Sophia Scriptura

Tricennial Oration (In Praise of Constantine) 17.1–18.3

Eusebius of Caesarea · Tricennial Oration (In Praise of Constantine) · 335–336 · Constantinople · 18 passages

Greek text: Heikel, GCS 7 (Greek text: Ivar A. Heikel, Eusebius Werke 1 (GCS 7, 1902), digitized by the First Thousand Years of Greek project (Open Greek and Latin), CC BY-SA 4.0).English: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), public domain (CC0). Compare: Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 2, vol. 1 (1890).

Chapter 17

17.1Heikel

Ἕνθα δὴ καιρὸς ἐπιθεωρῆσαι τοῦ ἡμετέρου σωτῆρος τὰ καθʼ ἡμᾶς ἀποτελέσματα καὶ ζῶντος θεοῦ ζῶντα ἔργα συνιδεῖν· ἦ γὰρ οὐ ζῶντος καὶ θεοῦ ζωὴν ὡς ἀληθῶς ζῶντος ἔργα ζῶντα τυγχάνει τὰ τοιαδὶ κατορθώματα; τίνα δὴ ταῦτα, ἐρωτᾶς; μάνθανε.

Hentha dē kairos epitheōrēsai tou hēmeterou sōtēros ta kathʼ hēmas apotelesmata kai zōntos theou zōnta erga synidein; ē gar ou zōntos kai theou zōēn hōs alēthōs zōntos erga zōnta tynchanei ta toiadi katorthōmata? tina dē tauta, erōtas? manthane.

Here, then, it is time to look at the results of our Saviour's work in our own time and to see the living works of a living God. For are not such achievements truly living works of one who lives, and lives the life of God? What are these, you ask? Learn.

Notes and citation

Summary: Eusebius turns to the evidence of Christ's living power in their own day.

Cite (SBL): Eusebius, Laud. Const. 17.1 (Heikel; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-laus-constantini/17-1). (abbreviation not yet checked)

Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-laus-constantini/17-1

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Translation: Translated by Claude from Heikel's Greek (GCS 7, 1902; noisy digital text, OCR slips corrected and logged); compared afterwards with the public-domain English of NPNF² 1 (Richardson, 1890).

17.2Heikel

θεομάχοι τινὲς πρώην τῶν αὐτοῦ προσευκτηρίων τὰς οἰκοδομὰς σὺν πλείονι φιλονεικίᾳ καὶ σὺν μείζονι δυνάμει τε καὶ χειρὶ ἐκ βάθρων ἀνορύττοντες καθῄρουν ἀφανεῖς τε αὐτοῦ καθίστων τὰς ἐκκλησίας, πάσαις τε μηχαναῖς τὸν μὴ τοῖς ὀφθαλμοῖς ὁρώμενον ἐπολέμουν βάλλοντες καὶ ἀκοντίζοντες μυρίαις λόγων βολαῖς, ὁ δʼ ἀφανὴς ἀφανῶς ἠμύνατο.

theomachoi tines prōēn tōn autou proseuktēriōn tas oikodomas syn pleioni philoneikią kai syn meizoni dynamei te kai cheiri ek bathrōn anoryttontes kathę̄roun aphaneis te autou kathistōn tas ekklēsias, pasais te mēchanais ton mē tois ophthalmois horōmenon epolemoun ballontes kai akontizontes myriais logōn bolais, ho dʼ aphanēs aphanōs ēmynato.

Some God-fighters, lately, with great contentiousness and with greater power and force, dug up from their foundations and pulled down the buildings of his houses of prayer and made his churches disappear; and with every device they made war on the one not seen with the eyes, hurling and shooting at him countless volleys of words. But the invisible one invisibly defended himself.

Notes and citation

Summary: The persecutors destroyed the churches and attacked Christ with words, but he defended himself invisibly.

Notes on the original text

  • Digital text corrected (OCR slip; line-end hyphenation rejoined; stray stop and split word): οὺν πλείονι → σὺν πλείονι; τὰς ἐκ. κλησίας → τὰς ἐκκλησίας; ἐπο- λέμουν → ἐπολέμουν; ἀφα- νὴς → ἀφανὴς.

Topics: Persecution

Cite (SBL): Eusebius, Laud. Const. 17.2 (Heikel; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-laus-constantini/17-2). (abbreviation not yet checked)

Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-laus-constantini/17-2

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Translation: Translated by Claude from Heikel's Greek (GCS 7, 1902; noisy digital text, OCR slips corrected and logged); compared afterwards with the public-domain English of NPNF² 1 (Richardson, 1890).

17.3Heikel

εἶθʼ οἱ μὲν οὐκέτʼ ἦσαν ἑνὶ θεοῦ νεύματι πρὸ μικροῦ τρυφηλοὶ καὶ τρισευδαίμονες, οἱ ἰσόθεοι παρὰ τοῖς πᾶσιν ἀνυμνούμενοι, οἱ μακραῖς ἐτῶν περιόδοις διαπρεπῶς τὴν ἀρχὴν εὐθύναντες, ὅτε δὴ τὰ πρὸς τὸν ὕστερον πολεμηθέντα φίλα τε ἦν αὑτοῖς καὶ εἰρηναῖα· ὡς δὲ καταβαλλόμενοι θεομαχεῖν ἐτόλμων, τοὺς αὐτῶν θεοὺς προμάχους καὶ προασπιστὰς ἀντιπαρατάττοντες τῷ ἡμετέρῳ, αὐτίκα μιᾷ ῥοπῇ καὶ θεοῦ νεύματι καὶ δυνάμει τοῦ πολεμουμένου δίκας ὑπεῖχον οἱ ἅπαντες τῶν τετολμημένων, ὡς παραχωρεῖν τῷ πολεμουμένῳ καὶ νῶτα δόντες αὐτῷ τῇ θεότητι συνομολογεῖν συγχωρεῖν τε καὶ ἐπιτρέπειν τἀναντία τοῖς πρὶν τετολμημένοις.

eithʼ hoi men ouketʼ ēsan heni theou neumati pro mikrou tryphēloi kai triseudaimones, hoi isotheoi para tois pasin anymnoumenoi, hoi makrais etōn periodois diaprepōs tēn archēn euthynantes, hote dē ta pros ton hysteron polemēthenta phila te ēn hautois kai eirēnaia; hōs de kataballomenoi theomachein etolmōn, tous autōn theous promachous kai proaspistas antiparatattontes tǭ hēmeterǭ, autika mią rhopę̄ kai theou neumati kai dynamei tou polemoumenou dikas hypeichon hoi hapantes tōn tetolmēmenōn, hōs parachōrein tǭ polemoumenǭ kai nōta dontes autǭ tę̄ theotēti synomologein synchōrein te kai epitrepein tanantia tois prin tetolmēmenois.

Then, by a single nod of God, they no longer existed, those who a little before were luxurious and thrice-happy, hymned by all as equal to gods, who had governed their realm conspicuously for long periods of years, while things were friendly and peaceful between them and the one later warred against. But when they ventured to begin fighting against God, setting their own gods as champions and defenders against ours, at once, with one turn of the scale, by the nod of God and the power of the one warred against, they all paid the penalty of their daring, so that they yielded to the one they fought and, turning their backs, confessed his deity, and granted and permitted the opposite of what they had formerly dared.

Notes and citation

Summary: The persecuting emperors, once prosperous, were suddenly struck down when they fought against God and were forced to acknowledge Christ and reverse their edicts.

  • The reversal is Galerius's edict of toleration (311).

Notes on the original text

  • Digital text corrected (line-end hyphenation rejoined; stray stop): εὐθύ- ναντες → εὐθύναντες; τῷ ἡμετέρῳ. αὐτίκα → τῷ ἡμετέρῳ, αὐτίκα.

Extrabiblical texts: Eusebius, Hist. eccl. 8.17 (Church History; allusion)

Topics: Persecution

Cite (SBL): Eusebius, Laud. Const. 17.3 (Heikel; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-laus-constantini/17-3). (abbreviation not yet checked)

Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-laus-constantini/17-3

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Translation: Translated by Claude from Heikel's Greek (GCS 7, 1902; noisy digital text, OCR slips corrected and logged); compared afterwards with the public-domain English of NPNF² 1 (Richardson, 1890).

