The emperor as a 'Man of God': The impact of Constantine the great's: Conversion on roman ideas of kingship

Abstract

In numerous ways, the first Christian emperor, Constantine I (r. 306-337) indicated that he saw parallels between himself and St. Paul. These include his story of divine intervention (the vision of the Cross) and his decision to be buried amid markers for the twelve Apostles. But his biographer, Bishop Eusebius of Caesarea, chooses to liken Constantine instead to Moses, who led the Israelites out of captivity. By focusing on the different connotation of "Man of God" (Constantine's preferred label for himself) and "Friend of God" (the phrase Eusebius used), this article suggests that the reason for this difference lay in Eusebius's concern to prevent Constantine - and by extension all future emperors - from asserting priority over Christian bishops.