Eusebius (c. 275 – May 30, 339) is often referred to as the father of church history because of his work in recording the history of the early Christian church. An earlier version of church history by Hegesippus, to which he refers, has not survived for us.

In his Church History (Historia Ecclesiastica), Eusebius attempted to present the history of the Church from the time of the apostles to his own time, with special regard to the following points:

1. the successions of bishops in the principal sees (Church centers);
2. the history of Christian teachers;
3. the history of heresies;
4. the history of the Jews;
5. the relations to the heathen;
6. the martyrdoms.

There are 10 books in his history. He grouped his material according to the reigns of the emperors, presenting it as he found it in his sources. The contents are as follows:

1. Introduction to Jesus Christ
2. The history of the apostolic time to the destruction of Jerusalem by Titus
3. The following time to Trajan
4. The second century volume I
5. The second century volume II
6. The time from Septimius Severus to Decius
7. Decius to the Diocletian persecution
8. The Diocletian Persecution
9. History to Constantine's victory over Maxentius in the West and over Maximinus in the East
10. The reestablishment of the churches and the rebellion and conquest of Licinius.

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