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Internet Medieval Sourcebooks

Selected Sources: End of the Classical World

Contents

• Pagan Late Antiquity
  • Late Antique Government and Culture
  • The "Fall" of the Roman Empire
• Christian Late Antiquity
  • Early Christianity After 100
  • Persecution of Christians
  • The "Triumph" of the Church
  • Persecution by Christians/The End of Paganism
  • Early Dogmatic Disputes
    • Disputes over the Trinity: Arianism
    • Disputes over Christology: Nestorianism and Monophysitism
  • The World of the Church Fathers
    • Eastern Fathers
    • Western Fathers
  • Christianity and Classical Learning
• The German Impact
  • Early Germans
  • Invading Germans/Other "Barbarians"

Pagan Late Antiquity

• WEB Ancient History Sourcebook
• WEB Late Antiquity in the Mediterranean [At ORB/Nipissiing] [Internet Archive version here]
• WEB Society for Late Antiquity Website [Internet Archive version here]
• WEB Jacqueline Long: World of Late Antiquity Syllabus [Loyola-Chicago] [Internet Archive version here]
• WEB ORBIS: The Stanford Geospatial Network Model of the Roman World
• Late Antique Government and Culture
  • Notitia Dignitatum (Register of Dignitaries), c. 400
    A list of all the officials in the Roman Empire, East and West, circa. 400 CE
  • The Theodosian Code trans Clyde Pharr. Extensive excerpts [At Googe Books] [Internet Archive version here]
  • Salvian: The Burden of Taxation, c. 440.
  • Sidonius Apollinaris: "Country House Life in Gaul" and "A Visigothic King".
  • Sidonius Apollinaris: A Civilized Barbarian and a Barbarous Roman
  • Palladius: On Husbandry, c. 350
  • Philostratus: Life of Apollonius of Tyana, c. 220 CE. [At Livius.org]
  • Porphyry: Against the Christians.
  • Julian ("the Apostate") (b.332-r.361-d.363): Letter to Arsacius, c. 360. [At Wikisource]
  • Martianius Capella: The Marriage of Philology and Mercury early 5th Century. [At Christian Platonism] [Internet Archive version here]
    His single encyclopedic work, De nuptiis Philologiae et Mercurii ("On the Marriage of Philology and Mercury"), also called De septem disciplinis ("On the seven disciplines"), is an elaborate didactic allegory written in a mixture of prose and elaborately allusive verse. Martianus often presents philosophical views based on Neoplatonism, the Platonic school of philosophy pioneered by Plotinus and his followers. [Wikipedia]
  • The Zoroastrian Creed. See also Catholic Encyclopedia: The Avesta See also Catholic Encyclopedia: The Avesta - Theological Aspects
• The "Fall" of the Roman Empire
  • Ammianus Marcellinus (c.330-395 CE): The Roman History During the Reigns of the Emperors Constantius, Julian, Jovianus, Valentinian, and Valens Trans. Charles Yonge, Charles Duke. [Full text in various formats] [Project Gutenberg]
  • Ammianus Marcellinus (c.330-395 CE): The Siege of Amida in 359 by Ammianus Marecllinus [At De Re Militari] [Internet Archive version here]
  • Jordanes (fl.c.550 CE): History of the Goths Chap. 20: The Devastation of the Goths in the Reign of Gallienus, 260-268
  • Ammianus Marcellinus (330-395 CE): The Battle of Adrianople 378
  • Ammianus Marcellinus (c.330-395 CE): History, XIV.16: The Luxury of the Rich in Rome, c. 400
  • St. Jerome (c.340-420): The Fate of Rome, from Letter to Agenuchia 409, lamenting the Visigoths
  • Rutilius Numantius: On His Return, I.xi.47, The Greatness of Rome in the Days of Ruin, 413
  • The Siege of Amida in 502, according to Pseudo-Joshua the Stylite [At De Re Militari] [Internet Archive version here]
  • Cassiodorus (490-c.585): Warfare and Military Affairs in the Letters of Cassiodorus [At De Re Militari] [Internet Archive version here]
  • The Gallic Chronicle of 452: translation and commentary by Aymenn Jawad Al-Tamimi [At Aymennjawad.org] [Internet Archive version here]
  • The Gallic Chronicle of 511: translation and commentary by Aymenn Jawad Al-Tamimi [At Aymennjawad.org] [Internet Archive version here]
  • Edward Gibbon: On the Fall of the Roman Empire.. Not exactly a source, but Gibbon's views are very commonly discussed in class.
  • Arnold Toynbee: Christianity and Civilization [At Church of Greece] [Internet Archive version here] A very different view than Gibbon's.
  • Walter Goffart: : Rome’s Final Conquest: The Barbarians, History Compass 6/3 (2008): 855–883 [At TTU] Views of a modern historian dedicated to the "accommodationist" theory. [Internet Archive version here]
  • Procopius: The Plague, 542, History of the Wars, II.xxii-xxxiii:

