Theodoret of Cyrrhus, Church History 1.28.1-1.28.4
https://caesarea-maritima.org/testimonia/373
Context
Theodoret served as bishop of Cyrrhus in northwestern Syria in 423-457
C.E. 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 recounts
the bitter conflict between Athanasius, the patriarch of Alexandria and resolute
defender of Nicene Orthodoxy, and the opposing faction of Arians and Meletians.
Athanasius did not attend the Synod at Caesarea in 334, thus dodging the attacks of
Eusebius of Caesarea, among others, but was compelled to attend the First Synod of Tyre
in 335, called by the emperor Constantine to address the accusations against
Athanasius.
Text
(1) Ἀλλ οὐδὲ οὕτως οἱ δυσσεβεῖς ἐνετράπησαν, ἀλλ’ ἕτερον ἐξύφηναν δρᾶμα,
ᾧ προσόμοιον οὐδεὶς τῶν πάλαι γεγενημένων τραγῳδοποιῶν ἢ κωμῳδοποιῶν διέπλασε πώποτε.
κατηγόρους γὰρ πάλιν ἐκ τῆς αὐτῆς συμμορίας μισθωσάμενοι προσάγουσι βασιλεῖ, βοῶντας
άνοσιουργίας ἀρρήτους τετολμηκέναι πολλὰς τὸν τῆς ἀρετῆς ἀθλητήν. (2) ἡγεῖτο δὲ τούτων
Εὐσέβιός τε καὶ Θεογόνιος καὶ Θεόδωρος ὁ Περίνσιος (Ἡράκλειαν δὲ νυνὶ τὴν Πέρινθον
ὀνομάζουσιν), οὐκ ἀνεκτὰ ταῦτα εἶναι λέγοντες οὐδὲ ἀκοαῖς φορητά. πείθουσι δὴ οὖν τὸν
βασιλέα σύνοδον ἐν Καισαρείᾳ τῆς Παλαιστίνης ἀθροῖσαι, ἔνθα δὴ
πλείους ἦσαν οἱ δυσμενεῖς, κἀκεῖσε κριθῆναι κελεῦσαι τὸν Ἀθανάσιον. πεισθεὶς δὲ ὡς
ἱερεῦσιν ὁ βασιλεύς, παντάπασι γὰρ ἠγνόει τὰ τυρευόμενα, τοῦτο γενέσθαι προσέταξεν. (3)
ἀλλ’ ὁ θεῖος Ἀθανάσιος, τὴν τῶν δικαζόντων δυσμένειαν ἐπιστάμενος, οὐχ ἧκεν εἰς τὸ
συνέδριον. δὴ πλείονα πρόφασιν εἰς συκοφαντίαν λαβόντες καὶ τὸν κατὰ τῆς ἀληθείας
ἀναδεξάμενοι πόλεμον, πρὸς ταῖς ἄλλαις παρανομίαις τυραννίδος αὐτὸν καὶ θρασύτητος ἐπὶ
τοῦ βασιλέως ἐγράψαντο· καὶ οὐ πάμπαν τῆς ἐλπίδος ἐψεύσθησαν. (4) ἐκ γὰρ δὴ τῶν
εἰρημένων θυμωθεὶς ὁ πραότατος βασιλεὺς ἐπέστειλεν αὐτῷ τὴν ὀργὴν ὑποφαίων καὶ
καταλαβεῖν τὴν Τυρὸν παρεγγυῶν. ἐκεῖσε γὰρ προσέταξεν ἀθροισθῆναι τὴν σύνοδον,
ὑποπτεύσας, ὡς οἶμαι, τὸν Ἀθανάσιον ὑφορᾶσθαι τὴν Καισαρέων διὰ τὸν ἐκείνης ἡγούμενον.
…1
Textual Note
Ed. Parmentier and Hansen 1998Translation
(1) The impious (toward Athanasius), however, did not feel any
shame. On the contrary, they crafted another fiction to which none of the ancient tragic
or comic poets had ever written something similar. They again bribed individuals of the
same party and brought them before the emperor [Constantine I], as they shouted that the
champion of virtue had dared to commit many abominable crimes. (2) The leaders of this
party were Eusebius, Theognis, and Theodorus bishop of Perinthus (now they can Perinthus
Herakleia). Claiming that these (crimes by Athanasius) could not be sustained, nor even
tolerated by the ears, they persuaded the emperor to convene a Council at
Caesarea Palestinae, where Athanasius had many enemies, and to
command that he be there tried. The emperor, persauded by them because they were
priests, utterly ignorant of what they had concocted, ordered this to happen. (3) But
the divine Athanasius, knowing the malevolence of those who were trying him, did not
come to the Council. Taking this as a further excuse to slander and declaring war
against the truth, they accused him, in addition to other crimes, of rebellion and
arrogance. Nor were their hopes altogether frustrated. (4) For the emperor, though very
lenient, became exasperated by what they were saying, and he sent a letter to
(Athanasius) expressing his anger and commanding him to repair to Tyre. He ordered the
Council to assemble there on the suspicion, I think, that Athanasius was wary of
Caesarea because of its bishop. … 2
Translation Note
Adapted from Jackson 1892 and Canivet et al. 2006-2009Works Cited
- 1 Theodoret of Cyrrhus, 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: 1, ch: 28.1-28.4.
- 2 Theodoret of Cyrrhus, The Ecclesiastical History of Theodoret, in Theodoret, Jerome, Gennadius, & Rufinus: Historical Writings, trans. Blomfield Jackson, Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers. 2nd Series 3 (New York: The Christian Literature Publishing Company, 1892), 33–159, p: 61.
Additional Bibliography
- Theodoret of Cyrrhus, Histoire ecclésiastique, trans. Pierre Canivet, 2 vols., Sources chrétiennes 501, 503 (Paris: Les Éditions du Cerf, 2006), vol: 1, p: 310-313.
How to Cite This Entry
Joseph L. Rife, “Theodoret of Cyrrhus, Church History 1.28.1-1.28.4,” in Caesarea Maritima: A Collection of Testimonia, entry published April 28, 2023, https://caesarea-maritima.org/testimonia/373.
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Bibliography:
Joseph L. Rife, “Theodoret of Cyrrhus, Church History 1.28.1-1.28.4.” 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 April 28, 2023. https://caesarea-maritima.org/testimonia/373.About this Entry
Entry Title: Theodoret of Cyrrhus, Church History 1.28.1-1.28.4
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 editor, “Theodoret of Cyrrhus, Church History 1.28.1-1.28.4”
- Joseph L. Rife, entry contributor, “Theodoret of Cyrrhus, Church History 1.28.1-1.28.4”
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- Testimonium edited by Joseph L. Rife
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- Testimonium translated by Joseph L. Rife
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- Testimonium identified by Joseph L. Rife
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