Sozomen, Church History 3.2.9
https://caesarea-maritima.org/testimonia/152
Context
Salaminius Hermias Sozomenos, or Sozomen, was an important
ecclesiastical historian of the first half of the 5th century. Born to a wealthy
Christian family in the region of Gaza, he learned classical and sacred literature under
the guidance of local monks, he studied law at Beirut, and spent his career at
Constantinople during the reign of Theodosius II. His extant history (the second of two
written), which depends significantly on the works by Eusebius, Rufinus, and Socrates,
surveys the events of the church from the conversion of Constantine to the accession of
Valentinian III, but the ending is unfinished or possibly damaged. In this passage,
Sozomen mentions the career of Acacius, the successor to Eusebius as bishop of
Caesarea.
Text
Περὶ δὲ τοῦτον τὸν χρόνον Εὐσεβίου τοῦ Παμφίλου τελευτήσαντος διαδέχεται
τὴν ἐν Καισαρείᾳ τῆς Παλαιστίνης ἐπισκοπὴν Ἀκάκιος. ὃς πρὸς αὐτὸν
Εὐσέβιον τὸν ζῆλον ἔχων καὶ ὑπ’ αὐτῷ τοὺς ἱεροὺς παιδευθεὶς λόγους ἱκανός τε νοεῖν καὶ
φράζειν ἀστεῖος ἐγένετο, ὡς καὶ πολλὰ συγγράμματα λόγου ἄξια καταλιπεῖν.1
Textual Note
Ed. Bidez and Hansen 1995Translation
Around this time Eusebius Pamphili died and Acacius succeeded (him)
as bishop of Caesarea Palestinae. He was a zealous imitator of
Eusebius because he had been instructed by him in the Sacred Words. He possessed a
capable mind and polished expression, so that he left many writings worthy of
commendation.2
Translation Note
Adapted from Hartranft 1890Works Cited
- 1 Sozomen, Kirchengeschichte, ed. Joseph Bidez and Günther Christian Hansen, 2nd ed., Griechischen christlichen Schriftsteller der ersten drei Jahrhunderte (Berlin: Akademie-Verlag, 1995), bk: 3, ch: 2.9.
- 2 Sozomen, Sozomenus: Church History from A.D. 323-425, in Socrates, Sozomenus: Church Histories., trans. Chester David Hartranft, repr. of American ed., A Select Library of Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers of the Christian Church. Second Series 2 (New York: Christian Literature Publishing, 1890), 179–427, p: 284.
How to Cite This Entry
Joshua Woods et al., “Sozomen, Church History 3.2.9,” in Caesarea Maritima: A Collection of Testimonia, entry published June 30, 2023, https://caesarea-maritima.org/testimonia/152.
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Bibliography:
Joshua Woods et al., “Sozomen, Church History 3.2.9.” In Caesarea Maritima: A Collection of Testimonia, edited by Joseph L. Rife., edited by Joseph L. Rife. Caesarea City and Port Exploration Project, 2023. Entry published June 30, 2023. https://caesarea-maritima.org/testimonia/152.About this Entry
Entry Title: Sozomen, Church History 3.2.9
Authorial and Editorial Responsibility:
- Joseph L. Rife, general editor, Vanderbilt University
- Joseph L. Rife, editor, Caesarea Maritima: A Collection of Testimonia
- David A. Michelson, Daniel L. Schwartz, and William L. Potter, technical editors, “Sozomen, Church History 3.2.9”
- Joshua Woods, Eliana Yonan, and Joseph L. Rife, entry contributors, “Sozomen, Church History 3.2.9”
Additional Credit:
- TEI encoding by William L. Potter
- Electronic text added by Joshua Woods
- Electronic text added by Eliana Yonan
- Testimonia identified by Joseph L. Rife