Life of Constantine (Clarendon Ancient History Series) [Paperback]

Eusebius (Author), Averil Cameron (Introduction), Stuart Hall (Introduction)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0198149247 | ISBN-13: 978-0198149248 | Publication Date: December 9, 1999

The emperor Constantine changed the world by making the Roman Empire Christian. Eusebius wrote his life and preserved his letters so that his policy would continue. This English translation is the first based on modern critical editions. Its Introduction and Commentary open up the many important issues the Life of Constantine raises.

Editorial Reviews

Review

`Overall, however, this volume will prove an enormously useful tool for scholars and students of church history and late antiquity in general.' Journal of Early Christian Studies, 2001

`This volume provides a fine introduction to the Life of Constantine in a format that is user-friendly both with regard to organization of content and graphic design ... The commentary helpfully assesses the historicity of Eusebius' accounts of specific events and how certain themes in the text serve the various literary purposes of the work. The book is a goldmine of bibliographical sources on particular topics in the Vita, for example, on Constantine's building programs in Jerusalem and elsewhere.' Journal of Early Christian Studies, 2001

`The commentary is a mine of information and succinctly distilled learning, drawn from an extensive modern bibliography supplemented by the authors' own combined wisdom.' Journal of Ecclesiastical History, April 2001

`Their collaboration on Eusebius ... has resulted in what is sure to become an indispensable companion to Constantinian studies.' Journal of Ecclesiastical History, April 2001

`scrupulous fidelity to the tenor of Eusebius' Greek often reproduces his vaqueness and pomposity.' T.D.Barnes, The Classical Review, Vol.51, No.1, 2001

`sure to become an indispensable companion to Constantinian studies ... The commentary is a mine of information and succinctly distilled learning ... the authors have succeeded in condensing a mass of modern scholarship in clarifying the (often obscure) details of Eusebius' text.' E.D.Hunt, Ecclesiastical History, vol.52/2, April 2001

`this translation is a good introduction to the VC of Eusebius for the specialist and the generalist alike. To those users who know no Greek, this book is a godsend; for the specialist, it provides the reader with easy access to the most recent literature on the various issues dealt with in the VC. In a word, the book is a real gem.' Michael DiMaio, Dept of Philosophy, Salve Regina University.

`It is ... a pleasant experience to be able to read the VC from beginning to end without worrying about the exact meaning of the text since one can safely rely on Cameron and Halls translation as giving an accurate representation of the content and flavor of Eusebius narrative.' Michael DiMaio, Dept of Philosophy, Salve Regina University.

`Cameron and Halls discussion of Eusebius use of imperial documents in the VC is especially worthy of note because it takes one of the most complicated and disputed issues and explains it in a clear fashion ... Cameron and Halls discussion of the plan and literary character of the VC is unique because they place Eusebius work in its proper relation to ancient biography.' Michael DiMaio, Dept of Philosophy, Salve Regina University.

About the Author

Averil Cameron is Warden of Keble College, Oxford. The Rev. Stuart Hall is a retired priest in the Scottish Episcopal Church, formerly priest in charge of St John's Pittenweem and St Michael's Elie.

Product Details

• Paperback: 516 pages
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA (December 9, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0198149247
• ISBN-13: 978-0198149248
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.4 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #673,132 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Serious stuff, January 1, 2003

By 

Demon Teddy Bear - See all my reviews

This review is from: Life of Constantine (Clarendon Ancient History Series) (Paperback)

This volume is a very scholarly translation of Eusebius' Vita Constantini into English, with a major introduction, massive notes (at the back) and bibliographical details. The detail in the notes alone makes it worth the purchase, while the discussion of issues in the introduction is masterly.

The intellectual integrity of Eusebius is discussed and upheld, the role of the work as panegyric rather than history discussed; even the authenticity of the chapter titles is handled (Cameron and Hall reject this).

The only gripe I have is that the notes are at the back, rather than at the foot of each page. I found I had to read it flipping to and fro. And one simply doesn't *want* to miss the comments -- they are detailed, documented, and tremendously informative.

This is in quite a different league to the ordinary English translation-only volume. It is easily of the same standard as the Ancient Christian Writers series, and in fact probably better, as it has less philology and much more useful historical matter.

Highly recommended.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Must Have, October 20, 2007

By 

M. Simington (Alexandria, VA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Life of Constantine (Clarendon Ancient History Series) (Paperback)

This book is a must have for any Eusebius/Constantine researcher. The Life of Constantine is our single most important source about Constantine and this is by far the best English edition. The introduction is very objective, informative, and while directed at the Life of Constantine itself, is nonetheless something of an introduction to Eusebian scholarship. The notes amount to a running commentary. There is an excellent Index and extensive Bibliography. The editors put considerable effort into analyzing the form of the work, including a substantial outline, chapter headings, and list of passages from the Life of Constantine reworked from or similar to those in the Ecclesiastical History and In Praise of Constantine.

5.0 out of 5 stars The definitive Life of Constantine for scholars, October 9, 2009

By 

Florentius (New Jersey, USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Life of Constantine (Clarendon Ancient History Series) (Paperback)

The Life of Constantine is a panegyrical biography of Constantine the Great, written by his friend and admirer, Eusebius Pamphilus, bishop of Caesarea a few years after the emperor's death in AD 337. Though gushing in its praise for Constantine and sparse in its criticism of the darker aspects of his reign, this work is nonetheless the best and most detailed biography of Constantine available from an ancient source. Aside from being the sole source for much of the information we know about Constantine, the work also compiles several crucial Constantinian letters, edicts, and anecdotes for which Eusebius was a first-hand witness.

This modern translation of Eusebius's Life of Constantine by Averil Cameron is the most thorough and up-to-date available, containing a substantial introduction as well as a great mass of truly useful commentary which makes up nearly 1/2 of the book's bulk. If you are a scholar who is interested in a detailed treatment of this work (and who has the financial wherewithal to afford the hefty price tag), then this is certainly the book for you.

However, if you are a general reader or a student looking for a more approachable version of this classic Eusebian work, I recommend The Life of the Blessed Emperor Constantine.