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Notes on the Genuineness of the Constantinian Documents in Eusebius's Life of Constantine1 and Appendix

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  25 March 2011

A. H. M. Jones  and
T. C. Skeat
A. H. M. Jones
Affiliation:
Professor of Ancient History, University of Cambridge
T. C. Skeat
Affiliation:
Department of Manuscripts, British Museum
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Extract

One of the principal arguments against the authenticity of the Constantinian documents, and of the Life in which they are incorporated, has been the phrase used by Constantine in one of them to describe his age at the opening of the Great Persecution in a.d. 303—ττε κομιδ παῖς ἔτι ὑπρχων. According to data provided by the author of the Life—and by other sources—Constantine was about 63 when he died in 337, and would therefore have been about 29 when the Persecution opened. A man of 29 could not possibly be described as a παῖς, and the phrase was, therefore, it was argued, evidence that the document in which it occurred was a forgery. As there is now strong presumptive evidence that the document is in fact genuine, it may be worth while to reconsider the passage.

Type
Bibliographical Notes
Information
The Journal of Ecclesiastical History , Volume 5 , Issue 2 , October 1954 , pp. 196 - 200
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1954

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References

page 196 note 2 Eus., Vita Constantini, ii. 51.

page 196 note 3 Ibid., i. 5, 7–8; iv. 53.

page 196 note 4 Untergang, i. 406 ff.

page 196 note 5 Victor, Caes., xli. 16; Epit., xli. 15; Eutropius, x. 8. 2; Zonares, xiii. 4.

page 196 note 6 Paneg. Vet., iv. 16, vi. 17, vii. 5. Seeck (loc. cit.) gives other less probant examples of similar language from the Panegyrists and also cites Firm. Mat., i. 10. 16 and Lactantius, Div. Inst., i. 1. 14.

page 196 note 7 Eus., V.C., i. 19.

page 197 note 1 Cic., ad Fam., x. 28.3, xii. 25. 4; ad Att., xvi. 11.6, 15.3 ; Phil., iv. 3

page 197 note 2 Sil. Ital., xv. 33, 46.

page 197 note 3 Mr. Skeat has kindly provided a revised text of the papyrus, collated with that of Eusebius, together with notes on the palaeography and restoration of the text. These are printed below.