Church History 5.24–5.37
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 5
5.24GCS 19:324–327
τὴν μὲν οὖν τῶν ἐκκλησιῶν εἰρήνην τοῦτον τὸν τρόπον ὁ πιστότατος ἐπρυτάνευσε βασιλεύς. Πρὸ δὲ τῆς γεγενημένης εἰρήνης, τήν τε Βαλεντινιανοῦ τελευτὴν καὶ τὴν Εὐγενίου τυραννίδα μαθὼν εἰς τὴν Εὐρώπην ἐστράτευσε. κατ᾽ ἐκεῖνον δὲ τὸν χρόνον ἢν τις Ἰωάννης ἐν Αἰγύπτῳ τὴν ἀσχητικὴν ἀσπαζόμενος πολιτείαν. οὗτος πνευματικῆς μεταλαχὼν χάριτος πολλὰ τοῖς πυνθανομένοις προύλεγε τῶν ἐσομένων. πρὸς τοῦτον ὃ φιλόχριστος ἀπέστειλεν βασιλεύς, εἰ πολεμητέον τοῖς τυράνγοις μαθεῖν ἐφιέμενος. καὶ ἐπὶ μὲν τοῦ προτέρου πολέμου τὴν ἀναι: μοωτὶ γενομένην προηγόρευσε νίκην, ἐπὶ δὲ τοῦ δευτέρου μετὰ πολὺν φόνον νικήσειν τὸν βασιλέα προείρηκε. Μετὰ τοιαύτης ἐλπίδος στρατεύσας ὁ βασιλεὺς πολλοὺς μὲν τῶν ἐναντίων παραταττόμενος κατηκόντισε, πολλοὺς δὲ τῶν ἐπικουρούντῶν αὐτῷ βαρβάρων ἀπέβαλε. τῶν δὲ στρατηγῶν ὀλίγους εἶναι τοὺς συμπαραταττομένους φησάντων καὶ ἀνακωχήν τινα δοῦναι τῷ πολέμῳ συμβουλευσάντων, ὥστε τοῦ ἦρος ἀρχομένου στρατιὰν συναγεῖραι καὶ τῷ πλήθει περιγενέσθαι τῶν δυσμενῶν, οὐκ ἐδέξατο τὴν εἰσήγησιν ὁ πιστότατος βασιλεύς. οὐ γὰρ ἔφη χρῆναι τοσαύτην μὲν ἀσθένειαν τοῦ σωτηρίου κατηγορῆσαι σταυροῦ, τοσαύτην δὲ προσμαρτυρῆσαι δύναμιν τῇ τοῦ “Ἡρακλέους εἰκόνι" "ταύτης μὲν γὰρ ὁ σταυρὸς ἡγεῖται τῆς στρατιᾶς, τῆς δὲ τῶν ἀντιπάλων ἐκείνης. τούτων οὕτω πιστῶς εἰρημένων καὶ τῆς ὑπολειφθείσης στρατιᾶς ὀλίγης τε οἵσης καὶ λίαν ἀθυμούσης, εὑρὼν οἰκίσκον εὐκτήριον ἐν τῇ τοῦ ὄρους ἀχρωνυχίᾳ ἐν ᾧ τὸ στρατόπεδον ἢν, πάννυχος διετέλεσε τὸν τῶν ὅλων δεσπότην ἀντιβολῶν. Περὶ δὲ ἀλεκτρυόνων ῳδὰς ἐνίκησε μὲν ὁ ὕπνος τὴν γνώμην. ἐπὶ δὲ τοῦ δαπέδου χοῦ κείμενος ὁρᾶν ἐδόκει δύο τινὰς λευχειμονοῦντας ἄνδρας ἐφ᾽ ἵππων ὀχουμένους λευκῶν, οἱ θαρρεῖν τε ἐκέλευον καὶ τὸ δέος ἐξελάσαι καὶ ὑπὸ τὴν ἕω καθοπλίσαι καὶ τάξαι τὴν στρατιὰν εἰς παράταξιν᾽" ἐπίκουροι γὰρ ἔλεγον ἀπεστάλθαι καὶ πρόμαχοι. καὶ ὁ μὲν Ἰωάννην ἑαυτὸν ἔλεγεν εἶναι τὸν εὐαγγελιστήν. ὁ δὲ Φίλιππον τὸν ἀπόστολον. ταύτην ἰδὼν τὴν ὄφιν ὁ βασιλεὺς οὐκ ἔληξε τῆς ἱκετείας, ἀλλὰ μετὰ πλείονος ταύτην προθυμίας προσέφερε. τοῦτο καὶ στρατιώτης τις θεασάμενος δεδήλωκε τῷ λοχαγῷ, ἐκεῖνος δὲ τοῦτον πρὸς τὸν χιλίαρχον ἤγαγεν, ὃ δὲ χιλίαρχος ἀνήγαγεν τῷ στρατηγῷ, ὃ δὲ στρατηγὸς καινόν τι μηνύειν ὑπολαβὼν ἀπήγγειλε ταῦτα τῷ βασιλεῖ. ὁ δέ: νοὐχ ἐμοῦ ἕνεκας, ἔφη, ννταῦτα οὗτος τεθέαται" ἐγὼ γὰρ τοῖς τὴν νίκην ὑπεσχημένοις πεπίστευκα. ἀλλ᾽ μή τις ὑπολάβῃ με ὡς τῆς παρατάξεως ὀριγνώμενον πλάσαι τὴν πω" καὶ τούτῳ ταῦτα μεμήνυκεν ὁ τῆς ἐμῆς βασιλείας ἐπίκουρος, ἵνᾳ μάρτυς ἀξιόχρεως γένηται τῆς ἐμῆς διηγήσεως" πρώτῳ γὰρ ἐμοὶ ταύτὴν ὁ κοινὸς δεσπότης τὴν ὄψιν ὑπέδειξεν. ἀποσχευασάμενοι δὴ οὖν τὸ δέος τοῖς προμάχοις καὶ πολεμάρχοις ἑπώμεθα, καὶ μηδεὶς τῷ πλήθει τῶν πολεμούντων σταθμάσθω τὴν νίκην, ἀλλὰ τῶν ἡγουμένων λογιζέσθω ἕκαστος τὴν δύναμινε. ταῦτα καὶ τοῖς στρατιώταις εἰπὼν καὶ ταύτῃ ἅπαντας προθυμίας ἐμπλήσας ἐκ τῆς τοῦ ὄρους κατήγαγε κορυφῆς. ὁ δὲ τύραννος, πόρρωθεν ἰδὼν τοὺς στρατιώτας πολεμησείοντας, καθώπλισε τὴν στρατιὰν καὶ εἰς παράταξιν ἔταξεν. αὐτὸς δὲ ἐπί τινος γηλόφου μείνας θανατᾶν τε ἔφη τὸν βασιλέα καὶ τῆς παρούσης ἀπαλλαξείοντα βιοτῆς παρατάττεσθαι" καὶ τοῖς στρατηγοῖς ἐκέλευσε ζῶντά οἱ τοῦτον καὶ πεπεδημένον προσαγαγεῖν. ᾿Βπειδὴ δὲ αἱ φάλαγγες ἔστησαν, πολλαπλάσιον μὲν ἣν τῶν πολεμίων τὸ πλῆθος, εὐαρίθμητον δὲ κομιδῇ τὸ τῷ βασιλεῖ συντεταγμένον. ἀρξαμένων δὲ καὶ τούτων κἀκείνων ἀφιέναι τὰ βέλη, ἔδειξαν ἀληθεῖς τὰς ὑποσχέσεις οἱ πρόμαχοι. πνεῦμα γὰρ βίαιον ἀντιπρόσωπον τῶν πολεμίων φερόμενον τοὺς μὲν ἐκείνων ὀιστοὺς ἀπέστρεφε καὶ τὰ πελτὰ καὶ τὰ δόρατα καὶ πᾶν βέλος αὐτοῖς ἄχρηστον ἦν, καὶ οὔτε ὁπλίτης οὔτε τοξότης οὔτε πελταστὴς πημαίνειν τὴν τοῦ βασιλέως ἠδύνατο στρατιάν. καὶ μέντοι καὶ κόνις ὅτι μάλιστα πλείστη κατὰ τῶν προσώπων φερομένη μύειν τὰ βλέφαρα καὶ ταῖς κόραις ἐπαμύνειν πολεμουμέναις ἠνάγκαζεν. οἱ δὲ τοῦ βασιλέως στρατιῶται, λώβην οὐδεμίαν ἐκ τῆς καταιγίδος ἐκείνης δεξάμενοι, θαρραλέως τοὺς πολεμίους κατέχτεινον. οἱ δὲ ταῦτα ὁρῶντες καὶ τὴν θείαν ἐπιγνόντες ἐξικουρίαν, τὰ ὅπλα ῥίψαντες, φειδοῦς παρὰ τοῦ βασιλέως τυχεῖν ἠντιβόλουν. ὁ δὲ καὶ εἶξε καὶ οἴκτου μετέδωκεν, ἀγαγεῖν δὲ αὐτοὺς τὸν τύραννον κατὰ τάχος ἐκέλευσεν. οἱ δὲ θέοντες ἀνέβησαν εἰς τὸν λόφον οὗ καθήμενος ἐκεῖνος ἠγνόει τὰ δρώμενα. ὁ δὲ πνευστιῶντας ἰδὼν καὶ τῷ ἄσθματι μηνύοντας τὴν σπουδήν, νίκης ἀγγέλους ὑπέλαβε, καὶ ἤρετο εἰ καὶ Θεοδόσιον πεπεδημένον οἧς προσετάχθησαν ἤγαγον. οἱ δέ: νοὐχ ἐκεῖνονςε, ἔφησαν, σοὶ προσάγομεν, ἀλλὰ σὲ πρὸς ἐκεῖνον ἀπάγομεν" τοῦτο γὰρ ὁ τοῦ παντὸς προσέταξ ε πρύτανιςε. ταῦτα λέγοντες ἐξανέστησάν τε ἐκ τοῦ δίφρου καὶ τὰ δεσμὰ ἐπεθέντες πεπεδημένον ἀπήγαγον καὶ προσήγαγον δορυάλωτον τὸν πρὸ βραχέως μεγαλαυχούμενον. ὃ δὲ βασιλεὺς τῶν τε εἰς Βαλεντινιανὸν πλημμεληθέντων ἀνέμνησε καὶ τῆς παρανόμου τυραννίδος καὶ τῶν κατὰ τῆς ἐννόμου βασιλείας πολέμων" ἐκωμῴῤδησε ὁὲ καὶ τὴν Ἡρακλέους εἰκόνα καὶ τὸ μάταιον δι᾿ ἐκείνην γενόμενον θράσος. καὶ τότε δικαίαν καὶ ἔννομον ἐξήνεγκε τῆς κατ᾽ αὐτοῦ τιμωρίας τὴν ψῆφον. τοιοῦτος ἦν ἐκεῖνος καὶ ἐν εἰρήνῃ καὶ ἐν πολέμῳ, ἀεὶ μὲν τὴν θείαν ἐπικουρίαν αἰτῶν, ἀεὶ δὲ ταύτης μεταλαγχάνων.
