό θεώμενοι περιφάνειαν, συνήφθησαν μὲν πλὴν ὀλίγων ἅπαντες καὶ τῆς ἐκκλησιαστικῆς κοινωνίας μετέλαχον᾽ τὴν δὲ προτέραν οὐκ ἀπέθεντο νόσον, ἀλλὰ καὶ πολλοὺς τῶν πάλαι ἐρρωμένων ταύτης ἐνέπλησαν. ἐκ τῆσδε τῆς ῥίζης ἐν ταῖς ἐκκλησίαις ἐβλάστησεν ἡ μία τῆς σαρχὸς καὶ τῆς θεότητος φύσις καὶ τὸ τῇ θεότητι τοῦ μονογενοῦς προσάπτειν τὸ πάθος καὶ τἄλλα ὅσα τοῖς τε λαοῖς καὶ τοῖς ἱερεῦσι τὴν διαμάχην γεγέννηκεν. ἀλλὰ ταῦτα μὲν ὕστερον γεγένηται. Τότε δὲ ἀφικομένου Σάπωρος τοῦ στρατηγοῦ καὶ τὸν βασιλικὸν ὑποδείξαντος νόμον, ἰσχυρίζετο μὲν ὁ Παυλῖνος αὐτὸς εἶναι τῆς 4αμάσου μερίδος, ἰσχυρίζετο δὲ καὶ Ἀπολινάριος κατακρύπτον τὴν νόσον᾽ ὁ δὲ θεῖος Μελέτιος ἡσυχῇ καθῆστο, τῆς ἐκείνων ἀνεχόμενος ἔριδος. Φλαβιανὸς ὁὲ ὁ σοφώτατος, τῷ τῶν πρεσβυτέρων ἐγκατειλεγμέρνος ἔτι χορῷ, πρῶτον μὲν πρὸς τὸν Παυλῖνον ἔφη τοῦ στρατηγοῦ ἐπαίοντος" εἰ τὴν Δαμάσου, ὦ φιλότης, κοιρωνίαν ἀσπάξῃ, ἐπίδειξον ἡμῖν σαρῶς τὴν τῶν δογμάτων συγγένειαν" ἐκεῖνος γὰρ μίαν τὴν τῆς τριάδος οὐσίαν ὁμολογῶν τὰς τρεῖς ὑποστάσεις διαρρήδην κηρύττει. σὺ δὲ ἄντικρυς τῶν ὑποστάσεων ἀναιρεῖς τὴν τριάδα. δεῖξον δὴ οὖν τῶν δογμάτων τὴν συμφωνίαν καὶ λάβε τὰς ἐκκλησίας κατὰ τὸν νύμονε. οὕτως ἐκεῖνον τοῖς ἐλέγχοις ἐπιστομίσας, πρὸς τὸν ἨΙπολιν άριον ἔφη" θαυμάξω σε, ὦ φιλότης, οὕτως ἀναίδην τῇ ἀληθείᾳ μαχόμενον. καὶ ταῦτα σαφῶς ἐπιστάμενον ὡς ὁ θαυμάσιος 4Δάμασος τελείαν ὑπὸ τοῦ θεοῦ λύγου τὴν ἡμετέραν φύσιν ἀνειλῆφθαί φησιν, σὺ δὲ τοὐναντίον λέγων διατελεῖς᾽ τὸν γὰρ νοῦν τὸν ἡμέτερον τῆς σωτηρίας ἀποστερεῖς. εἰ δὲ ψευδῆ φαμεν ταύτά σου κατηγοροῦντες, νῦν γοῦν τὴν ὑπὸ σοῦ τεχθεῖσαν. ἀρνήθητι καινοτομίαν καὶ τὴν Δαμάσου στέρξον διδασκαλίαν καὶ τοὺς θείους λάβε σηκούξε. ὁ μὲν οὖν σοφώτατος Φλαβιανὸς τοῖς ἀληθέσι λόγοις τὴν ἐκείνων κατέπαῦσε παρρησίαν. Μελέτιος δέ, ὃ πάντων ἀνθρώπων πραότατος. φιλοφρόνως ἅμα καὶ ἠπίως ἔφη πρὸς τὸν Παυλῖνον" νἐπειδὴ καὶ ἐμοὶ τῶνδε τῶν προβάτων τὴν ἐπιμέλειαν ὁ τῶν προβάτων ἐνεχείρισε κύριος καὶ σὺ τῶν ἄλλων ἀναδέδεξαι τὴν φροντίδα. χοιρωνεῖ δὲ ἀλλήλοις τῆς εὐσεβείας τὰ θρέμματα, συνάψωμεν, ὦ φιλότης, τὰ ποίμνια καὶ τὴν περὶ τῆς ἡγεμονίας καταλύσωμεν διαμάχην" κοινῇ δὲ τὰ πρόβατα νέμοντες κοινὴν αὐτοῖς προσενέγκωμεν θεραπείαν. εἰ δὲ ὁ μέσος θῶχος τὴν ἔριν γεννᾷ, ἐγὼ καὶ ταύτην ἐξελάσαι πειράσομαι. ἐν γὰρ τούτῳ τὸ θεῖον προτεθεικὼς εὐαγγέλιον, ἑκατέρωθεν ἡμᾶς καθῆσθαι παρεγγυῶ. ᾿χαὶ εἰ μὲν πρῶτος ἐγὼ δεξαίμην τοῦ βίου τὸ πέρας, μόνος σχήσεις, ὦ φιλότης, τὴν τῆς ποίμνης ἡγεμονίαν" εἰ δὲ σὺ πρότερος τοῦτο πάθοις, ἐγὼ πάλιν εἰς δύναμιν τῶν προβάτων ἐπιμελήσομαις. ταῦτα ἠπίως μὲν ἅμα καὶ φιλοφρόνως ὁ θεῖος εἶπε δ Μελέτιος, ὁ δὲ Παυλῖνος οὐκ ἔστερξεν. ὃ δὲ στρατηγὸς κριτὴς τῶν εἰρημένων γενόμενος τῷ μεγάλῳ Μελετίῳ τὰς ἐκκλησίας παρέδωκεν, ὃ δὲ Παυλῖνος διέμεινε τῶν ἐξ ἀρχῆς ἀποχριθέντων προβάτων ἡγούμενος.
