Eusebius of Caesarea, Life of Constantine 3.51-3.53
https://caesarea-maritima.org/testimonia/411
Context
In his biography of Constantine the Great, after recording the death
of St. Helena, Eusebius describes the emperor’s efforts to erect churches and other
places of Christian devotion across Palestine and in Constantinople, Nicomedia, and
Syrian Antioch (3.47-3.53). In particular, he ordered that a “house of prayer” (οἶκον
εὐκτήριον) be erected at the site of the Oak of Mamre near Hebron, where in ancient
times Abraham received the theophany (Genesis 18:1-33) but had more
recently been overrun by some pagan apparatus. Eusebius included the text of a letter
sent to Macarius, bishop of Jerusalem, and other bishops instructing them and provincial
authorities to develop the holy site. Among the attested correspondence of Constantine,
this letter, received and quoted by Eusebius as bishop, draws a direct connection
between Constantine and the Church at Caesarea; see also Eusebius, Life of
Constantine 4.35-4.37.
Text
(51) Τάδε μὲν οὖν τὰ ἐξοχώτατα τῶν βασιλέως ἐτύγχανεν ἀφιερώματα.
πυθόμενος δέ τοι ἕνα καὶ τὸ αὐτὸν σωτῆρα τὸν {τε} ἔναγχος ἐπιφανέντα τῷ βίῳ καὶ πρόπαλαι
θεοφανείας πεποιῆσθαι φιλοθέοις ἀνδράσι τῆς Παλαιστίνης ἀμφὶ τὴν καλουμένην δρῦν Μαμβρῆ,
κἀνταῦθα οἶκον εὐκτήριον ἀνεγεῖραι τῷ ὀφθέντι θεῷ διακελεύεται. τοῖς μὲν οὖν τῶν ἐθνῶν
ἄρχουσιν αὐθεντία βασιλικὴ διὰ τῶν πρὸς ἕκαστον ἐπισταλθέντων γραμμάτων ἐπεφοίτα, εἰς
πέρας ἀγαγεῖν τὸ προσταχθὲν διακελευομένη, ἡμῖν δὲ τοῖς τήνδε γράφουσι τὴν ἱστορίαν
λογικωτέραν κατέπεμπε διδασκαλίαν, ἧς ἔμοιγε δοκεῖ τὸ ἴσον γράμμα τῷ παρόντι συνάψαι
λόγῳ εἰς ἀκριβῆ διάγνωσιν τῆς τοῦ θεοφιλοῦς ἐπιμελείας. καταμεμψάμενος γοῦν ἡμῖν ἐφ’ οἷς
ἐπύθετο πραττομένοις αὐτόθι τάδε κατὰ λέξιν ἔγραφε.(52) “Νικητὴς Κωνσταντῖνος
Μέγιστος Σεβαστὸς Μακαρίῳ καὶ λοιποῖς ἐπισκόποις Παλαιστίνης.“Ἓν καὶ τοῦτο μέγιστον
