bottom or basis of the skull[1]; or because a great part of the brain
rests hereon, as on its basis b.[2]—[
]—See Sphenoides, Cycl.
BASILEUS, Βασιλεύς, a title assumed by the emperors of Constantinople, exclusive of all other princes, to whom they gave the title Ρεξ, rex, king. Suic. Thes. T. 1. p. 669. Du Cange, Gloss. Gr. T. 1. p. 179, seq. Ejusd. Gloss. Lat. T. 1. p. 499. The same quality was afterwards given by them to the kings of Bulgaria, and to Charlemaign, from the successors of which last they endeavoured to wrest it back again.
The title basileus has been since assumed by other kings, particularly the kings of England, Ego Edgar totius Angliæ basileus confirmavi. Du Cange, Gloss. Lat.
Hence also the queen of England was intitled Basilla and Basilissa. Du Cange, Gloss. Lat. in voc. Basilissa.
Basileus, in zoology, a name by which several of the old authors called the regulus cristatus, or golden crowned wren.
The word is derived of the Greek Βασιλεύς, a king; and this, and the other names of royalty given to this little bird, are, on account of the golden crown on its head. Ray, Ornitholog. p. 163.
BASILICS, Basilica, in literary history, (Cycl.) a name supposed to have been given by the emperor Leo to a collection of laws, in honour of his father Basilius Macedo, who began it in the year 867, and in the execution chiefly made use of Sabbathius Protospatharius, who carried the work as far as 40 books. Leo added 20 books more, and published the work in 880.—The whole, thirty years after, was corrected and improved by Constantin Porphyrogenitus, son of Leo; whence many have held him the author of the basilica.
Six books of the basilica were translated into Latin in 1557, by Gentian Hervetus. An edition of the Greek basilics, with a Latin version, has been since published at Paris, in 1647, by Annib. Fabrottus, in 7 volumes. There still want 19 books, which are supposed to be lost. Fabrottus has endeavoured to supply, in some measure, the defect from the synopsis of the basilica, and the glosses; of which several had been made under the succeeding emperors, and contained the whole Justinian law, excepting the superfluities, in a new and more consistent order, together with the later constitutions of the emperors posterior to Justinian. Vid. Strav. Bibl. Jur. c. 4. §. 2, seq. Hartung. Exerc. Jur. Civ. l. 1. c. 6. p. 18, seq. Menage, Anti-Baill. T. 1. p. 137, seq. Morhof. Polyhist. T. 3. l. 6. c. 14. §. 11. Fabric. Bibl. Græc. l. 6. c. 6. Tom. 2. p. 425.
Basilics, basilicæ, in church history (Cycl.)—There is some dispute concerning the origin and occasion of this appellation, as well as the extent of it.
Some will have the antient churches to have been called basilicæ, because generally built in the fashion of the Roman halls, called by that name: others, because divers churches were formed of those halls. In reality, on the conversion of Constantine, many of the antient basilica were given to the church, and turned to another use, viz. for Christian assemblies to meet in, as may be collected from that passage in Ausonius, where speaking to the emperor Gratian, he tells him, the basilicæ, which heretofore were wont to be filled with men of business, were now thronged with votaries praying for his safety. By which he must needs mean, that the Roman halls or courts were turned into Christian churches: and hence, we conceive, the name basilicæ came to be a general name for churches in after-ages. Baronius, Durantus, and Bona, give other reasons for the appellation; as that it was because churches were places where sacrifice was offered to God, the king of all the earth; or because they were only the more stately and magnificent churches which had the title, such as, by their grandeur, either surpassed other churches, as the palaces of princes do private houses. But this is not true in fact; for ever since the word came first into use, it appears to have been the common name of all public churches, as contradistinguished from the private churches of monasteries, &c.[1] It has been disputed between messieurs Launoi and Valois, whether the church of St. Vincent, built by king Childebert, were
originally a monastery, or a basilic[2].—[
- ↑ Bingh. Orig. Eccles. l. 8. c. 1. §. 5. Vid. Giorn. de Lett. d'ltal. T. 1. p. 78.
- ↑ Vid. Jour. des Sav. T. 20. p. 505.
]
Basilic is chiefly applied, in modern times, to churches of royal foundation; as those of St. John de Lateran and St. Peter of the Vatican at Rome, founded by the emperor Constantine. Daviler, Archit. p. 414.
Golden Basilic, basilica aurea, is an appellation given the church of the Lateran, on account of its richness and furniture.
Basilic appears also to have been given in later ages to churches before consecration. Vid. Johns. Eccles. Laws, ann. 1237. § 1.
Basilics were also little chapels built by the antient Franks over the tombs of their great men, so called, as resembling the figure of the sacred basilicæ, or churches, Du Cange, Gloss. Lat. T. 1. p. 500.
Persons of inferior condition had only tumbæ, or porticuli erected over them. By an article in the salic law, he that robbed a tumba or porticulus, was to be fined 15 solidi; but he that robbed a basilica 30 solidi. Leg. Salic. tit. 58. §. 3, seq.
