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Chapter XLII.—That the Empress Helena, 3274 Constantine’s Mother, having visited this Locality for Devotional Purposes, built these Churches.
For she, having resolved to discharge the duties of pious devotion to the God, the King of kings, and feeling it incumbent on her to render thanksgivings with prayers on behalf both of her own son, now so mighty an emperor, and of his sons, her own grandchildren, the divinely favored Cæsars, though now advanced in years, yet gifted with no common degree of wisdom, had hastened with youthful alacrity to survey this venerable land; and at the same time to visit the eastern provinces, cities, and people, with a truly imperial solicitude. As soon, then, as she had rendered due reverence to the ground which the Saviour’s feet had trodden, according to the prophetic word which says 3275 “Let us worship at the place whereon his feet have stood,” she immediately bequeathed the fruit of her piety to future generations.
Compare Wordsworth, Helena, in Smith and Wace, Dict. 2 (1880), 881 sq. That she was made empress is shown also by the coins. Cf. coins in Eckhel.
530:3275[Ps. cxxxi. 7. Septuagint.—Bag.] Engl. Vers. Ps. cxxxii. 7, “We will worship at his footstool.”