The Ecclesiastical History

About This Book

The Ecclesiastical History by Socrates Scholasticus (c. 380–after 439), also known as Socrates of Constantinople, is one of the foundational works of early Christian historiography. Written in the fifth century, it covers the history of the Christian Church from the accession of Emperor Constantine in 305 AD to the thirty-eighth year of Theodosius II in 439, a span of roughly 140 years. The work was conceived as a continuation of the celebrated Church History of Eusebius of Caesarea.

Divided into seven books, the history narrates the great theological controversies of the fourth and fifth centuries — the Arian dispute, the councils of Nicaea and Constantinople, and the conflicts between rival bishops and emperors. Socrates departed from his model Eusebius by giving substantial attention to the role of the emperor in church affairs and by including secular as well as ecclesiastical events. His tone is notably measured and fair-minded; he avoids the rhetorical excess common in the period and presents competing viewpoints without heavy editorial judgment.

Socrates wrote in simple, accessible Greek and is valued by modern historians as an independent and relatively reliable source for the political and religious life of the late Roman Empire. His Ecclesiastical History survives complete and has been available in English translation since the nineteenth century. The work is in the public domain.

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