Socrates of Constantinople, Church History 1.8.54-1.8.55
https://caesarea-maritima.org/testimonia/476
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 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 1.8.35-1.8.54). In concluding,
Eusebius again justifies his letter by highlighting the careful deliberation behind the
formulation of the Nicene Creed, and asserting that the final version in fact did not
disagree with the original version.
Text
(54) Ταῦτα ὑμῖν ἀναγκαίως διεπεμψάμεθα, ἀγαπητοί, τὸ κεκριμένον τῆς
ἡμετέρας ἐξετάσεώς τε καὶ συγκαταθέσεως φανερὸν ὑμῖν καθιστῶντες καὶ ὡς εὐλόγως τότε μὲν
καὶ μέχρις ὑστάτης ὥρας ἐνιστάμεθα, ὅθ’ ἡμῖν τὰ ἑτεροίως γραφέντα προσέκοπτεν, τότε δὲ
ἀφιλονείκως τὰ μὴ λυποῦντα κατεδεξάμεθα, ὅτε ἡμῖν εὐγνωμόνως τῶν λόγων ἐξετάζουσιν τὴν
διάνοιαν ἐφάνη συντρέχειν τοῖς ὑφ’ ἡμῶν αὐτῶν ἐν τῇ προεκτεθείσῃ πίστει ὡμολογημένοις.”
(55) Τοιαῦτα μὲν ὁ Παμφίλου Εὐσέβιος εἰς τὴν Παλαιστίνης
Καισάρειαν διεπέμψατο.1
Textual Note
Ed. Hussey and Bright 1893 with ref. to Hansen 1995Translation
(54) “We considered it necessary, O Beloved, to send this letter to
make clear to you the critical thinking behind our investigation and agreement; and how
we at one point for good reason held out even to last minute when we tripped over
passages that had been composed with a different meaning; but then we accepted without
contention those passages that caused no offense, when it became clear to use from
thoughtful study of the words’ meaning that it aligned with what we ourselves had
affirmed in the Creed we had first proposed.” (55) Such was the letter Eusebius Pamphili
sent to Caesarea Palestinae.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: 8.54-8.55.
- 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: 12.
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: 8.54-8.55.
- 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: 112-113.
How to Cite This Entry
Joseph L. Rife, “Socrates of Constantinople, Church History 1.8.54-1.8.55,” in Caesarea Maritima: A Collection of Testimonia, entry published June 30, 2023, https://caesarea-maritima.org/testimonia/476.
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Bibliography:
Joseph L. Rife, “Socrates of Constantinople, Church History 1.8.54-1.8.55.” 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/476.About this Entry
Entry Title: Socrates of Constantinople, Church History 1.8.54-1.8.55
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 1.8.54-1.8.55”
- Joseph L. Rife, entry contributor, “Socrates of Constantinople, Church History 1.8.54-1.8.55”
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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