Dichē men, hōs kai prosthen eirēkamen, hoi tōn apostolikōn hyperagōnizomenoi dogmatōn diērēnto. kai hoi men euthys meta tēn kat᾽ Eustathiou tou megalou tyreutheisan epiboulēn tēn Areianikēn bdelyxamenoi bdelyrian kai kata sphas autous athroixomenoi, Paulinon eichon hēgoumenon" hoi de meta tēn Euzōïou cheirotonian syn Meletiǭ tǭ pany tōn dyssebountōn apokrithentes kai tous kindynous ekeignous hous diexēlthomen hypomeinantes, hypo tēs Meletiou sophōtatēs didaskalias ithynonto. Pros de toutois Apolinarios ho Laodikeus heteras symmorias heauton apephēnen archēgon" hos to tēs eusebeias perithemenos prosōpeion kai tōn apostolikōn doxas hyperaspizein dogmatōn, mikron hysteron prophanēs hōphthē polemios. kai gar peri tēs theias physeōs kibdēlois echrēsato logois bathmous tenas axiōmatōn gennēsas, kai to tēs oikonomias mystērion ateles apophēnai tetolmēke, kai tēn logikēn psychēn tēn ithynein to sōma pepisteumenēn esterēsthai tēs gegenēmenēs ephēse sōtērias. ouk eilēphōs gar tautēn kata ton ekeinou logon ho theos logos, oute iatreias ēxiōsen, oute timēs metedōchen᾽ alla to men sōma to gēïnon hypo tōn aoratōn proskyneitai dynameōn, hē de psychē hē kat᾽ eikona theian gegenēmenē katō memenēzche, ho tēn tēs hamartias atimian perikeimenē. polla de pros toutois kai ho hetera eneochmōsen esphalmenę̄ kai typhlōttousę̄ dianoią. pote men gar synōmologei kai autos ek tēs hagias parthenou proseilēphthai tēn sarka, pote de ouranothen tautēn tǭ theǭ logǭ synkatelēlythenai ephēsen, allote de auton gegenēsthai sarka, ouden ex hēmōn eilēphota. kai heterous de mythous kai lērous tais theiais epangeliais synezeuxen, ous kai legein ᾿ peritton epi tou parontos nenomika. ekeinos men T oun toiauta legōn ou monon tous oikeious tēs lymēs eneplēsen, alla kai tisi tōn hēmeterōn tēs lōbēs metedōke. chronǭ gar hysteron tēn te spheteran horōntes euteleian kai tēn tēs ekklēsias io theōmenoi periphaneian, synēphthēsan men plēn oligōn hapantes kai tēs ekklēsiastikēs koinōnias metelachon᾽ tēn de proteran ouk apethento noson, alla kai pollous tōn palai errōmenōn tautēs eneplēsan. ek tēsde tēs rhizēs en tais ekklēsiais eblastēsen hē mia tēs sarchos kai tēs theotētos physis kai to tę̄ theotēti tou monogenous prosaptein to pathos kai talla hosa tois te laois kai tois hiereusi tēn diamachēn gegennēken. alla tauta men hysteron gegenētai. Tote de aphikomenou Sapōros tou stratēgou kai ton basilikon hypodeixantos nomon, ischyrizeto men ho Paulinos autos einai tēs 4amasou meridos, ischyrizeto de kai Apolinarios katakrypton tēn noson᾽ ho de theios Meletios hēsychę̄ kathēsto, tēs ekeinōn anechomenos eridos. Phlabianos hoe ho sophōtatos, tǭ tōn presbyterōn enkateilegmernos eti chorǭ, prōton men pros ton Paulinon ephē tou stratēgou epaiontos" ei tēn Damasou, ō philotēs, koirōnian aspaxę̄, epideixon hēmin sarōs tēn tōn dogmatōn syngeneian" ekeinos gar mian tēn tēs triados ousian homologōn tas treis hypostaseis diarrēdēn kēryttei. sy de antikrys tōn hypostaseōn anaireis tēn triada. deixon dē oun tōn dogmatōn tēn symphōnian kai labe tas ekklēsias kata ton nymone. houtōs ekeinon tois elenchois epistomisas, pros ton ĒIpolin arion ephē" thaumaxō se, ō philotēs, houtōs anaidēn tę̄ alētheią machomenon. kai tauta saphōs epistamenon hōs ho thaumasios 4Damasos teleian hypo tou theou lygou tēn hēmeteran physin aneilēphthai phēsin, sy de tounantion legōn diateleis᾽ ton gar noun ton hēmeteron tēs sōtērias apostereis. ei de pseudē phamen tauta sou katēgorountes, nyn goun tēn hypo sou techtheisan. arnēthēti kainotomian kai tēn Damasou sterxon didaskalian kai tous theious labe sēkouxe. ho men oun sophōtatos Phlabianos tois alēthesi logois tēn ekeinōn katepause parrēsian. Meletios de, ho pantōn anthrōpōn praotatos. philophronōs hama kai ēpiōs ephē pros ton Paulinon" nepeidē kai emoi tōnde tōn probatōn tēn epimeleian ho tōn probatōn enecheirise kyrios kai sy tōn allōn anadedexai tēn phrontida. choirōnei de allēlois tēs eusebeias ta thremmata, synapsōmen, ō philotēs, ta poimnia kai tēn peri tēs hēgemonias katalysōmen diamachēn" koinę̄ de ta probata nemontes koinēn autois prosenenkōmen therapeian. ei de ho mesos thōchos tēn erin genną, egō kai tautēn exelasai peirasomai. en gar toutǭ to theion protetheikōs euangelion, hekaterōthen hēmas kathēsthai parengyō. ᾿chai ei men prōtos egō dexaimēn tou biou to peras, monos schēseis, ō philotēs, tēn tēs poimnēs hēgemonian" ei de sy proteros touto pathois, egō palin eis dynamin tōn probatōn epimelēsomais. tauta ēpiōs men hama kai philophronōs ho theios eipe d Meletios, ho de Paulinos ouk esterxen. ho de stratēgos kritēs tōn eirēmenōn genomenos tǭ megalǭ Meletiǭ tas ekklēsias paredōken, ho de Paulinos diemeine tōn ex archēs apochrithentōn probatōn hēgoumenos.
As we have said before, those who contended for the apostolic doctrines were divided into two. Those who, immediately after the plot contrived against the great Eustathius, abhorred the Arian foulness and assembled by themselves had Paulinus as their leader; while those who after the ordination of Euzoius had separated from the impious with the great Meletius and endured those dangers we have described were guided by the most wise teaching of Meletius.
Besides these, Apolinarius of Laodicea made himself leader of another party. Putting on the mask of piety and seeming to defend the apostolic doctrines, he was a little later seen to be an open enemy. For he used counterfeit words about the divine nature, inventing certain degrees of dignity, and dared to declare the mystery of the dispensation incomplete, and said that the rational soul, entrusted with governing the body, was deprived of the salvation that has come about. For according to his argument God the Word did not assume it, and so neither counted it worthy of healing nor gave it a share of honour; but the earthly body is worshipped by the invisible powers, while the soul, made in the divine image, has remained below, clothed in the dishonour of sin. Besides these he made many other innovations with a mind gone astray and blinded. At one time he too agreed that the flesh was taken from the holy virgin, at another he said that it came down from heaven with God the Word, at another that he became flesh, having taken nothing from us. And he joined other myths and nonsense to the divine promises, which I think it superfluous even to mention at present. By saying such things he not only filled his own followers with the infection, but also gave a share of the disease to some of ours. For later, seeing their own insignificance and observing the eminence of the church, all except a few were united and shared in the church's communion; but they did not lay aside their former disease, but filled many of those who had long been sound with it. From this root sprang up in the churches the one nature of flesh and divinity, and the attaching of the passion to the divinity of the only-begotten, and the other things that have produced the conflict among peoples and priests. But these things happened later.
At that time, when Sapor the general arrived and showed the imperial law, Paulinus affirmed that he himself was of Damasus's party, and Apolinarius affirmed it too, hiding his disease; but the divine Meletius sat quietly, bearing with their strife. The most wise Flavian, still enrolled in the choir of presbyters, first said to Paulinus in the general's hearing: “If you embrace the communion of Damasus, my friend, show us clearly the kinship of doctrines. For he, confessing one essence of the Trinity, expressly proclaims the three hypostases; but you directly do away with the Trinity of hypostases. Show, then, the agreement of doctrines and take the churches according to the law.” Having thus stopped his mouth with these proofs, he said to Apolinarius: “I am surprised at you, my friend, fighting so shamelessly against the truth, when you know clearly that the admirable Damasus says that our nature was assumed complete by God the Word, while you continue saying the opposite; for you deprive our mind of salvation. If we speak falsely in accusing you of this, then at least now deny the innovation born of you, embrace the teaching of Damasus, and take the divine shrines.” So the most wise Flavian stopped their boldness with true words. Meletius, the gentlest of all men, said to Paulinus kindly and gently: “Since the Lord of the sheep has entrusted me with the care of these sheep, and you have received the charge of the others, and the nurslings of true religion are in communion with one another, let us join the flocks, my friend, and end the contest about leadership; and pasturing the sheep in common, let us give them common care. If the middle throne causes the strife, I shall try to remove that too. For placing the divine Gospel on it, I propose that we sit on either side of it. And if I come to the end of life first, you alone, my friend, will have the leadership of the flock; but if you suffer this first, I in turn will care for the sheep as far as I can.” The divine Meletius said this gently and kindly; but Paulinus did not accept it. The general, becoming judge of what was said, handed the churches over to the great Meletius, and Paulinus remained leader of the sheep who had separated from the beginning.
John 21:16 (echo, low confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: At Antioch, when Sapor arrives, Paulinus and Apolinarius both claim communion with Damasus; Theodoret describes Apolinarius's teaching that Christ had no human mind, Flavian exposes both claimants, Meletius proposes that he and Paulinus share the flock with the Gospel on the throne between them, and Sapor gives the churches to Meletius.
- Apolinarius's doctrines are described by Theodoret, writing after the Nestorian controversy; his remark about “the one nature of flesh and divinity” refers to the disputes of his own day. Translated as written.
- Flavian's charge that Paulinus “does away with the Trinity of hypostases” refers to Paulinus's party's speaking of one hypostasis.
Topics: Christology, Trinity, Heresy, Church office
Cite (SBL): Theodoret, Hist. eccl. 5.3 (GCS 19:279–282; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-historia-ecclesiastica/5-3). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-historia-ecclesiastica/5-3
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-theodoret-historia-ecclesiastica-5-3) · 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.
