Photius, Library 40.8a10-23
https://caesarea-maritima.org/testimonia/400
Context
Photius I was ecumenical patriarch of Constantinople in 858-867 and
877-886, as well as an unparalleled intellectual luminary for his age. Apart from his
distinguished ecclesiastical career, he engaged in polymathic teaching and research
supported by his vast personal library. Photius wrote an expansive compendium of classical
writings in 280 volumes or codices, his Library (Βιβλιοθήκη) or
Thousandsfold Book (Μυριόβιβλον), which included epitomes, excerpts, and
commentaries mainly on historical, rhetorical, and theological works, many otherwise lost.
Several passages discuss the renowned leaders of the Church at Caesarea in Palestine. Here
Photius summarizes the now lost ecclesiastical history by Philostorgius (ca. 425-433), an
Arian and then Anomoean who lived in Constantinople. In evaluating the work of the
historian, the patriarch noted Philostorgius’ attack on Acacius, the influential bishop of
Caesarea of the mid-4th century who led the boisterous faction for homoeanism.
Text
Καὶ ἡ μὲν ἱστορία
αὐτοῦ δι᾽ἑνὸς βιβλίου, τόμοις ἓξ συμπληρουμένη, μέχρι τοῦδε πρόεισι τοῦ χρόνου. ἕστι δὲ ὁ
ἀνὴρ ψευδολόγος τε καὶ οὐδὲ μυθολογίας ἀπεχόμενος. ἐξαίρει δὲ ἐν μὲν λόγοις μάλιστα Ἀέτιον
καὶ Εὐνόμιον, μόνους ἀνακαθᾶραι τὰ τῆς εὐσεβείας δόγματα τῷ χρόνῳ συγκεχωσμένα
τερατευόμενος, ἐν τεραστίοις δὲ καὶ βίῳ Εὐσέβιον τὸν Νικομηδείας, ὃν καὶ μέγαν ἀποκαλεῖ, καὶ
Θεόφιλον τὸν Ἰνδὸν καὶ ἄλλους πλείονας. κατηγορεῖ δὲ Ἀκακίου μάλιστα τοῦ
Καισαρείας τῆς κατὰ Παλαιστίνην ὲπισκοπήσαντος δεινότητά τε
ἀνυπέρβλητον καὶ πανουργίαν ἄμαχον, μεθ᾽ ὧν καὶ πάντων φησὶ κατισχῦσαι τῶν τε ὁμοφρονεῖν
δοκοῦντων, εἰς ἔχθρων δε τινα καταστάντων, καὶ τῶν τἀναντία θρησκευόντων.
1
Textual Note
Ed. Bekker 1924 and Bidez 1981 with ref. Henry 1959Translation
The [ecclesiastical] history [by
Philostorgius] in one book comprising six volumes goes down to this period. The author is a
liar who does not reject fiction. He chiefly extols Aetius and Eunomius for their learning,
for they alone cleansed the doctrines of faith that had become contaminated over time,
therein revealing his monstrous character. He also praises Eusebius of Nicomedia, whom he
calls the Great, Theophilus the Indian, and several others for their lives and marvelous
deeds. He harshly attacks Acacius, bishop of Caesarea in Palestine,
for his extreme severity and invincible craftiness, by means of which, he says, Acacius
surpassed all those who shared his thinking, however filled they were with hatred for one
another, as well as those who held opposing religious viewpoints.
2
Translation Note
Adapted from Freese 1920 with ref. to Henry 1959 and Amidon 2007Works Cited
- 1 John of Nikiu, Chronique de Jean, évêque de Nikiou: texte éthiopien, ed. Hermann Zotenberg (Paris: Imprimerie nationale, 1883), bk: 40, section: 8a.
- 2 Photius, The Library of Photius, trans. John Henry Freese, Translations of Christian Literature 1 (London; New York: Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge ; Macmillan Company, 1920), p: 34.
Additional Bibliography
- Photius, Photius: Bibliothèque, ed. René Henry and Jacques Schamp, 2nd printing, 9 vols., Collection Byzantine (Paris: Société d’édition «Les belles lettres», 1959), vol: 1, p: 24-25.
- Philostorgius, Philostorgius, Church History, trans. Philip R. Amidon, Writings from the Greco-Roman World 23 (Atlanta: Society of Biblical Literature, 2007), p: 2.
- Philostorgius, Philostorgius Kirchengeschichte, mit dem Leben des Lucian von Antiochien und den Fragmenten eines arianischen Historiographen, ed. Joseph Bidez and Friedhelm Winkelmann, 3rd ed., Die griechischen christlichen Schriftsteller (Berlin: Akademie Verlag, 1981), p: 2.
How to Cite This Entry
Joseph L. Rife, “Photius, Library 40.8a10-23,” in Caesarea Maritima: A Collection of Testimonia, entry published June 30, 2023, https://caesarea-maritima.org/testimonia/400.
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Bibliography:
Joseph L. Rife, “Photius, Library 40.8a10-23.” 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/400.About this Entry
Entry Title: Photius, Library 40.8a10-23
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, “Photius, Library 40.8a10-23”
- Joseph L. Rife, entry contributor, “Photius, Library 40.8a10-23”
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