BASIL I.—BASILICA. 
  
  
Cappadocia; studied under the heathen philosophers 
at Athens, and became an advocate in his native 
city, but afterwards founded a monastic society ; was 
ordained a presbyter in 362; and succeeded Eusebius 
as Bishop of Cesarea in 370, in which office he con- 
tinued till his death in 379. He resolutely resisted 
invitations to the court of Julian the Apostate, with 
whom he had contracted an intimacy as a fellow- 
student at Athens, and displayed great constancy 
when the Emperor Valens began to persecute him, 
on account of his opposition to Arianism. He was 
engaged in most of the controversies of his time, 
but conducted controversy in a peaceful and gene- 
rous manner. His rules of monastic life are still 
followed in the Greek and other oriental churches, 
in which he is highly honoured as one of the great- 
est of saints. In the Roman Catholic Church, also, 
they are followed in a few convents, styled of the 
order of Basilians. The influence of B. was greatly 
felt in the promotion of monasticism throughout the 
West as well as the East, and to him is ascribed 
the introduction of the three universal monastic 
vows of obedience, chastity, and poverty. The best 
editions of his works are that of the Benedictines 
(3 vols.,, Par. 17211730, fol.), and that of the 
brothers Gaume (3 vols.,, Par. 1835—1840, 8vo); 
but the authenticity of many of the moral and 
ascetic pieces is doubtful. His anniversary is cele- 
brated, in the Greek Church, on the 1st of January 
—the day of his death ; in the Latin Church, on the 
14th of June—the day of his ordination. 
BA'SIL I., the Macedonian, Emperor of the East, 
was born in a village of Macedonia, in 813 A. D, or, 
according to others, in 826. His early life is differ- 
ently related, but his biographers agree that he 
came to Constantinople when still a young man, and 
was appointed chamberlain to the Emperor Michael 
in 861. Subsequently, the emperor made him his 
colleague in the sovereignty. B. now wused his 
influence to restrain Michael from committing those 
excesses which rendered him hateful to the people; 
but when he found his remonstrances unavailing, 
he headed a conspiracy against him, the result of 
which was the assassination of the emperor in 867. 
His first care was to heal the wounds both of the 
church and the state. He replaced Ignatius upon 
the patriarchal throne, and dismissed Photius, 
whom, however, he re-established in his authority 
the year after. His valour made him the terror 
of the Saracens, from whom he reconquered Asia 
Minor. The prodigality of Michael had exhausted 
the public treasury ; by a wise economy, B. refilled 
it. All extortioners, moreover, were sought out 
and punished. The profligate companions of the late 
monarch were condemned to disgorge one half of the 
largesses which Michael had showered upon them. 
B. also entered into a treaty of alliance with the 
Russians of Kiew, to whom he sent missionaries 
to preach the gospel, and who, from that time, 
began to embrace Christianity, and acknowledge 
the authority of the Greek Church. He died in 886, 
from wounds which he received while hunting a 
stag. Several letters of his are still extant, besides 
a book full of wise advice addressed to his son. 
BA'SIL (O'cymum), a genus of plants of the 
natural order Labiate (q.v.). The species are all 
natives of the tropics, or of the warmer temperate 
parts of the world, and are generally characterised 
by a pleasant aromatic smell and taste. They are 
reckoned among sweet herbs.—SwEET B. (0. Basili- 
cum) is an annual plant, a native of the Fast Indies, 
about one foot high, with ovate or oblong leaves, 
and flowers in whorls of six, which has long been 
cultivated in Europe for culinary purposes, being used 
as a seasoning. It has also enjoyed the reputation 
728 
  
of being a palliative of the pains of childbirth.— 
Busa B. (0. minimum), also a native of the East 
  
Basil (Ocymum Basilicum). 
Indies, is cultivated for the same purposes, and 
possesses the same qualities. It is a plant about 
six inches high, with an orbicular bushy head. In 
Britain, the seed of both species, obtained from the 
south of Europe, is generally sown on a hot-bed, 
from which the plants are afterwards removed to 
the open ground.—A native British plant of the 
same order (Clinopodium wvulgare) bears the name 
of Witp B., and another (Acinos wvulgaris, for- 
merly Zhymus Acinos) is known as B. THYME. 
Both are fragrant and aromatic.—B. Vinegar is made 
in the same manner as Mint Vinegar, by steeping 
the leaves in vinegar. It is used for seasoning, in 
winter, when the fresh plant cannot be obtained. 
BASI'LICA, acode of laws of the Grecian empire, 
the compilation of which was begun in the reign 
of the Emperor Basil 1., the Macedonian, who died 
in 886—from whom it is generally supposed to have 
derived its name; completed by his son Leo, the 
Philosopher; and revised, in 945, by order of Con- 
stantine Porphyrogenitus, the son of Leo. There 
is some doubt whether the work has come down 
to us as completed by Leo, or as revised by Con- 
stantine, and unfortunately we do not possess the 
whole of the sixty books of which it originally 
consisted. It was very much an adaptation of the 
code of Justinian to altered circumstances, and is 
of great value for the interpretation of the Corpus 
Jurts. The principal editions are that of Fabrott 
(7 vols. fol., Par.” 1647), and the recent one of 
Heimbach (vols. 1—5, Leip. 1833—1850), which 
includes portions discovered since Fabrott’s time. 
The B. has been the subject of many commentaries. 
BASI'LICA. (Gr. Basilike, from Basileus, a 
king). Originally, the B. seems to have been the 
hall or court-room in which the king administered 
the laws made by himself and the chiefs who formed 
his council. When monarchy was abolished at 
Athens, the second of the magistrates who succeeded 
to the kingly power was called the Archon-basileus, 
  
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