17.4Heikel

ὁ δὲ τρόπαια νικητήρια παραχρῆμα πανταχοῦ γῆς ἀνίστη, ναοῖς τε ἁγίοις καὶ προσευκτηρίων σεμνοῖς ἀφιερώμασι τὴν σύμπασαν οἰκουμένην αὖθις ἐξ ὑπαρχῆς κοσμήσας, κατὰ πόλεις τε καὶ κώμας χώρας τε πάσας καὶ τὰς τῶν βαρβάρων ἐρήμους ἱερὰ καὶ τεμένη ἑνὶ τῷ πάντων βασιλεῖ θεῷ, τῷ δὴ καὶ τῶν ὅλων δεσπότῃ, καθιερώσας, ἔνθεν καὶ τῆς τοῦ δεσπότου προσηγορίας ἠξίωται τὰ καθιερωμένα, οὐκ ἐξ ἀνθρώπων τυχόντα τῆς ἐπικλήσεως, ἐξ αὐτοῦ δὲ τοῦ τῶν ὅλων κυρίου, παρὸ καὶ κυριακῶν ἠξίωνται τῶν ἐπωνυμιῶν.

ho de tropaia nikētēria parachrēma pantachou gēs anistē, naois te hagiois kai proseuktēriōn semnois aphierōmasi tēn sympasan oikoumenēn authis ex hyparchēs kosmēsas, kata poleis te kai kōmas chōras te pasas kai tas tōn barbarōn erēmous hiera kai temenē heni tǭ pantōn basilei theǭ, tǭ dē kai tōn holōn despotę̄, kathierōsas, enthen kai tēs tou despotou prosēgorias ēxiōtai ta kathierōmena, ouk ex anthrōpōn tychonta tēs epiklēseōs, ex autou de tou tōn holōn kyriou, paro kai kyriakōn ēxiōntai tōn epōnymiōn.

And he at once set up victorious trophies everywhere on earth, again adorning the whole world anew with holy temples and venerable dedications of houses of prayer, consecrating in cities and villages and in all lands and in the deserts of the barbarians sacred buildings and precincts to the one God, the King of all, the Master of the universe; from which the consecrated buildings have been counted worthy of the Master's name, receiving their title not from men but from the Lord of all himself, and so they have been counted worthy of the name 'the Lord's'.

Notes and citation

Summary: Christ then filled the world with new churches, called 'the Lord's' houses after their Master.

  • 'The Lord's' (κυριακά) is the source of the word 'church' in Germanic languages. ἐΜεν is a slip for ἔνθεν ('from which').

Notes on the original text

  • Digital text corrected (OCR garbled word; OCR slip in breathing; OCR slip in breathing; hyphenation rejoined): ναοῖς τε ἀγίοις → ναοῖς τε ἁγίοις; ἐνὶ τῷ πάν- των → ἑνὶ τῷ πάντων; ἐΜεν καὶ → ἔνθεν καὶ.

Topics: Church buildings

Cite (SBL): Eusebius, Laud. Const. 17.4 (Heikel; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-laus-constantini/17-4). (abbreviation not yet checked)

Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-laus-constantini/17-4

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Translation: Translated by Claude from Heikel's Greek (GCS 7, 1902; noisy digital text, OCR slips corrected and logged); compared afterwards with the public-domain English of NPNF² 1 (Richardson, 1890).

17.5Heikel

παρελθὼν οὖν εἰς μέσον ὁ βουλόμενος διδασκέτω, τίς τὴν τοσαύτην καθαίρεσίν τε καὶ ἐρημίαν ἱδρύματα ἐξ ἐδάφους εἰς ὕψος ἀνήγειρεν, τίς τὰ πόσης ἐλπίδος ἀφῃρημένα δευτέρας ἠξίωσεν πολὺ κρείττονος τῆς ἔμπροσθεν ἀνανεώσεως, καὶ ἀνενεώσατο, αὐτὸ δὴ τὸ τοῦ λόγου μέγιστον θαῦμα, οὐ μετὰ τὴν τῶν θεομάχων ἐκείνων τελευτήν, ἀλλʼ ἔτι τῷ βίῳ περιόντων αὐτῶν δὴ τῶν καθῃρηκότων, ὡς διʼ αὐτῶν στόματος καὶ διʼ αὐτῶν γραφῆς τὴν παλινῳδίαν τῶν τετολμημένων αὐτοῖς ᾀσθῆναι, καὶ τοῦτο πρᾶξαι αὐτοὺς οὐκ ἐν θυμηδίαις ὄντας φιλανθρωπίας λογισμῷ τάχα ἄν τις νομίσειεν), θεηλάτοις δὲ μάστιξιν ἐλαυνομένους.

parelthōn oun eis meson ho boulomenos didasketō, tis tēn tosautēn kathairesin te kai erēmian hidrymata ex edaphous eis hypsos anēgeiren, tis ta posēs elpidos aphę̄rēmena deuteras ēxiōsen poly kreittonos tēs emprosthen ananeōseōs, kai aneneōsato, auto dē to tou logou megiston thauma, ou meta tēn tōn theomachōn ekeinōn teleutēn, allʼ eti tǭ biǭ periontōn autōn dē tōn kathę̄rēkotōn, hōs diʼ autōn stomatos kai diʼ autōn graphēs tēn palinǭdian tōn tetolmēmenōn autois ąsthēnai, kai touto praxai autous ouk en thymēdiais ontas philanthrōpias logismǭ tacha an tis nomiseien), theēlatois de mastixin elaunomenous.

Let anyone who wishes come forward into the midst and teach: who raised up buildings from the ground to a height after such destruction and desolation? Who counted worthy of a second renewal, far better than the former, things deprived of all hope, and renewed them; and, the greatest wonder of the account, not after the death of those God-fighters, but while those very destroyers were still in life, so that the recantation of their deeds was sung by their own mouth and their own writing; and that they did this not in a time of good cheer (as one might perhaps suppose, from a reckoning of humanity), but driven by God-sent scourges?

Notes and citation

Summary: Christ rebuilt the churches more splendidly while their destroyers still lived, forcing them under divine punishment to recant in writing.

  • The recantation is Galerius's edict, issued during his fatal illness (Hist. eccl. 8.16–17). The digital text lacks the opening parenthesis before 'as one might'. xm is a slip for τῷ.

Notes on the original text

  • Digital text corrected (Latin letters for a Greek word; OCR slip in accent; OCR slips; OCR slips (ο for σ)): παρελθὼν οὑν → παρελθὼν οὖν; ἔτι xm βίῳ → ἔτι τῷ βίῳ; ὡς δί αύτῶν → ὡς διʼ αὐτῶν; λογιομῷ τάχα ἄν τις νομίοειεν → λογισμῷ τάχα ἄν τις νομίσειεν.

Extrabiblical texts: Eusebius, Hist. eccl. 8.16-17 (Church History; allusion)

Topics: Persecution

Cite (SBL): Eusebius, Laud. Const. 17.5 (Heikel; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-laus-constantini/17-5). (abbreviation not yet checked)

Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-laus-constantini/17-5

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Translation: Translated by Claude from Heikel's Greek (GCS 7, 1902; noisy digital text, OCR slips corrected and logged); compared afterwards with the public-domain English of NPNF² 1 (Richardson, 1890).

17.6Heikel

τίς μετὰ τοσούσδε τοῦ διωγμοῦ χειμῶνας καὶ ἐν αὐτῇ γε τῇ τῶν δεινῶν ἀκμῇ φιλοσόφου βίου ζηλωτὰς καὶ θεραπευτὰς τοῦ θεοῦ μυρίους ἄνδρας γυναικῶν τε ἱερείας καὶ χοροὺς ἀειπαρθένων ἁγνείᾳ παντελεῖ τὸν πάντα τῆς ζωῆς αὐτῶν χρόνον ἀναθείσας τοῖς τῆς ἐνθέου διδασκαλίας αὐτοῦ μαθήμασι καθʼ ὅλης συνίστη τῆς οἰκουμένης τροφῶν δʼ ἀποχαῖς ἀσιτίαις τε ἀνοινίαις πολυημέροις προθυμότατα διακαρτερεῖν ἐγκρατείᾳ τε καὶ ῥώμῃ βίου στερροῦ χρῆσθαι μετὰ σωφροσύνης; τίς γύναια καὶ μυρία πλήθη ἀνδρῶν ἀναπέπεικεν λογικὰς τροφὰς ψυχαῖς λογικαῖς καταλλήλους διʼ ἐνθέων ἀναγνωρισμάτων ἀντικαταλλάξασθαι τῶν τοῦ σώματος τροφῶν; τίς βαρβάρους καὶ ἀγροίκους ἄνδρας γύναιά τε καὶ παῖδας καὶ οἰκετῶν γένη πλήθη τε μυρία μυρίων ἐθνῶν θανάτου μὲν καταφρονεῖν ἐδίδαξεν ἀθάνατον δὲ πεπεῖσθαι εἶναι τὴν αὐτῶν ψυχήν, καὶ δίκης ὀφθαλμὸν ὑπάρχειν ἔφορον τῶν ἀνθρωπίνων πραγμάτων εὐσεβῶν τε καὶ ἀσεβῶν, δικαιωτήρια τε θεοῦ προσδοκῶν, τούτων ἕνεκα δικαίου καὶ σώφρονος δεῖν ἐπιμελεῖσθαι βίου; μὴ γὰρ οὕτω διατεθέντας ἀδύνατον ἄλλως εἶναι τὸν τῆς θεοσεβείας ὑποδῦναι ζυγόν· ὁ δὴ μόνῳ τῷ ἡμετέρῳ σωτῆρι εἰσέτι καὶ νῦν κατορθοῦται. ἀλλὰ ταῦτα μὲν παρῶμεν,

