The Synodicon Vetus

The Synodicon Vetus is a short anonymous account, based on Greek sources, of local synods and ecumenical councils from the time of the apostles to 886. It was first printed in 1601 by the Strasbourg theologian Johannes Pappus, who reproduced the truncated version sold to him several years earlier by the copyist and bookdealer Andreas Darmarios.

The work has frequently raised eyebrows. To some scholars it has appeared to offer items of information not attested elsewhere; to others it has betrayed itself as a mass of misunderstanding. The editors of this volume, the first critical edition of The Synodicon Vetus, believe that they have restored the text to near its original state and have succeeded in removing some of the mystery associated with an unusual document that continues to interest historians of heresies, church councils, and literature.