Life of Constantine Illustrated

The life of Constantine was written by Eusebius of Caesarea (260 – 339 AD) in the 4th century in honour of Constantine the Great (272 – 337 AD). However, Eusebius died before he could finish the work. Nevertheless the book is considered a valuable work both for providing a semi-bibliographic account of Constantine from someone who knew him personally, and for providing a rare window into the religious practices of the early Christian church. The work also includes Eusebius’ own concerns about differences of opinion in church doctrine. The work is considered a valuable primary source for understanding how Christianity first started to become the state religion under its, perhaps most famous Roman emperor, Constantine, who later would be declared a saint by both the Catholic and Orthodox churches. The source text for this book is: “Church history: Life of Constantine the Great; and Oration in Praise of Constantine,” New York: Christian Literature Co.; Oxford: Parker, 1890; translated by Ernest Cushing Richardson (1860-1939); edited by Henry Wace (1836-1924) and Philip Schaff (1819-1893). This version of the work includes the original footnotes along with illustrations of Constantine on coins and in artwork.