The history of the church from our Lords incarnation, to the twelth year of the Emperour Maricius Tiberius, or the Year of Christ 594 / as it was written in Greek, by Eusebius Pamphilius ..., Socrates Scholasticus, and Evagrius Scholasticus ... ; made English from that edition of these historians, which Valesius published at Paris in the years 1659, 1668, and 1673 ; also, The life of Constantine in four books, written by Eusibius Pamphilus, with Constantine's Oration to the convention of the saints, and Eusebius's Speech in praise of Constantine, spoken at his tricennalia ; Valesius's annotations on these authors, are done into English, and set at their proper places in the margin, as likewise a translation of his account of their lives and writings ; with two index's, the one, of the principal matters that occur in the text, the other, of those contained in the notes.

CHAP. XXIV. Concerning the Series of History, which is preserved till our Times.

BY God's assistance, the History of the Church is * 1.1 handed down to us, digested into one body, by [the industry of the best] Writers. Till the times of Constantine, by Eusebius Pam∣philus. From Constantine's Reign, to [the Em∣pire of] Theodosius Junior, by Theodoret, Sozo∣men, and Socrates: and [Lastly,] a 1.2 by those Collections, we have made in this our present Work. The Ancient History, as well Sacred as Profane, is extant, continued in a Series by the Industrious. For Moses, who was the first that began to write an History, (as 'tis most evident∣ly demonstrated by those who have made Col∣lections in reference to these matters;) com∣piled a true and most exact account of affairs from the beginning of the world, according to the information he had from God himself, with whom he conversed in the Mount Sina. Others who followed him, preparing a way for our Re∣ligion, have in the Sacred Volumes set forth what hapned in succeeding Ages. Moreover, Josephus wrote a large History, which is every way usefull and profitable. Whatever occur∣rences, whether fabulous or reall, have hapned amongst the Greeks and ancient Barbarians, whilst the Greeks waged Wars amongst them∣selves, or against the Barbarians; or what∣ever else has been transacted from such time as they had an account that men first existed; have been Recorded by b 1.3 Charax, Theopompus, and Ephorus, and by innumerable other Writers. The Actions of the Romans, wherein is contained the History [almost] of the whole world, or what∣ever else hapned, whilst they were involved in Civill and intestine Broyls, or acted against others; have been set forth in writing by Diony∣sius Halicarnasseus, who began his History from those people termed the Aborigines, and con∣tinued it to Pyrrhus * 1.4 King of the Epirotes. From that time, Polybius the Megalopolite hath brought down [his History] to the destruction of Carthage. All which Apianus has † 1.5 with great perspicuity distinguished, and hath gathered together each Action into one Body, although they were performed at different times. In like manner, the Affairs transacted after the Times of those Historians I have mentioned, have been committed to writing by Diodorus Siculus, [who wrote] till [the Times of] Julius Caesar; and by Dion Cassius who brought down his History to the Empire of Antoninus born at Emesa. He∣rodian also, a Writer of the same Times, has given us a Record of Transactions till the death of Maximus. c 1.6 Nicostratus the Sophist of Tra∣pezus has compiled an History, wherein he sets forth an account of affairs from Philippus who succeeded Gordianus in the Empire, untill Odae∣nathus of Palmyra, and Valerian's disgracefull Expedition against the Persians. Dexippus also has written at large concerning the same matters, who begins from the d 1.7 Scythick Wars, and ends at the Empire of Claudius successour to Gallienus. The same Dexippus hath compiled an History of the Actions of the Carpi and other Bar∣barous Nations, which they performed in their Wars within Achaia, Thracia, and Ionia, Eusebius begins from Octavianus, Trajanus, and Marcus, and has brought down his History as far as the death of Carus. Moreover, e 1.8 Arria∣nus and Asinius Quadratus have written some

things concerning the same times. The History of the following Times is given us by Zosimus, untill the Emperours Honorius and Arcadius. After which Emperours, Affairs have been Re∣corded by Priscus Rhetor, and others. All these Transactions are excellently well reduced in∣to an Epitome by f 1.9 Eustathius Epiphaniensis, in two Volumes; the first whereof [comprizes matters transacted] untill the taking of Troy, and the second, unto the twelfth year of A∣nastasius's Empire. From whence, untill the times of Justinian, Procopius the Rhetorician hath Recorded affairs. The History of those Times next immediately following, untill the flight of Chosroes Junior to the Romans, and his Restauration to his own Kingdom by Mauricius, (who made not any the least delay at that affair, but gave [the Fugitive] a Royall Reception, and with the Expence of a vast sum of money, and accompanied with great forces, conveyed him back into his own Kingdom, g 1.10 with all possible expedition;) hath been written in a continued Series by Agathias the Rhetorician, and h 1.11 Johan∣nes my Fellow-Citizen and Kinsman; although as yet they have not made their Histories pub∣lick. Concerning which affairs, we our selves also, the Divine † 1.12 Clemency giving us permission, will in the Sequel give such a Narrative as is accom∣modate and agreeable.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Or, Pre∣served.
• a 1.2

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. Doubtless it must be written, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, &c. And [Last∣ly] by those, &c. For 'tis refer∣red to the foregoing words 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉; which the Transla∣tours per∣ceived not. Vales.
• b 1.3

  Concer∣ning Cha∣rax Perga∣menus a Writer of Greek Hi∣stories, see what Vos∣sius has written in his book de Historicis Graecis. Vales.
• * 1.4

  Or, The Epirote.
• † 1.5

  Or, judi∣ciously.
• c 1.6

  This seems to be the same person, who by Vo∣piscus in the Life of Aurelia∣nus▪ is ter∣med Nico∣machus; he had writ∣ten an History of those times, as Vopiscus attests there. This Nicostratus here was a different person from Nicostratus the Sophist, who flourisht in the Empire of Marcus, as Suidas affirms, and also Georgius Scyncellus in his Chronicon. Vales.
• d 1.7

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. In my Annotations on the Excerpta Legationum out of Dexippus, I have long since remarked, that at this place the reading must be, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, from the Scythick Wars. For Dexippus wrote the 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, that is, the Wars which the Romans waged against the Scythians, as Photius attests in his Bibliotheca. Vales.
• e 1.8

  Arrianus wrote the Parthica and Alanica, in which books he re∣lated the Actions performed by the Romans against the Parthians and Alans. Evagrius therefore means these books here. Vales.
• f 1.9

  This is the Eusta∣thius Syrus, whose Te∣stimony our Eva∣grius has made fre∣quent use of, in the foregoing books. Concerning this Authour Suidas writes thus: 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, Eustathius Epiphaniensis [wrote] a Chronologicall Compendium of af∣fairs from Aeneas till the Emperour Anastasius in Tomes. At my perill write, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, in two Volumes, or Tomes. I have Evagrius's authority here, for this Emendation. Vales.
• g 1.10

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. I think it must be, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, with all possible expedition; in order to the avoi∣ding the ill sounding of the words. Vales.
• h 1.11

  This Johannes was an Epiphaniensian. For, whereas Evagrius calls him his own Fellow-Citizen, he must needs have been an Epi∣phaniensian, in regard Epiphania a City of Syria, was Evagrius's na∣tive place. Wherefore Vossius is mistaken in his book de Histor. Graecis, who thought that this Johannes was by birth an Antiochian. Vales.
• † 1.12

  Or, Be∣nevolence.