Eusebius of Nicomedia (; ; died 341) was an Arian priest who baptised

Constantine the Great Constantine I (27 February 27222 May 337), also known as Constantine the Great, was a Roman emperor from AD 306 to 337 and the first Roman emperor to convert to Christianity. He played a Constantine the Great and Christianity, pivotal ro ...

on his deathbed in 337. A fifth-century

legend A legend is a genre of folklore that consists of a narrative featuring human actions, believed or perceived to have taken place in human history. Narratives in this genre may demonstrate human values, and possess certain qualities that give the ...

evolved that Pope Sylvester I was the one to baptise Constantine, but this is dismissed by scholars as a forgery "to amend the historical memory of the Arian baptism that the emperor received at the end of his life, and instead to attribute an unequivocally orthodox baptism to him". He was a bishop of Berytus (modern-day

Beirut Beirut ( ; ) is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Lebanon. , Greater Beirut has a population of 2.5 million, just under half of Lebanon's population, which makes it the List of largest cities in the Levant region by populatio ...

) in

Phoenicia Phoenicians were an Ancient Semitic-speaking peoples, ancient Semitic group of people who lived in the Phoenician city-states along a coastal strip in the Levant region of the eastern Mediterranean, primarily modern Lebanon and the Syria, Syrian ...

. He was later made the bishop of Nicomedia, where the Imperial court resided. He lived finally in

Constantinople Constantinople (#Names of Constantinople, see other names) was a historical city located on the Bosporus that served as the capital of the Roman Empire, Roman, Byzantine Empire, Byzantine, Latin Empire, Latin, and Ottoman Empire, Ottoman empire ...

from 338 up to his death.

Influence in the Imperial family and the Imperial court

Distantly related to the imperial family of Constantine the Great, he owed his progression from a less significant

Levant The Levant ( ) is the subregion that borders the Eastern Mediterranean, Eastern Mediterranean sea to the west, and forms the core of West Asia and the political term, Middle East, ''Middle East''. In its narrowest sense, which is in use toda ...

ine bishopric to the most important

episcopal see An episcopal see is the area of a bishop's ecclesiastical jurisdiction. Phrases concerning actions occurring within or outside an episcopal see are indicative of the geographical significance of the term, making it synonymous with ''diocese'' ...

to his influence at court and the great power he wielded in the church was derived from that source. In fact, during his time in the imperial court, the Eastern court and the major positions in the Eastern Church were held by Arians or Arian sympathizers.Drake, "Constantine and the Bishops", p. 395. With the exception of a short period of eclipse, he enjoyed the confidence both of Constantine and

Constantius II Constantius II (; ; 7 August 317 – 3 November 361) was Roman emperor from 337 to 361. His reign saw constant warfare on the borders against the Sasanian Empire and Germanic peoples, while internally the Roman Empire went through repeated civ ...

. He also served as the tutor of the later Roman emperor Julian, and it was he who might have baptised Constantine the Great on 22 May 337 owing to his familial relationship with the emperor. Also during his time in the imperial court, Arianism became more popular with the royal family.Ellingsen, "Reclaiming Our Roots - An Inclusive Introduction to Church History, Vol. I, The Late First Century to the Eve of the Reformation", p. 121. It can be logically surmised that Eusebius had a huge hand in the acceptance of Arianism in the Constantinian household. The Arian influence grew so strong during his tenure in the imperial court that it was not until the end of the

Constantinian dynasty The Constantinian dynasty is an informal name for the ruling family of the Roman Empire from Constantius Chlorus (died 306) to the death of Julian in 363. It is named after its most famous member, Constantine the Great, who became the sole rule ...

and the appointment of

Theodosius I Theodosius I ( ; 11 January 347 – 17 January 395), also known as Theodosius the Great, was Roman emperor from 379 to 395. He won two civil wars and was instrumental in establishing the Nicene Creed as the orthodox doctrine for Nicene C ...

that Arianism lost its influence in the empire.Young, "From Nicaea to Chalcedon", p. 92. It was of particular interest that Eusebius was nearly persecuted because of his close relationship to the Emperor

Licinius Valerius Licinianus Licinius (; Ancient Greek, Greek: Λικίνιος; c. 265 – 325) was Roman emperor from 308 to 324. For most of his reign, he was the colleague and rival of Constantine I, with whom he co-authored the Edict of Milan that ...

while serving as bishop of Nicomedia during Licinius' reign.

Relationship with Arius

Arius Arius (; ; 250 or 256 – 336) was a Cyrenaica, Cyrenaic presbyter and asceticism, ascetic. He has been regarded as the founder of Arianism, which holds that Jesus Christ was not Eternity, coeternal with God the Father, but was rather created b ...

