Fifth-Century Views of Conversion: A Comparison of Conversion Narratives in the Church Histories of Sozomen and Socrates Scholasticus

Sozomen and Socrates Scholasticus wrote church histories in the middle of the fifth century A.D. Each history covered the same period, from Constantine to Theodosius II. Sozomen wrote his history after Socrates' and although it tells many of the same stories, some striking dissimilarities can be identified. One way thatSozomen's history differs from Socrates' is in the author's view of conversion from paganism to Christianity. Sozomen's view is more process-oriented and more transformational than Socrates'.In this thesis, Sozomen's and Socrates' views of conversion are explored through an analysis of conversion narratives found in the two histories. After discussing some of the recent scholarship on conversion in late antiquity, I survey various historical views of conversions from Plato (fifth century B.C.) to Rufinus (fourth century A.D.) An examination of the background and sources of Sozomen and Socrates also prepares us for a comparison of the two authors. Then I examine five conversion narratives that both Sozomen and Socrates relate in their histories.For each conversion narrative, I provide the Greek text and an English translation. When the story is clearly derived from Rufinus of Aquilea (another fifth century church historian), I provide the Latin and an English translation of his account as well. By comparing terminology, metaphors and overall narrative style, I analyze thedifferent conversion accounts in order to understand each author's view of conversion.Research on conversion in history has increased recently, but it still relies primarily on autobiographical accounts. This thesis provides a different perspective by analyzing two lay historians who tell stories about conversions in the crucial period just after the conversion of Constantine. These authors' views on conversion inform scholars who research their historiography, but they also provide the historian of the period with some insight into how conversion was perceived. Thus, the implications of this study have ramifications for both historiographical and historical research in the fifth-century Roman empire.

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Arts

Level thesis:degree_level

masters

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

History

Grantor dc:publisher

The Ohio State University

Year dc:date

1998

Author dc:creator

• Harris, Kevin Brice

Contributors dc:contributor

• E. Gregory, Timothy

• Religious History

Statement dc:rights

• unrestricted
• This thesis or dissertation is protected by copyright: all rights reserved. It may not be copied or redistributed beyond the terms of applicable copyright laws.

Language dc:language

English

Repository record dc:identifier

http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1364297607

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:etd.ohiolink.edu:osu1364297607