5.4GCS 19:282–284
Ἀπολινάριος δὲ τῆς τῶν ἐκκλησιῶν ἡγεμονίας διαμαρτών, διαρρήδην λοιπὸν τὴν καινοτομηθεῖσαν διδασκαλίαν ἐκήρυττε καὶ τῆς αἱρέσεως ἑαυτὸν ἀπέφηνεν ἀρχηγόν. καὶ αὐτὸς μὲν ἐν Δαοδιχείᾳ τὰ πλεῖστα διέτριβεν" ἐν Ἀντιοχείᾳ δὲ ἤδη πρότερον ἐκεχειροτονήκει Βιτάλιον, βίῳ μὲν ἀρίστῳ κοσμούμενον καὶ τοῖς ἀποστολικοῖς δύγμασιν ἐντεθραμμένον, ὕστερον δὲ τὴν νόσον δεξάμενον. 1ὅ Ὁ δὲ θεῖος Πῆηελέτιος Διόδωρον ἐκεῖνον, οὗ καὶ πρόσθεν ἐμνήσθην, τὸν ἐν τῷ παγχαλέπῳ κλύδωνι ἀβάπτιστον τὸ τῆς ἐκκλησίας διασο)σαντα σκάφος, Ἰαρσῶν κατέστησε ποιμένα καὶ τὸ Κιλίκων αὐτῷ ἐνεχείρισεν ἔθνος. Ἀπαμείας δὲ τὴν ἀρχιερατικὴν ἐπιμέλειαν Ἰωάννῃ πεπίστευκεν, ὃς εἶχε μὲν καὶ τοῦ γένους τὴν περιφάνειαν, κατορθώμασι δὲ μᾶλλον οἰκείοις ἢ ἢ προγονικοῖς ἐλαμπρύνετο" κατὰ ταὐτὸν γὰρ αὐτὸν “καὶ λόγος ἐκόσμει καὶ βίος. οὗτος ἐν τῷ τῆς ζάλης καιρῷ τὸν τῶν ὁμοπίστων ἐκυβέρνησε σύλλογον, συνεργὸν δὲ εἶχε τὸν ἀξιέπαινον Στέφανον. ἀλλὰ καὶ τοῦτον ὁ θεῖος λ]ελέτιος εἰς ἑτέρους ἀγῶνας μετέστησε." μαθὼν γὰρ ὑπὸ τῆς Εὐδοξίου λώβης διεφθάρθαι τὴν Γερμανίχειαν, τοῦτον ἀπέστειλεν ἰατρὸν ἀλεξίκακον" καὶ διὰ πάσης γὰρ ἦκτο παιδείας ἹΒλληνικῆς καὶ τοῖς θείοις ἐνετέθραπτο δόγμασι. καὶ τῆς ἐλπίδος οὐκ ἐψεύσθη" τῇ γὰρ πνευματικῇ χρώμενος διδασκαλίᾳ μετέβαλε τοὺς -λύκους εἰς πρόβατα. Ὁ δὲ μέγας Εὐσέβιος ἐκ τῆς ὑπερορίας ἐπανελθὼν ᾿ἀκάκιον μέν, οὗ πολὺ τὸ κλέος, ἐν Βεροίᾳ κεχειροτόνηχεν, ἐν Ἱεραπόλει δὲ Θεόδοτον, οὗ τὴν ἀσκητικὴν πολιτείαν μέχρι καὶ τήμερον ἄδουσιν ἅπαντες, Εὐσέβιον δὲ Χαλκίδος, Κύρου δὲ τῆς ἡμετέρας Ἰσίδωρον ἀξιαγάστω δὲ ἤστην ἄμφω καὶ ζήλῳ θείῳ κεχκοσμημένω. φασὶ δὲ αὐτὸν καὶ Εὐλόγιον ἐκεῖνον, τὸν ὑπὲρ τῶν ἀποστολικῶν ἠγωνισμένον δογμάτων καὶ εἰς τὴν Ἀντινὼ μετὰ Πρωτογένους ἀπεσταλμένον, τῆς Εδέσσης κεχειροτονηχέναι ποιμένα: Βάρσης γὰρ ὁ θεσπέσιος ἤδη τοῦ βίου τὸ τέλος ἐδέδεκτο. Εὐλόγιος δὲ Πρωτογένην. τῶν ἀγώνων τὸν κοινωνόν, ταῖς Κάρραις ἐπέστησεν, ἰατρὸν ἀλεξίκακον οὐκ εὖ διακειμένῃ δωρησάμενος πόλει. ὁ δὲ θεῖος Εὐσέβιος ἔσχατον ἐπίσκοπον δῆίῆήαριν τῇ Δολιχῇ κεχειροτονηκε᾽ πολίχνη δὲ αὐτὴ σμικρὰ καὶ τῆς Αρειανικῆς νόσου κατ ἐκεῖνο καιροῦ μετειλήφει. τοῦτον τὸν Διάριν, ἀξιέπαινον ὄντα καὶ πολλοῖς εἴδεσιν ἀρετῆς ἠγλαϊσμένον, ἐνιδρῦσαι τοῖς ἱερατικοῖς ἐθελήσας θώκοις, ὁ μέγας Εὐσέβιος: τὴν Δολιχὴν κατέλαβεν. εἰσιόντε δὲ αὐτῷ γυνή τις τῆς Ἀρειανικῆς νόσου ἐμπεπλησμένη κέραμον ἄνωθεν ἐπαφῆχεν ἀπὸ τοῦ στέγους, ὃς τήν τε κεφαλὴν συνέτριψε καὶ μετ᾽ ὀλίγον εἰς τὸν ἀμείνω βίον παρέπεμψεν. ὁ δὲ τελευτῶν παρηγγύησεν, ὅρκοις τοὺς παρόντας πεδὴσας. μηδεμίαν τὴν τοῦτο δράσασαν εἰσπρᾶξαι ποινήν. καὶ τὸν οἰκεῖον γὰρ ἐζήλου δεσπότην, ὃς περὶ τῶν ἐσταυρωχότων ἔφη" πάτερ, ἄφες αὐτοῖς, οὐ γὰρ οἴδασι τί ποιοῦσις, καὶ τὸν ὁμόδουλον Στέφανον μετὰ τὰς πολλὰς τῶν λίθων νιφάδας βοήσαντα᾽ κύριε, μὴ στήσῃς αὐτοῖς τὴν ἁμαρτίαν ταύτηνε. τοιοῦτον μετὰ τοὺς παντοδαποὺς ἀγῶνας ὁ μέγας Εὐσέβιος ἐδέξατο τὸ τέλος" καὶ τοὺς ἐν Θρᾷάχῃ βαρβάρους διαφυγών, τὰς τῶν δυσσεβῶν αἱρετικῶν οὐ διέφυγε χεῖρας, ἀλλὰ δι᾿ ἐκείνων τὸν τοῦ μαρτυρίου στέφανον ἀνεδήσατο. ταῦτα μὲν οὖν μετὰ τὴν ἐπάνοδον τῶν ἐπισκόπων ἐγένετο. Γρατιανὸς δὲ τὴν Θράχην δῃουμένην μαθὼν ὑπὸ τῶν τὸν Βάλεντα κεκαυχότων βαρβάρων, καταλιπὼν τὴν Ἰταλίαν εἰς τὴν Πανονίαν ἀφίκετο.
