Preparation for the Gospel

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Προπαρασκευη Ευαγγελικη ('Preparation for the Gospel'), commonly known by its Latin title Praeparatio evangelica, was a work by Eusebius which attempts to prove the excellence of Christianity over every pagan religion and philosophy. The Praeparatio consists of fifteen books which have been completely preserved. Eusebius considered it an introduction to Christianity for pagans. But its value for many later readers is more because Eusebius studded this work with so many fascinating and lively fragments from historians and philosophers which are nowhere else preserved:

• Here alone is preserved a summary of the writings of the Phoenician priest Sanchuniathon of which the accuracy has been shown by the mythological accounts found on the Ugaritic tables.
• Here alone is the account from Diodorus Siculus's sixth book of Euhemerus' wondrous voyage to the island of Panchaea where Euhemerus purports to have found his true history of the gods.
• Here almost alone is preserved writings of the neo-Platonist philosopher Atticus along with so much else.
• This work was used by Giovanni Pico Della Mirandola (1463-1494) as a resource for his famous speech titled A Speech by Giovanni Pico Della Mirandola, Prince of Concord.

[edit] External links

• [http://www.tertullian.org/fathers/eusebius_pe_00_intro.htm Introduction and English text, translated by E.H. Gifford (1903)