The Emperor as a 'Man of God

The Impact of Constantine the Great's. Conversion on Roman Ideas of Kingship

Dados Bibliográficos

ID4077532
AutoresH A Drake (autor correspondente), Harold Drake (University of California, USA)
Ano2016
Volume35
Fascículo0
Data de publicação2016-01-01
Peer ReviewedSim
Open AccessSim
TipoARTICLE
PeriódicoHistória (São Paulo (JOURNAL)
Identificadores do periódicoISSN: 0101-9074 • E-ISSN: 1980-4369
EditoraFapUNIFESP (SciELO) (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1590/1980-436920160000000083
OpenAlexW2533075017
SCIELO_PIDS0101-90742016000100304
IdiomaEN
Citações recebidas12
Referências citadas22

In numerous ways, the first Christian emperor, Constantine I (r. 306-337) indicated that he saw parallels between himself and St. Paul. These include his story of divine intervention (the vision of the Cross) and his decision to be buried amid markers for the twelve Apostles. But his biographer, Bishop Eusebius of Caesarea, chooses to liken Constantine instead to Moses, who led the Israelites out of captivity. By focusing on the different connotation of "Man of God" (Constantine's preferred label for himself) and "Friend of God" (the phrase Eusebius used), this article suggests that the reason for this difference lay in Eusebius's concern to prevent Constantine - and by extension all future emperors - from asserting priority over Christian bishops

Ancient history · Apostles · Bishops · Connotation · Early Christianity · Emperor · Israelites · Parallels · Theology · Archaeology and Historical Studies · Byzantine Studies and History · Classics · Historical and Religious Studies of Rome · History · Law · Philosophy