John of Ephesus, in his Ecclesiastical History (III.6.4), records how in the year 575, the Arab ruler al-Mundhir chose the church of *Sergios (soldier and martyr of Rusafa, S00023) in Rusafa/Sergiopolis (north-east Syria) as a safe meeting place for conducting negotiations with the Roman commander Justinianus. Written in Syriac in Constantinople, 580/581.
E02073
Literary - Other narrative texts (including Histories)
John of Ephesus
John of Ephesus, Ecclesiastical History, Book III 6.4
ܗ̇ܝ ܕܝܢ ܒܚܪܬܐ ܫܕܪ ܠܘܬ ܦܛܪܝܩܝܘܤ ܝܘܣܛܝܢܝܢܐ ܒܪ ܓܪܡܢܐ܇ ܗ̇ܘ ܕܗ̣ܘ ܐܝܬܘܗܝ ܗܘܐ ܪܝܫܐ ܘܦܩܘܕܐ܇ ܠܥܠ ܡܢ ܟܠܗܘܢ ܖ̈ܘܪܒܢܐ ܕܚܝܠܘ̈ܬܐ ܕܖ̈ܗܘܡܝܐ܇ ܕܐܝܬ ܗܘܐ ܒܟܠܗ̇ ܡܕܢܚܐ. ܟܕ ܫܠܚ ܠܗ ܗܟܢܐ. ܕܐܢܐ ܠܡ ܡܢ ܫܘܪܝܐ ܢܟ̈ܠܝܗܘܢ ܕܖ̈ܗܘܡܝܐ ܫܡܥ ܗܘܝܬ ܘܝܕܥܬ. ܗܫܐ ܕܝܢ ܘܒܢܣܝܢܐ ܫܪܪܐ ܝܠܦܬ ܒܢܟܠܐ ܗܢܐ ܕܡܘܬܐ܇ ܕܚܠܦ ܥܡ̈ܠܝ ܐܬܚܫܠ ܥܠܝ. ܘܡܟܝܠ ܐܢܐ ܕܐܗܝܡܢ ܢܦܫܝ ܠܚܕ ܡܢ ܖ̈ܝܫܢܐ ܕܖ̈ܗܘܡܝܐ ܥܠܝ ܠܥܠܡ ܠܐ ܡܩܒܠ ܐܢܐ. ܘܠܟ ܡܛܠ ܕܓܒܪܐ ܟܪܣܛܝܢܐ ܘܒܪ ܚܐܖ̈ܐ ܕܕܚܠ ܡܢ ܐܠܗܐ ܝܕܥ ܐܢܐ ܠܟ܆ ܐܢ ܬܐܬܐ ܠܒܝܬ ܛܘܒܢܐ ܡܪܝ ܣܪܓܝܤ ܕܪܨܦܐ܆ ܘܫܠܚܬ ܠܝ܆ ܐܬܐ ܐܢܐ ܠܬܡܢ܆ ܥܡ ܚܝܠܐ ܕܝܠܝ ܟܕ ܡܙܝܢܝܢ ܐܝܟ ܕܠܩܪܒܐ. ܘܐܢ ܫܝܢܐ ܢܦܓܥ ܒܝ܆ ܘܫܪܪܐ ܡܢܟ ܥܡܝ ܢܬܡܠܠ܆ ܐܗܦܘܟ ܐܢܐ ܘܐܦ ܐܢܬ ܒܫܠܡܐ. ܘܐܢ ܗ̣ܘ ܕܢܟܠܐ ܐܫܟܚ܆ ܡܣܒܪ ܐܢܐ ܒܐܠܗܐ ܕܡܗܝܡܢ ܐܢܐ ܒܗ܆ ܕܠܐ ܐܪܦܝ ܐܦܠܐ ܡܪܦܐ ܒܝ ܐ̈ܝܕܝܐ. ܐܝܟܢܐ ܕܟܕ ܗܠܝܢ ܩܒܠ ܦܛܪܝܩܝܘܤ ܝܘܣܛܝܢܝܢܐ܆ ܚܕܝ ܚܕܘܬܐ ܪܒܬܐ. ܘܫܠܚ ܠܘܬܗ ܕܠܐ ܬܬܦܠܓ ܥܠܝ. ܕܗܐ ܐܠܗܐ ܕܟܖ̈ܣܛܝܢܐ ܒܝܢܬܢ. ܬܐ ܠܝܘܡ ܦܠܢ ܠܒܝܬ ܩܕܝܫܐ ܡܪܝ ܣܪܓܝܤ܆ ܘܠܝ ܗܐ ܬܡܢ ܡܫܟܚ ܐܢܬ ܠܝ ܘܠܚܝܠܟ ܠܐ ܬܫܚܘܩ. ܕܡܣܒܪ ܐܢܐ ܒܐܠܗܐ܆ ܕܒܫܝܢܐ ܘܒܫܠܡܐ ܘܒܚܘܒܐ ܡܪܚܩܝܢܢ ܡܢ ܠܘܬ ܚ̈ܕܕܐ. ܐܝܟܢܐ ܕܟܕ ܩܒܠ ܡܢܕܪ ܗܕܐ ܐܦܩܪܣܝܤ܆ ܐܫܬܪܝ ܘܐܫܬܚܠܦ ܪܥܝܢܗ. ܘܡܚܕܐ ܥܡ ܙܥܘܖ̈ܐ ܢܦܩ ܘܐܙܠ ܠܘܬܗ. ܘܟܕ ܬܖ̈ܝܗܘܢ ܐܝܟ ܚܕܐ ܐܫܬܟܚܘܢ ܩܕܡ ܣܝܡܬ ܓܖ̈ܡܘܗܝ ܕܩܕܝܫܐ ܡܪܝ ܣܪܓܝܤ܆ ܘܣܓ̈ܝܐܬܐ ܐܝܠܝܢ ܕܥܒܖ̈ܢ ܠܟܬܒܐ ܐܬܡܠܠ ܒܝܢܬܗܘܢ܆ ܬܒܥܘ ܘܫܩܠܘ ܡܠܬܐ ܡܢ ܚ̈ܕܕܐ ܐܝܟ ܕܨܒܘ܆ ܘܗܟܢܐ ܬܟܝܠܐܝܬ ܡܟܝܠ ܘܡܫܝܢܐܝܬ ܫܪܘ ܠܚ̈ܕܕܐ ܒܚܕܘܬܐ ܪܒܬܐ.
‘He [i.e. Mundhir] then finally sent to the patricius Justinianus, the son of Germanus, who at that time was head and commander over all the chiefs of the armies of the Romans in the whole East, a message to this effect: “I heard and knew about the plots of the Romans from the beginning, but now I have learned truly from experience about this deadly plot, which had been contrived against me in return for my exertions. And after this I would take upon myself that I would never entrust myself in the