Framing Christian Succession
Eusebius, Constantine's Sons and the Vita Constantini
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 4064972 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Marco Besl (0009-0004-2385-8592, Postdoc and Research Assistant, Chair of Church History of the Antiquity and Patrology, Faculty of Catholic Theology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München https://dx.doi.org/9183 München Germany, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2024 |
| Volume | 79 |
| Issue | 2 |
| Pages | 150-171 |
| Publication date | 2024-07-30 |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Vigiliae Christianae (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0042-6032 • E-ISSN: 1570-0720 |
| Publisher | Walter de Gruyter GmbH (PUBLISHER • DE) |
| DOI | 10.1163/15700720-bja10093 |
| OpenAlex | W4401176107 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 1 |
Eusebius' Vita Constantini, finalised after Constantine's death, is one of the most important sources for the reign of Constantine I. But Eusebius' retrospective view of Constantine's life is not only revealing for Constantine's rule itself. This article will examine how and in which contexts Eusebius depicts and presents the three sons and successors of Constantine in the VC. It will be shown that Eusebius develops an idea of Christian succession and thereby attempts to master the challenges posed by Constantine's death, which lay in the uncertainty of how politics will continue, especially concerning religious issues. In particular, some comparison with other panegyrists of the 4th century, such as Libanius and Themistius, will demonstrate that Eusebius legitimised imperial succession on the basis of Christian theology in an original and profound way. He thus emerges as a panegyrist not only of Constantine himself, but also of his sons
Archaeology · Biblical studies · Early Christianity · Ecological succession · Framing (construction) · Political science · Politics · Reign · Theology · Archaeology and Historical Studies · Byzantine Studies and History · Classics · Historical and Linguistic Studies · History · Law · Philosophy
| Citations per year | 1 |
|---|---|
| Citation span | 2025 - 2025 (1) |
| Highly cited | No |