tēn men oun tōn ekklēsiōn eirēnēn touton ton tropon ho pistotatos eprytaneuse basileus. Pro de tēs gegenēmenēs eirēnēs, tēn te Balentinianou teleutēn kai tēn Eugeniou tyrannida mathōn eis tēn Eurōpēn estrateuse. kat᾽ ekeinon de ton chronon ēn tis Iōannēs en Aigyptǭ tēn aschētikēn aspazomenos politeian. houtos pneumatikēs metalachōn charitos polla tois pynthanomenois proulege tōn esomenōn. pros touton ho philochristos apesteilen basileus, ei polemēteon tois tyrangois mathein ephiemenos. kai epi men tou proterou polemou tēn anai: moōti genomenēn proēgoreuse nikēn, epi de tou deuterou meta polyn phonon nikēsein ton basilea proeirēke. Meta toiautēs elpidos strateusas ho basileus pollous men tōn enantiōn paratattomenos katēkontise, pollous de tōn epikourountōn autǭ barbarōn apebale. tōn de stratēgōn oligous einai tous symparatattomenous phēsantōn kai anakōchēn tina dounai tǭ polemǭ symbouleusantōn, hōste tou ēros archomenou stratian synageirai kai tǭ plēthei perigenesthai tōn dysmenōn, ouk edexato tēn eisēgēsin ho pistotatos basileus. ou gar ephē chrēnai tosautēn men astheneian tou sōtēriou katēgorēsai staurou, tosautēn de prosmartyrēsai dynamin tę̄ tou “Hērakleous eikoni" "tautēs men gar ho stauros hēgeitai tēs stratias, tēs de tōn antipalōn ekeinēs. toutōn houtō pistōs eirēmenōn kai tēs hypoleiphtheisēs stratias oligēs te hoisēs kai lian athymousēs, heurōn oikiskon euktērion en tę̄ tou orous achrōnychią en hǭ to stratopedon ēn, pannychos dietelese ton tōn holōn despotēn antibolōn. Peri de alektryonōn ǭdas enikēse men ho hypnos tēn gnōmēn. epi de tou dapedou chou keimenos horan edokei dyo tinas leucheimonountas andras eph᾽ hippōn ochoumenous leukōn, hoi tharrein te ekeleuon kai to deos exelasai kai hypo tēn heō kathoplisai kai taxai tēn stratian eis parataxin᾽" epikouroi gar elegon apestalthai kai promachoi. kai ho men Iōannēn heauton elegen einai ton euangelistēn. ho de Philippon ton apostolon. tautēn idōn tēn ophin ho basileus ouk elēxe tēs hiketeias, alla meta pleionos tautēn prothymias prosephere. touto kai stratiōtēs tis theasamenos dedēlōke tǭ lochagǭ, ekeinos de touton pros ton chiliarchon ēgagen, ho de chiliarchos anēgagen tǭ stratēgǭ, ho de stratēgos kainon ti mēnyein hypolabōn apēngeile tauta tǭ basilei. ho de: nouch emou henekas, ephē, nntauta houtos tetheatai" egō gar tois tēn nikēn hypeschēmenois pepisteuka. all᾽ mē tis hypolabę̄ me hōs tēs parataxeōs orignōmenon plasai tēn pō" kai toutǭ tauta memēnyken ho tēs emēs basileias epikouros, hiną martys axiochreōs genētai tēs emēs diēgēseōs" prōtǭ gar emoi tautēn ho koinos despotēs tēn opsin hypedeixen. aposcheuasamenoi dē oun to deos tois promachois kai polemarchois hepōmetha, kai mēdeis tǭ plēthei tōn polemountōn stathmasthō tēn nikēn, alla tōn hēgoumenōn logizesthō hekastos tēn dynamine. tauta kai tois stratiōtais eipōn kai tautę̄ hapantas prothymias emplēsas ek tēs tou orous katēgage koryphēs. ho de tyrannos, porrōthen idōn tous stratiōtas polemēseiontas, kathōplise tēn stratian kai eis parataxin etaxen. autos de epi tinos gēlophou meinas thanatan te ephē ton basilea kai tēs parousēs apallaxeionta biotēs paratattesthai" kai tois stratēgois ekeleuse zōnta hoi touton kai pepedēmenon prosagagein. ᾿Bpeidē de hai phalanges estēsan, pollaplasion men hēn tōn polemiōn to plēthos, euarithmēton de komidę̄ to tǭ basilei syntetagmenon. arxamenōn de kai toutōn kakeinōn aphienai ta belē, edeixan alētheis tas hyposcheseis hoi promachoi. pneuma gar biaion antiprosōpon tōn polemiōn pheromenon tous men ekeinōn oistous apestrephe kai ta pelta kai ta dorata kai pan belos autois achrēston ēn, kai oute hoplitēs oute toxotēs oute peltastēs pēmainein tēn tou basileōs ēdynato stratian. kai mentoi kai konis hoti malista pleistē kata tōn prosōpōn pheromenē myein ta blephara kai tais korais epamynein polemoumenais ēnankazen. hoi de tou basileōs stratiōtai, lōbēn oudemian ek tēs kataigidos ekeinēs dexamenoi, tharraleōs tous polemious katechteinon. hoi de tauta horōntes kai tēn theian epignontes exikourian, ta hopla rhipsantes, pheidous para tou basileōs tychein ēntiboloun. ho de kai eixe kai oiktou metedōken, agagein de autous ton tyrannon kata tachos ekeleusen. hoi de theontes anebēsan eis ton lophon hou kathēmenos ekeinos ēgnoei ta drōmena. ho de pneustiōntas idōn kai tǭ asthmati mēnyontas tēn spoudēn, nikēs angelous hypelabe, kai ēreto ei kai Theodosion pepedēmenon hoēs prosetachthēsan ēgagon. hoi de: nouch ekeinonse, ephēsan, soi prosagomen, alla se pros ekeinon apagomen" touto gar ho tou pantos prosetax e prytanise. tauta legontes exanestēsan te ek tou diphrou kai ta desma epethentes pepedēmenon apēgagon kai prosēgagon doryalōton ton pro bracheōs megalauchoumenon. ho de basileus tōn te eis Balentinianon plēmmelēthentōn anemnēse kai tēs paranomou tyrannidos kai tōn kata tēs ennomou basileias polemōn" ekōmǭrdēse hoe kai tēn Hērakleous eikona kai to mataion di᾿ ekeinēn genomenon thrasos. kai tote dikaian kai ennomon exēnenke tēs kat᾽ autou timōrias tēn psēphon. toioutos ēn ekeinos kai en eirēnę̄ kai en polemǭ, aei men tēn theian epikourian aitōn, aei de tautēs metalanchanōn.
In this way, then, the most faithful emperor brought about the peace of the churches.
Before this peace came about, learning of the death of Valentinian and the usurpation of Eugenius, he marched to Europe. At that time there was a certain John in Egypt who embraced the ascetic life. He had received spiritual grace and foretold many future things to those who inquired. To him the Christ-loving emperor sent, wishing to learn whether he should make war on the usurpers. For the first war he foretold a victory won without bloodshed, and for the second he foretold that the emperor would win after much slaughter. With this hope the emperor took the field; in battle he struck down many of the opponents, but lost many of the barbarians who were helping him. When the generals said that those fighting with them were few and advised giving some respite to the war, so that at the beginning of spring they might gather an army and overcome the enemy's numbers, the most faithful emperor did not accept the suggestion. For he said that one ought not to charge the saving cross with such weakness, nor bear witness to such power in the image of Hercules: “for the cross leads this army, and that image the army of the opponents.” When this had been said so faithfully, and the army left was small and very despondent, he found a little house of prayer on the summit of the mountain where the camp was, and spent the whole night beseeching the Master of the universe.
About cockcrow sleep overcame his resolve, and lying on the floor he seemed to see two men in white riding on white horses, who told him to take courage, drive out fear, and at dawn arm and draw up the army for battle; for they said they had been sent as helpers and champions. One said that he was John the evangelist, the other Philip the apostle. Having seen this vision, the emperor did not stop his supplication, but offered it with greater eagerness. A soldier too saw this and told it to his captain; he took him to the tribune, the tribune brought him to the general, and the general, thinking he was reporting something new, reported it to the emperor. He said: “It is not for my sake that this man has seen this; for I have believed those who promised the victory. But so that no one may suppose that I, eager for battle, invented the vision, the protector of my empire has made this known to him too, so that he may be a credible witness of my account; for the common Master showed this vision to me first. Let us, then, put away fear and follow our champions and commanders, and let no one measure victory by the number of the combatants, but let each consider the power of our leaders.” Saying this to the soldiers too and filling all with eagerness in this way, he led them down from the summit of the mountain. The usurper, seeing from afar the soldiers eager for battle, armed his army and drew it up for battle. He himself stayed on a hillock and said that the emperor wished to die and was going into battle wishing to be rid of the present life; and he ordered his generals to bring him to him alive and in chains.
When the lines had been drawn up, the multitude of the enemy was many times greater, while those ranged with the emperor were easy to count. When both sides began to shoot their missiles, the champions showed their promises true. For a violent wind, blowing in the faces of the enemy, turned back their arrows, and their light spears, javelins, and every missile were useless to them, and neither heavy infantryman, archer, nor light-armed soldier could harm the emperor's army. Moreover a very great quantity of dust, carried into their faces, forced them to close their eyelids and to protect their eyes, which were under attack. The emperor's soldiers, suffering no harm from that storm, boldly killed the enemy. These, seeing this and recognizing the divine help, threw down their arms and begged to obtain mercy from the emperor. He yielded and gave them pity, and ordered them to bring the usurper quickly. They ran and went up the hill where he sat, not knowing what was happening. Seeing them panting and showing their haste by their breathing, he took them for messengers of victory and asked whether they had brought Theodosius in chains as they had been ordered. They said: “We are not bringing him to you, but taking you to him; for this the Ruler of the universe has ordered.” Saying this, they made him get up from his seat, put chains on him, led him away in chains, and brought as a captive the one who shortly before had been boasting. The emperor reminded him of the wrongs done to Valentinian, of his lawless usurpation, and of the wars against the lawful empire; he also mocked the image of Hercules and the vain boldness that came from it; and then he pronounced the just and lawful sentence of punishment against him. Such was that man both in peace and in war, always asking for divine help and always receiving it.
Notes and citation
Summary: Before the battle against the usurper Eugenius (394), Theodosius consults the Egyptian monk John, refuses to retreat before the image of Hercules, prays all night, and sees John the evangelist and Philip the apostle promising help; a soldier sees the same vision, a wind blows the enemy's missiles back, Eugenius's men surrender, and Eugenius is captured and executed.
- John of Lycopolis is the Egyptian monk. The battle of the Frigidus (September 394).
- In the emperor's speech the OCR text is garbled at “invented the vision” (πλάσαι τὴν πω); translated by sense.
- The visions and the wind are Theodoret's narrative (the wind, the bora, is also mentioned by other sources); translated as written.
Topics: Prayer
Cite (SBL): Theodoret, Hist. eccl. 5.24 (GCS 19:324–327; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-historia-ecclesiastica/5-24). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-historia-ecclesiastica/5-24
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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.
5.25GCS 19:327
Μετὰ τήνδε τὴν νίκην ἀρρωστήσας τοῖς υἱέσι τὴν βασιλείαν διένειμε. καὶ τῷ μὲν πρεσβυτέρῳ τὴν οἰκείαν ἔδωκεν ἡγεμονίαν, τῷ δὲ νεωτέρῳ τῆς Εὐρώπης τὰ σχῆπτρα᾽ τὴν εὐσέβειαν δὲ τελείαν καὶ τοῦτον ἔχειν κἀκεῖνον παρήνεσε. διὰ ταύτης γάρε, ἔφη, καὶ εἰρήνη φυλάττεται καὶ πόλεμος καταλύεται καὶ πολέμιοι τρέπονται καὶ ἀνίσταται τρόπαια καὶ νίκη βραβεύεταιε. ἐκεῖνος μὲν οὐν ταῦτα τοῖς παισὶ παραινέσας ἐτελεύτησεν, ἀείμνηστον κλέος καταλιπών" οἱ δὲ τῆς βασιλείας διάδοχοι καὶ τῆς εὐσεβείας ἐγένοντο κληρονόμοι.
Meta tēnde tēn nikēn arrōstēsas tois huiesi tēn basileian dieneime. kai tǭ men presbyterǭ tēn oikeian edōken hēgemonian, tǭ de neōterǭ tēs Eurōpēs ta schēptra᾽ tēn eusebeian de teleian kai touton echein kakeinon parēnese. dia tautēs gare, ephē, kai eirēnē phylattetai kai polemos katalyetai kai polemioi trepontai kai anistatai tropaia kai nikē brabeuetaie. ekeinos men oun tauta tois paisi parainesas eteleutēsen, aeimnēston kleos katalipōn" hoi de tēs basileias diadochoi kai tēs eusebeias egenonto klēronomoi.
After this victory he fell ill and divided the empire between his sons. To the elder he gave his own dominion, to the younger the sceptre of Europe; and he urged both of them to hold true religion perfectly. "For by it," he said, "peace is guarded, war is ended, enemies are routed, trophies are raised, and victory is awarded." Having given his sons this counsel he died, leaving an ever-remembered fame; and the heirs of his empire became the heirs of his piety as well.
Notes and citation
Summary: Theodosius, dying, divides the empire between his sons and charges them to keep true religion, the source of peace and victory.
- The elder son is Arcadius, who received the East; the younger is Honorius, who received the West ("Europe"). Theodosius died at Milan in January 395.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR debris (a bracket and stray letters from the margin) removed.): βασιλείαν [κχε᾿ διένειμε → βασιλείαν διένειμε.
Cite (SBL): Theodoret, Hist. eccl. 5.25 (GCS 19:327; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-historia-ecclesiastica/5-25). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-historia-ecclesiastica/5-25
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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.
5.26GCS 19:327–328
Ὀνώριος μὲν γὰρ ὁ τῆς Εὐρώπης τὴν βασιλείαν δεξάμενος τὰς ἐν Ῥώμῃ πάλαι γιγνομένας μονομαχίας κατέλυσεν, ἀφορμὴν τοιάνδε λαβών. Τηλεμάχιός τις ἦν τὸν ἀσκητικὸν ἀσπαζόμενος βίον. οὗτος ἀπὸ τῆς Ἑῴας ἀπάρας καὶ τούτου χάριν τὴν Ῥώμην καταλαβών, τῆς μυσαρᾶς ἐκείνης ἐπιτελουμένης θέας εἰσελήλυθε καὶ αὐτὸς εἰς τὸ δ στάδιον, καὶ καταβὰς παύειν ἐπειρᾶτο τοὺς κατ᾽ ἀλλήλων κεχρημένους τοῖς ὅπλοις. τῆς δὲ μιαιφονίας οἱ θεαταὶ χαλεπήναντες καὶ τοῦ τοῖς ὃ αἵμασιν ἐκείνοις ἐπιτερπομένου δαίμονος. εἰσδεξάμενοι τὴν βακχείαν, κατέλευσαν τῆς εἰρήνης τὸν πρύτανιν. τοῦτο μαθὼν ὃ θαυμαστὸς βασιλεὺς τὸν μὲν τοῖς νικηφόροις συνηρίθμησε μάρτυσι, τὴν δὲ πονηρὰν ἐκείνην ἔπαυσε θεωρίαν.
Onōrios men gar ho tēs Eurōpēs tēn basileian dexamenos tas en Rhōmę̄ palai gignomenas monomachias katelysen, aphormēn toiande labōn. Tēlemachios tis ēn ton askētikon aspazomenos bion. houtos apo tēs Heǭas aparas kai toutou charin tēn Rhōmēn katalabōn, tēs mysaras ekeinēs epiteloumenēs theas eiselēlythe kai autos eis to d stadion, kai katabas pauein epeirato tous kat᾽ allēlōn kechrēmenous tois hoplois. tēs de miaiphonias hoi theatai chalepēnantes kai tou tois ho haimasin ekeinois epiterpomenou daimonos. eisdexamenoi tēn bakcheian, kateleusan tēs eirēnēs ton prytanin. touto mathōn ho thaumastos basileus ton men tois nikēphorois synērithmēse martysi, tēn de ponēran ekeinēn epause theōrian.
Honorius, who received the empire of Europe, put an end to the gladiatorial combats that had long been held at Rome, on the following occasion. There was a certain Telemachus who had embraced the ascetic life. He set out from the East and came to Rome for this very purpose; and while that abominable spectacle was being performed he too entered the stadium, went down into it, and tried to stop those who were using their weapons against one another. The spectators of the slaughter, enraged, and taking into themselves the frenzy of the demon who delights in such bloodshed, stoned the champion of peace. When the admirable emperor learned this, he numbered him among the victorious martyrs and put a stop to that wicked spectacle.
Notes and citation
Summary: The monk Telemachus is stoned for trying to stop a gladiatorial fight in Rome; Honorius honours him as a martyr and abolishes the games.
- "Champion of peace" renders τῆς εἰρήνης τὸν πρύτανιν, literally "the president" or "leader of peace".
- Theodoret gives no date; the event is usually placed early in Honorius's reign (ca. 404). This is the only early account that names Telemachus.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR debris (a bracket and stray letters from the margin) removed.): τὰς [χξ ἐν → τὰς ἐν.
Topics: Martyrdom
Cite (SBL): Theodoret, Hist. eccl. 5.26 (GCS 19:327–328; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-historia-ecclesiastica/5-26). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-historia-ecclesiastica/5-26
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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.
