Crucifictions and pizza parlors: fragments of a polemic from Socrates of Constantinople’s Ecclesiastical History

Abstract

ABSTRACT:The fifth-century ce Ecclesiastical History of Socrates of Constantinople has long been one of the foundational texts for reconstructing ecclesiastical affairs following the Council of Nicaea. Interwoven throughout its accounts of intra-Christian conflict are polemical episodes recounting Jewish violence. One vignette in particular, that of the crucifixion of a Christian boy, has been frequently cited in modern historiography on blood libel narratives. This article examines the role of this episode within Socrates’ polemic and its modern reception, focusing specifically on how anti-Jewish propaganda extracts the episode from its source and leverages it to support blood libel accusations.