Historiae Ecclesiasticae Tripartitae Epitome, the abridged history (in twelve books) of the early Christian Church known as the Tripartite History, was the manual of Church history that was a standard in Medieval Europe. It was compiled, under the direction of Cassiodorus, about 510 CE, by his assistant, known as Epiphanius Scholasticus, who probably used the library assembled by Cassiodorus at Monasterium Vivariense, the monastery of Vivarium on his family estates at the foot of Mount Moscius on the shores of the Ionian Sea. "He apparently bore the name Scholasticus, not so much because of any devotion to literature or theology, but in the sense that word frequently had in the middle ages, meaning a chaplain, amanuensis, or general assistant of any dignitary of the church" wrote W.M. in Wace (see link), citing du Cange's, Glossarium. Epiphanius was assigned the translation into Latin of the Greek church histories of Socrates Scholasticus, Sozomen and Theodoret, written in the previous century. Cassiodorus revised and corrected the work and arranged it into one continuous history of the church. His scriptorium then published it for the use of the clergy. The book attained a high reputation. Only Eusebius' History, in a Latin translation by Rufinus competed with it as the official version of church history in the the West, until original sources began to be rediscovered, edited and printed by humanist scholars in the 15th century.

This Epiphanius also translated the commentaries of Didymus on the Proverbs of Solomon and on the seven general Epistles, and commentaries of Epiphanius of Salamis upon Canticles. His Codex Encyclicus, compiled at the urging of Cassiodorus collects letters addressed by different synods to the emperor Leo in defence of the decrees of the Council of Chalcedon.

External link

• Henry Wace, editor, A Dictionary of Christian Biography and Literature Epiphanius Scholasticus