Philostorgius

Philostorgius(Greek:Φιλοστόργιος;368 – c. 439 AD) was anAnomoeanChurch historian of the 4th and 5th centuries.

Very little information about his life is available. He was born in Borissus,Cappadociato Eulampia and Carterius,^[1]and lived inConstantinoplefrom the age of twenty. He is said to have come from anArianfamily, and in Constantinople soon attached himself toEunomius of Cyzicus,who received much praise from Philostorgius in his work.

He wrote a history of theArian controversytitledChurch History(Ἐκκλησιαστικὴ ἱστορία,Ekklēsiastikē Historia). Philostorgius' original appeared between 425 and 433, in other words, slightly earlier than theHistoryofSocrates of Constantinople,and was formed in twelve volumes bound in two books. The original is now lost. However, the ninth-century historianPhotiusfound a copy in his library in Constantinople, and wrote anepitomeof it. Others also borrowed from Philostorgius, most notably the author of theArtemii Passio(Artemiusbeing a legendary martyr underJulian the Apostate), and so, despite the eventual disappearance of the original text, it is possible to form some idea of what it contained by reviewing the epitome and other references.^[2]This reconstruction of what might have been in the text was first published, in German, by the Belgian philologistJoseph Bidezin 1913; a third, revised edition of his work undertaken byFriedhelm Winkelmannwas published in 1981; this edition has recently been translated into English by Philip R. Amidon.

He also wrote a treatise againstPorphyry,which is completely lost.^[3]

Value

Philostorgius' account of the emperorConstantine I's death is not corroborated by any other extant source.^[4]He reports that Constantine was poisoned by his family members and subsequently avenged by his sonConstantius II,who is portrayed sympathetically by Philostorgius.^[4]Other historians say that Constantius instigated of the murders of his male relatives following Constantine's death, but only in Philostorgius' version are the murders justified.^[5]

Philostorgius' tale must be false,^[5]since Constantius' "official version" denied any involvement in the murders, calling his relatives the innocent victims of an army mutiny.^[6]Varying suggestions have been given for the origins of this rumor. Burgess believed it was a later invention when Constantius' role in the murders could no longer be plausibly denied,^[5]while Crawford thought it was used to motivate the soldiers to murder Constantius' relatives.^[7]

In other cases, however, what Philostorgius says is consistent with what other sources say. For instance,Ammianus Marcellinus' statement thatGratiansupervised his younger brother's education^[8]lines up with Philostorgius, who disliked Gratian, admitting that he "discharged the duty of a father" towards him.^[9]

Editions

Bruno Bleckmann, Markus Stein (ed.):Philostorgios Kirchengeschichte(=Kleine und fragmentarische Historiker der SpätantikeE 7). 2 vols. Ferdinand Schöningh, Paderborn 2015,ISBN 978-3-506-78199-4.
Philostorgius,Kirchengeschichte. Mit dem Leben des Lucian von Antiochien und den Fragmenten eines arianischen Historiographen,edited by Joseph Bidez and revised by Friedhelm Winkelmann, GCS (Berlin: Akademie-Verlag, 1981).
PhilostorgiusChurch History,editor and translator Philip R. Amidon, S.J. (Atlanta: Society of Biblical Literature, 2007).
Photios,Epitome of the Ecclesiastical History of Philostorgius,trEdward Walford,(London: Henry G. Bonn, 1855)

References

^Philostorgius, in Photius,Epitome of the Ecclesiastical History of Philostorgius,book 9, chapter 9.
^PhilostorgiusChurch History,editor and translator Philip R. Amidon, S.J. (Atlanta: Society of Biblical Literature, 2007), xxi
^Philostorgius, in Photius,Epitome of the Ecclesiastical History of Philostorgius,book 10, chapter 10.
^^a ^bHunt 1998,p. 4.
^^a ^b ^cBurgess 2008,p. 20.
^Burgess 2008,p. 27.
^Crawford 2016,"Preparation for the Purple: Constantius' Upbringing and Accession".
^McLynn 1994,p. 85.
^Hughes 2013,p. 138.

