Eusebius: Difference between revisions

| birth_place= [[Caesarea Maritima]], [[Syria Palaestina]], [[Roman Empire]]

| death_place= Caesarea Maritima, Syria Palaestina, Roman Empire

| nationality=

| feast_day = {{ubl|May 30 (ancient Syrian Church)<ref>Shown in the [[Martyrology of 411]] translated by [[William Wright (orientalist)|William Wright]] in 1866 where it states under May 30, "The Commemoration ofbof Eusebius, bishop of Palestine" (p. 427) which Wright confirms in the preface is "Eusebius of Caesareia" (p. 45). https://archive.org/details/WrightAnAncientSyrianMartyrology/page/n1/mode/2up</ref> February 29 (Syrian Orthodox)<ref>"His memory is celebrated on 29 February." from Cor-Episcopo K. Mani Rajan's 'Martyrs, Saints, and Prelates of the Syriac Orthodox Church Volume 2' published in 2012 on his website: http://rajanachen.com/download-english-books/</ref> |June 21 (Roman Catholic; Suppressed by [[Pope Gregory XIII]])<ref>Bishop J.B. Lightfoot writes in his entry for St. Eusebius in Henry Wace's ''Dictionary of Christian Biography and Literature to the End of the Sixth Century AD, with an Account of Principal Sects and Heresies'' (1911) that while "in the Martyrologium Romanum itself he held his place for centuries," in "the revision of this Martyrology under Gregory XIII his name was struck out, and Eusebius of Samosata was substituted, under the mistaken idea that Caesarea had been substituted for Samosata by a mistake." (p. 536)</ref><ref>Multiple references for this day as the feast of St. Eusebius in multiple Roman Catholic martyrologies and lectionaries, as recorded by Henri Valois, or Valesius in his ''Testimonies of the Ancients in Favor of Eusebius'' and translated by Philip Schaff https://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/npnf201.iii.iv.html</ref>}}

