OSSIUS OF CORDOBA – ADVISER OF EMPEROR CONSTANTINE THE GREAT
OSSIUS OF CORDOBA – ADVISER OF EMPEROR CONSTANTINE THE GREAT

Summary/Abstract: Constantine had been acquainted with Christianity through his friends at the court of Nicomedia; there he had seen and heard of persecutions and Christian martyrdom. By the time he started implementing his religious policy in favour of Christianity, he had already acquired comprehensive information and knowledge about the clergy, the different forms of Christian faith, and had already decided upon the Christian communities he would provide support to. Ossius, bishop of Cordoba, was the one who informed Constantine about the situation of the Church, its organizational structure, its clergy and the relations between Christian communities. Who was, in fact, Ossius of Cordoba? When and how did he get to settle at the Imperial Court of Constantine? Did he play any role in the converting of Constantine to Christianity? What was his involvement in the Donatist crisis? Was Constantine’s legislation influenced by his relationship with Ossius? What was the role Ossius played in the Aryan controversy and in the councils convened to banish Arianism? Could Ossius be regarded as Constantine’s adviser? The present study aims at providing pertinent answers to these major questions.

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