Socrates of Constantinople, Church History 2.39.9-2.39.22
https://caesarea-maritima.org/testimonia/452
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. The historian gave an extensive account
of the Council of Seleucia Isauria, which was held in the autumn of 359 C.E. at the
order of the emperor Constantius II to address the escalating Arian controversy. The
prominent and controversial bishop Acacius of Caesarea played an important role in the
critically divided assembly as a leader of a minority faction who opposed the Nicene and
Antiochene Creeds, and refused to participate in various proceedings.
Text
(9) Ἐν τῇ πρώτῃ ἡμέρᾳ συνελθόντων ὁ Λεωνᾶς τὰ ἑκάστῳ δοκοῦντα προθεῖναι
ἐκέλευεν, οἱ δὲ παρόντες οὐ πρότερον ἔφασαν κινῆσαί τινα ζήτησιν, πρὶν ἂν οἱ
ἀπολειφθέντες συνέλθωσιν· καὶ γὰρ ἦσαν ἀπολειφθέντες ἐπίσκοποι, Μακεδόνιος
Κωνσταντινουπόλεως, Πατρόφιλος Σκυθοπόλεως, Βασίλειος ὁ Ἀγκύρας, καὶ ἄλλοι τινὲς
κατηγορίας ὑφορώμενοι. (10) Μακεδόνιος μὲν οὖν νοσεῖν εἰπὼν ἀπολέλειπτο, Πατρόφιλος δὲ
ὀφθαλμιᾶν ἔλεγεν καὶ διὰ τοῦτο ἐν προαστείῳ τῆς Σελευκείας ἀνάγκην ἔχειν διάγειν, καὶ
τῶν ἄλλων δὲ ἕκαστος πρόφασίν τινα τῆς ἀπολείψεως προεβάλλοντο. (11) Ἐπειδὴ δὲ ὁ Λεωνᾶς
καὶ τούτων μὴ παρόντων δεῖν προτιθέναι τὰ τῆς ζητήσεως ἔλεγεν, οἱ παρόντες αὖθις
ἐπήγαγον, ὡς οὐδ’ ἥντινα κινήσουσιν ζήτησιν, εἰ μὴ πρότερον οἱ βίοι τῶν κατηγορουμένων
ἐξετασθῶσιν. (12) Κατηγόρηντο γὰρ ἤδη πρότερον Κύριλλος Ἱεροσολύμων, Εὐστάθιος
Σεβαστείας τῆς ἐν Ἀρμενίᾳ καὶ ἄλλοι τινές. (13) Ἐκ τούτου φιλονεικία εἰς τοὺς παρόντας
ἐνέπεσεν· οἱ μὲν γὰρ τοὺς βίους τῶν κατηγορουμένων πρότερον ἐρευνᾶσθαι ἔλεγον, οἱ δὲ τὰ
περὶ πίστεως προτιθέναι ζητήματα. (14) Ἐκίνει δὲ τὴν φιλονεικίαν ἡ διάφορος τοῦ βασιλέως
γνώμη· γράμματα γὰρ αὐτοῦ προεφέρετο νῦν μὲν πρότερον τοῦτο ζητεῖσθαι κελεύοντα, νῦν δὲ
τὸ ἕτερον. (15) Περὶ τούτου οὖν τῆς φιλονεικίας γινομένης σχίσμα εἰς τοὺς παρόντας
ἐχώρησεν, καὶ αὕτη γέγονεν προφάσεως ἀρχὴ τοῦ καὶ τὴν ἐν Σελευκείᾳ σύνοδον εἰς δύο μέρη
διαιρεθῆναι. (16) Ἡγοῦντο δὲ τοῦ μὲν ἑνὸς μέρους Ἀκάκιος ὁ τῆς ἐν Παλαιστίνῃ
Καισαρείας, Γεώργιος Ἀλεξανδρείας, Οὐράνιος Τύρου, Εὐδόξιος Ἀντιοχείας,
οἷς τριάκοντα δύο μόνον ἄλλοι συνῄνουν, (17) τοῦ δὲ ἑτέρου Γεώργιος Λαοδικείας τῆς ἐν
Συρίᾳ, Σωφρόνιος Πομπηιουπόλεως τῆς ἐν Παφλαγονίᾳ, Ἐλεύσιος Κυζίκου, οἷς ἠκολούθουν οἱ
πλείονες. (18) Ὡς οὖν ἐπεκράτει τὸ πρότερον ζητεῖσθαι περὶ τῆς πίστεως, οἱ μὲν τοῦ
μέρους Ἀκακίου τὴν ἐν Νικαίᾳ πίστιν φανερῶς ἠθέτησαν, ἄλλην τε πίστιν ὑπαγορεύειν
ᾐνίττοντο, οἱ δὲ τοῦ ἑτέρου μέρους οἱ τῷ ἀριθμῷ πλεονάζοντες τὰ μὲν ἄλλα πάντα τῆς ἐν
Νικαίᾳ συνόδου ἀπεδέχοντο, μόνην δὲ τὴν τοῦ ὁμοουσίου λέξιν ἐμέμφοντο. (19) Πολλὰ οὖν
ἄχρι δείλης ὀψίας πρὸς ἀλλήλους περὶ τούτων φιλονεικούντων τέλος Σιλβανὸς τῆς ἐν Ταρσῷ
προεστὼς ἐκκλησίας μέγα ἀνέκραγε, μὴ χρῆναι λέγων καινὴν ὑπαγορεύειν πίστεως ἔκδοσιν,
ἀλλὰ τὴν ἤδη πρότερον ἐν Ἀντιοχείᾳ τοῖς ἐγκαινίοις ὑπαγορευθεῖσαν ὀφείλειν κρατεῖν. (20)
Τούτου λεχθέντος, οἱ μὲν περὶ Ἀκάκιον ὑπεξῆλθον, οἱ δὲ τοῦ ἑτέρου μέρους προκομίσαντες
τὴν ἐν Ἀντιοχείᾳ πίστιν καὶ ἀναγνόντες διέλυσαν ἐν ἐκείνῃ τῇ ἡμέρᾳ τὸν σύλλογον. (21) Τῇ
δὲ ἑξῆς εἰς τὸν ἐν Σελευκείᾳ εὐκτήριον συνελθόντες οἶκον καὶ τὰς θύρας ἀποκλείσαντες τὴν
ἀναγνωσθεῖσαν πίστιν ὑπογράφοντες ἐκύρουν. (22) Ὑπέγραφον δὲ ὑπὲρ ἀπολειφθέντων τινῶν
παρόντες ἀναγνῶσται καὶ διάκονοι, δι’ ὧν στέρξειν τὸν ὅρον οἱ ἀπολειφθέντες
ὡμολόγησαν.1
Textual Note
Ed. Hussey and Bright 1893 with ref. to Hansen 1995Translation
(9) On the first day of their convention [at Seleucia Isauria],
Leonas ordered each one to propose what he thought fit. But those present said that no
query ought to be moved before those absent had joined the event. For the bishops who
were absent were apprehensive of the accusation (against them for misconduct):
Macedonius of Constantinople, Patrophilos of Scythopolis, Basil of Ancyra, and some