Apolinarios de tēs tōn ekklēsiōn hēgemonias diamartōn, diarrēdēn loipon tēn kainotomētheisan didaskalian ekērytte kai tēs haireseōs heauton apephēnen archēgon. kai autos men en Daodicheią ta pleista dietriben" en Antiocheią de ēdē proteron ekecheirotonēkei Bitalion, biǭ men aristǭ kosmoumenon kai tois apostolikois dygmasin entethrammenon, hysteron de tēn noson dexamenon. 1ho Ho de theios Pēēeletios Diodōron ekeinon, hou kai prosthen emnēsthēn, ton en tǭ panchalepǭ klydōni abaptiston to tēs ekklēsias diaso)santa skaphos, Iarsōn katestēse poimena kai to Kilikōn autǭ enecheirisen ethnos. Apameias de tēn archieratikēn epimeleian Iōannę̄ pepisteuken, hos eiche men kai tou genous tēn periphaneian, katorthōmasi de mallon oikeiois ē ē progonikois elampryneto" kata tauton gar auton “kai logos ekosmei kai bios. houtos en tǭ tēs zalēs kairǭ ton tōn homopistōn ekybernēse syllogon, synergon de eiche ton axiepainon Stephanon. alla kai touton ho theios l]eletios eis heterous agōnas metestēse." mathōn gar hypo tēs Eudoxiou lōbēs diephtharthai tēn Germanicheian, touton apesteilen iatron alexikakon" kai dia pasēs gar ēkto paideias HiBllēnikēs kai tois theiois enetethrapto dogmasi. kai tēs elpidos ouk epseusthē" tę̄ gar pneumatikę̄ chrōmenos didaskalią metebale tous -lykous eis probata. Ho de megas Eusebios ek tēs hyperorias epanelthōn ᾿akakion men, hou poly to kleos, en Beroią kecheirotonēchen, en Hierapolei de Theodoton, hou tēn askētikēn politeian mechri kai tēmeron adousin hapantes, Eusebion de Chalkidos, Kyrou de tēs hēmeteras Isidōron axiagastō de ēstēn amphō kai zēlǭ theiǭ kechkosmēmenō. phasi de auton kai Eulogion ekeinon, ton hyper tōn apostolikōn ēgōnismenon dogmatōn kai eis tēn Antinō meta Prōtogenous apestalmenon, tēs Edessēs kecheirotonēchenai poimena: Barsēs gar ho thespesios ēdē tou biou to telos ededekto. Eulogios de Prōtogenēn. tōn agōnōn ton koinōnon, tais Karrais epestēsen, iatron alexikakon ouk eu diakeimenę̄ dōrēsamenos polei. ho de theios Eusebios eschaton episkopon dēiēēarin tę̄ Dolichę̄ kecheirotonēke᾽ polichnē de autē smikra kai tēs Areianikēs nosou kat ekeino kairou meteilēphei. touton ton Diarin, axiepainon onta kai pollois eidesin aretēs ēglaïsmenon, enidrysai tois hieratikois ethelēsas thōkois, ho megas Eusebios: tēn Dolichēn katelaben. eisionte de autǭ gynē tis tēs Areianikēs nosou empeplēsmenē keramon anōthen epaphēchen apo tou stegous, hos tēn te kephalēn synetripse kai met᾽ oligon eis ton ameinō bion parepempsen. ho de teleutōn parēngyēsen, horkois tous parontas pedēsas. mēdemian tēn touto drasasan eispraxai poinēn. kai ton oikeion gar ezēlou despotēn, hos peri tōn estaurōchotōn ephē" pater, aphes autois, ou gar oidasi ti poiousis, kai ton homodoulon Stephanon meta tas pollas tōn lithōn niphadas boēsanta᾽ kyrie, mē stēsę̄s autois tēn hamartian tautēne. toiouton meta tous pantodapous agōnas ho megas Eusebios edexato to telos" kai tous en Thrąachę̄ barbarous diaphygōn, tas tōn dyssebōn hairetikōn ou diephyge cheiras, alla di᾿ ekeinōn ton tou martyriou stephanon anedēsato. tauta men oun meta tēn epanodon tōn episkopōn egeneto. Gratianos de tēn Thrachēn dę̄oumenēn mathōn hypo tōn ton Balenta kekauchotōn barbarōn, katalipōn tēn Italian eis tēn Panonian aphiketo.
Apolinarius, having failed to obtain the leadership of the churches, from then on proclaimed openly the teaching he had invented and made himself leader of the heresy. He himself spent most of his time in Laodicea; but in Antioch he had already ordained Vitalius, a man adorned with an excellent life and brought up in the apostolic doctrines, who later received the disease.
The divine Meletius appointed that Diodore, whom I mentioned before, who in the very grievous storm had kept the ship of the church unsunk, as shepherd of Tarsus, and entrusted the province of the Cilicians to him. The high-priestly care of Apamea he entrusted to John, who had the distinction of family, but shone rather with achievements of his own than with those of his ancestors; for both word and life adorned him alike. He had governed the assembly of those of the same faith in the time of the storm, and had as his fellow worker the praiseworthy Stephen. But the divine Meletius moved him too to other contests. For learning that Germanicia had been corrupted by the infection of Eudoxius, he sent him as a healer against evil; for he had gone through all Greek learning and been nourished on the divine doctrines. Nor was he disappointed of his hope; for using spiritual teaching he changed the wolves into sheep.
The great Eusebius, returning from exile, ordained Acacius, whose fame is great, in Beroea, Theodotus in Hierapolis, whose ascetic life all celebrate to this day, Eusebius at Chalcis, and Isidore at our Cyrus; both were admirable and adorned with divine zeal. They say that he also ordained as shepherd of Edessa that Eulogius who had contended for the apostolic doctrines and been sent to Antinoë with Protogenes; for the godly Barses had already come to the end of his life. Eulogius set Protogenes, his partner in the contests, over Carrhae, giving a healer against evil to a city not well disposed. The divine Eusebius ordained as his last bishop Maris for Doliche, a small town which at that time had shared in the Arian disease. Wishing to install this Maris, a praiseworthy man adorned with many kinds of virtue, on the priestly throne, the great Eusebius went to Doliche. As he entered, a woman filled with the Arian disease threw down a tile from the roof, which crushed his head and a little later sent him to the better life. Dying, he charged those present, binding them with oaths, that the woman who had done this should pay no penalty. For he imitated his own Master, who said of those who crucified him, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing,” and his fellow servant Stephen, who after the many showers of stones cried out, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” Such was the end the great Eusebius received after his various contests; having escaped the barbarians in Thrace, he did not escape the hands of the impious heretics, but through them bound on the crown of martyrdom. These things happened after the return of the bishops.
Gratian, learning that Thrace was being ravaged by the barbarians who had burned Valens, left Italy and came to Pannonia.
Luke 23:34 (quotation, high confidence) · Acts 7:60 (quotation, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Apolinarius openly heads his own sect and ordains Vitalius at Antioch; Meletius and Eusebius of Samosata appoint orthodox bishops in Syria and Cilicia, and Eusebius is killed by a tile thrown by an Arian woman at Doliche, forgiving her as he dies; Gratian moves to Pannonia against the Goths.
- The section begins where NPNF's chapter 4 begins (“Apolinarius, having failed ...”); checked against NPNF.
- “Father, forgive them”: Luke 23:34. “Lord, do not hold this sin against them”: Acts 7:60.
Topics: Heresy, Church office, Martyrdom
Cite (SBL): Theodoret, Hist. eccl. 5.4 (GCS 19:282–284; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-historia-ecclesiastica/5-4). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-historia-ecclesiastica/5-4
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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.
5.5GCS 19:284–285
Κατ᾽ ἐχεῖνρον δὲ τὸν καιρὸν Θεοδόσιος διά τε τὴν. τῶν προγόνων περιφάνειαν καὶ διὰ τὴν οἰκείαν ἀνδρείαν ὀνομαστότατος ἦν, καὶ τούτου χάριν ὑπὸ τοῦ φθόνου τῶν ὁμοτίμων τε καὶ ὁμοφύλων βαλλόμενος ἐν ταῖς Σπανίαις διέτριβεν" ἐν ἐκείναις γὰρ ἔφυ τε καὶ ἐτράφη. ἀπορῶν δὴ οὖν ὃ βασιλεὺς. ὁ τι χρὴ δρᾶσαι (φυσηθέντες γὰρ ἐκ τῆς νίκης οἱ βάρβαροι δύσμαχοι ἠσάν τε καὶ ἐδόκουν), τὴν Θεούοσίου στρατηγίαν λύσιν ὑπέλαβε τῶν κακῶν. αὐτίκα δὴ οὖν ἐκ τῶν Σπανιῶν τὸν ἄνδρα μεταπεμψάμενος καὶ στρατηγὸν χειροτονήσας, μετὰ τῆς συνειλεγμένης ἐξέπεμψε στρατιᾶς. ὁ δὲ τῇ πίστει φραξαμενος θαρσαλέως ἐξώρμησε" καὶ τῆς Θράκης ἐπιβὰς καὶ τοὺς βαρβάρους θεασάμενος ὁμόσε χωροῦντας, ἔταξε τὴν στρατιὰν ὡς εἰς μάχην. ἁψιμαχίας δὲ γενομένης, οὐχ ἐνεγκόντες ἐκεῖνοι τὴν ἐμβολὴν τὴν τάξιν κατέλιπον. τῆς δὲ τροπῆς γενομένης, οἱ μὲν ἔφευγον, οἱ δὲ κατὰ κράτος ἐδίωκον. πολὺς δὲ φόνος τῶ βαρβάρων ἐγένετο" οὐ μόνον γὰρ ὑπὸ Ῥωμαίων ἀλλὰ καὶ ὑπ᾽ ἀλλήλων ἐκτείνοντο. οὕτω δὲ τῶν πλείστων ἀναιρεθέντων, ὀλίγων δὲ τῶν λαθεῖν δυνηθέντων διαβάντων τὸν Ἴστρον, εὐθὺς ὁ ἄριστος στρατηγός, ἣν εἶχε στρατιὰν ἐν ταῖς πελαζούσαις πόλεσι διελών, αὐτὸς πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα Γρατιανὸν κατὰ τάχος ἐλαύνων ἀφίκετο, τῶν οἰκείων τροπαίων γενόμενος ἂγγελος. καὶ πιστὰ μὲν λέγειν οὐδὲ αὐτῷ ἐδόκει τῷ βασιλεῖ. ὑπερεκπλητ- : τομένῳ τὸ γεγονός" οἱ δὲ ταῖς ἀκίσι τοῦ φθόνου βαλλόμενοι καὶ πεφευγέναι αὐτὸν ἔλεγον καὶ διεφθαρχέναι τὴν στρατιάν. ὁ δὲ τοὺς ἀντιτεταγμένους ἐξήτησεν ἀποστεῖλαι καὶ γνῶναι τῶν ἀνῃρημένων βαρβάρων τὸ πλῆθος. ὁῴδιον δὲ ἔφη καὶ ἀπὸ τῶν σκύλων ἐπι γνῶναι τὸν ἀριθμόν. τούτοις εἴξας τοῖς λόγοις ὁ βασιλεὺς ἀπέστειλε τοὺς ὀψομένους τὰ πεπραγμένα καὶ ταῦτα μηνύσοντας.