5.27GCS 19:328–329
Ἐν δὲ Κωνσταντινουπόλει Νεκταρίου τελευτήσαντος ὃς τὴν ἐκκλησίαν ἐκείνην ἐποίμαινεν, ᾿ἀρκάδιος ὁ ταύτην ἰθύνειν τὴν βασιλείαν λαχών, μαθὼν Ἰωάννην τὸν μέγαν τῆς οἰκουμένης φωστῆρα ἐν Ἀντιοχείᾳ τῷ τῶν πρεσβυτέρων ἐγκατειλέχθαι χορῷ, ἤγαγέ τε καὶ τοῖς συνειλεγμένοις ἐπισκόποις αὐτὸν τῇ θείᾳ προσαγαγεῖν παρηγγύησε χάριτι καὶ τῆς μεγίστης ἐκείνης πόλεως ἀποφῆναι ποιμένα. ἱκανὸν δὲ τοῦτο καὶ μόνον δηλῶσαι τοῦ βασιλέως τὴν περὶ τὰ θεῖα σπουδήν. Κατὰ τοῦτον τὸν χρόνον Αντιοχείας μὲν ὁ θεῖος ἡγεῖτο Φλαβιανός, “αοδικείας δὲ Ἐλπίδιος, τοῦ μεγάλου Μελετίου γενόμενος σύσκηνος καὶ τὴν ἐκείνου πολιτείαν ἐκμαξάμενος μᾶλλον ἢ ὃ κηρὸς τῶν δακτυλίων τοὺς τύπους (οὗτος μὲν οὖν τὸν μέγαν Πελάγιον ἃ διεδέξατο, τὸν δὲ θεῖον δάρκελλον ἀγαπητὸς ὃ πανεύφημος, ὃν ἐν ταῖς ἀσχητικαῖς παλαίστραις διαπρέπειν ἔφην κατὰ τὸν τῆς αἱρετικῆς ζάλης καιρόν), Σελευχείας δὲ τῆς πρὸς τῷ Ταύρῳ Μάξιμος, Ἰωάννου τοῦ πάνυ συμφοιτητής, καὶ Θεόδωρος τῆς Μοψουεστίας. ἄμφω δὲ καὶ διδασκάλω ἤστην λαμπρώ. διέλαμπε δὲ συνέσει τε καὶ βίῳ ὁ θεῖος ᾿Ἀχάχιος, ἰθύνων τὴν Βέροιαν" Λεόντιος δὲ τὸ Γαλατῶν ἐποίμαινεν ἔθνος, πολλοῖς εἴδεσιν ἀρετῆς λαμπρυνόμενος.
En de Kōnstantinoupolei Nektariou teleutēsantos hos tēn ekklēsian ekeinēn epoimainen, ᾿arkadios ho tautēn ithynein tēn basileian lachōn, mathōn Iōannēn ton megan tēs oikoumenēs phōstēra en Antiocheią tǭ tōn presbyterōn enkateilechthai chorǭ, ēgage te kai tois syneilegmenois episkopois auton tę̄ theią prosagagein parēngyēse chariti kai tēs megistēs ekeinēs poleōs apophēnai poimena. hikanon de touto kai monon dēlōsai tou basileōs tēn peri ta theia spoudēn. Kata touton ton chronon Antiocheias men ho theios hēgeito Phlabianos, “aodikeias de Elpidios, tou megalou Meletiou genomenos syskēnos kai tēn ekeinou politeian ekmaxamenos mallon ē ho kēros tōn daktyliōn tous typous (houtos men oun ton megan Pelagion ha diedexato, ton de theion darkellon agapētos ho paneuphēmos, hon en tais aschētikais palaistrais diaprepein ephēn kata ton tēs hairetikēs zalēs kairon), Seleucheias de tēs pros tǭ Taurǭ Maximos, Iōannou tou pany symphoitētēs, kai Theodōros tēs Mopsouestias. amphō de kai didaskalō ēstēn lamprō. dielampe de synesei te kai biǭ ho theios ᾿Achachios, ithynōn tēn Beroian" Leontios de to Galatōn epoimainen ethnos, pollois eidesin aretēs lamprynomenos.
At Constantinople, when Nectarius, who shepherded that church, had died, Arcadius, to whose lot the government of that empire had fallen, learned that John, the great luminary of the world, had been enrolled in the choir of presbyters at Antioch. He brought him there and charged the assembled bishops to bring him to the divine grace and declare him shepherd of that greatest city. This alone is enough to show the emperor's zeal for divine things. At this time the divine Flavian led Antioch; Elpidius led Laodicea, who had shared the great Meletius's tent and had taken the impress of his way of life more exactly than wax takes the stamp of a seal ring (he succeeded the great Pelagius; and the all-praised Agapetus, whom I said distinguished himself in the ascetic wrestling-schools at the time of the heretical storm, succeeded the divine Marcellus); Maximus, the fellow-student of the renowned John, led Seleucia near the Taurus, and Theodore led Mopsuestia. Both were brilliant teachers. The divine Acacius, governing Beroea, shone in understanding and in life; and Leontius, distinguished by many kinds of virtue, shepherded the nation of the Galatians.
Notes and citation
Summary: On Nectarius's death Arcadius has John (Chrysostom) of Antioch made bishop of Constantinople; Theodoret lists the leading bishops of the time.
- "Bring him to the divine grace" means to ordain him bishop. John was consecrated in 398.
- In the parenthesis the text does not name Agapetus's see; it was Apamea, where he succeeded Marcellus (see 5.21). Agapetus's ascetic life is mentioned in 4.28.
- Leontius was bishop of Ancyra, the chief city of Galatia (see 5.31).
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR debris inside the word ἐκκλησίαν removed.): ἐχδὲ [; κλησίαν → ἐκκλησίαν.
Cite (SBL): Theodoret, Hist. eccl. 5.27 (GCS 19:328–329; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-historia-ecclesiastica/5-27). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-historia-ecclesiastica/5-27
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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.
5.28GCS 19:329
Ὁ δὲ μέγας Ἰωάννης τοὺς τῆς ἐκκλησίας δεξάμενος οἴακας τάς τε παρά τινῶν γιγνομένας ἀδικίας σὺν παρρησίᾳ διήλεγχε, καὶ βασιλεῖ καὶ βασιλίδι παρήνει τὰ πρόσφορα, καὶ τοὺς ἱερέας ἠξίου κατὰ τοὺς κειμένους πολιτεύεσθαι νόμους, τοὺς δὲ τούτους παραβαίνειν τολμῶντας ἐπιβαίνειν τῶν ἀνακτόρων ἐκώλυεν, οὐ χρῆναι λέγων τῆς μὲν τῶν ἱερέων ἀπολαύειν τιμῆς, τὴν δὲ τῶν ἀληθινῶν ἱερέων μὴ ζηλοῦν βιοτήν. καὶ ταύτην ἐποιεῖτο τὴν προμήθειαν οὐ μόνον ἐκείνης τῆς πόλεως, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῆς Θράκης ἁπάσης (εἰς ἕξ δὲ αὕτη ἡγεμονίας διἠρηταὺ καὶ τῆς σίας ὅλης (ὑπὸ ἕνδεκα δὲ καὶ αὕτη ἀρχόντων ἰθύνεταὺ. καὶ μέντοι καὶ τὴν Ποντικὴν τούτοις κατεκόσμει τοῖς νόμοις" ἰσαρίθμους δὲ καὶ αὕτη ἔχει τῇ Ασίᾳ τοὺς ἡγουμένους.
Ho de megas Iōannēs tous tēs ekklēsias dexamenos oiakas tas te para tinōn gignomenas adikias syn parrēsią diēlenche, kai basilei kai basilidi parēnei ta prosphora, kai tous hiereas ēxiou kata tous keimenous politeuesthai nomous, tous de toutous parabainein tolmōntas epibainein tōn anaktorōn ekōlyen, ou chrēnai legōn tēs men tōn hiereōn apolauein timēs, tēn de tōn alēthinōn hiereōn mē zēloun biotēn. kai tautēn epoieito tēn promētheian ou monon ekeinēs tēs poleōs, alla kai tēs Thrakēs hapasēs (eis hex de hautē hēgemonias diērētau kai tēs sias holēs (hypo hendeka de kai hautē archontōn ithynetau. kai mentoi kai tēn Pontikēn toutois katekosmei tois nomois" isarithmous de kai hautē echei tę̄ Asią tous hēgoumenous.
The great John, having taken the helm of the church, boldly rebuked the injustices committed by some; he gave the emperor and the empress fitting counsel; he required the priests to live by the established laws, and he forbade those who dared to transgress them to set foot in the sanctuary, saying that those who did not emulate the life of true priests ought not to enjoy the honour of priests. He exercised this oversight not only over that city but over all Thrace (which is divided into six provinces) and the whole of Asia (which is governed by eleven governors). He also ordered the Pontic diocese by these laws; it too has as many governors as Asia.
Notes and citation
Summary: John reforms the clergy of Constantinople and extends his discipline over Thrace, Asia, and Pontus.
- The text of the parentheses is damaged in the OCR (closing letters misread); the sense is clear and is translated.
- Theodoret describes the bishop of Constantinople as exercising oversight over the civil dioceses of Thrace, Asia, and Pontus, the area later assigned to that see by canon 28 of Chalcedon (451).
Topics: Church office
Cite (SBL): Theodoret, Hist. eccl. 5.28 (GCS 19:329; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-historia-ecclesiastica/5-28). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-historia-ecclesiastica/5-28
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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.
5.29GCS 19:329–330
Μαθὼν δὲ τὴν Φοινίκην ἔτι περὶ τὰς τῶν δαιμόνων τελετὰς μεμηνέναι, ἀσκητὰς μὲν ζήλῳ θείῳ πυρπολουμένους συνέλεξε, νόμοις δὲ αὐτοὺς ὁπλίσας βασιλικοῖς κατὰ τῶν εἰδωλικῶν ἐξέπεμψε τεμενῶν. τὰ δὲ τοῖς καταλύουσι τεχνίταις καὶ τοῖς τούτων ὑπουργοῖς χορηγούμενα χρήματα οὐκ ἐκ ταμιείων βασιλικῶν λαμβάνων ἀνήλισκεν, ἀλλὰ τὰς πλούτῳ κομώσας καὶ πίστει λαμπρυνομένας γυναῖκας φιλοτίμως ταῦτα παρέχειν ἀνέπειθε, τὴν ἐκ τῆς χορηγίας φυομένην εὐλογίαν ἐπιδεικνύς. τοὺς μὲν οὖν ὑπολειφθέντας τῶν δαιμόνων σηκοὺς τοῦτον τὸν τρόπον ἐκ βάθρων ἀνέσπασεν.
Mathōn de tēn Phoinikēn eti peri tas tōn daimonōn teletas memēnenai, askētas men zēlǭ theiǭ pyrpoloumenous synelexe, nomois de autous hoplisas basilikois kata tōn eidōlikōn exepempse temenōn. ta de tois katalyousi technitais kai tois toutōn hypourgois chorēgoumena chrēmata ouk ek tamieiōn basilikōn lambanōn anēlisken, alla tas ploutǭ komōsas kai pistei lamprynomenas gynaikas philotimōs tauta parechein anepeithe, tēn ek tēs chorēgias phyomenēn eulogian epideiknys. tous men oun hypoleiphthentas tōn daimonōn sēkous touton ton tropon ek bathrōn anespasen.
Learning that Phoenicia was still raving over the rites of the demons, he gathered ascetics burning with divine zeal, armed them with imperial laws, and sent them against the precincts of the idols. The money paid to the craftsmen who did the demolition and to their helpers he did not take from the imperial treasuries and spend; instead he persuaded women rich in wealth and bright in faith to supply it generously, showing them the blessing that springs from such giving. In this way he tore up from their foundations the precincts of the demons that were left.
Notes and citation
Summary: John sends monks armed with imperial laws to destroy the remaining pagan temples of Phoenicia, paid for by wealthy Christian women.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR misreading of γυναῖκας.; OCR misreading: the initial ν of νόμοις was lost.): ομοις δὲ → νόμοις δὲ; γυραϊμας → γυναῖκας.
Cite (SBL): Theodoret, Hist. eccl. 5.29 (GCS 19:329–330; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-historia-ecclesiastica/5-29). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-historia-ecclesiastica/5-29
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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.
5.30GCS 19:330
Ὁρῶν δὲ καὶ τὸν Σχυθικὸν ὅμιλον ὑπὸ τῆς Ἀρειανικῆς θηρευθέντα σαγήνης, ἀντεμηχανήσατο καὶ αὐτὸς καὶ πόρον ἄγρας ἐξηῦρεν. ὁμογλώττους γὰρ ἐκείνοις πρεσβυτέρους καὶ διακόνους καὶ τοὺς τὰ θεῖα ὑπαναγιγνώσκοντας λόγια προβαλλόμενος, μίαν τούτοις ἀπένειμεν ἐκκλησίαν, καὶ διὰ τούτων πολλοὺς τῶν πλανωμένων ἐθήρευσεν. αὐτός τε γὰρ θαμινὰ ἐκεῖσε φοιτῶν διελέγετο, ἑρμηνευτῇ χρώμδνος τὴν ἑκατέραν γλῶτταν ἐπισταμένῳ τινί καὶ τοὺς λέγειν ἐπισταμένους τοῦτο παρεσκεύαζε δρᾶν. ταῦτα μὲν οὖν ἔνδον ἐν τῇ πόλει διετέλει ποιῶν καὶ πολλοὺς τῶν ἐξηπατημένων ἐζώγρει, τῶν ἀποστολικῶν κηρυγμάτων ἐπιδεικνὺς τὴν ἀλήθειαν.
Horōn de kai ton Schythikon homilon hypo tēs Areianikēs thēreuthenta sagēnēs, antemēchanēsato kai autos kai poron agras exēuren. homoglōttous gar ekeinois presbyterous kai diakonous kai tous ta theia hypanagignōskontas logia proballomenos, mian toutois apeneimen ekklēsian, kai dia toutōn pollous tōn planōmenōn ethēreusen. autos te gar thamina ekeise phoitōn dielegeto, hermēneutę̄ chrōmdnos tēn hekateran glōttan epistamenǭ tini kai tous legein epistamenous touto pareskeuaze dran. tauta men oun endon en tę̄ polei dietelei poiōn kai pollous tōn exēpatēmenōn ezōgrei, tōn apostolikōn kērygmatōn epideiknys tēn alētheian.