Sources

Burgess, R.W. (2008). "THE SUMMER OF BLOOD: The" Great Massacre "of 337 and the Promotion of the Sons of Constantine".Dumbarton Oaks Papers.62:5–51.JSTOR 20788042.
Crawford, Peter (2016).Constantius II: Usurpers, Eunuchs, and the Antichrist.Pen & Sword.ISBN 978-1-78340-055-3.
Hunt, David (1998). "The successors of Constantine". InAveril Cameron&Peter Garnsey(eds.).The Cambridge Ancient History XIII: The Late Empire, A.D. 337–425.Cambridge University Press.ISBN 0-521-30200-5.
Hughes, Ian (5 August 2013).Imperial Brothers: Valentinian, Valens and the Disaster at Adrianople.Pen and Sword.ISBN 978-1-4738-2863-6.
McLynn, Neil B. (1994),Ambrose of Milan: Church and Court in a Christian Capital,The Transformation of the Classical Heritage, vol. 22, Berkeley: University of California Press,ISBN 978-0-520-08461-2

External links

Epitome of the Ecclesiastical History of PhilostorgiusfromThe Tertullian Project.

[1] Philostorgius, in Photius,Epitome of the Ecclesiastical History of Philostorgius,book 9, chapter 9.

[2] PhilostorgiusChurch History,editor and translator Philip R. Amidon, S.J. (Atlanta: Society of Biblical Literature, 2007), xxi

[3] Philostorgius, in Photius,Epitome of the Ecclesiastical History of Philostorgius,book 10, chapter 10.

[FOOTNOTEHunt19984-4] Hunt 1998,p. 4.

[FOOTNOTEBurgess200820-5] Burgess 2008,p. 20.

[FOOTNOTEBurgess200827-6] Burgess 2008,p. 27.

[FOOTNOTECrawford2016"Preparation_for_the_Purple:_Constantius'_Upbringing_and_Accession"-7] Crawford 2016,"Preparation for the Purple: Constantius' Upbringing and Accession".

[FOOTNOTEMcLynn199485-8] McLynn 1994,p. 85.

[FOOTNOTEHughes2013138-9] Hughes 2013,p. 138.

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v t e Byzantine historians
5th century	Annianus of Alexandria Eunapius John Rufus Malchus Olympiodorus of Thebes Panodorus of Alexandria Philostorgius Priscus Sabinus of Heraclea Socrates of Constantinople Sozomen Theodoret
6th century	Agathias Cyril of Scythopolis Eustathius of Epiphania Evagrius Scholasticus Hesychius of Miletus John Diakrinomenos John of Ephesus John of Epiphania Pseudo-Joshua the Stylite Pseudo-Zacharias Rhetor Jordanes John Malalas Liberatus of Carthage Marcellinus Comes Menander Protector Nonnosus Peter the Patrician Procopius Theodorus Lector Theophanes of Byzantium Zacharias Rhetor Zosimus
7th century	John of Antioch Trajan the Patrician Theophylact Simocatta
8th century	Hippolytus of Thebes
9th century	Theophanes the Confessor George Syncellus Nikephoros I of Constantinople George Hamartolos Scriptor Incertus
10th century	Constantine VII Joseph Genesius John Kaminiates Leo the Deacon Pseudo-Simeon Symeon Logothete Theophanes Continuatus
11th century	Michael Attaleiates George Kedrenos Michael Psellos John Skylitzes John Xiphilinus Yahya of Antioch
12th century	Nikephoros Bryennios the Younger Niketas Choniates Eustathius of Thessalonica Michael Glykas Anna Komnene John Kinnamos Constantine Manasses Joannes Zonaras
13th century	George Akropolites Theodore Skoutariotes
14th century	Nicephorus Gregoras Nikephoros Kallistos Xanthopoulos John VI Kantakouzenos George Pachymeres Michael Panaretos
15th century	John Anagnostes John Cananus Laonikos Chalkokondyles Michael Critobulus Doukas George Sphrantzes Pseudo-George Kodinos

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