Cyril of Scythopolis, Life of Sabas 61.162.20-61.163.3
created: This entry is taken from Life of Sabas 61.162.20-61.163.3 written by Cyril of Sc
edition published: 2023-06-30-05:00
language: grc; grc
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https://caesarea-maritima.org/testimonia/492

Καισαρείας

,

Καισαρέων

, and

Caesarea

are directly attested at Cyril of Scythopolis, Life of Sabas 61.162.20-61.163.3. This passage was written ca. ca. 544-558 C.E. possibly in Palestine. Cyril from Scythopolis (ca. 525-559 C.E.) was a monk who wrote detailed hagiographies of seven roughly contemporary monks. His works are essential historical sources for Palestinian monasticism, theology, and political relationships during roughly the first half of the 6th century. He wrote one of his two major works about the Cappadocian Saint Sabas, at whose lavra he served from 555 C.E. until his death. In this passage, Cyril discusses the reaction within the Church in midsummer of 518 C.E. to the death of the emperor Anastasius I and the succession of Justin I, who immediately proclaimed the reinstatement of Chalcedonian Christians who had been exiled. Sabas traveled to Caesarea and Scythopolis as an agent of John III of Jerusalem to publish the Imperial missive.

Τότε ὁ ἀρχιεπίσκοπος Ἱεροσολύμων Ἰωάννης πείθει τὸν ἐν ἁγίοις πατέρα ἡμῶν Σάβαν διελθεῖν ἕως Καισαρείας καὶ Σκυθοπόλεως μετὰ καὶ ἄλλων τινῶν τῆς ἐρήμου ἡγουμένων πρὸς τὸ ἐμφανίσαι τοῦ βασιλέως τὰ γράμματα καὶ τὰς τέσσαρας συνόδους τοῖς ἱεροῖς κατὰ πόλιν ἐντάξαι διπτύχοις. καταλαβόντες δὲ τὴν Καισαρέων, συνήντησεν αὐτοῖς ὁ ἐν ἁγίοις Ἰωάννης ὁ Χουζιβίτης τὴν αὐτόθι τὸ τηνικαῦτα ἱεραρχίαν ἐγκεχειρισμένος. καὶ πληρώσαντες ἐκεῖσε τὰ ἐντεταλμένα ἦλθον εἰς Σκυθόπολιν καὶ ἐξῆλθον ἅπαντες οἱ πολῖται ἅμα τῶι ἁγιωτάτωι μητροπολίτηι Θεοδοσίωι εἰς συνάντησιν αὐτοῖς εἰς τὸ ἀποστολεῖον τοῦ ἁγίου Θωμᾶ. καὶ εἰσελθόντες μετὰ ψαλμῶν, γέγονεν ἡ σύναξις ἐν τῇ ἀρχαίαι ἐκκλησίαι καὶ ἐμφανίζεται τὸ θεῖον γράμμα καὶ ἐντάσσονται τοῖς ἱεροῖς διπτύχοις αἱ τέσσαρες σύνοδοι.

[Ed. Schwatrz 1939]

At this time John [III], archbishop of Jerusalem, persuaded our sainted father Sabas to proceed to Caesarea and Scythopolis with some other Superiors of the desert in order to publish the letter of the emperor [Justin I] and to insert the (record of the) four synods into the sacred diptychs at the city. When they had reached Caesarea, we were welcomed by the sainted John of Choziba, who had been entrusted with the bishopric there at that time. And after fulfilling their instructions there (in Caesarea), they went to Scythopolis, and all the citizens together with the most holy metropolitan Theodosius came out to welcome them to the apostolic shrine of St. Thomas. They entered with psalms, the service was held in the ancient church, the Imperial letter was read, and the four synods were inserted into the sacred diptychs.

[Adapted from Price and Binns 1990]

Works Cited

[...] 61 162.20-28
[...] 172

[*Cyril Scythopolis, Life of Sabas 60]

[Jerusalem

Scythopolis]

[John III, Patriarch of Jerusalem

John of Choziba, bishop of Caearea

Justin I, emperor

St. Sabas

St. Thomas

Theodosius, bishop of Scythopolis]

[Byzantine History

Christianiy

Government and Law

Travel]