BIBLI

BIBLI. Una storia critica delle edizioni generali di s. B. fu intrapresa da D. Amand, in Revue Bénédictine, 52 (1940), pp. 140-161; 53 (1941), pp. 119-51; 54 (1942), pp. 124-44; 56 (1943), pp. 126-73. La prima edizione completa fu pubblicata a Basilea nel 1532: la migliore è quella dei maurini Garnier e Maran, con traduzione latina del Garnier e ampi prolegomeni, Parigi 1721-30; ri-

prodotta più volte, figura pure, con l'aggiunta di nuovi testi, in PG 29-32. Delle poche ed, parziali si hanno: C. F. Johnston, De Spiritu Sancto, Oxford 1892; R. Deferrari e Mc Guire, S. B. Letters, 4 voll., Londra 1926; l'omelia ai giovani (Hom., 22) a cura di E. Sommer, Parigi 1903, e di A. Nardi, Torino 1931; il commento al profeta Isaia in Corona Patrum Salesiana, con traduzione di P. Trevisan, 2 voll., Torino 1939. Una versione dell'Esamerone fu pubblicata da G. Morgera, Piacenza 1894. Una versione francese, con ampia introduzione e noto, fu curata da B. Pruche (Sources chrétiennes, Parigi [1946]). Le Regole furono tradotte e ordinate per materia da E. Leggio, Torino 1934. D. Amand ha in preparazione l'edizione critica dell'Esamerone (Revue Bénédictine, 52 [1940], p. 141).

Studi: Biografia: F. Baert, in Acta SS. Junii, II, Anversa 1698, pp. 807-958; Tillemont, IX, Parigi 1714, pp. 1-304, 628-691; P. Maran, nella prefazione all'edizione maurina, PG 29, pp. v-CLXVII; P. Allard, S. B., trad. ital., Roma 1904; I. Schäfer, B. des Grossen Beziehungen zum Abendlande, Münster in Vestf. 1909; J. Wittig, Leben, Lebensweisheit und Lebenskunde des hl. Metropoliten B., Friburgo in Br. 1920; M. M. Fox, The Life and times of st. B. the Great as revealed in his works (Patristic Studies, 57), Washington 1939. - Opere letterarie: E. Fialon, Etude littéraire et historique sur st. B., 2e ed., Parigi 1869; J. Wittig, Des hl. B. geistliche Übungen (Breslauer Studien zur hist. Theol., 1), Breslavia 1922 (Commento a Isaia); cf. la critica di Altaner, in Byzantin-Neugrisch. Jahrbücher, 3 (1922), p. 426 s.g.; J. M. Campbell, The influence of the second sophistic on the sermons of st. B. (Patristic Studies, 2), Washington 1922; L. W. Jack, B. and the greek Literature (Patristic studies, 1), ivi 1922; M. Bessières, La tradition manuscrite de la correspondance de s. B., Oxford 1923; A. C. Way, The language and style of the Letters of st. B. (Patristic Studies, 23), Washington 1927. - Monachismo: H. Morison, St. B. and his rule, Oxford 1912; W. C. Clarke, B. the Great. A study in Monasticism, Cambridge 1913; M. M. G. Murphy, St. B. and monasticism (Patristic Studies, 25), Washington 1930. - Pensiero: K. Hall, Amphibolichus von Ihonium in seinem Verhältnis zu den grossen Kappadoziem, Tubinga e Lipsia 1904, pp. 122-58; F. Nager, Die Trinitättelehre des hl. B., Paderborn 1912; J. Maier, Die Eucharistielehre der drei grossen Kappadozier, Friburgo in Br. 1915; P. Humbertclaude, La doctrine ascétique de st. B. de Cétarée, Parigi 1932; P. Batifol, L'ecclésiologie de B., in Echos d'Orient, 21 (1922), p. 9 sgg.; M. J. Lubatschovsky, Des hl. B. Kampf gegen den Arianismus. Ein Beitrag zur Textgeschichte der B. liturgie, in Zeitschrift für Kathol. Theologie, 46 (1942), p. 20 sgg.; Y. Courtonne, St. B. et l'hellénisme, Parigi 1934. - Opere generali: O. Bardenhewer, Geschichte der altkirchlichen Literatur, III, Friburgo in Br. 1923, pp. 130-62, 670 s.g.; O. Schilin, Die altkirchliche griechische Literatur, Monaco 1924, pp. 1407-13 (estratto da W. V. Christ, Geschichte der griechischen Literatur, 6e ed., parte 2e, 2); A. Pouch, Histoire de la littérature grecque chrétienne, III, Parigi 1930, pp. 234-317; P. Allard e M. Besses, s. V. in DThC, II, coll. 441-59; G. Bardy, s. V. in DHG, VI, coll. 1111-26; id., s. V. in DSp, I, coll. 1273-83; M. Viller e K. Rahner, Aussee und Mystik in der Väterzeit, Friburgo in Br. 1939, pp. 122-33.

