Distinctive Events in Philostorgius's Account of Nicaea

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Philostorgius narrative (approx. year) In Philostorgius? Eusebius VC 2–4 Gelasius of Caesarea Rufinus (HE 10–11, cont.) Socrates Sozomen Theodoret
305–306: Constantius made emperor in the West; dies in Britain; Constantine present, buries him, and is proclaimed emperor by the army in Britain yes yes yes yes yes yes yes
312: Vision of the cross in the sky with the words “In hoc signo vinces”; Constantine converts and defeats Maxentius at the Milvian Bridge yes yes yes yes yes yes yes
325: Nicene Council as an Arian-leaning event – homoousios a violent innovation; Arius sympathetic; only two bishops refuse; others sign under protest, “reading homoiousios under homoousios” yes no no no no no no
c. 325: Alexander of Alexandria comes to Nicomedia before Nicaea and there is a strongly Arianized Nicomedia-centred pre-Nicene gathering around Eusebius of Nicomedia yes no no no no no no
c. 328: Athanasius’ “illicit ordination” – two Egyptian bishops locked in a church and forced to consecrate him; others anathematise him yes no no no no no no
330 / 334: Foundation/dedication of Constantinople in Constantine’s 28th year (glossed as 334) with compressed episcopal succession: after Alexander of Constantinople’s death, Eusebius of Nicomedia is simply translated into the see yes no no no no no no
c. 336–337: Arius rehabilitated under Constantine’s later years; his death given in an Arian-friendly way (no Alexander-prayer miracle), with emphasis on Eusebius of Nicomedia and smooth transition into the rule of Constantine’s sons yes no no no no no no
“Extent” claim: Eusebius “brought down” his Church History to the point when Constantine was succeeded by his sons yes no no no no no no
Shifted placements (others vs Philostorgius)
Death of Arius placed under Constantine’s lifetime, immediately before a planned readmission to communion in Constantinople; Alexander prays and Arius’ bowels gush out in the latrine no no no yes yes yes yes
Death of Arius placed “early in the reign of Constantius,” but with the same Alexander-prayer and latrine story (Arius crisis shifted from Constantine to Constantius) no no yes no no no no
Dedication of Constantinople effectively dated around 330, not “28th year / 334,” and with a more elaborate episcopal list (Metrophanes → Alexander → Paul → Eusebius of Nicomedia, etc.) nono no no yes yes yes
Athanasius’ succession to Alexander presented as regular and saintly (childhood “baptizing game,” Alexander’s designation, lawful election), explicitly rejecting any “illicit ordination” legend no no yes yes yes yes yes
De facto “Eusebian boundary”: continuation historians treat “Eusebius” as stopping before the full Arian/Nicene struggle and see the period of Constantine’s sons as their remit rather than his no no yes yes yes yes yes

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