Socrates of Constantinople

Socrates of Constantinople was a fifth-century Greek Christian historian. His Ecclesiastical History chronicles the Christian church from Constantine’s reign through 439.

Ecclesiastical History (Socrates Scholasticus): A Greek account of Christian history from Constantine’s reign through 439, written by Socrates of Constantinople. This is Socrates’s surviving work and the basis of his historical reputation.
Church history as a genre: Historical writing that recounts Christianity’s development, leaders, institutions, and controversies. Socrates adapts its established narrative form for events after Eusebius.
Theodosius II: Eastern Roman emperor from 402 to 450, during whose reign Socrates wrote. The emperor’s reign frames the composition and ending of Socrates’s history.
Council of Ephesus: A council held in 431 that condemned Nestorius and affirmed Mary’s title Theotokos. Its proceedings form the culmination of Socrates’s account of Nestorius’s conflict.
Eusebius of Caesarea: A fourth-century Christian bishop and historian whose writings include the influential Ecclesiastical History. Socrates begins where Eusebius’s account ends and frequently cites him.
Historical method: The practices historians use to assess evidence, construct accounts, and interpret the past. Socrates’s source choices and judgments can be examined through these practices.
Athanasius of Alexandria: A fourth-century bishop of Alexandria and leading opponent of Arian theology. Socrates recounts Athanasius’s conflicts with emperors and rival bishops.
Donatist controversy: A North African Christian schism over church authority and the status of clergy implicated in persecution. Socrates includes the controversy among the church disputes of his period.
Constantine the Great: Roman emperor from 306 to 337 who supported Christianity and convened the Council of Nicaea. Constantine’s reign opens the historical period Socrates narrates.
Rufinus of Aquileia: A fourth-century Christian writer and translator who continued Eusebius’s history in Latin. Socrates disputes Rufinus’s account and uses him as a point of comparison.

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