Basil of Achrida

BASIL OF ACHRIDA: Archbishop of Thessalonica. He came from Achrida (on the n.e. shore 499 of the modern Lake Ochrida, 100 m. n. of Janina, in Albania) in Macedonia and became archbishop in 1146. His importance lies in the fact that he wrote and spoke against the union of the Greek Church with the Roman. He wrote a letter on the subject to Pope Adrian IV in 1154. To about the same time belong his dialogues with Anselm of Havelberg, ambassador of Frederick Barbarossa, published by J. Schmidt in Des Basilius aus Achrida bisher unedirte Dialoge (Munich, 1901). Another dialogue with Henry of Benevento is still in manuscript. Vasiljewskij has published an address of Basil’s on the death of Irene, first wife of the Emperor Manuel Comnenos, in Vizantijskÿ Vremnik, 1894, 55-132. His earlier printed writings are in MPG, cxix.

Philipp Meyer.

Bibliography: Krumbacher, Geschichte der byzantinischen Litteratur, pp. 88, 466, Munich, 1897.