Presbyter
Saint Zoticus, originally from Rome, was close to Emperor Constantine the Great and received the rank of magistrate in Constantinople. Rejecting worldly glory, he accepted the priesthood and opened his home to the poor, travelers, and the sick, caring for widows and orphans.
During an epidemic of leprosy, he, showing mercy, asked the king for gold to ransom the lepers who were thrown into the sea. With this gold, he built hospitals and took care of the sick. After the death of Constantine, his son Constantius came to power and persecuted the Orthodox. Saint Zoticus was accused of embezzling gold and subjected to cruel torture.
The king ordered him to be tied to mules and driven over stones, which led to his painful death. At the place of his death, a spring of pure water gushed forth, healing diseases, in glorification of the servant of God.
