Ecclesiastical history (Long Socrates)

Title(s):
  • Ecclesiastical history (Long Socrates)
  • Սոկրատայ Սքոլաստիկոսի Պատմութիւն եկեղեցական
    (Sokratay Sk῾olastikosi Patmut‛iwn ekełec῾akan, Ecclesiastical history of Socrates Scholasticus.)
Period covered:
305-439
Language:
Armenian
State of Preservation:
Full
Genre:
  • Ecclesiastical history
  • Form (translation)
Remarks:
This is a full translation of Socrates of Constantinople, except for a series of documents that have been left out. It was the product of the so-called Hellenizing school, a movement of translation from Greek into Armenian, flourishing between the fifth and the eighth century. There are two colophons regarding the Armenian versions of Socrates: one is preserved in the Jerusalem manuscript, while the other one is preserved in both manuscripts (Matenadaran 1531 and Jerusalem 2014). In both colophons, Philo of Tirak is said to be the author of the Armenian version of Socrates’ Ecclesiastical history. The colophon only transmitted by manuscript Jerusalem 2014 mentions a date (695/696) and specifies that the author (Philo) omitted to ‘translate’ several parts of the original version (documents, letters, …). According to Thomson (2001: 9-10), the colophon attached to manuscript Jerusalem 2014 refers to the composition of the second Armenian version of Socrates’ Ecclesiastical history (Short Socrates), and not to the first version, which should be dated earlier. Shirinian (2003-2004) agrees with him and even suggests another author for the first version (Esaya).
Edition - Translation:
  • S. Khapayan (1898) Bałdatut῾iwn tpagir Sokrati ew Erusałemi jṙagrin. Jerusalem.
  • M. Tēr Movsēsean (1897) Sokratay sk‘olastikosi Ekełec‘akan Patmut‘iwn ew Patmut‘iwn varuc‘ srboyn Siłbestrosi episkoposin Hṙoumay. Etchmiadzin.
Fragments:
Bibliography:
  • T.D. Barnes (1997) 'Armenica veritas'. The Journal of Ecclesiastical History 48: 723-731.
  • F.C. Conybeare (1914) 'Emendations of the text of Socrates Scholasticus'. Journal of Philology 33: 208-237.
  • F.C. Conybeare (1918) 'A collation of the History of Socrates Scholasticus'. Journal of Philology 34: 47-77.
  • E. Delacenserie (2016) L'Histoire ecclésiastique de Socrate de Constantinople: Banque de données et autorité historiographiques pour la création d'œuvres originales au VIe s. (Théodore le Lecteur, Cassiodore, la première version arménienne). Diss. Ghent - Angers.
  • G.C. Hansen (1995) Sokrates: Kirchengeschichte (Die griechischen christlichen Schriftsteller der ersten Jahrhunderte, NF 1). Berlin.
  • P. Peeters (1951) 'A propos de la version arménienne de l'historien Socrate'. Recherches d'histoire et de philologie orientales 1: 310-336. = Peeters, P. (1934) 'A propos de la version arménienne de l'historien Socrate'. In: Mélanges Bidez: Annuaire de l'Institut de Philologie et d'Histoire Orientales 2: 647-675.
  • P. Périchon (1965) 'Pour une édition nouvelle de l'historien Socrate: Les manuscrits et les versions'. Recherches de sciences religieuses 53: 112-120.
  • M.E. Shirinian (1994) 'Ricerche sulla Storia ecclesiastica di Socrate Scolastico e sulle sue versioni Armene'. Annali di Ca'Foscari 33,3: Serie orientale 25: 151-167.
  • M.E. Shirinian (1995) 'Notes on some syntactic, lexicological and morphological particularities of the Armenian translation of Socrates Scholasticus' Ecclesiastical history (The Longer Socrates)'. Le muséon 108: 79-84.
  • M.E. Shirinian (2004) 'The Shorter Socrates: A review article'. Journal of the Society for Armenian Studies 13: 83-97.