'''Eusebius of Caesarea''' ({{IPAc-en|j|uː|ˈ|s|iː|b|i|ə|s}}; {{lang-grc-gre|Εὐσέβιος τῆς Καισαρείας}} {{transliteration|grc|Eusebios tēs Kaisareias}}; {{c.}} 260/265&nbsp;– 30 May 339), also known as '''Eusebius Pamphilus'''<ref>{{citation |author=Eusebius |authorlink=Eusebius of Caesaria |url=https://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/npnf201.toc.html |title=Church History, Life of Constantine the Great, and Oration in Praise of Constantine |series=''A Select Library of the Christian Church: Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers'', 2nd ser., vol. I |translator-last=Schaff |translator-first=Philip |editor=Henry Wace |display-editors=0 |publisher=T. & T. Clark |location=Edinburgh |date=1876}}.</ref> (from the {{lang-grc-gre|Εὐσέβιος τοῦ Παμφίλου}}), was a [[Greeks|Greek]]<ref>{{Cite book|last=Jacobsen|first=Anders-Christian|url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/180106520|title=Three Greek apologists Origen, Eusebius, and Athanasius = Drei griechische Apologeten|date=2007|others=Ulrich, Jörg|isbn=978-3-631-56833-0|location=Frankfurt, M|pages=1|oclc=180106520}}</ref> or [[PalestiniansSyria Palaestina|Syro-Palestinian]]<ref>{{cite book | last1=Richardson | first1=E.C. | last2=Wace | first2=H. | last3=McGiffert | first3=A.C. | last4=Schaff | first4=P. | title=Eusebius - Church History, Life of Constantine the Great, and Oration in Praise of Constantine | publisher=Parker | series=Select library of Nicene and post-Nicene fathers of the Christian Church | year=1890 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8-mBbkoNmv8C |page=4|quote=His birthplace cannot be determined with certainty. The fact that he is called "Eusebius the Palestinian " by [[Marcellus of Ancyra|Marcellus]] (''Euseb. lib. adv. Marcell.'' I. 4), [[Basil of Caesarea|Basil]] (''Lib. ad. Amphil. de Spir. Sancto'', c. 29), and others, does not prove that he was a Palestinian by birth; for the epithet may be used to indicate merely his place of residence (he was bishop of Cæsarea in Palestine for many years). Moreover, the argument urged by [[Franz Joseph von Stein|Stein]] and [[J. B. Lightfoot|Lightfoot]] in support of his Palestinian birth, namely, that it was customary to elect to the episcopate of any church a native of the city in preference to a native of some other place, does not count for much. All that seems to have been demanded was that a man should have been already a member of the particular church over which he was to be made bishop, and even this rule was not universal (see [[Joseph Bingham|Bingham]]'s Antiquities, II. 10, 2 and 3). The fact that he was bishop of Cæsarea therefore would at most warrant us in concluding only that he had made his residence in Cæsarea for some time previous to his election to that office. Nevertheless, although neither of these arguments proves his Palestinian birth, it is very probable that he was a native of that country, or at least of that section. He was acquainted with Syriac as well as with Greek, which circumstance taken in connection with his ignorance of Latin (see below, p. 47) points to the region of Syria as his birthplace. Moreover, we learn from his own testimony that he was in Cæsarea while still a youth (''[[Life of Constantine|Vita Constantini]]'', I. 19), and in his epistle to the church of Cæsarea (see below, p. 16) he says that he was taught the creed of the Cæsarean church in his childhood (or at least at the beginning of his Christian life: έν τή κατηχήσει), and that he accepted it at baptism. It would seem therefore that he must have lived while still a child either in Cæsarea itself, or in the neighborhood, where its creed was in use. Although no one therefore (except [[Theodore Metochites|Theodorus Metochita]] of the fourteenth century, in his ''Cap. Miscell.'' 17; [[Jacques Paul Migne|Migne]], ''[[Patrologia Latina|Patr. Lat.]]'' CXLIV. 949) directly states that Eusebius was a Palestinian by birth, we have every reason to suppose him such.}}</ref> [[historian of Christianity]], [[exegete]], and [[Christianity|Christian]] [[polemicist]]. In about AD 314 he became the [[bishop]] of [[Caesarea Maritima]] in the [[Roman province]] of [[Syria Palaestina]].

Together with [[Pamphilus of Caesarea|Pamphilus]], heEusebius was a scholar of the [[biblical canon]] and is regarded as one of the most learned Christians during [[late antiquity]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=cQW0ACdLn6kC|title=The Story of Christianity: Volume 1: The Early Church to the Dawn of the Reformation|last=Gonzalez|first=Justo L.|date=2010-08-10|publisher=Zondervan|isbn=978-0-06-185588-7|pages=149–150|language=en}}</ref> He wrote the ''Demonstrations of the Gospel'', ''[[Preparation for the gospel|Preparations for the Gospel]]'' and ''On Discrepancies between the Gospels'', studies of the biblical text. His work ''[[Onomasticon (Eusebius)|Onomasticon]]'' is an early [[Historical geography|geographical lexicon]] of places in the [[Holy Land]] mentioned in the Bible. As "Father of [[Church history|Church History]]"{{NoteTag|Eusebius is considered the first historian of Christianity.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.vatican.va/content/benedict-xvi/en/audiences/2007/documents/hf_ben-xvi_aud_20070613.html |title=General Audience of 13 June 2007: Eusebius of Caesarea {{!}} BENEDICT XVI |access-date=2021-06-01 |website=www.vatican.va}}</ref>}} (not to be confused with the title of [[Church Fathers|Church Father]]), he produced the ''[[Church History (Eusebius)|Ecclesiastical History]]'', ''On the Life of Pamphilus'', the ''Chronicle'' and ''On the Martyrs''. He also produced [[Life of Constantine|a biographical work]] on [[Constantine the Great]], the first Christian [[Roman emperor]], who was [[Augustus (title)|''augustusAugustus'']] between AD 306 and AD 337.

