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University of Denver Digital Commons @ DU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Graduate Studies 1-1-2015 Citation Methodologies in Eusebius’ Historia Ecclesiastica and Other Ancient Historiography Justin Otto Barber University of Denver Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.du.edu/etd Part of the Ancient History, Greek and Roman through Late Antiquity Commons, and the History of Religions of Western Origin Commons Recommended Citation Barber, Justin Otto, "Citation Methodologies in Eusebius’ Historia Ecclesiastica and Other Ancient Historiography" (2015). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 1009. https://digitalcommons.du.edu/etd/1009 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate Studies at Digital Commons @ DU. It has been accepted for inclusion in Electronic Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons @ DU. For more information, please contact [email protected],[email protected]. CITATION METHODOLOGIES IN EUSEBIUS’ HISTORIA ECCLESIASTICA AND OTHER ANCIENT HISTORIOGRAPHY __________ A Dissertation Presented to The Faculty of the University of Denver and the Iliff School of Theology Joint PhD Program University of Denver __________ In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy __________ by Justin Otto Barber August 2015 Advisor: Gregory Robbins ©Copyright by Justin Otto Barber 2015 All Rights Reserved Author: Justin Otto Barber Title: Citation Methodologies in Eusebius’ Historia ecclesiastica and Other Ancient Historiography Advisor: Gregory Robbins Degree Date: August 2015 ABSTRACT This dissertation examines ancient historiographic citation methodologies in light of Mikhail Bakhtin’s dichotomy between polyphony and monologization. In particular, this dissertation argues that Eusebius of Caesarea’s Historia ecclesiastica (HE) abandons the monologic citation methodology typical of previous Greek and Hellenistic historiography and introduces a polyphonic citation methodology that influences subsequent late-ancient Christian historiography to varying degrees. Whereas Pre- Eusebian Greek and Hellenistic historiographers typically use citations to support the single authorial consciousness of the historiographer, Eusebius uses citations to counterbalance his own shortcomings as a witness to past events. Eusebius allows his citations to retain their own voice, even when they conflict with his. The result is a narrative that transcends the point of view of any single individual and makes multiple witnesses, including the narrator, available to the reader. Post-Eusebian late-ancient Christian historiographers exhibit the influence of Eusebius’ innovation, but they are not as intentional as Eusebius in their use of citation methodologies. Many subsequent Christian historiographers use both monologic and polyphonic citation methodologies. Their tendency to follow Eusebius’ practice of citing numerous lengthy citations sometimes emphasizes points of view that oppose the author’s point of view. When an opposing viewpoint surfaces in enough citations, a ii polyphonic citation methodology emerges. The reader holds the two different narrative strands in tension as the author continues to give voice to opposing viewpoints. After illustrating the citation methodologies with passages from numerous Greek, Hellenistic, and late ancient Christian historiographers, this dissertation concludes with a short computational analysis that uses natural language processing to reveal some broad trends that highlight the previous findings and suggest a possibility for future research. iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I want to take this opportunity to express my gratitude to the people who have helped me complete this project. I am indebted to Gregory Robbins for his careful reading, patience, and guidance throughout this process. I have learned a lot from him over the last eight years. I am grateful to Pam Eisenbaum for her frankness, helpful feedback, and direction, not only for this project but also for several other projects over the years. In addition, I am indebted to Victor Castellani; I am elated to have such a competent Classicist on my committee. He has saved me from many embarrassing mistakes. Finally, Jeffrey Mahan, the chair of my dissertation defense, has several times offered me valuable guidance along the way, for which I am most appreciative. My committee has improved my project in myriad ways, although I am sure some mistakes remain. They are my own. In addition to my committee members, I am also grateful to my wife Erin Barber, who has read all my drafts and who has sacrificed more than she should have to help me complete this project. My father, Michael Barber, has also read my drafts and otherwise offered me helpful advice along the way, for which I am very appreciative. Finally, I am grateful to Michael Hemenway for the stimulating conversations that have challenged me to try new ways of using technology to answer some of the questions I take up here. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter 1: Introduction ....................................................................................................... 1 Thesis ...................................................................................................................... 6 Theoretical Framework ........................................................................................... 7 Selection of Sources .............................................................................................. 17 Previous Work ...................................................................................................... 20 What Constitutes a Citation? ................................................................................ 22 Natural Language Processing ............................................................................... 25 Chapter 2: Monologization in Classical Greek and First-/Second-Century Christian Historiography .................................................................................................................. 29 Herodotus .............................................................................................................. 31 Thucydides ............................................................................................................ 41 Polybius................................................................................................................. 50 Diodorus Siculus ................................................................................................... 56 Josephus ................................................................................................................ 65 Acts of the Apostles .............................................................................................. 76 Appian ................................................................................................................... 85 Conclusion ............................................................................................................ 89 Chapter 3: Eusebius’ Polyphonic Citation Methodology in the Historia ecclesiastica ... 92 Eusebius’ Stated Citation Methodology in the PE and the HE ............................. 99 Examples of Polyphony in the HE ...................................................................... 109 The Christian Testament ..................................................................................... 111 The Hebrew Bible ............................................................................................... 125 Philo and Josephus .............................................................................................. 129 Philo’s Therapeutae ............................................................................................ 134 Tertullian and Pliny the Younger ........................................................................ 140 Justin Martyr ....................................................................................................... 142 Rhodo .................................................................................................................. 148 Refuter of the Phrygian Sectarians ..................................................................... 151 Serapion .............................................................................................................. 153 Dionysius of Alexandria ..................................................................................... 157 Synod of Antioch and Paul of Samosata............................................................. 159 Origen ................................................................................................................. 161 Conclusion .......................................................................................................... 161 Chapter 4: Polyphony and Monologization in Post-Eusebian Christian Historiography 165 Initial Quantitative Considerations ................................................................................. 166 Citation Concentrations in Eusebius’ HE, Theodoret’s HE, Bede’s HEGA, Socrates’ HE, and Sozomen’s HE ...................................................................... 167 Socrates ............................................................................................................... 170 v Sozomen .............................................................................................................. 179 Theodoret ...........................................................................................................
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