Eusebius’ Church History 23

Study Guide Questions for Book 9.1-9.8

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Virtues/Vices/Great Ideas: (Find them in the Text)

Light vs. Darkness, Irony, Despair, Death, Compassion, Mercy, Hope

Grammar Questions: (The Information of the Text)

1. “Instead of circulating” the edict which Galerius had issued about bringing the persecution of Christians to an end, how did Maximin Daia try to suppress these orders? 

2. What happened despite Maximin Daia’s attempts to suppress the edict?

3. What was the initial response of the “unbelieving heathen” when the persecution of the Christians ceased for a time?

4. How long did the Christian peace last in the area controlled by Maximin Daia?

5. What did Theotecnus do to bring trouble upon the Christians?

6. What are the Memoirs of Pilate and how were they used against the Christians?

7. What did Maximin Daia commend the people of Tyre for doing and how did he reward them?

8. What three disasters came upon the people under Maximin Daia’s rule?

9. What did the Christians do in the midst of all of the suffering which made the people glorify “the God of the Christians?”

Logic Questions: (Interpreting, Comparing/Contrasting, Reasoning)

1. Eusebius reported that “even those who had thirsted for our blood saw this unexpected wonder and shared our joy at what had happened.” What might we infer about human nature from this?

2. What is ironic about Theotecnus’ erecting a “statue of Zeus as the god of friendship” given his actions toward the Christians?

3. Why would the enemies of the Christians have forged a document in Pilate’s name? Why use him in particular? 

4. From the context of this reading, why do you think Maximin Daia hated Christianity so much? 

Rhetoric Questions: (The Analysis of Ideas in the Text)

1. In our present reading we saw the agents of Maximin Daia use what could be called a “disinformation campaign” wherein documents were forged and people were coerced into giving false testimony. Why would anyone do something like this? What does the perceived need to do something like this suggest about the truth? What are some situations in more recent history where people have attempted (to varying degrees of success) to run disinformation campaigns? As Christians, how should we respond to such attempts?

Theological Analysis: (Sola Scriptura)

1. Read Matthew 5:43-48. How does this passage explain the behavior of the Christians during the time of famine and plague, even though they had been brutally persecuted by these very same people?