Basilics, .bafilica, among the Romans} were fpacious and beaii' tiral edifices, defigned chiefly for the centummn, or the judzes to fit in and hear caules, and for the councilors to receive clients 1 lie bankers too had one part of the bafilica allotted for their refidence '. The fcholars alfo went thither to make their de- clamations, according to the teftimony of Quinailian ' — L' R "f'"- Ant - '■ 9. c. 7- J gtattiti. 1. 12. c-sj 1 he Roman bafilica were covered, by which they were diftin- guilhed from the fora, which were public places, open to the air.
Some have obferved, that the bafilica were to be built adjoin- ing to the forum ■=. But this will by no means hold in rcfpecl of all. At the end of each was a large, lofty hall, called cbal- cidica, furniflled with galleries, wherein the fnedtiitors were placed during the adminift.-ation of juftice '.— [ ' Calv Lex Jur. p. 11 , . b. < Vid. Vitruv. Archit. 1. 5. c. 6. Perrault, Abreg. P. 2. c. I. art. 3.]
Voflius e has obferved, that thofe bafilica were built in the (hapc of our churches, that is oblong, which was the reafon, that, upon the ruin of many of the bafilica, Chriftian churches were raifed on the old foundation ; and often alfo a whole ba- fi.ua was converted to fuch a pious ufe \— [ s Voff. Etym. p. _6j, feq. h Kcmi. Rom. Antiq. P. 2. 1. 1. c. 5. p. 48.] The firft bafilica was built atRome by Cato the elder ; whence it was called Pcrcia; the fecond was called Upimia ; the third was that of Paulas, built at a great expence, and with much magnificence, whence it was called by fome regia Pauli; an- other was built by Julius Caifar, called bafilica Julia; of which Vitruvius tells us he had the direflion. Vid. Liv. 1. 26. c. 27. There were others alfo, to the number of eighteen or twenty. The bafilica Julia not only ferved for the hearing of caufesj but for the reception and audience of foreign ambaffadors. It was fupported by an hundred marble pillars in four rows, and lunched with decorations of gold and precious frolics. In it were thirteen tribunals, or judgment-feats, where the prietors fat to difpatch caufes. Pirn. Epift. 1. 2. Ep. 14. ap. Heeler. Schul. Lex. p. 522.
BASILIDIANS (Cycl.)— In general, the Baflidians held much the fame opinions with the Valentinians, another branch of the gnoftic family. (See Gnostics, Cyd.) They afferted, that ail the actions of men are necefliry ; that faith is a natu- ral gift, to which men are forcibly determined, and mould therefore be faved, though their lives were ever fo irregular. Irenxus and others affure us, they afled confidently With their principle, committing all manner of villainies and impurities, in confidence of their natural election. Vid. King, Hift. Apoft. Creed, c. 5. p. 302.
They had a particular hierarchy of divine perfons, or Mom: See TEons, Cyd.
Under the name Abraxas, they are faid to have worfhipped the fupreme God, from whom, as a principle, all other things proceeded.
There are feveral gems ftill fubfifting inferibed with the name Abraxas, which were ufed by the Bafliidians as amulets againft difeafes and evil fpirits. Vid. Montfauc. Palæogr. 1, z. e. 8. p. 177, seq. See AERAXAS, Cycl. and Suppl.
BASILISCUS, in zoology, a name given by some of the old authors to the regulus cristatus, or golden crowned wren. This name is a diminutive of the word basileus, king, another of its names, given it because of its golden crown. Ray, Ornithol. p. 163.
Basiliscus, basilisc, or basilisk, is also used to denote a very dangerous sort of serpent, which kills, as it is said, by its breath or sight only. This was also called regulus, which answers to the name of basiliscus, or little king, because it has a kind of crown upon its head, and is the most dangerous of all serpents. Galen says, that it is of a colour inclining to yellow; that it has three little eminences upon its head, speckled with whitish spots, which have the appearance of a sort of crown. Ælian says, that its poison is so penetrating, as to kill the largest sepents with its vapour only; and that if it but bite the end of any man's stick, it kills him. It drives away all other serpents with the noise of its hissing. Pliny says, it kills those who look upon it.
The generation of the basilisk is not less marvellous, being said to be produced from a cock's egg, brooded on by a serpent. These, and other things equally ridiculous; are related by Matthiolus, Galen, Dioscorides, Pliny, and Erasistratus. Kirchmayer and Vander Wiel have given the history of the basilisk, and detected the folly and imposture of the traditions concerning it. Vid. Vater. Phys. Exper. §. 8. c. 6. p. 831.
In some apothecaries shops there are little dead serpents shewn, which are said to be basiliscs. But these seem rather to be a kind of small bird, almost like a cock, but without feathers: its head is lofty; its wings are almoft like a bat's; its eyes large, and its neck very short.
The most eminent physicians, and modern philosophers, look upon all that is said of the basilisc as fabulous, and mere invention: they say that no one ever saw any real basiliscs; that those which are shewn and sold at Venice, and in other places, are nothing but little thornbacks artificially put into a form like that of a young cock, by stretching out their fins, and contriving them with a little head, and hollow eyes:
and this, Calmet says, he has, in reality, observed in a supposed
