In Caesarea of Cappadocia, Basil lived and worked, although he was born in Neocaesarea in the year 329 (or 330). His parents were also Basil and Emmelia. A truly blessed couple, they were a model throughout the city and the province.

Basil belonged to the higher echelons of the local society in terms of education and wealth. His father, who was a teacher of the liberal arts and rhetoric, practiced his profession in Neocaesarea of Pontus, while his mother dedicated herself to the upbringing of their nine children in the education and admonition of the Lord.