Tricennial Oration (In Praise of Constantine) 14.1–16.12
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 14
14.1Heikel
Φέρε δὴ μετὰ ταῦτα καὶ διʼ ἣν αἰτίαν ὀργάνῳ σώματι χρησάμενος εἰς ἀνθρώπων διατριβὰς παρῄει ὁ ἀσώματος τοῦ θεοῦ λόγος εμεν. καὶ πῶς ἂν ἄλλως θεία καὶ ἀναφὴς ἄυλός τε καὶ ἀόρατος οὐσία τοῖς ἐν γενέσει τὸν θεὸν καὶ ἐπὶ γῆς κάτω ζητοῦσιν, ἄλλως τε οὐ δυναμένοις ἢ μὴ βουλομένοις τὸν τῶν ἀπάντων γενεσιουργόν τε καὶ ποιητὴν ἐποπτεύειν, ἢ δέ ἀνθρωπείου σχήματός τε καὶ εἴδους ἑαυτὴν ἔφηνεν;
Phere dē meta tauta kai diʼ hēn aitian organǭ sōmati chrēsamenos eis anthrōpōn diatribas parę̄ei ho asōmatos tou theou logos emen. kai pōs an allōs theia kai anaphēs aulos te kai aoratos ousia tois en genesei ton theon kai epi gēs katō zētousin, allōs te ou dynamenois ē mē boulomenois ton tōn apantōn genesiourgon te kai poiētēn epopteuein, ē de anthrōpeiou schēmatos te kai eidous heautēn ephēnen?
Come then, after this let us say for what reason the incorporeal Word of God, using a body as an instrument, came to dwell among men. How else could the divine, intangible, immaterial and invisible substance show itself to those who seek God in things that come into being and down on earth, and who cannot, or will not, behold the creator and maker of all, than through a human shape and form?
Notes and citation
Summary: The incorporeal Word took a body because people who sought God in visible things could see him only in human form.
- The text reads εμεν (for εἴπωμεν, 'let us say') and ἢ δέ (for ἢ διʼ, 'than through'); translated by sense.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR slip in breathing; OCR stray breathing): Φἐρε → Φέρε; οὑσία → οὐσία.
Topics: Christology, Incarnation
Cite (SBL): Eusebius, Laud. Const. 14.1 (Heikel; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-laus-constantini/14-1). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-laus-constantini/14-1
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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).
14.2Heikel
ὅθεν διʼ ὀργάνου θνητοῦ, καταλλήλου βοηθήματος, τοῖς θνητοῖς εἰς ὁμιλίαν κατῄει, ὅτι δὴ τοῦτʼ αὐτοῖς φίλον ἦν· τὰ ὅμοια γοῦν, φασί, τοῖς ὁμοίοις φίλα. τοῖς δῆτα χαίρουσι τῇ τῶν ὁρωμένων αἰσθήσει, ἐν ἀγάλμασί τε καὶ ξοάνων ἀψύχων γλυφαῖς θεοὺς ἀναζητοῦσιν, ἐν ὕλῃ τε καὶ σώμασιν τὸ θεῖον εἶναι φανταζομένοις, θνητούς τε ἄνδρας τὴν φύσιν θεοὺς ἀναγορεύουσιν, καὶ ταύτῃ πη ἑαυτὸν ὁ τοῦ θεοῦ λόγος ἐδείκνυ.
hothen diʼ organou thnētou, katallēlou boēthēmatos, tois thnētois eis homilian katę̄ei, hoti dē toutʼ autois philon ēn; ta homoia goun, phasi, tois homoiois phila. tois dēta chairousi tę̄ tōn horōmenōn aisthēsei, en agalmasi te kai xoanōn apsychōn glyphais theous anazētousin, en hylę̄ te kai sōmasin to theion einai phantazomenois, thnētous te andras tēn physin theous anagoreuousin, kai tautę̄ pē heauton ho tou theou logos edeikny.
Therefore he came down to converse with mortals through a mortal instrument, a fitting aid, because this was dear to them; for like, they say, is dear to like. To those who delight in the perception of things seen, who seek gods in statues and carvings of lifeless wooden images, who imagine the divine to be in matter and bodies, and who proclaim as gods men mortal by nature, in this way the Word of God showed himself.
Notes and citation
Summary: Since like loves like, the Word showed himself in a human body to those who looked for the divine in images and men.
- 'Like is dear to like' is a proverb (Homer, Od. 17.218; Plato, Symp. 195b).
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR lost accent; OCR slip in breathing): ἠν· τὰ ὅμοια → ἦν· τὰ ὅμοια; τοῖς όμοίοις → τοῖς ὁμοίοις.
Extrabiblical texts: Homer, Od. 17.218 (Homer, Odyssey; echo)
Topics: Christology, Incarnation
Cite (SBL): Eusebius, Laud. Const. 14.2 (Heikel; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-laus-constantini/14-2). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-laus-constantini/14-2
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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).
14.3Heikel
διὸ δὴ νεὼν πανάγιον αὐτὸς αὐτῷ σωματικὸν ὄργανον κατεσκευάσατο, λογικῆς δυνάμεως αἰσθητικὸν οἰκητήριον, ἄγαλμα σεμνὸν καὶ πανίερον, ξοάνου παντὸς ἀψύχου προτιμότερον. τὸ μὲν γὰρ ἐξ ὕλης ἀψύχου δείκηλον, χερσὶ βαναύσων ἀνδρῶν ἐν εἰκόνι χαλκοῦ καὶ σιδήρου χρυσοῦ τε καὶ ἐλέφαντος λίθων τε καὶ ξύλων ἐν ὕλῃ τετεχνασμένον, προσφυὲς ἂν εἴη δαιμόνων οἰκητήριον· τὸ δʼ ἔνθεον ἄγαλμα σοφίας ἐνθέου δυνάμει πεποικιλμένον ζωῆς μετεῖχεν καὶ νοερᾶς οὐσίας, ἄγαλμα πάσης ἀρετῆς ἔμπλεων, ἄγαλμα θεοῦ λόγου οἰκητήριον νεώς τε ἅγιος θεοῦ.
dio dē neōn panagion autos autǭ sōmatikon organon kateskeuasato, logikēs dynameōs aisthētikon oikētērion, agalma semnon kai panieron, xoanou pantos apsychou protimoteron. to men gar ex hylēs apsychou deikēlon, chersi banausōn andrōn en eikoni chalkou kai sidērou chrysou te kai elephantos lithōn te kai xylōn en hylę̄ tetechnasmenon, prosphyes an eiē daimonōn oikētērion; to dʼ entheon agalma sophias entheou dynamei pepoikilmenon zōēs meteichen kai noeras ousias, agalma pasēs aretēs empleōn, agalma theou logou oikētērion neōs te hagios theou.
Therefore he prepared for himself an all-holy temple, a bodily instrument, a perceptible dwelling of rational power, a venerable and all-holy statue, more honourable than any lifeless wooden image. For the image made of lifeless matter, crafted by the hands of base workmen into a likeness of bronze and iron, gold and ivory, stone and wood, would be a fitting dwelling for demons; but the divine statue, embroidered by the power of divine wisdom, shared in life and intellectual substance, a statue full of every virtue, a statue that is the dwelling of the Word of God and a holy temple of God.
John 2:21 (echo, medium confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: The Word's human body was a living, holy temple and statue, unlike the lifeless idols that house demons.
- 'Temple' recalls John 2:21. The text reads Μου λόγου (for θεοῦ λόγου) and ἅηιος (for ἅγιος).
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR garbled word; OCR slip (η for γ)): ἄγαλμα Μου λόγου → ἄγαλμα θεοῦ λόγου; ἅηιος → ἅγιος.
Topics: Christology
Cite (SBL): Eusebius, Laud. Const. 14.3 (Heikel; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-laus-constantini/14-3). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-laus-constantini/14-3
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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).
14.4Heikel
οὑ δὴ ὁ ἔνοικος λόγος θνητοῖς μὲν διὰ τοῦ συγγενοῦς συνῆν τε καὶ ἐγνωρίζετο, οὐ μὴν ὑπέπιπτε ταῖς ὁμοιοπαθείαις, οὐδʼ ἀνθρώπου ψυχῆς τρόπον τῷ σώματι κατεδεσμεῖτο, οὐδέ γε χείρων αὐτὸς αὐτοῦ γενόμενος τῆς οἰκείας θεότητος μετεβάλλετο. ὡς γὰρ οὐδʼ ἡλίου φωτὸς πάθοιεν ἄν τι ἀκτῖνες, τὰ πάντα πληροῦσαι καὶ σωμάτων νεκρῶν καὶ οὐ καθαρῶν ἐφαπτόμεναι, ταύτῃ πολὺ πλέον ἡ ἀσώματος τοῦ θεοῦ λόγου δύναμις οὔτʼ ἂν πάθοι τι τὴν οὐσίαν ἂν βλαβείη οὐδʼ ἂν χείρων ποτὲ ἑαυτῆς γένοιτο, σώματος ἀσωμάτως ἐπαφωμένη.
hou dē ho enoikos logos thnētois men dia tou syngenous synēn te kai egnōrizeto, ou mēn hypepipte tais homoiopatheiais, oudʼ anthrōpou psychēs tropon tǭ sōmati katedesmeito, oude ge cheirōn autos autou genomenos tēs oikeias theotētos meteballeto. hōs gar oudʼ hēliou phōtos pathoien an ti aktines, ta panta plērousai kai sōmatōn nekrōn kai ou katharōn ephaptomenai, tautę̄ poly pleon hē asōmatos tou theou logou dynamis outʼ an pathoi ti tēn ousian an blabeiē oudʼ an cheirōn pote heautēs genoito, sōmatos asōmatōs epaphōmenē.
The Word dwelling in it was with mortals through what is akin to them and was known by them; yet he did not fall under like passions, nor was he bound to the body in the manner of a human soul, nor, becoming worse than himself, was he changed from his own deity. For as the rays of the sun's light would suffer nothing, though they fill all things and touch dead and impure bodies, so much more the incorporeal power of the Word of God would suffer nothing, nor be harmed in substance, nor ever become worse than itself, touching a body incorporeally.
Notes and citation
Summary: The indwelling Word was not affected by the body, as sunlight is not defiled by what it touches.
- Eusebius's account of the Word's relation to the body is translated as written. The text reads μάτων (for σωμάτων) and lacks οὐδʼ before τὴν οὐσίαν.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR dropped letters; OCR lost accents; OCR slip in breathing): ταῖς όμοιοπαθείαις → ταῖς ὁμοιοπαθείαις; καὶ μάτων νεκρῶν → καὶ σωμάτων νεκρῶν; επαφωμενη → ἐπαφωμένη.
Topics: Christology, Incarnation
Cite (SBL): Eusebius, Laud. Const. 14.4 (Heikel; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-laus-constantini/14-4). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-laus-constantini/14-4
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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).
14.5Heikel
οὕτω δῆτα ὁ κοινὸς ἀπάντων σωτὴρ εὐεργετικὸν ἑαυτὸν τοῖς πᾶσι καὶ σωτήριον παρέσχε διʼ ὀργάνου οὗ προβέβλητο ἀνθρωπίνου, οἷά τις μουσικὸς ἀνὴρ διὰ τῆς λύρας τὴν σοφίαν δεικνύμενος. Ὀρφέα μὲν δὴ μῦθος Ἑλληνικὸς παντοῖα γένη θηρίων θέλγειν τῇ ᾠδῇ ἐξημεροῦν τε τῶν ἀγρίων τοὺς θυμούς, ἐν ὀργάνῳ πλήκτρῳ κρουομένων χορδῶν, παραδίδωσιν, καὶ τοῦθʼ Ἑλλήνων ᾄδεται χορῷ, καὶ πιστεύεται ἄψυχος λύρα τιθασεύειν τοὺς θῆρας καὶ δὴ καὶ τὰ δένδρα τὰς φηγοὺς μεταβάλλειν μουσικῇ εἴκοντα. τοιγαροῦν ὁ πάνσοφος καὶ παναρμόνιος τοῦ θεοῦ λόγος ψυχαῖς ἀνθρώπων πολυτρόποις κακίαις ὑποβεβλημέναις παντοίας θεραπείας προβαλλόμενος, μουσικὸν ὄργανον χερσὶ λαβών, αὐτοῦ ποίημα σοφίας, τὸν ἄνθρωπον, ᾠδὰς καὶ ἐπῳδὰς διὰ τούτου λογικοῖς ἀλλʼ οὐκ ἀλόγοις θηρσὶν ἀνεκρούετο. πάντα τρόπον ἀνήμερον Ἑλλήνων τε καὶ βαρβάρων πάθη τε ἄγρια καὶ θηριώδη ψυχῶν τοῖς τῆς ἐνθέου διδασκαλίας φαρμάκοις ἐξιώμενος, καὶ νοσούσαις γε ψυχαῖς ταῖς τὸ θεῖον ἐν γενέσει καὶ σώμασιν ἀναζητούσαις οἷά τις ἰατρῶν ἄριστος συγγενεῖ καὶ καταλλήλῳ βοηθήματι θεὸν ἐν ἀνθρώπῳ παρίστη.
houtō dēta ho koinos apantōn sōtēr euergetikon heauton tois pasi kai sōtērion paresche diʼ organou hou probeblēto anthrōpinou, hoia tis mousikos anēr dia tēs lyras tēn sophian deiknymenos. Orphea men dē mythos Hellēnikos pantoia genē thēriōn thelgein tę̄ ǭdę̄ exēmeroun te tōn agriōn tous thymous, en organǭ plēktrǭ krouomenōn chordōn, paradidōsin, kai touthʼ Hellēnōn ądetai chorǭ, kai pisteuetai apsychos lyra tithaseuein tous thēras kai dē kai ta dendra tas phēgous metaballein mousikę̄ eikonta. toigaroun ho pansophos kai panarmonios tou theou logos psychais anthrōpōn polytropois kakiais hypobeblēmenais pantoias therapeias proballomenos, mousikon organon chersi labōn, autou poiēma sophias, ton anthrōpon, ǭdas kai epǭdas dia toutou logikois allʼ ouk alogois thērsin anekroueto. panta tropon anēmeron Hellēnōn te kai barbarōn pathē te agria kai thēriōdē psychōn tois tēs entheou didaskalias pharmakois exiōmenos, kai nosousais ge psychais tais to theion en genesei kai sōmasin anazētousais hoia tis iatrōn aristos syngenei kai katallēlǭ boēthēmati theon en anthrōpǭ paristē.
So the common Saviour of all made himself beneficent and saving to all through the human instrument he had put forth, like a musician showing his skill through the lyre. A Greek myth hands down that Orpheus charmed every kind of beast with his song and tamed the fury of the wild ones by striking the strings of his instrument with a plectrum; this is sung by the chorus of the Greeks, and it is believed that a lifeless lyre tamed the beasts and even moved the trees, the oaks, yielding to music. So the all-wise and all-harmonious Word of God, applying every kind of cure to human souls subject to many kinds of wickedness, took in his hands a musical instrument, the work of his own wisdom, man, and through it played songs and charms to rational, not irrational, beasts, healing every savage manner of Greeks and barbarians and the wild and beastlike passions of souls with the remedies of divine teaching; and to sick souls that seek the divine in things that come into being and in bodies, like the best of physicians, with a kindred and fitting aid, he presented God in a man.
Notes and citation
Summary: Like Orpheus taming beasts with his lyre, the Word used a human being as his instrument to tame and heal human souls, showing them God in a man.
- The Orpheus comparison echoes Clement of Alexandria, Protrepticus 1. The text has several slips (κρουρμένων, θηρσὶω, παρίοτη).
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR slip; OCR slips): έν ὀργάνῳ πλήκτρῳ κρουρμένων → ἐν ὀργάνῳ πλήκτρῳ κρουομένων; θηρσὶω → θηρσὶν; θεὸν έν ἀνθρώπῳ παρίοτη → θεὸν ἐν ἀνθρώπῳ παρίστη.
Extrabiblical texts: Clement of Alexandria, Protr. 1 (Exhortation to the Greeks; echo)
Topics: Christology, Incarnation
Cite (SBL): Eusebius, Laud. Const. 14.5 (Heikel; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-laus-constantini/14-5). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-laus-constantini/14-5
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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).
