Basilides

Basilides (Greek: Βασιλείδης) was an early Christian Gnostic religious teacher in Alexandria, Egypt^[1] who taught from 117 to 138 AD,^{[* 1]} and claimed to have inherited his teachings from the apostle Saint Matthias.^[2]^[3] He was a pupil of either the Simonian teacher Menander,^[4] or a supposed disciple of Peter named Glaucias.^[5] The Acts of the Disputation with Manes state that for a time he taught among the Persians.^[6] According to Agapius of Hierapolis he appeared in the 15th year of Trajan reign (113 AD).^[7] He is believed to have written over two dozen books of commentary on the Christian Gospel (now all lost) entitled Exegetica,^[4] making him one of the earliest Gospel commentators.

The followers of Basilides, the Basilideans, formed a movement that persisted for at least two centuries after him^[8] – Epiphanius of Salamis, at the end of the 4th century, recognized a persistent Basilidian presence over the Nile Delta in Egypt.^[9] It is probable, however, that the school melded into the mainstream of Gnosticism by the latter half of the 2nd century.^[10]

^ Hort 1911 cites Iren. p. 100 Mass.; followed by Eus. H. E. iv. 7; Epiph. Haer. xxiv. 1, p. 68 c; cf. xxiii. 1, p. 62 B; Theod. Haer. Fab. i. 2.
^ Gospel of Basilides
^ Basilides
^ ^a ^b Cite error: The named reference Eusebius4-7 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ St. Clement of Alexandria, Stromata Book vii. Chapter xvii. Gnostic scholar Bentley Layton accepts the Glaukias connection". Pearson 2008, 4.
^ Archelaus, Acts of the Disputation with Manes Chapter lv.^{[verification needed]}
^ Agapius of Menbij, Universal History, Year 15 of Trajan [113].
^ Hort 1911 states that "It is a singular testimony to the impression created at the outset by Basilides and his system that he remained for centuries one of the eponymi of heresy".
^ "CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA: Basilides". www.newadvent.org. Retrieved 2023-06-04.
^ Mead 1900, 253 f.

Cite error: There are <ref group=*> tags on this page, but the references will not show without a {{reflist|group=*}} template (see the help page).

[1] Hort 1911 cites Iren. p. 100 Mass.; followed by Eus. H. E. iv. 7; Epiph. Haer. xxiv. 1, p. 68 c; cf. xxiii. 1, p. 62 B; Theod. Haer. Fab. i. 2.

[3] Gospel of Basilides

[4] Basilides

[Eusebius4-7-5] Cite error: The named reference Eusebius4-7 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[6] St. Clement of Alexandria, Stromata Book vii. Chapter xvii. Gnostic scholar Bentley Layton accepts the Glaukias connection". Pearson 2008, 4.

[7] Archelaus, Acts of the Disputation with Manes Chapter lv.^{[verification needed]}

[8] Agapius of Menbij, Universal History, Year 15 of Trajan [113].

[9] Hort 1911 states that "It is a singular testimony to the impression created at the outset by Basilides and his system that he remained for centuries one of the eponymi of heresy".

[:0-10] "CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA: Basilides". www.newadvent.org. Retrieved 2023-06-04.

[11] Mead 1900, 253 f.

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