others. (10) Macedonius was absent saying that he was sick; Patrophilus said that he was
having eye trouble, and therefore he must stay in the suburbs of Seleucia; and each of
the others offered some excuse for his absence. (11) When, however, Leonas declared
that, even though these persons were not present, it was necessary to advance the matter
under examination, those who were present injoined that they would not move any query
until the life and conduct of the accused parties had been investigated. (12) For Cyril
of Jerusalem, Eustathius of Sebasteia in Armenia, and some others had already been
charged previously. (13) For this reason discord descended onto those who were present:
some said that the lives of the accused should first be examined, but others (said that)
inquiries concerning faith should take precedence. (14) The differing viewpoint of the
emperor [Constantius II] stirred up the dispute, inasmuch as letters of his were
produced ordering that now this and now that be investigated first. (15) Since there was
dispute over this matter, a schism formed among those present, and this was origin of
the pretext for dividing the Council at Seleucia into two parties. (16) The leaders of
one party were Acacius of Caesarea Palestinae, George of
Alexandria, Uranius of Tyre, and Eudoxius of Antioch, who were supported by only 32
others. (17) (The leaders) of the other (party) were George of Laodicea in Syria,
Sophronius of Pompeiopolis in Paphlagonia, and Eleusius of Cyzicus, who were followed by
more (than the opposing party). (18) And so, when the argument to examine first matters
of faith prevailed, the party of Acacius openly opposed the Nicene Creed, and they
hinted that they would propose a different Creed. But the other party, which was more
numerous, accepted all the decisions of the Council at Nicaea but criticized only the
word consubstantial (ὁμοούσιον). (19) And so there was extensive
debate between the two sides until late in the evening, when finally Silvanus, who
presided over the Church of Tarsus, cried out forcefully that it was unnecessary to
propose a new text of the Creed, but that they ought to confirm the one that had already
been proposed earlier at the Dedication (τὰ ἐγκαίνια) in Antioch [341 C.E.]. (20) When
this had been stated, the party of Acacius withdrew, while the others brought forth the
Antiochene Creed, read it, and dissolved the assembly for that day. (21) On the
following day they convened in the house of prayer in Seleucia, shut the doors, read the
Creed (again), and ratified it with their signatures. (22) The readers and deacons who
were present signed on behalf of those who were absent, and through their proxy the
absentees agreed that the definition satisfied them.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: 2, ch: 39.9-39.22.
- 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: 68.
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: 2, ch: 39.9-39.22.
- 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: 2, p: 202-205.
How to Cite This Entry
Joseph L. Rife, “Socrates of Constantinople, Church History 2.39.9-2.39.22,” in Caesarea Maritima: A Collection of Testimonia, entry published June 30, 2023, https://caesarea-maritima.org/testimonia/452.
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Bibliography:
Joseph L. Rife, “Socrates of Constantinople, Church History 2.39.9-2.39.22.” 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/452.About this Entry
Entry Title: Socrates of Constantinople, Church History 2.39.9-2.39.22
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 2.39.9-2.39.22”
- Joseph L. Rife, entry contributor, “Socrates of Constantinople, Church History 2.39.9-2.39.22”
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- 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