14.6Heikel
κἄπειτα σωμάτων οὐχ ἧττον ἢ ψυχῶν ἐπιμελόμενος, σαρκὸς μὲν ὀφθαλμοῖς ὁρᾶν θαύματά τινα παράδοξα καὶ θεϊκὰς τερατείας τε καὶ δυνάμεις, ἀκοαῖς δὲ πάλιν σαρκὸς τὰς διὰ γλώττης καὶ σαρκὸς ὑπήχει διδασκαλίας, πάντα δʼ ἐπετέλει διʼ οὗ ἀνείληφεν ἀνθρώπου τοῖς οὐκ ἄλλως ἢ μόνως οὕτως τῆς τοιαύτης θεότητος συναισθέσθαι δυναμένοις. 7 καὶ ταῦτα ταῖς πατρικαῖς βουλαῖς διηκονεῖτο, μένων πάλιν αὐτὸς ἄυλος, οἷος καὶ πρὸ τούτου παρὰ τῷ πατρὶ ἦν, οὔτι μεταβαλὼν τὴν οὐσίαν, οὐδʼ ἀφανισθείσης τῆς αὐτοῦ φύσεως, οὐδέ γε τοῖς τῆς σαρκὸς δεσμοῖς πεδηθείς, οὐδʼ ὧδε μὲν ἔνθα ἦν αὐτῷ τὸ ἀνθρώπειον σκεῦος τὰς διατριβὰς ποιούμενος, ἐν ἑτέροις δὲ εἶναι τοῦ παντὸς κεκωλυμένος.
kapeita sōmatōn ouch hētton ē psychōn epimelomenos, sarkos men ophthalmois horan thaumata tina paradoxa kai theïkas terateias te kai dynameis, akoais de palin sarkos tas dia glōttēs kai sarkos hypēchei didaskalias, panta dʼ epetelei diʼ hou aneilēphen anthrōpou tois ouk allōs ē monōs houtōs tēs toiautēs theotētos synaisthesthai dynamenois. 7 kai tauta tais patrikais boulais diēkoneito, menōn palin autos aulos, hoios kai pro toutou para tǭ patri ēn, outi metabalōn tēn ousian, oudʼ aphanistheisēs tēs autou physeōs, oude ge tois tēs sarkos desmois pedētheis, oudʼ hōde men entha ēn autǭ to anthrōpeion skeuos tas diatribas poioumenos, en heterois de einai tou pantos kekōlymenos.
And then, caring no less for bodies than for souls, he showed to the eyes of the flesh marvellous wonders and divine portents and powers, and sounded in the ears of the flesh teachings through tongue and flesh; and he accomplished all things through the man he had taken up, for those who could perceive such a deity in no other way but this. [7] And he ministered these things to the Father's counsels, remaining himself again immaterial, as he was before this with the Father, not changing his substance, not losing his own nature, not fettered by the bonds of the flesh, nor, while his human vessel spent its time here where it was, being prevented from being in the other parts of the universe.
Notes and citation
Summary: Through the man he assumed the Word worked visible miracles and taught, while remaining unchanged and present everywhere.
- The printed numeral 7 marks section 14.7, which the staging did not separate; it is kept as [7]. The first sentence lacks a verb ('he showed'), supplied.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR dropped letter; OCR slip in breathing; line-end hyphenation rejoined; stray marks): έπιμελόμενος → ἐπιμελόμενος; ὀφθαλμοῖς.. → ὀφθαλμοῖς; μετα- βαλὼν → μεταβαλὼν; ἀφανισθείης → ἀφανισθείσης; έν ἑτέροις → ἐν ἑτέροις.
Topics: Christology, Miracles
Cite (SBL): Eusebius, Laud. Const. 14.6 (Heikel; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-laus-constantini/14-6). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-laus-constantini/14-6
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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).
14.8Heikel
ἀλλὰ γὰρ καὶ ἐν τῷ τότε, καθʼ ὅ ἐν ἀνθρώποις ἐπολιτεύετο, τὰ πάντα ἐπλήρου, καὶ τῷ πατρὶ συνῆν, καὶ ἐν αὐτῷ γε ἠν, καὶ τῶν πάντων ἁθρόως καὶ ἐν τῷ τότε τῶν τε κατʼ οὐρανὸν καὶ ἐπὶ γῆς ἐπεμέλετο, οὐδαμῶς τῆς πανταχόσε παρουσίας ὁμοίως ἡμῖν ἀποκλειόμενος οὐδὲ τὰ θεῖα πρότεινε συνήθως παραποδιζόμενος, ἀλλὰ τὰ μὲν ἐξ αὐτοῦ παραδιδοὺς τῷ ἀνθρώπῳ τὰ δʼ ἐκ τοῦ θνητοῦ μὴ ἀντιλαμβάνων, καὶ τῆς μὲν ἐνθέου δυνάμεως τῷ θνητῷ χορηγῶν τῆς δʼ ἐκ τοῦ θνητοῦ μετουσίας μὴ ἀντεπαρυόμενος.
alla gar kai en tǭ tote, kathʼ ho en anthrōpois epoliteueto, ta panta eplērou, kai tǭ patri synēn, kai en autǭ ge ēn, kai tōn pantōn hathroōs kai en tǭ tote tōn te katʼ ouranon kai epi gēs epemeleto, oudamōs tēs pantachose parousias homoiōs hēmin apokleiomenos oude ta theia proteine synēthōs parapodizomenos, alla ta men ex autou paradidous tǭ anthrōpǭ ta dʼ ek tou thnētou mē antilambanōn, kai tēs men entheou dynameōs tǭ thnētǭ chorēgōn tēs dʼ ek tou thnētou metousias mē anteparyomenos.
But even at that time, when he lived among men, he filled all things, was with the Father and in him, and at that very time cared for all things together, in heaven and on earth, in no way shut out, as we are, from presence everywhere, nor hindered from putting forth the divine as usual; but giving from himself to the man, and not receiving from the mortal in turn; supplying the mortal from the divine power, and not drawing in turn a share from the mortal.
John 10:38 (echo, low confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Even during his earthly life the Word filled all things and was with the Father, giving to the human nature without receiving from it.
- Eusebius's view that the Word gave to the human nature but received nothing from it is translated as written.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR slip in breathing; line-end hyphenation rejoined): καὶ έν τῷ τότε → καὶ ἐν τῷ τότε; ἐν ἀν- θρώποις ἐπολιτεύετο → ἐν ἀνθρώποις ἐπολιτεύετο; παρου- σίας → παρουσίας; ἀντ- επαρυόμενος → ἀντεπαρυόμενος.
Topics: Christology
Cite (SBL): Eusebius, Laud. Const. 14.8 (Heikel; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-laus-constantini/14-8). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-laus-constantini/14-8
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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).
14.9Heikel
οὔκουν ἐμολύνετο τικτομένου τοῦ σώματος, οὐδὲ τὴν οὐσίαν ἔπασχεν ὁ ἀπαθὴς τοῦ θνητοῦ πάλιν αὐτῶ̣ διαιρουμένου· ἐπεὶ μηδὲ τῆς λύρας εἰ οὕτω τύχοι κοπτομένης ἢ τῶν χορδῶν διασπωμένων πάσχειν εἰκὸς τὸν ἀνακρουόμενον, οὐδέ γε σοφοῦ τινος ἀνδρὸς τιμωρουμένου σώματος τὴν ἐν τῷ σοφῷ σοφίαν ἢ τὴν ἐν τῷ σώματι ψυχὴν κόπτεσθαι ἢ κάεσθαι φαίημεν ἂν εἰκότως.
oukoun emolyneto tiktomenou tou sōmatos, oude tēn ousian epaschen ho apathēs tou thnētou palin autō diairoumenou; epei mēde tēs lyras ei houtō tychoi koptomenēs ē tōn chordōn diaspōmenōn paschein eikos ton anakrouomenon, oude ge sophou tinos andros timōroumenou sōmatos tēn en tǭ sophǭ sophian ē tēn en tǭ sōmati psychēn koptesthai ē kaesthai phaiēmen an eikotōs.
So he was not defiled when the body was born, nor did the impassible suffer in his substance when the mortal was separated from him again; since, if the lyre should happen to be struck or its strings broken, it is not likely that the player suffers; nor, when the body of a wise man is punished, would we rightly say that the wisdom in the wise man, or the soul in the body, is beaten or burned.
Notes and citation
Summary: The Word was not defiled by birth nor harmed by death, as a lyre-player is not hurt when his lyre is broken.
- Eusebius's argument that the Word did not suffer in the passion is translated as written.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR slip in breathing; OCR stray accent; line-end hyphenation rejoined): έμολύνετο → ἐμολύνετο; τύχόι → τύχοι; χορ- δῶν → χορδῶν.
Topics: Christology
Cite (SBL): Eusebius, Laud. Const. 14.9 (Heikel; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-laus-constantini/14-9). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-laus-constantini/14-9
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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).
14.10Heikel
ταύτῃ τοι πολὺ πλέον οὐδὲ τὴν τοῦ λόγου δύναμιν βλάβος τι ἐκ τῶν τοῦ σώματος παθῶν ἀποφέρεσθαι φάναι εὔλογον, ὅτι μηδὲ τὸ τοῦ φωτὸς ἡμῖν ὑπόδειγμα χραίνεσθαι τὰς ἡλιακὰς ἀκτῖνας ἐπὶ γῆς οὐρανόθεν ἐκπεμπομένας πηλοῦ τε καὶ βορβόρου καὶ μιασμοῦ παντὸς ἐφαπτομένας συνεχώρει· φωτίζεσθαι μὲν γὰρ καὶ ταῦτα ἐκ τῶν τοῦ φωτὸς αὐγῶν οὐδὲν ἂν κωλύοι λέγειν, τὸ δέ γε μὴν φῶς οὐκέτι πηλοῦσθαι οὐδὲ τὸν ἥλιον μολύνεσθαι ἐκ τῆς τῶν σωμάτων ἐπιμιξίας.
tautę̄ toi poly pleon oude tēn tou logou dynamin blabos ti ek tōn tou sōmatos pathōn apopheresthai phanai eulogon, hoti mēde to tou phōtos hēmin hypodeigma chrainesthai tas hēliakas aktinas epi gēs ouranothen ekpempomenas pēlou te kai borborou kai miasmou pantos ephaptomenas synechōrei; phōtizesthai men gar kai tauta ek tōn tou phōtos augōn ouden an kōlyoi legein, to de ge mēn phōs ouketi pēlousthai oude ton hēlion molynesthai ek tēs tōn sōmatōn epimixias.
In this way, much more, it is reasonable to say that the power of the Word took no harm from the sufferings of the body, since the example of light does not allow that the sun's rays, sent to earth from heaven, are stained when they touch mud and mire and every pollution. Nothing would prevent us from saying that these are lit by the rays of light, but not that the light is muddied or the sun defiled by mixing with bodies.
Notes and citation
Summary: As sunlight is not defiled by mud, the Word was not harmed by the body's sufferings.
Topics: Christology
Cite (SBL): Eusebius, Laud. Const. 14.10 (Heikel; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-laus-constantini/14-10). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-laus-constantini/14-10
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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).
14.11Heikel
καὶ μὴν ταῦτά γε τῆς φύσεως οὐκ ἂν εἴη ἀλλότρια. ὁ δέ γε σωτὴρ καὶ ἀσώματος τοῦ θεοῦ λόγος, αὐτοζωὴ τυγχάνων καὶ αὐτοφῶς νοερόν, παντὸς οὗ δʼ ἂν ἐφάψηται ἐνθέῳ καὶ ἀσωμάτῳ δυνάμει, ζῆν τοῦτο ἀνάγκη καὶ ἐν λογικῷ διάγειν φωτί· ταύτῃ τοι καὶ σώματος οὗ δʼ ἂν ἐφάψηται, ἡγίασται τοῦτο καὶ πεφώτισται αὐτίκα, πᾶσά τε νόσος αὐτῷ καὶ ἀρρωστία καὶ πάθος ὑπεξίσταται, ἀντιλαμβάνει δὲ τῆς ἐξ αὐτοῦ πληρώσεως τὰ ἐν στερήσει.
kai mēn tauta ge tēs physeōs ouk an eiē allotria. ho de ge sōtēr kai asōmatos tou theou logos, autozōē tynchanōn kai autophōs noeron, pantos hou dʼ an ephapsētai entheǭ kai asōmatǭ dynamei, zēn touto anankē kai en logikǭ diagein phōti; tautę̄ toi kai sōmatos hou dʼ an ephapsētai, hēgiastai touto kai pephōtistai autika, pasa te nosos autǭ kai arrōstia kai pathos hypexistatai, antilambanei de tēs ex autou plērōseōs ta en sterēsei.
And these things would not be foreign to nature. But the Saviour and incorporeal Word of God, being life itself and intellectual light itself, whatever he touches with divine and incorporeal power must live and continue in rational light. So whatever body he touches is at once sanctified and enlightened; every disease and weakness and suffering gives way before him, and what is in want receives from his fullness.
Luke 6:19 (echo, medium confidence) · John 1:16 (echo, low confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: The Word, being life and light itself, sanctifies and heals whatever he touches.
- Compare Mark 5:27–30; Luke 6:19; John 1:16.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR slip in breathing; line-end hyphenation rejoined; missing space and accent slip; missing space and elision): ὸ δέ γε σωτὴρ → ὁ δέ γε σωτὴρ; νοε- ρόν → νοερόν; οὗ δἂν → οὗ δʼ ἂν; δʼὰν → δʼ ἂν.
Topics: Christology
Cite (SBL): Eusebius, Laud. Const. 14.11 (Heikel; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-laus-constantini/14-11). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-laus-constantini/14-11
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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).
14.12Heikel
διὸ δὴ τὸν πάντα βίον ταύτῃ πη διετέλει, τότε μὲν τοῦ σωματικοῦ ὀργάνου τὴν πρὸς ἡμᾶς ὁμοιοπάθειαν ὑποδεικνύς, τότε δὲ τὸν θεὸν λόγον ὑποφαίνων, μεγαλουργῶν καὶ παραδοξοποιῶν ὡς θεός, καὶ τῶν μελλόντων ἔσεσθαι προαναφωνῶν τὰς προρρήσεις, καὶ τὸν μὴ τοῖς πολλοῖς ὁρώμενον θεοῦ λόγον τοῖς ἔργοις αὐτοῖς ἐπιδεικνύμενος ἐν τεραστίαις πράξεσι, θαύμασί τε καὶ σημείοις καὶ παραδόξοις δυνάμεσι, ναὶ μὴν καὶ διδασκαλίαις ἐνθέοις ἄνω πρὸς τὸν ὑπερουράνιον τόπον τὰς ψυχὰς παρασκευάζεσθαι προαγούσαις.
dio dē ton panta bion tautę̄ pē dietelei, tote men tou sōmatikou organou tēn pros hēmas homoiopatheian hypodeiknys, tote de ton theon logon hypophainōn, megalourgōn kai paradoxopoiōn hōs theos, kai tōn mellontōn esesthai proanaphōnōn tas prorrēseis, kai ton mē tois pollois horōmenon theou logon tois ergois autois epideiknymenos en terastiais praxesi, thaumasi te kai sēmeiois kai paradoxois dynamesi, nai mēn kai didaskaliais entheois anō pros ton hyperouranion topon tas psychas paraskeuazesthai proagousais.
Therefore he spent his whole life in this way: now showing in his bodily instrument the likeness of passions he shared with us, now revealing the God Word, doing great works and wonders as God, uttering beforehand predictions of things to come, and displaying by his very deeds the Word of God not seen by the many, in marvellous acts, wonders, signs and extraordinary powers, and indeed in divine teachings leading souls to prepare themselves above for the place beyond heaven.
Acts 2:22 (echo, medium confidence) · Heb 4:15 (echo, low confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Throughout his life Christ showed now his shared human weakness, now his divinity in miracles, prophecy and teaching.
- 'Wonders and signs' recalls Acts 2:22.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR garbled word; OCR slip; line-end hyphenation rejoined): τὸν πόντα βίον → τὸν πάντα βίον; ἀρηγάνου → ὀργάνου; παρα- σκευάζεσθαι → παρασκευάζεσθαι.
Topics: Christology, Miracles
Cite (SBL): Eusebius, Laud. Const. 14.12 (Heikel; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-laus-constantini/14-12). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-laus-constantini/14-12
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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).
Chapter 15
15.1Heikel
Τί δὴ λείπεται ἐπὶ τούτοις ἀλλʼ ἢ αὐτὸ δὴ τὸ τοῦ τὸς κεφάλαιον ὁποίαν ἔσχε τὴν αἰτίαν ἐξειπεῖν, λέγω δὴ τὸ πολυθρύλητον τοῦ βίου τέλος καὶ τοῦ πάθους τὸν τρόπον καὶ τῆς τὸν θάνατον ἀναβιώσεως αὐτοῦ τὸ μέγα θαῦμα. μετὰ δὲ τὴν τούτων θεωρίαν τὰς πάντων πόντων διʼ πιστωσόμεθα μαρτυριῶν.
Ti dē leipetai epi toutois allʼ ē auto dē to tou tos kephalaion hopoian esche tēn aitian exeipein, legō dē to polythrylēton tou biou telos kai tou pathous ton tropon kai tēs ton thanaton anabiōseōs autou to mega thauma. meta de tēn toutōn theōrian tas pantōn pontōn diʼ pistōsometha martyriōn.
What remains, then, but to state the cause of the very chief point of the whole, I mean the much-talked-of end of his life, the manner of his passion, and the great wonder of his return to life after death? After considering these, we shall confirm all of them by testimonies.
Notes and citation
Summary: Eusebius turns to explain Christ's death and resurrection, and then to prove them.
- The text reads τοῦ τοῦ τὸς (for τοῦ παντὸς, 'of the whole') and τὰς πάντων πόντων διʼ (garbled); translated by sense.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (line-end hyphenation rejoined; stray capital): πολυ- θρύλητον → πολυθρύλητον; τρόΠον → τρόπον; μαρτυ- ριῶν → μαρτυριῶν.
