Primary source · Greek
Ecclesiastical History
Sozomen (Salamanes Hermeias Sozomenos) · c. AD 443
What this text is
The advocate-historian who retold the century from Constantine to his own day with a monk's sympathies — the fullest Greek narrative of the Persian persecution (Symeon, Usthazades) and of the desert fathers.
Public-domain translations
Working translation (from the Greek)
Usthazades, condemned, asked one favor of the king he had served from childhood: that a herald proclaim that he died not for any treason, but because he was a Christian. And the king granted it, thinking to frighten the rest; but it emboldened them. (HE II.9)
Manuscript witnesses
Byzantine minuscule tradition
11th c. onwardTransmitted alongside Socrates and Theodoret in the church-history corpora.
Patrologia Graeca, vol. 67 (Migne)
1859Standard pre-critical text (shared volume with Socrates).
Provenance
Constantinople; dedicated to Theodosius II
Editions & scholarship
Critical editions and standard translations behind the text above.
- Sozomenus: Kirchengeschichte (GCS 50)J. Bidez & G. C. Hansen, 1960The critical edition.
- Sozomène: Histoire ecclésiastique (SC 306–516)A.-J. Festugière, G. Sabbah et al., 1983–2008Critical text with French translation.
Figures named in this text (74)
- Babylas of Antioch
- Achillas of Alexandria
- Macarius of Jerusalem
- Alexander of Constantinople
- Acesius the Novatianist
- Abedehalaas
- Anninas
- Martha, daughter of Pusai
- Miles of Susa
- Potamon of Heraclea
- Pusai
- Simeon bar Sabbae
- Usthazades
- Azad
- Tarbo
- Shahdost
- Ischyras of the Mareotis
- Barbaʿshmin
- Spyridon of Trimythous
- Maximus of Jerusalem
- Eustathius of Antioch
- Maris of Chalcedon
- Paphnutius the Confessor
- Dausas
- Eupsychius of Caesarea
- Macedonius of Constantinople
- Mareabes
- Mark of Arethusa
- Triphylius of Ledra
- Hilarion of Gaza
- Ephrem the Syrian
- Emperor Valentinian I
- Abdas
- Abdelas
- Abdiesous
- Abdiesus the Deacon
- Abramios
- Acepsimas
- Agas
- Aithalas
- Azadan
- Bicor
- Bochres
- Boulidas
- Gaddiabes
- Hormisdas
- Iakobos
- Ioannes (first of the name in Persia)
- Ioannes (second of the name in Persia)
- Isaak
- James the Presbyter
- Joseph the Priest
- Maares
- Mareas
- Mokimos
- Papas
- Paulos
- Romas
- Sabinos
- Sabores
- Eustathius of Sebaste
- Mavia
- Shapur II
- Moses the Saracen
- Zokomos
- Ascholius (Acholius) of Thessalonica
- Isaac of Dalmatia
- Libanius of Antioch
- Apollo of Hermopolis
- John of Lycopolis
- Nectarius of Constantinople
- Epiphanius of Salamis
- John Chrysostom
- Sozomen