Christian Late Antiquity

• WEB Fourth-Century Christianity 311-383, [At Wisconsin Lutheran College] [Internet Archive version]
  A site promoting and storing research tools and texts for the study of the Church and its environment in the Fourth Century AD. This is a major e-text, research, and teaching resource.
• WEB Early Church Texts
  Latin and Greek originals of many early church documents, freely available [and with an English translation for a subscription].
• Socrates Scholasticus (c.379-440): Ecclesiastical History [At New Advent site] [From Ante-Nicene and Nicene Fathers Series] [Covers 305-446 CE]
• Socrates Scholasticus (c.379-440): Ecclesiastical History [Wikisource] [Covers 305-446 CE]
• Early Christianity After 100
  • WEB Ancient History Sourcebook: Christian Origins for extensive texts on Christian origins.
  • Pliny the Younger: Letter on the Christians.
  • Justin Martyr: Second Apology [Dialogue with Trypho], complete - but a very large file.
• Persecution of Christians
  • Also see Medieval Sourcebook Saint's Lives page
  • The Martyrdom of Polycarp, 2nd Century. Several translations. [At Early Christian Writings]
  • The Persecution and Martyrdoms of Lyons in 177 A.D.: The Letter of the Churches of Vienna and Lyons to the Churches of Asia and Phrygia including the story of the Blessed Blandina.
  • Perpetua: The Passion of SS. Perpetua and Felicity, 203. See also Catholic Encyclopedia: Sts. Felicitas and Perpetua; and Peter Dronke's Discussion of Perpetua [At Internet Archive, from Millersville]
  • Perpetua: The Passion of SS. Perpetua and Felicity, 203, excerpts.
  • Eusebius: Ecclesiastical History: The Martyrdom of St. Domnina and Her Daughters.
  • The Passion of The Scillitan Martyrs.
  • The Passion of Sergius and Bacchus, full text of early passion. [At CMU] [Internet Archive Version here]
  • Deeds of Zenophilus: How the Romans Tried to Seize Christian Books, c. 395
  • Diocletian: Edicts of Persecution.
  • Lactantius (c.250-c.325): Of the Manner in Which the Persecutors Died [At Calgary] [Internet Archive Version here] [Wikipedia article]
  • Lactantius (c.250-c.325): Of the Manner in Which the Persecutors Died [At New Advent]
  • Tertullian of Carthage (c. 155/160 CE – c. 240 CE): "The Blood of the Martyrs": Apologeticus pro Christianis (In Defense of Christians), chapters 49-50.
• The "Triumph of the Church"
  • Eusebius of Caesarea (c 260/265-339): Ecclesiastical History: conversion of Constantine. See also Catholic Encyclopedia: Labarum (Chi-Rho)
  • Eusebius of Caesarea (c 260/265-339): In Praise of the Emperor Constantine [At Calgary] [Internet Archive Version here]
  • Edit of Galerius and the "Edict of Milan", 311/313.
  • Constantine I: Laws for Christians.
  • Constantine I: On the Keeping of Easter.
  • Jews and the Later Roman Law 315-531
