Basilius of Ancyra, a presbyter

From EcclesiasticalHistory

Basilius of Ancyra, a presbyter who became a martyr under Julian a.d.362. During the reign of Constantius he had been an uncompromising opponent of Arianism. He was more than once apprehended by the provincial governors, but recovered his liberty. The Arian council under Eudoxius at Constantinople in 360 forbade him to hold any ecclesiastical assembly. The zeal of Basil was still further quickened by the attempts of Julian to suppress Christianity. Sozomen tells us 116that he visited the whole of the adjacent district, entreating the Christians everywhere to be constant to the faith and not to pollute themselves with sacrifices to idols (Soz. H. E. v. 11). He was apprehended and put to the torture. On the arrival of Julian at Ancyra, Basil was presented to him, and after having reproached the emperor with his apostasy was further tortured. Basil's constancy remained unshaken, and after a second interview with Julian, in which he treated the emperor with the greatest contumely, he suffered death by red-hot irons on June 29 (Soz. H. E. v. 11; Ruinart, Act. Sinc. Martyr. pp. 559 seq.; Tillemont, vii. 375 seq.).

[E.V.]

[116]There are one or two contributions to the history of heresies, made by Victorinus, which are worth noticing. In Gal. i. 19, we have an account of a Judaizing or Ebionite sect called the "Symmachians" (see pp. 1155 B and 1162 D). They made a point of the apostolate of James, the Lord s brother. See also for heresies in regard to Christ's person an interesting passage, adv. Ar. i. 45, 1075 B, C; cf. i. 28, 1061 B, C. He calls the definition of Nicaea "a wall and a defence" (ii. 9 1095 D). We notice also that he probably is the first to use "paganus" for the heathen (de Recip. ὁμοουσίῳ, i.; in Gal. 1158 C). For the origin of the term godfather see in Gal. 1184 B.