Kat᾽ echeinron de ton kairon Theodosios dia te tēn. tōn progonōn periphaneian kai dia tēn oikeian andreian onomastotatos ēn, kai toutou charin hypo tou phthonou tōn homotimōn te kai homophylōn ballomenos en tais Spaniais dietriben" en ekeinais gar ephy te kai etraphē. aporōn dē oun ho basileus. ho ti chrē drasai (physēthentes gar ek tēs nikēs hoi barbaroi dysmachoi ēsan te kai edokoun), tēn Theouosiou stratēgian lysin hypelabe tōn kakōn. autika dē oun ek tōn Spaniōn ton andra metapempsamenos kai stratēgon cheirotonēsas, meta tēs syneilegmenēs exepempse stratias. ho de tę̄ pistei phraxamenos tharsaleōs exōrmēse" kai tēs Thrakēs epibas kai tous barbarous theasamenos homose chōrountas, etaxe tēn stratian hōs eis machēn. hapsimachias de genomenēs, ouch enenkontes ekeinoi tēn embolēn tēn taxin katelipon. tēs de tropēs genomenēs, hoi men epheugon, hoi de kata kratos ediōkon. polys de phonos tō barbarōn egeneto" ou monon gar hypo Rhōmaiōn alla kai hyp᾽ allēlōn ekteinonto. houtō de tōn pleistōn anairethentōn, oligōn de tōn lathein dynēthentōn diabantōn ton Istron, euthys ho aristos stratēgos, hēn eiche stratian en tais pelazousais polesi dielōn, autos pros ton basilea Gratianon kata tachos elaunōn aphiketo, tōn oikeiōn tropaiōn genomenos angelos. kai pista men legein oude autǭ edokei tǭ basilei. hyperekplēt- : tomenǭ to gegonos" hoi de tais akisi tou phthonou ballomenoi kai pepheugenai auton elegon kai diephtharchenai tēn stratian. ho de tous antitetagmenous exētēsen aposteilai kai gnōnai tōn anę̄rēmenōn barbarōn to plēthos. hoǭdion de ephē kai apo tōn skylōn epi gnōnai ton arithmon. toutois eixas tois logois ho basileus apesteile tous opsomenous ta pepragmena kai tauta mēnysontas.
At that time Theodosius was very renowned both for the distinction of his ancestors and for his own courage, and for this reason, struck by the envy of his peers and kinsmen, he was living in the Spains; for there he had been born and brought up. The emperor, at a loss what to do (for the barbarians, puffed up by their victory, were and seemed hard to fight), considered Theodosius's generalship the solution of the evils. At once he sent for the man from the Spains, appointed him general, and sent him off with the army that had been gathered. He, fenced with faith, set out boldly; and entering Thrace and seeing the barbarians advancing to close quarters, he drew up the army as for battle. When skirmishing began, they could not bear the onset and left their ranks. When the rout came, they fled and the others pursued with all their might. There was great slaughter of the barbarians; for they were killed not only by the Romans but by one another. When most had thus been killed and the few who escaped notice had crossed the Danube, the excellent general at once distributed the army he had in the neighbouring cities and himself rode at speed to the emperor Gratian, as messenger of his own trophies. Even to the emperor his words did not seem credible, so astonished was he at what had happened; and those struck by the darts of envy said that he had fled and destroyed the army. He asked that men be sent to see and learn the number of the barbarians killed; it was easy, he said, to know the number from the spoils too. Yielding to these words, the emperor sent men to see what had been done and report it.
Notes and citation
Summary: Gratian summons Theodosius from Spain as general; he routs the Goths in Thrace and reports the victory himself, and when envious courtiers disbelieve him, Gratian sends men to verify it.
Cite (SBL): Theodoret, Hist. eccl. 5.5 (GCS 19:284–285; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-historia-ecclesiastica/5-5). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-historia-ecclesiastica/5-5
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-theodoret-historia-ecclesiastica-5-5) · 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.
5.6GCS 19:285–286
Ὁ δὲ ἄριστος στρατηγὸς αὐτόθι μείνας ὄψιν εἶδε θεσπεσίαν τινὰ καὶ παρ᾽ αὐτοῦ σαφῶς αὐτῷ δειχθεῖσαν τοῦ τῶν ὅλων θεοῦ. ἐδόκει γὰρ δρᾶν τὸν θεῖον Δελέτιον, τῆς Ἀντιοχέων ἐκκλησίας τὸν πρόεδρον. χλανίδα τε αὐτῷ περιτιθέντα βασιλικὴν καὶ παραπλησίῳ στεφάνῳ κοσμοῦντα τὴν κεφαλήν. ταῦτα νύκτωρ ἰδὼν ἐμήνυσεν ἕωθεν τῶν συνήθων τινί. ὃ δὲ σαφὲς εἶναι τὸ ἐνύπνιον ἔφη καὶ μηδὲν αἰνιγματῶδες μηδὲ ἀμφίβολον ἔχειν. ὀλίγων δὲ ἄγαν διελθουσῶν ἡμερῶν, ἐπανῆλθον μὲν τῶν πεπραγμένων οἱ ἔφοροι, καὶ χκατηκοντίσθαι τὰς πολλὰς τῶν βαρβάρων ἔφησαν μυριάδας. πεισθεὶς δὲ ὁ βασιλεύς, ὡς ἄριστα ψηφισάμενος, αὐτὸν στρατηγόν, βασιλέα κεχειροτόνηκε, καὶ τῆς Βάλεντος μοίρας τὰ σκῆπτρα παρέδωκε. καὶ αὐτὸς μὲν ἐπὶ τὴν Ἰταλίαν ἐξώρμησεν, ἐκεῖνον δὲ εἰς τὴν δοθεῖσαν ἡγεμονίαν ἐξέπεμφεν. Εὐθὺς δὴ οὖν τὴν βασιλείαν παραλαβὼν τῆς τῶν ἐκκλησιῶν πρὸ τῶν ἄλλων συμφωνίας ἐπεμελήθη, καὶ τοὺς τῆς οἰκείας ἢγεμονίας ἐπισκόπους εἰς τὴν Κωνσταντινούπολεν δραμεῖν. παρηγγύησεν. αὕτη γὰρ μόνη τῆς Ἀρειαρικῆς ἐνεπέπληστο λώβης" ὴ γὰρ Ἑυπέρα τῆς νόσου ταύτης ἐλευθέρα διέμεινε. Κωνσταντῖνος μὲν γὰρ ὃ τῶν Κωνσταντίνου παίδων πρεσβύτατος καὶ Κώνοτας ὁ νεώτατος τὴν πατρῴαν πίστιν ἀκήρατον διετήρησαν καὶ αὖ πάλιν Βαλεντινιανὸς ὁ τῆς Ἑσπέρας βασιλεὺς ἀκραιφνῆ διεφύλαξε τὴν εὐσέβειαν.
