E04054: Sozomen in his Ecclesiastical History records traditions about miracle-working bishops who lived under Theodosius I (r. 379-395), namely *Ambrose (bishop of Milan, ob. 397, S00490), *Donatos (bishop of Euroia in Epirus Vetus, south Balkans, ob. late 4th c., S01274), *Theotimos (bishop of Tomis on the lower Danube, ob. late 4th c. S01721), *Epiphanios (bishop of Salamis of Cyprus, ob. 403, S00215), *Akakios (bishop of Beroia in Syria, ob. late 4th c., S01723), and the brothers *Zenon and Aias (bishops of Gaza in Palestine, ob. late 4th c., S01722). The author mentions miracles at the tomb shrines of Donatos and Epiphanios. Written in Greek at Constantinople, 439/450.

Sozomen, Ecclesiastical History, 7.25-28

7.25 Ambrose of Milan. Sozomen recounts the incident of the penance he imposed on the emperor Theodosius, and the abolition of the emperor’s right to sit among the clergy during the services.

7.26. 1-5 Donatos, bishop of Euroia in the province of Epirus Vetus, is reported to have performed several miracles, including the miraculous killing of a massive dragon which used to live near the place called Chamaigephyrai.

7.26. 4-5. Δονάτῳ δὲ τούτῳ τάφος ἐστὶν ἐπίσημος εὐκτήριος οἶκος ἀπ’ αὐτοῦ τὴν ἐπωνυμίαν ἔχων, παρὰ τοῦτον δὲ πηγὴ ὑδάτων πολλῶν, ἣν οὐ πρότερον οὖσαν εὐξαμένου αὐτοῦ τὸ θεῖον ἀνέδωκεν· ἦν μὲν γὰρ οὗτος ὁ χῶρος παντελῶς ἄνυδρος. ἐξ ὁδοιπορίας δέ ποτε ἐνθάδε παραγενόμενος λέγεται τῶν ἀμφ’ αὐτὸν ἀπορίᾳ ὕδατος ταλαιπωρουμένων τῇ χειρὶ τὴν γῆν λαχήνας εὔξασθαι· ἅμα δὲ τῇ εὐχῇ ἄφθονον ἀναβλύσαι ὕδωρ καὶ ἐξ ἐκείνου μὴ διαλιπεῖν. ἀλλὰ τῶνδε μὲν μάρτυρες οἱ τὴν Ἰσωρίαν οἰκοῦντες κώμην Εὐροίας καθ’ ἣν τάδε συνέβη.

‘The sepulchre of this Donatos is a famous house of prayer which bears his name. Next to it there is a copious spring of water which, previously inexistent, was caused to gush up by God after Donatos’ prayer. That site had indeed been completely arid previously. They say that he once arrived there from a journey and, as his companions were suffering from the lack of water, he dug the soil with his hands and prayed. As he was praying, plenty of water gushed forth and has not dried up ever since. Witnesses to these things are the inhabitants of Isoria, a village in the territory of Euroia, where these things took place.’

7.26. 6-9 Theotimos of Tomis in Scythia Minor. An ascetic and wonderworking bishop, who was revered also by the neighbouring barbarians, who called him ‘God of the Romans’.

7.27 Epiphanios of Cyprus

7.27. 1-2 Περὶ δὲ τοῦτον τὸν χρόνον καὶ Ἐπιφάνιος τὴν Κυπρίων ἐπεσκόπει μητρόπολιν. ὃν οὐ μόνον τὰ περὶ τὴν πολιτείαν ἐπίσημον ἐπ’ ἀρεταῖς ἀπέδειξεν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ὅσα παράδοξα ζῶντος αὐτοῦ καὶ μετὰ τελευτὴν τιμῶν τὸν ἄνδρα ὁ θεὸς ἐπετέλεσεν. ἀποθανόντι γάρ, ὃ μὴ περιόντι ὑπῆρξε, λόγος ἐπὶ τῷ τάφῳ αὐτοῦ εἰσέτι νῦν δαίμονας ἀπελαύνεσθαι καὶ ἰάσεις τινὰς γίνεσθαι· ἐν ᾧ δὲ ζῶν ἐτύγχανε, πολλὰ θαυμάσια αὐτῷ ἀνατιθέασι.

‘During this period, Epiphanios was bishop of the capital of Cyprus. It was not only aspects of his way of life that proved his excellence in virtue, but also the extraordinary prodigies God performed honouring the man, both while he was living and after death. With regard to the time after his death, namely things that have occurred while he was no more alive, they say that even nowadays demons are driven away and healings take place at his tomb. As for his lifetime, they ascribe to him several miracles.’

7.28 Akakios of Beroia of Syria; Zenon and Aias in Gaza

Text: Bidez and Hansen 1995. Translation and summary: E. Rizos