Topics: Christology
Cite (SBL): Eusebius, Laud. Const. 15.1 (Heikel; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-laus-constantini/15-1). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-laus-constantini/15-1
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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).
15.2Heikel
ὀργάνῳ μὲν οὖν θνητῷ διʼ ὃς προείπομεν αἰτίας δἷα δὴ ἀγάλματι θεοπρεπεῖ κεχρημένος τούτῳ τε αὐτῷ οἷα μέγας βασιλεὺς διʼ ἑρμηνέως τὸν ἀνθρώπειον διεξελθὼν βίον, πάντʼ ἐπαξίως θεϊκῆς δυνάμεως διεπράξατο. εἰ μὲν οὖν ἄλλως πως μετὰ τὰς ἐν ἀνθρώποις διατριβὰς ἀφανὴς γεγονὼς ἐξαίφνης ἀπέπτη, ὑποκλέψας γάθρα τὸν ἑρμηνέα καὶ τὸ οἰκεῖον ἄγαλμα φυγῇ τὸν θάνατον διαδρᾶναι σπουδάσας, κἄπειτά που τὸ θνητὸν αὐτὸς διʼ ἑαυτοῦ φθορᾷ καὶ ἀπωλείᾳ συμψήσας, φάσματι ἂν ἐῴκει τοῖς πᾶσι καὶ οὔτʼ ἂν αὐτὸς αὐτῷ τὰ πρέποντα διεπράξατο. ζωὴ μὲν τυγχάνων καὶ θεοῦ λόγος καὶ θεοῦ δύναμις· φθορᾷ δὲ καὶ ἀπωλείᾳ τὸν αὐτὸς αὐτοῦ παραδοὺς ἑρμηνέα,
organǭ men oun thnētǭ diʼ hos proeipomen aitias dia dē agalmati theoprepei kechrēmenos toutǭ te autǭ hoia megas basileus diʼ hermēneōs ton anthrōpeion diexelthōn bion, pantʼ epaxiōs theïkēs dynameōs diepraxato. ei men oun allōs pōs meta tas en anthrōpois diatribas aphanēs gegonōs exaiphnēs apeptē, hypoklepsas gathra ton hermēnea kai to oikeion agalma phygę̄ ton thanaton diadranai spoudasas, kapeita pou to thnēton autos diʼ heautou phthorą kai apōleią sympsēsas, phasmati an eǭkei tois pasi kai outʼ an autos autǭ ta preponta diepraxato. zōē men tynchanōn kai theou logos kai theou dynamis; phthorą de kai apōleią ton autos autou paradous hermēnea,
He used a mortal instrument, then, for the reasons we have given, as a statue worthy of God, and through it, like a great king through an interpreter, he passed through human life and did everything in a manner worthy of divine power. If, then, after his time among men, he had in some other way become invisible and suddenly flown away, stealing away his interpreter secretly and trying to escape death by flight with his own statue, and then had himself, by his own act, consumed the mortal in corruption and destruction, he would have seemed a phantom to all, and would not have done what was fitting to himself, being life and the Word of God and the power of God, by handing his own interpreter over to corruption and destruction,
Notes and citation
Summary: Had the Word simply vanished and let his body perish, he would have seemed a phantom and acted unworthily of himself.
- The text has several slips (διʼ ὃς, δἷα, ola, γάθρα, συμψήσας); translated by sense. The sentence continues in 15.3.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (Latin letters inside Greek word; OCR misplaced accent; OCR slip): τούτῳ τε αὐτῷ ola μέγας → τούτῳ τε αὐτῷ οἷα μέγας; ἐν ἀνθρῶποις → ἐν ἀνθρώποις; ἐᾠκει → ἐῴκει.
Topics: Christology
Cite (SBL): Eusebius, Laud. Const. 15.2 (Heikel; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-laus-constantini/15-2). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-laus-constantini/15-2
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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).
15.3Heikel
οὔτʼ ἂν τὰ κατὰ δαιμόνων αὐτῷ πεπραγμένα διὰ τῆς τοῦ θανάτου συμπλοκῆς τέλους ἠξιοῦτο, οὔτʼ ἂν ἐγνώσθη ὅπη ποτὲ ὑπῆρεν χωρήσας, οὔτʼ ἂν ἐπιστεύθη τοῖς μὴ παρειληφόσιν, οὔτʼ ἂν θανάτου τὴν φύσιν ἐφάνη κρείττων, οὔτʼ ἂν τὸ θνητὸν τῆς οἰκείας ἠλευθέρου φύσεως, οὔτʼ ἂν καθʼ ὅλης τῆς ἀνθρώπων οἰκουμένης ἠκούσθη, οὔτʼ ἂν θανάτου καταφρονεῖν τοὺς αὐτοῦ μαθητὰς ἔπεισεν, οὔτ ἂν τῆς μετὰ τὸν θάνατον παρὰ θεῷ ζωῆς τὴν ἐλπίδα τις τὴν αὐτοῦ διδασκαλίαν μετιοῦσι παρεστήσατο, οὔτʼ ἂν τῶν αὐτοῦ λόγων τὰς ἐπαγγελίας ἐπλήρου, οὔτʼ ἂν ταῖς προφητικαῖς περὶ αὐτοῦ προρρήσεσι σύμφωνα παρεῖχε τὰ ἀποτελέσματα, οὔτʼ ἂν τὸν ὕστατον ἀπάντων ἀγῶνα διῆλθεν· οὗτος δʼ ἦν ὁ κατὰ τοῦ θανάτου. 4 διὸ δὴ τούτων ἕνεκα πάντων, ἐπειδὴ ἐχρῆν ἐξ ἅπαντος τὸ τὸν ὄργανον μετὰ τὴν αὐτάρκη διακονίαν, ἣν τῷ θείῳ λόγῳ διηκονήσατο, τέλους θεοπρεποῦς τυχεῖν, ταύτῃ πη καὶ αὐτῷ ὁ θάνατος οἰκονομεῖται. δυεῖν γὰρ λειπομένων τῷ τέλει, ἢ φθορᾷ καὶ ἀπωλείᾳ παραδοῦναι τὸ πᾶν καὶ τοῦ παντὸς δράματος αἰσχίστην ποιήσασθαι τὴν τοῦ βίου καταστροφήν, ἢ θανάτου ἑαυτὸν κρείττονα ἀποφῆναι θεϊκῇ δυνάμει τὸ θνητὸν ἀθάνατον παραστησάμενον, τὸ μὲν πρῶτον ἀνοίκειον ἦν τῆς ἐπαγγελίας. οὐ γὰρ πυρὸς οἰκεῖον τὸ ψύχειν, οὐδὲ φωτὸς τὸ σκοτίζειν· οὕτως οὐδὲ ζωῆς τὸ θανατοῦν, οὐδὲ θεοῦ λόγου τὸ παραλόγως ἐνεργεῖν. ποῖον οὖν λόγον τὸν ἑτέροις ζωὴν ἐπαγγελλόμενον τὸ οἰκεῖον ὄργανον φθειρόμενον παριδεῖν ἀπωλείᾳ τε παραδοῦναι τὸ αὐτοῦ ἄγαλμα, καὶ τὸν τῆς θεότητος αὐτοῦ ἑρμηνέα θανάτῳ λυμήνασθαι τὸν τοῖς πρόσφυξιν ἀθανασίαν προμνώμενον;
outʼ an ta kata daimonōn autǭ pepragmena dia tēs tou thanatou symplokēs telous ēxiouto, outʼ an egnōsthē hopē pote hypēren chōrēsas, outʼ an episteuthē tois mē pareilēphosin, outʼ an thanatou tēn physin ephanē kreittōn, outʼ an to thnēton tēs oikeias ēleutherou physeōs, outʼ an kathʼ holēs tēs anthrōpōn oikoumenēs ēkousthē, outʼ an thanatou kataphronein tous autou mathētas epeisen, out an tēs meta ton thanaton para theǭ zōēs tēn elpida tis tēn autou didaskalian metiousi parestēsato, outʼ an tōn autou logōn tas epangelias eplērou, outʼ an tais prophētikais peri autou prorrēsesi symphōna pareiche ta apotelesmata, outʼ an ton hystaton apantōn agōna diēlthen; houtos dʼ ēn ho kata tou thanatou. 4 dio dē toutōn heneka pantōn, epeidē echrēn ex hapantos to ton organon meta tēn autarkē diakonian, hēn tǭ theiǭ logǭ diēkonēsato, telous theoprepous tychein, tautę̄ pē kai autǭ ho thanatos oikonomeitai. dyein gar leipomenōn tǭ telei, ē phthorą kai apōleią paradounai to pan kai tou pantos dramatos aischistēn poiēsasthai tēn tou biou katastrophēn, ē thanatou heauton kreittona apophēnai theïkę̄ dynamei to thnēton athanaton parastēsamenon, to men prōton anoikeion ēn tēs epangelias. ou gar pyros oikeion to psychein, oude phōtos to skotizein; houtōs oude zōēs to thanatoun, oude theou logou to paralogōs energein. poion oun logon ton heterois zōēn epangellomenon to oikeion organon phtheiromenon paridein apōleią te paradounai to autou agalma, kai ton tēs theotētos autou hermēnea thanatǭ lymēnasthai ton tois prosphyxin athanasian promnōmenon?
nor would his deeds against the demons have received their completion through the struggle with death; nor would it have been known where he had gone; nor would he have been believed by those who had not received him; nor would he have appeared stronger than the nature of death; nor would he have freed the mortal from its own nature; nor would he have been heard of throughout the whole inhabited world; nor would he have persuaded his disciples to despise death; nor would he have given those who follow his teaching the hope of life with God after death; nor would he have fulfilled the promises of his words; nor would he have provided outcomes in harmony with the prophetic predictions about him; nor would he have gone through the last contest of all, which was the one against death. [4] Therefore, for the sake of all these, since in any case the instrument, after the sufficient service it had rendered to the divine Word, had to meet an end worthy of God, in this way death too was ordered for it. For two ways of ending remained: either to give the whole over to corruption and destruction, and make the overthrow of life the most shameful end of the whole drama; or to show himself stronger than death, making the mortal immortal by divine power. The first was foreign to his promise. For it is not proper to fire to cool, nor to light to darken; so neither is it proper to life to kill, nor to the Word of God to act contrary to reason. What reason, then, would it be for the one who promises life to others to overlook his own instrument perishing, to hand over his own statue to destruction, and to let death destroy the interpreter of his deity, he who provides immortality to those who flee to him?
Heb 2:14–15 (echo, medium confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Only by meeting and conquering death could the Word complete his victory and fulfil his promises; letting his body simply perish would have contradicted his nature as life.
- The printed numeral 4 marks section 15.4, which the staging did not separate; it is kept as [4]. The text reads Μου λόγου (for θεοῦ λόγου) and repeats οὐ and οὖν.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR garbled word; OCR lost accents and elision; OCR slip; OCR slip (ς for ζ); OCR slip in breathing; OCR slip; hyphenation rejoined; dittography in the digital text; line-end hyphenation rejoined; stray mark): ουτ αν ἐπιστεύθη → οὔτʼ ἂν ἐπιστεύθη; οὕτʼ ἂν τῶν αὐτοῦ → οὔτʼ ἂν τῶν αὐτοῦ; τῷ θείῳ λόγω̣ διηκο- νήσατο → τῷ θείῳ λόγῳ διηκονήσατο; ἑωυτὸν → ἑαυτὸν; οὐ οὐ γὰρ → οὐ γὰρ; οὐδὲ· φωτὸς → οὐδὲ φωτὸς; οὐδὲ ςωῆς → οὐδὲ ζωῆς; οὐδὲ Μου λόγου → οὐδὲ θεοῦ λόγου; ποῖον οὖν οὖν λόγον → ποῖον οὖν λόγον; θεότη- τος → θεότητος; ἀθανα- σίαν → ἀθανασίαν.
Topics: Christology, Death and burial, Passion and death of Christ
Cite (SBL): Eusebius, Laud. Const. 15.3 (Heikel; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-laus-constantini/15-3). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-laus-constantini/15-3
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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).
15.5Heikel
οὐκοῦν τὸ δεύτερον ἀναγκαῖον ἦν, λέγω δὴ τὸ θανάτου κρείττονα ἑαυτὸν φῆναι; πῶς οὖν ἐχρῆν τοῦτο ποιήσασθαι; λαθραίως ἄρα καὶ κλοπιμαίως ἢ τοῖς πᾶσιν ἀριπρεπῶς καὶ ἀριδήλως; ἀλλὰ σκότιον μὲν καὶ κρυφαῖον αὐτῷ πραχθὲν τὸ κατόρθωμα μηδενί τε γνωσθὲν οὐδένα ἂν ὤνησεν· βοηθὲν δὲ καὶ ἀκουσθὲν εἰς ἅπαντας τοῖς πᾶσι τὴν ἐκ τοῦ θαύματος παρεῖχεν ὠφέλειαν. εἰκότως ἄρα, ἐπειδὴ ἐχρῆν τὸ αὐτοῦ ὄργανον κρεῖττον θανάτου φῆναι καὶ τοῦτο πρᾶξαι μὴ εἰς τὸ λεληθὸς ἀλλʼ ἐπʼ ὄψεσιν ἀνθρώπων, οὐ φεύγει μὲν τὸν θάνατον· ἦν γὰρ ἂν δειλὸς καὶ θανάτου χείρων ἐνομίσθη· διὰ δὲ τῆς πρὸς τὸν θάνατον συμπλοκῆς οἷα πρὸς ἀνταγωνιστὴν τὸ θνητὸν ἀθάνατον παρίστη, τὸν ἀγῶνα τοῦτον ὑπὲρ τῆς ἀπάντων σωτηρίας ζωῆς τε καὶ ἀθανασίας ἀναδεδεγμένος.
oukoun to deuteron anankaion ēn, legō dē to thanatou kreittona heauton phēnai? pōs oun echrēn touto poiēsasthai? lathraiōs ara kai klopimaiōs ē tois pasin ariprepōs kai aridēlōs? alla skotion men kai kryphaion autǭ prachthen to katorthōma mēdeni te gnōsthen oudena an ōnēsen; boēthen de kai akousthen eis hapantas tois pasi tēn ek tou thaumatos pareichen ōpheleian. eikotōs ara, epeidē echrēn to autou organon kreitton thanatou phēnai kai touto praxai mē eis to lelēthos allʼ epʼ opsesin anthrōpōn, ou pheugei men ton thanaton; ēn gar an deilos kai thanatou cheirōn enomisthē; dia de tēs pros ton thanaton symplokēs hoia pros antagōnistēn to thnēton athanaton paristē, ton agōna touton hyper tēs apantōn sōtērias zōēs te kai athanasias anadedegmenos.
So the second was necessary, I mean to show himself stronger than death? How then should this have been done? Secretly and stealthily, or in a manner conspicuous and evident to all? A success achieved in darkness and in secret, known to no one, would have benefited no one; but seen and heard by all, it gave to all the benefit of the wonder. Fittingly, therefore, since his instrument had to be shown stronger than death, and this done not in secret but before the eyes of men, he does not flee death (for then he would have been thought cowardly and weaker than death), but through the struggle with death, as with an opponent, he made the mortal immortal, having undertaken this contest for the salvation, life and immortality of all.
2 Tim 1:10 (echo, medium confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: The victory over death had to be public, so Christ did not flee death but engaged it openly and made the mortal immortal for the salvation of all.
- βοηθὲν is a slip for ὀφθὲν ('seen'); translated by sense.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR garbled particle; OCR lost accent; OCR slip in accent; dittography in the digital text): καὶ καὶ ἀριδήλως → καὶ ἀριδήλως; οὐδένα ’ν ὤνησεν → οὐδένα ἂν ὤνησεν; ἠν γὰρ ἂν → ἦν γὰρ ἂν; οἶα πρὸς ἀνταγωνιστὴν → οἷα πρὸς ἀνταγωνιστὴν.
Topics: Christology, Resurrection and ascension of Christ
Cite (SBL): Eusebius, Laud. Const. 15.5 (Heikel; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-laus-constantini/15-5). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-laus-constantini/15-5
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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).
