Eusebius of Nicomedia

Eusebius of Nicomedia, born in the year three hundred, was a prominent Catholic priest known for his significant role in early Christian history. He is most famously recognized for baptizing Constantine the Great on his deathbed in three hundred thirty-seven, a pivotal moment that has been the subject of much historical debate.

Despite a fifth-century legend that claims Pope Sylvester I performed the baptism, scholars have largely dismissed this narrative as a forgery. This revisionist history aimed to obscure the fact that the emperor received an Arian baptism, instead attributing an orthodox baptism to him, thereby altering the historical memory surrounding this event.

Eusebius served as the bishop of Berytus, which is present-day Beirut, in Phoenicia. His ecclesiastical journey continued as he became the bishop of Nicomedia, a position of great influence given that it was the residence of the Imperial court. He spent the latter part of his life in Constantinople, where he remained until his death.