Listed 8 sub titles with search on: Religious figures biography for destination: "IKONION Ancient city TURKEY".
d.c. 258, feastday: September 12
d. 243, feastday: July 11 (Catholic). Martyred youth of Iconium, Lycaonia. He was cited for his courage in suffering.
Amphilochius of Iconium. A Christian bishop of the fourth century, son of a Cappadocian
family of distinction, b. perhaps at Caesarea, c. 339 or 340; d. probably some
time between 394 and 403. His father was an eminent lawyer, and his mother Livia
remarkable for gentleness and wisdom. He was probably first cousin to Gregory
of Nazianzus, and was brought up in the peculiarly religious atmosphere of the
Christian aristocracy of his native province. He studied for the bar, practised
at Constantinople, but soon retired to lead a religious life in the vicinity of
his friend and relative, the "theologian" of Nazianzus. He was soon drawn within
the circle of St. Basil's influence, and seems to have been for a while a member
of the Christian "City of the Poor" that Basil had built at Caesarea. Early in
374 he was bishop of the important see of Iconium, probably placed there by Basil,
whom he continued to aid in Cappadocian ecclesiastical affairs until Basil's death
(379). Thenceforth he remained in close relations with Gregory of Nazianzus, and
accompanied him to the Synod of Constantinople (381), where St. Jerome met and
conversed with him (De Vir. Ill., c. 133). In the history of theology he occupies
a place of prominence for his defence of the divinity of the Holy Spirit against
the Macedonians. It was to him that St. Basil dedicated his work "On the Holy
Spirit". He wrote a similar work, now lost. We know, however, that he read it
to St. Jerome on the occasion of their meeting at Constantinople. His attitude
towards Arianism is illustrated by the well-known anecdote concerning his audience
with Theodosius and his son Arcadius. When the Emperor rebuked him for ignoring
the presence of his son, he reminded him that the Lord of the universe abhorreth
those who are ungrateful towards His Son, their Saviour and Benefactor. He was
very energetic against the Messalians, and contributed to the extirpation of that
heresy. His contemporaries rated him very high as a theologian and a scholarly
writer. Not to speak of his admirers and friends already mentioned, St. Jerome
says (Ep. 70) of the Cappadocian triad (Basil, Gregory, and Amphilochius) that
"they cram their books with the lessons and sentences of the philosophers to such
an extent that you cannot tell which you ought to admire most in them, their secular
erudition or their scriptural knowledge". In the next generation Theodoret described
him in very flattering terms (Hist. Eccl., IV, x; V, xvi), and he is quoted by
councils as late as 787. His only genuine extant work is, according to Bardenhewer
(Patrologie), the "Epistola Synodica", a letter against the Macedonian heresy
in the name of the bishops of Lycaonia, and probably addressed to the bishops
of Lycia. The spurious "Iambics to Seleucus" offer an early and important catalogue
of the canonical writings; other spurious fragments, current under his name, are
taken from scriptural discourses, dogmatic letters and controversial writings.
St. Amphilochius, bishop of Iconium, the friend of St. Basil and St. Gregory of Nazianzus, was born
at Caesareia, and began life as a pleader. 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 2da, A. D. 373-4. St. Basil's Congratulatory Epistle on
the occasion is extant. He soon after paid St. Basil a visit, and persuaded him
to undertake his work "On the Holy Ghost", which he finished A. D. 375-6. St.
Basil's Canonical Epistles are addressed to St. Amphilochius (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 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 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. 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. In A. D. 394 he was at the Councii of Constantinople, 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. His remains (in Greek) have been edited by Combefis, with those
of Methodius of Patara and Andreas of Crete, fol. Par. 1644. Of Eight Homilies
ascribed to him, some at least are supposititious, as is the Life of St. Basil.
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. Combefis has
collected his fragments, and Gallandi has added to them. His work on the Holy
Ghost is lost. St. Gregory Nazianzen states, that " by prayers, adoration of the
Trinity, and sacrifices, he subdued the pain of diseases". The 9th, 25-28th, 62nd,
171st, and 184th Epistles of St. Gregory are addressed to him.
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