15.6Heikel
ὥσπερ δὲ εἴ τις ἄκαυστον ἡμῖν καὶ πυρὸς κρεῖττον σκεῦός τι δεῖξαι ἠθέλησεν, οὐκ ἂν ἄλλως τὸ θαῦμα παρεστήσατο ἢ τῷ πυρὶ παραδοὺς τὸ μετὰ χεῖρας κἄπειτα αὐτὸ σῶον καὶ ἀδιάφθορον τοῦ πυρὸς ἐξελών, κατὰ ταῦτα δὴ καὶ ὁ τῶν ὅλων ζωοποιὸς τοῦ θεοῦ λόγος τὸ θνητὸν ὄργανον, ᾧ πρὸς ἀνθρώπων κέχρητο σωτηρίαν, κρεῖττον θανάτου δεῖξαι βουληθεὶς κοινωνόν τε ἀποφῆναι τῆς οἰκείας ζωῆς τε καὶ ἀθανασίας, εὖ μάλα χρησίμην ὑπῄει τὴν οἰκονομίαν, τὸ μὲν σῶμα πρὸς βραχὺ καταλιπὼν καὶ τὸ θνητὸν τῷ θανάτῳ παραδίδους εἰς ἔλεγχον τῆς οἰκείας φύσεως, εἶτʼ οὐκ εἰς μακρὸν αὐτὸ τοῦ θανάτου πάλιν ὑφαιρούμενος, εἰς παράστασιν τῆς ἐνθέου δυνάμεως, διʼ ἧς παντὸς θανάτου κρείττονα τὴν πρὸς αὐτοῦ καταγγελθεῖσαν ζωὴν ἀίδιον ἔφαινεν.
hōsper de ei tis akauston hēmin kai pyros kreitton skeuos ti deixai ēthelēsen, ouk an allōs to thauma parestēsato ē tǭ pyri paradous to meta cheiras kapeita auto sōon kai adiaphthoron tou pyros exelōn, kata tauta dē kai ho tōn holōn zōopoios tou theou logos to thnēton organon, hǭ pros anthrōpōn kechrēto sōtērian, kreitton thanatou deixai boulētheis koinōnon te apophēnai tēs oikeias zōēs te kai athanasias, eu mala chrēsimēn hypę̄ei tēn oikonomian, to men sōma pros brachy katalipōn kai to thnēton tǭ thanatǭ paradidous eis elenchon tēs oikeias physeōs, eitʼ ouk eis makron auto tou thanatou palin hyphairoumenos, eis parastasin tēs entheou dynameōs, diʼ hēs pantos thanatou kreittona tēn pros autou katangeltheisan zōēn aidion ephainen.
Just as, if someone wished to show us a vessel that cannot be burned and is stronger than fire, he could not present the wonder otherwise than by giving the thing in his hands to the fire and then taking it out of the fire safe and undamaged, so too the Word of God, life-giver of all, wishing to show the mortal instrument which he had used for the salvation of men to be stronger than death, and to make it a sharer in his own life and immortality, undertook a most useful dispensation. He left the body for a short time and gave the mortal over to death, to prove its own nature; then, not long after, he took it back from death again, to display the divine power by which he showed the eternal life proclaimed by him to be stronger than every death.
Notes and citation
Summary: As one proves a vessel fireproof by putting it in the fire, the Word let his body die for a short time and then raised it, proving eternal life stronger than death.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR lost accent; OCR slip; OCR slip (ο for σ); OCR slips): οκεῦός → σκεῦός; ἀθέλησεν → ἠθέλησεν; εὐ μάλα → εὖ μάλα; δί ἡς → διʼ ἧς.
Topics: Christology, Resurrection and ascension of Christ
Cite (SBL): Eusebius, Laud. Const. 15.6 (Heikel; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-laus-constantini/15-6). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-laus-constantini/15-6
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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).
15.7Heikel
ἡ δʼ αἰτία πρόδηλος καὶ σαφής. ἐπειδὴ γὰρ τοῖς αὐτοῦ φοιτηταῖς ὀφθαλμοῖς ἰδεῖν ἀναγκαῖον ἦν ζωῆς τῆς μετὰ θάνατον ἐναργῆ τὴν παλιγγενεσίαν, ἐφʼ ἣν τὰς αὐτῶν ἐλπίδας ἀναρτᾶν αὐτοὺς ἐδίδασκεν, κρείττονας εἶναι θανάτου παρασκευάζων, εἰκότως τοῦτʼ αὐτοῖς ὁρᾶν ὀφθαλμοῖς παρεῖχεν· ἐχρῆν γὰρ τοὺς μέλλοντας εὐσεβῆ μετιέναι βίον τοῦτο πρῶτον πάντων ἀναγκαιότατον μάθημα διʼ ἐναργοῦς ὄψεως παραλαβεῖν, καὶ πολὺ μᾶλλον ἐκείνους τοὺς εἰς ἅπασαν τὴν οἰκουμένην μέλλοντας αὐτὸν ὅσον οὕπω κηρύττειν καὶ τὴν αὐτοῦ πᾶσι τοῖς ἔθνεσι προβληθεῖσαν θεογνωσίαν εἰς πάντας καταγγέλλειν ἀνθρώπους.
hē dʼ aitia prodēlos kai saphēs. epeidē gar tois autou phoitētais ophthalmois idein anankaion ēn zōēs tēs meta thanaton enargē tēn palingenesian, ephʼ hēn tas autōn elpidas anartan autous edidasken, kreittonas einai thanatou paraskeuazōn, eikotōs toutʼ autois horan ophthalmois pareichen; echrēn gar tous mellontas eusebē metienai bion touto prōton pantōn anankaiotaton mathēma diʼ enargous opseōs paralabein, kai poly mallon ekeinous tous eis hapasan tēn oikoumenēn mellontas auton hoson houpō kēryttein kai tēn autou pasi tois ethnesi problētheisan theognōsian eis pantas katangellein anthrōpous.
The cause is plain and clear. Since it was necessary for his disciples to see with their eyes the evident rebirth of life after death, on which he taught them to hang their hopes, preparing them to be stronger than death, he fittingly let them see this with their eyes. For those who were going to pursue a godly life had to receive this first and most necessary lesson of all through clear sight; and much more those who were very soon to preach him to the whole world and to announce to all people the knowledge of God put forth by him to all the nations.
Acts 1:3 (echo, medium confidence) · 1 John 1:1 (echo, low confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: The disciples had to see the resurrection with their own eyes, especially those who would preach it to all nations.
- The text reads ὄφεως for ὄψεως ('sight') and repeats τήν.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR slips; OCR transposed letters; dittography in the digital text): δἱ ἐναργοῦς ὄφεως → διʼ ἐναργοῦς ὄψεως; καὶ τὴν τὴν αὐτοῦ → καὶ τὴν αὐτοῦ; ἔθενσι → ἔθνεσι.
Topics: Christology, Resurrection and ascension of Christ
Cite (SBL): Eusebius, Laud. Const. 15.7 (Heikel; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-laus-constantini/15-7). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-laus-constantini/15-7
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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).
15.8Heikel
οὕς δὴ πεῖσμα μέγιστον ἀναλαβεῖν ἐχρῆν τῆς μετὰ τὸν θάνατον ζωῆς, ὡς ἄν ἀδεεῖς καὶ ἄφοβοι θανάτου τὸν κατὰ τῆς τῶν ἐθνῶν πολυθέου πλάνης ἀγῶνα προθύμως ἀναδέξοιντο· μὴ γὰρ θανάτου καταφρονεῖν μελετήσαντες, οὐκ ἂν πώποτε πρὸς τὰ δεινὰ παρεσκευάζοντο. διὸ δὴ ἀναγκαίως ὁπλίζων αὐτοὺς κατὰ τῆς τοῦ θανάτου δυναστείας, οὐ ῥηματίοις καὶ φωναῖς παρεδίδου τὸ μάθημα, οὐδὲ λόγοις ὁμοίως ἀνθρωπίνοις τὸν περὶ ψυχῆς ἀθανασίας πιθανῶς καὶ ἐξ εἰκότων συντάττων, αὐτῷ δὲ ἔργῳ τὰ κατὰ τοῦ θανάτου ἐπεδείκνυ αὐτοῖς τρόπαια.
hous dē peisma megiston analabein echrēn tēs meta ton thanaton zōēs, hōs an adeeis kai aphoboi thanatou ton kata tēs tōn ethnōn polytheou planēs agōna prothymōs anadexointo; mē gar thanatou kataphronein meletēsantes, ouk an pōpote pros ta deina pareskeuazonto. dio dē anankaiōs hoplizōn autous kata tēs tou thanatou dynasteias, ou rhēmatiois kai phōnais paredidou to mathēma, oude logois homoiōs anthrōpinois ton peri psychēs athanasias pithanōs kai ex eikotōn syntattōn, autǭ de ergǭ ta kata tou thanatou epedeikny autois tropaia.
These had to receive the greatest conviction of life after death, so that, unafraid and fearless of death, they might eagerly undertake the contest against the polytheistic error of the nations; for if they had not practised despising death, they would never have prepared themselves for terrors. Therefore, of necessity arming them against the dominion of death, he did not hand on the lesson in mere words and phrases, nor composing an argument about the immortality of the soul persuasively and from probabilities like human words, but showed them by the deed itself his trophies over death.
Notes and citation
Summary: To arm the apostles against fear of death, Christ taught them not by argument but by the deed of his resurrection.
- The text reads τῶν Μνῶν, a slip for τῶν ἐθνῶν ('of the nations').
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR garbled word; OCR slip; OCR slips; line-end hyphenation rejoined; stray capital): τῶν Μνῶν → τῶν ἐθνῶν; θα- νάτου → θανάτου; Πώποτε → πώποτε; όπλίςων → ὁπλίζων; λόγιος ὁμοίως → λόγοις ὁμοίως.
Topics: Christology, Martyrdom, Resurrection and ascension of Christ
Cite (SBL): Eusebius, Laud. Const. 15.8 (Heikel; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-laus-constantini/15-8). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-laus-constantini/15-8
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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).
15.9Heikel
πρώτη μὲν οὖν αὕτη καὶ μεγίστη αἰτία τῆς τοῦ σωτῆρος ἡμῶν κατὰ τοῦ θανάτου παρατάξεως· τὸν γοῦν φοβερὸν τοῖς πᾶσι θάνατον τοῖς αὐτοῦ φοιτηταῖς τὸ μηδὲν ὄντα ἐδείκνυ, καὶ τὴν ἐπηγγελμένην πρὸς αὐτοῦ ζωὴν τοῖς αὐτῶν ὀφθαλμοῖς διʼ ἐναργοῦς ὄψεως παρίστη, ἀπαρχὴν τῆς κοινῆς ἡμῶν ἐλπίδος ζωῆς τε τῆς παρὰ θεῷ καὶ ἀθανασίας αὐτὴν ἐκείνην πεποιημένος. 10 δευτέρα δʼ ἂν εἴη αἰτία τῆς ἀναβιώσεως τῆς ἐν σώματι κατοικησάσης ἐνθέου δυνάμεως ἔνδειξις. ἐπειδὴ γὰρ τὸ πρότερον τοὺς ὑπὸ τοῦ θανάτου νενικημένους ἄνδρας θνητοὺς ἐθείαζον ἄνθρωποι, ἥρωάς τε καὶ θεοὺς ὠνόμαζον τοὺς ὑπὸ τοῦ θανάτου κεκρατημένους, κἀκεῖ εἰκότως ἑαυτὸν ταύτης ἕνεκα τῆς αἰτίας ἔφηνεν ὁ φιλάνθρωπος τοῦ θεοῦ λόγος, κρείττονα θανάτου φύσιν ἀνθρώποις δεικνύς, καὶ τὸ μὲν θνητὸν μετὰ τὴν λύσιν ἐπὶ τὴν δευτέραν ζωὴν ἄγων, τρόπαιον δὲ ἀθανασίας κατὰ τοῦ θανάτου τοῖς πᾶσι παρέχων ὁρᾶν. καὶ μόνον τοῦτον ἐν θανάτῳ θεὸν ἀληθῆ εἶναι διδάσκων ὁμολογεῖν τὸν τὰ βραβεῖα τῆς κατὰ τοῦ θανάτου νίκης ἀναδησάμενον. ἔχοιμʼ ἄν σοι καὶ τρίτην ὑπογράφειν αἰτίαν τοῦ σωτηρίου θανάτου.
prōtē men oun hautē kai megistē aitia tēs tou sōtēros hēmōn kata tou thanatou parataxeōs; ton goun phoberon tois pasi thanaton tois autou phoitētais to mēden onta edeikny, kai tēn epēngelmenēn pros autou zōēn tois autōn ophthalmois diʼ enargous opseōs paristē, aparchēn tēs koinēs hēmōn elpidos zōēs te tēs para theǭ kai athanasias autēn ekeinēn pepoiēmenos. 10 deutera dʼ an eiē aitia tēs anabiōseōs tēs en sōmati katoikēsasēs entheou dynameōs endeixis. epeidē gar to proteron tous hypo tou thanatou nenikēmenous andras thnētous etheiazon anthrōpoi, hērōas te kai theous ōnomazon tous hypo tou thanatou kekratēmenous, kakei eikotōs heauton tautēs heneka tēs aitias ephēnen ho philanthrōpos tou theou logos, kreittona thanatou physin anthrōpois deiknys, kai to men thnēton meta tēn lysin epi tēn deuteran zōēn agōn, tropaion de athanasias kata tou thanatou tois pasi parechōn horan. kai monon touton en thanatǭ theon alēthē einai didaskōn homologein ton ta brabeia tēs kata tou thanatou nikēs anadēsamenon. echoimʼ an soi kai tritēn hypographein aitian tou sōtēriou thanatou.
This, then, is the first and greatest cause of our Saviour's battle against death: he showed his disciples that death, terrible to all, is nothing, and presented to their eyes by clear sight the life he had promised, making it the firstfruits of our common hope of life with God and immortality. [10] A second cause of the return to life would be the demonstration of the divine power that dwelt in the body. For since formerly men deified mortal men conquered by death, and named as heroes and gods those overcome by death, there too, fittingly, for this reason the loving Word of God showed himself, displaying to men a nature stronger than death, leading the mortal after its dissolution to a second life, granting all to see a trophy of immortality over death, and teaching them to confess that he alone, in death, is true God, who has bound on the prizes of victory over death. I could also describe for you a third cause of the saving death.
1 Cor 15:20 (echo, medium confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: The first reason for the resurrection was to show death powerless; the second, to prove that Christ, unlike deified mortals, is the true God who conquered death.
- The printed numeral 10 marks section 15.10, which the staging did not separate; it is kept as [10]. 'Firstfruits' recalls 1 Cor 15:20.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR slip in accent; OCR slip in breathing; OCR slips; line-end hyphenation rejoined): μὲν οὑν αὕτη → μὲν οὖν αὕτη; ἀφθαλμοῖς δέ ἐναργοῦς → ὀφθαλμοῖς διʼ ἐναργοῦς; κατοι- κησάσης → κατοικησάσης; ἅνθρωποι → ἄνθρωποι; κεκρατημέ- νους → κεκρατημένους.
Topics: Christology, Eschatology, Resurrection and ascension of Christ
Cite (SBL): Eusebius, Laud. Const. 15.9 (Heikel; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-laus-constantini/15-9). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-laus-constantini/15-9
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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).
15.11Heikel
ἱερεῖον ἦν ὑπὲρ τοῦ κοινοῦ γένους ἀναπεμπόμενον τῷ παμβασιλεῖ θεῷ τῶν ὅλων, ἱερεῖον ὑπὲρ τῆς τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἀγέλης καθιερούμενον, ἱερεῖον δαιμονικῆς πλάνης ἀποτρόπαιον. ἱερείου δῆτα ἑνὸς καὶ μεγάλου θύματος, τοῦ πανιέρου σώματος τοῦ σωτῆρος ἡμῶν, ὑπὲρ τοῦ τῶν ἀνθρώπων γένους σφαγιασθέντος καὶ πάντων ἐθνῶν τῶν πρὶν ἀσεβείᾳ δαιμονικῆς πλάνης ἐνεσχημένων ἀντίψυχον ἀνενεχθέντος, πᾶσα λοιπὸν ἡ τῶν ἀνάγνων καὶ ἀνιέρων δαιμόνων δύναμις καθῄρητο, ἐλέλυτό τε καὶ παρεῖτο αὐτίκα δυνάμει κρείττονι πᾶσα γεώδης καὶ ἀπατηλὸς πλάνη.
hiereion ēn hyper tou koinou genous anapempomenon tǭ pambasilei theǭ tōn holōn, hiereion hyper tēs tōn anthrōpōn agelēs kathieroumenon, hiereion daimonikēs planēs apotropaion. hiereiou dēta henos kai megalou thymatos, tou panierou sōmatos tou sōtēros hēmōn, hyper tou tōn anthrōpōn genous sphagiasthentos kai pantōn ethnōn tōn prin asebeią daimonikēs planēs eneschēmenōn antipsychon anenechthentos, pasa loipon hē tōn anagnōn kai anierōn daimonōn dynamis kathę̄rēto, elelyto te kai pareito autika dynamei kreittoni pasa geōdēs kai apatēlos planē.
It was a victim offered up for the common race to God, the King of all; a victim consecrated for the flock of men; a victim to avert demonic error. When the one victim and great sacrifice, the all-holy body of our Saviour, had been slain for the human race and offered as a ransom for all the nations formerly held in the impiety of demonic error, at last the whole power of the impure and unholy demons was cast down, and all earthly and deceitful error was at once loosed and relaxed by a higher power.
Mark 10:45 (echo, medium confidence) · 1 Tim 2:6 (echo, medium confidence) · Heb 10:10 (echo, low confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: The third reason: Christ's body was a sacrifice offered to God for all humanity as a ransom, which broke the power of the demons.
- 'Ransom' renders ἀντίψυχον (a life given in exchange); compare Mark 10:45; 1 Tim 2:6. The text reads Μνῶν, a slip for ἐθνῶν ('nations').
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR garbled word; OCR slip in breathing; OCR slips): ἱερεῖον ἧν → ἱερεῖον ἦν; τῶν άνθρώπων ἀγἐλης καθιερούμενα → τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἀγέλης καθιερούμενον; πάντων Μνῶν → πάντων ἐθνῶν.
