Michael Hollerich: Valesius and Eusebius' Ecclesiastical History: Scholarship and Politics in the Republic of Letters

As part of a project on the reception of Eusebius of Caesarea's Ecclesiastical History, I am submitting a proposal for a short communication on the critical edition of Eusebius' history published by Henri de Valois (Valesius) in 1659. I will set the edition in its contemporary context, indicate the primary purposes underlying it, and examine selected annotations in the edition that illustrate what features of Eusebius' history particularly drew his attention. I will argue that Valois pitched his project to his ecclesiastical and royal patrons in ways that balanced utility and scholarly impartiality, at a time in French ecclesiastical life when reliable access to tradition was especially important.