Theophanes the Confessor, Chronicle 30.32-31.15
created: This entry is taken from Chronicle 30.32-31.15 written by Theophanes the Confess
edition published: 2022-10-19-05:00
language: grc; grc
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https://caesarea-maritima.org/testimonia/337

Καισάρειαν

, and

Caesarea

are directly attested at Theophanes the Confessor, Chronicle 30.32-31.15. This passage was written ca. 810-814 CE possibly in Cyzicus. Theophanes, born to noble parents in Constantinople, was raised in the Palace under Constantine V (740-775 C.E.) He spent much of his career as a member and leader of monastic communities around the Sea of Marmara, before his condemnation and exile to Samothrace in 817 C.E. by Leo V the Armenian during the controversies over iconoclasm. At the request of George Syncellus, Theophanes wrote a continuation of his chronicle from Diocletian down to Michael I Rhangabes (284-813 C.E.), in the usual dry style and format of Byzantine chronography. In his entry for the year 334/5 C.E. he describes the campaign against Athanasius of Alexandria, the stalwart champion of Nicene orthodoxy, by Eusebius of Nicomedia, which culminated in the First Synod of Tyre. Dalmatius, the Caesar in Antioch, planned the trial to occur at Caesarea, but the city’s bishop Eusebius intervened on Athanasius’ behalf.

τῷ δ’ αὐτῷ ἔτει καὶ ἡ κατὰ Ἰσχύραν ἐπιβουλὴ Ἀθανασίου ἐτυρεύθη ἐν τῷ Μαρεώτῃ. οὗτος ὁ Ἰσχύρας ἱερέα ἑαυτὸν σχηματίσας περιῄει ἱερουργῶν· ὅπερ μαθὼν Ἀθανάσιος τοῦτον ἐκώλυσε τοῦ τολμήματος διὰ Μακαρίου πρεσβυτέρου. ὁ δὲ φυγὼν ἦλθε πρὸς Εὐσέβιον τὸν Νικομηδείας, κατηγορῶν Ἀθανασίου ὡς ἱερὰ σκεύη τῷ καιρῷ τῆς μυσταγωγίας ἐκ τοῦ θυσιαστηρίου κατεάξαντος καὶ ἱερὰς βίβλους διὰ Μακαρίου καύσαντος· Ἀρσενίου τε τὴν περιβόητον χεῖρα κατεψεύσαντο πρὸς μαγείας ταύτῃ κεχρῆσθαι τὸν ἅγιον οὕτως ἀναιδῶς διαβάλλοντες. γνοὺς δὲ ὁ βασιλεὺς τὰς κατὰ Ἀθανασίου διαβολὰς Δαλματίῳ πρῶτον τῷ ἰδίῳ ἀνεψιῷ ἐπιτρέπει τὴν ζήτησιν εἰς Ἀντιόχειαν ὄντι. ὕστερον δὲ μεταφέρει τὴν δίκην εἰς Καισάρειαν, ἣν ὑπερθέμενος Ἀθανάσιος διὰ τὸν Παμφίλου Εὐσέβιον ἐν Τύρῳ κρίνεται ὑπὸ τῶν ἀντιδίκων τῆς ἀληθείας, Εὐσεβίου, φημί, τοῦ Νικομηδείας ἀπατήσαντος τὸν βασιλέα ἐπιθυμίᾳ δῆθεν τῶν οἰκοδομηθέντων ἁγίων τόπων καὶ τοῦ εὑρεθῆναι εἰς τὸν ἐγκαινισμὸν αὐτῶν. ὃν καὶ μετὰ μεγάλης τιμῆς ἀπέλυσε κελεύσας λυθῆναι τὰς κατὰ Ἀθανασίου διαβολάς, καὶ οὕτω σὺν Ἀθανασίῳ εἰς τὴν ἑορτὴν τῶν ἐγκαινίων γενέσθαι.

[Ed. de Boor 1883]

[A.M. 5827=334/5 C.E.] In the same year Ischyras concocted a plot against Athanasius in Mareotis. This man Ischyras, having disguised himself as a priest, travelled about celebrating mass. When Athanasius learned of this, he forbade this outrageous behaviour through the presbyter Macarius. Ischyras then fled to Eusebius of Nicomedia and accused Athanasius of having thrown the sacred vessels off the altar at the time of the divine service and of having burned the sacred books through the agency of Macarius. They also lied about the much vaunted hand of Arsenius, claiming that he had used it for magic, and so shamelessly slandered the holy man. When the emperor had heard of these accusations against Athanasius he first entrusted the inquiry to his nephew Dalmatius who was in Antioch. He later transferred the trial to Caesarea, but since Athanasius put it off because of Eusebius Pamphili, he was tried at Tyre by those opponents of truth, particularly Eusebius of Nicomedia, who had tricked the emperor with his supposed longing (to see) the holy sites that had been built up and to be present at their consecration. The emperor (Constantine) sent Eusebius on his way with great honor, ordering that the slanders against Athanasius be dismissed, and thereafter that he together with Athanasius should be present at the feast for the consecration.

[Trans. Mango, Scott, and Greatrex 1997]

Works Cited

[...] 30.32-31.15
[...] 51

[Socrates Scholasticus 1.27

Sozomen 2.21, 23

Theodore the Reader 42-44 (20.18-21.34)

Theodoret of Cyrrus, Church History 1.20.28]

[Alexandria

Mareotis

Nicomedia

Tyre]

[Arsenius of Scetis and Turah

Athanasius of Alexandria

Constantine I, emperor

Dalmatius, emperor

Eusebius of Caesarea

Eusebius of Nicomedia

Ischyras

Macarius]

[Christianity

Government and Law

Paganism

Society and Culture]