However, [[Athanasius of Alexandria]] became a more powerful opponent and in 334 he was summoned before a synod in Caesarea (which he refused to attend). In the following year, he was again summoned before a [[First Synod of Tyre|synod in Tyre]] at which Eusebius of Caesarea presided. Athanasius, foreseeing the result, went to [[Constantinople]] to bring his cause before the Emperor. Constantine called the bishops to his court, among them Eusebius. Athanasius was condemned and exiled at the end of 335. Eusebius remained in the Emperor's favour throughout this time and more than once was exonerated with the explicit approval of the Emperor Constantine.{{citation needed|date=January 2021}} After the Emperor's death (c. {{circa|337}}), Eusebius wrote the ''[[Life of Constantine]]'', an important historical work because of eyewitness accounts and the use of primary sources.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KchhO8KEy3cC&q=%22Life+of+Constantine%22|title=Eusebius' Life of Constantine|publisher=Clarendon Press|year=1999|isbn=978-0-19-158847-1|editor-last=Cameron|editor-first=Averil|editor-link=Averil Cameron|series=Clarendon Ancient History|location=Oxford|language=en|editor-last2=Hall|editor-first2=Stuart G.}}</ref>

* the martyrdoms in the congregations of [[Vienne (department)|Vienne]] and [[Lyon]];

Eusebius also wrote a work '{{lang|la|Quaestiones ad Stephanum et Marinum}}, ''On the Differences of the Gospels'' (including solutions). This was written for the purpose of harmonizing the contradictions in the reports of the different Evangelists. This work was recently (2011) translated into the English language by David J. Miller and Adam C. McCollum and was published under the name ''Eusebius of Caesarea: Gospel Problems and Solutions''.<ref>{{cite book|title=Eusebius of Caesarea: Gospel Problems and Solutions (Ancient Texts in Translation): Roger Pearse, David J Miller, Adam C McCollum: 9780956654014: Amazon.com: Books |date= 2010-03-06|isbn = 978-0956654014|last1 = Caesaea|first1 = Eusebius of|last2= Miller|first2= David J. D.|last3= McCollum|first3= Adam C.|last4= Downer|first4= Carol|last5= Zamagni|first5= Claudio|publisher= Chieftain}}</ref> The original work was also translated into [[Syriac language|Syriac]], and lengthy quotations exist in a ''[[Catena (biblical commentary)|catena]]'' in that language, and also in [[Arabic]] catenas.<ref>Georg Graf, ''Geschichte der christlichen arabischen Literatur'' vol. 1</ref>

From a [[dogma]]tic point of view, Eusebius standsis entirelyrelated uponin thehis shouldersviews ofto [[Origen]]. Like Origen, he started from the fundamental thought of the absolute sovereignty (''monarchia'') of God. God is the cause of all beings. But he is not merely a cause; in him everything good is included, from him all life originates, and he is the source of all virtue. God sent Christ into the world that it may partake of the blessings included in the essence of God. Eusebius expressly distinguishes the Son as distinct from Father as a ray is also distinct from its source the sun.{{Citation needed|date=January 2014}}

** ''Historia Ecclesiastica'' (''Church History'') first seven books {{circa|300}}, eighth and ninth book c. {{circa|313}}, tenth book c. {{circa|315}}, epilogue {{circa|325}}.

* [http://www.earlychurch.org.uk/eusebius.php Extensive bibliography] at ''EarlyChurch.org'']

{{s-ttl|title=[[Bishop of Caesarea]]|years={{c.}} 313 – 339313–339}}

[[Category:3rd-century Greek peoplewriters]]

[[Category:LateWriters Antiqueof writerslate antiquity]]

[[Category:People offrom Roman Syria]]