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Werke Eusebius von Caesarea (260-339) Vita Constantini The Life of the blessed Emperor Constantine
Book III.

Chapter LIV.--Destruction of Idol Temples and Images everywhere.

All these things the emperor diligently performed to the praise of the saving power of Christ, and thus made it his constant aim to glorify his Saviour God. On the other hand he used every means to rebuke the superstitious errors of the heathen. Hence the entrances of their temples in the several cities were left exposed to the weather, being stripped of their doors at his command; the tiling of others was removed, and their roofs destroyed. From others again the venerable statues of brass, of which the superstition of antiquity had boasted for a long series of years, were exposed to view in all the public places of the imperial city: so that here a Pythian, there a Sminthian Apollo, excited the contempt of the beholder: while the Delphic tripods were deposited in the hippodrome and the Muses of Helicon in the palace itself. In short, the city which bore his name was everywhere filled with brazen statues of the most exquisite workmanship, which had been dedicated in every province, and which the deluded victims of superstition had long vainly honored as gods with numberless victims and burnt sacrifices, though now at length they learnt to renounce their error, when the emperor held up the very objects of their worship to be the ridicule and sport of all beholders. With regard to those images which were of gold, he dealt with them in a different manner. For as soon as he understood that the ignorant multitudes were inspired with a vain and childish dread of these bugbears of error, wrought in gold and silver, he judged it right to remove these also, like stumbling-stones thrown in the way of men walking in the dark, and henceforward to open a royal road, plain and unobstructed to all. Having formed this resolution, he considered no soldiers or military force of any sort needful for the suppression of the evil: a few of his own friends sufficed for this service, and these he sent by a simple expression of his will to visit each several province. Accordingly, sustained by confidence in the emperor's pious intentions and their own personal devotion to God, they passed through the midst of numberless tribes and nations, abolishing this ancient error in every city and country. They ordered the priests themselves, amidst general laughter and scorn, to bring their gods from their dark recesses to the light of day: they then stripped them of their ornaments, and exhibited to the gaze of all the unsightly reality which had been hidden beneath a painted exterior. Lastly, whatever part of the material appeared valuable they scraped off and melted in the fire to prove its worth, after which they secured and set apart whatever they judged needful for their purpose, leaving to the superstitious worshipers that which was altogether useless, as a memorial of their shame. Meanwhile our admirable prince was himself engaged in a work similar to what we have described. For at the same time that these costly images of the dead were stripped, as we have said, of their precious materials, he also attacked those composed of brass; causing those to be dragged from their places with ropes and as it were carried away captive, whom the dotage of mythology had esteemed as gods.

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The Life of the blessed Emperor Constantine
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Introduction to the Life of Constantine

