The life of St Basil of Amasia
His trouble with the emperor began over Glaphyra, a young Christian woman who served the empress Constantia and had refused Licinius's advances. Constantia sent her secretly out of the city, disguised, with money enough to live on, and told the household she had fallen ill and gone mad.
Glaphyra made her way to Amaseia and found shelter there, and Basil, learning who she was, told her to live quietly so as not to bring danger on the Christians of the city. She gave what money she had to a church he was building and wrote home for more. That letter fell into the emperor's hands, and he ordered both of them brought to him. Glaphyra had already died. Basil went alone, was imprisoned at Nicomedia, and told those who came with him that he had been shown in advance how he would die. Licinius offered him his life if he would sacrifice to the gods; refusing, he was beaten and beheaded. His body was given to the sea, and was found again and carried home to Amaseia, where it was buried.
