Photius, Library 88.66b30-67a11
created: This entry is taken from Library 88.66b30-67a11 written by Photius in 845-855 C.
edition published: 2023-06-30-05:00
language: grc; grc
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https://caesarea-maritima.org/testimonia/54

Καισαρείας τῆς Παλαιστίνης

,

Καισαρείας τῆς κατὰ Παλαιστίνην

,

Caesarea Palestinae

, and

Caesarea in Palestine

are directly attested at Photius, Library 88.66b30-67a11. This passage was written ca. 845-855 C.E. possibly in Constantinople. 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 of which are otherwise lost. Several passages discuss the renowned leaders of the Church at Caesarea in Palestine. In this passage, Photius reports on a historical account of the Council of Nicaea in 325 written by Gelasius of Cyzicus in the late 5th century. The patriarch notes that he had seen a copy of the book instead attributing it to Gelasius, bishop of Caesarea, evidently in error; but also that two or three Gelasii served the same see and left behind writings.

Καὶ ταῦτα μὲν τόδε τὸ βιβλίον· οὐ γὰρ ἐπεγέγραπτο αὐτῷ ἡ κλῆσις τοῦ γράψαντος. Ἐν ἄλλῳ μέντοι ἔχοντι τὰ αὐτά, Γελασίου τοῦ ἐπισκόπου Καισαρείας τῆς Παλαιστίνης εὗρον τὸ βιβλίον ἐπιγραφόμενον. Ἡ δὲ φράσις εἰς τὸ ταπεινὸν καὶ χυδαῖον τοῦ λόγου λίαν κατενηνεγμένη. Τίς ποτε δέ ἐστιν ὁ Γελάσιος οὗτος, οὐκ ἔχω σαφῶς ἐκμαθεῖν. Μέχρι γὰρ νῦν τριῶν, πρόσεστιν εἰκάσαι, Γελασίων καὶ ἐπισκόπων Καισαρείας τῆς κατὰ Παλαιστίνην βιβλίοις ἐνετύχομεν, ἢ πάντως γε δύο. Αἱ δὲ βίβλοι αἷς ἐνετύχομεν, ἡ μέν ἐστι κατὰ Ἀνομοίων συντεταγμένη, αἱ δὲ ἄλλαι δύο ἐκκλησιαστικὰς ἀναγράφουσι πράξεις, ὧν μία ἧς νῦν ὡς ἐν κεφαλαίῳ ἐπεμνήσθημεν. Ἔχει δὲ αὕτη, ἐν οἷς αὐτὴν ἐπιγεγραμμένην εὕρομεν, ἐπιγραφήν, ὥσπερ εἴρηται· «Γελασίου ἐπισκόπου Καισαρείας τῆς κατὰ Παλαιστίνην ἱστορίας ἐκκλησιαστικῆς λόγοι γʹ» καὶ ἀπάρχεται δὲ οὕτω· «Τὰ κατὰ τὴν ἁγίαν καὶ μεγάλην καὶ οἰκουμενικὴν τῶν ἐπισκόπων συναθροισθεῖσαν σύνοδον ἐκ πασῶν ὡς ἔπος εἰπεῖν, τῶν τοῦ Ῥωμαίου κόσμου ἐπαρχιῶν καὶ Περσίδος» καὶ ἑξῆς. Καὶ τελευτᾷ δὲ εἰς τὴν τοῦ μεγάλου Κωνσταντίνου τελευτήν, ἐν ᾗ καὶ τὸ τῆς ἀφέσεως ἐδέξατο θεῖον λουτρόν, τὰς ἐν βίῳ κηλῖδας, οἷα εἰκὸς ἄνθρωπον ὄντα ταύτας ἐφέλκεσθαι ἀπολουσάμενος.

[Ed. Bekker 1824-1825 with ref. Henry 1959]

Such are the contents of this book, and yet the name of the writer is not inscribed on it. However, in another copy with the same text, I found the book inscribed “by Gelasius, bishop of Caesarea Palestinae.” The style of expression has been brought far down to the level of base and vulgar language. I have been unable to discover for certain who this Gelasius is, because until now I have come upon books by an estimated three Gelasii, bishops of Caesarea Palestinae, or in any case two. The books I have come upon are a compilation Against the Anamoeans and two others record ecclesiastical proceedings; one of them is the (work) I just briefly mentioned. This one, in the copy where we found it with the author’s name, is entitled, as I said, Three Books of Ecclesiastical History by Gelasius, Bishop of Caesarea in Palestine . It begins thus: “Acts of the holy and great ecumenical synod of bishops assembled from almost all provinces of the Roman world and from Persia” and so on. It ends with the death of Constantine the Great, when he received the divine bath of remission, which washed away the impurities a man naturally acquires in his life.

[Adapted from Freese 1920 with ref. to Henry 1959]

Works Cited

[...] 88 66b30-67a11
[...] 2 14

Additional Bibliography

[...] 154-155

[* Photius, Library 102

* Photius, Library 88]

[Persia]

[Gelasius, bishop]

[Greek Language

Christianity

Culture and Society

Education (sacred)

Greek Language]