The Ecclesiastical History of Evagrius Scholasticus - Coptic ...

INTRODUCTION xxi
possible that it had not been a long-term project. My reason for this
suggestion is that Evagrius’ account of the eastern campaigns in
Maurice’s reign is notoriously inaccurate, and his chronology of events
after the resolution of the eastern mutiny in 589 intrudes an additional
year into his narrative. 21 Part of the explanation for these errors lies in
Evagrius’ highly protective attitude to Maurice’s general and brotherin-law,
Philippicus, but the error might not have been so easily made if
Evagrius had been concentrating for several years on historiography
and the acquisition of relevant material; by the late 580s he may,
perhaps, already have embarked on the narrative of doctrinal disputes
which dominates his account of the ¢fth century, but not have considered
the issue of what contemporary matters he would report.
In view of the centrality of Gregory of Antioch in Evagrius’ life, and
the prominent panegyric of him in the History, it is possible that Evagrius
decided to compile his work because of Gregory’s problems in 588: the
opposition to Gregory embraced all sections of Antiochene society and
it was the willingness of respectable people to support the hostility of
the lower classes that was particularly dangerous. 22 Thus a work whose
audience was con¢ned to the educated elite would have great relevance.
Gregory is portrayed as a worthy bishop of Antioch, on a par with his
predecessor, Anastasius, who retained considerable popularity and in£uence
after his deposition in 570 and was to return to his throne on
Gregory’s death, 23 while Evagrius’ castigation of pagan intellectuals
was perhaps prompted by the challenge to Gregory in Tiberius’ reign. If
he worked sequentially, and there is no evidence to suggest that he did
not, the fact that the passage on the plague (iv.29) was written in 593
would indicate that he could compose over one quarter of the text in less
than a year. Granted that most of the ¢rst four books of the History
drew on existing written sources, and in some places transcribed collections
of documents, a period of four or ¢ve years for the identi¢cation
21 The double-counting of Justin II’s regnal years (v.23, with n. 82 below) is another,
slightly earlier, major event which Evagrius did not note correctly. Evagrius, however,
commits a number of chronological errors (see below), so not much weight can be placed
on this argument.
22 Note that Evagrius reports Gregory’s acquittal on the charge of sexual misconduct in
the opening sentence of vi.7, before embarking on the detailed narrative, an arrangement
which ¢rmly establishes Gregory’s innocence in the readers’ minds.
23 Allen, Evagrius 28^30.