ΧΡΙΣΤΙΑΝΙΚΗ ΑΡΧΑΙΟΛΟΓΙΑ

  The historian Eusebius, bishop of Caesarea, contemporary of the first in history Council of Bishops of the whole Ecumene (325), tells us exactly how the Council took place. The Bishops entered the royal palace of Nicaea and sat on pedestals, which had been placed on both sides of the building. The seats were arranged according to their Ecclesiastical order. When all the Bishops were seated, three officials of the king entered and announced him. He did not use his guard, nor the royal procedures, but his friends, apparently unarmed. Then the emperor entered, dressed in royal purple, with gold and precious stones. An interesting detail is that Constantine was taller than all the royal people present. After passing the first row of Bishops, he sat down on a small but solid gold throne, motioning for the Bishops to sit down as well. Then the first of the Bishops rose from the right pedestal and addressed the emperor. Constantine, in his opening speech in Latin, addressed the Bishops ...