Ho de aristos stratēgos autothi meinas opsin eide thespesian tina kai par᾽ autou saphōs autǭ deichtheisan tou tōn holōn theou. edokei gar dran ton theion Deletion, tēs Antiocheōn ekklēsias ton proedron. chlanida te autǭ peritithenta basilikēn kai paraplēsiǭ stephanǭ kosmounta tēn kephalēn. tauta nyktōr idōn emēnysen heōthen tōn synēthōn tini. ho de saphes einai to enypnion ephē kai mēden ainigmatōdes mēde amphibolon echein. oligōn de agan dielthousōn hēmerōn, epanēlthon men tōn pepragmenōn hoi ephoroi, kai chkatēkontisthai tas pollas tōn barbarōn ephēsan myriadas. peistheis de ho basileus, hōs arista psēphisamenos, auton stratēgon, basilea kecheirotonēke, kai tēs Balentos moiras ta skēptra paredōke. kai autos men epi tēn Italian exōrmēsen, ekeinon de eis tēn dotheisan hēgemonian exepemphen. Euthys dē oun tēn basileian paralabōn tēs tōn ekklēsiōn pro tōn allōn symphōnias epemelēthē, kai tous tēs oikeias ēgemonias episkopous eis tēn Kōnstantinoupolen dramein. parēngyēsen. hautē gar monē tēs Areiarikēs enepeplēsto lōbēs" ē gar Heupera tēs nosou tautēs eleuthera diemeine. Kōnstantinos men gar ho tōn Kōnstantinou paidōn presbytatos kai Kōnotas ho neōtatos tēn patrǭan pistin akēraton dietērēsan kai au palin Balentinianos ho tēs Hesperas basileus akraiphnē diephylaxe tēn eusebeian.
The excellent general, staying there, saw a divine vision clearly shown to him by the God of the universe. He seemed to see the divine Meletius, president of the church of the Antiochenes, putting an imperial robe on him and adorning his head with a crown to match. Having seen this by night, he told it in the morning to one of his companions, who said that the dream was clear and had nothing enigmatic or ambiguous. Very few days later the inspectors of what had been done returned and said that many tens of thousands of barbarians had been struck down. The emperor, persuaded, voted most wisely and appointed him, his general, emperor, and handed him the sceptre of Valens's share. He himself set off for Italy and sent him off to the empire given him.
As soon as he took over the empire, he cared before all else for the agreement of the churches, and directed the bishops of his own realm to hasten to Constantinople. For this realm alone had been filled with the Arian infection; the West had remained free of this disease. For Constantine, the eldest of the sons of Constantine, and Constans, the youngest, kept their father's faith inviolate, and Valentinian, the emperor of the West, again preserved true religion unmixed.
Notes and citation
Summary: Theodosius dreams that Meletius crowns him; when his victory is confirmed, Gratian makes him emperor of the East, and Theodosius summons the eastern bishops to Constantinople, since only the East had been infected by Arianism.
- Theodosius became emperor in January 379.
Topics: Church office
Cite (SBL): Theodoret, Hist. eccl. 5.6 (GCS 19:285–286; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-historia-ecclesiastica/5-6). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-historia-ecclesiastica/5-6
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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.
5.7GCS 19:286–287
Τὸ δὲ τμῆμα τὸ ἕῷον πολλαχόθεν τὴν λώβην ταύτην ἐδέξατο. Ἀρειός τε γάρ, Ἀλεξανδρείας τῆς Αἰγυπτίας πρεσβύτερος ὦν, ἐκεῖ τὴν βλασφημίαν ἐγέννησε᾽ καὶ Εὐσέβιος καὶ Πατρόφιλος καὶ ᾿Δέτιος οἱ Παλαιστῖνοι, καὶ Παυλῖνος καὶ Γρηγόριος οἱ Φοίνικες, καὶ ὁ Δαοόικείας Θεόδοτος καὶ ὁ μετὰ τοῦτον Τεώργιος, καὶ μετὰ τούτων Ἀθανάσιός τε καὶ Νάρκισσος οἱ Κίλικες τὰ κακῶς καταβληθέντα ἐξέθρεφψαν σπέρματα. Πύὐσέβιός τε καὶ Θεογόνιος οἱ Βιθυνοὶ καὶ ΜΜηνόφαντος ὃ Ἐφέσιος καὶ Θεόδωρος ὃ Περίνθιος καὶ Μάρις ὁ Χαλχηδόνιος καὶ ἕτεροί τινες ἀπὸ τῆς Θράκης, ἀπὸ κακίας μόνης ἐπίσημοι, μέχρι πολλοῦ διετέλεσαν τῶν ζιζανίων τὴν σπορὰν ἀρδεύοντές τὲ καὶ διαθάλποντες. τοῖς δὲ κακοῖς συνέπραξε γεωργοῖς Κωνσταντίου ἡ εὐκολία καὶ ἡ Βάλεντος μοχθηρία. τούτου δὴ εἵνεκα μόνης τῆς οἰκείας βασιλείας τοὺς ἐπισκόπους εἰς τὴν Κωνσταντινούπολιν συναθροισθῆναι προσέταξεν. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ ἀφίκοντο (πεντήκοντα δὲ ἦσαν καὶ ἑκατόν), παρηγγύησε μηδένα οἱ μηνῦσαι ὅστις ὁ μέγας εἴη Μελέτιος" ἐβούλετο γὰρ ἐκ τῆς τοῦ ἐνυπνίου μνήμης μηνυθῆναι τὸν ἄνδρα. καὶ ἐπειδὴ εἰς τὸν βασίλειον εἰσελήλυθεν οἶκον ἅπας ἐκεῖνος τῶν ἐπισκόπων ὃ ὅμιλος, τοὺς ἄλλους καταλιπὼν ἅπαντας τῷ μεγάλῳ Π]ελετίῳ προσέδραμε, καὶ οἷόν τις παῖς φιλοπάτωρ διὰ χρόνου μακροῦ θέας πατρικῆς ἀπολαύσας, περιεπτύσσετό τε καὶ κατεφίλει καὶ ὀφθαλμοὺς καὶ χείλη καὶ στέρνα καὶ τὴν κεφαλὴν καὶ τὴν στεφανώσασαν δεξιάν" ἐδήλωσε δὲ καὶ τὴν ὄψιν ἣν εἶδε. φιλοφρονησάμενος δὲ καὶ τοὺς ἄλλους ἅπαντας, βουλεύσασθαι περὶ τῶν προκειμένων ὡς πατέρας τ ἰξίωσε.
To de tmēma to heǭon pollachothen tēn lōbēn tautēn edexato. Areios te gar, Alexandreias tēs Aigyptias presbyteros ōn, ekei tēn blasphēmian egennēse᾽ kai Eusebios kai Patrophilos kai ᾿Detios hoi Palaistinoi, kai Paulinos kai Grēgorios hoi Phoinikes, kai ho Daooikeias Theodotos kai ho meta touton Teōrgios, kai meta toutōn Athanasios te kai Narkissos hoi Kilikes ta kakōs katablēthenta exethrephpsan spermata. Pyysebios te kai Theogonios hoi Bithynoi kai MMēnophantos ho Ephesios kai Theodōros ho Perinthios kai Maris ho Chalchēdonios kai heteroi tines apo tēs Thrakēs, apo kakias monēs episēmoi, mechri pollou dietelesan tōn zizaniōn tēn sporan ardeuontes te kai diathalpontes. tois de kakois synepraxe geōrgois Kōnstantiou hē eukolia kai hē Balentos mochthēria. toutou dē heineka monēs tēs oikeias basileias tous episkopous eis tēn Kōnstantinoupolin synathroisthēnai prosetaxen. Epeidē de aphikonto (pentēkonta de ēsan kai hekaton), parēngyēse mēdena hoi mēnysai hostis ho megas eiē Meletios" ebouleto gar ek tēs tou enypniou mnēmēs mēnythēnai ton andra. kai epeidē eis ton basileion eiselēlythen oikon hapas ekeinos tōn episkopōn ho homilos, tous allous katalipōn hapantas tǭ megalǭ P]eletiǭ prosedrame, kai hoion tis pais philopatōr dia chronou makrou theas patrikēs apolausas, perieptysseto te kai katephilei kai ophthalmous kai cheilē kai sterna kai tēn kephalēn kai tēn stephanōsasan dexian" edēlōse de kai tēn opsin hēn eide. philophronēsamenos de kai tous allous hapantas, bouleusasthai peri tōn prokeimenōn hōs pateras t ixiōse.
The eastern part received this infection from many quarters. For Arius, a presbyter of Alexandria in Egypt, gave birth to the blasphemy there; and Eusebius, Patrophilus, and Aetius of Palestine, Paulinus and Gregory of Phoenicia, Theodotus of Laodicea and George after him, and with them Athanasius and Narcissus of Cilicia, nourished the wickedly sown seeds. Eusebius and Theognis of Bithynia, Menophantus of Ephesus, Theodore of Perinthus, Maris of Chalcedon, and certain others from Thrace, distinguished only for wickedness, continued for a long time watering and warming the sowing of the tares. The easiness of Constantius and the wickedness of Valens worked together with the wicked farmers. For this reason he ordered the bishops of his own realm alone to assemble at Constantinople.
