St Mark wrote his Gospel as a summary of the preaching of St Peter.
Eusebius, Bishop of Caesarea from about 313, tells us here how St Mark’s Gospel came to be written. Drawing on testimony going back to the Apostles themselves, he explains that the Gospel should be heard as an echo of the living voice of St Peter, as he preached the good news in Rome.
Eusebius remembers the banner that Emperor Constantine carried into battle on the day he won his crown.
It was at the Battle of the Milvian Bridge, on October 28th, 312, that Constantine — encouraged by the British legions — overcame his rival Maxentius and emerged as the sole ruler of the Roman Empire. In this passage, his friend and confidant Eusebius, Bishop of Caesarea, recalls what Constantine told him about his vision before the battle, and the banner that Christ told him to make.
A Roman general asks his officers to decide where their priorities lie.
Constantius I Chlorus was supreme commander of the Roman Army in Britain and Gaul, and a co-ruler of the Roman Empire from 293 to 306. His son Constantine the Great became the first Roman Emperor to allow Christians to worship freely, and although Constantius was not a Christian himself, it is clear where his son acquired his respect for religious liberty.