Seeing that the Scythian multitude too had been caught in the Arian net, he devised a counter-stratagem and himself found a means of capture. He appointed presbyters, deacons, and readers of the divine oracles who spoke their language, assigned one church to them, and through these men caught many of those who had gone astray. He himself often went there and preached, using an interpreter who knew both languages, and he had those who were able to speak do the same. This he kept doing inside the city, and he won many of the deceived, showing them the truth of the apostolic preaching.
Notes and citation
Summary: John wins Arian Goths in Constantinople by giving them a church with clergy who speak their language, and preaches to them through an interpreter.
- "Scythians" is Theodoret's classicizing name for the Goths, who had received Christianity in its Arian form (see 4.37).
Topics: Heresy
Cite (SBL): Theodoret, Hist. eccl. 5.30 (GCS 19:330; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-historia-ecclesiastica/5-30). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-historia-ecclesiastica/5-30
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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.
5.31GCS 19:330–331
Μαθὼν δέ τινας τῶν νομάδων Σκχυθῶν παρὰ τὸν Ἴστρον ἐσχηνημένους διψῆν μὲν τῆς σωτηρίας, ἐστερῆσθαι δὲ τοῦ τὸ νᾶμα προσφέροντος, ἐπεζήτησεν ἄνδρας τὴν ἀποστολικὴν" φιλοσοφίαν ἐζηλωκότας, καὶ τούτους ἐκείνοις ἐπέστησεν. ἐγὼ δέ τοι “καὶ γράμμασιν ἐντετύχηκα παρ᾽ αὐτοῦ γραφεῖσι πρὸς Λεόντιον τὸν ᾿Ἵγκύρας ἐπίσκοπον, δι᾿ ὧν καὶ τῶν Σκυθῶν ἐδήλωσε τὴν μεταβολὴν “καὶ πεμφθῆναί οἱ ἄνδρας πρὸς τὴν τούτων ποδηγίαν ἐπιτηδείους ἠξίωσεν. ἐν τῇ χώρᾳ δὲ τῇ ἡμετέρᾳ τὴν Μαρκίωνος νόσον κώμαις τισὶν ἐπισκῆψαι μαθών, ἐπέστειλε τῷ τηνικαῦτα ποιμαίνοντι, καὶ προτρέπων ἐξελάσαι τὴν νόσον καὶ τὴν ἀπὸ τῶν βασιλικῶν νόμων ἐπικουρίαν ὀρέγων. ὕπως μὲν οὖν τὴν τῶν ἐκκλησιῶν μέριμναν ἐν τῇ ψυχῇ περιέφερε κατὰ τὸν θεῖον ἀπόστολον, ἱκανὰ καὶ ταῦτα διδάξαι. ἔστι δὲ καὶ ἑτέρωθεν αὐτοῦ τὴν παρρησίαν μαθεῖν.
Mathōn de tinas tōn nomadōn Skchythōn para ton Istron eschēnēmenous dipsēn men tēs sōtērias, esterēsthai de tou to nama prospherontos, epezētēsen andras tēn apostolikēn" philosophian ezēlōkotas, kai toutous ekeinois epestēsen. egō de toi “kai grammasin entetychēka par᾽ autou grapheisi pros Leontion ton ᾿Hinkyras episkopon, di᾿ hōn kai tōn Skythōn edēlōse tēn metabolēn “kai pemphthēnai hoi andras pros tēn toutōn podēgian epitēdeious ēxiōsen. en tę̄ chōrą de tę̄ hēmeterą tēn Markiōnos noson kōmais tisin episkēpsai mathōn, epesteile tǭ tēnikauta poimainonti, kai protrepōn exelasai tēn noson kai tēn apo tōn basilikōn nomōn epikourian oregōn. hypōs men oun tēn tōn ekklēsiōn merimnan en tę̄ psychę̄ periephere kata ton theion apostolon, hikana kai tauta didaxai. esti de kai heterōthen autou tēn parrēsian mathein.
Learning that some of the nomad Scythians encamped along the Danube thirsted for salvation but had no one to bring them the stream, he sought out men who had emulated the apostolic way of life and set them over these people. I myself have read letters written by him to Leontius, bishop of Ancyra, in which he reported the Scythians' conversion and asked that men suitable for guiding them be sent to him. And when he learned that the disease of Marcion had fallen on some villages in our region, he wrote to the man then shepherding it, urging him to drive the disease out and offering the help of the imperial laws. That he carried the care of the churches in his soul, as the divine apostle says, these things are enough to show. But his boldness can be learned from another quarter too.
2 Cor 11:28 (allusion, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: John sends missionaries to the Goths on the Danube and urges the bishop of Theodoret's own region to suppress Marcionism.
- "Our region" is the region of Cyrrhus in Syria, where Theodoret was later bishop; he elsewhere reports converting Marcionite villages there himself.
- The letters to Leontius of Ancyra mentioned here are not among John's surviving letters.
Topics: Heresy
Cite (SBL): Theodoret, Hist. eccl. 5.31 (GCS 19:330–331; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-historia-ecclesiastica/5-31). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-historia-ecclesiastica/5-31
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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.
5.32GCS 19:331–333
Γαϊνάς τις, Σχύθης; μὲν τὸ γένος, βαρβαρικώτερος δὲ τὴν γνώμην, φρονήματι τυραννικῷ κεχρημένος ἐστρατήγει κατ᾽ ἐκεῖνον τὸν χρόνον, πολλοὺς μὲν καὶ τῶν ὁμοφύλων ὑπηκόους ἔχων, ἄγων δὲ μετὰ τούτον καὶ τῶν “Ρωμαίων τήν τε ἱππικὴν καὶ τὴν πεξὴν στρατιάν. ἐπεφρίχεσαν δὲ αὐτὸν οὐ μόνον οἱ ἄλλοι πάντες, ἀλλὰ καὶ αὐτὸς ὁ βασιλεὺς τὴν μελετωμένην ὑφορώμενος τυραννίδα. οὗτος καὶ τῆς Ἀρείου λώβης μεταλαχών, ἕνα οἱ ἠξίου δοῦναι τὸν βασιλέα τῶν θείων σηκῶν. ὃ δὲ σχοπήσειν ἔφη καὶ θεραπεύσειν αὐτὸν ἐπηγγείλατο. καὶ τὸν θεῖον μεταπεμψάμενος Ἰωάννην, καὶ τὴν αἴτησιν εἶπε καὶ τῆς δυναστείας ὅ ἀνέμνησε καὶ τὴν μελετωμένην ὑπῃνίξατο τυραννίδα καὶ παρεκάλει τῇ δόσει χαλινῶσαι τὸν τοῦ βαρβάρου θυμόν. ὃ δὲ γενναῖος ἐκεῖνος ὃ ἀνήρ' μὴ τοιαῦταςε, ἔφη, νῶὠ βασιλεῦ, ὑπισχνοῦ μηδὲ διδόναι παρακελεύου τὰ ἅγια τοῖς κυσίν. οὐ γὰρ ἀνέξομαι τοὺς μὲν τὸν θεὸν λόγον θεολογοῦντάς τε καὶ ὑμνοῦντας ἐξαγαγεῖν, τοῖς δὲ τοῦτον βλασφημοῦσιν ἐκδοῦναι τὸν θεῖον νεών. καὶ μή τοι δείσῃς τὸν βάρβαρον ἐκεῖνον, ὦ βασιλεῦ, ἀλλ᾽ ἄμφω καλέσας, ἐμέ τε κἀκεῖνον, σὺ μὲν ἡσυχῆ τῶν λεγομένων ἐπάκουε, ἐγὼ δὲ ἐχείνου χαλινώσω τὴν γλῶτταν καὶ πείσω ἥκιστα αἰτῆσαι ὃ μὴ δοῦναι συμφέρεικ. Τούτων ἀκούσας ὁ βασιλεὺς ἤσθη τε καὶ τῇ ὑστεραίᾳ ἀμφοτέρους ἐκάλεσε. καὶ ὁ μὲν Γαϊνὰς τὴν ἐπαγγελίαν ἐξήτει, ὁ δὲ μέγας ὅ Ἰωάννης ἀντέλεγε φάσκων οὐχ ἐξεῖναι βασιλεῖ τῶν θείων κατατολμᾶν, εὐσεβεῖν γε προαιρουμένῳ. ἐχείνου δὲ λέγοντος ὡς χρὴ καὶ αὐτὸν εὐκτήριον ἔχειν οἶκον᾽ νᾶἅπας σοις, ἔφη ὁ μέγας Ἰωάννης, θεῖος οἶχος ἀνέῳκται καὶ οὐδείς σὲ εἴργει προσεύξασθαι προθυμούμενονε. ἀλλ᾽ ἐγώε, ἔφη ὁ Γαϊνάς, ἑτέρας ὑπάρχω συμμορίας καὶ σὺν ἐκείνοις ἕνα θεῖον ἔχειν οἶκον αἰτῶ᾽ καὶ μάλα γε δικαίως αἰτῶ, πολλοὺς ὑπὲρ “Ῥωμαίων πολεμικοὺς ὑπομένον ἀγῶνας. ς νἀλλ᾽ ἔχειςε, ἔφη, "μείζους τῶν πόνων τὰς ἀντιδόσεις ᾿ στρατηγός τε γὰρ εἶ καὶ τῆς ὑπατικῆς ἠξιώθης στολῆς, καὶ χρή σε σκοπῆσαι τί μὲν ἦσθα πάλαι, τί δὲ γεγένησαι νῦν, καὶ τίς μὲν ἡ προτέρα πενία, τίς δὲ ἡ παροῦσα περιουσία, καὶ ὁποίοις μὲν ἐσθήμασιν ἐκέχρησο πρὶν διαβῆναι τὸν Ἴστρον, ὁποῖα δὲ νῦν περιβέβλησαι. σκόπησον τοίνυν ὡς ὀλίγοι οἱ πόνοι, μέγιστα δὲ τὰ γέρα, καὶ μὴ γίνου περὶ τοὺς τετιμηκότας ἀχάριστοςε. τοιοῖσδε χρώμενος λόγοις ὁ τῆς οἰκουμένης διδάσκαλος ἐπεστόμισε τὸν Γαϊνὰν καὶ σιγὴν ἄγειν ἠνάγκασε. Χρόνου δὲ διελθόντος τὴν πάλαι μελετηθεῖσαν ἐκεῖνος ἐγύμνωσε τυραννίδα, καὶ τὴν στρατιὰν ἐν τῇ Θράκῃ συναγαγὼν ἐληΐζετό τε καὶ ἐδήου τὰ πλεῖστα. ταῦτα μεμαθηχότες χκατέπτηξαν ἅπαντες καὶ ἄρχοντες καὶ ἀρχόμενοι, καὶ οὔτε παρατάττεσθαί τις πρὸς ἐχεῖνο ἐβούλετο οὔτε πρεσβεύεσθαι ἀδεὲς ὑπελάμβανε" τὸ γὰρ τῆς γνώμης βάρβαρον ἕκαστος ὑφωρᾶτο.
Gaïnas tis, Schythēs? men to genos, barbarikōteros de tēn gnōmēn, phronēmati tyrannikǭ kechrēmenos estratēgei kat᾽ ekeinon ton chronon, pollous men kai tōn homophylōn hypēkoous echōn, agōn de meta touton kai tōn “Rōmaiōn tēn te hippikēn kai tēn pexēn stratian. epephrichesan de auton ou monon hoi alloi pantes, alla kai autos ho basileus tēn meletōmenēn hyphorōmenos tyrannida. houtos kai tēs Areiou lōbēs metalachōn, hena hoi ēxiou dounai ton basilea tōn theiōn sēkōn. ho de schopēsein ephē kai therapeusein auton epēngeilato. kai ton theion metapempsamenos Iōannēn, kai tēn aitēsin eipe kai tēs dynasteias ho anemnēse kai tēn meletōmenēn hypę̄nixato tyrannida kai parekalei tę̄ dosei chalinōsai ton tou barbarou thymon. ho de gennaios ekeinos ho anēr' mē toiautase, ephē, nōō basileu, hypischnou mēde didonai parakeleuou ta hagia tois kysin. ou gar anexomai tous men ton theon logon theologountas te kai hymnountas exagagein, tois de touton blasphēmousin ekdounai ton theion neōn. kai mē toi deisę̄s ton barbaron ekeinon, ō basileu, all᾽ amphō kalesas, eme te kakeinon, sy men hēsychē tōn legomenōn epakoue, egō de echeinou chalinōsō tēn glōttan kai peisō hēkista aitēsai ho mē dounai symphereik. Toutōn akousas ho basileus ēsthē te kai tę̄ hysteraią amphoterous ekalese. kai ho men Gaïnas tēn epangelian exētei, ho de megas ho Iōannēs antelege phaskōn ouch exeinai basilei tōn theiōn katatolman, eusebein ge proairoumenǭ. echeinou de legontos hōs chrē kai auton euktērion echein oikon᾽ naapas sois, ephē ho megas Iōannēs, theios oichos aneǭktai kai oudeis se eirgei proseuxasthai prothymoumenone. all᾽ egōe, ephē ho Gaïnas, heteras hyparchō symmorias kai syn ekeinois hena theion echein oikon aitō᾽ kai mala ge dikaiōs aitō, pollous hyper “Rhōmaiōn polemikous hypomenon agōnas. s nall᾽ echeise, ephē, "meizous tōn ponōn tas antidoseis ᾿ stratēgos te gar ei kai tēs hypatikēs ēxiōthēs stolēs, kai chrē se skopēsai ti men ēstha palai, ti de gegenēsai nyn, kai tis men hē protera penia, tis de hē parousa periousia, kai hopoiois men esthēmasin ekechrēso prin diabēnai ton Istron, hopoia de nyn peribeblēsai. skopēson toinyn hōs oligoi hoi ponoi, megista de ta gera, kai mē ginou peri tous tetimēkotas acharistose. toioisde chrōmenos logois ho tēs oikoumenēs didaskalos epestomise ton Gaïnan kai sigēn agein ēnankase. Chronou de dielthontos tēn palai meletētheisan ekeinos egymnōse tyrannida, kai tēn stratian en tę̄ Thrakę̄ synagagōn elēïzeto te kai edēou ta pleista. tauta memathēchotes chkateptēxan hapantes kai archontes kai archomenoi, kai oute paratattesthai tis pros echeino ebouleto oute presbeuesthai adees hypelambane" to gar tēs gnōmēs barbaron hekastos hyphōrato.
