Saint of the Day – 23 November – Saint Amphilochius of Iconium (c339-400) Bishop

Saint of the Day – 23 November – Saint Amphilochius of Iconium (c339-400) Bishop, Lawyer and Rhetorician, Poet, Writer and Theologian, Defender of Orthodoxy against heretics, Miracle-worker. First Cousin of St Gregory of Nazianzen and his great friend and so too, a close friend and confidante of St Basil the Great. Born in c339 in Cappadocia, Asia Minor (in modern Turkey) and died in 400 in Konya (in modern Turkey) of natural causes. Also known as – Amfilokius, Amphilochus, Anfilochio, Anfiloquio.

The Roman Martyrology reads today: “At Iconium, in Lycaonia, the holy Bishop, Amphilochius, who was the companion of St Basil the Great and of St Gregory Nazianzen in the desert and their colleague in the Episcopate. After many combats for the Catholic Faith, he rested in peace, with the reputation of a holy and learned Prelate.”

Amphilochius was born in c339 in Cappadocia in Asia Minor (now Turkey). He was a cousin of Saint Gregory of Nazianzen and a close friend and fellow student of Saint Basil the Great. The most important source of our information aregarding our Saint, is his correspondence with these two friends.

Amphilochius’ father was an eminent lawyer and his mother Livia, was remarkable for gentleness and wisdom. He was brought up in the highly religious atmosphere of the Christian aristocracy of his native Province.

He studied law and rhetoric in Antioch, under the renowned Libarius and, as a young man, he taught rhetoric in Constantinople. He was still young when he ran decided to retire to the country to seek spiritual solitude. He left the City in favour of a place near Nazianzen. There, he could live a quiet life, while taking care of his elderly father. We get a little insight into his life at this time, in a letter from Gregory, who seems to have supplied them with grain, in return for vegetables, from his Amphilochius’ family land.

He was soon drawn within the circle of influence around St Basil the Great and seems to have been, for a while, a member of the Christian “City of the Poor” which Basil had built at Cæsarea.

In 374, when Amphilochius was about 35 years old, he was appointed Bishop of Iconium (now Konya in Turkey). He was aware of what this position would entail and accepted with great reluctance. When his father complained to Gregory that he was going to miss his son’s care, Gregory replied that he was not to blame for the appointment and, in any case, he himself would miss Amphilochius’ company. Basil, who may well have been responsible for the appointment, wrote to encourage his friend, exhorting him to lead others and not be led by them. Amphilochius often consulted Basil and it was to him that Basil wrote his treatise on the Holy Ghost and, it was our Saint, Amphilochius, who gave the Eulogy at Basil’s funeral.

Amphilochius was always zealous for the cause of orthodoxy and in 376 he held a Council at Iconium to condemn the Macedonian heresy which denied the deity of the Holy Ghost. In that connection, he wrote a book treating of the HolyGhost which was praised by Saint Jerome. He was present when Macedonianism was condemned at the Council of Constantinople in 381. He also urged Emperor Theodosios I (379-395) to forbid the Arians from holding their assemblies. At first, Theodosios refused because he considered such a measure, would be unnecessarily severe but Amphilochius eventually prevailed and persuaded him to promulgate a law making it illegal for Arians to meet in public or in private.

He was equally zealous in his opposition to the teachings of the Messalians, an Illuminist and Manichean sect which held that prayer alone is the essence of religion and the only way to salvation. In 394 he presided over a Synod at Sida in Pamphylia, where these heretics and their heresies were condemned.

Amphilochius wrote 333 verses in classical Greek poetry about the Christian life, several biblical commentaries and a writing against pseudo-ascetic practices.St Gregory Nazianzen described Amphilochius as a “herald of truth” and an exemplary and irreproachable Bishop and, his father confirmed that sick people had been healed by his prayers. He died in the year 400. His memorial day is 23 November.

In the history of theology. Amphilochius occupies a place of prominence for his defence of the divinity of the Holy Ghost, sadly this work is now lost, however, he read it to St Jerome on the occasion of their meeting at Constantinople. Most of Amphilochius’ works have been lost. Eight sermons have survived, including the oldest known sermon on the Feast of the Purification of the Blessed Virgin and the Presentation of Our Lord. His style and concern for historical accuracy puts Amphilochius in the place of a predecessor to St John Chrysostom, who may have been influenced by him.