/ 
Eusebius on Constantine and Nicaea: Intentions And omissions
Abstract
This article is dedicated to illuminating problems associated with one of the main sources of the history of the early church up to the time of the First Ecumenical Council — The Church History and the Life of the Emperor Constantine — both written by Eusebius of Pamphilus. The author points to the fact that these works have little to say about the theological disputes which were part and parcel of the First Ecumenical Council. Eusebius, instead, fills his account with details of the disputes concerning the date of the celebration of Easter. The arian controversies which dominate the pages of the works of other early Church Fathers are passed over in silence by Eusebius. Researchers have concluded that this was precisely the intention of Eusebius since he himself belonged to the party which sympathized with the heretic Arius. The author of this article attempts to refute this argument and offers another explanation. The author points out that Eusebius always devotes special attention to events and functions organized by Constantine. These events and activities are described by Eusebius in a way which deliberately excludes theological controversies. The author concludes that Eusebius, like Constantine himself, 28 М. Рицци. Евсевий о Константине и Никейском соборе: намерения и умолчания deliberately avoids mentioning the theological disputes since both considered them of relatively little importance and that their solution should be reserved to the narrow circle of intellectuals among the early churchmen. Eusebius thought that the conservation of ecclesiastical peace and unity was of primary importance for all his fellow bishops.
Keywords
Eusebius of Caesarea, Constantine the Great, First Ecumenical council, Local council, Arius, Athanasius the Alexandria, arianism, triadology, date of Easter celebration, Church of Alexandria, bishop in the Church
References
1. Alikin V. A. The Earliest History of the Christian Gathering. Origin, Development and Content of the Christian Gathering in the First to Third Centuries. Leiden, 2010.
2. Allace Hadrill D. S. Eusebius of Caesarea. London, 1960.
3. Barnes T. D. Athanasius and Constantius: Theology and Politics in the Constantinian Empire. Cambridge, 1993.
4. Cristofoli R. Costantino e l’Oratio ad sanctorum coetum. Napoli, 2005.
5. Dainese D. 2012. Bonamente G., Lenski N., Lizzi R., (eds.). Costantino prima e dopo Costantino. Constantine before and after Constantine. Bari, 2012, pp. 405–417.
6. De Navascues P. Pablo de Samosata y sus adversarios. Estudio historico-teologico del cristanismo antioqueno en el siglo III. Rome, 2004.
7. Di Berardino A. 1992. Bonamente G., Fusco F. (eds.). Costantino il Grande, dall’antichita all’umanesimo. Macerata, 1992. P. 362–384.
8. Drake H. A. Constantine and the bishops. The politics of intolerance. Baltimore, 2000.
9. Fischer J. A., Lumpe A. Die Synoden von den Anfangen bis zum Vorabend des Nicaenums. Paderborn, 1997.
10. Girardet K. M. 1974. Appellatio. Ein Kapitel kirchlicher Rechtsgeschichte in den Kanones desvierten Jahrhunderts. Historia, vol. 23. pp. 98–127.
11. Kaser M. Das romische Zivilprozessrecht. Munchen, 1966.
12. Lyman J. R. Christology and cosmology. Models of divine activity in Origen, Eusebius and Athanasius. Oxford, 1993.
13. Martin A. Athanase d’Alexandrie et l’Eglise d’Egypte au IVe siecle (328–373). Rome, 1996.
14. Millar F. 1971. Paul of Samosata, Zenobia and Aurelian: The Church, Local Culture and Political Allegiance in Thirdcentury Syria. Journal of Roman Studies, vol. 61, pp. 1–17.
15. Mommsen T. De collegiis et sodaliciis Romanorum, accredit inscriptio lanuvina. Kiel, 1842.
16. Perrone L. 1992. L’enigma di Paolo di Samosata. Dogma, chiesa e societa nella Siria del III secolo: prospettive di un vent’ennio di studi. Cristianesimo nella Storia, vol. 33, pp. 253–327.
17. Perry J. S. The Roman collegia: the modern evolution of an ancient concept. Leiden, 2006.
18. Pietras H. 2001. Le ragioni della convocazione del Concilio Niceno da parte di Costantino il Grande. Gregorianum, vol. 82, pp. 5–35.
19. Pietras H. 2008. Lettera di Costantino alla Chiesa di Alessandria e Lettera del sinodo di Nicea agli Egiziani (325): i falsi sconosciuti da Atanasio? Gregorianum, vol. 89, pp. 727–739.
20. Robertson J. Christ as mediator. A study of the theologies of Eusebius of Caesarea, Marcellus of Ancyra and Athanasius of Alexandria. Oxford, 2007.
21. Strutwolf H. Die Trinitatstheologie und Christologie des Euseb von Caesarea. Eine dogmengeschichtliche Untersuchung seiner Platonismusrezeption und Wirkungsgeschichte. Gottingen, 1999.
22. Waltzing J. P. Etude historique sur les corporations professionnelles chez les Romains, depuis les origines jusqu’a la chute de l’Empire d’Occident. Louvain, 1895–1900.
23. Weckwerth A. Ablauf, Organisation und Selbstverstandnis westlicher antiker Synoden im Spiegel ihrer Akten. Munster, 2010.