IV. PEDAGOGY

In chapter 6 of his monastic Rule, s. B. gives certain regulations concerning the education of young people who intend to dedicate themselves to the monastic life. First of all, s. B. wishes that the youths live separated from the elders, not only so that they do not become too familiar with those who must always be treated with respect, but also so that they do not take bad examples from the old men and from those actions which, tolerable in an old man, are not to be permitted in a youth. Youths and old men will perform only the exercises of piety in common. The youths will have a different schedule from that of the elders, and even the food will be administered differently according to age and needs. S. B. wishes that the master be chosen with the utmost care: he must surpass the others in experience and must be known for his gentleness, so that, with a father's heart, he may correct the faults of the youths, providing, where necessary, appropriate remedies so that "by chastising the fault he exercises the soul to overcome passions" (Regulae fusae tractatae, 33). The child must be trained in the habit of virtue so that when the use of reason awakens in him he will already find himself well started on the path of virtue, and this is because formed habit brings facility and readiness to a virtuous life.

For the instruction of youths who dedicate themselves to the monastic life, s. B. wants them to approach Holy Scripture. The masters must recount to them the stories and wondrous deeds narrated therein. Have them learn, he tells the masters, the sentences of the proverbs, propose prizes for memory, both for words and for things, so that the children may reach the goal without boredom, without disgust, indeed with delight, almost as if recreating themselves. Among the homilies of s. B. known to us, the 22nd addressed "to the youths on the fruits that can be gathered from Greek writers" should be mentioned here for its pedagogical value. As is well known, a question that was agitated in the ancient Christian world with diverse and opposite solutions was that of the relationship between the new Christian culture and the old profane culture. It is a question that will not fail to appear here and there over the course of the centuries; in fact, one sees it resurface in Italy during Humanism and in France in the nineteenth century. S. B., like the Fathers of the Eastern Christian Church in general, while postulating the need for Christian wisdom as that which is the custodian of truth, does not despise ancient learning. S. B. thinks that profane writings can lead the Christian to the knowledge of the truth and the practice of virtue. It is through the study of the ancient classics that one conquers that wealth of adornment and form so apt to enrich the substance of Christian wisdom. The tree is admired and pleases not only for its fruit but also for the pomp of its ornament of leaves. Moses trained himself in the disciplines of the Egyptians and Daniel in those of the Chaldeans. The study of the classics is useful to those who wish to embark upon and dedicate themselves to religious studies, because it is possible from them—which narrate virtuous deeds and give teachings of sound morality—to draw, as bees do from flowers, the moral concepts that they enclose within themselves. S. B., while wishing for the ancient classics to be studied, warns that not all of them are to be placed in the hands of youths. Thus, works or passages where vicious scenes are described or false doctrines taught are to be excluded from the contact of youths. There are many virtuous examples that s. B. finds in the ancient world and that Christians can imitate. Socrates, Pericles, Alexander performed virtuous acts; Diogene himself, with his contempt for earthly things, teaches how one should behave toward them. Not only that, but even in the ancient poets one can find material for good education, such as in Homer, in Theognis, in Prodicus, the latter for the episode of Hercules at the Crossroads. S. B. concludes by stating that if the ancient writers aimed at the life of the world, we can make treasure of their works and their sentences for the life of heaven. Nino Sammartano

BASILIO di ANCIRA. - He lived in the 4th century. Initially a physician, in 336 he was elected metropolitan of Ancira in Galatia. The Council of Sardica in 344 deemed his election uncanonical. B. withdrew to Philippopolis, ceding his place to Marcellus, who was now rehabilitated. In 350 B. took his revenge by driving out Marcellus. He was a leader of the Homoiousians and took part in all the machinations of the Semi-Arians. He was the principal adversary of Photinus and subsequently directed the struggle against Acacius of Caesarea and his followers the Homoeans. The Acacians, however, used their influence over the emperor to depose B. and send him into exile; he died around 365. B. maintained only the likeness of substance and did not admit or did not understand "identity" of substance between the Father and the Son.