The Sacred Writings of Hermias Sozomen

Hermias Sozomen, Chester Hartranft

• Publisher: Jazzybee Verlag
• Year: 2012
• ISBN:
  9783849621322
• Topic: Theology & Religion
• Subtopic: Systematic Theology & Ethics

"The Sacred Writings Of..." provides you with the essential works among the Early Christian writings. The volumes cover the beginning of Christianity until before the promulgation of the Nicene Creed at the First Council of Nicaea.Sozomen's 'Ecclesiastical History' was written in Constantinople, around the years 440 to 443 and was dedicated to Emperor Theodosius II.The work is structured into nine books, roughly arranged along the reigns of Roman Emperors: Book I: from the conversion of Constantine I until the Council of Nicea (312-325)Book II: from the Council of Nicea to Constantine's death (325-337)Book III: from the death of Constantine I to the death of Constans I (337-350)Book IV: from the death of Constans I to the death of Constantius II (350-361)Book V: from the death of Constantius I to the death of Julian the Apostate (361-363)Book VI: from the death of Julian to the death of Valens (363-375)Book VII: from the death of Valens to the death of Theodosius I (375-395)Book VIII: from the death of Theodosius I to the death of Arcadius (375-408).Book IX: from the death of Arcadius to the accession of Valentinian III (408-25).Book IX is incomplete. In his dedication of the work, he states that he intended cover up to the 17th consulate of Theodosius II, that is, to 439. The extant history ends about 425. Scholars disagree on why the end is missing. Albert Guldenpenning supposed that Sozomen himself suppressed the end of his work because in it he mentioned the Empress Aelia Eudocia, who later fell into disgrace through her supposed adultery. However, it appears that Nicephorus, Theophanes, and Theodorus Lector did read the end of Sozomen's work, according to their own histories later. Therefore most scholars believe that the work did actually come down to that year, and that consequently it has reached us only in a damaged condition.

The Sacred Writings of Hermias Sozomen

Contents:

Salminius Hermias Sozomen – A Biography

The Ecclesiastical History of Sozomen

Introduction.

Salaminius Hermias Sozomen.

Part I.—The Life.

Part II.—Sozomen as Author.

Part III.—Bibliography.

Part IV.—Conclusion.

Prefatory Remarks by Valesius Concerning the Life and Writings of Sozomen.

Memoir of Sozomen.

Address to the Emperor Theodosius by Salaminius Hermias Sozomen, and Proposal for an Ecclesiastical History.

Book I.

Chapter I.—The Preface of the Book, in Which He Investigates the History of the Jewish Nation; Mention of Those Who Began Such a Work; How and from What Sources He Collected His History; How He Was Intent Upon the Truth, and What Other Details the History Will Contain.

Chapter II.—Of the Bishops of the Large Towns in the Reign of Constantine; And How, from Fear of Licinius, Christianity Was Professed Cautiously in the East as Far as Libya, While in the West, Through the Favor of Constantine, It Was Professed with Freedom.

Chapter III.—By the Vision of the Cross, and by the Appearance of Christ, Constantine is Led to Embrace Christianity.—He Receives Religious Instruction from Our Brethren.

Chapter IV.—Constantine Commands the Sign of the Cross to Be Carried Before Him in Battle; An Extraordinary Narrative About the Bearers of the Sign of the Cross.

Chapter V.—Refutation of the Assertion that Constantine Became a Christian in Consequence of the Murder of His Son Crispus.

Chapter VI.—The Father of Constantine Allows the Name of Christ to Be Extended; Constantine the Great Prepared It to Penetrate Everywhere.

Chapter VII.—Concerning the Dispute Between Constantine and Licinius His Brother-In-Law About the Christians, and How Licinius Was Conquered by Force and Put to Death.

Chapter VIII.—List of the Benefits Which Constantine Conferred in the Freedom of the Christians and Building of Churches;andother Deeds for Tile Public Welfare.

Chapter IX.—Constantine Enacts a Law in Favor of Cellbates and of the Clergy.

Chapter X.—Concerning the Great Confessors Who Survived.

Chapter XI.—Account of St. Spyridon: His Modesty and Steadfastness.

Chapter XII.—On the Organization of the Monks: Its Origin and Founders.

Chapter XIII.—About Antony the Great and St. Paul the Simple.

Chapter XIV.—Account of St. Ammon and Eutychius of Olympus.

Chapter XV.—The Arian Heresy, Its Origin, Its Progress, and the Contention Which It Occasioned Among the Bishops.

Chapter XVI.—Constantine, Having Heard of the Strife of the Bishops, and the Difference of Opinion Concerning the Passover, is Greatly Troubled and Sends Hosius, a Spaniard, Bishop of Cordova, to Alexandria, to Abolish the Dissension Among the Bishops, and to Settle the Dispute About the Passover.

