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:''For other uses, see [[Basil (disambiguation)]]''
[[Image:Basil.jpg|right|frame|Icon of Saint Basil at Skete.com]]Our father among the saints '''Basil the Great''' (ca. 330 - [[January 1]], 379), was [[bishop]] of [[Caesarea]], a leading churchman in the 4th century. The Church considers him a [[saint]] and one of the [[Three Holy Hierarchs]], together with Saints [[Gregory the Theologian]] (Gregory Nazianzus) and [[John Chrysostom]]. Basil, Gregory the Theologian, and Basil's brother Saint [[Gregory of Nyssa]] are called the [[Cappadocian Fathers]]. The [[Roman Catholic Church]] also considers him a saint and calls him a Doctor of the Church.
Basil's memory is celebrated on [[January 1]]; he is also remembered on [[January 30]] with the [[Three Holy Hierarchs]]. In Greek tradition, he is supposed to visit children and give presents every [[January 1]]. This festival is also marked by the baking of [[Vasilopita|Saint Basil's bread]] (Gr. ''Vasilópita''), a sweetbread with a coin hidden inside.
Basil was born about 330 at Caesarea in Cappadocia.
He came from a wealthy and pious family which gave a number of saints, including his mother Saint [[Emily]] (also styled Emilia or Emmelia), grandmother Saint [[Macrina the Elder]], sister Saint [[Macrina the Younger]] and brothers Saints [[Gregory of Nyssa]] and [[Peter of Sebaste]].
It is also a widely held tradition that Saint [[Theosebia the Deaconess|Theosebia]] was his youngest sister, who is also a saint in the Church.
While still a child, the family moved to Pontus; but he soon returned to Cappadocia to live with his mother's relations, and seems to have been brought up by his grandmother Macrina. Eager to learn, he went to Constantinople and spent four or five years there and at Athens, where he had the future emperor [[Julian the Apostate|Julian]] for a fellow student and became friends with [[Gregory the Theologian]]. Both Basil and Gregory were deeply influenced by [[Origen]] and compiled an anthology of uncondemned writings of Origen known as the ''Philokalia'' (not to be confused with the [[Philokalia|later compilation of the same name]]).
The difficulties had been enhanced by bringing in the question as to the essence of the Holy Spirit. Although Basil advocated objectively the consubstantiality of the Holy Spirit with the Father and the Son, he belonged to those, who, faithful to Eastern tradition, would not allow the predicate homoousios to the former; for this he was reproached as early as 371 by the Orthodox zealots among the [[monk]]s, and Athanasius defended him.
His relations also with [[Eustathius of Sebaste|Eustathius]] were maintained in spite of dogmatic differences and caused suspicion. On the other hand, Basil was grievously offended by the extreme adherents of Homoousianism, who seemed to him to be reviving the Sabellian heresy.
He did not live to see the end of the unhappy factional disturbances and the complete success of his continued exertions in behalf of Rome and the East. He suffered from liver illness and his excessive [[asceticism]] seems to have hastened him to an early death.
[[Category:Bishops]]
[[Category:4th-century bishops]]
[[Category:Church Fathers]]
[[Category:Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers]]
[[Category:Featured Articles]]
[[Category:Saints]]
[[Category:Byzantine Saints]]
[[Category:4th-century saints]]
[[fr:Basile le Grand]]
[[ro:Vasile cel Mare]]