hands of any of the Roman nobles. But because I know you to be a Christian, and a noble man who fears God, if you will come to the house of the blessed Mar Sergios of Rusafa and send after me, I will come there, with my men armed ready for battle. And if peace meet me, and true dealing on your part, we will converse together, and both I and you will return in peace; but if I find any treachery, I trust that the God in whom I believe will not relax His care of me.” When the patricius Justinianus received these [words], he was very glad and sent in answer, “Do not hesitate on my account, for, behold, the God of the Christians is between us. Come on such a day to the holy house of Mar Sergios, and you shall find me there. And trouble not about your army, for I trust in God that we shall separate from one another in peace and safety and concord.” When Mundhir received this answer, he softened and changed his mind. And he departed at once with a few people and went to him. And when the two of them remained together before the tomb of the holy Mar Sergios, and after a conversation too long to record, they had mutually given each other their word as they wanted. And so, after this they departed from each other in peace and confidence and great joy.’
Text: Brooks 1935-1936, vol. 1, 285-6.
Translation: Payne Smith 1860, 376-7,modified.
Cult building - independent (church)
Burial site of a saint - sarcophagus/coffin
RelicsBodily relic - entire body
Protagonists in Cult and NarrativesForeigners (including Barbarians)
Source
The Ecclesiastical History of John of Ephesus originally consisted of three parts, but only the third part, covering the period from 571 to 588, has been preserved almost in its entirety. It survives in one single manuscript, BL Add. 14640 (7th century); additionally, chapters III 6.5-7 are also found in Vat. Syr. 154 (10th century).John of Ephesus (507-c. 589) was a miaphysite, hailing from Amida in Roman Mesopotamia; his mother tongue was Syriac. He became a monk and was eventually ordained as miaphysite bishop of Ephesus in the late 550s, yet his main residence from around 540 was always Constantinople.
