Basil the Confessor


Basil the Confessor was an Eastern Orthodox saint who lived in the 8th century and was tortured by the Byzantine Emperor Constantine V.

Life

Basil was a monk who has elected Bishop of Parium. In February 754 Emperor Constantine V convened a synod at Hieria to condemn the veneration of icons. Basil refused to sign the orders for their destruction. With his pupil Procopius, Basil was imprisoned. Both languished in prison until the death of the emperor in 741, when they were released. Basil died in 750 and is venerated February 28.