2.6.1 After the emperor had held a festival in honor of his victory against Licinius, he himself also went to Nicaea. The next day, all the bishops assembled. The emperor arrived after them. When he entered, he stood in the center and did not sit down until the bishops signaled to him, such great reverence and respect for these men filled him.

2.6.2 The all-praiseworthy emperor offered a word of encouragement and instruction giving praise, glory, and thanks to the God of all who had graciously given such great things to him. He said the following:1

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Created by NJ 7-6-17

Updated by RR 6-7-21

  1. The following speech is introduced by “something like this” (ὧδέ πως) and has usually been taken as a fictional account of the author. Hansen points to preliminary remarks in Theodoret in support of this and conjectures that the address comes from Philip of Side. However, the author, like Eusebius, uses ὧδέ πως several times to introduce a direct quotation, even a biblical quotation. So the anonymous author seems to portray this as indeed a speech of Constantine himself addressed to the Council of Nicaea.

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