Arthur Cushman McGiffert

“ The work exists in a longer and a shorter recension, the former in a Syriac version (published with English translation by Cureton, 1861) , the latter in the original Greek attached to the Church History in most MSS. (printed with the History in the various editions) . The Life of Constantine, in four books, published after the death of the emperor, which occurred in 337, is a panegyric rather than a sober history, but contains much valuable material. Of Eusebius’ apologetic works we still have the Contra Hieroclem, Praeparatio evangelica, Demonstratio evangelica, and Theophania. ”

“ Of Biblical and exegetical works we have a considerable part of Eusebius’ Commentaries on the Psalms and on Isaiah, which are monuments of learning, industry and critical acumen, though marred by the use of the allegorical method characteristic of the school of Origen ”

“ The Onomasticon has been published frequently, among others by Lagarde (Göttingen, 1870; 2nd ed., 1887) , and is contained in the edition of the Berlin Academy (vol. iii.) . The Theophania was first published by Lee (Syriac version, 1842; English translation, 1843) . A German translation of the Syriac version, with the extant fragments of the original Greek, is given in the edition of the Berlin Academy (vol. iii.) .
Acacius, the pupil of Eusebius and his successor in the see of Caesarea, wrote a life of him which is unfortunately lost. ”

“ In the beginning he was the most influential man present, but was finally forced to yield to the Alexandrian party, and to vote for a creed which completely repudiated the position of the Arians, with whom he had himself been hitherto more in sympathy than with the Alexandrians. He was placed in a difficult predicament by the action of the council, and his letter to the Caesarean church explaining his conduct is exceedingly interesting and instructive (see Socrates, Hist. Eccl. i. 8, and cf. McGiffert’s translation of Eusebius’ Church History, p. 15 sq.) . ”

“ Eusebius distinguished himself by assiduous devotion to his friend, and assisted him in the preparation of an apology for Origen’s teaching (Hist. Eccl. vi. 33) , the first book of which survives in the Latin of Rufinus (printed in Routh’s Reliquiae sacrae, iv. 339 sq., and in Lommatzsch’s edition of Origen’s Works, xxiv. p. 293 sq.) . After the death of Pamphilus Eusebius withdrew to Tyre, and later, while the Diocletian persecution was still raging, went to Egypt, where he seems to have been imprisoned, but soon released. ”