tis meta tosousde tou diōgmou cheimōnas kai en autę̄ ge tę̄ tōn deinōn akmę̄ philosophou biou zēlōtas kai therapeutas tou theou myrious andras gynaikōn te hiereias kai chorous aeiparthenōn hagneią pantelei ton panta tēs zōēs autōn chronon anatheisas tois tēs entheou didaskalias autou mathēmasi kathʼ holēs synistē tēs oikoumenēs trophōn dʼ apochais asitiais te anoiniais polyēmerois prothymotata diakarterein enkrateią te kai rhōmę̄ biou sterrou chrēsthai meta sōphrosynēs? tis gynaia kai myria plēthē andrōn anapepeiken logikas trophas psychais logikais katallēlous diʼ entheōn anagnōrismatōn antikatallaxasthai tōn tou sōmatos trophōn? tis barbarous kai agroikous andras gynaia te kai paidas kai oiketōn genē plēthē te myria myriōn ethnōn thanatou men kataphronein edidaxen athanaton de pepeisthai einai tēn autōn psychēn, kai dikēs ophthalmon hyparchein ephoron tōn anthrōpinōn pragmatōn eusebōn te kai asebōn, dikaiōtēria te theou prosdokōn, toutōn heneka dikaiou kai sōphronos dein epimeleisthai biou? mē gar houtō diatethentas adynaton allōs einai ton tēs theosebeias hypodynai zygon; ho dē monǭ tǭ hēmeterǭ sōtēri eiseti kai nyn katorthoutai. alla tauta men parōmen,

Who, after so many storms of persecution, and at the very height of the terrors, established throughout the whole world countless men as zealots of the philosophic life and servants of God, and priestesses among women and choirs of perpetual virgins who have dedicated the whole time of their life in complete purity to the lessons of his divine teaching; who made them endure most eagerly abstinence from food, fasts and many days without wine, and practise self-control and the strength of a firm life with sobriety? Who persuaded women and countless multitudes of men to exchange the foods of the body for rational foods suited to rational souls through divine readings? Who taught barbarians and country folk, women and children and households of slaves, and countless multitudes of countless nations to despise death and to be convinced that their soul is immortal, that there is an eye of justice watching over human affairs, of the pious and the impious, and to expect God's courts of judgment, and for this reason to care for a just and sober life? For unless they were so disposed, it would be impossible otherwise to take on the yoke of godliness. This is still accomplished even now by our Saviour alone. But let us pass these things by,

Matt 11:29–30 (echo, low confidence)

Notes and citation

Summary: Even amid persecution Christ raised up ascetics and lifelong virgins everywhere, persuaded multitudes to feed on Scripture, and taught even slaves and barbarians to despise death and expect judgment.

  • 'Priestesses among women' (γυναικῶν τε ἱερείας) is Eusebius's term for consecrated women. The sentence continues in 17.7.

Notes on the original text

  • Digital text corrected (OCR slip (ς for ζ); OCR slips; stray capital; garbled word): τῆς ςωῆς → τῆς ζωῆς; γύναια τε κοὶ παῖδας καὶ οἰκετῶν γἐνη → γύναιά τε καὶ παῖδας καὶ οἰκετῶν γένη; αὐτῶν Ψυχήν, κω δίκης → αὐτῶν ψυχήν, καὶ δίκης.

Topics: Fasting, Ethics, Eschatology, Scripture and canon, Virginity and celibacy

Cite (SBL): Eusebius, Laud. Const. 17.6 (Heikel; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-laus-constantini/17-6). (abbreviation not yet checked)

Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-laus-constantini/17-6

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Translation: Translated by Claude from Heikel's Greek (GCS 7, 1902; noisy digital text, OCR slips corrected and logged); compared afterwards with the public-domain English of NPNF² 1 (Richardson, 1890).

17.7Heikel

φέρε δὲ ἄλλως τὸν τὴν διάνοιαν λελιθωμένον καὶ ἐκ τῶν τοιωνδὶ προσαγάγωμεν ἐρωτήσεων, ὧδέ πη αὐτοῦ πυνθανόμενοι. ἄγε δή, οὗτος, φωνὴν λογικὴν ἀφείς, μὴ ἐξ ἠλιθίου καρδίας ψυχῆς δὲ νοερᾶς καὶ λογικῆς καρπὸν λέγε δή, παρὰ σαυτῷ πολλάκις ἐπισκεψάμενος, τίς ἄλλος πώποτε τῶν ἐξ αἰῶνος βοηθέντων σοφῶν ὁμοίως τῷ ἡμετέρῳ σωτῆρι προφητικαῖς ἄνωθεν πρὸ μυρίων χρόνων φωναῖς ἐγνώσθη τε καὶ προεκηρύχθη παρὰ τοῖς πρόπαλαι θεοφιλέσιν Ἑβραίων παισίν; οἳ καὶ τὸν τόπον αὐτοῦ τῆς γενέσεως καὶ χρόνους τῆς ἀφίξεως καὶ τρόπον τοῦ βίου καὶ δυνάμεις καὶ λόγους καὶ κατορθώματα αὐτοῦ προλαβόντες βίβλοις ἱεραῖς καταβεβλήκασιν.

phere de allōs ton tēn dianoian lelithōmenon kai ek tōn toiōndi prosagagōmen erōtēseōn, hōde pē autou pynthanomenoi. age dē, houtos, phōnēn logikēn apheis, mē ex ēlithiou kardias psychēs de noeras kai logikēs karpon lege dē, para sautǭ pollakis episkepsamenos, tis allos pōpote tōn ex aiōnos boēthentōn sophōn homoiōs tǭ hēmeterǭ sōtēri prophētikais anōthen pro myriōn chronōn phōnais egnōsthē te kai proekērychthē para tois propalai theophilesin Hebraiōn paisin? hoi kai ton topon autou tēs geneseōs kai chronous tēs aphixeōs kai tropon tou biou kai dynameis kai logous kai katorthōmata autou prolabontes biblois hierais katabeblēkasin.

and come, let us bring forward otherwise the one who has turned his mind to stone with questions of this sort, inquiring of him thus: Come, sir, utter a rational voice, not from a foolish heart but the fruit of an intellectual and rational soul, and say, having often considered it with yourself: what other of those esteemed as wise in all the ages was, like our Saviour, known and proclaimed beforehand by prophetic voices from on high, countless ages before, among the ancient God-loving children of the Hebrews? They anticipated the place of his birth, the times of his coming, the manner of his life, his powers and words and achievements, and laid them down in sacred books.

Mic 5:2 (5:1 LXX) (allusion, medium confidence)

Notes and citation

Summary: No other sage was foretold, as Christ was, by Hebrew prophets who described his birthplace, time, life and works.

  • The digital text lacks the opening parenthesis implied by its closing one in χρόνο)ν. The birthplace foretold is Mic 5:2.

Notes on the original text

  • Digital text corrected (OCR garbled letter; OCR slip (ω for ν); OCR slip in breathing; line-end hyphenation rejoined; stray capital): Πυνθανόμενοι → πυνθανόμενοι; ψυχῆς δὲ ωοερᾶς → ψυχῆς δὲ νοερᾶς; σοφῶν όμοίως → σοφῶν ὁμοίως; προ- φητικαῖς → προφητικαῖς; χρόνο)ν → χρόνων.

Topics: Scripture and canon, Christology, Prophecy and fulfilment

Cite (SBL): Eusebius, Laud. Const. 17.7 (Heikel; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-laus-constantini/17-7). (abbreviation not yet checked)

Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-laus-constantini/17-7

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Translation: Translated by Claude from Heikel's Greek (GCS 7, 1902; noisy digital text, OCR slips corrected and logged); compared afterwards with the public-domain English of NPNF² 1 (Richardson, 1890).

