Primary source · Koine Greek

The History of the Arians

Athanasius of Alexandria · AD 357–358, written in hiding

Patrologia Graeca, vol. 25 (Migne) — manuscript witness to The History of the Arians
Patrologia Graeca, vol. 25 (Migne) — 1857Eastern Orthodox St. Fathers · Public domain · Commons
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Patrologia Graeca, vol. 25 (Migne) — manuscript witness to The History of the Arians

Patrologia Graeca, vol. 25 (Migne) — 1857Eastern Orthodox St. Fathers · Public domain · Commons

What this text is

Athanasius’ fiercest polemic — the persecution of the Nicene bishops told from inside his third exile: the falls of Liberius and the aged Hosius, and the naming of Constantius as the patron of heresy.

Profile of Athanasius of Alexandria →

Interlinear passages

Word-for-word glosses of the original; the complete public-domain translation is linked below.

§42–46 — Hosius, and the emperor
τίςwhatγὰρforγέγονεhas there beenσύνοδος,council,ἧςwhichοὐκnotἡγήσατοhe ledἐκεῖνος;that man?

Public-domain translations

A. Robertson (NPNF, 1892)

When was there a council held in which he did not take the lead, and by right counsel convince every one? …Let Constantius be called the patron of impiety and emperor of heresy; he has surpassed those before him in wickedness.

Manuscript witnesses

Athanasian corpus manuscripts

10th c. onward

The Historia Arianorum with the apologetic dossier, headless at its start.

PRINCIPAL WITNESSES

Patrologia Graeca, vol. 25 (Migne)

1857

Standard pre-critical text of the corpus.

PRINTED PROXY

Provenance

The desert refuges of Egypt, c. AD 357 — Athanasius's angriest book

Editions & scholarship

Critical editions and standard translations behind the text above.

Figures named in this text (16)

Complete public-domain text ↗