Ethos, Ethos And Religion In Eusebius's Life Of Constantine

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Constantine was the son of a Roman Emperor. Rome was divided into three territories in the year 300 CE, by different governors. Nobody wanted to assume the authority and responsibility of taking over the Roman Empire because of the recent death of Constantine's father. As a result, Constantine would be the next Roman Emperor of the territory that his father used to govern. In the book, “Life of Constantine” Eusebius focuses on pathos, ethos, and mainly religion. By employing these rhetorical techniques, Eusebius gives the Roman society hope by drawing on Constantine's life, which in turn led to the people joining the Christian religion.

Eusebius utilizes pathos to persuade his audience in an effort to make them feel the same way that he does. Eusebius describes how Constantine once saw a cross in the shape of a trophy in the sky alongside the …show more content…

According to Eusebius, “taking as his patron God who is over all, and invoking his Christ as saviour and succour, and having set the victorious trophy, the truly salutary sign, at the head of his escorting soldiers and guards, he led them in full force, claiming for the Romans their ancestral liberties” (3). This emphasizes the idea that Constantine saw God as a life-saver. This is how changes began to be seen in the Roman Empire because Constantine's faith and hope in God allowed him to succeed. Because he carried the trophy and made all of his soldiers wear it, his faith in God led to the victory in every battle. The sign is referred to as the ‘Christ sign.’ God revealed to Constantine in a dream that he had while sleeping that he needed to use the trophy as a symbol of protection if he wanted to win the conquest. As a result of his strong belief in God, Constantine desired his Roman Empire now practice Christian religion on a daily basis. This is because his faith in God helped him achieve great