Chapter XVII.—Of the Council Convened Atnicaea on Account of Arius.

Chapter XVIII.—Two Philosophers are Converted to the Faith by the Simplicity of Two Old Men with Whom They Hold a Disputation.

Chapter XIX.—When the Council Was Assembled, the Emperor Delivered a Public Address.

Chapter XX.—After Having Given Audience to Both Parties, the Emperor Condemned the Followers of Arius and Banished Them.

Chapter XXI.—What the Council Determined About Arius; The Condemnation of His Followers; His Writings are to Be Burnt; Certain of the High Priests Differ from the Council; The Settlement of the Passover.

Chapter XXLI.—Acesius, Bishop of the Novatians, is Summoned by the Emperor to Be Present at the First Council.

Chapter XXIII.—Canons Appointed by the Council; Paphnutius, a Certain Confessor, Restrains the Council from Forming a Canon Enjoining Celibacy to All Who Where About to Be Honored with the Priesthood.

Chapter XXIV.—Concerning Melitius; The Excellent Directions Made by the Holy Council in His Complications.

Chapter XXV.—The Emperor Prepared a Public Table for the Synod, After Inviting Its Members to Constantinople, and Honoring Them with Gifts. He Exhorted All to Be of One Mind, and Forwarded to Alexandria and Every Other Place the Decrees of the Holy Synod.

Book II.

Chapter I.—The Discovery of the Life-Bringing Cross and of the Holy Nails.

Chapter II.—Concerning Helena, the Mother of the Emperor; She Visited Jerusalem, Built Temples in that City, and Performed Other Godly Works: Her Death.

Chapter III.—Temples Built by Constantine the Great; The City Called by His Name; Its Founding; The Buildings Within It; The Temple of Michael the Archsoldier, in the Sosthenium, and the Miracles Which Have Occurred There.

Chapter IV.—What Constantine the Great Effected About the Oak in Mamre; He Also Built a Temple.

Chapter V.—Constantine Destroyed the Places Dedicated to the Idols, and Persuaded the People to Prefer Christianity.

Chapter VI.—The Reason Why Under Constantine, the Name of Christ Was Spread Throughout the Whole World.

Chapter VII.—How the Iberians Received The, Faith of Christ.

Chapter VIII.—How the Armenians and Persians Embraced Christianity.

Chapter IX.—Sapor King of Persia is Excited Against the Christians. Symeon, Bishop Ofpersia, and Usthazanes, a Eunuch, Suffer the Agony of Martyrdom.

Chapter X.—Christians Slain by Sapor in Persia.

Chapter XI.—Pusices, Superintendent of the Artisans of Sapor.

Chapter XII.—Tarbula, the Sister of Symeon, and Her Martyrdom.

Chapter XIII.—Martyrdom of St. Acepsimas and of His Companions.

Chapter XIV.—The Martyrdom of Bishop Milles and His Conduct. Sixteen Thousand Distinguished Men in Persia Suffer Martyrdom Under Sapor, Besides Obscure Individuals.

Chapter XV.—Constantine Writes to Sapor to Stay the Persecution of the Christians.

Chapter XVI.—Eusebius and Theognis Who at the Council of Nice Had Assented to the Writings of Arius Restored to Their Own Sees.

Chapter XVII.—On the Death of Alexander, Bishop of Alexandria, at His Suggestion, Athanasius Receives the Throne; And an Account of His Youth; How He Was a Self-Taught Priest, and Beloved by Antony the Great.

Chapter XVIII.—The Arians and Melitians Confer Celebrity on Athanasius; Concerning Eusebius, and His Request of Athanasius to Admit Arius to Communion; Concerning the Term “Consubstantial”; Eusebius Pamphilus and Eustathius, Bishop of Antioch, Create Tumults Above All the Rest.

Chapter XIX.—Synod of Antioch; Unjust Deposition of Eustathius; Euphronius Receives the Throne; Constantine the Great Writes to the Synod and to Eusebius Pamphilus, Who Refuses the Bishopric of Antioch.

Chapter XX.—Concerning Maximus, Who Succeeded Macarius in the See of Jerusalem.

Chapter XXI.—The Melitians and the Arians Agree in Sentiment; Eusebius and Theognis Endeavor to Inflame Anew the Disease of Arius.

Chapter XXII.—The Vain Machinations of the Arians and Melitians Against St. Athanasius.

Chapter XXIII.—Calumny Respecting St. Athanasius and the Hand of Arsenius.

