SAINT BASIL OF ANCYRA

St. Basil of Ancyra

Feast day: March 22
Died June 29, 362.

Martyr for the faith and opponent of Arianism. Basil was a priest of Ancyra, in Galatia. He defended Bishop Marcellus there when the prelate was deposed by the Arians. Basil was then caught up in the persecution of Emperor Julian the Apostate. He was tortured and slain for preaching to the people.

 Saint Basil suffered and died for his confession of the true faith in opposition to the Arians, who denied the divinity of Jesus. He was a priest of Ancyra, Galatia (now Ankara, Turkey), who loyally supported his Catholic bishop, Marcellus, against the heretics, even after the latter's banishment in 336 by Emperor Constantius. In 360, the Arians tried to stop Saint Basil even from leading Christian worship; but he despised the unjust order; and boldly defended the Catholic faith before Constantius himself.

Basil's refusal to give way to the Arians (and the fact that he was running through the streets urging Christians to remain steadfast), under severe threats, led the authorities to claim that he was unfaithful to the emperor Julian the Apostate. He was captured, tried, and tortured at Ancyra. At Caesarea in Palestine he was hung up, first by the wrists, and then upside down from his ankles. His body was torn with rakes and finally he was slaughtered. His acta appear to be authentic. This is the longer version of what they say:

Julian the Apostate was travelling from Constantinople to Antioch in preparation for his Persian expedition. He stopped en route at the famous temple of Cibele in Galatia to offer sacrifice. "When Julian arrived at Ancyra, Basil was presented before him, and the crafty emperor, putting on an air of compassion, said to him: 'I myself am well skilled in your mysteries; and I can inform you, that Christ, in whom you place your trust, died under Pilate, and remains among the dead.'

"The martyr answered: 'You are deceived; you have renounced Christ at a time when he conferred on you the empire. But he will deprive you of it, together with your life. As you have thrown down his altars, so will he overturn your throne: and as you have violated his holy law, which you had so often announced to the people [Julian had been a reader in the church], and have trodden it under your feet, your body shall be cast forth without the honor of a burial, and shall be trampled upon by men.'

"Julian replied: 'I intended to let you go, but your impudent manner of rejecting my advice . . . force me to do you ill. It is therefore my command, that every day your skin be torn off in seven different places, till you have no more left.'. . ."

Julian went on his way; Basil endured the torture several days then asked to speak to the emperor. Julian ordered that the two should meet in the temple of Esculapius. Julian "pressed him to join him sacrifices. But the martyr replied that he could never adore blind and deaf idols. And taking a piece of his flesh which had been cut out of his body that day, and still hung to it by a bit of skin, he threw it upon Julian. The emperor went out in great indignation: and count Frumentinus, fearing his displeasure, studied how to revenge an insult . . . He therefore mounted his tribunal, and ordered the torments of the martyr to be redoubled; and so deep were the incisions made in his flesh, that his bowels were exposed to view, and the spectators wept for compassion. The martyr prayed aloud all the time, and at evening was carried back to prison.

"Next morning Julian set out for Antioch, and would not see Frumentinus. The count resolved to repair his disgrace, or at least to discharge his resentment by exerting his rage upon the servant of Christ. But to his thundering threats Basil answered: 'You know how many pieces of flesh have been torn from my body: yet look on my shoulders and sides; see if any wounds appear? Now that Jesus Christ this night hath healed me. Send this news to your master Julian, that he may know the power of God whom he has forsaken. He has overturned his altars, who was himself concealed under them when he was sought by Constantius to be put to death. But God hath discovered me that his tyranny shall be shortly extinguished with his life.'

"Frumentinus seemed no longer able to contain his rage, and Frumentinus commanded the saint to be laid upon his belly, and his back to be pierced with red-hot iron spikes. The martyr expired under these torments"Saint Basil is depicted in art with a lioness by his side, sometimes he is torn by the lioness.