τῆς ὁσιωτάτης μου κηδεστρίας γέγονεν εἰς ἡμᾶς εὐεργέτημα τὸ λανθάνουσαν μέχρι νῦν παρ’
ὑμῖν ἐναγῶν ἀνθρώπων ἀπόνοιαν διὰ τῶν πρὸς ἡμᾶς γνωρίσαι γραμμάτων, ὡς τῆς πρεπούσης
ἀπόνοιαν διὰ τῶν πρὸς ἡμᾶς γνωρίσαι γραμμάτων, ὡς τῆς πρεπούσης ἐπανορθώσεως καὶ
θεραπείας εἰ καὶ βραδέως ἀλλ’ ὅμως ἀναγκαίως δι’ ἡμῶν τὸ παροφθὲν ἁμάρτημα τυχεῖν. καὶ
γάρ ἐστιν ὡς ἀληθῶς δυσσέβημα παμμέγεθες τοὺς ἁγίους τόπους ὑπὸ τῶν ἀνοσίων χραίνεσθαι
μιασμάτων. τί οὖν ἐστιν, ἀδελφοὶ προσφιλέστατοι, ὃ τὴν ὑμετέραν παρελθὸν ἀγχίνοιαν ἡ
προειρημένη διὰ τὴν πρὸς τὸ θεῖον εὐλάβειαν οὐχ οἵα τε γέγονεν ἀποσιωπῆσαι;(53) “τὸ
χωρίον, ὅπερ παρὰ τὴν δρῦν τὴν Μαμβρῆ προσαγορεύεται, ἐν ᾧ τὸν Ἀβραὰμ τὴν ἑστίαν
ἐσχηκέναι μανθάνομεν, παντοίως ὑπό τινων δεισιδαιμόνων μιαίνεσθαί φησιν· εἴδωλά τε γὰρ
πάσης ἐξωλείας ἄξια παρ’ αὐτὴν ἱδρῦσθαι καὶ βωμὸν ἐδήλωσεν πλησίον ἑστάναι καὶ θυσίας
ἀκαθάρτους συνεχῶς ἐπιτελεῖσθαι. ὅθεν ἐπειδὴ καὶ τῶν καιρῶν τῶν ἡμετέρων ἀλλότριον καὶ
τῆς τοῦ τόπου ἁγιότητος ἀνάξιον καταφαίνεται, γινώσκειν ὑμῶν τὴν σεμνότητα βούλομαι
δεδηλῶσθαι παρ’ ἡμῶν πρὸς Ἀκάκιον τὸν διασημότατον κόμητα καὶ φίλον ἡμέτερον γράμμα, ἵν’
ἄνευ τινὸς ὑπερθέσεως καὶ τὰ εἴδωλα ὅσα δ’ ἂν ἐπὶ τοῦ προειρημένου εὑρίσκοιτο τόπου πυρὶ
παραδοθῇ, καὶ ὁ βωμὸς ἐκ βάθρων ἀνατραπῇ, καὶ ἁπλῶς εἰπεῖν, πάντων τῶν τοιούτων ἐκεῖθεν
ἄρδην ἀφανισθέντων, παντὶ σθένει καὶ τρόπῳ τὸ περιέχον ὅλον ἐκκαθᾶραι σπουδάσῃ, καὶ μετὰ
ταῦτα, καθὼς ἂν αὐτοὶ διατυπώσητε, ἀξίαν τῆς καθολικῆς καὶ ἀποστολικῆς ἐκκλησίας
βασιλικὴν ἀνοικοδομηθῆναι ἐπὶ τοῦ αὐτοῦ ποιῆσαι χωρίου. λοιπὸν ἔσται τῆς ὑμετέρας
συνέσεώς τε καὶ εὐλαβείας, ἐπειδὰν πάντα ἐκεῖθεν τὰ μυσαρὰ παντελῶς ἀνῃρῆσθαι μάθητε,
εἰς ταὐτὸ συνελθεῖν ἅμα τοῖς ἐκ Φοινίκης ἐπισκόποις, οὓς προσκαλέσασθαι ἐξ αὐθεντίας τοῦ
γράμματος τούτου δυνήσεσθε, καὶ διαγράψαι βασιλικὴν τῆς ἐμῆς φιλοτιμίας ἀξίαν, ὅπως τοῖς
προσταχθεῖσιν ἀκολούθως μετὰ πάσης ταχυτῆτος ἡ τοῦ ἔργου φαιδρότης κατ’ ἀξίαν τῆς τοῦ
