SAINT ANASTASIA PATRICIA served as a lady-in-waiting in the court of the emperor, Justinian I, in the sixth century, but fled to avoid the unwanted attentions of Justinian, entering a convent in Alexandria. Justinian sought out Anastasia and made a further attempt to convince her, but assisted by Abbot Daniel, who was hegumin (head) of a monastery in Scetis, Anastasia disguised herself as a monk and lived as a hermit at a monastery cell until her death in 576.