Theodoret, Church History 5.8.4-5.8.6
https://caesarea-maritima.org/testimonia/154
Context
Theodoret served as bishop of Cyrrhus in northwestern Syria in
423-457. Following his wide education in both the Christian and the Greek traditions and
a brief monastic devotion, he became a vigorous leader of his diocese, distinguished by
his philanthropy, and a prominent theologian, particularly in opposition to Cyril of
Alexandria as a staunch and lasting defender of Nestorius. He was a prolific writer, and
his many extant works include exegesis, ecclesiastical history, and Christological
treatises. In this passage from the Church History, Theodoret narrates
the Second Ecumenical Council convened in 381 by Theodosius I in Aghia Eirene at
Constantinople. Here he records the bishops attending from Asia Minor and the Near East,
including Gelasius of Caesarea, who sided with Gregory Nazianzus.
Text
(4) 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· Ἀμφιλόχιος δὲ Λυκαόνων ἡγεῖτο καὶ Πισιδῶν
Ὄπτιμος καὶ Κιλίκων Διόδωρος. (5) παρὴν δὲ καὶ Πελάγιος ὁ Λαοδικείας καὶ Εὐλόγιος ὁ
Ἐδέσσης καὶ Ἀκάκιος καὶ Ἰσίδωρος ὁ ἡμέτερος καὶ Κύριλλος ὁ τῶν Ἰεροσολύμων, καὶ Γελάσιος
ὁ Καισαρείας τῆς Παλαιστίνης, λόγῳ καὶ βίῳ κοσμούμενος, καὶ
ἕτεροι πλεῖστοι τῆς ἀρετῆς ἀθληταί. (6) τότε δὴ οὖν οὗτοι πάντες τῶν Αἰγυπτίων σφὰς
αὐτοὺς ἀποκρίναντες, σὺν τῷ μεγάλω Γρηγορίῳ τὰς πανηγύρεις ἐπετέλουν τὰς θείας.1
Textual Note
Ed. Parmentier and Hansen 1998Translation
(4) (The assembled bishops) were admirable men and full of divine
zeal and wisdom, such as Helladius, successor of the great Basil, Gregory and Peter,
brothers of Basil, and Amphilochius from Lycaonia, Optimus from Pisidia, and Diodorus
from Cilicia. Also present were Pelagius of Laodicaea, Eulogius of Edessa, Acacius, our
own Isidorus, Cyril of Jerusalem, Gelasius of Caesarea in
Palestine, celebrated for his learning and career, and many other
athletes of virtue. All these then separated themselves from the Egyptians and
celebrated divine service with the great Gregory.2
Translation Note
Adapted from Jackson 1892 and Parmentier, Hansen, and Bouffartigue 2009Works Cited
- 1 Theodoret of Cyrrus, Theodoret. Kirchengeschichte, ed. Léon Parmentier and Günther Christian Hansen, 3rd ed., Die griechischen christlichen Schriftsteller der ersten Jahrhunderte n.F. 5 (Berlin: Akademie Verlag, 1998), bk: 5, ch: 8.4-8.6.
- 2 Theodoret of Cyrrus, The Ecclesiastical History of Theodoret, in Theodoret, Jerome, Gennadius, & Rufinus: Historical Writings, ed. Henry Wace and Philip Schaff, trans. Blomfield Jackson, Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers. 2nd Series 3 (New York: The Christian Literature Publishing Company, 1892), 33–159, p: 136.
Additional Bibliography
- Theodoret et al., Histoire ecclésiastique, 2 vols., Sources chrétiennes (Paris: Éditions du Cerf, 2006), bk: 5, ch: 8.4-8.6.
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How to Cite This Entry
Joshua Woods et al., “Theodoret, Church History 5.8.4-5.8.6,” in Caesarea Maritima: A Collection of Testimonia, entry published January 20, 2023, https://caesarea-maritima.org/testimonia/154.
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Bibliography:
Joshua Woods et al., “Theodoret, Church History 5.8.4-5.8.6.” In Caesarea Maritima: A Collection of Testimonia, edited by Joseph L. Rife, Phillip I. Lieberman and David A. Michelson., edited by Joseph L. Rife et al.. Caesarea City and Port Exploration Project, 2023. Entry published January 20, 2023. https://caesarea-maritima.org/testimonia/154.About this Entry
Entry Title: Theodoret, Church History 5.8.4-5.8.6
Authorial and Editorial Responsibility:
- Joseph L. Rife, general editor, Vanderbilt University
- Joseph L. Rife, Phillip I. Lieberman, and David A. Michelson, editors, Caesarea Maritima: A Collection of Testimonia
- David A. Michelson, Daniel L. Schwartz, and William L. Potter, technical editors, “Theodoret, Church History 5.8.4-5.8.6”
- Joshua Woods, Eliana Yonan, and Joseph L. Rife, entry contributors, “Theodoret, Church History 5.8.4-5.8.6”
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