τόπου ἀρχαιότητός τε καὶ σεμνότητος προνοίᾳ τοῦ προειρημένου ἡμῶν κόμητος
τελεσιουργηθῆναι δυνηθῇ.“ἐκεῖνο δὲ πρόγε ἁπάντων παραφυλάξαι ὑμᾶς βούλομαι, ὅπως
μηδεὶς πρὸς τοὐπιὸν τῶν ἐναγῶν ἐκείνων καὶ μυσαρῶν ἀνθρώπων τῷ τόπῳ πλησιάσαι τολμήσῃ·
ἔστι γὰρ ὡς ἀληθῶς ἡμῖν ἀφόρητον καὶ πᾶσι τοῖς τολμῶσι τιμωρίας ἄξιον μετὰ τὴν ἡμετέραν
κέλευσιν ἀσεβές τι ἐν τῷ τοιούτῳ τόπῳ πραχθῆναι, ὃν καθαρῷ βασιλικῆς οἰκοδομήματι
κοσμεῖσθαι διετάξαμεν, ὅπως ἁγίων ἀνθρώπων ἄξιον συνέδριον ἀποδειχθῇ. εἰ δέ τι παρὰ τὸ
προσταχθὲν γενέσθαι συμβαίη, χωρίς τινος μελλήσεως τῇ ἡμετέρᾳ ἡμερότητι δι’ ὑμετέρων
δηλαδὴ γραμμάτων γνωρισθῆναι πρέπει, ἵνα τὸν ἁλισκόμενον ὡς παρανομήσαντα τὴν ἀνωτάτω
κόλασιν ὑποστῆναι προστάξωμεν.“οὐ γὰρ ἀγνοεῖτε ἐκεῖ πρῶτον τὸν τῶν ὅλων δεσπότην θεὸν
καὶ ὦφθαι τῷ Ἀβραὰμ καὶ διειλέχθαι. ἐκεῖ μὲν οὖν πρῶτον ἡ τοῦ ἁγίου νόμου θρησκεία τὴν
καταρχὴν εἴληφεν, ἐκεῖ πρῶτον ὁ σωτὴρ αὐτὸς μετὰ τῶν δύο ἀγγέλων τὴν ἑαυτοῦ ἐπιφάνειαν
τῷ Ἀβραὰμ ἐπεδαψιλεύσατο, ἐκεῖ τοῖς ἀνθρώποις ὁ θεὸς ἤρξατο φαίνεσθαι, ἐκεῖ τῷ Ἀβραὰμ
περὶ τοῦ μέλλοντος αὐτῷ σπέρματος προηγόρευσεν καὶ παραχρῆμά γε τὴν ἐπαγγελίαν
ἐπλήρωσεν, ἐκεῖ πλείστων ὅσων ἐθνῶν ἔσεσθαι αὐτὸν πατέρα προεκήρυξεν. Ὧν οὕτως ἐχόντων
ἄξιόν ἐστιν, ὥς γέ μοι καταφαίνεται, διὰ τῆς ἡμετέρας φροντίδος καὶ καθαρὸν ἀπὸ παντὸς
μιάσματος τὸν τόπον τοῦτον φυλάττεσθαι καὶ πρὸς τὴν ἀρχαίαν ἁγιότητα ἀνακαλέσασθαι, ὡς
μηδὲν ἕτερον ἐπ’ αὐτοῦ πράττεσθαι ἢ τὴν πρέπουσαν τῷ παντοκράτορι καὶ σωτῆρι ἡμῶν καὶ
τῶν ὅλων δεσπότῃ θεῷ τελεῖσθαι θρησκείαν· ὅπερ μετὰ τῆς δεούσης προσῆκεν φυλάττειν ὑμᾶς
φροντίδος, εἴ γέ μοι τὰ καταθύμια τῆς θεοσεβείας ἐξαιρέτως ἠρτημένα, ὥσπερ οὖν
πέπεισμαι, ἡ ὑμετέρα σεμνότης πληροῦσθαι βούλεται.Ὁ θεὸς ὑμᾶς διαφυλάξοι, ἀδελφοὶ
ἀγαπητοί.”1
Textual Note
Ed. Winkelmann 1991Textual Note
Minor corr. (punctuation)Translation
(51) These were the most important of the emperor’s (sc.
