BASIL THE GREAT, SAINT

born AD 329, , Caesarea Mazaca, Cappadocia died Jan. 1, 379, Caesarea; Western feast day January 2; Eastern feast day January 1 Latin Basilius early Church Father who defended the orthodox faith against the heretical Arians. As bishop of Caesarea he wrote several works on monasticism, theology, and canon law. He was declared a saint soon after his death. Additional reading The Benedictine edition of Basil's works is reprinted in J.P. Migne (ed.), Patrologia Graeca, vol. 2932 (1857). There are modern editions in Sources Chrtiennes of On the Holy Spirit, 2nd ed. by B. Pruche, vol. 17 (1968); and the Hexameron, 2nd ed. by S. Giet, vol. 26 (1968), with French translations; and of the Letters and Address to Young Men in the Loeb Classical Library; the Hexameron and Letters are in Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, ser. 2, vol. 8 (1895), trans. by Blomfield Jackson. The Ascetic Works was translated by W.K.L. Clarke (1925).The basic source for the life of St. Basil is the eulogy by Gregory of Nazianzus (Oration 43). E. Venables, Basilius of Caesarea, in Dictionary of Christian Biography, vol. 1, pp. 282297 (1877), is still important. Among modern sketches, see J. Quasten, Basil the Great, in Patrology, vol. 3, pp. 204235 (1960), with bibliography; J.W.C. Wand in Doctors and Councils, pp. 3146 (1962); and Hans von Campenhausen in The Fathers of the Greek Church, pp. 84100 (1963).