Inhaltsangabe
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  • The Life of the blessed Emperor Constantine
    • Book I.
    • Book II.
    • Book III.
      • Chapter I.--A Comparison of Constantine's Piety with the Wickedness of the Persecutors.
      • Chapter II.--Farther Remarks on Constantine's Piety, and his Open Testimony to the Sign of the Cross.
      • Chapter III.--Of his Picture surmounted by a Cross and having beneath it a Dragon.
      • Chapter IV.--A Farther Notice of the Controversies raised in Egypt by Arius.
      • Chapter V.--Of the Disagreement respecting the Celebration of Easter.
      • Chapter VI.--How he ordered a Council to be held at Nicaea.
      • Chapter VII.--Of the General Council, at which Bishops from all Nations were Present.
      • Chapter VIII.--That the Assembly was composed, as in the Acts of the Apostles, of Individuals from Various Nations.
      • Chapter IX.--Of the Virtue and Age of the Two Hundred and Fifty Bishops.
      • Chapter X.--Council in the Palace. Constantine, entering, took his Seat in the Assembly.
      • Chapter XI.--Silence of the Council, after Some Words by the Bishop Eusebius.
      • Chapter XII.--Constantine's Address to the Council concerning Peace.
      • Chapter XIII.--How he led the Dissentient Bishops to Harmony of Sentiment.
      • Chapter XIV.--Unanimous Declaration of the Council concerning Faith, and the Celebration of Easter.
      • Chapter XV.--How Constantine entertained the Bishops on the Occasion of His Vicennalia.
      • Chapter XVI.--Presents to the Bishops, and Letters to the People generally.
      • Chapter XVII.--Constantine's Letter to the Churches respecting the Council at Nicaea.
      • Chapter XVIII.--He speaks of their Unanimity respecting the Feast of Easter, and against the Practice of the Jews.
      • Chapter XIX.--Exhortation to follow the Example of the Greater Part of the World.
      • Chapter XX.--Exhortation to obey the Decrees of the Council.
      • Chapter XXI.--Recommendation to the Bishops, on their Departure, to Preserve Harmony.
      • Chapter XXII.--How he dismissed Some, and wrote Letters to Others; also his Presents.
      • Chapter XXIII.--How he wrote to the Egyptians, exhorting them to Peace.
      • Chapter XXIV.--How he wrote Frequent Letters of a Religious Character to the Bishops and People.
      • Chapter XXV.--How he ordered the Erection of a Church at Jerusalem, in the Holy Place of our Saviour's Resurrection.
      • Chapter XXVI.--That the Holy Sepulchre had been covered with Rubbish and with Idols by the Ungodly.
      • Chapter XXVII.--How Constantine commanded the Materials of the Idol Temple, and the Soil itself, to be removed at a Distance.
      • Chapter XXVIII.--Discovery of the Most Holy Sepulchre.
      • Chapter XXIX.--How he wrote concerning the Erection of a Church, both to the Governors of the Provinces, and to the Bishop Macarius.
      • Chapter XXX.--Constantine's Letter to Macarius respecting the Building of the Church of our Saviour.
      • Chapter XXXI.--That the Building should surpass all the Churches in the World in the Beauty of its Walls, its Columns, and Marbles.
      • Chapter XXXII.--That he instructed the Governors concerning the Beautifying of the Roof; also concerning Workmen, and Materials.
      • Chapter XXXIII.--How the Church of our Saviour, the New Jerusalem prophesied of in Scripture, was built.
      • Chapter XXXIV.--Description of the Structure of the Holy Sepulchre.
      • Chapter XXXV.--Description of the Atrium and Porticos.
      • Chapter XXXVI.--Description of the Walls, Roof, Decoration, and Gilding of the Body of the Church.
      • Chapter XXXVII.--Description of the Double Porticos on Either Side, and of the Three Eastern Gates.
      • Chapter XXXVIII.--Description of the Hemisphere, the Twelve Columns, and their Bowls.
      • Chapter XXXIX.--Description of the Inner Court, the Arcades and Porches.
      • Chapter XL.--Of the Number of his Offerings.
      • Chapter XLI.--Of the Erection of Churches in Bethlehem, and on the Mount of Olives.
      • Chapter XLII.--That the Empress Helena, Constantine's Mother, having visited this Locality for Devotional Purposes, built these Churches.
      • Chapter XLIII.--A Farther Notice of the Churches at Bethlehem.
      • Chapter XLIV.--Of Helena's Generosity and Beneficent Acts.
      • Chapter XLV.--Helena's Pious Conduct in the Churches.
      • Chapter XLVI.--How she made her Will, and died at the Age of Eighty Years.
      • Chapter XLVII.--How Constantine buried his Mother, and how he honored her during her Life.
      • Chapter XLVIII.--How he built Churches in Honor of Martyrs, and abolished Idolatry at Constantinople.
      • Chapter XLIX.--Representation of the Cross in the Palace, and of Daniel at the Public Fountains.
      • Chapter L.--That he erected Churches in Nicomedia, and in Other Cities.
      • Chapter LI.--That he ordered a Church to be built at Mambre.
      • Chapter LII.--Constantine's Letter to Eusebius concerning Mambre.
      • Chapter LIII.--That the Saviour appeared in this Place to Abraham.
      • Chapter LIV.--Destruction of Idol Temples and Images everywhere.
      • Chapter LV.--Overthrow of an Idol Temple, and Abolition of Licentious Practices, at Aphaca in Phoenicia.
      • Chapter LVI.--Destruction of the Temple of Æsculapius at Ægae.
      • Chapter LVII.--How the Gentiles abandoned Idol Worship, and turned to the Knowledge of God.
      • Chapter LVIII.--How he destroyed the Temple of Venus at Heliopolis, and built the First Church in that City.
      • Chapter LIX.--Of the Disturbance at Antioch by Eustathius.
      • Chapter LX.--Constantine's Letter to the Antiochians, directing them not to withdraw Eusebius from Caesarea, but to seek some one else.
      • Chapter LXI.--The Emperor's Letter to Eusebius praising him for refusing the Bishopric of Antioch.
      • Chapter LXII.--Constantine's Letter to the Council, depreciating the Removal of Eusebius from Caesarea.
      • Chapter LXIII.--How he displayed his Zeal for the Extirpation of Heresies.
      • Chapter LXIV.--Constantine's Edict against the Heretics.
      • Chapter LXV.--The Heretics are deprived of their Meeting Places.
      • Chapter LXVI.--How on the Discovery of Prohibited Books among the Heretics, Many of them return to the Catholic Church.
    • Book IV.

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