Generally recognized is the fact that the attack against the Creed of Nicaea was not direct nor frank. It had been the strenuous work of Eusebius of Nicomedia. Emperor Constantin the Great seems to have been responsible for its vicissitudes. In fact, he summoned the first oecumenical council, but he failed too in his work, having ordered to rehabilitate Arius into the church. After all, he had been a Roman Emperor, quite regardless of any theological controversy and seemingly an arogant Pontifex Maximus all his life. Eusebius of Nicomedia and his followers began to make a long detour in which they pursued two things in a parallel way, to upset the leaders of the Nicaean Creed by rehabilitating Arius thoroughly with his partisans, and to break to pieces the Alexandrian reputation in banishing its bishop, Athanasius. (1) The Eusebians (so called Eusebius' followers) tried to accuse Alexandrian bishop, that he was elected too young and the electors were somewhat coerced by the people. But their attempt was fruitless (Epist. heort., chronicon, P. G. XXVI, col. 1352; Socrates, H. E. I, 23). (2) They demanded Arexandrian bishop to receive Arius into the church, but the bishop answered that he could not accept the heresiarch excommunicated in the Oecumenical council. The imperial enjoinment in this case was frustrated too (Athanasius, Apologia contra arianos, LIX-LX). (3) At the end of 331, the Alexandrian bishop was summoned to Nicomedia on account of the Meletian conspiracy and retained there for a while in a sort of captivity but he succeeded at length in vindicating himself (op. cit., LXI-LXII). (4) The Meletian tumult at Alexandria induced its bishop to attend the Tyrian council, Jul.-Sept. 335. Disatisfied with the coucil, Athanasius went to Constantinople to meet the Great Emperor. In his absence, the Tyrian council proclaimed his banishment and deposition. On the other hand, the bishop was exiled to the west by the Great Emperor. So the Alexandrian reputation was diminished. (5) Arius was already admitted in the Empire but the Alexandrian church refused decisively to receive him and even showed their rough hostility. Then he was summoned to Constantinople by the Great Emperor who questioned Arius again about his faith. Suddenly, Arius met his death in the street (Athanasius, Ep. ad Episcopos Aegypti et Libyae; De morte Arii). (6) In 337 (May 22), the Great Emperor died at Nicomedia, having received his baptism in the hand of Eusebius. Nothing authorizes to say that the Great Emperor abandonned the Nicaean Creed. Nevertheless it is a clear fact that he could not understand the importance of this creed. We should not say without reserve that the Christian Ages began with Constantin the Great.