Chapter XXIV.—Some Indian Nations Received Christianity at that Time Through the Instrumentality of Two Captives, Frumentius and Edesius.

Chapter XXV.—Council of Tyre; Illegal Deposition of St. Athanasius.

Chapter XXVI.—Erection of a Temple by Constantine the Great at Golgotha, in Jerusalem; Its Dedication.

Chapter XXVII.—Concerning the Presbyter by Whom Constantine Was Persuaded to Recall Arius and Euzoius from Exile; The Tractate Concerning His Possibly Pious Faith, and How Arius Was Again Received by the Synod Assembled at Jerusalem.

Chapter XXVIII.—Letter from the Emperor Constantine to the Synod of Tyre, and Exile of St. Athanasius Through the Machination of the Arian Faction.

Chapter XXIX.—Alexander, Bishop of Constantinople; His Refusal to Receive Arius into Communion; Arius is Burst Asunder While Seeking Natural Relief.

Chapter XXX.—Account Given by the Great Athanasius of the Death of Arlus.

Chapter XXXI.—Events Which Occurred in Alexandria After the Death of Arius. Letter of Constantine the Great to the Church There.

Chapter XXXII.—Constantine Enacts a Law Against All Heresies, and Prohibits the People from Holding Church in Any Place But the Catholic Church, and Thus the Greater Number of Heresies Disappear. The Arians Who Sided with Eusebius of Nicomedia, Artfully Attempted to Obliterate the Term “Consubstantial.”

Chapter XXXIII.—Marcellus Bishop of Ancyra; His Heresy and Deposition.

Chapter XXXIV.—Death of Constantine the Great; He Died After Baptism and Was Buried in the Temple of the Holy Apostles.

Book III.

Chapter I.—After the Death of Constantine the Great, the Adherents of Eusebius and Theognis Attack the Nicene Faith.

Chapter II.—Return of Athanasius the Great from Rome; Letter of Constantine Caesar, Son of Constantine the Great; Renewed Machinations of the Arians Against Athanasius; Acacius of Berroea; War Between Constans and Constantine.

Chapter III.—Paul, Bishop of Constantinople, and Macedonius, the Pneumatomachian.

Chapter IV.—A Sedition Was Excited on the Ordination of Paul.

Chapter V.—The Partial Council of Antioch; It Deposed Athanasius; It Substituted Gregory; Its Two Statements of the Faith; Those Who Agreed with Them.

Chapter VI.—Eusebius Surnamed Emesenus; Gregory Accepted Alexandria; Athanasius Seeks Refuge in Rome.

Chapter VII.—High Priests of Rome and of Constantinople; Restoration of Paul After Eusebius; The Slaughter of Hermogenes, a General of the Army; Constantius Came from Antioch and Removed Paul, and Was Wrathfully Disposed Toward the City; He Allowed Macedonius to Be in Doubt, and Returned to Antioch.

Chapter VIII.—Arrival of the Eastern High Priests at Rome; Letter of Julius, Bishop of Rome, Concerning Them; By Means of the Letters of Julius, Paul and Athanasius Receive Their Own Sees; Contents of the Letter from the Archpriests of the East to Julius.

Chapter IX.—Ejection of Paul and Athanasius; Macedonius is Invested with the Government of the Church of Constantinople.

Chapter X.—The Bishop of Rome Writes to the Bishops of the East in Favor of Athanasius, and They Send an Embassy to Rome Who, with the Bishop of Rome, are to Investigate the Charges Against the Eastern Bishops; This Deputation is Dismissed by Constans, the Caesar.

Chapter XI.—The Long Formulary and the Enactments Issued by the Synod of Sardica. Julius, Bishop of Rome, and Hosius, the Spanish Bishop, Deposed by the Bishops of the East, Because They Held Communion with Athanasius and the Rest.

Chapter XLI.—The Bishops of the Party of Julius and Hosius Held Another Session and Deposed the Eastern High Priests, and Also Made a Formulary of Faith.

Chapter XIII.—After the Synod, the East and the West are Separated; The West Nobly Adheres to the Faith of the Nicene Council, While the East is Disturbed by Contention Here and There Over This Dogma.

Chapter XIV.—Of the Holy Men Who Flourished About This Time in Egypt, Namely, Antony, the Two Macariuses, Heraclius, Cronius, Paphnutius, Putubastus, Arsisius, Serapion, Piturion, Pachomius, Apollonius, Anuph, Hilarion, and a Register of Many Other Saints.

Chapter XV.—Didymus the Blind, and Aetius the Heretic.

Chapter XVI.—Concerning St. Ephraim.

Chapter XVII.—Transactions of that Period, ...

Table of contents

• Salminius Hermias Sozomen – A Biography