Socrates of Constantinople
5th-century Greek church historian, author of Historia Ecclesiastica.
Socrates of Constantinople was a 5th-century Greek Christian church historian who lived from about 380 to after 439.[1] He is also known by the epithet Socrates Scholasticus, though his most recent editor considers that title not well-founded in early tradition.[1] His major work, the Historia Ecclesiastica, covers church history from 305 to 439 and was likely finished in 439 or soon after.[2]
Quick Facts
- Born
- c. 380
- Birthplace
- Constantinople, Eastern Roman Empire (modern-day Istanbul, Turkey)
- Died
- c. 439 (aged c. 59)
- Place of death
- Constantinople, Eastern Roman Empire
- Occupation
- Historian
Facts from the source article.
Life and work
Socrates was born in Constantinople, according to the biographer Rev. A. C. Zenos.[3] As a youth he studied under the grammarians Helladius and Ammonius, who had fled to Constantinople after a violent revolt in Alexandria in 391.[4][3] Zenos notes that Valesius reasoned Socrates must have been born in 379, based on the custom of sending children to school at age ten.[3] Socrates always remained a resident of Constantinople and was proud of his native city.[3]
According to Zenos, the preponderance of evidence suggests Socrates was trained as a pleader or advocate and practiced that profession.[3] Socrates defends in his preface to Book 5 his inclusion of Arianism and political events alongside church matters.[2] He criticizes Eusebius for excessive praise of Emperor Constantine and avoids hyperbolic titles for prominent figures.[5] Zenos states that Socrates speaks of himself as belonging to the church, though some assume he was a Novatianist based on his generous treatment of that group.[6]
During his later life, Socrates visited Paphlagonia and Cyprus, among other locations.[7] Socrates' ecclesiastical history picks up where Eusebius of Caesarea left off, employing straightforward Greek to describe the Church's experiences starting from Constantine's era up to the author's own time.[2]
What the cited sources add
Zenos explains that Socrates did not participate in public affairs, so information about his life is limited to scanty incidental items from his history.[3] The Historia Ecclesiastica is one of the few sources about Hypatia's murder, which Socrates presents as politically motivated and condemns as contrary to Christianity.[8][9] Zenos notes that Socrates treats heretical sects like the Arian Goths with generous consideration, recording their deaths as martyrdom, yet was never suspected of Arianism.[3] Zenos reports that Valesius argued from internal grounds that Socrates was a layman and a lawyer, though Harnack denied evidence of juristic knowledge in the history.[3]
Socrates' knowledge of Latin has been inferred from his use of Rufinus, but Dodwell conjectured he read Rufinus in a Greek translation by Gelasius.[3] Zenos states that nothing further is known of Socrates' early life and education beyond his studies under Ammonius and Helladius.[3]
References
- Wikipedia, "Socrates of Constantinople" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: The traditional epithet "Socrates Scholasticus" is not well-founded in any early tradition, according to his most recent editor, Theresa Urbainczyk, Socrates of; Potter, "Constantine the Emperor", Oxford University Press, 2015, p. 12 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Socrates of Constantinople" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Smith, "A Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology: Oarses-Zygia", J. Murray, 1876, p. 854-855 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Rev. A. C. Zenos, "Life of Socrates," A Selected Library of the Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 2, vol. ii, eds. Henry Wace and Philip Schaff, (New York:. facts only, no text reused. ccel.org
- Wikipedia, "Socrates of Constantinople" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Schaff, "A Select Library of the Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers of the Christian Church.", King's College (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Socrates of Constantinople" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "[Eusebius was] more intent on the rhetorical finish of his composition and the praises of the Emperor, than on an accurate statement of facts" Socrates Scholas (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Socrates of Constantinople" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Rev. A. C. Zenos, "Life of Socrates," A Selected Library of the Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 2, vol. ii, eds. Henry Wace and Philip Schaff, (New York: (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Socrates of Constantinople" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Hist. Eccl. 1.12.8, 2.33.30. (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Socrates of Constantinople" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Cameron, "Barbarians and Politics at the Court of Arcadius", University of California Press, 1993, p. 59; Ecclesiastical History, Bk VII: Chap. 15 (miscited as VI:15).; Novak, "Christianity and the Roman Empire: Background Texts", Bloomsbury Publishing, 2010, p. 240; Watts, "City and School in Late Antique Athens and Alexandria", University of California Press, 2008, p. 199; Watts, "Hypatia: The Life and Legend of an Ancient Philosopher", Oxford University Press, 2017, p. 117 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
- Ecclesiastical History, Bk VII: Chap. 15 (miscited as VI:15).. facts only, no text reused. fordham.edu
Each numbered sentence above was checked against the source it cites before publication. Sentences citing Wikipedia adapt text from the English Wikipedia article Socrates of Constantinople (contributors), used under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is available under the same licence. Other sources were used for facts only; no text or images are copied from them.
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