A certain Gainas, a Scythian by race and more barbarous still in his mind, a man of tyrannical ambition, was general at that time. He had many of his own tribe under his command, and he led the Roman cavalry and infantry as well. Not only did everyone else dread him, but the emperor himself suspected the tyranny he was plotting. He had taken a share in the outrage of Arius, and he asked the emperor to give him one of the divine churches. The emperor said he would consider it and promised to oblige him. Then he sent for the divine John, told him the request, reminded him of Gainas's power, hinted at the tyranny that was being plotted, and begged him to bridle the barbarian's anger by the gift. That noble man said, "Do not promise such things, O emperor, and do not order what is holy to be given to the dogs. For I will not endure to drive out those who confess and hymn God the Word as God and hand over the divine temple to those who blaspheme him. And do not fear that barbarian, O emperor. Call us both, him and me; listen quietly to what is said, and I will bridle his tongue and persuade him not to ask for what it is not expedient to give." The emperor was glad to hear this, and on the next day called them both. Gainas demanded what had been promised; the great John opposed it, saying that an emperor who chose to be pious might not lay hands on divine things. When Gainas said that he too ought to have a house of prayer, the great John said, "Every divine house is open to you, and no one prevents you from praying when you wish." "But I," said Gainas, "belong to another communion, and I ask to have one divine house with them; and I ask it very justly, since I have endured many wars for the Romans." "But you have," said John, "rewards greater than your labours. You are a general and have been honoured with the consular robe, and you ought to consider what you once were and what you have now become, what your former poverty was and what your present wealth is, what clothes you wore before you crossed the Danube and what you are wearing now. Consider then how small the labours are and how great the honours, and do not be ungrateful to those who have honoured you." With such words the teacher of the world muzzled Gainas and forced him to keep silence. Some time later Gainas laid bare the tyranny he had long plotted; he gathered his army in Thrace and plundered and laid waste most of it. When they learned of this, everyone cowered, rulers and subjects alike; no one was willing to face him in battle, and no one thought it safe to go to him as an envoy, for each suspected the barbarity of his mind.
Matt 7:6 (allusion, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: John refuses the Arian general Gainas a church in Constantinople and silences him before the emperor; Gainas later revolts and ravages Thrace.
- "Who confess and hymn God the Word as God" renders τοὺς τὸν θεὸν λόγον θεολογοῦντάς τε καὶ ὑμνοῦντας: θεολογεῖν here means to speak of the Word as God.
- Gainas is not recorded as consul; "honoured with the consular robe" may refer to his rank and honours as general rather than to the consulship itself.
- Gainas's revolt took place in 400.
Topics: Heresy
Cite (SBL): Theodoret, Hist. eccl. 5.32 (GCS 19:331–333; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-historia-ecclesiastica/5-32). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-historia-ecclesiastica/5-32
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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.
5.33GCS 19:333–334
τότε τοὺς ἄλλους ἅπαντας ὡς δεδιότας καταλιπόντες, τὸν μέγαν τοῦτον ἔπεισαν ἀριστέα τὴν πρεσβείαν ποιήσασθαι. ὁ δὲ οὔτε τὴν γεγενημένην ἀντίστασιν λογισάμενος οὔτε τὴν ἐξ ἐκείνης φυεῖσαν διαφοράν, προθύμος εἰς τὴν Θράκην ἐξώρμησε. γνοὺς δὲ ἐκεῖνος τὸν πρεσβευτὴν καὶ τὴν ὑπὲρ τῆς εὐσεβείας γεγενημένην ἐνθυμηθεὶς παρρησίαν, ὑπήντησέ τε πόρρωθεν καὶ τὴν ἐκείνου δεξιὰν τοῖς ὀφθαλμοῖς περιτέθεικε, καὶ μέντοι καὶ τοὺς παῖδας τοῖς ἱεροῖς αὐτοῦ προσεκόμισε γόνασιν. οὕτω πέφυκεν ἀρετὴ καταιδεῖν τε καὶ καταπλήξτείν καὶ τοὺς ἄγαν δυσμενεστάτους. Ἀλλ᾽ οὐχ ἤνεγκεν ὁ φθόνος τὰς τῆς ἐκείνου φιλοσοφίας μαρμαρυγάς, ἀλλὰ ταῖς οἰκείαις χρησάμενος μηχαναῖς τὴν βασιλεύουσαν πόλιν, μᾶλλον δὲ τὴν οἰκουμένην ἅπασαν, τῆς ἐκείνου γλώττης ἐστέρησε καὶ φρενός.
tote tous allous hapantas hōs dediotas katalipontes, ton megan touton epeisan aristea tēn presbeian poiēsasthai. ho de oute tēn gegenēmenēn antistasin logisamenos oute tēn ex ekeinēs phyeisan diaphoran, prothymos eis tēn Thrakēn exōrmēse. gnous de ekeinos ton presbeutēn kai tēn hyper tēs eusebeias gegenēmenēn enthymētheis parrēsian, hypēntēse te porrōthen kai tēn ekeinou dexian tois ophthalmois peritetheike, kai mentoi kai tous paidas tois hierois autou prosekomise gonasin. houtō pephyken aretē kataidein te kai kataplēxtein kai tous agan dysmenestatous. All᾽ ouch ēnenken ho phthonos tas tēs ekeinou philosophias marmarygas, alla tais oikeiais chrēsamenos mēchanais tēn basileuousan polin, mallon de tēn oikoumenēn hapasan, tēs ekeinou glōttēs esterēse kai phrenos.
Then they passed over all the others as afraid and persuaded this great champion to undertake the embassy. He took no account of the opposition he had made or of the quarrel that had grown out of it, but set out eagerly for Thrace. When Gainas learned who the envoy was and remembered the boldness he had shown on behalf of true religion, he went out a long way to meet him, put John's right hand on his own eyes, and even brought his children to John's holy knees. So naturally does virtue shame and overawe even the most hostile. But envy could not bear the brilliance of his philosophy; using its own devices, it robbed the imperial city, or rather the whole world, of his tongue and his mind.
Notes and citation
Summary: John goes as envoy to Gainas, who receives him with reverence; but envy soon deprives the city of John.
Cite (SBL): Theodoret, Hist. eccl. 5.33 (GCS 19:333–334; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-historia-ecclesiastica/5-33). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-historia-ecclesiastica/5-33
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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.
5.34GCS 19:334–337
ἐγὼ δὲ ἐν τῷδε τῷ μέρει τῆς ἱστορίας γενόμενος οὐχ οἶδ᾽ ὅ τι πάθο. διηγήσασθαι γὰρ τὴν κατὰ τούτου τολμηθεῖσαν ἀδικίαν βουλόμενος τὴν ἄλλην ἀρετὴν τῶν ἠδικηκότων αἰσχύνομαι. οὗ δὴ χάριν αὐτῶν καὶ τὰς προσηγορίας κατακρύψαι πειράσομαι. οὗτοι διαφόρους δυσμενείας ἐσχηκότες προφάσεις, τὴν μὲν ἀστράπτουσαν τοῦ ἀνδρὸς ἰδεῖν οὐκ ἠθέλησαν ἀρετήν, δυστήνους δέ τινας κατηγόρους εὑρόντες καὶ τῆς συκοφαντίας τὸ προφανὲς θεώμενοι, πόρρω τοῦ ἄστεως ἐχάθισαν τὸ συνέδριον καὶ τὴν ψῆφον ὅ ἐξήνεγκαν. ὁ δὲ βασιλεὺς ὡς ἱερεῦσι πιστεύσας πορρῶ αὐτὸν τοῦ ἄστεως γενέσθαι προσέταξεν. ὁ δὲ μήτε τῆς κατηγορίας ἀκούσας μήτε τὴν ἀπολογίαν προσενεγκών, ὡς ἐληλεγμένος ἐφ᾽ οἷς ἠτιάθη, τὴν πόλιν καταλιπεῖν ἠναγκάσθη καὶ τὸ ἐν τῷ στόματι τοῦ Πόντου κείμενον κατέλαβεν Ἱερόν" οὕτω γὰρ ἐκεῖνο τὸ ἐπίνειον ὀνομάζουσι. σεισμοῦ δὲ μεγίστου νύκτωρ γεγενημένου καὶ δείματος τὴν βασιλίδα ὅ χατεσχηκότος, πρέσβεις ὑπὸ τὴν ἕω πρὸς τὸν ἐληλαμένον ἀπεστάλησαν, ἀντιβολοῦντες ὡς τάχιστα τὸ ἄστυ καταλαβεῖν καὶ στῆσαι τῇ πόλει τὸν κίνδυνον. καὶ ἕτεροι δὲ μετ᾽ ἐκείνους ἐπέμφθησαν καὶ ἄλλοι μετὰ τούτους, καὶ πλήρης ὁ Βόσπορος τῶν πεμπομένων ἐγένετο. ἐπειδὴ δὲ τοῦτο ὁ πιστότατος ἔγνω λεώς, ἐκάλυψεν τοῖς πορθμείοις τῆς Προποντίδος τὸ στόμα πάντες γὰρ ὑπήντησαν τὰς ἐκ κηροῦ λαμπάδας προσάπτοντες. Τότε μὲν οὖν τὸ τῶν δυσμενῶν διελύθη στῖφος. ὀλίγων δὲ διελθόντων μηνῶν συνηθροίσθησαν αὖθις καὶ δίκας εἰσέπραττον οὐ τῶν ψευδῶν ἐκείνων γραφῶν, ἀλλὰ τῆς μετὰ τὴν καθαίρεσι λειτουργίας. ὃ δὲ ἔλεγε μήτε δικάσασθαι μήτε τῶν γραφῶν ἐπακοῦσαι μήτε ἀπολογίαν ποιήσασθαι μήτε, μὴν κατακριθῆναι παρών, ἀλλ᾽ ὑπὸ βασιλέως ἐξελαθῆναί τε καὶ αὖ πάλι ἀνακληθῆναι. καὶ συνόδου συγχροτηθείσης ἑτέρας, οὐκ ἐδεήθησαν δίκης οἱ δυσμενεῖς, ἀλλὰ τὸν βασιλέα πείσαντες ἔννομον καὶ δικαίαν εἶναι τὴν ψῆφον οὐ μόνον τῆς πόλεως ἐκείνης ἐξήλασαν, ἀλλὰ καὶ εἴς τενα πολίχνην σμικράν τε καὶ ἔρημον τῆς Ἀἀρμενίας ἐξέπεμψαν" Κουκουσὸς δὲ ὄνομα ταύτῃ. χκἀχεῖθεν δὲ ἐξαγαγόντες εἰς Πιτυοῦντα μετῴκισαν: τέρμα δὲ τοῦτο καὶ τοῦ Πόντου καὶ τῆς Ῥωμαίων ἡγεμονίας, τοῖς ὠμοτάτοις γειτογεῦον βαρβάροις. ἀλλ᾽ ὁ φιλάνθρωπος οὐχ εἴασε δεσπότης εἰς ἐκεῖνο τὸ νησύδριον ἀπαχθῆναι τὸν καλλίνικον ἀθλητήν᾽ εἰς γὰρ τὰ Κόμανα παραγενόμενον εἰς τὸν ἀγήρω καὶ ἄλυπον μετέθηκε βίον. τὸ δέ γε καλῶς ἀγωνισάμενον σῶμα παρὰ τὴν θήκχην ἀπετέθη Βασιλίσκου τοῦ μάρτυρος, τοῦτο δι᾽ ὀνείρατος προστεταχότος τοῦ μάρτυρος. Ὁπόσοι μὲν οὖν τῶν ἐπισκόπων δι’ ἐκεῖνον τῶν ἐκκλησιῶν ἐξηλάθησαν καὶ αὐτὰς ῴκησαν τὰς τῆς οἰκουμένης ἐσχατιάς, ὁπόσοι δὲ καὶ τῶν τὴν ἀσχητικὴν φιλοσοφίαν ἠγαπηχότων τοῖς ἴσοις παθήμασι περιέπεσον, περιττὸν οἶμαι διηγεῖσθαι καὶ μηκύνειν τὴν συγγραφήν, ἄλλως τε καὶ χρῆναι νομίζω συστέλλειν τὰ σχυθρωπὰ καὶ τῶν δεδραχότων ὁμοπίστων ὄντων συγχαλύπτειν τὰ πλημμελήματα. ἔδοσαν μέντοι καὶ δίκας τῶν ἠδικηκότων οἱ πλεῖστοι καὶ τοῖς ἄλλοις δι’ ὧν ἔπαθον τὴν ὠφέλειαν προσήνεγκαν. Ταύτην ἐβδελύξαντο διαφερόντως τὴν ἀδικίαν οἱ τῆς Εὐρώπης ἐπίσκοποι' τῆς γὰρ τῶν δεδρακότων σφὰς αὐτοὺς ἀπέκριναν κοινωνίας. καὶ Ἰλλύριοι δὲ πάντες τῆς μερίδος ἐκείνης ἐγένοντο. τῶν δὲ πρὸς ἥλιον ἀνίσχοντα πόλεων οἱ πλεῖστοι ἔφυγον μὲν τῆς ἀδικίας τὴν κοινωνίαν, τὸ δὲ τῆς ἐκκλησίας οὐχ ἐμέρισαν σῶμα. καὶ τελευτήσαντος δὲ τοῦ μεγάλου διδασχάλου τῆς οἰκουμένης, οὐ πρότερον οἱ τῆς Ἑσπέρας ἐπίσκοποι τῶν ἐν Αἰγύπτῳ καὶ τῇ Ἑῴᾳ καὶ τῶν ἐν τῷ Βοσπόρῳ καὶ τῇ Θράκῃ τὴν κοινωνίαν ἠσπάσαντο ἕως ἐκείνου τοῦ θεσπεσίου ἀνδρὸς τοὔνομα τοῖς τεθνεῶσιν ἐπισκόποις συνέταξαν. καὶ Ἀρσάκιον μέν, ὃς μετ᾽ ἐκεῖνον ἐγένετο, προσρήσεως οὐκ ἠξίωσαν" ᾿ττιχὸν δὲ τὸν Ἀρσακίου διάδοχον, πολλάκις μὲν “πρεσβευσάμενον, πολλάκις δὲ τῆς εἰρήνης τυχεῖν ἀξιώσαντα, χρόνῳ ὕστερον ἐδέξαντο τὴ προσηγορίαν ἐγγράψαντα.
