Eusebius

Lore & Background

Eusebius was most likely born in or around Caesarea Maritima. Nothing is known about his parents. He was baptized and instructed in the city, and lived in Syria Palaestina in 296, when Diocletian's army passed through the region. He was made presbyter by Agapius of Caesarea. Some scholars understand his statement about hearing Dorotheus of Tyre expound the Scriptures to indicate he was Dorotheus's pupil, while others deem the phrase too ambiguous. Through the activities of Origen and his follower Pamphilus, Caesarea became a center of Christian learning. Pamphilus began teaching Eusebius when he was between twenty and twenty-five, and Eusebius was sometimes called Eusebius Pamphili, meaning 'son of Pamphilus.'

Reader's Guide

Eusebius's significance lies in his role as a pioneering historian of the Christian Church. His Ecclesiastical History and Chronicle preserved extensive excerpts from earlier sources that would otherwise have been lost, making him indispensable to later scholars. He also produced works of biblical criticism, including the Onomasticon, a geographical lexicon of the Holy Land. His theological views were controversial: he was suspected of Arianism, and he defended Origen's theology against critics like Eustathius of Antioch. He presided over synods that condemned Athanasius of Alexandria, and he enjoyed the favor of Emperor Constantine, whose biography he wrote. Despite disputes over his orthodoxy, his method of comprehensive citation from original sources ensured his lasting influence on ecclesiastical history.

Did You Know?

• Eusebius was sometimes called Eusebius Pamphili, meaning 'son of Pamphilus,' because of his close relationship with his teacher.
• He compiled a Collection of Ancient Martyrdoms for use as a general reference tool.
• His work Onomasticon is an early geographical lexicon of places in the Holy Land mentioned in the Bible.
• Eusebius's successor at the See of Caesarea, Acacius, wrote a Life of Eusebius that has since been lost.

Notable Quotes (Wikiquote)

"Reported in Josiah Hotchkiss Gilbert, Dictionary of Burning Words of Brilliant Writers (1895), p. 103." — Eusebius "[Christ's] character is twofold: like the head of the body in that he is regarded as God and yet comparable to the feet in that he put on humanity for the sake of our salvation, a man of passions like ours." — Eusebius "While the saving message spread day by day, some providence brought from Ethiopia an officer of the queen, for that nation is still traditionally ruled by a woman." — Eusebius "see Eusebius, Praeparatio Evangelica (Preparation for the Gospel) xv, 6l." — Eusebius