Eusebius Book 8, Section 13

Passages / Book 8 / Section 13

8.13.1

XIII. Τῶν δὲ κατὰ τὰς ἐπισήμους πόλεις μαρτυρησάντων ἐκκλησιασταικῶν ἀρχόντων πρῶτος ἡμῖν ἐν εὐσεβῶν στήλαις τῆς χριστοῦ βασιλείας ἀνηγορεύσθω μάρτυς ἐπίσκοπος τῆς Νικομηδέων πόλεως, τὴν κεφαλὴν ἀποτμηθείς, Ἄνθιμος, δ’ ἐπ’ Ἀντιοχείας μαρτύρων τὸν πάντα βίον ἄριστος πρεσβύτερος δέουσι τὸν ἀριθμὸν πεσσαράκοντα τὴν κεφαλὴν ἀποτέμνεται, Αἰγύπτιοί τε αὐτόθι Πήλευς καὶ Νεῖλος ἐπίσκοποι μεθ’ ἑτέρων τὴν διὰ πυρὸς ὑπέμειναν τελευτήν. καὶ τὸ μέγα δὲ κλέος τῆς Καισαρέων παροικίας ἐν τούτοις ἡμῖν μνημονευέσθω Πάμφιλος πρεσβύτερος, τῶν καθ’ ἡμᾶς θαυμασιώτατος, οὗ τῶν ἀνδραγαθημάτων τὴν ἀρετὴν κατὰ τὸν δέοντα καιρὸν ἀναγράφομεν. τῶν δ’ ἐπ’ Ἀλεξανδρείας καθ’ ὅλης τε Αἰγύπτου καὶ Θηβαΐδος διαπρεπῶς τελειωθέντων πρῶτος Πέτρος, αὐτῆς Ἀλεξανδρείας ἐπίσκοπος, θεῖόν τι χρῆμα διδασκάλων τῆς ἐν Χριστῷ θεοσεβείας, ἀναγεγράφθω, καὶ τῶν σὺν αὐτῷ πρεσβυτέρων Φαῦστος καὶ Δῖος καὶ Ἀμμώνιος, τέλειοι Χριστοῦ μάρτυρες, Φιλέας τε καὶ Ἡσύχιος καὶ Παχύμιος καὶ Θεόδωρος, τῶν ἀμφὶ τὴν Αἴγυπτον ἐκκλησιῶν ἐπίσκοποι, μυρίοι τε ἐπὶ τούτοις ἄλλοι διαφανεῖς, οἳ πρὸς τῶν κατὰ χώραν καὶ τόπον παροικιῶν μνημονεύονται· ὧν ἀνὰ τὴν πᾶσαν οἰκουμένην ὑπὲρ τῆς εἰς τὸ θεῖον εὐσεβείας ἠγωνισμένων γραφῆ παραδιδόναι τοὺς ἄθλους ἐπ’ ἀκριβές τε ἕκαστα τῶν περὶ αὐτοὺς συμβεβηκότων ἱστορεῖν οὐχ ἡμέτερον, τῶν δ’ ὄφει τὰ πράγματα παρειληφότων ἴδιον ἂν γένοιτο· οἷς γε μὴν αὐτὸς παρεγενόμην, τούτους καὶ τοῖς μεθ’ ἡμᾶς γνωρίμους δι’ ἑτέρας ποιήσομαι γραφῆς. κατά γε μὴν τὸν παρόντα λόγον τὴν παλινῳδίαν τῶν περὶ ἡμᾶς εἰργασμένων τοῖς εἰρημένοις ἐπισυνάψω τά τε ἐξ ἀρχῆς τοῦ διωγμοῦ συμβεβηκότα, χρησιμώτατα τυγχάνοντα τοῖς ἐντευξομένοις.