When they had arrived (there were a hundred and fifty), he directed that no one should tell him which was the great Meletius; for he wished the man to be revealed by the memory of the dream. And when that whole assembly of bishops had entered the palace, he passed by all the others and ran to the great Meletius, and like a son who loves his father and enjoys the sight of his father after a long time, he embraced him and kissed his eyes, lips, breast, head, and the right hand that had crowned him; and he told him the vision he had seen. Having greeted all the others kindly too, he asked them, as fathers, to deliberate about the matters before them.
Matt 13:25 (allusion, medium confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Theodoret lists the eastern bishops who spread Arianism; at the council of Constantinople (381) Theodosius recognizes Meletius from his dream among the hundred and fifty bishops and embraces him.
- The tares: Matt 13:25.
Topics: Heresy, Church office
Cite (SBL): Theodoret, Hist. eccl. 5.7 (GCS 19:286–287; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-historia-ecclesiastica/5-7). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-historia-ecclesiastica/5-7
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-theodoret-historia-ecclesiastica-5-7) · 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.
5.8GCS 19:287–289
Κατ’ ἐκεῖνον δὲ τὸν χρόνον ὁ τὴν Ναξιανζὸν τὰ τελευταῖα ποιμάνας ἐν Κωνσταντινουπόλει διέτριβε, ταῖς Ἀρειανικαῖς ἀντιταττόμενος βλασφημίαις" καὶ τόν τε θεῖον λαὸν ταῖς εὐαγγελικαῖς ἄρδων διδασκαλίαις τούς τε τῆς ποίμνης ἔξω πλανωμένους ἀγρεύων καὶ τῆς ὀλεθρίου πόας ἐλευθερῶν, οὕτω τὴν ποίμνην ἐκείνην ἐξ ὀλίγης μεγάλην ἀπέφηνε. τοῦτον ἰδὼν ὁ θεῖος Μελέτιος καὶ τῶν τὸν κανόνα γεγραφότων τὸν σκοπὸν ἐπιστάμενος (τὰς γὰρ τῆς φιλαρχίας ἀφορμὰς περικόπτοντες ἐκώλυσαν τὴν μετάθεσιν). ἐβεβαίωσε τῷ θειοτάτῳ Τρηγορίῳ τὴ τῆς Κοωνσταντινουπόλεος προεδρίαν. ὀλίγου δὲ διελθόντος χρόνου, ὁ μὲν θεῖος Διελέτιος εἰς τὴν ἄλυπον μετέστη ζωήν, ὑπὸ πάντων τῶν λόγου μετειληχότων ταῖς ἐπιταφίοις ταινεῶθεὶς εὐφημίαις. Τιμόθεος δὲ ὁ τῆς Ἀλεξανδρέων ἐπίσκοπος, ὃς Πέτρον διεδέξατο τὸν τῆς Ἰθανασίου προεδρίας κληρονόμον γενόμενον, ἀντὶ τοῦ θαυμασίου Τρηγορίου Μιάξιμόν τινα κεχειροτόνηκε χυνιχόν, εὐθὺς αὐτοῦ τὰς κυνικὰς ἀποκείρας τρίχας" καὶ τῆς Ἀπολιναρίου δὲ τερθρείας ἀνάπλεως οὗτος ἣν. Ἀλλ οὐκ ἤνεγκαν τοῦ γεγενημένου τὴν ἀτοπίαν οἱ τηνικαῦτα συνειλεγμένοι. ἦσαν δὲ ἄνδρες ἀξιάγαστοι καὶ ζήλου θείου καὶ σοφίας ἀνάπλεοι' Ἑλλάδιος μὲν ὁ τῆς τοῦ μεγάλου Βασιλείου προεδρίας διάδοχος, Γρηγόριος δὲ καὶ Πέτρος οἱ τοὺς αὐτοὺς Βασιλείῳ πατέρας αὐχήσαντες" Ἀἀμφιλόχιος δὲ Λυκαόνων ἡγεῖτο καὶ Πισιδῶν Ὄπτιμος καὶ Κιλίκων Διόδωρος. παρῆν δὲ καὶ Πελάγιος ὁ Λαοδικείας καὶ Εὐλόγιος ὁ Ἐδέσσης καὶ ᾿᾿κάκιος καὶ Ἰσίδωρος ὁ ἡμέτερος καὶ Κύριλλος ὁ τῶν Ἱεροσολύμων, καὶ Γελάσιος ὃ Καισαρείας τῆς Παλαιστίνης, λόγῳ καὶ βίῳ κοσμούμενος, καὶ ἕτεροι πλεῖστοι τῆς ἀρετῆς ἀθληταί. τότε δὴ οὖν οὗτοι πάντες τῶν “Αἰγυπτίων σφὰς αὐτοὺς ἀποχρίναντες, σὺν τῷ μεγάλῳ Γρηγορίῳ τὰς πανηγύρεις ἐπετέλουν τὰς θείας. Ὁ δὲ θεῖος παρεκάλει Γρηγόριος συμφωνίας πέρι συνηθροισμένους τὴν πρὸς ἀλλήλους ὁμόνοιαν προτιμῆσαι τῆς ἑνὸς ἀνδρὸς ἀδικίας. ἐγώ τε γάρε, ἔφη, τῶν πλειόνων φροντίδων ἀπαλλαγεὶς τὴν ἐμοὶ φίλην ἀπολήψομαι ἡσυχίαν, καὶ ὑμεῖς τὴν τριπόθητον εἰρήνην μετὰ τὸν μακρὸν ἐκεῖνον καὶ χαλεπὸν ἀπολήψεσθε πόλεμον. τῶν γὰρ λίαν ἀτοπωτάτων ἄρτι τῶν πολεμικῶν ἀπαλλαγέντας βελῶν ἀλλήλους βάλλειν καὶ τὴν οἰκείαν ἀναλίσκειν ἰσχύν" ἐπίχαρτοι γὰρ οὕτω τοῖς δυσμενέσιν ἐσόμεθα. ἄνδρα δὴ οὖν ἐπιζητήσαντες ἀξιέπαινον καὶ γοῦν ἔχοντα,. τῶν φροντίδων τὸ πλῆθος καὶ δέξασθαι καὶ εὑ διαθεῖναι δυνάμενον, ἀρχιερέα προβάλλεσθε. ταύταις οἱ ἄριστοι ποιμένες ταῖς ὑποθήκαις πεισθέντες, Μεκτάριον, εὐπατρίδην ἄνδρα καὶ περιφανείᾳ γένους κοσμούμενον καὶ τοῖς τῆς ἀρετῆς εἴδεσι λαμπρυγόμενον, ἐπίσκ πον τῆς μεγίστης ἐκείνης ἐχειροτόνησαν πόλεως" τὸν δὲ Λιάξιμον, ὡς τῆς Ἀπολιναρίου φρενοβλαβείας μετειληχότα, τῆς ἀρχιερατικῆς ἀξίας γυμνώσαντες ἀπεκήρυξαν. καὶ κανόνας δὲ περὶ τῆς ἐκκλησιαστικῆς γράψαντες εὐκοσμίας καὶ τὴν ἐκτεθεῖσαν ἐν Νικαίᾳ πίστιν βεβαίαν μένειν διαγορεύσαντες, εἰς τὰς οἰκείας ἐπανῆλθον πατρίδας. Τοῦ δὲ ἐπιγενομένου θέρους εἰς ἐκείνην αὖθις τὴν πόλιν οἱ πλεῖστοι τούτων παραγενόμενοι (ἐκκλησιαστιχαὶ γὰρ αὐτοὺς πάλιν συνεκάλεσαν χρεῖαι!) συνοδικὴν ἐπιστολὴν τῶν τῆς Ἑσπέρας ἐπισκόπων ἐδέξαντο εἰς τὴν Ῥώμην αὐτοὺς ἀφικέσθαι προτρέπουσαν, ὡς συνόδου μεγίστης αὐτόθι συγχροτουμένης. ἀλλὰ τὴν μὲν ἀποδημίαν παρῃτήσαντο, ὡς οὐδὲν ἔχουσαν κέρδος" ἐπέστειλαν δὲ τὸν τε κλύδωνα τὸν κατὰ τῶν ἐκκλησιῶν ἐπαναστάντα σημαίνοντες καὶ τὴν γεγενημένην αὐτῶν ἀμέλειαν αἰνιττόμενοι, ἐν χεφαλαίφ δὲ καὶ τὸ ἀποστολικὸν τοῖς γράμμασιν ἐνέθηκαν φρόνημα. σαφέστερον δὲ τὴν τῶν γεγραφότων ἀνδρείαν τε καὶ σοφίαν αὐτὰ δηλώσει τὰ γράμματα.
