Amphilo'chius, St.
bishop of ICONIUM, the friend of St. Basil and St. Gregory of Nazianzus, was born at Caesareia, and began life as a pleader. (Basnage,
Annal. Politic. Eccl. iii. p. 145a.; and
Gallandii Biblioth. Patr. vol. vi. Prolegom.;
Epist. S. Greg. Naz. 9 [159]. Paris. 1840.)
He lived in retirement with his father at Ozizalis in Cappadocia, till he was summoned to preside over the see of Iconium in Lycaonia, or Pisidia, A. D. 373-4. St. Basil's Congratulatory Epistle on the occasion is extant. (
Ep. 393, al. 161, vol. iii. p. 251, ed. Bened.)
He soon after paid St. Basil a visit, and persuaded him to undertake his work "On the Holy Ghost" (vol. iii. p. 1), which he finished A. D. 375-6. St. Basil's
Canonical Epistles are addressed to St. Amphilochius (
l.c. pp. 268, 290, 324, written A. D. 374, 375).
The latter had received St. Basil's promised book on the Divinity of the Holy Ghost, when in A. D. 377 he sent a synodical letter (extant, ap. Mansi's
Concilia. vol. iii. p. 505) to certain bishops, probably of Lycia, infected with, or in danger of, Macedonianism. The Arian persecution of the church ceased on the death of Valens (A. D. 378), and in 381, Amphilochius was present at the Oecumenical Council of Constantinople. While there, he signed, as a witness, St. Gregory Nazianzen's will (
Opp. S. Greg. p. 204a., B.), and he was nominated with Optimus of Antioch in Pisidia as the centre of catholic communion in the diocese of Asia. In A. D. 383, he obtained from Theodosius a prohibition of Arian assemblies, practically exhibiting the slight otherwise put on the Son of God by a contemptuous treatment of the young Arcadius. (Fleury's
Eccl. Hist. 18.100.27.)
This same year he called a council at Side in Pamphylia, and condemned the Massalian heretics, who made the whole of religion consist in prayer. (Theodt.
Haeret. Fab. 4.11.) In A. D. 394 he was at the Councii of Constantinople [see AMMON of Hadrianople], which confirmed Bagadius in the see of Bostra.
This is the last we hear of him.
He died before the persecution of St. Chrysostom, probably A. D. 395, and he is commemorated on Nov. 23rd.
St. Gregory Nazianzen states, that " by prayers, adoration of the Trinity, and sacrifices, he subdued the pain of diseases." (
Carm. ad Vital. vol. ii. pp. 1030, 5.244.) The 9th, 25-28th, 62nd, 171st, and 184th Epistles of St. Gregory are addressed to him.
Editions
His remains (in Greek) have been edited by Combefis, with those of Methodius of Patara and Andreas of Crete, fol. Par. 1644.
Works
Eight Homilies
Of
Eight Homilies ascribed to him, some at least are supposititious (Gallandi gives fice among his works, vol. vi.
Biblioth. Patr.), as is the
Life of St. Basil.
Iambic Poem to Seleucus
There is attributed to him an iambic poem of 333 verses (in reference to the Trinity) addressed to Seleucus, nephew of St. Olympias (who had herself been brought up by Theodosia, sister to St. Amphilochius) and grandson of the general Trajan, who perished with his master, Valens, at Hadrianople, A. D. 378. Gallandi adds the testimony of Cosmas Indicopleustes (6th cent.) to that of John Damascene, Zonaras, and Balsamon, in favour of the authenticity of this poem.
Fragments
Editions
Combefis has collected his fragments (
l.c. pp. 138-154), and
Gallandi has added to them (l.c. p. 497, &c., and Proleg. p. 12).
On the Holy Ghost
His work on the Holy Ghost is lost. (St. Jerome,
de Script. Eccl. 100.133; Fabric.
Bibl. Graec. vol. viii. pp. 375-381.)
[
A.J.C]
