The first history of the Christian Church, from the apostles to Constantine's victory in 324. Eusebius preserves documents, letters, and accounts that would otherwise be lost. The founding work of church history.
Start ReadingFrom Christ to the end of the apostolic age. Eusebius traces the succession of bishops in the major sees and the earliest persecutions.
The spread of the Church in the first century. The apostles' missions, the fall of Jerusalem, and the earliest heresies.
The second century. Trajan's rescript on Christians, the martyrdom of Ignatius, and the emergence of Gnostic heresies.
The second century continued. Persecutions under Marcus Aurelius, the martyrs of Lyon and Vienne, and the growth of Christian literature.
The late second and early third centuries. Clement of Alexandria, Origen's early career, and the Severan persecution.
Origen's mature career. The compilation of the Hexapla, theological controversies, and the Decian persecution.
The mid-third century. The persecution under Valerian, the martyr bishops, and the theological disputes over lapsed Christians.
The Great Persecution under Diocletian (303 AD). Churches burned, scriptures destroyed, clergy imprisoned. The worst assault on Christianity before its triumph.
The end of persecution. The Edict of Toleration (311 AD), Constantine's conversion, and the defeat of Maxentius at the Milvian Bridge.
Constantine's victory and the peace of the Church. Eusebius celebrates the emperor as God's instrument and the era of Christian triumph.