Basilides

Basilides was an influential early Christian Gnostic religious teacher who was active in Alexandria, Egypt, between the years 117 and 161 AD. He claimed to have received his teachings through a lineage tracing back to the apostle Saint Matthias, and he is recognized as one of the earliest commentators on the Christian Gospel.

Life and Historical Context

Basilides is believed to have been a pupil of either Menander, a Simonian teacher, or Glaucias, a disciple of Peter. His activity is situated in the 2nd century AD, a period of significant development and diversification within early Christianity, particularly with the rise of Gnostic thought. Clement of Alexandria provides much of the information regarding Basilides' active years. The followers of Basilides, known as the Basilidians, established a movement that maintained a presence for at least two centuries, with Epiphanius of Salamis noting their persistence in Egypt during the late 4th century.

Doctrine and Teachings

The primary sources for understanding Basilides' complex mythological and philosophical system are the writings of Irenaeus and Hippolytus of Rome. However, these accounts often contradict each other, leading to ongoing scholarly debate about the precise nature of his beliefs. According to Irenaeus, Basilides posited an ungendered Father as the first principle, from whom five emanations arose: Nous (Intellect), Logos (Word), Phronesis (Prudence), Sophia (Wisdom), and Dynamis (Power). Clement of Alexandria and the Testimony of Truth from the Nag Hammadi library corroborate Basilides' belief in a primal Ogdoad, or eight primordial deities. His cosmology described the creation of 365 heavens by a series of angelic emanations, with the number of heavens corresponding to the days in a solar year. The world known to humans was the final heaven, created by the chief angelic emanation, whom Basilides identified as the God of the Jews.

Regarding Jesus, Basilides and his followers largely accepted the canonical Gospel accounts. A disputed point, reported by Irenaeus, suggests a belief that Simon of Cyrene was substituted for Jesus on the cross. However, some scholars argue this interpretation may be a misrepresentation. Basilides taught that salvation comes through knowledge (gnosis) rather than faith, which he defined as an assent to things not present to the senses. He also appear to have held views on metempsychosis, suggesting that suffering in this life could be a consequence of sins in a past existence. This belief led him to depreciate Christian martyrs, seeing their suffering as punishment for past transgressions rather than for their faith.

Writings and Legacy

Most of Basilides' extensive writings have been lost. He is credited with a twenty-four book commentary on the Gospel, entitled Exegetica, and possibly a Gospel according to Basilides, though this may have been a misunderstanding of his commentaries. Fragments of his works are preserved through the writings of Church Fathers. Basilides' system was heavily influenced by antecedent Gnosticism, Greek philosophy, and Christian scripture, remolded in a Greek spirit. He is often mentioned alongside Valentinus, another prominent Gnostic teacher, and comparisons of their doctrines suggest a complex relationship, with Basilides potentially building upon or reacting to Valentinian ideas.

Sources

The main sources of information about Basilides are the accounts of Church Fathers such as Eusebius, Irenaeus, Hippolytus of Rome, and Clement of Alexandria. Excerpts from Basilides' lost writings are also preserved through these sources. His son and disciple, Isidore, also wrote about him, but his works are also lost. Agrippa Castor is known to have written a refutation of Basilides, which is now lost but referenced by Eusebius.