AI English cleanup, gpt-5.4-mini, 2026-05-28

XIII. Of those rulers of the churches who were martyred in well-known cities, the first name that we must record on the monuments to holy men, as a martyr of the kingdom of Christ, is that of Anthimus, bishop of the city of the Nicomedians, who was beheaded. Of the martyrs at Antioch the best in his entire life was Lucian, a presbyter of that community; the same who in Nicomedia, where the emperor was, proclaimed the heavenly kingdom of Christ, first by word of mouth in an Apology, and afterwards also by deeds. Of the martyrs in Phoenicia the most famous would be the pastors of the spiritual flocks of Christ, beloved of God in all things, Tyrannion, bishop of the church at Tyre, and Zenobius, presbyter of the church at Sidon, and, moreover, Silvanus, bishop of the churches about Emesa. The last-named became food for wild beasts, along with others, at Emesa itself, and so was received up into the choirs of martyrs; the other two glorified the word of God at Antioch by their endurance unto death; one of them, the bishop, being committed to the depths of the sea, while that best of physicians, Zenobius, died bravely under the tortures that were applied to his sides. Of the martyrs in Palestine, Silvanus, bishop of the churches about Gaza, was beheaded at the copper mines at Phaeno, with others, in number forty save one; and Egyptians there, Peleus and Nilus, bishops, together with others, endured death by fire. And among these we must mention the great glory of the community of Caesarea, Pamphilus, a presbyter, the most marvellous man of our day; the merit of whose brave and good deeds we shall record at the proper time. Of those at Alexandria and throughout all Egypt and the Thebais who were perfected gloriously, the first that must be recorded is Peter, bishop of Alexandria itself, a divine example of the teachers of godliness in Christ; and of the presbyters with him Faustus, Dius and Ammonius, perfect martyrs of Christ; and Phileas, Hesychius, Pachymius and Theodore, bishops of the churches in Egypt; and countless other famous persons as well, who are commemorated by the communities in their own district and locality. It is not our part to commit to writing the conflicts of those who fought throughout the world on behalf of piety toward the Deity, and to record in detail each of their happenings; but that would be the especial task of those who witnessed the events. Yet I shall make known to posterity in another work those with whom I was personally conversant. In this present book, however, I shall subjoin to what has been said the recantation of the things that were wrought us, and all that befell since the beginning of the persecution, most profitable as they are to my readers.

8.13.2

Τὰ μὲν οὖν πρὸ τοῦ καθ’ ἡμῶν πολέμου τῆς Ῥωμαίων ἡγεμονίας, ἐν δάοις δὴ χρόνοις τὰ τῶν ἀρχόντων φίλιά τε ἦν ἡμῖν καὶ εἰρηναῖα, ὁπόσης ἀγαθῶν εὐφορίας καὶ εὐετηρίας ἠξίωτο, τίς ἄν ἐξαρκέσειεν λόγος διηγήσασθαι; ὅτε καὶ οἱ μάλιστα τῆς καθόλου κρατοῦντες ἀρχῆς δεκαετηρίδας καὶ εἰκοσαετηρίδας ἐκπλήσαντες, ἐν ἑορταῖς καὶ πανηγύρεσιν φαιδροτάταις τε θαλίαις καὶ εὐφροσύναις μετὰ πάσης εὐσταθοῦς διετέλουν εἰρήνης.

AI English cleanup, gpt-5.4-mini, 2026-05-28

Now as concerns the state of the Roman government before the war against us, during all those times when the rulers were friendly and peaceably disposed toward us, no words could sufficiently describe how bountiful and plenteous was its harvest of good things; when also those who held the chiefest places in a world-empire completed the decennalia and vicennalia of their principate, and passed their days in festivals and public games, in the most joyous feasts and gaieties, possessing complete, well-established peace.