He started writing the third part of his History in the early 570s in Constantinople, whilst in prison during the persecution of the miaphysites under Justin II. This third part consists of six books which John continually updated by adding new chapters up to his death – a method which explains the many repetitions found in it. The work is incomplete and lacks a final redaction. Nevertheless, it is one of the most important sources for the reigns of Justin II (565-578), Tiberius (578-582) and Maurice (582-602). Despite its title, it not only deals with ecclesiastical events, but also includes numerous accounts of events at the imperial court and of warfare against the Persians and in the Balkans. Furthermore, it is a prime source for some non-Roman communities who lived at the borders of the empire and for their relations with Constantinople. These include Arabs, Armenians, Nubians, Persians, Slavs and Turks.
The third part of John's Ecclesiastical History is not rich in information on the cult of saints: we have just two entries from it in the CSLA database - this one, and one relating to a church of Mary (Mother of Christ) at Tella de-Mawzelat/Constantia in Mesopotamia: e02058.
Discussion
Al-Mundhir (r. 570-581) ruled an Arab confederation known as the Jafnids or Ghassanids, centred around Sergiopolis with its important (and imperially sponsored) shrine of Sergios. Since the early sixth century, the Ghassanids were allied with the Roman empire and provided crucial support for the border defence of Syria and Palestine, both against other Arab tribes and against the Persians.However, in the early 570s, al-Mundhir fell out with Justin II and stopped assisting the Roman forces, supposedly after having become aware of an imperial attempt to have him killed. The withdrawal of the Arab forces arguably had devastating consequences for the Roman East, as the Persians and their Arab allies were able to plunder Syria and even reached the outskirts of Antioch in 573. From a Roman perspective, it was thus imperative to come to a reconciliation with the Arab ruler. John of Ephesus here describes here how the patricius Justinianus (PLRE III, 'Iustinianus 3') succeeded in restoring the alliance in 575 (presumably with the resumption of the payment of subsidies to al-Mundhir, which Justin had stopped in the late 560s) (Greatrex & Lieu 2002, 136 and 153; Fowden 1999, 172).
Bibliography
Editions:Brooks, E.W., Iohannis Ephesini historiae ecclesiasticae pars tertia. 2 vols (Corpus Scriptorum Christianorum Orientalium, Scriptores Syri III.3; Louvain: L. Durbecq, 1935-1936). (With translation into Latin)
A new edition of the text, by Nikolai Kiel, is currently available online (and will, in time, also be available in print): https://pta.bbaw.de/de/reader/42f98b11/pta0200.pta001.pta-syc1
Translations:
Payne Smith, R. (trans.), The Third Part of the Ecclesiastical History of John Bishop of Ephesus (Oxford University Press 1860). (English translation)
Schönfelder, J.M., Die kirchen-geschichte des Johanes von Ephesus aus dem Syrischen übersetzt. Mit einer Abhandlung über die Tritheïten (Munich: Lentner, 1862). (German translation)
Both Payne Smith's and Schönfelder's translations can be accessed at http://syri.ac/johnofephesus
Further reading:
Destephen, Sylvain, Prosopographie chrétienne du Bas-Empire, t. 3: Prosopographie du diocèse d’Asie (325-641) (Paris, 2008), 494-519.
Fowden, E.K., The Barbarian Plain: Saint Sergius between Rome and Iran (The Transformation of Classical Heritage 28; Berkeley: University of California Press, 1999).
Greatrex, G., and Lieu, S.N.C. (eds.), The Roman Eastern Frontier and the Persian Wars. Part 2: AD 363–630. A Narrative Sourcebook (London / New York: Routledge, 2002).
Martindale, J.R., The Prosopography of the Later Roman Empire III, A.D. 527-641 (Cambridge 1992) [= PLRE III].
van Ginkel, J., John of Ephesus: A Monophysite Historian in Sixth-Century Byzantium (PhD thesis, Groningen, 1995).
Silvio Roggo
11/07/2025
| ID | Name | Name in Source | Identity | S00023 | Sergios, soldier and martyr of Rusafa | ܣܪܓܝܤ | Certain |
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Silvio Roggo, Cult of Saints, E02073 - http://csla.history.ox.ac.uk/record.php?recid=E02073