Under Emperor Constantius, he suffered greatly from the Arians. And at that time he had become famous as a great zealot for Orthodoxy and a true shepherd of the spiritual flock in Ancyra. And when Julian the Apostate ascended the throne and began to persecute Christians, Basil publicly denounced this new wickedness and strengthened his people in the faith. For this reason he was thrown into prison.

So when Emperor Julian came to Ancyra, Basil was brought before the emperor, and the emperor began to persuade him to abandon the faith of Christ, promising him honors and wealth. Then Basil answered the emperor: “I believe in my Christ, whom you have denied, and who has given you this earthly kingdom, but it will soon be taken from you. Are you not ashamed of the altar under which you were saved from death as an eight-year-old boy, when they sought to kill you?…

Therefore, this temporal kingdom will soon be taken from you, and your body will not be buried, when you cast out your soul in fierce torments.” – Julian became angry and ordered that seven straps of leather be torn from Basil’s body every day. And so the torturers did for several days. When Basil appeared before the emperor again, he took from himself a strap of his own hodja and threw it in Julian’s face, shouting: “Take it, Julian, and eat, if such a dish is sweet to you, but to me Christ is life!”

– This event became known throughout the city, and the emperor, out of shame, secretly withdrew from Ancyra to Antioch. Basil continued to be tortured with red-hot iron until he surrendered his soul to the Lord, for whom he suffered greatly in the year 363.

Venerable Martyr Euthymius. Saint Drosid. Easter Lent.