Basil of Ancyra

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Basilius von Ancyra , Greek Basileios von Ankyra , (* before 336; † around 365) was a late antique Christian theologian who represented the position of the moderate Homeusians in the Arian dispute .

Life

Basil came from Galatia in Asia Minor and was originally a doctor. 336 he became the successor of Marcellus of Ancyra bishop of his hometown. The following years were marked by ups and downs in the withdrawal of his offices and subsequent rehabilitation. Basil was especially respected as a Christian scholar. Theologically he dealt with his predecessor Marcellus and his pupil Photinus of Sirmium , who was thereupon convicted and banished in 351.

The life of St. Basil was marked by fierce theological disputes around the nature of Jesus Christ turned. As a result of a civil war against the usurper Magnentius, from 353 onwards, Emperor Constantius II had reunited the entire Roman Empire under the rule of an emperor and was now striving for a uniform creed within the imperial church that was being formed . The question was whether Jesus was actually " identical in nature " (homoousios) to God the Father or only "similar in nature" (homoiousios). The majority of the participants in the First Council of Nicaea had agreed on the first formula, the formula of which is therefore also referred to as the Nicaenum , but in the east of the empire in particular, many pleaded for the second formulation. The opponents of the Nicaenum are often summarized as " Arians ", as supporters of the ideas of the Alexandrian presbyter Arius , but this term is very vague. Basically, there were three main groups within the "Arians": The Homoiousians , which belonged to Basil and examined the strike a balance between the radical Arians and Nicaenern and the Homöer and Anhomöer .

Emperor Constantius favored the Homeusians or finally the Homeers and took action against the radical Arians under Aëtios , which Basilius strongly supported. The group of Homeusians, whose most important representatives were, besides Basilius, especially Georgios of Laodikeia and Eustathius of Sebaste , were initially successful and were able to assert themselves especially in the east of the empire. At the Synod of Ancyra in 358, Basil himself had established the formula that the Son ( Jesus Christ ) was essentially similar to the Father. Homeers and Homeusians approached each other at the Synod of Sirmium in 359: it was agreed that the son would be described as "similar to the father according to the Holy Scriptures", but the two parties soon fell out. In 360 Acacius of Caesarea pushed through the impeachment and exile of Basil, who also died in exile.

literature

Remarks

  1. ↑ Hieronymus , de viris illustribus 89.
personal data
SURNAME Basil of Ancyra
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Basil of Ankyra
BRIEF DESCRIPTION late antique Christian bishop and theologian
DATE OF BIRTH 3rd century or 4th century
DATE OF DEATH at 365