Eusebius of Caesarea on Constantine the good shepherd: constructing the Christian basileus and lawgiver

The present article is the second in a diptych looking at the pastoral characterisation of Constantine in the works of Eusebius of Caesarea through the lens of institutional theory. Through pastoral discourse, I argue, Eusebius systematises key elements of the policy and functions of the first Christian emperor, thus contributing to the institutional construction of the early Christian basileiā. It is an early attempt to ask, and answer, what would become a central question of Christendom: what has a Christian prince to do with religion and the church? Established by God and an earthly image of the pastoral functions of Christ, Eusebius' shepherd-basileus is in a privileged position to perform the traditional functions of the metaphorical shepherd, including that of procuring the salvation of the flock through moral instruction and the knowledge of God. Applied to a Roman emperor, this means the establishment of norms of conduct and the true religion through the law.