N (So ̄crate ̄s HE 4.26). Basil left a career as a rhetorician in Caesarea to become a
monk; in 364 he was elected bishop of Caesarea where he died in 379. His writings greatly
influenced the development of Christian theology, and his argument in favor of reading
pre-Christian Greek literature encouraged the preservation of texts. He is received as a saint
by the Orthodox and Roman churches.
Basil demonstrated his familiarity with contemporary science in his Homilies on the Six Days
of Creation (Homilies in Hexaemeron: “HH”) where he criticized prevailing allegorical interpret-
ations of Genesis in favor of a more scientific approach (HH 3.9, pp. 234–238 Giet). The
Homilies seek to articulate a systematic account of creation inspired by Genesis against rival
accounts proposed by pagans, Manicheans, and Gnostics, deploying scientific knowledge to
articulate Christian salvation-history. Basil opposed the view of P’s Timaeus, that God
was a craftsman of disordered and eternal matter, since that limited God’s freedom. He
argued instead that the kosmos was created by God ex nihilo through goodness (HH 1.2,
7.7 = pp. 96, 464 Giet), which continues to be exercised after the world’s creation through
God’s providence (HH 7.5, p. 416 Giet). Basil accepted the two Platonic worlds, one
invisible and the other, later-created, visible world composed of the standard four elements
(HH 1.7, pp. 116–118 Giet). The universe was created for the education and edification of
human souls (HH 1.5, p. 106 Giet). Humans are the sole being created not by divine
command, but by God’s own hands (HH 6.1, p. 328 Giet), and belong to both the invisible
(spiritual) and visible (material) world. Basil accepted the Platonic tripartite soul, incorpor-
eal, but localized after joining the body (Hom. Att. tibi ipsi 7, p. 35 Rudberg), the rational part,
which is characterized by free will, being the image of God (Hom. in Psalm. 48.7, 1.184E–
185A Garnier). Basil also had considerable medical knowledge and was one of the first
bishops to use the resources of the church to found hospitals for the care of the sick and
poor.
Ed.: PG 29 – 31; S. Giet, Basile de Césarée. Homélies sur l’ Hexaéméron (1950); B. Sesboüe, Basile de Césarée
Contre Eunome, 2 vv. (1982–1983).
RAC 1 (1950) 1261–1265, G. Bardy; Y. Courtonne, Un témoin du IVe siècle oriental. Saint Basile et son temps
d’après sa correspondence (1973); N.G. Wilson, Saint Basil on the value of Greek Literature (1975); M.A.
Orphanos, Creation and Salvation according to St. Basil of Caesarea (1975); P.J. Fedwick, ed., Basil of
Caesarea: Christian, Humanist, Ascetic 2 vv. (1981); ODB 269 – 270, B. Baldwin, A.P. Kazhdan, and N.P.
Sˇevcˇenko; Ph. Rousseau, Basil of Caesarea (1994); Meredith (1995).
George Karamanolis and Daniel L. Schwartz
Basileide ̄s (225 – 175 BCE)
Epicurean philosopher, fourth scholarch of the Garden after E (D
L 10.25). He collaborated with the Alexandrian mathematician and astronomer
H on the work of the mathematician A P, and contributed
to a debate about the nature of anger, arguing against the views of the Epicureans
Nikasikrate ̄s and Timasagoras (cf. T).
BNP 2 (2003) 516–517 (#1), T. Dorandi.
Walter G. Englert
Basilis (ca 300 – 115 BCE?)
Cited with H as treating the eastern quadrant of the world, wrote an Indika, in
at least two books, wherein he described partridge-riding dwarfs warring against cranes
BASILEIDE ̄S