SOZOMEN

born c. 400, , Bethelea, near Gaza, Palestine died c. 450, , Constantinople, Byzantine Empire [now Istanbul, Tur.] Greek Salamanes Hermeios Sozomenos Christian lawyer in Constantinople whose church history, distinguished for its classical literary style, its favouring of monasticism, and its greater use of western European sources, rivaled that of his elder contemporary Socrates Scholasticus. Dedicating the project to the reigning Byzantine emperor, Theodosius II (408450), Sozomen compiled his work in nine books to cover the period 324 to 439. The surviving text, however, ends at 425, raising the question of whether the final part was suppressed by the emperor or lost. Sozomen possibly intended to recast Socrates' work in a superior literary style for an audience not only of ecclesiastics but also of the cultured laity. Although he demonstrated an inferior critical method and little theological comprehension, Sozomen's unique inclusion of certain sources makes his chronicles valuable; they are corrective of Socrates' text and with it provided the medieval church with most of its knowledge of early Christianity.