    Laws by Constantine the Great, Constantius (337-361), Theodosius II (408-410), and Justinian (527-565).
  • Julian and the Jews, 361-363
    From Sozomen, Ecclesiastical History written about 443-450
  • Anonymous Sermon on the Pantheon, trans. William North. PDF [At Carleton] [Internet Archive version here]
    Sermon describing the conversion of the Roman Pantheon into a Christian Church by Pope Boniface IV (608-15).
  • Legislation Affecting the Jews, 300 to 800 CE
    Index to Roman, Western and canonical laws
  • Prayers for Making a Synagogue into a Church, in Latin.
    From the Liber Sacramentorum Romanae Ecclesiae
• Persecution by Christians/The End of Paganism
  • Theodosian Code XVI.i.2: Banning of Other Religions, 379-395.
  • Theodosian Code: On Religion
  • Chart: Imperial Laws and Letters Involving Religion AD 395-431 [Internet Archive version here]
  • Zosimus: Historia Nova. [Was At Then Again, now Internet Archive]
    On the ending of Paganism.
  • Celsus (Africanus) (2nd Century CE): To Vigilius, “Letter on Jewish Disbelief” [At Andrew Jacobs] [Internet Archive version here]
  • Mark the Deacon: Life of Porphyry of Gaza, 5th Century, [full text]
    fascinating account of the Christian destruction of Paganism in Gaza.
  • Socrates Scholasticus (c.380-after 439): The Murder of Hypatia.
    A leading female philosopher, Hypatia was murdered by a Christian mob in Alexandria, urged on by St. Cyril.   See also The Hypatia Page. Three historical version's of Hypatia's murder are available, and useful for comparative purposes:
    • Damascius: The Life of Hypatia, from the Life of Isidore, reproduced in The Suda. [Was At cosmopolis.com, now Internet Archive]
    • Socrates Scholasticus (c.380-after 439): The Life of Hypatia, [Was At cosmopolis.com, now Internet Archive]
    • John of Nikiu (fl. 680-690): The Life of Hypatia. [Was At cosmopolis.com, now Internet Archive]
• Early Dogmatic Disputes
  • Disputes over the Trinity: Arianism
    • WEB  A Chronology of the Arian Controversy 311-383, [At Church of the East]
      With the texts of the Ten Arian Confessions,(although some of the links are broken).
    • Athanasius (c296-298-373): History of the Arians, trans M. Atkinson, full text [At EWTN [Internet Archive version here]
    • Gregory of Nyssa (335-c.395): Popular Discussion of Theology in the Streets of Constantinople, from On the Divinity of the Son and the Spirit (August 383)
    • Documents of the Early Arian Controverey [At Fourth Century Christianity] [Internet Archive version here]
    • Collectio Avellana: An account of the schism which occurred between the bishops Liberius and Felix and continued under Damasus and Ursinus The Papal Schism between Liberius and Felix [At Fourth Century Christianity] [Internet Archive version here]
    • Conciliar Creeds of he Fourth Century [At Fourth Century Christianity] [Internet Archive version here]
      
      

