PHILIPPUS SIDETA.
THis is the Relation which Socrates gives us of this Author, and the Judgment he passes on him: PHILIP of SIDE, a City of Pamphylia, boasted▪ That * 1.1 he was the Father of Troilus the Sophist, a Native of the same City. Being but a Deacon, he conversed much with S. Chrysostom, and was afterwards ordained Priest. He was very laborious and diligent in the Studies of good Learning, and had made a great Collection of Books of all sorts. He composed several Works in an Asiatick Style, for he confuted the Books of Julian, and composed the History of Christianity, divided into Thirty Books: Each Book was parted into divers Sections, insomuch that there were in all near a Tho••s••••d. The Argument of every Section is as large as the Section it self. He gave this Book the Name of a Christian History, and not of an Ecclesiastical History, and collected in this Work many Curious and Learned Observations that he might seem a great Philosopher. He speaks often of Theorems of Geometry, Astronomy, Arithmetick and Musick. He spends much Time and Pains in describing Islands, Mountains, Trees and several other things of little Importance: By these Means he hath made his Book very great, and, in my Judg∣ment, useless, both to the Ignorant and Learned; for the Ignorant take no notice of the Ornaments of this Discourse, and the Learned condemn the vain Repetitions: Nevertheless, let every one give what Judgment he pleases of this Work. All that I shall say of it is this, That he inverts the Order of Time; for after he has related what passed in the Time of Theodosius, he ascends to the Time of Athanasius, and there often changes the natural Order of things.
Because he hoped to have been ordained Bishop of Constantinople in the room of Atticus, he takes the Liberty, in his History, to rail against the Ordination of Sisinnius, who was preferred before him, and reports very scandalous things of those who Chose and Or∣dained him.
Photius, who had read some part of this Work of Philip of Side, says much the same Things of it, and passes the same Judgment upon it, in Code 35. of his Bibliotheca.
I have read, saith he, the Work of Philip of Side, entituled, The Christian History, which begins at the Creation of the World, and goes on as far as the Story of Moses. Sometimes he treats of Things very short, and sometimes more copiously. The First Book contains Twenty four Sections, and the Twenty three others a like Number. These are all we have seen. He is full of Words, but they are neither pleasant nor elegant; but on the contrary are flat, and soon ••ire the Reader. We find in it a greater Shew of Learning than Profit. He puts in many things into his History, which are impertinent. Insomuch that he that sees this Work, would never call it an History, but a Miscellaneous Treatise, he makes so many needless Digressions. He was Con-temporary with Sisinnius and Proclus Bishops of Constantinople: He often speaks against the Former, in his History, being dis∣pleased, because being in the same Dignity, and in the same Church, Sisinnius was preferr'd to the Patriarchate before him, although he thought himself more Eloquent than he.The Judgment which these Authors give of this Work, may make us not to be troubled much at the loss of it. [Niceph. Callistus quotes a Fragment of it.]