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than does the Latin miracle (C). Basil’s disrepectful reply to emperor
julian’s boast about being a better philosopher than Basil (Utinam philos-
ophareris W15v15; N230,5) is reflected in the Icelandic miracle (Gud villdi,
at þu kendizt vid sanna speki II,699,24), but the Latin miracle offers no
corresponding passage. C is likewise silent where Julian accuses Basil of
urging the people to break the statue of the goddess worshipped by the em-
peror (W16r17–16v3; N230,5) and version II has the emperor accuse Basil
of breaking his command and of ridiculing the goddess diana (II,700,3–5).
When julian’s quaestor, Libanius, arrives in person to report on mercurius’
deadly attack (W19v4, n232,16; II,701,21), the miracle only notes: Refertur
autem in tripertita historia C25,3). the miracle omits a paragraph found in
chapter 9 of the vita, in which Basil attempts to restore to the people their
donations, and the assassinated emperor is mocked by the populace of
Antioch. the text in version II at 702,6–17 corresponds closely to the text
in chapter 9 of the vita (W20r,6; n232,28). other examples showing the
affinity of the vita and version II vis-à-vis the independent miracle include
the following:
II,700,8 sagdi þeim ord keisarans
W16v7 (N230,19) narrauit ei imperatoris uerba
C24,15 ---
II,701,14 at aa þeiri sǫmu nott mundi hinn
grimmi konungr julianus vera drepinn
W18v5 (n,231,56) quia ista nocte interfectus est tyrannus
C24,45 ---
Although it is clear that the detailed text of the independent miracle could
not have been copied from the loosely narrated Icelandic miracle in Maríu
saga, there do exist a few examples where the independent, Latin miracle
is closer to version II than is the Vita Basili. the somewhat surprising
remark in the Icelandic miracle that Basil had gone to school with the em-
peror (er fyrrvm hafdi verit hans skolabrodir II,699,20–21) is found in this
context only in C24,2–4, erant enim prius in iuuenili aetate conscolastici cum
Libanio sophista sub praeceptore Graeciae Eubalo.14 other examples where
14 the fact that Basil and Julian, a Christian at the time, attended school together is, however,
mentioned at the beginning of chapter 1.
tHe L I F E O F S T . B A S I L IN ICeLANd
GRIPLA XXVI. - 12.12.B.indd 73 12/13/15 8:24:33 PM