Topics: Christology, Atonement
Cite (SBL): Eusebius, Laud. Const. 15.11 (Heikel; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-laus-constantini/15-11). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-laus-constantini/15-11
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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).
15.12Heikel
τὸ μὲν οὖν ἐξ ἀνθρώπων σωτήριον θῦμα, αὐτὸ δὴ τὸ τοῦ λόγου σωματικὸν ὄργανον, ὑπὲρ τῆς κοινῆς ἀνθρώπων ἀγέλης καθιεροῦτο, καὶ τοῦτʼ ἄρα ἦν τὸ τῷ θανάτῳ παραβεβλημένον σφάγιον, περὶ οὗ λόγων ἱερῶν βοῶσι φωναί, τοτὲ μὲν ὧδέ πη λέγουσαι· „ἴδε ὁ ἀμνὸς τοῦ θεοῦ ὁ αἴρων τὴν ἁμαρτίαν τοῦ κόσμου, “ τοτὲ δὲ ὧδε προαναφωνοῦσαι· „ὡς πρόβατον ἐπὶ σφαγὴν ἤχθη, καὶ ὡς ἀμνὸς ἐναντίον τοῦ κείροντος αὐτὸν ἄφωνος,“ καὶ τό γε αἴτιον διδάσκουσιν ἐπιλέγουσαί· „οὗτος τὰς ἁμαρτίας ἡμῶν φέρει, καὶ περὶ ἡμῶν ὀδυνᾶται. καὶ ἡμεῖς ἐλογισάμεθα αὐτὸν εἶναι ἐν πόνῳ καὶ ἐν πληγῇ καὶ ἐν κακώσει, αὐτὸς δὲ ἐτραυματίσθη διὰ τὰς ἁμαρτίας ἡμῶν, καὶ ἐμαλακίσθη διὰ τὰς ἀνομίας ἡμῶν· παιδεία εἰρήνης ἡμῶν ἐπʼ αὐτόν. τῷ μώλωπι αὐτοῦ ἡμεῖς ἰάθημεν· παιδεία εἰρήνης ἡμῶν ἐπʼ αὐτόν. τῷ μώλωπι αὐτοῦ ἡμεῖς ἐπλανήθη. καὶ κύριος παρέδωκεν αὐτὸν ταῖς ἁμαρτίαις ἡμῶν.“
to men oun ex anthrōpōn sōtērion thyma, auto dē to tou logou sōmatikon organon, hyper tēs koinēs anthrōpōn agelēs kathierouto, kai toutʼ ara ēn to tǭ thanatǭ parabeblēmenon sphagion, peri hou logōn hierōn boōsi phōnai, tote men hōde pē legousai; „ide ho amnos tou theou ho airōn tēn hamartian tou kosmou, “ tote de hōde proanaphōnousai; „hōs probaton epi sphagēn ēchthē, kai hōs amnos enantion tou keirontos auton aphōnos,“ kai to ge aition didaskousin epilegousai; „houtos tas hamartias hēmōn pherei, kai peri hēmōn odynatai. kai hēmeis elogisametha auton einai en ponǭ kai en plēgę̄ kai en kakōsei, autos de etraumatisthē dia tas hamartias hēmōn, kai emalakisthē dia tas anomias hēmōn; paideia eirēnēs hēmōn epʼ auton. tǭ mōlōpi autou hēmeis iathēmen; paideia eirēnēs hēmōn epʼ auton. tǭ mōlōpi autou hēmeis eplanēthē. kai kyrios paredōken auton tais hamartiais hēmōn.“
The saving victim from among men, then, the very bodily instrument of the Word, was consecrated for the common flock of men; and this was the sacrifice given over to death, of which the voices of the sacred words cry out, at one time saying something like this: "Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world"; at another foretelling thus: "As a sheep he was led to slaughter, and as a lamb before its shearer is dumb"; and they teach the cause too, adding: "He bears our sins and suffers pain for us; and we counted him to be in toil and in blows and in affliction; but he was wounded for our sins and made weak for our transgressions. The chastisement of our peace was upon him; by his bruise we were healed. ... went astray. And the Lord gave him up for our sins."
John 1:29 (quotation, high confidence) · Isa 53:7 (quotation, high confidence) · Isa 53:4–6 (quotation, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Christ's body was the sacrificial lamb foretold in Scripture, who bore our sins, as John the Baptist and Isaiah declared.
- Quotations: John 1:29; Isa 53:7; Isa 53:4–6 (Septuagint). The digital text repeats a clause of Isa 53:5 and garbles 53:6 ('all we like sheep went astray'); the lost words are marked '...'.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (Latin letter inside Greek word; hyphenation rejoined; stray letter; line-end hyphenation rejoined): θα- νάτῳ → θανάτῳ; λέrουσαι· → λέγουσαι·; ἄφω- νος, ι“ → ἄφωνος,“; ἁμαρ- τίας → ἁμαρτίας.
Topics: Christology, Scripture and canon, Atonement
Cite (SBL): Eusebius, Laud. Const. 15.12 (Heikel; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-laus-constantini/15-12). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-laus-constantini/15-12
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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).
15.13Heikel
τὸ μὲν οὖν ὄργανον τὸ ἀνθρώπειον τοῦ θείου λόγου διὰ ταύτας καθιεροῦτο τὰς αἰτίας, οὗτος δὲ ὁ μέγας ἀρχιερεὺς ὁ τῷ πανηγεμόνι καὶ παμβασιλεῖ θεῷ ἱερωμένος, ἕτερος ὢν παρὰ τὸ ἱερεῖον, θεοῦ λόγος, θεοῦ δύναμις καὶ θεοῦ σοφία, τὸ θνητὸν οὐκ εἰς μακρὸν ἀνεκαλεῖτο τοῦ θανάτου, καὶ τοῦτο τῷ πατρὶ τῆς κοινῆς ἡμῶν σωτηρίας τὴν ἀπαρχὴν παρίστη, τρόπαιον ἐπινίκιον κατὰ τοῦ θανάτου καὶ τῆς δαιμονικῆς παρατάξεως τῶν τε πάλαι συντελουμένων ἀνθρωποθυσιῶν ἀποτρόπαιον τοῦτο ὑπὲρ πάντων ἀνθρώπων ἀνεγείρας.
to men oun organon to anthrōpeion tou theiou logou dia tautas kathierouto tas aitias, houtos de ho megas archiereus ho tǭ panēgemoni kai pambasilei theǭ hierōmenos, heteros ōn para to hiereion, theou logos, theou dynamis kai theou sophia, to thnēton ouk eis makron anekaleito tou thanatou, kai touto tǭ patri tēs koinēs hēmōn sōtērias tēn aparchēn paristē, tropaion epinikion kata tou thanatou kai tēs daimonikēs parataxeōs tōn te palai synteloumenōn anthrōpothysiōn apotropaion touto hyper pantōn anthrōpōn anegeiras.
The human instrument of the divine Word, then, was consecrated for these reasons. But this great High Priest, consecrated to God the ruler and King of all, being other than the victim, the Word of God, the power of God and wisdom of God, not long after called the mortal back from death and presented it to the Father as the firstfruits of our common salvation, raising it for all men as a victorious trophy over death and the demonic array, and a means to avert the human sacrifices formerly carried out.
Heb 9:11–14 (echo, medium confidence) · 1 Cor 1:24 (allusion, high confidence) · 1 Cor 15:20 (echo, medium confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: The Word, the High Priest distinct from the victim, raised his body and presented it to the Father as the firstfruits of salvation.
- Eusebius distinguishes the Word as priest from his body as victim; translated as written. Compare Heb 9:11–14; 1 Cor 1:24; 1 Cor 15:20.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (dittography and OCR slip): καθιεροῦτο ροῦτο τὰς αἐτίας → καθιεροῦτο τὰς αἰτίας.
Topics: Christology, Atonement
Cite (SBL): Eusebius, Laud. Const. 15.13 (Heikel; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-laus-constantini/15-13). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-laus-constantini/15-13
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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).
Chapter 16
16.1Heikel
Ἀλλὰ γὰρ τούτων ὧδε ἐχόντων, ὥρα καὶ ἐπὶ τὰς ἀποδείξεις ἐλθεῖν, εἰ δὴ ἀποδείξεως δεῖ τῆς τούτων ἀληθείας, καὶ εἰ δὴ ἐναργῶν πραγμάτων ἀναγκαῖον πιστώσασθαι τὰς μαρτυρίας· δέχου δὲ ταύτας εὐγνώμονα τῷ λόγῳ τὴν ἀκοὴν παρασκευάσας.
Alla gar toutōn hōde echontōn, hōra kai epi tas apodeixeis elthein, ei dē apodeixeōs dei tēs toutōn alētheias, kai ei dē enargōn pragmatōn anankaion pistōsasthai tas martyrias; dechou de tautas eugnōmona tǭ logǭ tēn akoēn paraskeuasas.
These things being so, it is time to come to the proofs, if indeed proof of their truth is needed, and if it is necessary to confirm the testimonies of plain facts. Receive them, preparing a well-disposed ear for the argument.
Notes and citation
Summary: Eusebius turns to the proofs of what he has said.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR misplaced accent; line-end hyphenation rejoined; stray mark): τοῦτων → τούτων; ἀπο- δείξεις → ἀποδείξεις; εἰͅ δὴ → εἰ δὴ.
Cite (SBL): Eusebius, Laud. Const. 16.1 (Heikel; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-laus-constantini/16-1). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-laus-constantini/16-1
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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).
16.2Heikel
διῄρητο μὲν πάντα τὰ πάλαι ἐπὶ γῆς ἔθνη, καὶ τὸ πᾶν τῶν ἀνθρώπων γένος εἰς ἐπαρχίας καὶ ἐθναρχίας καὶ τοπαρχίας τυραννίδας τε καὶ πολυαρχίας κατετέτμητο, ἐξ ὧν μάχαι συνεχεῖς καὶ πόλεμοι δῃώσεις τε καὶ ἀνδραποδισμοὶ κατʼ ἀγροὺς καὶ κατὰ πόλεις οὔποτʼ αὐτοὺς διελίμπανον, ἱστοριῶν τε ὑποθέσεις μυρίαι, μοιχεῖαί τε καὶ γυναικῶν ἁρπαγαί, ἔνθεν τὰ Ἰλίου κακὰ καὶ αἱ παρὰ πᾶσιν ἀνθρώποις μνημονευόμεναι τῶν παλαιῶν τραγῳδίαι.
dię̄rēto men panta ta palai epi gēs ethnē, kai to pan tōn anthrōpōn genos eis eparchias kai ethnarchias kai toparchias tyrannidas te kai polyarchias katetetmēto, ex hōn machai synecheis kai polemoi dę̄ōseis te kai andrapodismoi katʼ agrous kai kata poleis oupotʼ autous dielimpanon, historiōn te hypotheseis myriai, moicheiai te kai gynaikōn harpagai, enthen ta Iliou kaka kai hai para pasin anthrōpois mnēmoneuomenai tōn palaiōn tragǭdiai.
In former times all the nations on earth were divided, and the whole human race was cut up into provinces, ethnarchies, toparchies, tyrannies and governments of many, from which continual battles and wars, ravagings and enslavements in fields and cities never left them, and countless subjects for histories, adulteries and abductions of women: from this the evils of Ilium and the tragedies of the ancients remembered among all people.
Notes and citation
Summary: Formerly humanity was divided into many states, which bred endless wars, adulteries and abductions such as the Trojan war.
- 'Adulteries' renders μοιχεῖαι.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR dropped letter; OCR slip; line-end hyphenation rejoined): διᾴρητο → διῄρητο; δημώσεις → δῃώσεις; ἁρπαγί → ἁρπαγαί; ἀνθρώ- ποις → ἀνθρώποις.
Cite (SBL): Eusebius, Laud. Const. 16.2 (Heikel; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-laus-constantini/16-2). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-laus-constantini/16-2
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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).
16.3Heikel
τούτων δʼ οὐκ ἂν ἁμάρτοις τὰς αἰτίας τῇ πολυθέῳ πλάνῃ προσγράφων. ὡς δὲ τὸ σωτήριον ὄργανον, αὐτὸ δὴ τὸ πανάγιον τοῦ Χριστοῦ σῶμα, τὸ κρεῖττον ἁπάσης δαιμονικῆς πλάνης καὶ ἐνεργείας ὀφθὲν κακίας τε τῆς διʼ ἔργων καὶ λόγων ἀλλότριον, νικητήριον τρόπαιον κατὰ δαιμόνων παλαιῶν τε κακῶν ἀποτρόπαιον ἀνυψοῦτο, ἐλύετό τε αὐτίκα πάντα δαιμόνων ἔργα καὶ οὐκέτʼ ἦσαν τοπαρχίαι καὶ πολυαρχίαι τυραννίδες τε καὶ δημοκρατίαι, αἱ τε διὰ ταῦτα συνιστάμεναι κατὰ πόλεις καὶ κατὰ χώρας δῃώσεις καὶ πολιορκίαι, ἀλλὰ θεὸς μὲν x003E; εἰς πάντας ἐκηρύττετο·
toutōn dʼ ouk an hamartois tas aitias tę̄ polytheǭ planę̄ prosgraphōn. hōs de to sōtērion organon, auto dē to panagion tou Christou sōma, to kreitton hapasēs daimonikēs planēs kai energeias ophthen kakias te tēs diʼ ergōn kai logōn allotrion, nikētērion tropaion kata daimonōn palaiōn te kakōn apotropaion anypsouto, elyeto te autika panta daimonōn erga kai ouketʼ ēsan toparchiai kai polyarchiai tyrannides te kai dēmokratiai, hai te dia tauta synistamenai kata poleis kai kata chōras dę̄ōseis kai poliorkiai, alla theos men x003E? eis pantas ekērytteto;
You would not be wrong to ascribe the causes of these things to polytheistic error. But when the saving instrument, the all-holy body of Christ itself, which was seen to be stronger than all demonic error and working and foreign to wickedness in deed and word, was raised up as a victorious trophy against the demons and a defence against ancient evils, at once all the works of demons were undone; and there were no longer toparchies and governments of many, tyrannies and democracies, and the ravagings and sieges arising from them in cities and countries; but one God was proclaimed to all,
1 John 3:8 (echo, low confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: When Christ's body was raised as a trophy over the demons, the divided governments and their wars came to an end and one God was proclaimed.
- The text has a stray code (x003E;) after θεὸς μέν; the sense is 'one God'. The sentence continues in 16.4.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR lost accent; stray stop; OCR slip; OCR stray breathing): τὸ κρεἱττον → τὸ κρεῖττον; ἠσαν τοπαρχίαι καὶ πολυαρχίαι. τυραννίδες → ἦσαν τοπαρχίαι καὶ πολυαρχίαι τυραννίδες; δᾐώσεις → δῃώσεις.
Topics: The devil and demons
Cite (SBL): Eusebius, Laud. Const. 16.3 (Heikel; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-laus-constantini/16-3). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-laus-constantini/16-3
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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).
16.4Heikel
ἐν ταὐτῷ δὲ καὶ βασιλεία μία τοῖς πᾶσιν ἡ Ῥωμαίων ἐπήνθει, ἀνῄρητό τε ἀθρόως ἡ ἐξ αἰῶνος ἄσπειστος καὶ ἀκατάλλακτος τῶν ἐθνῶν ἔχθρα. ὡς δὲ ἑνὸς θεοῦ γνῶσις πᾶσιν ἀνθρώποις παρεδίδοτο καὶ τρόπος εἶς εὐσεβείας σωτήριός τε ἡ Χριστοῦ διδασκαλία, κατὰ ταῦτα καὶ βασιλέως ἑνὸς ὑφʼ ἕνα καὶ τὸν αὐτὸν χρόνον καθʼ ὅλης τῆς Ῥωμαίων ἀρχῆς ὑποστάντος εἰρήνη βαθεῖα τὰ σύμπαντα διελάμβανεν· ὁμοῦ τε καὶ ὑφʼ ἑνὶ καιρῷ ὥσπερ ἐξ ἑνὸς θεοῦ νεύματος ἀνεφύοντο εἰς ἀνθρώπους ἀγαθῶν δύο βλαστοί, ἥ τε Ῥωμαίων ἀρχὴ καὶ ἡ εὐσεβὴς διδασκαλία.
en tautǭ de kai basileia mia tois pasin hē Rhōmaiōn epēnthei, anę̄rēto te athroōs hē ex aiōnos aspeistos kai akatallaktos tōn ethnōn echthra. hōs de henos theou gnōsis pasin anthrōpois paredidoto kai tropos eis eusebeias sōtērios te hē Christou didaskalia, kata tauta kai basileōs henos hyphʼ hena kai ton auton chronon kathʼ holēs tēs Rhōmaiōn archēs hypostantos eirēnē batheia ta sympanta dielambanen; homou te kai hyphʼ heni kairǭ hōsper ex henos theou neumatos anephyonto eis anthrōpous agathōn dyo blastoi, hē te Rhōmaiōn archē kai hē eusebēs didaskalia.
and at the same time one kingdom flourished for all, that of the Romans, and the enmity of the nations, from of old implacable and irreconcilable, was suddenly removed. And as the knowledge of one God was handed on to all people, and one way of godliness, the saving teaching of Christ, so in the same way, one emperor having arisen at one and the same time over the whole Roman Empire, deep peace embraced all things. At the same time and in one season, as though from one nod of God, two shoots of good things sprang up for men: the Roman Empire and the teaching of godliness.
