Socrates

Socrates, a church historian, born and brought up at Constantinople about the end of the 4th century A.D. Little is known of his life save that he followed the profession of an advocate. His Ecclesiastikē Historiā covers the period from 306 to 439, and was most probably written about 440. As history its chief value lies in its transparent honesty, for the writer's grasp of the subject was feeble and his knowledge small. He borrowed from Eusebius, Rufinus, Athanasius, besides eye-witness and oral tradition, mainly from the members of the Novatian party at Constantinople. He had a profound reverence for Origen, and a high regard for Greek culture; and while he himself maintains an easy orthodoxy, he is indifferent to dogmatic definitions and tolerant of erroneous opinion when not noisy. Editions are by Hussey (1853) and W. Bright, with Introduction (1878); there is an English translation in Bohn's Library (1851), another by Professor A. C. Zenos in Schaff's 'Select Library of Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers' (2d series, vol. ii., New York, 1891).