egō de en tǭde tǭ merei tēs historias genomenos ouch oid᾽ ho ti patho. diēgēsasthai gar tēn kata toutou tolmētheisan adikian boulomenos tēn allēn aretēn tōn ēdikēkotōn aischynomai. hou dē charin autōn kai tas prosēgorias katakrypsai peirasomai. houtoi diaphorous dysmeneias eschēkotes prophaseis, tēn men astraptousan tou andros idein ouk ēthelēsan aretēn, dystēnous de tinas katēgorous heurontes kai tēs sykophantias to prophanes theōmenoi, porrō tou asteōs echathisan to synedrion kai tēn psēphon ho exēnenkan. ho de basileus hōs hiereusi pisteusas porrō auton tou asteōs genesthai prosetaxen. ho de mēte tēs katēgorias akousas mēte tēn apologian prosenenkōn, hōs elēlegmenos eph᾽ hois ētiathē, tēn polin katalipein ēnankasthē kai to en tǭ stomati tou Pontou keimenon katelaben Hieron" houtō gar ekeino to epineion onomazousi. seismou de megistou nyktōr gegenēmenou kai deimatos tēn basilida ho chateschēkotos, presbeis hypo tēn heō pros ton elēlamenon apestalēsan, antibolountes hōs tachista to asty katalabein kai stēsai tę̄ polei ton kindynon. kai heteroi de met᾽ ekeinous epemphthēsan kai alloi meta toutous, kai plērēs ho Bosporos tōn pempomenōn egeneto. epeidē de touto ho pistotatos egnō leōs, ekalypsen tois porthmeiois tēs Propontidos to stoma pantes gar hypēntēsan tas ek kērou lampadas prosaptontes. Tote men oun to tōn dysmenōn dielythē stiphos. oligōn de dielthontōn mēnōn synēthroisthēsan authis kai dikas eisepratton ou tōn pseudōn ekeinōn graphōn, alla tēs meta tēn kathairesi leitourgias. ho de elege mēte dikasasthai mēte tōn graphōn epakousai mēte apologian poiēsasthai mēte, mēn katakrithēnai parōn, all᾽ hypo basileōs exelathēnai te kai au pali anaklēthēnai. kai synodou synchrotētheisēs heteras, ouk edeēthēsan dikēs hoi dysmeneis, alla ton basilea peisantes ennomon kai dikaian einai tēn psēphon ou monon tēs poleōs ekeinēs exēlasan, alla kai eis tena polichnēn smikran te kai erēmon tēs Aarmenias exepempsan" Koukousos de onoma tautę̄. chkacheithen de exagagontes eis Pityounta metǭkisan: terma de touto kai tou Pontou kai tēs Rhōmaiōn hēgemonias, tois ōmotatois geitogeuon barbarois. all᾽ ho philanthrōpos ouch eiase despotēs eis ekeino to nēsydrion apachthēnai ton kallinikon athlētēn᾽ eis gar ta Komana paragenomenon eis ton agērō kai alypon metethēke bion. to de ge kalōs agōnisamenon sōma para tēn thēkchēn apetethē Basiliskou tou martyros, touto di᾽ oneiratos prostetachotos tou martyros. Hoposoi men oun tōn episkopōn di’ ekeinon tōn ekklēsiōn exēlathēsan kai autas ǭkēsan tas tēs oikoumenēs eschatias, hoposoi de kai tōn tēn aschētikēn philosophian ēgapēchotōn tois isois pathēmasi periepeson, peritton oimai diēgeisthai kai mēkynein tēn syngraphēn, allōs te kai chrēnai nomizō systellein ta schythrōpa kai tōn dedrachotōn homopistōn ontōn synchalyptein ta plēmmelēmata. edosan mentoi kai dikas tōn ēdikēkotōn hoi pleistoi kai tois allois di’ hōn epathon tēn ōpheleian prosēnenkan. Tautēn ebdelyxanto diapherontōs tēn adikian hoi tēs Eurōpēs episkopoi' tēs gar tōn dedrakotōn sphas autous apekrinan koinōnias. kai Illyrioi de pantes tēs meridos ekeinēs egenonto. tōn de pros hēlion anischonta poleōn hoi pleistoi ephygon men tēs adikias tēn koinōnian, to de tēs ekklēsias ouch emerisan sōma. kai teleutēsantos de tou megalou didaschalou tēs oikoumenēs, ou proteron hoi tēs Hesperas episkopoi tōn en Aigyptǭ kai tę̄ Heǭą kai tōn en tǭ Bosporǭ kai tę̄ Thrakę̄ tēn koinōnian ēspasanto heōs ekeinou tou thespesiou andros tounoma tois tethneōsin episkopois synetaxan. kai Arsakion men, hos met᾽ ekeinon egeneto, prosrēseōs ouk ēxiōsan" ᾿ttichon de ton Arsakiou diadochon, pollakis men “presbeusamenon, pollakis de tēs eirēnēs tychein axiōsanta, chronǭ hysteron edexanto tē prosēgorian engrapsanta.
Having come to this part of my history, I do not know what to feel. I wish to relate the injustice that was dared against him, yet I am ashamed because of the other virtues of those who did the wrong. For that reason I shall try to conceal even their names. These men had various pretexts for their hostility. They refused to look at the man's flashing virtue; they found some wretched accusers, and though they saw that the slander was manifest, they held their tribunal far from the city and brought in their verdict. The emperor, trusting them as priests, ordered him to be removed far from the city. Without having heard the accusation or offered a defence, he was forced, as though convicted on the charges, to leave the city, and he went to Hieron, which lies at the mouth of the Pontus; for that is what they call that harbour. But in the night there was a very great earthquake, and terror seized the empress. At dawn envoys were sent to the exile, begging him to come back to the city as quickly as possible and to stop the danger that hung over it. Others were sent after them, and others after those, and the Bosporus was full of messengers. When the most faithful people learned of this, they covered the mouth of the Propontis with their boats; for all went out to meet him, lighting wax torches. For the time, then, the band of his enemies broke up. But after a few months they gathered again and demanded that he be punished, not on those false charges, but for having exercised his ministry after his deposition. He said that he had not been tried, had not heard the charges, had made no defence, and had not been condemned in his presence, but had been driven out by the emperor and called back again. Another synod was convened; but his enemies did not need a trial. They persuaded the emperor that the verdict was lawful and just, and they not only drove him from that city but sent him away to a small and desolate town of Armenia; its name is Cucusus. From there too they took him and removed him to Pityus, which is the end both of the Pontus and of Roman rule, bordering on the most savage barbarians. But the loving Master did not allow the victorious athlete to be taken to that little outpost: when he reached Comana, he transferred him to the life that knows neither age nor grief. The body that had fought the good fight was laid beside the tomb of Basiliscus the martyr, for the martyr had commanded this in a dream. How many bishops were driven from their churches on his account and lived at the very ends of the world, and how many of those who loved the ascetic philosophy fell into the same sufferings, I think it superfluous to relate and so to lengthen my narrative, especially as I think it right to pass briefly over sad things and to cover the faults of those who did them, since they were of the same faith. Most of the wrongdoers, however, paid the penalty, and by what they suffered brought profit to others. The bishops of Europe abhorred this injustice above all: they cut themselves off from communion with those who had done it, and all the Illyrians took that side too. Of the cities toward the rising sun, most avoided communion in the injustice but did not divide the body of the church. Even after the great teacher of the world had died, the bishops of the West did not embrace communion with those in Egypt, the East, the Bosporus, and Thrace until they had entered the name of that inspired man among the departed bishops. Arsacius, who came after him, they did not even think worthy of a greeting; Atticus, Arsacius's successor, who had often sent embassies and often asked for peace, they received some time later, once he had entered the name.
2 Tim 4:7 (echo, low confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Theodoret recounts, without naming the bishops responsible, John Chrysostom's deposition, brief recall after an earthquake, second exile to Cucusus, death at Comana, and the West's refusal of communion until his name was restored.
- The first tribunal "far from the city" is the Synod of the Oak near Chalcedon (403); Theodoret deliberately names none of John's opponents, who included Theophilus of Alexandria.
- Hieron was a harbour and sanctuary on the Asian side of the Bosporus at its entrance from the Black Sea.
- "Little outpost" renders νησύδριον, literally "little island"; Pityus was not an island, and the word seems to be used loosely of a remote place.
- "Fought the good fight" (καλῶς ἀγωνισάμενον) may echo 2 Tim 4:7.
- "Entered the name among the departed bishops" refers to the diptychs, the lists of names read in the liturgy (see 5.35). John died in 407; Atticus restored his name ca. 416.
Topics: Persecution
Cite (SBL): Theodoret, Hist. eccl. 5.34 (GCS 19:334–337; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-historia-ecclesiastica/5-34). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-historia-ecclesiastica/5-34
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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.
5.35GCS 19:337–338
Κατὰ τοῦτον δὲ τὸν χρόνον Ἀλεξανδρείας μὲν Κύριλλος ἐπίσκοπος ἢν, Θεοφίλου μὲν ἀδελφιδοῦς, τοῦ ὁὀὲ θείου τὴν προεδρίαν λαχών. τῆς δὲ Ἱεροσολύμων ἐκκλησίας Ἰωάννης εἶχε τὴν προεδρίαν, ἀνὴρ ἀξιάγαστος, Κύριλλον διαδεξάμενος, οὗ καὶ πρόσθεν ἐμνήσθημεν. τὴν δὲ Ἀντιοχέων ᾿᾿λέξανδρος ἐποίμαινε, συμβαίνουσαν ἔχων τῇ ἀρχιερωσύνῃ τὴν πολιτείαν. ἐν ἀσκητικῇ γὰρ παλαίστρᾳ τὸν πρὸ τῆς ἐπισκοπῆς διατελέσας χρόνον καὶ γυμνασάμενος ἐπὶ πλεῖστον, ὦφθη γενναῖος ἀγωνιστὴς καὶ λόγῳ παιδεύων καὶ βεβαιῶν τῷ βίῳ τὸν λόγον. οὗτος Πορφύριον διεδέξατο, ὃς μετὰ Φλαβιανὸν τοὺς οἴακας ἐκείνους παραλαβὼν πολλὰ μνημεῖα φιλανθρωπίας κατέλιπεν. ἐκεῖνος μὲν οὖν τῇ πυκνότητι διέπρεπε τῶν φρενῶν, ὁ δὲ θεῖος Ἀλέξανδρος ἀσκήσει καὶ φιλοσοφίᾳ καὶ ἀκτήμονι βίῳ καὶ τῷ ῥεύματι τῆς γλώττης καὶ μυρίοις ἑτέροις πλεονεκτήμασι χάριτος. Οὗτος καὶ τὴν Εὐσταθίου τοῦ μεγάλου συμμορίαν, ἣν πάλαι συναφθῆναι Παυλῖνος οὐχ εἴασε καὶ μετ᾽ ἐκεῖνον Εὐάγριος, πειθοῖ καὶ παρακλήσει χρώμενος τῷ λοιπῷ συνήρμοσε σώματι, καὶ ἐσχεδίασεν ἑορτὴν ἧς παραπλησίαν οὐδεὶς ἐθεάσατο πώποτε. πάντας γὰρ τοὺς ὁμοπίστους παραλαβών, καὶ τοὺς ἱερωμένους καὶ τοὺς πολλούς, ἀφίκετο πρὸς τὴν ἐκείνων ὁμήγυριν. καὶ παραλαβὼν ψάλλοντας καὶ μίαν ὑμνῳ δίας ἁρμονίαν ὑφήνας, ἀπὸ τῆς πρὸς ἑσπέραν τετραμμένης πυλίδος μέχρε τοῦ μεγίστου νεὼ πᾶσαν τὴν ἀγορὰν ἀνθρώπων ἐπλήρωσε καὶ ποταμὸν ἔδειξε λογικὸν τὸν παραρρέοντα μιμούμενον ποταμόν. ταῦτα δὲ ὁρῶντες καὶ Ἰουδαῖοι καὶ οἱ τὴν Ἀρείου λώβην εἰσδεδεγμένοι καὶ τὸ βραχύτατον τῶν Ἑλλήνων λείψανον ἔστενον καὶ ὠδύροντο, καὶ τοὺς ἄλλους θεώμενοι ποταμοὺς εἰς τὴν τῆς ἐκκλησίας εἰσβάλλοντας θάλασσαν. Οὗτος τὴν Ἰωάννου τοῦ πάνυ προσηγορίαν πρῶτος τοῖς ἐκκλὴησιαστικοῖς διπτύχοις ἐνέταξε.
Kata touton de ton chronon Alexandreias men Kyrillos episkopos ēn, Theophilou men adelphidous, tou hooe theiou tēn proedrian lachōn. tēs de Hierosolymōn ekklēsias Iōannēs eiche tēn proedrian, anēr axiagastos, Kyrillon diadexamenos, hou kai prosthen emnēsthēmen. tēn de Antiocheōn ᾿᾿lexandros epoimaine, symbainousan echōn tę̄ archierōsynę̄ tēn politeian. en askētikę̄ gar palaistrą ton pro tēs episkopēs diatelesas chronon kai gymnasamenos epi pleiston, ōphthē gennaios agōnistēs kai logǭ paideuōn kai bebaiōn tǭ biǭ ton logon. houtos Porphyrion diedexato, hos meta Phlabianon tous oiakas ekeinous paralabōn polla mnēmeia philanthrōpias katelipen. ekeinos men oun tę̄ pyknotēti dieprepe tōn phrenōn, ho de theios Alexandros askēsei kai philosophią kai aktēmoni biǭ kai tǭ rheumati tēs glōttēs kai myriois heterois pleonektēmasi charitos. Houtos kai tēn Eustathiou tou megalou symmorian, hēn palai synaphthēnai Paulinos ouch eiase kai met᾽ ekeinon Euagrios, peithoi kai paraklēsei chrōmenos tǭ loipǭ synērmose sōmati, kai eschediasen heortēn hēs paraplēsian oudeis etheasato pōpote. pantas gar tous homopistous paralabōn, kai tous hierōmenous kai tous pollous, aphiketo pros tēn ekeinōn homēgyrin. kai paralabōn psallontas kai mian hymnǭ dias harmonian hyphēnas, apo tēs pros hesperan tetrammenēs pylidos mechre tou megistou neō pasan tēn agoran anthrōpōn eplērōse kai potamon edeixe logikon ton pararreonta mimoumenon potamon. tauta de horōntes kai Ioudaioi kai hoi tēn Areiou lōbēn eisdedegmenoi kai to brachytaton tōn Hellēnōn leipsanon estenon kai ōdyronto, kai tous allous theōmenoi potamous eis tēn tēs ekklēsias eisballontas thalassan. Houtos tēn Iōannou tou pany prosēgorian prōtos tois ekklēēsiastikois diptychois enetaxe.
