Orthodox · † 322
Hieromartyr Basil, Bishop of Amaseia
Commemorated: May 9 (April 26, Old Style)
Life
Basil was bishop of Amasea in Pontus under Emperor Licinius, who ruled the East and turned against Christians after his victory over Maximin. Glaphyra, a Christian serving-woman of Licinius's wife Constantia, fled the palace to escape the emperor's attentions and came to Amasea; the bishop received her and she gave him gold and silver for the building of a city church.
When Licinius learned where she was, he had Basil and the church seized. The bishop was brought before the emperor, refused to give up the faith and was sentenced to be beheaded and cast into the sea. He is remembered as a hieromartyr, about 322.
Places
- Place of birth: Amasya
- Place of death: Amasya
- Place of death: Nicomedia
Retold briefly in our own words from: the Lives of the Saints by St Dimitry of Rostov (1902–1916).
The commemorations of the day: Ponomar (ponomar.net), CC BY-SA 3.0.
Places and years: Wikidata (CC0), each saint matched by hand.