Guardian over the Syrian Desert
Small clay images hung on the massive doors of Roman craftsmen's workshops in the fifth century. The capital's cobblers and blacksmiths placed these talismans to protect their dwellings. Carved upon them was a bearded man, frozen atop a tall column. The fame of this remarkable ascetic had spread from misty Britain to scorching Ethiopia even during his earthly life. This man is known as the Venerable Simeon the Stylite.
The Roman Empire had at last recognized Christianity as the state religion. Yesterday's persecuted confessors had become respected citizens. There was no longer any need to shed blood in the arena. An era of spiritual comfort had arrived. But the true seekers of the Spirit withdrew into waterless deserts for the sake of bloodless self-crucifixion. Their contemporaries called this new path "white martyrdom."
Blood Beneath the Monastic Robe
The remarkable journey of the ascetic Simeon began when, as a young shepherd from a poor family, he heard the Gospel Beatitudes in a village church. The Savior's words pierced his heart deeply. He gave away his share of the inheritance to the poor and entered the Syrian monastery of Teleda.
The eighteen-year-old youth secretly bound his bare body with a coarse rope woven from sharp palm branches. After ten days, the flesh began to rot, and worms swarmed in the open wounds. The abbot noticed blood on the monastic robe. The superior ordered the bonds, which had cut down to the very bone, to be forcibly removed. They were torn away together with pieces of dead flesh.
After his recovery, the abbot expelled the novice from the community. He feared for the other brothers, dreading that they might perish attempting to repeat such a radical feat. The uncompromising nature of the young ascetic proved excessive even for experienced monks. The rejected brother silently departed into the desert.
The saint settled in a dried-out cistern near a neighboring mountain. Five days later, the repentant abbot sent a search party there. The monks extracted the sufferer with great difficulty. Returning to the monastery, the saint dug a deep pit in the garden and spent an entire summer there. Later he found a round log and balanced on it through the nights to keep himself awake.
Under the supervision of his spiritual father — the priest Bassus — the ascetic observed a forty-day fast without water or food, emulating the Old Testament prophets.
Under the supervision of his spiritual father — the priest Bassus — the ascetic observed a forty-day fast without water or food, emulating the Old Testament prophets.
Bassus would find him lying as if dead, moisten a sponge with life-giving moisture and give him Holy Communion, after which the ascetic would revive.
A Tower Above the Sand
The venerable one did not stop there and sought new forms of self-denial. He chained his right foot to an enormous stone with a long chain. But a wandering overseer named Meletius told him that iron fetters were useless when the will of the ascetic was strong. The ascetic instantly heeded his words and asked a village blacksmith to strike off the bonds. Beneath the iron, they then discovered some two dozen large worms.
In the end, the saint decided to ascend on high in order to find solitude from the crowds of pilgrims. He gradually increased the height of the stone platform upon which he stood in prayer. In his final decades, he stood at a dizzying height of forty cubits (approximately 18 meters).
In the end, the saint decided to ascend on high in order to find solitude from the crowds of pilgrims. He gradually increased the height of the stone platform upon which he stood in prayer. In his final decades, he stood at a dizzying height of forty cubits (approximately 18 meters).
The consequences of such standing for his health were terrifying. A festering wound teeming with worms formed on Simeon's left leg. When the worms fell to the ground, the saint would pick them up and place them back, saying: "Feed upon what the Lord has given you." Three joints of his spine were completely dislocated due to the incredible number of prostrations he performed. One astonished observer attempted to count them, losing track after one thousand two hundred and forty-four touches of the ground.
The Egyptian desert fathers once decided to test the humility of the Syrian eccentric. They sent an official delegation with a demand that he descend immediately. A proud man would certainly have resisted such an order. The Venerable Simeon, without the slightest hesitation, stepped down onto the first rung of the wooden ladder. Satisfied with his obedience, the Egyptian fathers tearfully begged the ascetic to continue his unprecedented vigil.
A Gift That Never Reached Its Recipient
Unceasing crowds of weary people made their way to the base of the tower. Here not only spiritual but also economic matters were resolved. The saint persuaded local moneylenders to reduce the annual interest rate to six percent. Thanks to his fervent preaching, many peasants received full relief from crushing taxes.
Pagans came to the saint in groups of two hundred, three hundred, and even a thousand. Arabs smashed their idols right at the base of the column, receiving saving baptism on the spot.
The voice of the ascetic was heard at the very highest levels. Letters have survived proving his correspondence with the leading figures of Byzantium. Emperor Theodosius II sought his prayerful support before convening a Church Council. Empress Eudocia turned to him with difficult questions. The venerable one put his spiritual authority to exclusively peacemaking use, refraining from involvement in political intrigues.
In the summer of 459, a powerful earthquake shook Antioch. Frightened people rushed headlong to their protector.
But the ascetic fell gravely ill and soon peacefully surrendered his soul to the Lord. His lifeless body remained standing on the pillar for another 20 days, becoming a living monument to his superhuman feat.
But the ascetic fell gravely ill and soon peacefully surrendered his soul to the Lord. His lifeless body remained standing on the pillar for another 20 days, becoming a living monument to his superhuman feat.
Later, the holy relics of the venerable one were solemnly transferred to Antioch. Simeon's disciple Sergius brought the rough mantle of his teacher to Constantinople as a precious gift for the ruler. Emperor Leo I delayed granting an audience. Without waiting for the ruler, Sergius passed the worn garment to the Venerable Daniel the Stylite. Upon receiving the sacred object, Daniel himself ascended a platform, continuing the relay of stylitism. The Syrian ascetic forever broke the template of safe piety to which we so often gravitate, stepping into Heaven for the long-awaited meeting with the Creator.