At this time Cyril was bishop of Alexandria, the nephew of Theophilus, who had succeeded his uncle in the presidency. John held the presidency of the church of Jerusalem, an admirable man, successor of the Cyril whom we mentioned earlier. Alexander shepherded the church of Antioch, a man whose life matched his high priesthood. He had spent the time before his episcopate in the ascetic wrestling-school and had trained there very long, and he proved a noble contender, teaching by his word and confirming his word by his life. He succeeded Porphyrius, who took the helm after Flavian and left many memorials of his kindness. Porphyrius excelled in shrewdness of mind; the divine Alexander in ascetic discipline and philosophy, in a life without possessions, in the flow of his speech, and in countless other gifts of grace. By persuasion and exhortation he joined to the rest of the body the party of the great Eustathius, which Paulinus long before, and Evagrius after him, had not allowed to be united; and he improvised a festival such as no one had ever seen. He took all his fellow believers, both the clergy and the people, and went to their assembly. Then, taking singers and weaving a single harmony of hymnody, he filled the whole market-place with people from the little gate that faces west to the great church, and showed a river of reasoning beings that imitated the river flowing alongside. When the Jews, those who had received the outrage of Arius, and the very small remnant of the Greeks saw this, they groaned and lamented, seeing the other rivers flowing into the sea of the church. He was the first to enter the name of the renowned John in the church's diptychs.
Notes and citation
Summary: Theodoret lists the bishops of Alexandria, Jerusalem, and Antioch; Alexander of Antioch reunites the Eustathians with the church in a great procession and restores John's name to the diptychs.
- "His uncle" renders τοῦ θείου, which could also be read "the divine" (Theophilus); the sense "uncle" fits ἀδελφιδοῦς ("nephew") just before.
- The "river flowing alongside" is the Orontes, on which Antioch stands.
- The reunion of the Eustathian party, separated since the deposition of Eustathius (see 1.21–22 and 3.4–5), took place ca. 414–415.
- Diptychs were the lists of living and departed bishops named in the liturgy; entering a name declared communion with him.
Cite (SBL): Theodoret, Hist. eccl. 5.35 (GCS 19:337–338; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-historia-ecclesiastica/5-35). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-historia-ecclesiastica/5-35
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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.
5.36GCS 19:338–341
Χρόνῳ μέντοι ὕστερον καὶ αὐτὰ τοῦ διδασχάλου τὰ λείψανα εἰς τὴν βασιλεύουσαν μετεκόμισαν πόλιν. καὶ πάλιν ὁ πιστὸς ὅμιλος, ὡς ἠπείρῳ τῷ πελάγει διὰ τῶν πορθμείων χρησάμενος, τοῦ Βοσπόρου τὸ πρὸς τῇ Προποντίδι στόμα ταῖς λαμπάσι κατέχρυψε. Τοῦτον δὲ ἐκείνῃ τῇ πόλει τὸν θησαυρὸν ὃ νῦν βασιλεύων προσήγεγχεν, ὃ τοῦ πάππου καὶ τὴν προσηγορίαν λαχὼν καὶ τὴν εὐσέβειαν φυλάξας ἀκήρατον. οὗτος ἐπιθεὶς τῇ λάρνακι καὶ τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς καὶ τὸ μέτωπον ἱκετείαν ὑπὲρ τῶν γεγεννηκότων προσήνεγκε, σΌγγνῶναι τοῖς ἐξ ἀγνοίας ἠδικηκόσιν ἀντιβολήσας. Πάλαι μὲν γὰρ ἐτεθνήκεσαν οἵ τούτου γονεῖς, κομιδῇ νέον ἐν ὀρφανίᾳ καταλιπόντες. ἀλλὰ πεῖραν αὐτὸν λαβεῖν τῆς ὀρφανίας. οὐκ εἴασεν ὃ τῶν πατέρων καὶ προγόνων θεός" τροφῆς τε γὰρ αὐτὸν μεταλαχεῖν εὐσεβοῦς παρεσκεύασε καὶ τὴν βασιλείαν ἐφύλαξεν ἄστασίαστον καὶ τὰξ τυραννικὰς ἐχαλίνωσε γνώμας. τῶνδε τῶν εὐεργεσιῶν μεμνημένος ἀεὶ τὸν εὐεργέτην γεραίρεε τοῖς ὕμνοις" ἔχει δὲ κοινωνοὺς τῆς ὑμνῳδίας τὰς ἀδελφὰς διὰ βίου τὴν παρθενίαν ἀσκούσας καὶ τρυφὴν ἡγουμένας μεγίστην τὴν τῶν θείων λογίων μελέτην καὶ θησαυρὸν ἄσυλον νομιζούσας τῶν δεομένων τὰς χρείας. αὐτὸν μέντοι τὸν βασιλέα πολλὰ μὲν καὶ ἄλλα κοσμεῖ, οὐχ ἥκιστα δὲ φιλανθρωπία καὶ πραότης καὶ γαλήνη φυχῆς ζάλην οὐ δεχομένη, καὶ πίστις ἀκραιφνής τε καὶ δόκιμος" καὶ ταύτης σαφὲς ἐπιδείξω τεκμήριον. Ἀνήο τις ἀσχητικὸν μὲν ἀσπαζόμενος βίον, θρασυτέρᾳ δὲ χρώμενος γνώμῃ. προσελήλυθε τῷ βασιλεῖ περί τενὸς δεόμενος. ἐπειδὴ δὲ τοῦτο δράσος πολλάκις οὐκ ἔτυχε, τῆς ἐκκλησιαστικῆς αὐτὸν κοινωνίας ἐκώλυσε καὶ τὸν δεσμὸν ἐπιθεὶς ὑπεχώρησεν. ὁ δὲ πιστότατος βασιλεὺς παραγενόμενος εἰς τὰ βασίλεια, καὶ τοῦ καιροῦ καλοῦντος εἰς εὐωχίαν καὶ τῶν συσσίτων παρόντων, οὐκ ἔφη πρὶν λυθῆναί οἱ τὸν δεσμὸν μετασχήσειν τροφῆς" καὶ τούτου δὴ εἵνεκα πρὸς τὸν ἀρχιερέα τινὰ τῶν οἰκειοτάτων ἔπεμψε, παρακαλῶν ἐπιτρέψαι τῷ δεδεκότι τὸν δεσμὸν διαλῦσαι. τοῦ δὲ ἐπισκόπου φήσαντος μὴ χρῆναι παρὰ παντὸς ὁτοντοῦν δέχεσθαι τὸν δεσμὸν καὶ δεδηλωκότος αἷς λέλυται, οὐκ ἐδέξατο τὴν λίσιν ἕως ὃ δήσας σὺν πολλῷ πόνῳ ζητηθεὶς τὴν κοιονίαν ἀπέδωκεν' οὕτω τοῖς θείοις πεπίστευκε νόμοις. Τούτου δὴ εἵνεκα καὶ αὐτὰ τῶν εἰδωλικῶν σηκῶν τὰ λειπόμενα ἐκ βάθρων ἀνασπασθῆναι προσέταξεν, ὥστε τοὺς μεθ᾽ ἡμᾶς ἐσομένους μηδὲ ἴχνος τῆς προτέρας ἐξαπάτης θεάσασθαι᾽ τήνδε γὰρ τὴν διάνοιαν τῷ περὶ τούτων ἐντέθεικε νόμῳ. Ἰούτων δὲ τῶν ἀγαθῶν σπερμάτων διηνεκῶς δρέπεται τοὺς καρπούς" τὸν γὰρ τῶν ὅλων δεσπότην προμηθούμενον ἔχει. καὶ γὰρ ἡνίκα Ῥωΐλας, Σχυθῶν τῶν νομάδων ἡγούμενος, τόν τε Ἴστρον διέβη μετὰ στρατιᾶς ὅτε μάλιστα πλείστης καὶ τήν τε Θράκην ἐδήου καὶ ἐληΐίξετο καὶ τὴν βασιλίδα πόλιν πολιορκήσειν τε καὶ αὐτοβοεὶ αἱρήσειν καὶ ἀνάστατον ἠπείλει ποιήσειν, σκηπτοῖς ἄνωθεν ὁ θεὸς καὶ πρὴστῆρσι βαλὼν καὶ αὐτὸν κατέφλεξε καὶ τὴ στρατιὰν κατανάλωσεν ἅπασαν. Τοιουτότροπόν τι κὰν τῷ Περσικῷ πολέμῳ πεποίηκεν. ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ἐκεῖνοι τὴν Ῥωμαίων ἀσχολίαν μεμαθηκότες κατὰ τῶν ἀστυγειτόνῶν ἐστράτευσαν, τὰς περὶ τῆς εἰρήνης παραβεβηκότες σπονόάς. ἐπεχούρει δὲ τοῖς πολεμουμένοις οὐδείς (τῇ γὰρ εἰρήνῃ τεθαρρηκὼς ὁ βασιλεὺς εἰς ἑτέρους πολέμους καὶ τοὺς στρατηγοὺς καὶ τοὺς στρατιώτας ἐξέπεμψεν), ὑετῷ λαβροτάτῳ καὶ χαλάζῃ βαλὼν μεγίστῃ τὴν ἐπὶ τὰ πρόσω πορείαν ἐκώλυσε καὶ τὸν τῶν ἵππων ἐπέδησε δρόμον" καὶ ἐν εἴκοσι ἡμέραις ἰσαρίθμους ἐξανύσαι σταδίους οὐχ ἴσχυσαν, ἕως οἱ στρατηγοί τε ἀφίκοντο καὶ τοὺς στρατιώτας συνήθροισαν. Καὶ ἐν τῷ προτέρῳ δὲ πολέμῳ τούτους αὐτοὺς τὴν ἐπώνυμον τοῦ βασιλέως πολιορχοῦντας πόλιν καταγελάστους ἀπέφηνε. πλείους γὰρ ἢ τριάκοντα ἡμέρας πανσυδὶ Γοροράνου τὴν προειρημένην κυχκλώσαντος πόλιν, καὶ πολλὰς μὲν ἑλεπόλεις προσενεγκόντος, μηχαναῖς δὲ χρησαμένου μερίαις, καὶ πύργους ἢ ἔξωθεν ὑφηλοὺς ἀντεγείραν τος, μόνος ἀντέσχεν ὁ θεῖος ἀρχιερεὺς (Εὐνόμιος δὲ τούτῳ ὄνομα ἡ) καὶ τῶν προσφερομένων μηχανῶν τὴν ῥύμην διέλυσε. καὶ τῶν στρατηγῶν τῶν ἡμετέρων τὴν πρὸς τοὺς πολεμίους ἀπειρηκότων μάχην καὶ τοῖς πολιορκουμένοις ἐπαρκεῖν οὐ τολμώντων, οὗτος ἀντιπαραταττόμενος ἀπόρθητον τὴν πόλιν ἐφύλαξεν. ἑνὸς δὲ τῶν ὑπὸ τῶν βαρβάρων τελούντων βασιλέων τὴν συνήθη βλασφημίαν τετολμηχότος καὶ τὰ Ῥαφψάχου καὶ Σενναχηρεὶμ φθεγξαμένου καὶ αγνιχῶς ἀπειλήσαντος τὸν θεῖον πυρπολήσειν νεών, οὐκ ἐνεγκὼν τὴν λύτταν ὁ θεῖος ἐκεῖνος ἀνὴρ τὸ λιθοβόλον ὄργανον παρὰ τὴν ἔπαλξιν τεθῆναι κελεύσας, ὃ τοῦ ἀποστόλου Θωμᾶ ἐπώνυμον ἣν, καὶ λίθοιν" μέγαν ἐπιτεθῆναι παρεγγυήσας, ἐν τῷ ὀνόματι τοῦ βλασφημηθέντος ἀφεῖναι προσέταξεν. ὁ δὲ κατευθὺ τοῦ δυσσεβοῦς βασιλέως ἐκείνου χκατενεχθεὶς καὶ τῷ στόματι πελάσας τῷ μυσαρῷ, τό τε πρόσωπον διέφθειρε καὶ τὴν κεφαλὴν συνέτριψεν ἅπασαν καὶ τὸν ἐγκέφαλο διέρανε τῇ γῇ. τοῦτο θεασάμενος ὁ τὴν στρατιὰν ἀγείρας καὶ τὴν πόλιν αἱρήσειν ἐλπίσας ὄχετο. τὴν ἧτταν διὰ τῶν πραγμάτων. ὅμολογήσας, καὶ δείσας τὴν εἰρήνην ἐσπείσατο. οὕτως ὁ τῶν ὅλων παμβασιλεὺς τοῦ πιστοτάτου κήδεται βασιλέως. “᾿αὶ γὰρ δὴ καὶ οὗτος τὴν δουλείαν ὁμολογεῖ καὶ τὴν ἁρμόττουσαν τῷ δεσπότῃ θεραπείαν προσφέρει.
