Eusebius: Life of Constantine - Essay Example

Harris Kamran History Critical Analysis 14 September Eusebius: Life of Constantine (Book In Life of Constantine (Book 1, Eusebius praises and applauds the man whom he holds in great reverence and earnest, and is apparently in awe of2. He sets the scene of the thirtieth anniversary of the death of Constantine3, and states that even to this day, and at his thirtieth anniversary, Constantine continues to rule the masses and impress upon their hearts with his greatness and holiness4, and it is as if he were still alive and reigning5.

The author claims that after so many years of his death, the presence of Constantine is, in fact, felt even more strongly than when he was alive6, due to the multitude of followers who have honored the memory of the great man by incorporating the teachings of his life into their lives7, and so now it is as if all these people were his children, and he were still ruling the world through them8. After lying the ground for the anniversary of his death, the Eusebius narrates a little of the history of Constantine, constantly singing his praises, and claiming that no ruler before him had experienced the greatness that Constantine experienced, by ruling so many nations of the world9.

An underlying theme of the work is the glory and the blessings that the author believes God has bestowed on Constantine10, and the closeness that Constantine had and perhaps still has after his death, with God11. The manner of writing of the author is overpoweringly biased towards the greatness of Constantine12, and the whole narrative reads like a hymn written in the praise of the great man13. The style of writing is rather poetic; however, it is merely a collection of the thoughts and opinions of the writer and so does not merit as a critical analysis on the life of Constantine.

Therefore, it cannot be used as a reference for scholarly purposes. Endnotes1. Kevin Knight, “Life of Constantine (Book I),” New Advent, 2009, http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/25021.htm2. Ibid.3. Ibid.4. Ibid.5. Ibid.6. Ibid.7. Ibid.8. Ibid.9. Ibid.10. Ibid.11. Ibid.12. Ibid.13. Ibid. BibliographyKnight, Kevin. “Life of Constantine (Book I).” New Advent. 2009.http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/25021.htm.