The Nicene Age · AD 313–400
Isaac of Dalmatia
d. c. AD 383 · Monk of Constantinople · Constantinople
The Nicene Age
Who Isaac of Dalmatia was
The monk who, Sozomen relates, seized the bridle of the emperor Valens as he rode out to the Gothic war and foretold his ruin unless he restored the orthodox churches — Valens vowing to deal with him on his return, and burning to death at Adrianople instead. Isaac's cell grew into the first great monastery of the capital, the Dalmatou.
Also listed in desert fathers & mothers.
Common questions
When did Isaac die?
Isaac of Dalmatia is dated d. c. AD 383 in the archive, which places Isaac in the Nicene Age (AD 313–400). The dating is traditional and approximate; the archive marks it as uncertain rather than fixing a year the sources do not give.
Which early sources mention Isaac?
Isaac of Dalmatia is named in 2 primary-source passages catalogued here, drawn from Sozomen and Theodoret of Cyrrhus. Every passage is quoted from a named public-domain translation, earliest first.
Where was Isaac from?
The archive associates Isaac of Dalmatia with Constantinople.
Who were Isaac’s contemporaries?
The archive links Isaac of Dalmatia to 2 other figures, including Emperor Valens and Emperor Theodosius I. Each connection is drawn from a source that places them together, not from inference.
Primary-source mentions (2)
Every passage below is quoted from a named public-domain translation, earliest first.
Sozomen, Church History VI.40 (c. AD 443; original Greek, working translation)
c. AD 445[First attested ~60 years later.] As Valens marched out to the Gothic war, the monk Isaac cried to him: 'Give back, O emperor, the churches to the orthodox, and victory shall be given thee.' The emperor threatened to deal with him upon his return. 'If thou returnest,' said the monk, 'the Lord hath not spoken by me.' Valens did not return from Adrianople.Sozomen · source text
Ecclesiastical History IV.34 (the monk who seized Valens's bridle before Adrianople)
c. AD 449Restore, O emperor, the shepherds to their flocks, and then thou wilt win the victory.Theodoret of Cyrrhus · Ecclesiastical History IV.34 · source text
Connected in the archive
People
Events in this lifetime
- AD 313 · The Edict of Milan, AD 313
- AD 314 · The Council of Arles, AD 314
- AD 320 · Silvanus tried before Zenophilus, AD 320
- AD 325 · The Council of Nicaea, AD 325
- AD 339 · The persecution of Shapur II, AD 339
- AD 343 · The Council of Serdica, AD 343
- AD 361 · Julian’s pagan restoration, AD 361
- AD 366 · Damasus and the catacomb epigrams, AD 366
- AD 367 · Athanasius lists the 27 NT books, AD 367
- AD 372 · The martyrdom of Sabbas the Goth, AD 372
- AD 378 · Queen Mavia’s revolt, AD 378
- AD 380 · The Edict of Thessalonica, AD 380
- AD 381 · The Council of Constantinople, AD 381
- AD 381 · The Council of Aquileia, AD 381
Place
Places served
The one place the sources put Isaac.