Hagiographical Texts (Keimena redaction, vol. I)

[On the month of January, day 1:] The martyrdom of the holy Hieronymus of Rome, the city of the slaughter: a narrative, a story, which was written by the children of the church, by the ascetics themselves, of the holy Basil, and the confirmation of the faith in Christ, and how he renewed and consecrated the church of the holy George of Lydda. 1. My beloved son Setronie, when I came out of the city, I encountered much toil and labor. When I met you face to face and you asked me to instruct you and reveal to you the deeds of the holy Basil, who was the archbishop of Caesarea in Cappadocia, and to translate and render them into the language of the Ionians from the Roman tongue, and to set forth the narrative and the deeds of his journeys, and how his teaching and instruction were, so that I might relate it in a concise manner. But now I hasten to reveal to you that deed which I heard from three holy and venerable men, whose words it is fitting to receive: I speak of Gregory of Anzianzoros, my teacher and instructor, and also Gregory of Nyssa, the bishop who was the brother of the holy Basil, and again his disciple Amphilochius, the bishop of Iconium.

This holy Basil, beloved child, was a lamp of Setronius, kindled and radiant.

He presided over the church of Caesarea in Cappadocia; but he also surpassed all the wise men of the earth by his own order and arrangement, and by his divine teaching, whereby he refuted, scattered, and dispersed the words and faith of Apollinarius the heretic, and again of Eunomius and Macedonius, the opponents and enemies of the Holy Spirit, who were truly the four-horned Antichrists. But this holy Basil expelled from the churches of Christ those who were brightly illuminated by the light of his teaching with good faith; and he departed from this world, and cast off this life, full of labors, sufferings, harsh and difficult afflictions, and after many years he passed on and arrived at the indescribable dwellings and the joy of the dwelling-place. This holy Basil dispersed and scattered the will and power of the blasphemers of the Son of God and His Word; he was not afraid of the faces of the rulers. And why should I multiply words? For it is written concerning him what I told you, which I mentioned to you in the Ionian language and also in writing. He not only sat in the city of Caesarea, but by various commands he sent forth to the east and west, north and south; he strengthened the churches of Christ which he found.

with his precious blood: he did not cease rebuking the heretics for their evil faith, nor did he shrink from going from city to city and from land to land, pacifying by his own person those whom it was fitting to pacify. And he was emaciated and sickly in body because of his great fasting. 3. And when the holy Basil heard that Athanasius, the holy and glorious patriarch of Alexandria, renowned for his virtues and teacher of the Church, had departed and passed away from this world to be with Christ, then he heard also of the disturbance and confusion that had arisen in the church of the city of Antioch, and of what they had done to Meletius the patriarch. For they were divided into three factions: for those who had assembled against Arius and were fighters for the Holy Spirit rose up against Meletius the patriarch, the confessor of Christ, and drove him out by force, while the faithful brethren of Antioch did not do so once or twice.

But many times they wrote to the holy Basil, asking and entreating him, for the sake of his divinely adorned deeds, that he might come to them and not delay, and that he might hasten and stand by them in this time of need. Thus they said: "O venerable father, do not disdain our prayer, that you might deliver us from this terrible winter which has arisen over the church of Antioch. Come in person, and may we also be deemed worthy of your holiness by your coming. We believe and are convinced that nothing else remains for us but to be struck by the terror of the affliction that has befallen us, except for your coming and your presence with us alone.

And when this wondrous holy Basil received this letter and understood it, he summoned his brother Gregory and called upon the bishop of Nyssa, and Amphilochius, the bishop of Iconium, that they might not be separated from him. But Gregory, my teacher of Ancyra, had already set out for the city of Constantinople to contend in debate against those evil ones who were among the Arians. However, the cause of his journey and of the swiftness of his assistance was this same holy Basil, the chosen one of God. And when Gregory and Amphilochius, the beloved, came to him, they resolved to accompany him to Antioch, and both went with him as he commanded them. But God had already ordained everything beforehand and had smoothed the path of his servants, and sent through him a punishment upon that ruler, who had exiled Melentius, the orthodox confessor of Christ. A fierce disease seized him, a severe illness for three days, and he withered and his soul perished.

5. And when the holy Basil arrived in the city of Antioch, he and his companions remained there for some days. Through his divine teaching, he instructed some, persuaded others, and rebuked yet others, until he had made all of them disciples of the truth and convinced everyone to accept Melentius, the servant of Christ. And there was great joy in Antioch at that time, and all who were there rejoiced in the teaching of the holy Basil. And after they had spent a few days there, their brothers arrived in Antioch from Jerusalem and from the city of Lod, sent by the faithful there to summon them, so that they might go to see their holy places.

