PREFACE

The Ecclesiastical History of the Greek historian Socrates Socrates Scholasticus (c. 380 – after 439 AD), a church historian in Constantinople whose work covers late Roman history. is known in our literature in two versions, under the names Great and Small Socrates. By bringing both into the light of publication together for the first time, we are filling a void that was quite deeply felt. This history is one of the well-known outputs of fourth-century Greek literature; having been translated into the Armenian language during the Middle Ages, it also became an authoritative and practical book for our ancestors. The relatively numerous manuscript copies that have reached us are good proof of this fact. It is to be hoped that it will still have many interested readers today, if true bibliophilia original: "գրասիրութիւնը" (grasirutyun) – literally "love of books" or literature is still burning, and if there are still people who love to investigate the great historical events of past centuries. Socrates also holds a unique significance for Armenian literature; recently, the work of Moses of Khoren Movses Khorenatsi, traditionally considered the author of the first comprehensive history of the Armenians., the "Father of Armenian History," has been linked with his history. The idea was expressed and an attempt was made to establish the notion that Moses of Khoren—

Socrates: Referring to Socrates Scholasticus, the Byzantine church historian.
Great and Small Socrates: These are the two distinct Armenian recensions (versions) of the text. The "Great" is a more literal translation, while the "Small" is a shorter, revised version.
Ecclesiastical History: A genre of history focusing on the development and challenges of the Christian Church.
Moses of Khoren: The preeminent historian of early Armenia, whose sources and dating are a major subject of scholarly debate.