CONSTANTINE THE GREAT IN BYZANTINE HISTORIOGRAPHY

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  • Associate Professor of Ecclesiastical History Faculty of Theology School of Pastoral and
Keywords: Constantine, survey, Eusebius, Edict, Cross, New Rome.

Abstract

Abstract: The articles deals with the historical survey of the descriptions of Constantine’s life in the writings of the Byzantine historians, from the contemporary Eusebius to the early 12th century Cedrenus. The shift of Constantine the Great, combined with a radical change of the pagan world and the gradual establishment of Christianity, gave much thought to Byzantine historians. They described important phases of Constantine 's life: the vision of the Cross, which the emperor saw before the crucial battle with Maxentius (312), the Edict of Milan (313), the foundation of New Rome (Constantinople), and its inauguration as the new in 330. The Byzantine historians who followed Eusebius convey an ideal image of Constantine, showing a personality that promoted Christianity and helped it to fight with pagans and heretics.

References

namely the emperor who changed the pagan society into a Christian era.
Abbreviations
ΒΖ = Byzantinische Zeitschrift, München
Cod. Theod. = Codex Theodosianus, ed. Th. Momsen, Hildesheim 1990 Chronicon Pascale = Chronicon Pascale, ed. L. Dinforf, Chronicon pascale, Bonn
1832
Cedrenus, Compendium Historiarum = Georgius Cedrenus, Compendium Historiarum, ed. Weber, Georgius Cedrenus Ioannis Scylitzae ope, 2 vols, CSHB, Bonn 1838-1839.
CSEL = Corpus Scriptorum Ecclesiasticorum Latinorum CSHB = Corpus Scriptorum Historiae Byzantine
DEOC = Dizionario Enciclopedico dell’ Oriente Cristiano, A cura di Edward G. Farrugia, S.J., Roma 2000
DGCS = Die Griechischen Christlichen Schriftsteller E = Εκκλησία
Eusebius, Vita Constantini = Eusebius, Vita Constantini ,Winkelmann, Eusebius Werke, Nand 1.1: Über das Leben des Kaisers Konstantin, DGCS, Berlin 1975
Georgius Monachus, Chronicon = Georgius Monachus, Chronicon, ed. C. De Boor, Georgii monachi Chronicon, Leipzig 1904 (rpl 1978)
Lactanius, De mortibus persecutorum = Lactanius, De mortibus persecutorum (314-315), εκδ. S. Brandt, G. Laubmann, CSEL, 27, Vindobonae 1897, ed. J. Moreau, SC, 39, Paris 1954
Malalas, Chronographia = Ioannis Malalae, Chronographia, ed. Weber, CSHB, Bonn 1831.
ODB = The Oxford Dictionary of Byzantium, I-II, New York - Oxford 1991 REB = Revue des Études Byzantines
Theophanes, Chronographia = Theophanes, Chronographia, ed. C. De Boor, Theophanis Chronographia, vol. I, Leipzig 1883 (rpl Hildesheim 1963)
ΘΗΕ =Θρησκευτικη καί Ήθικη Εγκυκλοπαιδεία SC = Sources Chrétiennes
Socrates, Historia ΒΖ = Byzantinische Zeitschrift, München
Cod. Theod. = Codex Theodosianus, ed. Th. Momsen, Hildesheim 1990
Chronicon Pascale = Chronicon Pascale, ed. L. Dinforf, Chronicon pascale, Bonn
1832
Cedrenus, Compendium Historiarum = Georgius Cedrenus, Compendium Historiarum, ed. Weber, Georgius Cedrenus Ioannis Scylitzae ope, 2 vols, CSHB, Bonn 1838-1839.
CSEL = Corpus Scriptorum Ecclesiasticorum Latinorum CSHB = Corpus Scriptorum Historiae Byzantine
DEOC = Dizionario Enciclopedico dell’ Oriente Cristiano, A cura di Edward G. Farrugia, S.J., Roma 2000
DGCS = Die Griechischen Christlichen Schriftsteller E = Εκκλησία
Eusebius, Vita Constantini = Eusebius, Vita Constantini ,Winkelmann, Eusebius Werke, Nand 1.1: Über das Leben des Kaisers Konstantin, DGCS, Berlin 1975
Georgius Monachus, Chronicon = Georgius Monachus, Chronicon, ed. C. De Boor, Georgii monachi Chronicon, Leipzig 1904 (rpl 1978)
Lactanius, De mortibus persecutorum = Lactanius, De mortibus persecutorum (314-315), ed. S. Brandt, G. Laubmann, CSEL, 27, Vindobonae 1897, ed. J. Moreau, SC, 39, Paris 1954
Malalas, Chronographia = Ioannis Malalae, Chronographia, ed. Weber, CSHB, Bonn 1831.
ODB = The Oxford Dictionary of Byzantium, I-II, New York - Oxford 1991 REB = Revue des Études Byzantines
Theophanes, Chronographia = Theophanes, Chronographia, ed. C. De Boor, Theophanis Chronographia, vol. I, Leipzig 1883 (rpl Hildesheim 1963)
ΘΗΕ =Θρησκευτικη καί Ήθικη Εγκυκλοπαιδεία SC = Sources Chrétiennes
Socrates, Historia Ecclesiastica = Socrates, Scolasticus, Historia Ecclesiastica, ed. P. Maraval and Périchon, Socrate de Constantinople, Histoire Ecclésiastique, (Livres I-VII), Paris 2004-2007
Sozomenus, Historia Ecclesiastica = Sozomenus, Historia Ecclesiastica, ed. J. Bidez and G. G. Hansen, Sozomenus, Kirchengeschichte, DGCS 50, Berlin 1954
Symmachus = Q. Aurelii Symmachi, Epistorlarum, Libri decem, PL 18, 145¬408.
Themistius, Filadelfi = Themistius, ed. G. Downey, Tgemistii orations quae supersunt, vol. 1, Leipzig 1965
Zonaras, Epitome Historiarum = Ioannis Zonarae, Epitome historiarum, ed. T. Büttner-Wobst, Ioannis Zonarae epitome historiarum, libri xviii, vol. 3, CSHB, Bonn 1897.
Zosimus, Historia Nova = Zosimus, Historia Nova, ed. F. Paschoud, Zocime, Histoire nouvelle, vols. 1-3,2, Paris 1971-1989
Socrates, Ecclesiastica Ecclesiastica = Socrates Scolasticus, Historia
Ecclesiastica, ed. P. Maraval and Périchon, Socrate de Constantinople, Histoire
Ecclésiastique, (Livres I-VII), Paris 2004-2007
Sozomenus, Historia Ecclesiastica = Sozomenus, Historia Ecclesiastica, ed. J. Bidez and G. G. Hansen, Sozomenus, Kirchengeschichte, DGCS 50, Berlin 1954
Symmachus = Q. Aurelii Symmachi, Epistorlarum, Libri decem, PL 18, 145¬408.
Themistius, Filadelfi = Themistius, ed. G. Downey, Tgemistii orations quae supersunt, vol. 1, Leipzig 1965
Zonaras, Epitome Historiarum = Ioannis Zonarae, Epitome historiarum, ed. T. Büttner-Wobst, Ioannis Zonarae epitome historiarum, libri xviii, vol. 3, CSHB, Bonn 1897.
Zosimus, Historia Nova = Zosimus, Historia Nova, ed. F. Paschoud, Zocime, Histoire nouvelle, vols. 1-3,2, Paris 1971-1989
Published
2014-10-13