Simeon Stylites the Elder, Saint

SIMEON STYLITES THE ELDER, Saint. - He is commemorated on January 5 in the Latin Church and on September 2 in the Eastern Church. Of him there is the contemporary testimony of Theodoret of Cyrrhus, and other slightly later ones (BHG, 1678-87). Born at Sis in Cilicia ca. 390, died on July 24 (according to others on September 2) of 459.

A shepherd in his childhood, enthused by the doctrine of the evangelical beatitudes, he sold his possessions and withdrew to a monastery (410). But the strange penances to which he devoted himself caused him to be considered incapable of continuing the common life, for which reason he was dismissed (412). Then he went to Tell Nešim, where he built himself a little hut of stones. Three years later he is said to have had himself chained to a rock. Such austerities won him great esteem among the surrounding populations; to escape their indiscretion he withdrew onto a column. He is considered the founder of this new kind of asceticism called stylism or rather stylitism. Many wonderful things are related of him, but one cannot refuse to believe that he exercised a real beneficial spiritual influence both among Christians and among pagans, who, attracted by his fame, approached his column, which thus became a chair of ascetic doctrine: twice a day he preached to the crowds and with great kindness then interested himself in the spiritual and material needs of each one.

At his death, the body was transported to Antioch. Toward the end of the 5th century a magnificent basilica was erected around the column of St. [Simeon], whose imposing remains are still admired today, and bear the original name of Qal'at Sim'an. Under his name are known letters to John and to Basil, patriarchs of Antioch, and to the Byzantine emperor Leo I in favor of the Council of Chalcedon. Other writings, prescriptions, admonitions, etc. are of doubtful authenticity (v. STILITI).

Martiniano Roncaglia