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

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...

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Bibliographic Details
Authors: Jones, A. H. M. (Author) ; Skeat, T. C. (Author)
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
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Published: Cambridge Univ. Press 1954
In: The journal of ecclesiastical history
Year: 1954, Volume: 5, Issue: 2, Pages: 196-200
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Summary: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.
ISSN:1469-7637
Contains:Enthalten in: The journal of ecclesiastical history
Persistent identifiers:DOI: 10.1017/S0022046900069943