Basil of Ancyra (Βασίλειος), was a Christian priest in
Ancyra,
Galatia
Galatia (; grc, Γαλατία, ''Galatía'', "Gaul") was an ancient area in the highlands of central Anatolia, roughly corresponding to the provinces of Ankara and Eskişehir, in modern Turkey. Galatia was named after the Gauls from Thrace ...
during the 4th century.
Very meager information about his life is preserved in a metaphrastic work: “Life and Deeds of the Martyred Priest Basil.” He fought against the
pagans Pagans may refer to:
* Paganism, a group of pre-Christian religions practiced in the Roman Empire
* Modern Paganism, a group of contemporary religious practices
* Order of the Vine, a druidic faction in the ''Thief'' video game series
* Pagan's M ...
and the
Arians. Basil defended
Bishop Marcellus against the prelate being deposed by the Arians.
Suda
The ''Suda'' or ''Souda'' (; grc-x-medieval, Σοῦδα, Soûda; la, Suidae Lexicon) is a large 10th-century Byzantine encyclopedia of the ancient Mediterranean world, formerly attributed to an author called Soudas (Σούδας) or Souida ...
write that he was the bishop of Ancyra and physician by trade.
Basil was caught up in the persecution of
Julian the Apostate
Julian ( la, Flavius Claudius Julianus; grc-gre, Ἰουλιανός ; 331 – 26 June 363) was Roman emperor from 361 to 363, as well as a notable philosopher and author in Greek. His rejection of Christianity, and his promotion of Neoplat ...
. He was arrested, tortured, and executed on June 28/29, 362.
He is commemorated as a martyr on March 22 in the West
and East.
[ ] He is sometimes confused with the other Basil of Ancyra who was not a priest and who is commemorated on January 1.
See also
*
Photinus
*
Panarion
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Basil of Ancyra
Year of birth missing
362 deaths
4th-century bishops in Roman Anatolia
People from Ankara
4th-century Romans
4th-century Christian saints
* See pages 207ff in "Victories of the Martyrs" by St. Alphonsus de Liguor