Notes and citation
Summary: At the same time one God was preached and one empire arose; the Roman Empire and the Christian teaching sprang up together as God's two gifts.
- The 'one emperor' is Augustus, under whom Christ was born. The text reads Μου νεύματος (for θεοῦ νεύματος).
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR slips; line-end hyphenation rejoined): Χρι- στοῦ → Χριστοῦ; ὑφʼ ἑνὶ καιρῶ ὥνπερ ἐξ ἑνὸς Μου νεύματος → ὑφʼ ἑνὶ καιρῷ ὥσπερ ἐξ ἑνὸς θεοῦ νεύματος.
Cite (SBL): Eusebius, Laud. Const. 16.4 (Heikel; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-laus-constantini/16-4). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-laus-constantini/16-4
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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).
16.5Heikel
πρό γε μὴν ταύτης οἱ μὲν ἀφωρισμένως Συρίας ἐκράτουν, οἱ δὲ τῆς Ἀσίας ἐβασίλευον, ἄλλοι δὲ Μακεδονίας, τὴν δὲ Αἴγυπτον ἀποτεμόντες ἕτεροι κατεῖχον, καὶ χώραν τὴν Ἀράβων ὡσαύτως ναὶ μὴν καὶ Παλαιστινῶν τὸ Ἰουδαίων ἐκράτει γένος, καὶ κατὰ κώμας τε καὶ πόλεις καὶ κατὰ πάντα τόπον ὥσπερ ὑπό τινος παραπληθίας κατʼ ἀλλήλων φονῶντες καὶ δαιμονῶντες ἀληθῶς πολέμοις καὶ μάχαις ἐσχόλαζον. ἀλλὰ γὰρ ἀθρόως ἅπαντα ὥσπερ ἀπὸ νύσσης μιᾶς δύο μεγάλαι προελθοῦσαι δυνάμεις ἡμέρωσάν τε καὶ εἰς φιλίαν συνήγαγον. ἥ τε Ῥωμαίων ἀρχὴ μόναρχος ἐξ ἐκείνου φανθεῖσα καὶ ἡ τοῦ Χριστοῦ διδασκαλία, ὁμοῦ καὶ κατὰ τὸ αὐτὸ συνακμάσασαι ἀλλήλαις.
pro ge mēn tautēs hoi men aphōrismenōs Syrias ekratoun, hoi de tēs Asias ebasileuon, alloi de Makedonias, tēn de Aigypton apotemontes heteroi kateichon, kai chōran tēn Arabōn hōsautōs nai mēn kai Palaistinōn to Ioudaiōn ekratei genos, kai kata kōmas te kai poleis kai kata panta topon hōsper hypo tinos paraplēthias katʼ allēlōn phonōntes kai daimonōntes alēthōs polemois kai machais escholazon. alla gar athroōs hapanta hōsper apo nyssēs mias dyo megalai proelthousai dynameis hēmerōsan te kai eis philian synēgagon. hē te Rhōmaiōn archē monarchos ex ekeinou phantheisa kai hē tou Christou didaskalia, homou kai kata to auto synakmasasai allēlais.
Before this, some ruled Syria separately, others reigned over Asia, others over Macedonia; others had cut off Egypt and held it, and the land of the Arabs likewise; and the race of the Jews ruled over Palestine; and in villages and cities and every place, as though from some madness, they were murderous toward one another and truly demon-possessed, occupied with wars and battles. But suddenly two great powers, coming forth as from one starting line, tamed all and brought them into friendship: the Roman Empire, shown from then on as a monarchy, and the teaching of Christ, flourishing together at the same time with each other.
Notes and citation
Summary: Where many warring kingdoms had been, Roman monarchy and Christ's teaching together brought peace.
- The digital text repeats ὡσαύτως; translated once. παραπληθίας is probably a slip for παραπληξίας ('madness').
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (dittography in the digital text): ὡσαύτως ὡσαύτως → ὡσαύτως.
Cite (SBL): Eusebius, Laud. Const. 16.5 (Heikel; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-laus-constantini/16-5). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-laus-constantini/16-5
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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).
16.6Heikel
ἡ μέν γε τοῦ σωτῆρος ἡμῶν δύναμις τὰς τῶν δαιμόνων πολυαρχίας τε καὶ πολυθείας καθεῖλε, μίαν βασιλείαν θεοῦ πᾶσιν ἀνθρώποις Ἑλλησί τε καὶ βαρβάροις καὶ μέχρι τῶν ἐσχατιῶν τῆς γῆς κηρύττουσα· ἡ δὲ Ῥωμαίων ἀρχή, ὡς ἂν προκαθῃρημένων τῶν τῆς αἰτιῶν, τὰς ὁρωμένας ἐχειροῦτο, εἰς μίαν ἕνωσιν καὶ συμφωνίαν τὸ πᾶν γένος συνάπτειν σπεύδουσα, καὶ τὰ πολλὰ μὲν παντοίων ἐθνῶν συναγαγοῦσα, μέλλουσα δὲ ὅσον οὔπω καὶ αὐτῶν ἄχρι τῶν ἄκρων τῆς οἰκουμένης ἐφάπτεσθαι, τῆς σωτηρίου διδασκαλίας σὺν θεϊκῇ δυνάμει προεξευμαριζούσης αὐτῇ τὰ πάντα καὶ ὁμαλὰ καθιστώσης.
hē men ge tou sōtēros hēmōn dynamis tas tōn daimonōn polyarchias te kai polytheias katheile, mian basileian theou pasin anthrōpois Hellēsi te kai barbarois kai mechri tōn eschatiōn tēs gēs kēryttousa; hē de Rhōmaiōn archē, hōs an prokathę̄rēmenōn tōn tēs aitiōn, tas horōmenas echeirouto, eis mian henōsin kai symphōnian to pan genos synaptein speudousa, kai ta polla men pantoiōn ethnōn synagagousa, mellousa de hoson oupō kai autōn achri tōn akrōn tēs oikoumenēs ephaptesthai, tēs sōtēriou didaskalias syn theïkę̄ dynamei proexeumarizousēs autę̄ ta panta kai homala kathistōsēs.
The power of our Saviour overthrew the many rules and many gods of the demons, proclaiming one kingdom of God to all people, Greeks and barbarians, even to the ends of the earth; and the Roman Empire, as though the causes had been removed beforehand, subdued the visible powers, hastening to join the whole race into one unity and concord. It had already brought together most of the various nations, and was about very soon to reach even to the ends of the inhabited world, the saving teaching with divine power smoothing all things beforehand and making them level for it.
Acts 1:8 (echo, low confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Christ's power overthrew the demons' rule while Rome united the nations, the gospel preparing the way for the empire.
- τῆς αἰτιῶν is garbled (perhaps τῶν ἀφανῶν αἰτιῶν, 'the invisible causes'); translated by sense. The text repeats μέχρι.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (dittography in the digital text; stray capital; OCR slip): μέχρι μέχρι τῶν → μέχρι τῶν; τὸ Πᾶν γένος ουνάπτειν → τὸ πᾶν γένος συνάπτειν.
Topics: The devil and demons
Cite (SBL): Eusebius, Laud. Const. 16.6 (Heikel; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-laus-constantini/16-6). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-laus-constantini/16-6
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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).
16.7Heikel
τοῦτό γέ τοι ἂν εἴη τὸ μέγα θαῦμα τοῖς φιλαλήθως τὸν νοῦν ἐφιστῶσι καὶ μὴ τοῖς καλοῖς βασκαίνειν ἐθέλουσιν· ὁμοῦ τε γὰρ ἡ τῶν δαιμόνων ἀπηλέγχετο πλάνη, ὁμοῦ καὶ ἡ ἐξ αἰῶνος ἔχθρα καὶ μάχη τῶν ἐθνῶν διελύετο, καὶ πάλιν ὁμοῦ θεὸς εἶς καὶ μία τούτου γνῶσις εἰς πάντας ἐκηρύττετο, ὁμοῦ καὶ βασιλεία μία ἐν ἀνθρώποις ἐκρατύνετο, καὶ τὸ πᾶν ὁμοῦ τῶν ἀνθρώπων γένος εἰς εἰρήνην καὶ φιλίαν μεθηρμόζετο, ἀδελφούς τε ὡμολόγουν ἀλλήλους οἱ πάντες καὶ τὴν οἰκείαν φύσιν ἐγνώριζον. αὐτίκα γοῦν ὥσπερ ἐξ ἑνὸς φύντες πατρὸς ἑνός τε θεοῦ οἷα παῖδες καὶ μητρὸς μιᾶς, τῆς ἀληθοῦς εὐσεβείας, εἰρηνικῶς ἀλλήλους ἠσπάζοντό τε καὶ ἀπελάμβανον, ὡς μηδὲν ἀποδεῖν ἐξ ἐκείνου τὴν σύμπασαν οἰκουμένην μιᾶς εὐνομουμένης οἰκετείας τε καὶ συγγενείας, ἐξεῖναί τε πορείας ὅτῳ φίλον στέλλεσθαι ἀποδημεῖν τε ὅπη τις θέλοι σὺν πάσῃ ῥᾳστώνῃ, καὶ τοὺς μὲν ἀπὸ δυσμῶν ἀκινδύνως ἐπὶ τὰ ἑῷα παριέναι, τοὺς δὲ ἐνθένδε πάλιν ἐκεῖσε ὡς ἐπὶ πατρίδας οἰκείας στέλλεσθαι, πληροῦσθαί τε παλαιῶν χρησμῶν λόγια καὶ προφητῶν ἀναφωνήσεις, μυρίας μὲν καὶ ἄλλας ἅς οὐ νῦν παρατίθεσθαι σχολή, ἀτὰρ δὲ καὶ τὰς ἀμφὶ τοῦ σωτηρίου λόγου ὡδέ πη βοώσας· κατακυριεύσει ἀπὸ θαλάσσης ἕως θαλάσσης, καὶ ἀπὸ ποταμῶν ἕως περάτων τῆς οἰκουμένης.“ καὶ αὖθις· „ἀνατελεῖ ἐν ταῖς ἡμέραις αὐτοῦ δικαιοσύνη καὶ πλῆθος εἰρήνης.“ „ καὶ συγκόψουσι τὰς μαχαίρας αὐτῶν εἰς ἄροτρα, καὶ τὰς ζιβύνας εἰς δρέπανα. καὶ οὐ μὴ λήψεται ἔθνος ἐπʼ ἔθνος μάχαιραν, καὶ οὐ μὴ μάθωσιν ἔτι πολεμεῖν." 8 ταῦτα προὐλέγετο καὶ φωναῖς Ἑβραίων ἐξ αἰῶνος μακροῦ προεκηρύττετο· ταῦτα τοῖς ἔργοις καθʼ ἡμᾶς αὐτοὺς ὁρώμενα τῶν παλαιῶν φωνῶν πιστοῦται τὰς μαρτυρίας. σὺ δὲ δὴ εἰ ποθεῖς ἑτέρων ἀποδείξεων περιουσίας, μὴ λόγοις ἀλλʼ ἔργοις ταύτας λάμβανε. διάνοιξον τῆς σαυτοῦ διανοίας τοὺς ὀφθαλμούς, καὶ τοῦ λογισμοῦ τὰς πύλας ἀναπέτασον, πολύ τε ἐπισχὼν παρὰ σαυτῷ λόγισαι, αὐτός τε σαυτὸν ἐρώτα, καὶ ὡς παρʼ ἑτέρου πυνθάνου, ὧδέ πη τὴν τῶν πραγμάτων φύσιν διερευνώμενος· τίς πώποτε τῶν ἐξ αἰῶνος βασιλεὺς ἢ ἄρχων ἢ φιλόσοφος ἢ νομοθέτης ἢ προφήτης Ἑλληνικὸς ἢ βάρβαρος τοσοῦτον ἀρετῆς ἀπηνέγκατο, οὔτι γε μετὰ θάνατον ἀλλʼ ἔτι ζῶν καὶ ἐμπνέων καὶ πολλὰ δυνάμενος, ὡς πάντων τῶν ἐπὶ γῆς ἀνθρώπων ἀκοὴν καὶ γλῶτταν ἐμπλῆσαι τῆς αὐτοῦ προσηγορίας; ἀλλὰ τοῦτό γε οὐδεὶς ἢ μόνος εἷς ὁ ἡμέτερος σωτὴρ μετὰ τὴν κατὰ τοῦ θανάτου νίκην διεπράξατο, τοῖς αὐτοῦ γνωρίμοις λόγον εἰπὼν καὶ ἔργῳ τελέσας, „πορευθέντες γοῦν μαθητεύσατε πάντα τὰ ἐν τῷ ὀνόματί μου“ φήσας αὐτοῖς. προειπών τε καὶ μενος, ὡς ἄρα δεῖ τὸ εὐαγγέλιον αὐτοῦ κηρυχθῆναι ἐν ὅλῃ τῇ οἰκουμένῃ εἰς μαρτύριον πᾶσι τοῖς ἔθνεσιν, ἅμα λόγῳ τοὔργον ἐπήγαγεν. αὐτίκα δʼ οὖν καὶ οὐκ εἰς μακρὸν ἡ σύμπασα οἰκουμένη τῶν αὐτοῦ λόγων ἐπληροῦτο.
touto ge toi an eiē to mega thauma tois philalēthōs ton noun ephistōsi kai mē tois kalois baskainein ethelousin; homou te gar hē tōn daimonōn apēlencheto planē, homou kai hē ex aiōnos echthra kai machē tōn ethnōn dielyeto, kai palin homou theos eis kai mia toutou gnōsis eis pantas ekērytteto, homou kai basileia mia en anthrōpois ekratyneto, kai to pan homou tōn anthrōpōn genos eis eirēnēn kai philian methērmozeto, adelphous te hōmologoun allēlous hoi pantes kai tēn oikeian physin egnōrizon. autika goun hōsper ex henos phyntes patros henos te theou hoia paides kai mētros mias, tēs alēthous eusebeias, eirēnikōs allēlous ēspazonto te kai apelambanon, hōs mēden apodein ex ekeinou tēn sympasan oikoumenēn mias eunomoumenēs oiketeias te kai syngeneias, exeinai te poreias hotǭ philon stellesthai apodēmein te hopē tis theloi syn pasę̄ rhąstōnę̄, kai tous men apo dysmōn akindynōs epi ta heǭa parienai, tous de enthende palin ekeise hōs epi patridas oikeias stellesthai, plērousthai te palaiōn chrēsmōn logia kai prophētōn anaphōnēseis, myrias men kai allas has ou nyn paratithesthai scholē, atar de kai tas amphi tou sōtēriou logou hōde pē boōsas; katakyrieusei apo thalassēs heōs thalassēs, kai apo potamōn heōs peratōn tēs oikoumenēs.“ kai authis; „anatelei en tais hēmerais autou dikaiosynē kai plēthos eirēnēs.“ „ kai synkopsousi tas machairas autōn eis arotra, kai tas zibynas eis drepana. kai ou mē lēpsetai ethnos epʼ ethnos machairan, kai ou mē mathōsin eti polemein." 8 tauta proulegeto kai phōnais Hebraiōn ex aiōnos makrou proekērytteto; tauta tois ergois kathʼ hēmas autous horōmena tōn palaiōn phōnōn pistoutai tas martyrias. sy de dē ei potheis heterōn apodeixeōn periousias, mē logois allʼ ergois tautas lambane. dianoixon tēs sautou dianoias tous ophthalmous, kai tou logismou tas pylas anapetason, poly te epischōn para sautǭ logisai, autos te sauton erōta, kai hōs parʼ heterou pynthanou, hōde pē tēn tōn pragmatōn physin diereunōmenos; tis pōpote tōn ex aiōnos basileus ē archōn ē philosophos ē nomothetēs ē prophētēs Hellēnikos ē barbaros tosouton aretēs apēnenkato, outi ge meta thanaton allʼ eti zōn kai empneōn kai polla dynamenos, hōs pantōn tōn epi gēs anthrōpōn akoēn kai glōttan emplēsai tēs autou prosēgorias? alla touto ge oudeis ē monos heis ho hēmeteros sōtēr meta tēn kata tou thanatou nikēn diepraxato, tois autou gnōrimois logon eipōn kai ergǭ telesas, „poreuthentes goun mathēteusate panta ta en tǭ onomati mou“ phēsas autois. proeipōn te kai menos, hōs ara dei to euangelion autou kērychthēnai en holę̄ tę̄ oikoumenę̄ eis martyrion pasi tois ethnesin, hama logǭ tourgon epēgagen. autika dʼ oun kai ouk eis makron hē sympasa oikoumenē tōn autou logōn eplērouto.
