Second Work: Historia Ecclesiastica
Sozomen's second work continues approximately where his first work left off. He wrote it in Constantinople, around the years 440 to 443 and dedicated it to Emperor Theodosius II.
The work is structured into nine books, roughly arranged along the reigns of Roman Emperors:
- Book I: from the conversion of Constantine I until the Council of Nicea (312-325)
- Book II: from the Council of Nicea to Constantine's death (325-337)
- Book III: from the death of Constantine I to the death of Constans I (337-350)
- Book IV: from the death of Constans I to the death of Constantius II (350-361)
- Book V: from the death of Constantius II to the death of Julian the Apostate (361-363)
- Book VI: from the death of Julian to the death of Valens (363-375)
- Book VII: from the death of Valens to the death of Theodosius I (375-395)
- Book VIII: from the death of Theodosius I to the death of Arcadius (375-408).
- Book IX: from the death of Arcadius to the accession of Valentinian III (408-25).
Book IX is incomplete. In his dedication of the work, he states that he intended cover up to the 17th consulate of Theodosius II, that is, to 439. The extant history ends about 425. Scholars disagree on why the end is missing. Albert Guldenpenning supposed that Sozomen himself suppressed the end of his work because in it he mentioned the Empress Aelia Eudocia, who later fell into disgrace through her supposed adultery. However, it appears that Nicephorus, Theophanes, and Theodorus Lector did read the end of Sozomen's work, according to their own histories later. Therefore most scholars believe that the work did actually come down to that year, and that consequently it has reached us only in a damaged condition.
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