When Emperor Valens ascended the throne in AD 364, he summoned the now famous Zeno to his palace and offered him a great position.
The position which Zeno occupied was one of significant respect and prestige for to be such a courier was to bear the implicit trust of the Emperor.
Working amongst the soldiers who were sent out to deliver the imperial edicts enabled him to be close to the Church Fathers, the ascetics and the common people who lived simply and virtuously in the provinces.
When the Isaurians invaded that place and killed many ascetics, Zeno blinded them with his prayer, and they missed the door of his cell.
Saint Zeno died in AD 416 at the age of 78, leaving a reputation as a holy hermit throughout the Byzantine Empire.