In the ninth century, during the reign of the Byzantine emperor Leo the Great, there lived in Constantinople a distinguished man named Theognostos. Once new slaves were brought to Theognostos. Among them was a little boy, originally a Scythian, "son of the Gentiles". The boy was baptized and named Andrew. The child turned out to be moral, obedient, intelligent. The master loved the little slave like a child, kept him with him and entrusted him to teachers to study the scriptures. Andria studied well, fasted, often went to the temple and prayed away his poverty and orphanhood, pain and sadness.