17.8Heikel

ἥ τίς οὕτω ταχὺς ἔκδιχος τῶν εἰς αὐτὸν τετολμημένων ἀποδέδεικται, ὡς ἅμα τῇ κατʼ αὐτοῦ δυσσεβείᾳ τὸ πᾶν Ἰουδαίων ἔθνος ἀοράτῳ δυνάμει μετελθεῖν, ἄρδην τε τὸν βασιλικὸν αὐτῶν τόπον ἐκ βάθρων ἀρθῆναι, αὐτό τε τὸ ἱερὸν ἅμα τοῖς ἐν αὐτῷ σεμνοῖς εἰς ἔδαφος κατενεχθῆναι; τίς δὲ προρρήσεις αὐτῶν τε τούτων πέρι τῶν ἀσεβῶν ἀνδρῶν ἀμφί τε τῆς πρὸς αὐτοῦ καθʼ ὅλης τῆς οἰκουμένης ὑποστάσης ἐκκλησίας καταλλήλους τοῖς πράγμασιν ἀποφθεγξάμενος, πιστὰς ἔδειξε ταύτας τοῖς ἔργοις, ὡς ὁ ἡμέτερος σωτήρ; περὶ μὲν τοῦ τῶν ἀσεβῶν ἱεροῦ φήσας· ἀφίεται ὑμῖν ὁ οἶκος ὑμῶν ἔρημος·„ καί· οὐ μὴ μείνῃ λίθος λίθον ἐν τῷ τόπῳ τούτῳ, ὃς οὐ μὴ καταλυθῇ·“ περὶ δὲ τῆς ἐκκλησίας· ἐπὶ τὴν πέτραν οἰκοδομήσω μου τὴν ἐκκλησίαν, καὶ πύλαι ᾅδου οὐ κατισχύουσιν αὐτῆς.“

hē tis houtō tachys ekdichos tōn eis auton tetolmēmenōn apodedeiktai, hōs hama tę̄ katʼ autou dyssebeią to pan Ioudaiōn ethnos aoratǭ dynamei metelthein, ardēn te ton basilikon autōn topon ek bathrōn arthēnai, auto te to hieron hama tois en autǭ semnois eis edaphos katenechthēnai? tis de prorrēseis autōn te toutōn peri tōn asebōn andrōn amphi te tēs pros autou kathʼ holēs tēs oikoumenēs hypostasēs ekklēsias katallēlous tois pragmasin apophthenxamenos, pistas edeixe tautas tois ergois, hōs ho hēmeteros sōtēr? peri men tou tōn asebōn hierou phēsas; aphietai hymin ho oikos hymōn erēmos;„ kai; ou mē meinę̄ lithos lithon en tǭ topǭ toutǭ, hos ou mē katalythę̄;“ peri de tēs ekklēsias; epi tēn petran oikodomēsō mou tēn ekklēsian, kai pylai hądou ou katischyousin autēs.“

Or who has been shown so swift an avenger of the outrages against him, so that together with the impiety against him he pursued the whole Jewish nation with invisible power, and their royal city was utterly removed from its foundations, and the temple itself, with the sacred things in it, brought down to the ground? And who, like our Saviour, uttered predictions corresponding to the facts about these impious men themselves and about the church founded by him throughout the whole world, and showed them trustworthy by deeds? About the temple of the impious he said: "Your house is left to you desolate," and: "Not one stone shall remain upon another in this place that shall not be thrown down"; and about the church: "On the rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it."

Matt 23:38 (quotation, high confidence) · Matt 24:2 (quotation, high confidence) · Matt 16:18 (quotation, high confidence)

Notes and citation

Summary: Christ foretold both the destruction of Jerusalem's temple, which followed swiftly, and the indestructibility of his church.

  • Quotations: Matt 23:38; Matt 24:2 (loosely); Matt 16:18. Eusebius's interpretation of the fall of Jerusalem as punishment of the Jewish nation is his own and is translated as written.

Notes on the original text

  • Digital text corrected (OCR garbled word; OCR slip; OCR slip in breathing; line-end hyphenation rejoined; missing elision mark): τῇ κατ αὐτοῦ → τῇ κατʼ αὐτοῦ; κατενεχθῶαι → κατενεχθῆναι; καταλλή- λους → καταλλήλους; ἀπρφθεγθάμενος → ἀποφθεγξάμενος; ὸ οἶκος → ὁ οἶκος.

Topics: Scripture and canon, Prophecy and fulfilment

Cite (SBL): Eusebius, Laud. Const. 17.8 (Heikel; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-laus-constantini/17-8). (abbreviation not yet checked)

Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-laus-constantini/17-8

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Translation: Translated by Claude from Heikel's Greek (GCS 7, 1902; noisy digital text, OCR slips corrected and logged); compared afterwards with the public-domain English of NPNF² 1 (Richardson, 1890).

17.9Heikel

τὸ δὲ ἄνδρας εὐτελεῖς καὶ ἀγροίκους ἐξ ἁλείας μεταγαγεῖν τὴν ἀρχὴν καὶ τούτους νομοθέτας καὶ νομοδιδασκάλους ἀποφῆναι τῆς ἀνθρώπων οἰκουμένης, οἷόν σοι εἶναι δοκεῖ; τὸ δὲ ἐπαγγείλασθαι καὶ λόγῳ μὲν εἰπεῖν ἔργῳ δὲ ποιῆσαι αὐτοὺς ἁλιέας ἀνθρώπων, καὶ τοιαύτην αὐτοῖς ἀρετὴν τε καὶ δύναμιν παρασχεῖν, ὡς καὶ γραφὰς συντάξαι καὶ βίβλους παραδοῦναι, καὶ ταύτας εἰς τοσοῦτον κρατῦναι, ὡς καθʼ ὅλης τῆς οἰκουμένης παντοίᾳ γλώσσῃ βαρβάρων τε καὶ Ἑλλήνων μεταβαλλομένας παρὰ πᾶσι τοῖς ἔθνεσι μελετᾶσθαι, καὶ πιστεύεσθαι θεῖα εἶναι λόγια τὰ ἐν αὑταῖς καταβεβλημένα.

to de andras euteleis kai agroikous ex haleias metagagein tēn archēn kai toutous nomothetas kai nomodidaskalous apophēnai tēs anthrōpōn oikoumenēs, hoion soi einai dokei? to de epangeilasthai kai logǭ men eipein ergǭ de poiēsai autous halieas anthrōpōn, kai toiautēn autois aretēn te kai dynamin paraschein, hōs kai graphas syntaxai kai biblous paradounai, kai tautas eis tosouton kratynai, hōs kathʼ holēs tēs oikoumenēs pantoią glōssę̄ barbarōn te kai Hellēnōn metaballomenas para pasi tois ethnesi meletasthai, kai pisteuesthai theia einai logia ta en hautais katabeblēmena.

And what do you think of his bringing over from fishing poor and rustic men at the beginning, and making them lawgivers and teachers of the law for the inhabited world? Of his promising, and saying in word and doing in deed, that he would make them fishers of men, and giving them such virtue and power that they composed writings and handed down books, and so strengthened these that throughout the whole world, translated into every tongue of barbarians and Greeks, they are studied among all the nations, and what is laid down in them is believed to be divine oracles?

Matt 4:19 (allusion, high confidence) · Mark 1:17 (allusion, medium confidence)

Notes and citation

Summary: Christ made simple fishermen into teachers of the world, whose writings, translated into every language, are believed as divine oracles.

  • 'Fishers of men' is Matt 4:19 (Mark 1:17).

Notes on the original text

  • Digital text corrected (OCR slip; OCR slip (ο for σ); OCR slip (ω for ν); OCR slip in accent; OCR stray marks): οἶόν σοι → οἷόν σοι; ἐ̓ργῳ → ἔργῳ; τούτας → ταύτας; ἔθωεσι → ἔθνεσι; πιοτεύεσθαι → πιστεύεσθαι.

Topics: Scripture and canon

Cite (SBL): Eusebius, Laud. Const. 17.9 (Heikel; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-laus-constantini/17-9). (abbreviation not yet checked)

Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-laus-constantini/17-9

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Translation: Translated by Claude from Heikel's Greek (GCS 7, 1902; noisy digital text, OCR slips corrected and logged); compared afterwards with the public-domain English of NPNF² 1 (Richardson, 1890).