      Doc. No.	Date	Council	Name	Page No.	Ancient Sources	CPG
      *see below	325	Antioch	The Pre-Nicene Creed		Only available in Syriac: Paris Ms. (Cod. Par. Syr. 62) Vatican Cod. Syr. 148; Mignana Cod. Syr. 8. For the Syriac text and a reconstruction of Greek, see E. Schwartz, Zur Geschichte des Athanasius, VI in Nachricht. Gott. 1905,pp. 272-9	8509
      142	325	Nicaea	The Nicene Creed with anathemas	160-161	Athanasius, Defense of the Nicene Defenition, 37; Theodoret, HE 1.12; Socrates, HE 1.8.29-30; Gelasius History of the Council of Nicaea, 2	8512
      153	341	Antioch	First Creed of Antioch	183-184	Athanasius, De Synodis, 22; Socrates, HE 2.10.4-9	8556
      154	341	Antioch	Second Creed of Antioch	184-186	Athanasius De Synodis, 23; Hilary, De Synodis, 29; Socrates HE 2.10.10-18	8557
      155	341	Antioch	Third Creed of Antioch	186-187	Athanasius, De Synodis, 24	8558
      156	341	Antioch	Fourth Creed of Antioch	187-188	Athanasius, De Synodis, 25; Socrates, HE 2.18.3-6a	8559
      157	343	Serdica	Creed of the Western Serdican Council	188-190	Theodoret, HE 2.8.37-52	8560
      158	343	Philippopolis	Creed of the Eastern Serdican Council	190-191	Hilary, De Synodis 34	8573
      159	345	Antioch	Ekthesis Makrostichos or “The Long-lined Creed”	192-196	Athanasius, De Synodis, 26; Socrates, HE 2.19.3-28	8575
      160	351	Sirmium	First Creed of Sirmium	196-199	Athanasius, De Synodis, 27; Socrates, HE 2.30.5-30; Hilary, De Synodis, 38	8577
      161	357	Sirmium	Second Creed of Sirmium or “The Blasphemy of Sirmium”	199-201	Athanasius, De Synodis, 28; Hilary, De Synodis, 11; Socrates, HE 2.30.31-41	8578
      162	358	Ancyra	The Anathemas of the Council of Ancrya	201-204	Epiphaniuis, Panarion 73.10.1-73.11.10	8579
      163	359	Sirmium	Fourth Creed of Sirmium or “The Dated Creed”	204-205	Athanasius, De Synodis, 8; Socrates, HE 2.37.18-24	8581
      164	359	Nike (Thrace)	The Thracian-Nicaean Creed	205-206	Theodoret, HE 2.21.3-7a	8588
      165	359	Seleucia (in Isauria)	9th Confession	206-208	Athanasius De Synodis, 29; Socrates, HE 2.40; Epiphianus, Pan. Haer. 73.25	8589
      167	360	Constantinople	The Homoian Creed	208-209	Athanasius, De Synodis, 30; Socrates, HE 2.41.8-16	8591
      144	381	Constantinople	The Niceno-Constantinopolitan Creed or “The Nicene Creed”	162-165	E. Schwartz, ACO II 1.2 (1935)	8599
      168	400	Toledo	The Creed of the First Council of Toledo	209-213	Collectio Hispanna; Collection of the Ms. of Saint-Amand (Massen p. 216-217)	—

      
      
    • The Nicene Creed. See also Catholic Encyclopedia: Nicene Creed
    • Canons of the Council of Nicea, 325. See also Catholic Encyclopedia: Arianism
    • Alexander: Deposition of Arius, [At CCEL].
    • Athanasius of Alexandria: Apologia Contra Arianos.[At CCEL]
    • Philostorgius (c.368-c.439): Ecclesiastical History [From beginning of Arian Schism to 425] [At Tertullian]
      Ostensibly a continuation of Eusebius but in reality a late apology for the extreme Arianism of Eunomius.
    • Philostorgius (c.368-c.439): Ecclesiastical History [From beginning of Arian Schism to 425] [Wikisource]
  • Disputes over Christology: Nestorianism and Monophysitism
    • Justinian: Dialogue with Paul of Nisibis, translated by Dr. Jeffrey Macdonald, 1998 [At Pachomias]
    • Documents Leading to the Council of Ephesus [At Fourth Century Christianity] [Internet Archive version here]
      
      

