Hexaemeron (Basil of Caesarea)

The Hexaemeron of Basil of Caesarea (d. 379) is a fourth-century Greek commentary on the Genesis creation narrative (or a Hexaemeron). It is the first known work in this genre by a Christian, following Jewish predecessors of the genre like Philo of Alexandria's De opificio mundi and a now lost work by Aristobulus of Alexandria.

Basil's Hexaemeron was composed over the course of nine homilies on the topic of the six days of creation, moving line by line through Genesis 1:1–26. His Hexaemeron originated as a lecture series that he delivered to the congregation of Caesarea Maritima over the course of three days in the year 378 AD. The audience was likely a group of "average" Christians, as opposed to fellow Christian intellectuals or a group that he would have considered to have been spiritually advanced.