17.10Heikel

οἷον δὲ καὶ τὸ αὐτὸν προφητεῦσαι τὸ μέλλον καὶ τοῖς μαθηταῖς προμαρτύρασθαι, ὡς ἄρα ἐπὶ βασιλέων καὶ ἡγεμόνων μέλλοιεν ἄγεσθαι τιμωρεῖσθαί τε καὶ τὰς ἐσχάτας ὑπομένειν κολάσεις, οὐ διά τινα πρᾶξιν ἄτοπον διὰ μόνην δὲ τὴν εἰς τοῦτον ὁμολογίαν; τὸ δὲ καὶ προθύμως αὐτοὺς ταῦθʼ ὑπομεῖναι παρασκευάσαι εὐσεβείας τε ὅπλοις οὕτω φράξαι, ὡς ἀδάμαντος τὰς ψυχὰς κραταιοτέρους ἐν τοῖς πρὸς τοὺς ἀντιπάλους ἀμῶσι διαφαίνεσθαι, ποῖον οὐκ ἂν ὑπερβάλοιτο λόγον;

hoion de kai to auton prophēteusai to mellon kai tois mathētais promartyrasthai, hōs ara epi basileōn kai hēgemonōn melloien agesthai timōreisthai te kai tas eschatas hypomenein kolaseis, ou dia tina praxin atopon dia monēn de tēn eis touton homologian? to de kai prothymōs autous tauthʼ hypomeinai paraskeuasai eusebeias te hoplois houtō phraxai, hōs adamantos tas psychas krataioterous en tois pros tous antipalous amōsi diaphainesthai, poion ouk an hyperbaloito logon?

And what of his prophesying the future and testifying beforehand to his disciples that they would be led before kings and governors, punished and made to endure the extreme penalties, not for any wrongdoing but only for their confession of him? And his preparing them to endure this eagerly, and so fortifying them with the weapons of godliness that they appeared stronger in soul than adamant in their struggles with their adversaries: what words would this not surpass?

Matt 10:17–18 (allusion, high confidence)

Notes and citation

Summary: Christ foretold his disciples' persecution and so strengthened them that they endured it with adamantine courage.

  • Matt 10:17–18. ἀμῶσι is garbled (perhaps ἀγῶσι, 'struggles'); translated by sense.

Notes on the original text

  • Digital text corrected (OCR slip in accent; line-end hyphenation rejoined; stray marks): οἱον δὲ → οἷον δὲ; προμαρ- τύρασθαι → προμαρτύρασθαι; λόγον,. → λόγον;.

Topics: Martyrdom, Persecution

Cite (SBL): Eusebius, Laud. Const. 17.10 (Heikel; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-laus-constantini/17-10). (abbreviation not yet checked)

Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-laus-constantini/17-10

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Translation: Translated by Claude from Heikel's Greek (GCS 7, 1902; noisy digital text, OCR slips corrected and logged); compared afterwards with the public-domain English of NPNF² 1 (Richardson, 1890).

17.11Heikel

τὸ δὲ μὴ μόνον ἐκείνους τοὺς αὐτῷ παρηκολουθηκότας, ἀλλʼ ἤδη καὶ τοὺς ἐκείνων διαδόχους καὶ αὖθις τοὺς μετέπειτα γενομένους καὶ τοὺς εἰσέτι δεῦρο καθʼ ἡμᾶς αὐτοὺς οὕτω τῆς ψυχῆς νευρῶσαι τὰς δυνάμεις, ὡς μηδὲν ἄξιον θανάτου πράξαντας παντοίας κολάσεις καὶ πᾶν εἶδος στρεβλωτηρίων μεθʼ ἡδονῆς ὑπομένειν εὐσεβείας χάριν τῆς εἰς τὸν τῶν ὅλων θεόν, ποῖον οὐκ ἂν ὑπερβάλοιτο ἀλλὰ βασιλέων εἰς τοσοῦτον αἰῶνα τίς πώποτε κρατῶν διετέλεσεν; τίς δʼ οὕτω στρατηγεῖ μετὰ θάνατον καὶ τρόπαια κατʼ ἐχθρῶν ἵστησι, καὶ πάντα τόπον καὶ χώραν καὶ πόλιν, Ἑλλάδα τε καὶ βάρβαρον, ὑποτάττει, ἀοράτῳ καὶ ἀφανεῖ δεξιᾷ τοὺς ἀντιπάλους χειρούμενος;

to de mē monon ekeinous tous autǭ parēkolouthēkotas, allʼ ēdē kai tous ekeinōn diadochous kai authis tous metepeita genomenous kai tous eiseti deuro kathʼ hēmas autous houtō tēs psychēs neurōsai tas dynameis, hōs mēden axion thanatou praxantas pantoias kolaseis kai pan eidos streblōtēriōn methʼ hēdonēs hypomenein eusebeias charin tēs eis ton tōn holōn theon, poion ouk an hyperbaloito alla basileōn eis tosouton aiōna tis pōpote kratōn dietelesen? tis dʼ houtō stratēgei meta thanaton kai tropaia katʼ echthrōn histēsi, kai panta topon kai chōran kai polin, Hellada te kai barbaron, hypotattei, aoratǭ kai aphanei dexią tous antipalous cheiroumenos?

And what of his so strengthening the powers of the soul, not only of those who followed him, but also of their successors, and again of those who came after, and of those still down to our own time, that, having done nothing worthy of death, they endured every kind of punishment and every form of torture with pleasure for the sake of godliness toward the God of all: what words would this not surpass? Who of kings ever continued ruling for so long an age? Who commands armies in this way after death, sets up trophies against enemies, and subjects every place and land and city, Greek and barbarian, subduing his adversaries with an invisible and unseen right hand?

Notes and citation

Summary: Christ has strengthened martyrs in every generation; no king ever ruled so long or conquered after death as he does.

Notes on the original text

  • Digital text corrected (OCR inserted letter; OCR lost accent; line-end hyphenation rejoined): καὶ αὐθις τοὺς → καὶ αὖθις τοὺς; διετέ- λεσεν → διετέλεσεν; ἀμφανεῖ δεξιᾷ → ἀφανεῖ δεξιᾷ; χειρού- μενος → χειρούμενος.

Topics: Martyrdom

Cite (SBL): Eusebius, Laud. Const. 17.11 (Heikel; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-laus-constantini/17-11). (abbreviation not yet checked)

Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-laus-constantini/17-11

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Translation: Translated by Claude from Heikel's Greek (GCS 7, 1902; noisy digital text, OCR slips corrected and logged); compared afterwards with the public-domain English of NPNF² 1 (Richardson, 1890).

17.12Heikel

τό γε μὴν κεφάλαιον τῶν εἰρημένων, ἡ πανταχοῦ γῆς διὰ τῆς αὐτοῦ δυνάμεως πρυτανευθεῖσα εἰρήνη, περὶ ἧς τὰ εἰκότα προλαβόντες εἰρήκαμεν, ποῖον οὐκ ἂν συκοφαντῶν ἀποφράξειε στόμα, οὕτω μὲν ἔργῳ συνδραμούσης τῇ τοῦ σωτῆρος ἡμῶν διδασκαλίᾳ καὶ τῷ καταβληθέντι ὑπʼ αὐτοῦ τῷ παντὶ κόσμῳ κηρύγματι τῆς τῶν ἐθνῶν πάντων ὁμονοίας τε καὶ συμφωνίας, οὕτω δὲ πρόπαλαι ὑπὸ τῶν τοῦ θεοῦ προφητῶν προαναπεφωνημένης τῆς κοσμικῆς τῶν ἐθνῶν εἰρήνης τοῦ τε πρὸς αὐτοῦ καταβληθέντος τοῖς ἔθνεσι λόγου; ἐπιλείψει με, βασιλεῦ, τὸ πᾶν τῆς ἡμέρας μῆκος τὰς ἐναργεῖς ἀποδείξεις τῆς ἐνθέου δυνάμεως τοῦ σωτῆρος ἡμῶν τὰς ἐκ τῶν εἰσέτι νῦν ὁρωμένων ὑφʼ ἕν πειρώμενον συνάγειν καὶ συνιστᾶν, ὅτι μηδεὶς πώποτε τῶν ἐξ αἰῶνος μήτε παρʼ Ἕλλησι μήτε παρὰ βαρβάροις τοσαύτην ἀρετῆς ἐνθέου δύναμιν ἐπιδέδεικται, ὅλην ὁ σωτὴρ ὁ ἡμέτερος.

to ge mēn kephalaion tōn eirēmenōn, hē pantachou gēs dia tēs autou dynameōs prytaneutheisa eirēnē, peri hēs ta eikota prolabontes eirēkamen, poion ouk an sykophantōn apophraxeie stoma, houtō men ergǭ syndramousēs tę̄ tou sōtēros hēmōn didaskalią kai tǭ katablēthenti hypʼ autou tǭ panti kosmǭ kērygmati tēs tōn ethnōn pantōn homonoias te kai symphōnias, houtō de propalai hypo tōn tou theou prophētōn proanapephōnēmenēs tēs kosmikēs tōn ethnōn eirēnēs tou te pros autou katablēthentos tois ethnesi logou? epileipsei me, basileu, to pan tēs hēmeras mēkos tas enargeis apodeixeis tēs entheou dynameōs tou sōtēros hēmōn tas ek tōn eiseti nyn horōmenōn hyphʼ hen peirōmenon synagein kai synistan, hoti mēdeis pōpote tōn ex aiōnos mēte parʼ Hellēsi mēte para barbarois tosautēn aretēs entheou dynamin epidedeiktai, holēn ho sōtēr ho hēmeteros.

