Evagrius Scholasticus
Evagrius Scholasticus (Lat. Evagrius Scholasticus ) (* 536/37; † 600 ) was a late antique church historian.
Life and work
Evagrius was born in the Syrian Epiphaneia. As a child he witnessed the Persian invasions of the year 540-544, which apparently impressed him greatly. He seems to have enjoyed a good education, probably through a law degree in Constantinople Opel the conclusion was (probably in the late 50s of the 6th century ). He was for a while as a rhetorician ( " Lawyer " ) in Antioch, before he became the secretary of the local patriarch Gregory. Apparently enjoyed Evagrius in legal matters a good reputation, because he accompanied Gregory 588 to Constantinople Opel, where he defended him in a process. Evagrius was married several times and had several children. After the death of his first wife, who had died from the effects of the plague, he married again in October 588. Several of his children appear to have died from the effects of the plague, which Evagrius crashed some time in deep mourning. Theologically, he supported the decisions of the Council of Chalcedon and therefore opposed the Miaphysites.
After Gregory's death 594 Evagrius wrote a Church History ( Historia Ekklesiastike ) in six books, which deals with the period from the beginning of the Nestorian controversy ( 428/431 ) up to his own time; the work ends in the year 594
The Ecclesiastical History of Evagrius is considered the last major ancient work in this genre. The tradition of church history was then taken up again only in post-ancient times. Stronger than many other late antique church historian Evagrius devoted the possibility of secular history (especially in the last few books ) wide space, which is why his work especially for the sixth century and the reign of Justinian I. represents an important source. The work is written in ancient Greek, his style is challenging and difficult. Evagrius is most reliable content; in the evaluation of the ruler, he placed great emphasis on " virtues". Evagrius ' intention was indeed to write a church history ( he apologized specifically for military campaigns in some detail to describe ), but he saw himself apparently also the successor to the classic ancient profane history. This also shows his collection of several historians of the past, some of which are only known by the name are ( approximately Nikostratos of Trebizond and a certain Eusebius, some researchers - but probably incorrect - equated with Eusebius of Nantes).
Evagrius processed in his church history more largely very good sources. As a template he used, among other things, the work of Eustathius of Epiphaneia; He also attacked may return to the work of his relative John of Epiphaneia. He certainly used the Ecclesiastical History of Zacharias of Mytilene and the " secular " historical works of Priscus and the Prokopios of Caesarea. There is evidence that the work of Evagrius was written within a short time; so he renounced explicitly to procure a copy of the histories of Agathias, although it would have been probably possible due to its good contacts.
In particular, Evagrius ' account of the Persian Wars contains important information. So in book 4 (which he very negatively evaluated ) and Tiberius Constantinus, as well as address the struggles at the time of Justinian I, in Book 5 in the subsequent struggles under Justin II in Book 6 in the events in the East in the time of Mauricius. The escape of the Persian king Chosroes II to the Romans ( 590) is described by Evagrius. With regard to regions outside of Syria, he offers ( with the exception of Constantinople Opel ), however, relatively little information; in part this is defended by religious arguments: Egypt about was him as a stronghold of paganism and heresy.
Editions and translations
- Adelheid Hübner ( ed.): Evagrius Scholasticus. Historia ecclesiastica - Church History ( Fontes Christiani 57). Greek - German. 2 vols Brepols, Turnhout, 2007.
- Michael Whitby (translator ): The Ecclesiastical History of Evagrius Scholasticus. Translated Texts for Historians. Liverpool University Press, Liverpool, 2000 ( English translation with commentary).