Socrates of Constantinople, Church History 2.9.1-5
created: This entry is taken from Church History 2.9.1-5 written by Socrates of Constanti
edition published: 2023-06-30-05:00
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https://caesarea-maritima.org/testimonia/340

Καισαρείᾳ

, and

Caesarea

are directly attested at Socrates of Constantinople, Church History 2.9.1-5. This passage was written ca. ca. 439-450 C.E. possibly in Constantinople. Socrates of Constantinople, the “Scholastic,” was an otherwise unknown historian of the early 5th century. He wrote his account of the Church from 305 to 439 to continue Eusebius of Caesarea, adopting a particular perspective on the relationship between Imperial and ecclesiastical authority. In this passage concerning the events of the Council of Antioch in 341 C.E., Socrates offers a brief portrait of the learned Eusebius of Emesa, who had studied at Caesarea, and who later declined to lead the see of Alexandria following the demise of Athanasius.

(1) Ἐπὶ τούτοις τότε τῆς διαβολῆς γενομένης προχειρίζονται τῆς Ἀλεξανδρείας ἐπίσκοπον πρῶτον μὲν Εὐσέβιον τὸν ἐπικληθέντα Ἐμεσηνόν. Τίς δ’ οὗτος ἦν, διδάσκει Γεώργιος ὁ Λαοδικείας ἐπίσκοπος, ὃς τότε παρῆν ἐν τῇ συνόδῳ. (2) Φησὶ γὰρ ἐν τῷ εἰς αὐτὸν πεπονημένῳ ἐγκωμίῳ, ὡς εἴη Εὐσέβιος ἐκ τῶν εὐπατριδῶν τῆς ἐν Μεσοποταμίᾳ Ἐδέσσης καταγόμενος, ἐκ νέας τε ἡλικίας τὰ ἱερὰ μαθὼν γράμματα, (3) εἶτα τὰ Ἑλλήνων παιδευθεὶς παρὰ τῷ τηνικαῦτα τῇ Ἐδέσσῃ ἐπιδημήσαντι παιδευτῇ, τέλος ὑπὸ Πατροφίλου καὶ Εὐσεβίου τὰ ἱερὰ ἡρμηνεύσθη βιβλία, ὧν ὁ μὲν τῆς ἐν Καισαρείᾳ, Πατρόφιλος δὲ τῆς ἐν Σκυθοπόλει προεστήκει ἐκκλησίας. (4) Μετὰ ταῦτα δὲ ἐπιδημήσαντος αὐτοῦ τῇ Ἀντιοχείᾳ, ἐπεὶ συνέβη Εὐστάθιον ὑπὸ Κύρου κατηγορηθέντα τοῦ Βεροιέως καθαιρεθῆναι ὡς σαβελλίζοντα, (5) εἶτ’ αὖθις τὸν Εὐσέβιον συνεῖναι Εὐφρονίῳ τῷ διαδεξαμένῳ Εὐστάθιον, φεύγοντά τε τὴν ἱερωσύνην καταλαβεῖν τὴν Ἀλεξάνδρειαν κἀκεῖ μαθεῖν τὰ φιλόσοφα.

[Ed. Hussey and Bright 1893] [Minor corr. with ref. to Hansen 1995 [cited by book-chapter-section]]

(1) On the ground of these charges, they elected as first choice for Bishop of Alexandria Eusebius, called the Emesene. George, bishop of Laodicea who was present at the synod, informs us who this person was. (2) For he says in the encomium which he has composed to him that Eusebius was descended from the nobility of Edessa in Mesopotamia, and that from a young age he had studied the Holy Scriptures; (3) that he was afterwards instructed in Greek literature by a teacher residing at the time in Edessa; and finally that the Sacred Books were expounded to him by Patrophilus and Eusebius, of whom the latter presided over the Church at Caesarea and the former over the Church at Scythopolis. (4) Afterwards, when he lived in Antioch, it happened that Eustathius bishop of Alexandria was deposed on the accusation of Cyrus of Beroea for holding the tenets of Sabellius. (5) Then again Eusebius associated with Euphronius, successor of Eustathius, and avoiding office in the Church returned to Alexandria, and there studied philosophy.

[Adapted from Zenos 1890 with ref. to Périchon and Maraval 2005]

Works Cited

[...] 2.9.1-5
[...] 112

Additional Bibliography

[...] 2.9.1-5
[...] 2.38-2.41

[Sozomen, Church History

Sozomen, Church History]

[Alexandria

Antioch on the Orontes

Beroea

Edessa

Emesa (Homs)

Laodicea (Latakia)

Mesopotamia

Scythopolis (Beth She’an)]

[Athanasius, bishop of Alexandria

Cyrus, bishop of Beroea

Eusebius, bishop of Caesarea

Eusebius, bishop of Emesa

George, bishop of Laodicaea

Patrophilus, bishop of Scythopolis

Sibellius]

[Christian Church

Christianity

Education (sacred)

Literature

Philosophy

Society and Culture

Travel]