, he was a pupil of Lucian of Antioch, and it is probable that he held the same views as Arius from the very beginning; he was also one of Arius' most fervent supporters and encourager.Jones, "Constantine and the Conversion of Europe", p. 121. It was also because of this relationship that he was the first person whom Arius contacted after the latter was excommunicated from Alexandria by Alexander I of Alexandria in 321.Young, "From Nicaea to Chalcedon", p. 59. Apparently, Arius and Eusebius were close enough and Eusebius powerful enough that Arius was able to put his theology down in writing.Young, "From Nicaea to Chalcedon", p. 61. He afterward modified his ideas somewhat, or perhaps he only yielded to the pressure of circumstances; but he was, if not the teacher, at all events the leader and organizer of the

Arian Arianism (, ) is a Christological doctrine which rejects the traditional notion of the Trinity and considers Jesus to be a creation of God, and therefore distinct from God. It is named after its major proponent, Arius (). It is considered he ...

council. At the

First Council of Nicaea The First Council of Nicaea ( ; ) was a council of Christian bishops convened in the Bithynian city of Nicaea (now İznik, Turkey) by the Roman Emperor Constantine I. The Council of Nicaea met from May until the end of July 325. This ec ...

in 325, he signed the Confession, but only after a long and desperate opposition in which he was said to "subscribe with hand only, not heart"Amidon, "The Church History of Rufinus of Aquileia: Books 10 and 11", 10.5. according to ancient sources. It was a huge blow to the Arian party since it was surmised that the participants in the

were evenly split between non-Arians and Arians.Lim, "Public Disputation, power, and social order in late antiquity", p. 183. His defense of Arius angered the emperor, and a few months after the council he was sent into exile due to his continual contacts with Arius and his followers.Drake, "Constantine and the Bishops", p. 259. After the lapse of three years, he succeeded in regaining the imperial favor by convincing Constantine that Arius and his views do not conflict with the proclaimed

Nicene Creed The Nicene Creed, also called the Creed of Constantinople, is the defining statement of belief of Nicene Christianity and in those Christian denominations that adhere to it. The original Nicene Creed was first adopted at the First Council of N ...

.Roldanus, "The Church in the Age of Constantine - the Theological Challenges", p. 82. After his return in 329, he brought the whole machinery of the state government into action in order to impose his views upon the Church.

Political and religious career

In complement to his theological interests, Eusebius was a skilled politician. Upon his return, he regained the lost ground resulting from the

, established alliances with other groups such as the Melitians and expelled many opponents. He was described by modern historians as an "ambitious intriguer"Roldanus, "The Church in the Age of Constantine - The Theological Challenges", p. 78. and a "consummate political player". He was also described by ancient sources as a high-handed person who was also aggressive in his dealings;Amidon, "The Church History of Rufinus of Aquileia - Books 10 and 11", 10.12. he also used his allies to spy on his opponents. He was able to dislodge and exile three key opponents who espoused the

: Eustathius of Antioch in 330,

Athanasius of Alexandria Athanasius I of Alexandria ( – 2 May 373), also called Athanasius the Great, Athanasius the Confessor, or, among Coptic Christians, Athanasius the Apostolic, was a Christian theologian and the 20th patriarch of Alexandria (as Athanasius ...

in 335 and Marcellus of Ancyra in 336. This was no small feat since Athanasius was regarded as a "man of God" by Constantine,Roldanus, "The Church in the Age of Constantine - the Theological Challenges", p. 84. and both Eustathius and Athanasius held top positions in the church. Another major feat was his appointment as the Patriarch of Constantinople by expelling Paul I of Constantinople; Paul I would eventually return as Patriarch after Eusebius's death. Even outside the empire, Eusebius had great influence. He brought Ulfilas into the Arian priesthood and sent the latter to convert the heathen Goths. Eusebius baptised

in his villa in Nicomedia, on 22 May 337 just before the death of the Emperor.

Death and aftermath

He died at the height of his power in the year 341. He was so influential that even after his death,

heeded his and Eudoxus of Constantinople's advice to attempt to convert the

Roman Empire The Roman Empire ruled the Mediterranean and much of Europe, Western Asia and North Africa. The Roman people, Romans conquered most of this during the Roman Republic, Republic, and it was ruled by emperors following Octavian's assumption of ...

Arianism Arianism (, ) is a Christology, Christological doctrine which rejects the traditional notion of the Trinity and considers Jesus to be a creation of God, and therefore distinct from God. It is named after its major proponent, Arius (). It is co ...

by creating Arian Councils and official Arian Doctrines.Guitton, "Great Heresies and Church Councils", p. 86. It was because of Eusebius that "On the whole, Constantine and his successors made life pretty miserable for Church leaders committed to the Nicene decision and its

Trinitarian formula The Trinitarian formula is the phrase "in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit" (; ), or words to that form and effect, referring to the three persons of the Christian Trinity. It is often followed by an " amen". The T ...

".Ellingsen, "Reclaiming Our Roots: An Inclusive Introduction to Church History, Vol. I, The Late First Century to the Eve of the Reformation", p. 119. Eusebius of Nicomedia is not to be confused with his contemporary

Eusebius Eusebius of Caesarea (30 May AD 339), also known as Eusebius Pamphilius, was a historian of Christianity, exegete, and Christian polemicist from the Roman province of Syria Palaestina. In about AD 314 he became the bishop of Caesarea Maritima. ...

of Caesarea, the author of well-known early books of Church history.

Notes and references

Bibliography

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