Sozomen

Salamanes Hermias Sozomen († 450 ) was a late antique church historian.

Life

Sozomen came from Gaza, which belonged to the Eastern Roman Empire at that time. He was orthodox Christian upbringing, legally formed and showed interest in monasticism; also he stayed for some time in the west of the Roman Empire.

From Sozomen a devoted Theodosius II Church History ( Historia Ecclesiastica ) is obtained in nine books, is only incompletely received from the book 9. She treats ( in connection to Eusebius ) represents the time 324-439 and is a not unimportant source for this period

The work is in a similar tradition as the church histories of Theodoret and Socrates Scholasticus, Sozomen, whose work has apparently rezipiert intensive. The three works are to each other usually considered together due to the similarities, although recent research emphasizes the differences between them stronger. Due to the excited by Cassiodorus Latin translation they unfolded in the West a great effect that persisted throughout the Middle Ages. It is characterized by its tendency to define the genre of church history to be released from their binding to the chronicles, and to approach the classical historiography; so he moved as a source approach the comprehensive (but lost ) historical work of pagans Olympiodorus of Thebes.

Editions and translations

• Günther Christian Hansen (ed.): Sozomen. Historia Ecclesiastica - Church History ( Fontes Christiani Vol 73). 4 partial volumes, Turnhout 2004.