Kat’ ekeinon de ton chronon ho tēn Naxianzon ta teleutaia poimanas en Kōnstantinoupolei dietribe, tais Areianikais antitattomenos blasphēmiais" kai ton te theion laon tais euangelikais ardōn didaskaliais tous te tēs poimnēs exō planōmenous agreuōn kai tēs olethriou poas eleutherōn, houtō tēn poimnēn ekeinēn ex oligēs megalēn apephēne. touton idōn ho theios Meletios kai tōn ton kanona gegraphotōn ton skopon epistamenos (tas gar tēs philarchias aphormas perikoptontes ekōlysan tēn metathesin). ebebaiōse tǭ theiotatǭ Trēgoriǭ tē tēs Koōnstantinoupoleos proedrian. oligou de dielthontos chronou, ho men theios Dieletios eis tēn alypon metestē zōēn, hypo pantōn tōn logou meteilēchotōn tais epitaphiois taineōtheis euphēmiais. Timotheos de ho tēs Alexandreōn episkopos, hos Petron diedexato ton tēs Ithanasiou proedrias klēronomon genomenon, anti tou thaumasiou Trēgoriou Miaximon tina kecheirotonēke chynichon, euthys autou tas kynikas apokeiras trichas" kai tēs Apolinariou de terthreias anapleōs houtos hēn. All ouk ēnenkan tou gegenēmenou tēn atopian hoi tēnikauta syneilegmenoi. ēsan de andres axiagastoi kai zēlou theiou kai sophias anapleoi' Helladios men ho tēs tou megalou Basileiou proedrias diadochos, Grēgorios de kai Petros hoi tous autous Basileiǭ pateras auchēsantes" Aamphilochios de Lykaonōn hēgeito kai Pisidōn Optimos kai Kilikōn Diodōros. parēn de kai Pelagios ho Laodikeias kai Eulogios ho Edessēs kai ᾿᾿kakios kai Isidōros ho hēmeteros kai Kyrillos ho tōn Hierosolymōn, kai Gelasios ho Kaisareias tēs Palaistinēs, logǭ kai biǭ kosmoumenos, kai heteroi pleistoi tēs aretēs athlētai. tote dē oun houtoi pantes tōn “Aigyptiōn sphas autous apochrinantes, syn tǭ megalǭ Grēgoriǭ tas panēgyreis epeteloun tas theias. Ho de theios parekalei Grēgorios symphōnias peri synēthroismenous tēn pros allēlous homonoian protimēsai tēs henos andros adikias. egō te gare, ephē, tōn pleionōn phrontidōn apallageis tēn emoi philēn apolēpsomai hēsychian, kai hymeis tēn tripothēton eirēnēn meta ton makron ekeinon kai chalepon apolēpsesthe polemon. tōn gar lian atopōtatōn arti tōn polemikōn apallagentas belōn allēlous ballein kai tēn oikeian analiskein ischyn" epichartoi gar houtō tois dysmenesin esometha. andra dē oun epizētēsantes axiepainon kai goun echonta,. tōn phrontidōn to plēthos kai dexasthai kai heu diatheinai dynamenon, archierea proballesthe. tautais hoi aristoi poimenes tais hypothēkais peisthentes, Mektarion, eupatridēn andra kai periphaneią genous kosmoumenon kai tois tēs aretēs eidesi lamprygomenon, episk pon tēs megistēs ekeinēs echeirotonēsan poleōs" ton de Liaximon, hōs tēs Apolinariou phrenoblabeias meteilēchota, tēs archieratikēs axias gymnōsantes apekēryxan. kai kanonas de peri tēs ekklēsiastikēs grapsantes eukosmias kai tēn ektetheisan en Nikaią pistin bebaian menein diagoreusantes, eis tas oikeias epanēlthon patridas. Tou de epigenomenou therous eis ekeinēn authis tēn polin hoi pleistoi toutōn paragenomenoi (ekklēsiastichai gar autous palin synekalesan chreiai!) synodikēn epistolēn tōn tēs Hesperas episkopōn edexanto eis tēn Rhōmēn autous aphikesthai protrepousan, hōs synodou megistēs autothi synchrotoumenēs. alla tēn men apodēmian parę̄tēsanto, hōs ouden echousan kerdos" epesteilan de ton te klydōna ton kata tōn ekklēsiōn epanastanta sēmainontes kai tēn gegenēmenēn autōn ameleian ainittomenoi, en chephalaiph de kai to apostolikon tois grammasin enethēkan phronēma. saphesteron de tēn tōn gegraphotōn andreian te kai sophian auta dēlōsei ta grammata.
At that time the one who had lately shepherded Nazianzus was living in Constantinople, opposing the Arian blasphemies; watering the divine people with the teachings of the gospel, hunting those who wandered outside the flock and freeing them from the deadly pasture, he made that flock great from small. Seeing him, and knowing the purpose of those who wrote the canon (for, cutting off the occasions of ambition, they forbade translation), the divine Meletius confirmed the most divine Gregory in the presidency of Constantinople. A short time later the divine Meletius departed to the life free of grief, crowned with funeral praises by all who had a share of eloquence. Timothy, bishop of the Alexandrians, who had succeeded Peter, the heir of Athanasius's presidency, ordained in place of the admirable Gregory a certain Maximus, a Cynic, at once cutting off his Cynic hair; he was full of the nonsense of Apolinarius.
But those then gathered did not bear the absurdity of what had been done. They were admirable men, full of divine zeal and wisdom: Helladius, successor to the presidency of the great Basil; Gregory and Peter, who boasted the same parents as Basil; Amphilochius, who led the Lycaonians; Optimus, the Pisidians; Diodore, the Cilicians. Pelagius of Laodicea was present too, Eulogius of Edessa, Acacius, our Isidore, Cyril of Jerusalem, Gelasius of Caesarea in Palestine, adorned in word and life, and very many other athletes of virtue. Then all these, separating themselves from the Egyptians, celebrated the divine festivals with the great Gregory. But the divine Gregory urged those assembled for agreement to prefer concord with one another to the wrong done to one man. “For I,” he said, “freed from many cares, shall receive back the quiet dear to me, and you will receive the thrice-longed-for peace after that long and grievous war. For it is most absurd, just freed from the missiles of war, to strike one another and spend our own strength; for so we shall become a joy to our enemies. Seek out, then, a praiseworthy man with sense, able to receive and manage well the multitude of cares, and put him forward as high priest.” Persuaded by this advice, the excellent shepherds ordained as bishop of that very great city Nectarius, a man of noble birth, adorned with the distinction of family and shining with the forms of virtue; and they stripped Maximus of the high-priestly dignity and repudiated him, as having shared in the madness of Apolinarius. And having written canons about church order and decreed that the faith set forth at Nicaea should remain firm, they returned to their own homes.
In the following summer most of them came to that city again (for church needs called them together again) and received a synodal letter from the bishops of the West urging them to come to Rome, as a very great synod was being convened there. But they declined the journey, as having no profit; but they wrote, indicating the storm that had risen against the churches and hinting at the neglect they had experienced, and in summary they put the apostolic mind into their letter. The letter itself will show more clearly the courage and wisdom of the writers.
Notes and citation
Summary: Meletius confirms Gregory of Nazianzus as bishop of Constantinople and then dies; after Timothy of Alexandria ordains the Cynic Maximus, Gregory resigns for the sake of peace, the council elects Nectarius, deposes Maximus, issues canons, and confirms the Nicene faith; the next summer the bishops decline an invitation to Rome and write a letter.
- The canon against translating bishops: Nicaea, canon 15 (council-nicaea). The canons of the council of Constantinople are published on this site (council-constantinople-381).
- Gregory's speech is reported by Theodoret, not quoted from Gregory's writings.
Extrabiblical texts: Conc. Nic. 15 (Creed and Canons of the Council of Nicaea (325); allusion); Conc. Const. I (Canons of the Council of Constantinople (381); allusion)
Topics: Church office, Heresy
Cite (SBL): Theodoret, Hist. eccl. 5.8 (GCS 19:287–289; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-historia-ecclesiastica/5-8). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-historia-ecclesiastica/5-8
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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.