This would indeed be the great wonder to those who attend with a truth-loving mind and do not wish to begrudge good things. At the same time the error of the demons was refuted, and at the same time the age-old enmity and fighting of the nations was ended; and again at the same time one God and one knowledge of him was proclaimed to all, and at the same time one kingdom was established among men, and the whole human race was at the same time brought into peace and friendship; all acknowledged one another as brothers and recognized their kindred nature. At once, as though sprung from one father and as children of one God and one mother, true godliness, they greeted and received one another peaceably, so that from then on the whole inhabited world differed in nothing from one well-ordered household and family, and anyone who wished could travel and go abroad wherever he liked with all ease; those from the West could go safely to the East, and those from here go there as to their own homelands; and the oracles of ancient prophecies and the utterances of prophets were fulfilled, countless others which there is no leisure to set out now, and also those which cry out concerning the saving Word: "He shall have dominion from sea to sea, and from the rivers to the ends of the inhabited world"; and again: "In his days righteousness shall arise, and abundance of peace"; "And they shall beat their swords into ploughshares and their spears into sickles, and nation shall not take up sword against nation, and they shall no more learn to make war." [8] These things were foretold and proclaimed beforehand in Hebrew voices from a long age; these things, seen in deeds in our own time, confirm the testimonies of the ancient voices. But if you long for an abundance of other proofs, take them not from words but from deeds. Open the eyes of your mind, throw wide the gates of reason, and, pausing long, reckon with yourself; ask yourself, and inquire as of another, examining the nature of the facts in this way: who of all kings or rulers or philosophers or lawgivers or prophets, Greek or barbarian, from the beginning ever won such virtue, not after death but while still living and breathing and having much power, as to fill the hearing and tongue of all people on earth with his name? No one but our Saviour alone accomplished this after his victory over death, speaking the word to his disciples and fulfilling it in deed, saying to them, "Go and make disciples of all the nations in my name." And having foretold ... that his gospel must be preached in the whole inhabited world as a testimony to all the nations, he joined the deed to the word; and at once, not long after, the whole inhabited world was filled with his words.
Ps 72:8 (71:8 LXX) (quotation, high confidence) · Ps 72:7 (71:7 LXX) (quotation, high confidence) · Isa 2:4 (quotation, high confidence) · Mic 4:3 (allusion, medium confidence) · Matt 28:19 (quotation, high confidence) · Matt 24:14 (allusion, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: The simultaneous end of idolatry and of national wars fulfilled the prophecies of universal peace; and no one but Christ, after his death, ever made his name known in every tongue, as he foretold.
- The printed numeral 8 marks section 16.8, which the staging did not separate; it is kept as [8]. Quotations: Ps 72:8 (71:8 LXX); Ps 72:7 (71:7 LXX); Isa 2:4 (compare Mic 4:3); Matt 28:19, loosely ('in my name' as Eusebius often cites it); Matt 24:14. A word after προειπών τε καὶ is garbled (μενος); marked '...'. ἔθνη ('nations') after πάντα τὰ is missing in the digital text and is translated.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR slip; OCR slip in accent; OCR slip in breathing; OCR slips; OCR slips in breathing; line-end hyphenation rejoined; stray capital; stray mark): ἐγνώριζον΄. → ἐγνώριζον.; εύσεβείας → εὐσεβείας; μη- δὲν → μηδὲν; σὺη πάγῃ → σὺν πάσῃ; πληροῦμαί → πληροῦσθαί; χρησ- μῶν → χρησμῶν; αἶθες → αὖθις; συγκό- ψουσι → συγκόψουσι; διονοίας τοὺρ → διανοίας τοὺς; μαθητεύσατε Πάντα τὰ → μαθητεύσατε πάντα τὰ; εὐαγγἐλιον αὐτοῦ κηρυχθῆναι ἐν ὄλῃ → εὐαγγέλιον αὐτοῦ κηρυχθῆναι ἐν ὅλῃ; δʼ οὑν καὶ → δʼ οὖν καὶ.
Topics: Scripture and canon, Prophecy and fulfilment, Mission and the spread of the gospel
Cite (SBL): Eusebius, Laud. Const. 16.7 (Heikel; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-laus-constantini/16-7). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-laus-constantini/16-7
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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).
16.9Heikel
τί οὖν ἔχοι ἂν πρὸς τοῦτο εἰπεῖν ἡ κατʼ ἀρχὰς τοῦ λόγου ἡμῖν ἐπιμεμψάμενος, ὁπότε παντὸς λόγου κρείττων ἡ διὰ τῆς ὄψεως τυγχάνει μαρτυρία; ἀλλὰ γὰρ ἀπὸ τοῦ προτέρου μεταβάς, ἐλθὲ καὶ ἐφʼ ἕτερον καὶ σκέψαι παρὰ σαυτῷ· τίς πώποτε ἐκ τοῦ παντὸς αἰῶνος νόμους εὐσεβεῖς καὶ σώφρονας λόγῳ μόνῳ δίχα πάσης γραφῆς διαταξάμενος, τούτους διὰ τῶν αὐτοῦ φοιτητῶν ἀπὸ περάτων γῆς καὶ εἰς ἄκρα τῆς ὅλης οἰκουμένης, διδασκαλεῖα πανταχοῦ γῆς ἀνοίξας, εἰς ἐπήκοον ἀνθρώποις πᾶσι βαρβάροις ὁμοῦ καὶ Ἕλλησιν ἀναγινώσκεσθαι ῥᾳδίως ἐκράτυνεν; ἀλλʼ οὐκ ἂν εὕροις ἐπιζητήσας ἄλλον. καὶ τοῦτο δὴ μόνου τοῦ ἡμετέρου σωτῆρος ἔργον ἠν. ὅ δὴ μετὰ τὸν θάνατον αὐτοῦ πεπραγμένον τῆς ἐνθέου ζωῆς τε καὶ δυνάμεως αὐτοῦ παραστατικὸν ἂν εἴη. ἀλλʼ οὐδὲ τοῦτο πείθει τὸν ἀπειθῆ. οὐκοῦν ἡμῖν αὐτὸς λεγέτω ποθοῦσι μαθεῖν, ἤ τίς ποτε ἄλλος τῶν ἐν ἀνθρώποις ἐπὶ σοφίᾳ βοηθέντων ἔθη βάρβαρα καὶ ἀνήμερα βαρβάρων ἐθνῶν τοῖς φιλανθρωποτάτοις αὐτοῦ παρέλυσε νόμοις, ὡς μηκέτι τοὺς αὑτῷ μαθητευομένους ἐν Σκύθαις ἀνθρωποβορεῖν, μηδʼ ἐν Πέρσαις μητρογαμεῖν, μηδʼ ἄλλους κυσὶ παραβάλλειν τοὺς ἑαυτῶν νεκρούς, μηδʼ ἑτέρους ἀγχόνῃ παραδιδόναι τοὺς γεγηρακότας, μηδʼ ἕτερα τούτων ἀδελφὰ ὠμὰ καὶ θηριώδη παρʼ ἐτέροις ἐπιτελεῖσθαι. ἀλλὰ μικρὰ ταῦτα τυγχάνει δείγματα τῆς τοῦ σωτῆρος ἡμῶν μετὰ τὸν θάνατον ἐνθέου ζωῆς. θέα δὴ καὶ ἕτερα τούτων μείζω, σκεψάμενος τίς πώποτε ἐν ἀνθρώποις τοσούτοις δὴ χρόνοις ὑπὸ πάντων ἀνθρώπων, ἀρχόντων τε καὶ βασιλέων, πολιτῶν τε καὶ στρατοπέδων, δήμων τε καὶ ἐθνῶν, πολεμηθεὶς καὶ εἰς ἀεὶ πολεμούμενος τὴν ὑπὲρ ἄνθρωπον ἀρετὴν ἐπεδείξατο. ὡς ἀνθεῖν ὁσημέραι καὶ νεάζειν διὰ παντὸς τοῦ βίου. τίς δὲ καὶ ἄλλος τῶν ἐξ αἰῶνος ὁμοίως τῷ ἡμετέρῳ σωτῆρι ἔθνος τὸ μηδʼ ἀκουσθὲν ἄλλοτέ ποτε ἐπʼ ὀνόματι τῷ αὐτοῦ συστήσασθαι βουληθείς, τοῦτο οὐκ ἐν γωνίᾳ ποι γῆς λεληθὼς ἀλλὰ καθʼ ὅλης τῆς ὑφʼ ἥλιον ἱδρύσατο, δυνάμει θεϊκῆς ἐξουσίας πέρας ἐπιθεὶς τῷ αὐτοῦ βουλήματι; θεὸν δὲ μόνον τὸν ἐπέκεινα οὐρανοῦ καὶ τοῦ παντὸς κόσμου γνωρίζειν τε καὶ σέβειν πάντα τὰ ἔθνη τίς πωποτε διδάξαι προὔθετο; κἄπειτα τοιοῦτον προθέμενος σκοπὸν εἰς ἔργον ἤγαγε τὸ κατόρθωμα, μόνον οὐχὶ διʼ αὐτῆς ἐνεργείας φιλόθεον ἀποφήνας τὸ πεπραγμένον· ὅ δὴ καὶ μάλιστα πᾶν ἄθυρον ἀπέφραξε στόμα, ὅτι δὴ τὸν ἀνωτάτω κηρύξας θεὸν καὶ τοῦτον μόνον ἀληθῆ γνωρίζειν τοῖς πᾶσιν ἔθνεσιν ἐγκελευσάμενος, ὡς ἂν τὰ φίλα τῷ θεῷ βουληθείς, τῆς πρὸς αὐτοῦ τοῦ πρεσβευομένου συνεργίας τε καὶ βοηθείας ἠξιώθη. τὰ δʼ ἐπὶ τῷ τοιούτῳ κηρύγματι συμπαραληφθέντα μαθήματα καὶ πᾶσιν εἰς ἐπήκοον παραδοθέντα ἔργῳ τε κρατυνθέντα ὁποῖα τυγχάνει; θέα καὶ σκέψαι. ἥ τίς καὶ ἄλλος τῶν πώποτε, τὰς τῶν ἀνθρώπων ψυχὰς λογικῷ φωτὶ καταλάμψας, καταγελάσαι τῆς πατρίου πλάνης αὐτοὺς παρεσκεύασεν, ὡς μηκέτι λίθοις καὶ ξύλοις μήδʼ ἀψύχῳ ὕλῃ τὴν θείαν περιάπτειν προσηγορίαν. Αἰγυπτίους δὲ τοὺς πάντων δεισιδαιμονεστάτους, ἀφʼ ὧν καὶ εἰς Ἕλληνας τὰ τῆς πολυθέου πλάνης προῆλθεν, τίς ἄλλος πλὴν τοῦ ἡμετέρου σωτῆρος μηκέτʼ ἀφρονεῖν ἔπεισεν, μηδέ γε θηρσὶ καὶ ἑρπετοῖς καὶ ζώων ἀλόγων τοῖς ἀτιμοτάτοις τὴν σεβάσμιον ἀπονέμειν τιμήν, μόνον δὲ τὸν ἐπὶ πάντων γνωρίζειν θεόν, καὶ διὰ παντοίων θανάτων ὑπὲρ τῆς ἀγωνίζεσθαι. τίς δὲ ἐξ αἰῶνος τὸ βλαπτικὸν καὶ ὀλέθριον δαιμόνων φῦλον, τὸ πάλαι πᾶσαν ἀνθρώπων φύσιν ἐπινεμόμενον καὶ διὰ τῆς τῶν ξοάνων κινήσεως πολλὰς ἐν ἀνθρώποις γοητείας ἐπιδεικνύμενον, ἀοράτῳ καὶ κραταιᾷ χειρὶ οἷα θῆρας δεινοὺς τῆς ἀνθρώπων ἀπεδίωξεν ἀγέλης; τίς δʼ ἕτερος ὡς ὁ ἡμέτερος σωτὴρ διὰ τῆς εἰς αὐτὸν ἐπικλήσεως καθαρωτάταις εὐχαῖς ταῖς διʼ αὐτοῦ πρὸς τὸν τῶν ὅλων θεὸν ἀναπεμπομέναις τὰ λείψανα τῶν πονηρῶν πνευμάτων ἐξ ἀνθρώπων ἀπελαύνειν ἐπʼ ἐξουσίας ἔδωκεν τοῖς καθαρῶς καὶ ἀπλάστως μετερχομένοις τὸν βίον τῆς ὑπʼ αὐτοῦ παραδοθείσης φιλοσοφίας; ἀναίμους δὲ καὶ λογικὰς θυσίας τὰς διʼ εὐχῶν καὶ ἀπορρήτου θεολογίας τοῖς αὐτοῦ θιασώταις τίς ἐπιτελεῖν παρέδωκεν ἄλλος ἢ μόνος ὁ ἡμέτερος σωτήρ;
ti oun echoi an pros touto eipein hē katʼ archas tou logou hēmin epimempsamenos, hopote pantos logou kreittōn hē dia tēs opseōs tynchanei martyria? alla gar apo tou proterou metabas, elthe kai ephʼ heteron kai skepsai para sautǭ; tis pōpote ek tou pantos aiōnos nomous eusebeis kai sōphronas logǭ monǭ dicha pasēs graphēs diataxamenos, toutous dia tōn autou phoitētōn apo peratōn gēs kai eis akra tēs holēs oikoumenēs, didaskaleia pantachou gēs anoixas, eis epēkoon anthrōpois pasi barbarois homou kai Hellēsin anaginōskesthai rhądiōs ekratynen? allʼ ouk an heurois epizētēsas allon. kai touto dē monou tou hēmeterou sōtēros ergon ēn. ho dē meta ton thanaton autou pepragmenon tēs entheou zōēs te kai dynameōs autou parastatikon an eiē. allʼ oude touto peithei ton apeithē. oukoun hēmin autos legetō pothousi mathein, ē tis pote allos tōn en anthrōpois epi sophią boēthentōn ethē barbara kai anēmera barbarōn ethnōn tois philanthrōpotatois autou parelyse nomois, hōs mēketi tous hautǭ mathēteuomenous en Skythais anthrōpoborein, mēdʼ en Persais mētrogamein, mēdʼ allous kysi paraballein tous heautōn nekrous, mēdʼ heterous anchonę̄ paradidonai tous gegērakotas, mēdʼ hetera toutōn adelpha ōma kai thēriōdē parʼ eterois epiteleisthai. alla mikra tauta tynchanei deigmata tēs tou sōtēros hēmōn meta ton thanaton entheou zōēs. thea dē kai hetera toutōn meizō, skepsamenos tis pōpote en anthrōpois tosoutois dē chronois hypo pantōn anthrōpōn, archontōn te kai basileōn, politōn te kai stratopedōn, dēmōn te kai ethnōn, polemētheis kai eis aei polemoumenos tēn hyper anthrōpon aretēn epedeixato. hōs anthein hosēmerai kai neazein dia pantos tou biou. tis de kai allos tōn ex aiōnos homoiōs tǭ hēmeterǭ sōtēri ethnos to mēdʼ akousthen allote pote epʼ onomati tǭ autou systēsasthai boulētheis, touto ouk en gōnią poi gēs lelēthōs alla kathʼ holēs tēs hyphʼ hēlion hidrysato, dynamei theïkēs exousias peras epitheis tǭ autou boulēmati? theon de monon ton epekeina ouranou kai tou pantos kosmou gnōrizein te kai sebein panta ta ethnē tis pōpote didaxai proutheto? kapeita toiouton prothemenos skopon eis ergon ēgage to katorthōma, monon ouchi diʼ autēs energeias philotheon apophēnas to pepragmenon; ho dē kai malista pan athyron apephraxe stoma, hoti dē ton anōtatō kēryxas theon kai touton monon alēthē gnōrizein tois pasin ethnesin enkeleusamenos, hōs an ta phila tǭ theǭ boulētheis, tēs pros autou tou presbeuomenou synergias te kai boētheias ēxiōthē. ta dʼ epi tǭ toioutǭ kērygmati symparalēphthenta mathēmata kai pasin eis epēkoon paradothenta ergǭ te kratynthenta hopoia tynchanei? thea kai skepsai. hē tis kai allos tōn pōpote, tas tōn anthrōpōn psychas logikǭ phōti katalampsas, katagelasai tēs patriou planēs autous pareskeuasen, hōs mēketi lithois kai xylois mēdʼ apsychǭ hylę̄ tēn theian periaptein prosēgorian. Aigyptious de tous pantōn deisidaimonestatous, aphʼ hōn kai eis Hellēnas ta tēs polytheou planēs proēlthen, tis allos plēn tou hēmeterou sōtēros mēketʼ aphronein epeisen, mēde ge thērsi kai herpetois kai zōōn alogōn tois atimotatois tēn sebasmion aponemein timēn, monon de ton epi pantōn gnōrizein theon, kai dia pantoiōn thanatōn hyper tēs agōnizesthai. tis de ex aiōnos to blaptikon kai olethrion daimonōn phylon, to palai pasan anthrōpōn physin epinemomenon kai dia tēs tōn xoanōn kinēseōs pollas en anthrōpois goēteias epideiknymenon, aoratǭ kai krataią cheiri hoia thēras deinous tēs anthrōpōn apediōxen agelēs? tis dʼ heteros hōs ho hēmeteros sōtēr dia tēs eis auton epiklēseōs katharōtatais euchais tais diʼ autou pros ton tōn holōn theon anapempomenais ta leipsana tōn ponērōn pneumatōn ex anthrōpōn apelaunein epʼ exousias edōken tois katharōs kai aplastōs meterchomenois ton bion tēs hypʼ autou paradotheisēs philosophias? anaimous de kai logikas thysias tas diʼ euchōn kai aporrētou theologias tois autou thiasōtais tis epitelein paredōken allos ē monos ho hēmeteros sōtēr?
