Socrates of Constantinople, Church History 1.8.34
https://caesarea-maritima.org/testimonia/380
Context
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 famous passage, Socrates
describes the difficult position of Eusebius bishop of Caesarea at the Council of Nicaea
in the summer of 325, where he was slow to accept the principle of consubstantiality. In
June of 325, Eusebius wrote a long letter of explanation to his congregation at
Caesarea, which Socrates quotes in full (Church History
1.8.35-54).
Text
… τότε δὲ ἐν τῇ συνόδῳ Εὐσέβιος ὁ τὴν Παμφίλου προσωνυμίαν ἔχων καὶ τῆς
ἐν Παλαιστίνῃ Καισαρείας τὴν ἐπισκοπὴν κεκληρωμένος, μικρὸν
ἐπιστήσας καὶ διασκεψάμενος εἰ δεῖ προσδέξασθαι τὸν ὅρον τῆς πίστεως, οὕτως ἅμα τοῖς
ἄλλοις πᾶσιν συνῄνεσέν τε καὶ συνυπέγραψεν, οὐ μὴν ἀλλὰ καὶ τῷ ὑπ’ αὐτὸν λαῷ ἔγγραφον
τὸν ὅρον τῆς πίστεως διεπέμψατο, τὴν τοῦ ὁμοουσίου λέξιν ἑρμηνεύσας, ἵνα μηδὲ ὅλως τις
ὑπόνοιαν ἀνθ’ ὧν ἐπέστησεν ἔχῃ περὶ αὐτοῦ …1
Textual Note
Ed. Hussey and Bright 1893 with ref. to Hansen 1995Translation
Then at the Council [of Nicaea], Eusebius, who bore the surname
Pamphilus and had obtained the see of Caesarea in Palestine,
after he had paused for a short time and considered whether he ought to accept this
definition of the faith, agreed on this matter with all the others and joined them in
signing his name. Nevertheless, he wrote to the people under his authority a document
with the definition of the Creed, interpreting the word consubstantial (ὁμοούσιος), so
that no one could in any way harbor suspicion over the motives for his hesitation.2
Translation Note
Adapted from Zenos 1890 and Périchon and Maraval 2004-2007Works Cited
- 1 Socrates of Constantinople, Ecclesiastical History, According to the Text of Hussey, ed. Robert Hussey and William Bright, 2nd ed. (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1893), bk: 1, ch: 8.34.
- 2 Socrates of Constantinople, Socrates: Church History from A.D. 305-439, in Socrates, Sozomenus: Church Histories., trans. Andrew C Zenos, repr. of American ed., A Select Library of Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers of the Christian Churhc. Second Series 2 (New York: Christian Literature Publishing, 1890), 1–178, p: 10.
Additional Bibliography
- Socrates of Constantinople, Kirchengeschichte, ed. Günther Christian Hansen, Die griechischen christlichen Schriftsteller der ersten Jahrhunderte n.F. 1 (Berlin: Akademie Verlag, 1995), bk: 1, ch: 8.34.
- Socrates of Constantinople, Socrate de Constantinople: Histoire ecclésiastique, trans. Pierre Périchon and Pierre Maraval, 4 vols., Sources chrétiennes 477, 493, 505, 506 (Paris: Éditions du Cerf, 2004), vol: 1, p: 102-103.
How to Cite This Entry
Joseph L. Rife, “Socrates of Constantinople, Church History 1.8.34,” in Caesarea Maritima: A Collection of Testimonia, entry published June 30, 2023, https://caesarea-maritima.org/testimonia/380.
Show full citation information...
Bibliography:
Joseph L. Rife, “Socrates of Constantinople, Church History 1.8.34.” 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/380.About this Entry
Entry Title: Socrates of Constantinople, Church History 1.8.34
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, “Socrates of Constantinople, Church History 1.8.34”
- Joseph L. Rife, entry contributor, “Socrates of Constantinople, Church History 1.8.34”
Additional Credit:
- Testimonium edited by Joseph L. Rife
- TEI record created by Joseph L. Rife
- Testimonium translated by Joseph L. Rife
- Testimonium transcribed by Joseph L. Rife
- Testimonium identified by Joseph L. Rife
- Editorial review by Joseph L. Rife
- Testimonium edited by Joseph L. Rife
- TEI record created by Joseph L. Rife
- Testimonium translated by Joseph L. Rife
- Testimonium transcribed by Joseph L. Rife
- Testimonium identified by Joseph L. Rife
- Editorial review by Joseph L. Rife