      Date	CPG	Title	Eng. Transl.
      late 419	5240.08	Cyril, Festal Letter 8, for 420	FCC; FC118:137-154
      late 428	5240.17	Cyril, Festal Letter 17, for 429	FCC; FC127: 58-73
      	6028	Socrates, Historia Ecclesiastica, 7.32	FCC; NPNF2 2:170-171
      Dec. 24, 428	5800/8630	Proclus, sermon on Mary	FCC; Constas 137-147
      early Jan. 429	5716/8631	Nestorius, Sermon 27, on Mary	FCC
      early 429	5940/8620	Eusebius of Doryleum, Protest [contestatio]	FCC; CE #1
      spring 429	5301/8621	Cyril (Letter 1), to the Egyptian monks	FCC; McG 245-261; FC 76 13-33
      mid 429	5665/8634	Nestorius, 1st Letter to Celestine	FCC; CE #2
      mid 429	5309/8622	Cyril (Letter 10), to his apocrisiarii	FCC; CE #4; FC76: 55-59
      summer 429	5302/8627	Cyril (Letter 2), 1st Letter to Nestorius	FCC; CE #8; FC76: 34-36
      summer 429	5666/5303	Nestorius, 1st Letter to Cyril (= Cyril, Letter 3)	FCC; FC 76:37; CE 117-120
      mid-late 429	5307/8624	Cyril (Letter 8), to his critics	FCC; CE 112; FC76:-51-52
      mid-late 429	5308/8623	Cyril (Letter 9), to a student of Nestorius	FCC; FC76: 53-55
      late 429	5667/8635	Nestorius, 2nd Letter to Celestine	FCC; CE #3; DelCog

• The World of the Church Fathers
  • WEB Christian Classics Ethereal Library
    For many theological works, including entire contents of the Ante-Nicene and Post Nicene Fathers series,
  • WEB New Advent Fathers of the Church
    Another online version of the Ante-Nicene and Post Nicene Fathers series.
  • WEB St. Pachomius Library: Alphabetical Index, for listing of Orthodox documents online.
  • St. Vincent of Lerins: The "Vincentian Canon", 434 CE
    A classic definition of "orthodoxy".
  • Eastern Fathers
    • Gregory of Nyssa (c.335-d.c.395): Life of Macrina, trans. W.K. Lowther Clarke.
      One of the most important lives of a female saint. This is an account of Gregory's strongminded sister, Macrina (c.327-379).
    • Amphilochius of Iconium: Against the Heretics (Against False Asceticism) tran. by Andrew S. Jacobs [Internet Archive version here] Ps.-Amphilochius of Iconium: On the Circumcision and Basis [BHG 262], trans. Andrew Jacobs (5th or 6th Cent) [Internet Archive version here]
    • The Teaching of Jacob Newly Baptized (Doctrina Jacobi Nuper Baptizati) trans. Andrew Jacobs (7th Cent) [Internet Archive version here]
      A Greek dialogue text set in 7th-century Carthage (specifically, the action takes place in spring and summer of the year 634).
  • Western Fathers
    • Augustine of Hippo (354-430): Confessions: His Conversion
    • Dispute Between Symmachus and Ambrose.
    • Ambrose of Milan (c.340-397): Ambrose: Letter to Valentian II, 386, defending the autonomy of the Church.
    • Ambrose of Milan (c.340-397): Ambrose: Letter to Theodosius, 390, rebuke for massacre.
    • Ambrose of Milan (c.340-397): Selected Letters, [At Calgary] [Internet Archive version here]
    • Theodoret (c.393-466): St. Ambrose Humiliates Theodosius the Great, from Ecclesiastical History, V.17-18
    • Augustine of Hippo (354-430): On Christin Doctrine [CCEL]
    • Augustine of Hippo (354-430): City of God, excerpts. The full text of the City of God is available in PDF or html formats
    • Augustine of Hippo (354-430): The City of God: excerpts on the Two Cities
    • Zeno of Verona: On the Lord's Birth II. trans. Andrew Jacobs (late 4th Cent) [Internet Archive version here]
      Notable for its early and robust defense of the perpetual virginity of Mary and its unselfconscious reliance on so-called apocrypha.
    • Quicunque Vult, or The Creed of St. Athanasius
      Reflects a Latin view of Trinitarian Doctrine.
    • Council of Orange 529
      The canons of this council attacked the "semi-Pelagians", and supported Augustine's position on grace and freewill.
• Christianity and Classical Learning
  • Origen (185?-254?): On Classical Learning . See also Catholic Encyclopedia: Origen and Origenism
  • Tertullian (c.155/160-after 220): On Pagan Learning, c. 220 CE
    On the distinction between "Athens" and "Jerusalem".
  • Jerome (374-419/20): On Classical Literature. Note - the full text of these, and others of Jerome's letters is available in HTML as NPNF - Volume VI -- St. Jerome: Letters and Select Works. See also Catholic Encyclopedia: Latin Literature in Early Christianity
  • Boethius (c.480-524): Consolation of Philosophy exerpts on fate and providence. [translation by R. Hooker].
  • Boethius (c.480-524): Consolation of Philosophy trans H R James (1897) Full text English [Project Gutenberg]. See also Catholic Encyclopedia: Boethius
  • Boethius (c.480-524): Consolation of Philosophy, synoptic Latin and English version, [At Oslo] [Internet Archive version here]
  • Boethius (c.480-524): The Theological Tractates and The Consolation of Philosophy trans H R James (1897) Full text in Latin and English [Project Gutenberg]
    Includes De Trinitate and De Fide Catholica.
  • Boethius (c.480-524): On the Holy Trinity "De Trinitate" trans. Erik C. Kenyon (2004) [PDF file]
  • Cassiodorus (490-c.585): On Classical Learning
  • Cassiodorus (490-c.585): The Letters of Cassiodorus trans Thomas Hodgkin (1896) Full text [Project Gutenberg]