8.13.3

Οὕτω δ’ αὐτοῖς ἀπαραποδίστως αὐξούσης καὶ ἐπὶ μέγα ὁσημέραι προϊούσης τῆς ἀθρόως τῆς πρὸς ἡμᾶς εἰρήνης μεταθέμενοι, πόλεμον ἄσπονδον ἐγείρουσιν· οὔπω δ’ αὐτοῖς τῆς τοιᾶσδε κινήσεως δεύτερον ἔτος πεπλήρωτο, καί τι περὶ τὴν ὅλην ἀρχὴν νεώτερον γεγονὸς τὰ πάντα πράγματα ἀνατρέπει. νόσου γὰρ οὐκ αἰσίας τῷ πρωτοστάτῃ τῶν εἰρημένων ἐπισκηψάσης, ὑφ’ ἧς ἤδη καὶ τὰ τῆς διανοίας εἰς ἕκστασιν αὐτῷ παρήγετο, σὺν τῷ μετ’ αὐτὸν δευτερείοις τετιμημένῳ μένω τὸν δημώδη καὶ ἰδιωτικὸν ἀπολαμβάνει βίον· οὔπω δὲ ταῦθ’ οὕτω πέπρακτο, καὶ διχῇ τὰ πάντα τῆς ἀρχῆς διαιρεῖται, πρᾶγμα μηδ’ ἄλλοτέ πω πάλαι γεγονὸς μνήμῃ παραδεδομένον.

AI English cleanup, gpt-5.4-mini, 2026-05-28

But as their authority thus increased without let or hindrance and day by day waxed greater, all at once they departed from their peaceful attitude towards us and stirred up a relentless war. And the second year of this kind of movement on their part had not fully expired, when a sort of revolution affecting the entire principate took place and threw the whole of public life into confusion. For a disease fell upon him who stood first among those of whom we spoke, which caused his mind to be deranged; and, along with him who had been honoured with the second place after him, he resumed the ordinary life of a private citizen. And this had not yet taken place, when the whole principate was rent in twain, a thing that had never even been recorded as having happened at any time in days gone by.

8.13.4

χρόνου δ’ οὐ πλείστου μεταξὺ γενομένου βασιλεὺς Κωνστάντιος τὸν πάντα βίον πραότατα καὶ τοῖς ὑπηκόοις εὐνοικώτατα τῷ τε θείῳ λόγῳ προσφιλέστατα διαθέμενος, παῖδα γνήσιον Κωνσταντῖνον αὐτοκράτορα καὶ Σεβαστὸν ἀνθ’ ἑαυτοῦ καταλιπών, κοινῷ φύσεως νόμῳ τελευτᾷ τὸν βίον, πρῶτός τε ἐν θεοῖς ἀνηγορεύετο παρ’ αὐτοῖς, ἁπάσης μετὰ θάνατον, ὅση βασιλεῖ τις ἂν ὠφείλετο, τιμῆς ἠξιωμένος, χρηστότατος καὶ ἠπιώτατος βασιλέων· ὃς δὴ καὶ μόνος τῶν καθ’ ἡμᾶς ἐπαξίως τῆς ἡγεμονίας τὸν πάντα τῆς ἀρχῆς διατελέσας χρόνον καὶ τἄλλα τοῖς πᾶσι δεξιώτατον καὶ εὐεργετικώτατον παρασχὼν ἑαυτόν τοῦ τε καθ’ ἡμῶν πολέμου μηδαμῶς ἐπικοινωνήσας, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοὺς ὑπ’ αὐτὸν θεοσεβεῖς ἀβλαβεῖς καὶ ἀνεπηρεάστους Φυλάξας καὶ μήτε τῶν ἐκκλησιῶν τοὺς οἴκους καθελὼν μήθ’ ἕτερόν τι καθ’ ἡμῶν καινουργήσας, τέλος εὔδαιμον καὶ τρισμακάριον ἀπείληφεν τοῦ βίου, μόνος ἐπὶ τῆς αὐτοῦ βασιλείας εὐμενῶς καὶ ἐπιδόξως ἐπὶ διαδόχῳ γνησίῳ παιδὶ πάντα σωφρονεστάτῳ τε καὶ εὐσεβεστάτῳ τε· λευτήσας.

