Late Antique Historiography

Ecclesiastical history (Short Socrates)

Title(s):
  • Ecclesiastical history (Short Socrates)
  • Սոկրատայ Սքոլաստիկոսի Պատմութիւն եկեղեցական
    (Sokatay Sk῾olastikosi Patmut‛iwn ekełec῾akan, Ecclesiastical history of Socrates Scholasticus.)
Author:
Period covered:
305-439
Language:
Armenian
State of Preservation:
Full
Genre:
  • Ecclesiastical history
  • Form (translation)
  • Form (epitome)
Remarks:
This is an abbreviated version of the Ecclesiastical history of Socrates, which most prominently incorporates the Sylvester legend. The division into 171 chapters is found in some manuscripts but not in all of them (Thomson 2001: 17-18). There are plenty of manuscripts and nobody knows exactly how many there are. There is no critical edition based on all the manuscripts. Regarding possible authorship by Philo of Tirak, see Anonymous, Ecclesiastical history (Long Socrates).
Edition - Translation:
  • S. Khapayan (1898) Բաղդատութիւն տպագիր Սոկրատի և երուսաղեմի ձռագրին. Jerusalem.
  • R.W. Thomson (2001) The Armenian adaptation of the Ecclesiastical history of Socrates Scholasticus. Leuven.
  • M. Tēr Movsēsean (1897) Sokratay sk‘olastikosi Ekełec‘akan Patmut‘iwn ew Patmut‘iwn varuc‘ srboyn Siłbestrosi episkoposin Hṙoumay. Etchmiadzin.
  • R.W. Thomson (2005) 'The Armenian versions of the Life of Silvester'. Society for Armenian Studies 14: 55-139.
Fragments:
Users:
Sources:
Bibliography:
  • 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.
  • T. Greenwood (2008) '"New light from the East": Chronography and ecclesiastical history through a late seventh-century Armenian source'. Journal of Early Christian Studies 16: 197-254.
  • 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 (2004) 'The Shorter Socrates: A review article'. Journal of the Society for Armenian Studies 13: 83-97.
  • M.E. Shirinian (1997) 'The Armenian versions of Vita Silvestri'. In: Armenian Perspective: Tenth Anniversary Conference of the Association Internationale des Études Arméniennes, ed. N. Awde (School of Oriental and African studies). Richmond: 69-76.
  • R.W. Thomson (1995) A bibliography of classical Armenian literature to 1500 A.D. Turnhout: 83-84, 188.
  • R.W. Thomson (2007) 'Supplement to a bibliography of classical Armenian literature to 1500 A.D.: Publications 1993-2005'. Le muséon 120: 178.