Few works open a clearer window into the faith and struggles of the early Byzantine Church than the Ecclesiastical History of Sozomen. Written in the mid-fifth century, this sweeping narrative continues the story begun by Eusebius of Caesarea and Socrates Scholasticus, but with its own distinctive contributions. Sozomen, born in Palestine around the year 400, grew up in a family shaped by miraculous conversion and early monastic influence. This background gave him unique sympathy for the life of the Church and an ear for traditions often neglected by other historians.
 
Sozomen’s history is especially prized for its detailed accounts of the rise of monasticism, the spread of Christianity among Armenians, Saracens, Goths, and Persians, and the witness of martyrs drawn from Syriac sources unavailable to most of his contemporaries. His polished literary style, combined with his reliance on both written documents and oral tradition, make his narrative both reliable and engaging.
 
For modern readers, Sozomen offers more than a chronicle of emperors and councils—he reveals how ordinary believers, monks, and missionaries shaped the story of Christianity. This edition makes accessible one of the most important witnesses to the life of the early Church.