And the sum of what has been said, the peace established everywhere on earth by his power, of which we spoke fittingly before: what mouth of a slanderer would it not stop, since in deed the concord and harmony of all the nations ran together with our Saviour's teaching and the preaching laid down by him for the whole world, and since the worldwide peace of the nations, and the word laid down by him for the nations, had been foretold long ago by the prophets of God? The whole length of the day will fail me, O emperor, if I try to gather together and set out at once the clear proofs of our Saviour's divine power from what is still seen even now; for no one of all the ages, among Greeks or barbarians, has shown such power of divine virtue as our Saviour.

Notes and citation

Summary: The universal peace that came with Christ's preaching, foretold by the prophets, silences all objection; no one else has shown such divine power.

  • ὅλην is a slip for ὅσην ('as much as'); translated by sense.

Notes on the original text

  • Digital text corrected (OCR slip; line-end hyphenation rejoined): προ- λαβόντες → προλαβόντες; συνέγειν → συνάγειν.

Cite (SBL): Eusebius, Laud. Const. 17.12 (Heikel; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-laus-constantini/17-12). (abbreviation not yet checked)

Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-laus-constantini/17-12

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Translation: Translated by Claude from Heikel's Greek (GCS 7, 1902; noisy digital text, OCR slips corrected and logged); compared afterwards with the public-domain English of NPNF² 1 (Richardson, 1890).

17.13Heikel

τί δὲ λέγω ἀνδρῶν ὁπότε μηδʼ αὐτῶν τῶν παρὰ πᾶσιν τοῖς ἔθνεσι θεολογουμένων τοιαύτη τις πέφηνεν ἐπὶ γῆς φύσις ἢ δεικνύτω ὁ βουλόμενος, παρίτω δὲ πᾶς φιλόσοφος καὶ ἡμῖν λεγέτω, τίς ἐκ τοῦ παντὸς αἰῶνος ἤκουσέν ποτε θεὸς καὶ ἥρως αἰωνίου ζωῆς οὐρανίου τε βασιλείας μαθήματα πρόξενα παραδεδωκὼς ἀνθρώποις, οἷα ὁ ἡμέτερος σωτήρ, φιλοσόφοις δόγμασιν μυρία πλήθη καθʼ ὅλης τῆς οἰκουμένης συνασκεῖσθαι ποιήσας, οὐρανόν τε πείσας μεταδιώκειν καὶ τὰς ἐν οὐρανῷ διατριβὰς θεοφιλέσι ψυχαῖς ἀποκειμένας ἐλπίζειν; τίς πώποτε θεὸς ἢ καὶ ἥρως ἄνθρωπος τὴν ἀφʼ ἀνίσχοντος μέχρι δυομένου, μόνον οὐχὶ τὸν ἴσον ἡλίῳ διϊππεύσας δρόμον, ταῖς λαμπροτάταις τῆς αὐτοῦ διδασκαλίας αὐγαῖς κατηύγασέν τε καὶ ἐφώτισεν, ὡς πανταχοῦ γῆς ἑνὶ θεῷ πᾶν ἔθνος μίαν καὶ τὴν αὐτὴν ἐπιτελεῖν λατρείαν; τίς πώποτε θεὸς ἢ καὶ ἥρως πάντας θεούς τε καὶ ἥρωας Ἑλληνικούς καὶ βαρβάρους παραγκωνισάμενος, μηδένα μὲν ἐκείνων θεὸν εἶναι νομίζειν ἐνομοθέτησεν καὶ νομοθετήσας ἔπεισεν· ἔπειτα πολεμηθεὶς ὑπὸ πάντων, εἷς ὤν αὐτὸς τὸ πᾶν τῶν ἐναντίων στρατόπεδον καθεῖλεν, τῶν ἐξ αἰῶνος ἁπάντων θεῶν τε καὶ ἡρώων κρατῶν, ἀπὸ περάτων ὡς καθʼ ὅλης τῆς οἰκουμένης θεοῦ μόνον αὐτὸν πρὸς τῶν ἐθνῶν ἁπάντων ἀναγορεύεσθαι;

ti de legō andrōn hopote mēdʼ autōn tōn para pasin tois ethnesi theologoumenōn toiautē tis pephēnen epi gēs physis ē deiknytō ho boulomenos, paritō de pas philosophos kai hēmin legetō, tis ek tou pantos aiōnos ēkousen pote theos kai hērōs aiōniou zōēs ouraniou te basileias mathēmata proxena paradedōkōs anthrōpois, hoia ho hēmeteros sōtēr, philosophois dogmasin myria plēthē kathʼ holēs tēs oikoumenēs synaskeisthai poiēsas, ouranon te peisas metadiōkein kai tas en ouranǭ diatribas theophilesi psychais apokeimenas elpizein? tis pōpote theos ē kai hērōs anthrōpos tēn aphʼ anischontos mechri dyomenou, monon ouchi ton ison hēliǭ diïppeusas dromon, tais lamprotatais tēs autou didaskalias augais katēugasen te kai ephōtisen, hōs pantachou gēs heni theǭ pan ethnos mian kai tēn autēn epitelein latreian? tis pōpote theos ē kai hērōs pantas theous te kai hērōas Hellēnikous kai barbarous parankōnisamenos, mēdena men ekeinōn theon einai nomizein enomothetēsen kai nomothetēsas epeisen; epeita polemētheis hypo pantōn, heis ōn autos to pan tōn enantiōn stratopedon katheilen, tōn ex aiōnos hapantōn theōn te kai hērōōn kratōn, apo peratōn hōs kathʼ holēs tēs oikoumenēs theou monon auton pros tōn ethnōn hapantōn anagoreuesthai?

But why do I speak of men, when not even among those deified by all the nations has any such nature appeared on earth? Or let anyone who wishes show it; let every philosopher come forward and tell us: what god or hero in all the ages was ever heard of as having handed down to men teachings that procure eternal life and a heavenly kingdom, as our Saviour did; making countless multitudes throughout the whole world practise philosophical doctrines, persuading them to pursue heaven and to hope for the dwellings in heaven stored up for God-loving souls? What god or hero ever, running almost the same course as the sun from its rising to its setting, lit up and illumined the earth with the most brilliant rays of his teaching, so that everywhere on earth every nation performs one and the same worship to one God? What god or hero ever, thrusting aside all the gods and heroes of Greeks and barbarians, legislated that none of them should be thought a god, and having legislated, persuaded them; then, warred against by all, being one himself, overthrew the whole camp of his opponents, prevailing over all the gods and heroes of all ages, so that from the ends of the earth throughout the whole inhabited world he alone is proclaimed God by all the nations?

Mal 1:11 (echo, low confidence)

Notes and citation

Summary: No god or hero of the nations ever taught eternal life, enlightened the whole earth, abolished all other gods, and was acknowledged by all nations as God alone, as Christ has.

  • The digital text repeats μόνον; translated once.

Notes on the original text

  • Digital text corrected (OCR dropped letter; OCR slip; OCR slip (δ for θ); OCR slip (ξ for ζ); OCR stray breathing; OCR stray marks; dittography in the digital text; line-end hyphenation rejoined; stray capital; OCR slip (ς for ζ)): αἰωνίον ζωῆς → αἰωνίου ζωῆς; φιλοσόφοις δόμασιν → φιλοσόφοις δόγμασιν; θεοφιλέσι Ψυχαῖς ἀποκειμένας ἐλπίςειν → θεοφιλέσι ψυχαῖς ἀποκειμένας ἐλπίζειν; ἥρως ἄνδρωπος → ἥρως ἄνθρωπος; κατηύγασἐν → κατηύγασέν; νομίξειν → νομίζειν; ὲ́πειτα → ἔπειτα; θεοῦ μόνον μόνον αὐτὸν → θεοῦ μόνον αὐτὸν; ἀνα- γορεύεσθαι → ἀναγορεύεσθαι.