Constantine’s) dedications. But when he learned that the same savior who had recently
appeared to the world had also in ancient times manifested himself to God-loving men in
Palestine near the oak tree called Mamre, he also ordered that a house of prayer be
erected there in honor of the God who had been seen there. To the governors of the
provinces an Imperial mandate was circulated through letters sent to each of them,
commanding them to fulfill his instructions completely. But he also dispatched to the
author of the present history a reasoned admonition, a copy of which I should, I think,
add to the present work to enable the concern of the God-beloved to be accurately
appreciated. He took us to task for what he had heard was going on here, and wrote in
these exact terms:(52) “The Victor Constantine Maximus Augustus to Macarius and the
other bishops of Palestine.“The greatest single service to us of my most saintly
mother-in-law has been to inform us through her letters to us of the mad folly of evil
men, which has so far escaped attention among you, so that the neglected fault may
receive appropriate corrective and restorative action from us, late perhaps but yet
necessary. It is certainly a monstrous evil that the holy sites should be marred by
sacrilegious abominations. What then is it, wellbeloved brothers, which has escaped your
Intelligence, and the aforesaid lady’s (sc. Helena’s) reverence for the divine would not
let her suppress?(53) “The place by the oak tree which is known as Mamre, where we
understand Abraham made his home, has been completely spoiled, she says, by
superstitious persons. Idols fit only for absolutely destruction have been set up beside
it, she explains, and an altar stands nearby, and foul sacrifices are constantly
conducted there. Since therefore this appears to be both alien to our times and unworthy
of the sanctity of the site, I would have your Reverences know that a letter has been
written by us to Acacius our most distinguished comes and friend,
directing that without delay such idols as he may find on the aforementioned site be
consigned to the flames, the altar completely demolished, and in short, when all such
things there have been got rid of, he should devote all possible effort and endeavor to
clearing out the whole area. After that, according to such instructions as you
yourselves may give, he is to have built on the same spot a basilica worthy of the
catholic and apostolic Church. It will then be for your Wisdom and Reverence, as soon as
you learn that all the defilements there have been completely removed, to come together
at the same place with the bishops from Phoenicia, whom you will be able to summon on
the authority of this letter, and to design a basilica worthy of my munificence, so that
in accordance with my oders and with all speed the splendor of the building can be
brought to completion under the supervision of our aforesaid comes in
a manner fitting the antiquity and sacredness of the site.“Above all I wish you to
take particular care that in future none of those accursed and foul people dare to come
near the place. It is to us quite intolerable and for all the culprits a punishable
crime if any sacrilege is commited in such a place after our order, when we have given
instructions that it is to be adorned with a pure basilica church in order to become a
meeting-place fit for holy persons. Should anything occur contrary to this order, it is
well that without any hesitation it should be reported to our Clemency by letters from
you, so that we may order the person apprehended be subjected to the severest punishment
as having broken the law.“You are surely aware that there first God the Lord of the
Universe both appeared to Abraham and spoke with him. It was there trherefore that the
religion of the holy Law first had its beginning, there that the Savior himself with the
two angels first vouchsafed the manifestation of himself to Abraham, there that God
began to reveal himself to humanity, there that he spoke to Abraham about his future
seed and instantly fulfilled his promise, and there that he predicted he would be the
father of very many nations. In these circumstances it is right, so it seems to me, that
by our provision this site should be both kept clear of every defilement and restored to
its ancient holy esteem, so that no other activity goes on there except the performance
of the cult appropriate to God the Almighty, our Saviour and Lord of the Universe. It is
your duty to protect it with the necessary care, if indeed the fulfilment of my desires,
which particularly accord with godly religion, so I firmly believe, is the wish of your
Reverences.God preserve you, dear brothers.”2
Translation Note
Rev. Cameron and Hill 1999Works Cited
- 1 Eusebius of Caesarea, Eusebius Werke I.1: Über das Leben des Kaisers Constantins, ed. Friedhelm Winkelmann, Repr. Berlin: Walter de Gruyter 2008, Die grieschischen christlichen Schriftsteller der ersten drei Jahrhunderte n.F. 7 (Berlin: Akademie-Verlag, 1991), bk: 3, ch: 51-53.
- 2 Eusebius of Caesarea, Life of Constantine, trans. Averil Cameron and Stuart G. Hill, Clarendon Ancient History Series (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1999), 141-143, 299-300.
How to Cite This Entry
Joseph L. Rife, “Eusebius of Caesarea, Life of Constantine 3.51-3.53,” in Caesarea Maritima: A Collection of Testimonia, entry published June 30, 2023, https://caesarea-maritima.org/testimonia/411.
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Bibliography:
Joseph L. Rife, “Eusebius of Caesarea, Life of Constantine 3.51-3.53.” In Caesarea Maritima: A Collection of Testimonia, edited by Joseph L. Rife., edited by Joseph L. Rife. Caesarea City and Port Exploration Project, 2023. Entry published June 30, 2023. https://caesarea-maritima.org/testimonia/411.About this Entry
Entry Title: Eusebius of Caesarea, Life of Constantine 3.51-3.53
Authorial and Editorial Responsibility:
- Joseph L. Rife, general editor, Vanderbilt University
- Joseph L. Rife, editor, Caesarea Maritima: A Collection of Testimonia
- David A. Michelson, Daniel L. Schwartz, and William L. Potter, technical editor, “Eusebius of Caesarea, Life of Constantine 3.51-3.53”
- Joseph L. Rife, entry contributor, “Eusebius of Caesarea, Life of Constantine 3.51-3.53”
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