Amphilochius of Iconium
Amphilochius of Iconium (c. 340 in Cappadocia, † about 395 ) was Archbishop of Iconium (now Konya, Turkey) and the province of Lycaonia and a close friend of Basil of Caesarea and Gregory of Nazianzus.
From Amphilochius even only a few fragments have survived. What is known about his life, is mainly due to his correspondence with Basil of Caesarea and Gregory of Nazianzus. From two more letters to Amphilochius are obtained. Jerome mentions him in " De Viris Illustribus " and Theoderet knows a story about the encounter of Amphilochius with Emperor Theodosius I, and he is quoted by several councils.
Amphilochius was the son of the same father. He came from a noble Cappadocian family, and was believed to be a first cousin of Gregory of Nazianzus. He studied rhetoric and law, among others, Libanius in Antioch, and had an unspecified identifiable influential position, where he ran into financial or legal trouble, such as Gregory of Nazianzus mentioned in letters to him and to Gregory's brother Caesarius.
Around 369 he retired from public life after Ozizala near Nazianzus, where he practiced religious asceticism and planted among other vegetables. During this time he met Basil of Caesarea. He probably also spent some time in the participation in the social projects of Basileus in Caesarea.
Early 374, he came at the age of about 35 years, probably due to the influence of St. Basil, the important episcopal see of Iconium, where he, like the letters of St. Basil demonstrate its key employees was. He attended St. Basil often in Caesarea.
After the death of Basil 379 he was in a very personal correspondence with Gregory of Nazianzus. 381 he took part in the First Council of Constantinople Opel. In about this time his encounter is likely to be unsuccessful in Jerome.
Theoderet reported that Amphilochius at an audience with the Emperor Theodosius greeted this with all due respect, however, his son Arcadius, who had been made for Augustus recently, ignored her. As Theodosius angrily declared any disrespect towards his son was a coarseness himself over, replied the bishop, "You see that you do not tolerate disrespect of your son and bitter anger against cherish those who are rude to him. Faith, then, that the God, the Lord of the whole world that abhors that are ungrateful and disregarding towards his only begotten son, her savior and benefactor. "Der Kaiser reported Theoderet, had been so impressed that he issued an edict immediately that the meetings of heretics banned. This encounter can be dated quite accurately, as Arcadius had been made for Augustus the top 383, and the decree of Theodosius in September of the same year appeared.
394 appears his name in the list of bishops who were present at the consecration of St. Peter and Paul Basilica in Constantinople Opel. According to orthodox hagiography he died 395
Amphilochius is venerated in the Orthodox and the Roman Catholic Church as a saint. His feast day is November 23.
Works
- Amphilochii Episcopi Iconiensis Epistola ad Seleucum. Pardubicenus, Pragae 1613. ( Online)
- Amphilochii Episcopi Iconii De Recta Studiorum Ac vitae ratione Epistola ad Seleucum. Denuo Edita / curante & recensente Cvnrado Rittershvsio. Altorfii 1644th ( Online)