The Life of Simeon Stylites. Journal of the American Oriental Society 35 pp. This famous saint was born near the close of the fourth century at Sis, near Nicopolis, in Northern Syria. Long before Simeon lived, there had been at the sanctuary of the goddess Attar'athe, in Hierapolis, a tall pillar, on which a man stood seven days twice a year for communion with the gods Lucian, De dea Syria c.
London , ch. VII , Simeon probably had never heard of it; the practice had died out long before he was born. Theodoret, an educated Syrian, regarded Simeon as the father of all who adopted life upon pillars. Another Greek biography, said to be written by Anthony, a disciple of Simeon, Noldeke refers to a late date, on account of its extravagances. The Syriac biography with which we are concerned was probably written shortly after Simeon's death, which occurred in A.
There are three known manuscripts of this Syriac Life. The Vatican MS. II, pp. The two other MSS. Bedjan, in preparing the Life of Simeon for publication in his Acta Martyrum et Sanctorum, first copied the text of Assemani. Then he collated it with the MS. As one or two leaves of this MS. Because of its. One important passage p. It is the text of this MS. IV, pp. IV, Preface pp. What relation does the version represented in Assemani's text bear to that given by Bedjan?
The variations in language are, however, too numerous to mention. One text may employ a synonym for the term used in the other, or a whole sentence may occur in one which is not in the other, or a scripture quotation may be peculiar to one text. But in spite of these differences, the wording is substantially the same in the two texts. The differences, however, are sufficiently numerous and striking to show that neither text was copied from the other.
Furthermore, the differences between Bedjan's and Assemani's texts exclude the possibility that both could have been derived from one common MS. We have here two quite independent recensions, as is shown by the variation in the order of events narrated. If we number the paragraphs in Bedjan's text, beginning with page , consecutively, and then attach the same numbers to the same incidents as given in Assemani's text, the order in the latter is as follows: , , 32, , 58, 59, 61, 62, 64, This shows how differently the same material is grouped in the two texts, and makes it evident that they represent different recensions, neither one derived from the other.
This opinion is strengthened by the presence of the material found in Bedjan's text which is not in the other. This matter peculiar to Bedjan's text is found in seven sections. The first is p. This opening paragraph is simple and natural, written in the usual manner of introduction to the life of a famous man. It is extremely unlikely that an author presenting for the first time an account of the Saint's career would begin as abruptly as Assemani's text does, without a single reference to the readers for whom it was intended.
After a short while he settled into a stony cave, situated not far from the village of Galanissa, and he dwelt there for three years, all the while perfecting himself in monastic feats. Once, he decided to spend the entire forty days of Great Lent without food or drink.
With the help of God, the monk endured this strict fast. From that time he abstained from food completely during the entire period of the Great Lent, even from bread and water. For twenty days he prayed while standing, and for twenty days while sitting, so as not to permit the corporeal powers to relax.
A whole crowd of people began to throng to the place of his efforts, wanting to receive healing from sickness and to hear a word of Christian edification. Shunning worldly glory and striving again to find his lost solitude, the monk chose a previously unknown mode of asceticism. He went up a pillar six to eight feet high, and settled upon it in a little cell, devoting himself to intense prayer and fasting.
Reports of Saint Simeon reached the highest church hierarchy and the imperial court. Elders living in the desert heard about Saint Simeon, who had chosen a new and strange form of ascetic striving.
He wrote letters and even received visitors via a ladder. Many threatened and ridiculed him, but far more were inspired by his constant fasting and prayer. His letter to the Emperor Leo of Constantinople in favor of the Council of Chalcedon was highly respected.
Many people came to listen to him and even to be baptized :. His body was taken down three days after his death, and his relics were sent to Antioch. The biography of Saint Symeon is found in the writings of the monk Anthony, who wrote it in Greek after witnessing the death of Saint Symeon.
We use cookies and other tracking technologies to improve your browsing experience on our site, show personalized content and targeted ads, analyze site traffic, and understand where our audiences come from. To learn more or opt-out, read our Cookie Policy. Simeon, a monk who lived in ancient Syria, wanted time to meditate and pray, but was pursued but those interested in his hermit lifestyle and others seeking advice or help supplicating God.
Although little known in the West, St. Simeon the Stylite remains a powerful figure in eastern Christian hagiography literature and legend about the lives of saints. Simeon was born around A. By his death in , Simeon had been instrumental in the development of Christian doctrine and monastic practices as well as in the conversion of many pagans to the Christian faith. Feeling called by God at an early age to a life of religious devotion and extreme austerity, Simeon entered the monasteries of Eusebona and, later, Telanissos.
There he lived for 10 years, engaging in ascetic practices such as abstaining from all food during the 40 days of Lent. Eventually, his fervor and asceticism caused such resentment among his fellow monks — who were unable to equal his zeal — that he was asked to leave the monastery.
Thereafter, Simeon became a wandering solitary hermit, seeking always to suppress his physical desires and to liberate his spirit through impassioned ascetic practices.
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