Topics: Christology, Eschatology

Cite (SBL): Eusebius, Laud. Const. 17.13 (Heikel; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-laus-constantini/17-13). (abbreviation not yet checked)

Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-laus-constantini/17-13

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Translation: Translated by Claude from Heikel's Greek (GCS 7, 1902; noisy digital text, OCR slips corrected and logged); compared afterwards with the public-domain English of NPNF² 1 (Richardson, 1890).

17.14Heikel

τίς τοῖς τὸ μέγα στοιχεῖον τῆς γῆς οἰκοῦσι τοῖς τε κατὰ γῆν καὶ τοῖς κατὰ θάλατταν ἐφʼ ἑκάστης ἑβδομάδος τὴν κυριακὴν χρηματίζουσαν ἡμέραν ἑορτὴν ἄγειν ἐπὶ ταὐτὸν συνιόντας παραδέδωκεν, καὶ οὐ τὰ σώματα πιαίνειν τὰς δὲ ψυχὰς ἐνθέοις παιδεύμασιν ἀναζωπυρεῖν παρεσκεύασεν; τίς θεὸς ἢ καὶ ἥρως οὕτω πολεμηθεὶς ὡς ὁ ἡμέτερος σωτὴρ τρόπαια νικητήρια κατὰ τῶν ἐχθρῶν ἤγειρεν; οἱ μὲν γὰρ οὐ διέλιπον ἐξ ἀρχῆς καὶ εἰς τέλος αὐτοῦ τὰ μαθήματά τε καὶ τὸν λαὸν πολιορκοῦντες, ὁ δʼ ἀφανὴς ἀφανῶς τοὺς οἰκείους αὐτοῖς ἱεροῖς οἴκοις ἐπὶ μέγα δόξης προῆγεν.

tis tois to mega stoicheion tēs gēs oikousi tois te kata gēn kai tois kata thalattan ephʼ hekastēs hebdomados tēn kyriakēn chrēmatizousan hēmeran heortēn agein epi tauton syniontas paradedōken, kai ou ta sōmata piainein tas de psychas entheois paideumasin anazōpyrein pareskeuasen? tis theos ē kai hērōs houtō polemētheis hōs ho hēmeteros sōtēr tropaia nikētēria kata tōn echthrōn ēgeiren? hoi men gar ou dielipon ex archēs kai eis telos autou ta mathēmata te kai ton laon poliorkountes, ho dʼ aphanēs aphanōs tous oikeious autois hierois oikois epi mega doxēs proēgen.

Who has handed down to those who inhabit the great element of the earth, on land and on sea, to come together every week and keep as a festival the day called the Lord's, and has prepared them not to fatten their bodies but to rekindle their souls with divine teachings? What god or hero, warred against as our Saviour was, raised victorious trophies over his enemies? For they did not cease from the beginning to the end besieging his teachings and his people; but he, invisible, invisibly led his own, with their very houses of worship, to great glory.

Rev 1:10 (echo, low confidence)

Notes and citation

Summary: Christ established the weekly Lord's day assembly for the nourishment of souls, and though constantly attacked, has led his people to glory.

Notes on the original text

  • Digital text corrected (line-end hyphenation rejoined): παρα- δέδωκεν → παραδέδωκεν; πολε- μηθεὶς → πολεμηθεὶς.

Topics: Persecution, The Lord's day and the Sabbath

Cite (SBL): Eusebius, Laud. Const. 17.14 (Heikel; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-laus-constantini/17-14). (abbreviation not yet checked)

Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-laus-constantini/17-14

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Translation: Translated by Claude from Heikel's Greek (GCS 7, 1902; noisy digital text, OCR slips corrected and logged); compared afterwards with the public-domain English of NPNF² 1 (Richardson, 1890).

17.15Heikel

καὶ τί δεῖ λόγοις τὰς παντὸς λόγου κρείττονας ἐνθέους δυνάμεις τοῦ σωτῆρος ἡμῶν φιλοτιμεῖσθαι συνάγειν, ὅτε καὶ σιωπώντων ἡμῶν αὐτὰ βοῶσι τοῖς ὦτα ψυχῆς κεκτημένοις τὰ πράγματα, τοῦτο ξένον ἀληθῶς καὶ παράδοξον καὶ ἕν μόνον ἐξ αἰῶνος τὸν κόσμον ἀνθρώπων ἐνηνοχέναι, καὶ τὸ ἀληθῶς παῖδα θεοῦ μόνον ἐξ αἰῶνος τοῖς ἐπὶ γῆς ὦφθαι.

kai ti dei logois tas pantos logou kreittonas entheous dynameis tou sōtēros hēmōn philotimeisthai synagein, hote kai siōpōntōn hēmōn auta boōsi tois ōta psychēs kektēmenois ta pragmata, touto xenon alēthōs kai paradoxon kai hen monon ex aiōnos ton kosmon anthrōpōn enēnochenai, kai to alēthōs paida theou monon ex aiōnos tois epi gēs ōphthai.

And why should we strive to gather in words the divine powers of our Saviour that surpass every word, when, even if we are silent, the facts themselves cry out to those who have ears of the soul: that this truly strange and marvellous thing, unique in all the ages, has been borne by the world of men, and that the true Son of God alone in all the ages has been seen by those on earth?

Luke 19:40 (echo, low confidence)

Notes and citation

Summary: The facts themselves proclaim that the one true Son of God has appeared among men.

  • 'Son' renders παῖδα.

Topics: Christology

Cite (SBL): Eusebius, Laud. Const. 17.15 (Heikel; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-laus-constantini/17-15). (abbreviation not yet checked)

Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-laus-constantini/17-15

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Translation: Translated by Claude from Heikel's Greek (GCS 7, 1902; noisy digital text, OCR slips corrected and logged); compared afterwards with the public-domain English of NPNF² 1 (Richardson, 1890).

Chapter 18

18.1Heikel

Περιττὰ δʼ ἂν καὶ ἄλλως <σοὶ> εἴη τὰ παρʼ ἡμῶν ὃς αὐτῇ τῇ πείρᾳ τῆς σωτηρίου θεότητος συναίσθησιν πολλάκις εἰληφώς, οὐ λόγοις ἀλλʼ ἔργοις αὐτοῖς κήρυξ ἅπασι τῆς ἀληθείας καθέστηκας· σὺ γὰρ ἡμῖν αὐτός, βασιλεῦ, σχολῆς δοθείσης εἴποις ἄν βουληθεὶς μυρίας τοῦ σοῦ σωτῆρος θεοφανείας, μυρίας καθʼ ὕπνους παρουσίας,

Peritta dʼ an kai allōs <soi> eiē ta parʼ hēmōn hos autę̄ tę̄ peirą tēs sōtēriou theotētos synaisthēsin pollakis eilēphōs, ou logois allʼ ergois autois kēryx hapasi tēs alētheias kathestēkas; sy gar hēmin autos, basileu, scholēs dotheisēs eipois an boulētheis myrias tou sou sōtēros theophaneias, myrias kathʼ hypnous parousias,

But what we say would in any case be superfluous <to you>, who, having often received perception of the Saviour's deity by experience itself, have become a herald of the truth to all, not by words but by deeds themselves. For you yourself, O emperor, if leisure were given, could tell us, if you wished, of countless manifestations of your Saviour, countless presences in sleep,

Notes and citation

Summary: Eusebius turns to Constantine, who knows Christ's power by experience, through many visions and dreams.

  • '<To you>' is the editor's supplement, printed in angle brackets. On Constantine's visions see Life of Constantine 1.28–32. The sentence continues in 18.2.

Notes on the original text

  • Digital text corrected (OCR dropped letter): καθέσηκας → καθέστηκας.

Extrabiblical texts: Eusebius, Vit. Const. 1.28-32 (Life of Constantine; allusion)

Topics: Spiritual gifts and visions

Cite (SBL): Eusebius, Laud. Const. 18.1 (Heikel; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-laus-constantini/18-1). (abbreviation not yet checked)

Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-laus-constantini/18-1

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Translation: Translated by Claude from Heikel's Greek (GCS 7, 1902; noisy digital text, OCR slips corrected and logged); compared afterwards with the public-domain English of NPNF² 1 (Richardson, 1890).