What then could the one who at the beginning of our speech found fault with us say to this, when the testimony of sight is stronger than every word? But passing from the first point, come to another and consider with yourself: who in all the ages, having laid down pious and sober laws by word alone without any writing, ever caused them to be read easily, through his disciples, from the ends of the earth to the farthest parts of the whole world, opening schools everywhere on earth, in the hearing of all people, barbarians and Greeks alike? You would not find another if you searched. This was the work of our Saviour alone; and this, done after his death, would be a proof of his divine life and power. But even this does not persuade the disobedient. Then let him tell us, who long to learn, what other of those esteemed among men for wisdom ever abolished the barbarous and savage customs of barbarian nations by his most humane laws, so that those who are his disciples no longer eat men among the Scythians, nor marry their mothers among the Persians, nor throw their dead to dogs among others, nor hand over the aged to the noose among others, nor do other things akin to these, cruel and beastlike, among others. But these are small proofs of our Saviour's divine life after death. Behold others greater than these, considering who ever among men, warred against for so long by all men, rulers and kings, citizens and armies, peoples and nations, and always warred against, displayed a superhuman virtue, so as to flourish daily and be young throughout all his life. Who else of all the ages, like our Saviour, wishing to establish a nation never heard of before under his name, founded it not hidden in some corner of the earth but over all the earth under the sun, bringing his will to completion by the power of divine authority? Who ever undertook to teach all the nations to know and worship God alone, who is beyond heaven and the whole world? And then, having set such a goal, brought the achievement to effect, showing by its very working that what was done was dear to God? This above all stopped every unbridled mouth: that, having proclaimed the supreme God and commanded all the nations to know him alone as true, as one who willed what was dear to God, he was counted worthy of the co-operation and help of the One he preached. And what are the teachings received along with such preaching, handed on to the hearing of all and confirmed in deed? Behold and consider. Who else ever, enlightening the souls of men with rational light, prepared them to laugh at their ancestral error, so that they no longer attach the divine name to stones and wood and lifeless matter? Who else but our Saviour persuaded the Egyptians, the most superstitious of all, from whom the polytheistic error passed even to the Greeks, no longer to be foolish, nor to give the venerable honour to beasts and reptiles and the most dishonourable of irrational animals, but to know only the God over all, and to contend for [him] through deaths of every kind? Who from the beginning drove away from the flock of men with invisible and mighty hand, like terrible beasts, the harmful and destructive race of demons, which formerly grazed upon all human nature and displayed many sorceries among men through the movement of images? Who else, like our Saviour, gave authority, through calling on him and through the purest prayers sent up through him to the God of all, to drive the remnants of the wicked spirits out of men, to those who pursue purely and without pretence the life of the philosophy handed down by him? And who else but our Saviour alone handed down to his worshippers bloodless and rational sacrifices to be offered through prayers and secret theology?
Rom 12:1 (echo, medium confidence) · Luke 10:17 (echo, low confidence) · Mark 16:17 (echo, low confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Christ alone spread his teaching worldwide, abolished barbarous customs, endured constant persecution and flourished, founded a new nation, turned Egypt from animal worship, gave power over demons, and established bloodless sacrifices.
- The digital text has the stray numeral 7 inside a word (τοὺς 7 ρακότας for τοὺς γεγηρακότας, 'the aged') and omits a word after ὑπὲρ τῆς (supplied as '[him]'). 'Bloodless and rational sacrifices' refers to Christian worship, including the eucharist; compare Rom 12:1. The disciples' authority over demons recalls Mark 16:17; Luke 10:17.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR garbled word; OCR slip; OCR slip (β for γ); OCR slip (ο for σ); OCR slip (φ for ψ); OCR stray breathing; line-end hyphenation rejoined; stray capital; stray digit for lost letters; stray mark; breathing slip): τῆς ὄφεως → τῆς ὄψεως; παν- ταχοῦ → πανταχοῦ; ἐν Σ̓κύθαις άνθρωποβορεῖν → ἐν Σκύθαις ἀνθρωποβορεῖν; κυοὶ παραβάλλειν → κυσὶ παραβάλλειν; τοὺς 7 ρακότας → τοὺς γεγηρακότας; ὑπὸ πάι των → ὑπὸ πάντων; δήμων τε καὶ Μνῶν → δήμων τε καὶ ἐθνῶν; πολεμού- μενος → πολεμούμενος; τὴν Θείαν περιάπτειν → τὴν θείαν περιάπτειν; μηδἐ γε θηρσὶ → μηδέ γε θηρσὶ; ζώων ἀλόβων → ζώων ἀλόγων; παρακοθείσης → παραδοθείσης.
Topics: Eucharist, Prayer, Persecution, Mission and the spread of the gospel, Idolatry
Cite (SBL): Eusebius, Laud. Const. 16.9 (Heikel; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-laus-constantini/16-9). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-laus-constantini/16-9
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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).
16.10Heikel
διὸ καθʼ ὅλης τῆς ἀνθρώπων οἰκουμένης θυσιαστήρια συνέστη ἐκκλησιῶν τε ἀφιερώματα, νοερῶν τε καὶ λογικῶν θυσιῶν ἱεροπρεπεῖς λειτουργίαι μόνῳ τῷ παμβασιλεῖ θεῷ πρὸς ἁπάντων τῶν ἐθνῶν ἀναπεμπόμεναι. τὰς δὲ διʼ αἱμάτων καὶ λύθρων καπνοῦ τε καὶ πυρὸς ἐπιτελουμένας θυσίας τάς τε ὠμὰς ἐκείνας καὶ μανιώδεις ἀνδροκτασίας τε καὶ ἀνθρωποθυσίας τίς ἀφανεῖ τε καὶ ἀοράτῳ δυνάμει σβεσθῆναι καὶ μηκέτι ὑπάρχειν παρεσκεύασεν, ὡς μαρτυρεῖσθαι πρὸς αὐτῆς γε τῆς Ἑλλήνων ἱστορίας; ἐπειδὴ οὐ πρότερον ἀλλʼ ἢ μετὰ τὴν ἔνθεον τοῦ σωτῆρος ἡμῶν διδασκαλίαν κατὰ τοὺς Ἀδριανοῦ χρόνους πᾶσαι αἱ πανταχοῦ γῆς κατελύθησαν ἀνθρωποθυσίαι.
dio kathʼ holēs tēs anthrōpōn oikoumenēs thysiastēria synestē ekklēsiōn te aphierōmata, noerōn te kai logikōn thysiōn hieroprepeis leitourgiai monǭ tǭ pambasilei theǭ pros hapantōn tōn ethnōn anapempomenai. tas de diʼ haimatōn kai lythrōn kapnou te kai pyros epiteloumenas thysias tas te ōmas ekeinas kai maniōdeis androktasias te kai anthrōpothysias tis aphanei te kai aoratǭ dynamei sbesthēnai kai mēketi hyparchein pareskeuasen, hōs martyreisthai pros autēs ge tēs Hellēnōn historias? epeidē ou proteron allʼ ē meta tēn entheon tou sōtēros hēmōn didaskalian kata tous Adrianou chronous pasai hai pantachou gēs katelythēsan anthrōpothysiai.
Therefore throughout the whole inhabited world altars have been set up and dedications of churches, and sacred liturgies of intellectual and rational sacrifices are offered up by all the nations to God alone, the King of all. And who by an unseen and invisible power caused the sacrifices performed with blood and gore, smoke and fire, and those cruel and mad slaughters of men and human sacrifices, to be quenched and to exist no longer, as the history of the Greeks itself testifies? For not before, but only after the divine teaching of our Saviour, in the times of Hadrian, were all human sacrifices everywhere on earth abolished.
Mal 1:11 (echo, low confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Churches and spiritual sacrifices now fill the world, and human sacrifice ended only after Christ's teaching, under Hadrian.
- The end of human sacrifice under Hadrian is reported by Porphyry, Abst. 2.56 (cited by Eusebius, Praep. ev. 4.17).
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR inserted letter; OCR slip (ο for σ)): θυσιαστήρια ουνέστη → θυσιαστήρια συνέστη; ἐπιτελουμέναις → ἐπιτελουμένας.
Extrabiblical texts: Porphyry, Abst. 2.56 (Porphyry, On Abstinence from Killing Animals; allusion)
Topics: Eucharist
Cite (SBL): Eusebius, Laud. Const. 16.10 (Heikel; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-laus-constantini/16-10). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-laus-constantini/16-10
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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).
16.11Heikel
τοσούτων ἐναργῶν ἀποδείξεων τὴν μετὰ τὸν θάνατον ἀρετήν τε καὶ δύναμιν τοῦ σωτῆρος ἡμῶν πιστουμένων, τίς οὕτω σιδήρεος τὴν ψυχήν, ὡς μὴ συμμαρτυρεῖν τῇ ἀληθείᾳ καὶ τὴν ἔνθεον αὐτοῦ ζωὴν ὁμολογεῖν; ζώντων γὰρ ἄλλʼ οὐ νεκρῶν τὰ κατορθώματα, ὄψις τε ἀδήλων φασὶν εἶναι τὰ φαινόμενα. αὐτίκα δʼ οὖν χθὲς καὶ πρώην θεομάχων γένος τὸν τῶν ἀνθρώπων βίον ἐκύκα, ἦγέν τε καὶ ἀπῆγεν καὶ πολλὰ ἴσχυεν. ἐπεὶ δὲ ἐξ ἀνθρώπων ἀπηλλάγη, ἦν δὴ μετὰ ταῦτα ἐπὶ γῆς σκυβάλων ἐκβλητότερον, ἄπνουν ἀκίνητον ἄναυδον, καὶ οὐκέτʼ αὐτῶν λόγος οὐδείς, οὐ μνήμη· φύσις γὰρ αὕτη νεκρῶν, καὶ ὁ μηκέτʼ ὢν οὐδεὶς ἐστιν. ὁ δὲ μηδεὶς ὤν x003E; πράξειέν τι; ὁ δʼ ἐνεργῶν καὶ πράττων καὶ πλείονα τῶν ζώντων δυνάμενος πῶς ἂν ὑποληφθείη μὴ ὤν; εἰ δʼ ἀφανὴς εἴη σαρκὸς ὀφθαλμοῖς, ἀλλʼ οὐκ ἐν αἰσθήσει τὸ κριτήριον, οὐδὲ τεχνικοὺς λόγους οὐδʼ ἐπιστημονικὰς θεωρίας αἰσθήσει σωμάτων καταμανθάνομεν, οὐδὲ νοῦν τὸν ἐν ἀνθρώποις μήτι γε θεοῦ δύναμιν εἶδεν τις πώποτε ὀφθαλμοῖς, ἀλλʼ ἐκ τῶν ἔργων τὰ τοιάδε πέφυκεν ἐπινοεῖσθαι.
tosoutōn enargōn apodeixeōn tēn meta ton thanaton aretēn te kai dynamin tou sōtēros hēmōn pistoumenōn, tis houtō sidēreos tēn psychēn, hōs mē symmartyrein tę̄ alētheią kai tēn entheon autou zōēn homologein? zōntōn gar allʼ ou nekrōn ta katorthōmata, opsis te adēlōn phasin einai ta phainomena. autika dʼ oun chthes kai prōēn theomachōn genos ton tōn anthrōpōn bion ekyka, ēgen te kai apēgen kai polla ischyen. epei de ex anthrōpōn apēllagē, ēn dē meta tauta epi gēs skybalōn ekblētoteron, apnoun akinēton anaudon, kai ouketʼ autōn logos oudeis, ou mnēmē; physis gar hautē nekrōn, kai ho mēketʼ ōn oudeis estin. ho de mēdeis ōn x003E? praxeien ti? ho dʼ energōn kai prattōn kai pleiona tōn zōntōn dynamenos pōs an hypolēphtheiē mē ōn? ei dʼ aphanēs eiē sarkos ophthalmois, allʼ ouk en aisthēsei to kritērion, oude technikous logous oudʼ epistēmonikas theōrias aisthēsei sōmatōn katamanthanomen, oude noun ton en anthrōpois mēti ge theou dynamin eiden tis pōpote ophthalmois, allʼ ek tōn ergōn ta toiade pephyken epinoeisthai.
When so many clear proofs establish the virtue and power of our Saviour after death, who is so iron-hearted as not to bear witness with the truth and confess his divine life? For achievements belong to the living, not the dead; and, they say, things visible are the sight of things unseen. Only yesterday and the day before, the race of God-fighters was stirring up human life, leading and driving it, and was very powerful; but when it was removed from among men, it became thereafter more cast out than refuse on the earth, breathless, motionless, voiceless, and there is no longer any word or memory of them; for such is the nature of the dead, and he who no longer exists is no one. And how could one who is no one do anything? But he who works and acts and is more powerful than the living, how could he be supposed not to exist? If he is invisible to the eyes of the flesh, the judgment does not lie in sense-perception: we do not learn the principles of the arts or the theories of the sciences by bodily sense, nor has anyone ever seen with eyes the mind in men, still less the power of God; such things are naturally conceived from their works.
Notes and citation
Summary: Christ's continuing works after death prove him alive, while the dead persecutors are forgotten; invisible realities are known from their effects.
- 'Things visible are the sight of things unseen' is a saying of Anaxagoras (DK 59 B21a). 'Refuse' (σκύβαλα) echoes Phil 3:8. ὁ δὲ μηδεὶς ὤν is followed by a stray code (x003E;); the sense is 'how could one who is no one do anything?'
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR garbled word; OCR lost accent; OCR lost accents; OCR slip; OCR slip in breathing; OCR slips; stray capital): πατουμένων → πιστουμένων; ὄφεις τε ἀδήλων φαοὶν → ὄψις τε ἀδήλων φασὶν; ἠγέν τε → ἦγέν τε; ἀπηλλάγη, ἐ δὴ → ἀπηλλάγη, ἦν δὴ; έκβλητότερον → ἐκβλητότερον; φύσις γαρ αυτη νεκρῶν → φύσις γὰρ αὕτη νεκρῶν; τεχνικοὺς λογους → τεχνικοὺς λόγους; ἐπιστημονικὰς Θεωρίας → ἐπιστημονικὰς θεωρίας; πώποτε ἀφθαλμοῖς → πώποτε ὀφθαλμοῖς.
Extrabiblical texts: Anaxagoras, B21a (Anaxagoras; quotation)
Topics: Persecution
Cite (SBL): Eusebius, Laud. Const. 16.11 (Heikel; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-laus-constantini/16-11). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-laus-constantini/16-11
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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).
16.12Heikel
διὸ δὴ καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ ἡμετέρου σωτῆρος τὴν ἀφανῆ δύναμιν αὐτοῦ προσήκοι ἂν ἐκ τῶν ἔργων ἐπισκοπεῖν καὶ διακρίνειν, εἴτε χρὴ ζῶντος ὁμολογεῖν τὰ εἰσέτι δεῦρο πρὸς αὐτοῦ κατορθούμενα, εἴτε καὶ μὴ ὄντος εἶναι λέγειν· ἢ μωρὸν καὶ ἀσύστατον τὸ ἐρώτημα· τὸν γὰρ μὴ ὄντα πῶς ἄν τις εὐλόγως εἴποι ἂν εἶναι; τὸ γὰρ μὴ ὃν πάσαις ψήφοις οὐκ εἶναι ἀποπέφανται οὐδέ τι δύνασθαι οὔτʼ ἐνεργεῖν οὔτε πράττειν. αὕτη γὰρ φύσις νεκρῶν ζώντων δὲ ἡ ἐναντία.
dio dē kai epi tou hēmeterou sōtēros tēn aphanē dynamin autou prosēkoi an ek tōn ergōn episkopein kai diakrinein, eite chrē zōntos homologein ta eiseti deuro pros autou katorthoumena, eite kai mē ontos einai legein; ē mōron kai asystaton to erōtēma; ton gar mē onta pōs an tis eulogōs eipoi an einai? to gar mē hon pasais psēphois ouk einai apopephantai oude ti dynasthai outʼ energein oute prattein. hautē gar physis nekrōn zōntōn de hē enantia.
Therefore in the case of our Saviour too it would be fitting to examine and judge his invisible power from his works, whether we must confess that the things still accomplished by him up to now belong to one who is living, or say that they belong to one who does not exist. Or rather the question is foolish and incoherent: for how could anyone reasonably say that one who does not exist exists? For what does not exist has been declared by every vote not to exist, nor to have any power to work or act. Such is the nature of the dead; the opposite is that of the living.
Notes and citation
Summary: Christ's present works show that he lives, since the non-existent can do nothing.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (line-end hyphenation rejoined): προσή- κοι → προσήκοι.
Topics: Christology
Cite (SBL): Eusebius, Laud. Const. 16.12 (Heikel; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-laus-constantini/16-12). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/eusebius-laus-constantini/16-12
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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).