Life Of Constantine By Eusebius Commented

By Eusebius Of Caesarea

There probably was not in the whole church during the first decade of the fourth century, a more learned Christian than Eusebius of Caesarea. Phrases such as the one quoted at the beginning of this chapter, however, have led many historians to claim that Eusebius capitulated to imperial power. In the opinion of these historians, Eusebius was a man of weak character who, when surrounded by the pomp of the Empire, bowed before her, and stood to serve the emperor s interests rather than those of Jesus Christ. But before venturing to make this judgment it is convenient for us to pause to recount the life and work of this wise Christian, so as to better understand his reactions and attitudes.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Clube de Autores
• Release date: Apr 25, 2021

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LIFE

OF CONSTANTINE

BY

EUSEBIUS COMMENTED

International Cataloging Data in Publication (CIP)

      M543      Christ, Scribe of , 1969 –  Life of Constantine

by Eusebius

                    Itabaiana/SE      Amazon.com              Clubedesautores.com.br,    121  p.  ;  21 cm

ISBN: ISBN: 9781687075192

Biography 2. Emperor Constantine 3. Roman

Empire  4. Hagiography 5. Eusebius of Caesarea

                                                                                    CDD 920

      CDU 92

CENTRO DE EVANGELISMO UNIVERSAL

-CGC 66.504.093/0001-08

INTRODUCTION

There probably was not in the whole church during the first decade of the fourth century, a more learned Christian than Eusebius of Caesarea. Phrases such as the one quoted at the beginning of this chapter, however, have led many historians to claim that Eusebius capitulated to imperial power. In the opinion of these historians, Eusebius was a man of weak character who, when surrounded by the pomp of the Empire, bowed before her, and stood to serve the emperor's interests rather than those of Jesus Christ. But before venturing to make this judgment it is convenient for us to pause to recount the life and work of this wise Christian, so as to better understand his reactions and attitudes.

Eusebius was born around the year 260, probably in Palestine, where he spent most of his early years. He is known as Eusebius of Caesarea because he was bishop of this city and because he was educated in it, but the exact place of his birth is unknown to us.

We also do not have reliable information about your family. It is not even possible to say whether his parents were Christian or not - and the scholars who have tried to research on this subject have found arguments in both directions.

In any case, it was Pamphilius who had the profound impact on the life of the young Eusebius. He was from the city of Berito - now Beirut, in Lebanon - but he had studied at Alexandria, having as his teacher the celebrated Pierius, one of the followers; of the work of Origen.

Some time later, having occupied some important positions in Berito, Panfílio transferred to Caesarea, to where it seems to have been called by the bishop of this city. At Caesarea, Origen had left his library, which was in the hands of the church, and Panfilius devoted himself to studying it, organizing it and completing it. Several people helped him in this task, inspired by the fervent faith and intellectual curiosity of his leader. When Eusebius met Panfilius, he felt captivated by this faith and this curiosity. And his devotion reached such a point that he came to be called years later Eusebius of Panfilius, thus implying that he owed his master much of what he was.

For several years Panfilius, Eusebius and others; they worked as a team, probably living under one roof and splitting all their spending and income. Later on, the pleasure of Panfilius in the books was surpassed by that of his disciple, who apparently made several journeys in search of documents from the origins of Christianity. During this period Eusébio and Panfílio wrote several works, but of these the only important one that has been conserved is the Chronicle of Eusebio - and also in later versions, apparently badly transmitted.

That quiet time could not last long. The persecutions were not yet over, and the threat that had always clouded the Christian horizon became the hurricane of the great persecution. In June 303, persecution reached Caesarea, and the first martyr offered his life. From then on, the storm subsided, until in 305, Maximino Daza assumed the imperial dignity. As we said in the previous volume, Maximino Daza was one of the most tenacious enemies of Christianity. Towards the end of 307, Panfílio was imprisoned. After this the storm subsided a little, and the celebrated Christian master remained in jail, without being executed, for more than two years. During this period Panfilius and Eusebius together wrote five books of an Apology of Origen, to which Eusebius added a sixth book after the martyrdom of his master.

It is impossible to know how Eusebius escaped persecution. Apparently he has left Caesarea at least twice, and it is possible that the reason for his absence was - at least in part - fleeing from the authorities. At this time this was not considered unworthy, for the Christian had a duty to avoid martyrdom, until it was sufficiently proved that God had chosen him for this glorious crown. However Eusebius did not suffer personally during the persecution, despite suffering the loss of his admired master and many of his closest companions.

In the midst of the persecution, Eusebius continued his literary activity. Precisely during this period he revised and expanded his most important work, Ecclesiastical History.

If Eusebius had done nothing else in his life than write ecclesiastical history, that would have been sufficient for him to be numbered among the giants of the church in the fourth century. Indeed, in his work a good