At that time, Hilarion was a shepherd in Jerusalem, but he was also a brigand, and Aetius, who was in Lycia, had been subdued by the heretics of Eusebius, who proclaimed the word of Arius. And when these two were killed, all the faithful glorified God, who had slain these two terrible and great ones, and opened the door of mercy to His churches. And when the holy Basil, obedient to Christ in all things, heard this, he said: "I thank you, Son of God and Word, for by this I understand that you desire my journey and the veneration of the holy places where your precious blood was shed for us. When I heard the voice of joy at the death of those enemies of God who had persecuted the church, together with their first leaders, which you accomplished and redeemed with your blood, now, O God, grant me your Word so that we may speak it.

7. Then they arose and prayed to Melentis that they might go with them to the holy places. And as they went from the great city of Antioch to Palestine, they arrived at Caesarea of Palestine. The holy Basil asked what the name of this city was, and the travelers who were going with him said: "This is Caesarea, the renowned one." And when he heard this, he immediately crossed over from the place of the chair and spread out his hands toward the east and said: "O holy Pamphilos, martyr of Christ, and you, his fellow companions, be intercessors for me and forgive me that I did not enter and did not venerate and did not honor your precious temple, which was given to various torments for the confession of Christ and did not deny him, but confessed with a good confession. But Eusebius and his companions denied him, and they gave the flock of Christ to the wolves and did not have mercy." And as this man of God, the holy Basil, said this, he turned and sat down on the ship and continued on that way with joy.

8. And when they arrived at the city of Lydda, the believing brethren who were in Lydda rejoiced and brought them into the church of the holy and glorious victorious martyr George, which had been built with the assistance of the blessed and memorable Fermelianos, who had previously been Catholicos of the city of Caesarea in Cappadocia. Then they entreated the holy Basil and his companions, some of the brethren, that they might remain with them for a few days in order to complete the construction of the temple. The blessed holy Basil said to them: "Complete your construction of the temple; but we shall go forth by the will of God and venerate the holy places, and after we have returned, we shall come to you." And thus they departed from Lydda and came to Jerusalem. And the brethren who were there received them with great joy, and they made obeisance and venerated the holy places. And they went down to the holy river Jordan and venerated that as well, and then returned to Jerusalem.

9. And at that time they established in Jerusalem and consecrated as bishop a certain man of Khosia by name Kurile, and he was very zealous for the faith and for the affairs of the Church. Then they gave peace to Kurile and to the other brethren, and they came to Lydda. As soon as they completed the building of the temple, he renewed it and was consecrated by them. Then they strengthened the brethren and gave peace to them also. And they went to the city of Antioch and came to the brethren with joy and gladness. And after a few days they gave peace to Meletius, confessor of Christ, and to the other brethren, and they went to Caesarea of Cappadocia: Basil and his brother Gregory and Amphilochius, bishop of Iconium. 10.

But this Basil, the founder, through many virtues, with much sweat and labor, with fasting and prayer, and with his own divine and orderly teaching, beheld the peace of all the churches toward God, and in peace he lay down and fell asleep and departed from this world in the days of the pious and Christ-loving king Theodosius. And when the holy Basil had made peace with the holy Gregory, the uncle, he set out for the city of Samosata, so that he might build the church of the holy great martyr George, with the help and assistance of the holy and Christ-loving Phermelianos, the Catholicos of Caesarea in Cappadocia. He sought the relics of the holy martyr George and others also, in the city of George, which is Lydda, by the hand of a faithful man named Eusebius of Caesarea in Cappadocia.

11. These are the names of the martyrs whose relics were brought to Luda: Saint George, Euxantis, Patricilla, Meletios, Theophilos, Elesios, John, Sabas, Hierakos, Kyriōn, Krineos, Pheltetos. And there was a translation of the relics of these holy ones to Luda under Constantine the Great, the God-loving emperor. And this church was consecrated and renewed by the holy Basil, the good shepherd and holy teacher of the orthodox faith, and by the holy Amphilochius, who is truly a warrior of Christ and of his own great patriarch of Antioch. Now the feast of the church of Luda is that of Saint George, and the renewal and the enshrinement of the holy relics therein and the consecration are celebrated every year on the third of November, for the glorification of our Lord and God Jesus Christ, together with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and forever and unto the endless ages. Amen.