Chronǭ mentoi hysteron kai auta tou didaschalou ta leipsana eis tēn basileuousan metekomisan polin. kai palin ho pistos homilos, hōs ēpeirǭ tǭ pelagei dia tōn porthmeiōn chrēsamenos, tou Bosporou to pros tę̄ Propontidi stoma tais lampasi katechrypse. Touton de ekeinę̄ tę̄ polei ton thēsauron ho nyn basileuōn prosēgenchen, ho tou pappou kai tēn prosēgorian lachōn kai tēn eusebeian phylaxas akēraton. houtos epitheis tę̄ larnaki kai tous ophthalmous kai to metōpon hiketeian hyper tōn gegennēkotōn prosēnenke, sOngnōnai tois ex agnoias ēdikēkosin antibolēsas. Palai men gar etethnēkesan hoi toutou goneis, komidę̄ neon en orphanią katalipontes. alla peiran auton labein tēs orphanias. ouk eiasen ho tōn paterōn kai progonōn theos" trophēs te gar auton metalachein eusebous pareskeuase kai tēn basileian ephylaxen astasiaston kai tax tyrannikas echalinōse gnōmas. tōnde tōn euergesiōn memnēmenos aei ton euergetēn gerairee tois hymnois" echei de koinōnous tēs hymnǭdias tas adelphas dia biou tēn parthenian askousas kai tryphēn hēgoumenas megistēn tēn tōn theiōn logiōn meletēn kai thēsauron asylon nomizousas tōn deomenōn tas chreias. auton mentoi ton basilea polla men kai alla kosmei, ouch hēkista de philanthrōpia kai praotēs kai galēnē phychēs zalēn ou dechomenē, kai pistis akraiphnēs te kai dokimos" kai tautēs saphes epideixō tekmērion. Anēo tis aschētikon men aspazomenos bion, thrasyterą de chrōmenos gnōmę̄. proselēlythe tǭ basilei peri tenos deomenos. epeidē de touto drasos pollakis ouk etyche, tēs ekklēsiastikēs auton koinōnias ekōlyse kai ton desmon epitheis hypechōrēsen. ho de pistotatos basileus paragenomenos eis ta basileia, kai tou kairou kalountos eis euōchian kai tōn syssitōn parontōn, ouk ephē prin lythēnai hoi ton desmon metaschēsein trophēs" kai toutou dē heineka pros ton archierea tina tōn oikeiotatōn epempse, parakalōn epitrepsai tǭ dedekoti ton desmon dialysai. tou de episkopou phēsantos mē chrēnai para pantos hotontoun dechesthai ton desmon kai dedēlōkotos hais lelytai, ouk edexato tēn lisin heōs ho dēsas syn pollǭ ponǭ zētētheis tēn koionian apedōken' houtō tois theiois pepisteuke nomois. Toutou dē heineka kai auta tōn eidōlikōn sēkōn ta leipomena ek bathrōn anaspasthēnai prosetaxen, hōste tous meth᾽ hēmas esomenous mēde ichnos tēs proteras exapatēs theasasthai᾽ tēnde gar tēn dianoian tǭ peri toutōn entetheike nomǭ. Ioutōn de tōn agathōn spermatōn diēnekōs drepetai tous karpous" ton gar tōn holōn despotēn promēthoumenon echei. kai gar hēnika Rhōïlas, Schythōn tōn nomadōn hēgoumenos, ton te Istron diebē meta stratias hote malista pleistēs kai tēn te Thrakēn edēou kai elēïixeto kai tēn basilida polin poliorkēsein te kai autoboei hairēsein kai anastaton ēpeilei poiēsein, skēptois anōthen ho theos kai prēstērsi balōn kai auton katephlexe kai tē stratian katanalōsen hapasan. Toioutotropon ti kan tǭ Persikǭ polemǭ pepoiēken. epeidē gar ekeinoi tēn Rhōmaiōn ascholian memathēkotes kata tōn astygeitonōn estrateusan, tas peri tēs eirēnēs parabebēkotes sponoas. epechourei de tois polemoumenois oudeis (tę̄ gar eirēnę̄ tetharrēkōs ho basileus eis heterous polemous kai tous stratēgous kai tous stratiōtas exepempsen), hyetǭ labrotatǭ kai chalazę̄ balōn megistę̄ tēn epi ta prosō poreian ekōlyse kai ton tōn hippōn epedēse dromon" kai en eikosi hēmerais isarithmous exanysai stadious ouch ischysan, heōs hoi stratēgoi te aphikonto kai tous stratiōtas synēthroisan. Kai en tǭ proterǭ de polemǭ toutous autous tēn epōnymon tou basileōs poliorchountas polin katagelastous apephēne. pleious gar ē triakonta hēmeras pansydi Gororanou tēn proeirēmenēn kychklōsantos polin, kai pollas men helepoleis prosenenkontos, mēchanais de chrēsamenou meriais, kai pyrgous ē exōthen hyphēlous antegeiran tos, monos anteschen ho theios archiereus (Eunomios de toutǭ onoma hē) kai tōn prospheromenōn mēchanōn tēn rhymēn dielyse. kai tōn stratēgōn tōn hēmeterōn tēn pros tous polemious apeirēkotōn machēn kai tois poliorkoumenois eparkein ou tolmōntōn, houtos antiparatattomenos aporthēton tēn polin ephylaxen. henos de tōn hypo tōn barbarōn telountōn basileōn tēn synēthē blasphēmian tetolmēchotos kai ta Rhaphpsachou kai Sennachēreim phthenxamenou kai agnichōs apeilēsantos ton theion pyrpolēsein neōn, ouk enenkōn tēn lyttan ho theios ekeinos anēr to lithobolon organon para tēn epalxin tethēnai keleusas, ho tou apostolou Thōma epōnymon hēn, kai lithoin" megan epitethēnai parengyēsas, en tǭ onomati tou blasphēmēthentos apheinai prosetaxen. ho de kateuthy tou dyssebous basileōs ekeinou chkatenechtheis kai tǭ stomati pelasas tǭ mysarǭ, to te prosōpon diephtheire kai tēn kephalēn synetripsen hapasan kai ton enkephalo dierane tę̄ gę̄. touto theasamenos ho tēn stratian ageiras kai tēn polin hairēsein elpisas ocheto. tēn hēttan dia tōn pragmatōn. homologēsas, kai deisas tēn eirēnēn espeisato. houtōs ho tōn holōn pambasileus tou pistotatou kēdetai basileōs. “᾿ai gar dē kai houtos tēn douleian homologei kai tēn harmottousan tǭ despotę̄ therapeian prospherei.
Some time later they brought the remains of the teacher himself to the imperial city. And again the faithful multitude, using the sea as though it were dry land by means of their boats, covered with torches the mouth of the Bosporus where it meets the Propontis. This treasure was brought to that city by the present emperor, who received his grandfather's name and has kept his piety undefiled. He laid his eyes and his forehead on the coffin and offered supplication for his parents, begging him to forgive those who had wronged him in ignorance. For his parents had died long before, leaving him an orphan while still very young. But the God of his fathers and forebears did not let him feel his orphanhood: he gave him a pious upbringing, kept his reign free from sedition, and bridled the designs of usurpers. Mindful of these benefits, he continually honours his Benefactor with hymns; and he has as partners in his hymnody his sisters, who practise virginity all their lives, count the study of the divine oracles their greatest delight, and regard the needs of the poor as a treasure that cannot be plundered. The emperor himself is adorned by many other things too, but not least by kindness, gentleness, a calm of soul that admits no storm, and a faith pure and proven; and of this I shall give a clear proof. A certain man who had embraced the ascetic life, but was of a rather rash temper, came to the emperor with a request. When he had often failed to obtain it, he barred the emperor from the communion of the church, laid the bond on him, and went away. The most faithful emperor came to the palace; and though the hour called him to dinner and his table companions were present, he said he would not take food until the bond had been loosed. For this reason he sent one of his closest attendants to the high priest, begging him to permit the man who had bound him to loose the bond. The bishop said that a bond was not to be accepted from just anyone and declared that it was loosed; but the emperor would not accept the release until the man who had bound him had been sought out with much trouble and had restored him to communion. So faithfully does he trust the divine laws. For this reason he also ordered that the very remains of the idols' precincts be torn up from their foundations, so that those who come after us might not see even a trace of the former deception; this is the intention he set down in his law about them. Of these good seeds he constantly reaps the fruits, for he has the Master of all as his protector. When Roilas, the leader of the nomad Scythians, crossed the Danube with a very great army, ravaged and plundered Thrace, and threatened to besiege the imperial city, take it at the first assault, and lay it waste, God struck him from above with thunderbolts and fiery whirlwinds, burned him up, and destroyed his whole army. He did something of the same kind in the Persian war. When the Persians learned that the Romans were occupied elsewhere, they broke the treaties of peace and marched against their neighbours; and no one came to the aid of those attacked, for the emperor, trusting in the peace, had sent his generals and soldiers to other wars. Then God struck the Persians with a most violent rain and very great hail, checked their advance, and hobbled their horses; in twenty days they could not cover as many stades, until the generals arrived and gathered the soldiers. In the earlier war, too, he made these same Persians a laughing-stock when they besieged the city named after the emperor. For more than thirty days Gororanes surrounded that city with all his forces, brought up many siege engines, used countless machines, and raised high towers against it from outside; but the divine high priest alone (his name was Eunomius) resisted and broke the force of the engines brought against it. When our generals had given up fighting the enemy and did not dare to help the besieged, he set himself against the enemy and kept the city unsacked. One of the kings serving under the barbarians dared to utter the usual blasphemy, spoke the words of Rabshakeh and Sennacherib, and madly threatened to burn the divine temple. That divine man could not bear his frenzy. He ordered the stone-throwing engine named after the apostle Thomas to be set up by the battlement, had a great stone put on it, and ordered it to be let fly in the name of the one who had been blasphemed. The stone fell straight on that impious king, struck his foul mouth, destroyed his face, crushed his whole head, and spattered his brain on the ground. When the man who had gathered the army and hoped to take the city saw this, he went away, admitting his defeat by his deeds, and in fear he made peace. So does the King of all care for the most faithful emperor; for he too confesses that he is a servant and renders to his Master the service that befits him.
2 Kgs 18:28–35 (allusion, medium confidence) · 2 Kgs 19:10–13 (allusion, low confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Theodosius II brings John Chrysostom's relics to Constantinople and prays for his parents; Theodoret praises his piety, his submission to an excommunication, his laws against pagan shrines, and God's help against the Huns and the Persians.
- The present emperor is Theodosius II (408–450), grandson of Theodosius I; the relics of John were brought to Constantinople in 438. His parents were Arcadius and Eudoxia, who had taken part in John's exile.
- The sisters are Pulcheria, Arcadia, and Marina, who took vows of virginity.
- "Laid the bond on him": the monk declared the emperor excommunicate. The bishop (Theodoret does not name him) declared the sentence void, but the emperor waited until the monk himself lifted it.
- Roilas (Rua or Rugila) was a king of the Huns, whom Theodoret calls "Scythians"; he died ca. 434.
- "The earlier war" is the Persian war of 421–422, in which Gororanes (Varahran V) besieged Theodosiopolis; the later Persian war is probably that of 440–441.
- Rabshakeh and Sennacherib: the Assyrian officers who mocked the God of Israel before Jerusalem (2 Kgs 18–19; Isa 36–37).
Topics: Persecution
Cite (SBL): Theodoret, Hist. eccl. 5.36 (GCS 19:338–341; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-historia-ecclesiastica/5-36). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-historia-ecclesiastica/5-36
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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.
5.37GCS 19:341–342
Οὗτος τοῦ μεγάλου φωστῆρος τῆς οἰκουμένης τὰ λείψανα τῇ ποθούσῃ ἀποδέδωκε πόλει" ἀλλὰ ταῦτα μὲν ὕστερον ἐγένετο. Ἰννοκέντιον δὲ ἐκεῖνον τὸν ἄριστον τῆς Ῥώμης ἐπίσκοπον Βονιφάτιος διεδέξατο, Ζώσιμος δὲ Βονιφάτιον, τὸν δὲ Ζώσιμον Κελεστῖνος. ἐν" Ἱεροσολύμοις δὲ μετὰ τὸν. θαυμάσιον Ἰωάννην Πραὕὔλιος τὴν τῆς ἐκκλησίας ἐπιστεύθη κηδεμονίαν, ἀνὴρ τῷ ὄντι φερώνυμος. ἐν Ἰντιοχείᾳ δὲ μετὰ τὸν θεῖον Ἀλέξανδρον Θεόδοτος, τῆς σωφροσύνης ὃ μαργαρίτης, τὴν τῆς ἐκκλησίας προεδρίαν παρέλαβε, πραότητι μὲν διαπρέπων, ἀκριβείᾳ δὲ βίου κοσμούμενος. οὗτος τὴν Ἀπολιναρίου 'φατρίαν τοῖς ἄλλοις προβάτοις ἀνέμιξε, λιπαρηθεὶς αὐτοὺς ἑνῶσαι τῇ ποίμνῃ" πολλοὶ δὲ τούτον διέμειναν τὴν προτέραν λώβην ἐπίσημον ἔχοντες.
Houtos tou megalou phōstēros tēs oikoumenēs ta leipsana tę̄ pothousę̄ apodedōke polei" alla tauta men hysteron egeneto. Innokention de ekeinon ton ariston tēs Rhōmēs episkopon Boniphatios diedexato, Zōsimos de Boniphation, ton de Zōsimon Kelestinos. en" Hierosolymois de meta ton. thaumasion Iōannēn Prauylios tēn tēs ekklēsias episteuthē kēdemonian, anēr tǭ onti pherōnymos. en Intiocheią de meta ton theion Alexandron Theodotos, tēs sōphrosynēs ho margaritēs, tēn tēs ekklēsias proedrian parelabe, praotēti men diaprepōn, akribeią de biou kosmoumenos. houtos tēn Apolinariou 'phatrian tois allois probatois anemixe, liparētheis autous henōsai tę̄ poimnę̄" polloi de touton diemeinan tēn proteran lōbēn episēmon echontes.
This emperor gave back the remains of the great luminary of the world to the city that longed for them; but that happened later. Innocent, that excellent bishop of Rome, was succeeded by Boniface, Boniface by Zosimus, and Zosimus by Celestine. In Jerusalem, after the admirable John, Praylius was entrusted with the care of the church, a man truly worthy of his name. In Antioch, after the divine Alexander, Theodotus, the pearl of self-control, received the presidency of the church, a man distinguished by gentleness and adorned by strictness of life. He mingled the party of Apolinarius with the rest of the sheep, after they had begged him to unite them to the flock; but many of them continued to bear the marks of their former taint.
Notes and citation
Summary: Theodoret records the succession of bishops at Rome, Jerusalem, and Antioch, and Theodotus of Antioch's reception of the Apolinarians.
- The order of the Roman bishops is as printed; the actual order was Innocent (401–417), Zosimus (417–418), Boniface (418–422), Celestine (422–432).
- "Worthy of his name": Praylius's name recalls πραΰς, "gentle".
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR debris (a garbled marginal line) removed; χ read for κ in the name.): ἐγένετο. ΒΥ Ν-ἀαβ()τεσ ΑΙ (Ὁ) Ἰννοχέντιον → ἐγένετο. Ἰννοκέντιον.
Topics: Heresy
Cite (SBL): Theodoret, Hist. eccl. 5.37 (GCS 19:341–342; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-historia-ecclesiastica/5-37). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-historia-ecclesiastica/5-37
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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.