Martyrs and Martyrdom in Eusebius’ Church History

Abstract

The article is aimed to analyze the attitude of Eusebius of Caesarea to the phenomenon of martyrdom and the martyrs of the first three centuries of Christian history. This phenomenon is given considerable attention in the “Church History”, to which a text “On the Palestinian Martyrs” is attached. Eusebius has his own view of “true” and “false” martyrdom, the role of this phenomenon in the history of Christianity and relations with the Roman Empire, and most importantly, on the place of martyrs and confessors in the Church. The article shows in what way Eusebius changes the emphasis in the stories about martyrs, what system of values is declared in the “Church history” and to what extent it correlates with the early hagiographic texts. Eusebius did not understate the importance of martyrdom, but at the same time paid more attention to other forms of testimony about Christ — preaching, polemics with heretics and pagans, and literary activity. This attitude to martyrdom, which shifts the emphasis from death in the name of God to the daily service and confession of God by life, brings Eusebius closer to the Alexandrian tradition reflected in the writings of Clement, Origen, Peter, and Athanasius. We believe that his story is important not only for creating an image of the Church’s past, but also its present and future. For Eusebius martyrs are an important part of the past of Christianity, not of the present, much less of the future.