AI English cleanup, gpt-5.4-mini, 2026-05-28

But after no very great interval of time the Emperor Constantius, who all his life long was most mildly and favourably disposed toward his subjects, and most friendly towards the divine word, died according to the common law of nature, leaving his lawful son Constantine Emperor and Augustus in his stead; and was the first to be proclaimed among the gods by them, being deemed worthy of every honour after death that might be due to an emperor, kindest and mildest of emperors that he was. He indeed was the only one of our contemporaries who passed the whole period of his principate in a manner worthy of his high office; and in other respects displayed himself in a most favourable and beneficent light toward all; and he took no part in the war against us, but even preserved the God-fearing persons among his subjects from injury and harsh treatment; neither did he pull down the church-buildings nor employ any other new device against us. So he has had as his reward a happy and thrice-blessed issue of his life; for he alone enjoyed a favourable and glorious end while he was still emperor, with a lawful son, in all respects most prudent and godly, to succeed him.

8.13.5

τούτου παῖς Κωνσταντῖνος εὐθὺς ἀρχόμενος βασιλεὺς τελεώτατος καὶ Σεβαστὸς πρὸς τῶν στρατοπέδων καὶ ἔτι πολὺ τούτων πρότερον πρὸς αὐτοῦ τοῦ παμβασιλέως θεοῦ ἀναγορευθείς, ζηλωτὴν ἑαυτὸν τῆς πατρικῆς περὶ τὸν ἡμέτερον λόγον εὐσεβείας κατεστήσατο.

AI English cleanup, gpt-5.4-mini, 2026-05-28

His son Constantine from the very first was proclaimed by the armies most perfect Emperor and Augustus, and, long before them, by God Himself, the supreme King; and he set himself to be an emulator of his father’s piety toward our doctrine.

8.13.6

καὶ οὗτος μὲν τοιοῦτος· Λικίννιος δ’ ἐπὶ τούτοις ὑπὸ κοινῆς ψήφου τῶν κρατούντων αὐτοκράτωρ καὶ Σεβαστὸς ἀναπέφηνεν. ταῦτα Μαξιμῖνον δεινῶς ἐλύπει, μόνον Καίσαρα παρὰ πάντας εἰς ἔτι τότε χρηματίζοντα· ὃς δὴ οὖν τὰ μάλιστα τυραννικὸς ὤν παραρπάσας ἑαυτῷ τὴν ἀξίαν, Σεβαστὸς ἦν, αὐτὸς ὑφ’ ἑαυτοῦ γεγονώς. ἐν τούτῳ δὲ Κωνσταντίνῳ μηχανὴν θανάτου συρράπτων ἁλοὺς ὁ μετὰ τὴν ἀπόθεσιν ἐπανῃρῆσθαι δεδηλωμένος αἰσχίστῳ καταστρέφει θανάτῳ· πρώτου δὲ τούτου τὰς ἐπὶ τιμῇ γραφὰς ἀνδριάντας τε καὶ δάα τοιαῦτα ἐπ’ ἀναθέσει νενόμισται, ὡς ἀνοσίου καὶ δυσσεβεστάτου καθῄρουν.

AI English cleanup, gpt-5.4-mini, 2026-05-28

Such was he. And afterwards Licinius was declared Emperor and Augustus by a common vote of the rulers. These things caused great vexation to Maximin, since up to that time he was still entitled only Caesar by all. Therefore, being above all things a tyrant, he fraudulently seized the honour for himself, and became Augustus, appointed such by himself. At this time he who had resumed office again after his abdication, as we have shown, was discovered devising a plot to secure the death of Constantine, and died a most shameful death. He was the first [emperor] whose honorific inscriptions and statues and all such things as it has been customary to set up publicly they threw down, as belonging to an infamous and utterly godless person.