18.2Heikel

οὐ τὰς ἀπορρήτους ἡμῖν ὑποβολὰς αὐτοῦ φημι, τὰς δʼ ἐν αὐτῷ σοι λογισμῷ καταβαλλομένας καὶ περὶ τῶν ὅλων προνοίας τὰ κοινωφελῆ καὶ τὰ πάντη χρήσιμα παρατιθεμένας·

ou tas aporrētous hēmin hypobolas autou phēmi, tas dʼ en autǭ soi logismǭ kataballomenas kai peri tōn holōn pronoias ta koinōphelē kai ta pantē chrēsima paratithemenas;

I do not mean his secret suggestions to us, but those laid down in your very reasoning, setting before you, concerning the providence of the whole, what is of common benefit and useful in every way.

Notes and citation

Summary: Christ has guided Constantine's own reasoning for the common good.

  • The sentence is elliptical; translated by sense. The text reads λυγισμῷ for λογισμῷ and repeats περί.

Notes on the original text

  • Digital text corrected (OCR slip; dittography in the digital text): λυγισμῷ → λογισμῷ; καὶ περὶ περὶ τῶν → καὶ περὶ τῶν.

Cite (SBL): Eusebius, Laud. Const. 18.2 (Heikel; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-laus-constantini/18-2). (abbreviation not yet checked)

Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-laus-constantini/18-2

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Translation: Translated by Claude from Heikel's Greek (GCS 7, 1902; noisy digital text, OCR slips corrected and logged); compared afterwards with the public-domain English of NPNF² 1 (Richardson, 1890).

18.3Heikel

δʼ ἂν ἡμῖν τοῦ σοῦ προασπιστοῦ γε καὶ φύλακος θεοῦ διελεύσῃ τὰς ἐναργεῖς ἐν πολέμοις ἐπικουρίας, τὰς ἐχθρῶν καὶ ἐπιβούλων φθοράς, τὰς ἐν κινδύνοις δεξιώσεις, τὰς ἐν ἀπόροις εὐπορίας, τὰς ἐν ἐρημίαις ἀντιλήψεις, τὰς ἐν ἀμηχάνοις εὑρέσεις, τὰς τῶν μελλόντων προγνώσεις, τὰς περὶ τῶν καθόλου προμηθείας, τὰς περὶ τῶν ἀδήλων σκέψεις, τὰς περὶ τῶν μεγάλων ἐπιχειρήσεις, τὰς πολιτικὰς οἰκονομίας, τὰς τῶν στρατοπέδων διοικήσεις, τὰς καθʼ ἕκαστον διορθώσεις, τὰς περὶ τῶν κοινῶν διατάξεις, τὰς βιωφελεῖς νομοθεσίας. καταριθμήσεις δʼ ἂν ἀπαραλείπτως ἕκαστα τῶν ἡμᾶς μὲν λανθανόντων, σοὶ δʼ αὐτῷ μόνῳ γνωριζομένων καὶ ταῖς σαῖς βασιλικαῖς μνήμαις οἷα θησαυροῖς ἐν ἀπορρήτοις τεταμιευμένων. ὧν δὴ χάριν ἁπάντων εἰκότως, αὐτοῖς δὴ τούτοις λαμπροῖς τεκμηρίοις τῆς σωτηρίου δυνάμεως χρησάμενος, οἶκον εὐκτήριον τρόπαιον τῆς κατὰ τοῦ θανάτου νίκης αὐτοῦ πᾶσιν ἀνθρώποις πιστοῖς ἅμα καὶ ἀπίστοις ἀνέδειξας, νεών τε ἅγιον ἁγίου θεοῦ, ζωῆς τε ἀθανάτου καὶ βασιλείας ἐνθέου λαμπρὰ καὶ μεγάλα περικαλλῆ ἀφιερώματα, τὰ] πρέποντά γε εὖ μάλα καὶ οἰκεῖα βασιλεῖ νικητῇ, τοῦ παμβασιλέως σωτῆρος ἀναθήματα· ἅ δὴ τῷ τῆς ἀθανάτου ζωῆς μαρτυρίῳ τε καὶ μνήματι περιβέβληκας. τὸν οὐράνιον τοῦ θεοῦ λόγον νικητὴν καὶ τροπαιοῦχον βασιλικοῖς χαρακτῆρσιν ἐκτυπούμενος, πᾶσι τοῖς ἔθνεσι λαμπραῖς καὶ ἀνεπισκιάστοις φωναῖς ἔ τε καὶ λόφῳ, τὴν εὐσεβῆ καὶ φιλόθεον ὁμολογίαν προκηρύττων.

dʼ an hēmin tou sou proaspistou ge kai phylakos theou dieleusę̄ tas enargeis en polemois epikourias, tas echthrōn kai epiboulōn phthoras, tas en kindynois dexiōseis, tas en aporois euporias, tas en erēmiais antilēpseis, tas en amēchanois heureseis, tas tōn mellontōn prognōseis, tas peri tōn katholou promētheias, tas peri tōn adēlōn skepseis, tas peri tōn megalōn epicheirēseis, tas politikas oikonomias, tas tōn stratopedōn dioikēseis, tas kathʼ hekaston diorthōseis, tas peri tōn koinōn diataxeis, tas biōpheleis nomothesias. katarithmēseis dʼ an aparaleiptōs hekasta tōn hēmas men lanthanontōn, soi dʼ autǭ monǭ gnōrizomenōn kai tais sais basilikais mnēmais hoia thēsaurois en aporrētois tetamieumenōn. hōn dē charin hapantōn eikotōs, autois dē toutois lamprois tekmēriois tēs sōtēriou dynameōs chrēsamenos, oikon euktērion tropaion tēs kata tou thanatou nikēs autou pasin anthrōpois pistois hama kai apistois anedeixas, neōn te hagion hagiou theou, zōēs te athanatou kai basileias entheou lampra kai megala perikallē aphierōmata, ta] preponta ge eu mala kai oikeia basilei nikētę̄, tou pambasileōs sōtēros anathēmata; ha dē tǭ tēs athanatou zōēs martyriǭ te kai mnēmati peribeblēkas. ton ouranion tou theou logon nikētēn kai tropaiouchon basilikois charaktērsin ektypoumenos, pasi tois ethnesi lamprais kai anepiskiastois phōnais e te kai lophǭ, tēn eusebē kai philotheon homologian prokēryttōn.

[Who] could tell us, as you could go through, the clear aids in wars of God your champion and guardian, the destruction of enemies and plotters, the rescues in dangers, the provision in want, the help in desolation, the solutions in perplexity, the foreknowledge of things to come, the forethought for the whole, the examination of things unclear, the undertaking of great things, the civil administration, the ordering of the armies, the correction of each, the arrangements for the common good, the laws beneficial to life? You could count up without omission each of the things hidden from us but known to you alone, stored up in your royal memory as in secret treasuries. For all these reasons, fittingly, using these very brilliant proofs of the saving power, you have displayed to all people, believers and unbelievers alike, a house of prayer as a trophy of his victory over death, a holy temple of the holy God, splendid and great and most beautiful dedications of immortal life and divine kingdom, offerings most fitting and proper for a victorious emperor to the Saviour, King of all; and these you have placed around the witness and the tomb of immortal life. Engraving with royal characters the heavenly Word of God as victor and bearer of trophies, you proclaim to all the nations with brilliant and unclouded voices, in word and in deed, the pious and God-loving confession.

Notes and citation

Summary: Constantine, knowing God's help in war and government, built the church at Christ's tomb as a trophy of the victory over death, proclaiming his faith to all.

  • The opening words are lost in the digital text ('[Who]' is supplied by sense). The digital text has a closing square bracket after τά with no opening bracket; if the editor bracketed τά as a deletion, it does not affect the sense. ἔ τε καὶ λόφῳ is garbled (probably ἔργῳ τε καὶ λόγῳ, 'in deed and word'); translated by sense. The church is that of the Holy Sepulchre.

Notes on the original text

  • Digital text corrected (OCR slip; OCR slip in breathing; hyphenation rejoined; accent slip; line-end hyphenation rejoined): τὰς έν ἀπόροις → τὰς ἐν ἀπόροις; μνή- μαις οἶα → μνήμαις οἷα; ὦν δὴ χάριν → ὧν δὴ χάριν; πιστοῖς ὕμα → πιστοῖς ἅμα; ἐκτυπού- μενος → ἐκτυπούμενος.

Extrabiblical texts: Eusebius, Vit. Const. 3.25-40 (Life of Constantine; allusion)

Topics: Church buildings

Cite (SBL): Eusebius, Laud. Const. 18.3 (Heikel; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-laus-constantini/18-3). (abbreviation not yet checked)

Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-laus-constantini/18-3

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Translation: Translated by Claude from Heikel's Greek (GCS 7, 1902; noisy digital text, OCR slips corrected and logged); compared afterwards with the public-domain English of NPNF² 1 (Richardson, 1890).