Why Eusebius considered Papias a total idiot

Discussion about the New Testament, apocrypha, gnostics, church fathers, Christian origins, historical Jesus or otherwise, etc.
Post Reply
User avatar
Giuseppe
Posts: 13856
Joined: Mon Apr 27, 2015 5:37 am
Location: Italy

Why Eusebius considered Papias a total idiot

Post by Giuseppe »

It is a FACT that Eusebius considered Papias totally stupid and idiot and looked upon his earnest efforts with haughty contempt.

Two hypotheses about the reason of this drastic judgement of Papias by Eusebius:
  • The contempt was the result of a respected, imperial position in a now triumphalistic, resplendent and glittering Church (325 C.E.)


  • Eusebius was embarrassed that Papias had led a secret out: the very humble origins and repetitions of learned and folk wisdom contained in the Logia. The information that Matthew translated the Logia from Aramaic is not a particularly impressive endorsement of The Gospel According to Matthew.
The Apologetical Argument: "Jesus's teachings were original therefore Jesus existed" doesn't work more with Papias's Logia.

Hence, Richard Carrier is correct: Papias's stupidity in the eyes of Eusebius is more expected under mythicism than under historicity.
Top
Post Reply

Return to “Christian Texts and History”