6th century
Saint Florus, Bishop of Amisus
A 6th-century official of the Byzantine court who, after the death of his wife and child, became a monk and later Bishop of Amisus, and died peacefully in old age.
Biography
Florus lived in the 6th century, under the emperors Justin II, Tiberius and Maurice. Educated and versed in Scripture, he served as a secretary at the palace in Constantinople and rose to the rank of patrician; he married and had a child, but lost them both.
He then gave away his property and withdrew to a small estate, devoting himself to study and prayer, until he entered the clergy. Thanks to his virtue and gift for teaching he became Bishop of Amisus, where he served as a true shepherd before dying peacefully in old age.