7. EUSEBIUS AND THE CHRISTIAN MONARCHY

With the conversion of Constantine to Christianity, Byzantine political philosophy assumed its definitive form, as expressed by Eusebius of Caesarea. This was based on a parallel between the Roman Empire and the Kingdom of God.

A. Byzantine Political Ideas

1. Byzantine political philosophy was naturally based on earlier Roman models.

a. Rome had theoretically been a kind of "republic," but as the Empire developed, the emperor had been recognized as an autocrat, who was dependent only on divine support.

b. Many of these ideas were derived from Hellenistic models, taken from Near Eastern sources, especially from Sassanid Persia and from the political philosophies of the Hellenistic monarchies.

2. These ideas were accepted by Diocletian and they came to dominate contemporary thought.

3. When Constantine became a Christian it was natural to adapt these ideas to fit the new religion.

a. Constantine was the vice-regent of Christ, chosen by and responsible to him.

b. The Christian God was the real ruler of the empire.

c. Of course, it is impossible to know who articulated these ideas: Constantine or his advisors.

B. The Theories of Eusebius of Caesarea

1. Eusebius was bishop of Caesarea Maritima in Palestine and a follower of the teachings of Origen.

2. He was an advisor of Constantine and he may have been responsible for the political ideas of the reign; it is now questioned how much actual influence Eusebius had with Constantine, but he certainly affected the formation of political theory for subsequent ages.

3. Eusebius argued, in the Vita Constantini and the Tridecennial Oration that there was a direct relationship between the kingdom of God and the Roman empire.

a. These ideas were based, in part, on the teachings of Neoplatonism

b. Neoplatonism taught that visible objects were imitations or reflections of divine originals; thus, the Roman empire was the human counterpart of a divine, perfect political system--the Kingdom of God

c. The kingdom of God was eternal; the empire was to last as long as the world.

d. God was an absolute monarch; the monarchy of the emperor was limited only by his responsibilities to God.

e. God would support the emperor as long as the emperor did what God wanted.

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