The German Impact

• Early Germans
  • Julius Caesar: The Germans, c. 51 BCE
  • Tacitus: Germania, trans. J. Church and W. J. Brodribb.
  • Tacitus: Germania, trans. Thomas Gordon, full text.  Also available in Latin.
  • Tacitus: Germania, shorter excerpts.
• Invading Germans/Other "Barbarians"
  • Priscus: On the Palace of Attila the Hun, 448.
  • Priscus: On the Palace of Attila the Hun, 448, trans J.B. Bury. Extended version of above text. A Hyperlinked Version is also available [At Calgary] [Internet Archive version here]
  • Jordanes (fl.c.550 CE): The Origins and Deeds of the Goths, trans Charles C Mierow, 1915. Full Text [At Calgary] [Internet Archive version here] [PDF also at Internet Archive]
  • Jordanes (fl.c.550 CE): An Account of the Person of Attila
  • Jordanes (fl.c.550 CE): History of the Goths: Chap. 38: The Battle of Chalôns, 451. The defeat of Attila.
  • Jordanes (fl.c.550 CE):
  • Pope Leo I and Attila: Two Accounts, 452.
  • The Hildebrandslied, 830s 
    Full translation of the main suriving fragment of an Old High German poem.

The Internet Medieval Sourcebook is part of the Internet History Sourcebooks Project. The Internet History Sourcebooks Project is located at the History Department of  Fordham University, New York. The Internet Medieval Sourcebook, and other medieval components of the project, are located at the Fordham University Center for Medieval Studies.The IHSP recognizes the contribution of Fordham University, the Fordham University History Department, and the Fordham Center for Medieval Studies in providing web space and server support for the project. The IHSP is a project independent of Fordham University.   Although the IHSP seeks to follow all applicable copyright law, Fordham University is not the institutional owner, and is not liable as the result of any legal action.

© Site Concept and Design: Paul Halsall created 26 Jan 1996: latest revision 28 August 2023