The founder of this class of Christian fakirs was Sim- eon, called the Syrian, or the older, who lived in the 5th century, under the reigns of Theodosius II (408-450) and his successors. He was a native of Sisan, or Sesan, in Northern Syria, on Mount Amanus, and was of Chris- tian parentage. He was born in 390 or 391, and in childhood watched his father's flocks in the solitude of his native mountain region. At the age of thirteen he entered a Christian church for the first time, and re- ceived impressions which led to his adoption of a mo- nastic life. He spent two years in a convent near his home, and ten more in St. Eusebonas's convent, near Te- leda, and in the latter place especially excelled all his as- sociates in the rigorous harshness of his ascetical prac- tices. After a time he removed to Tel-Nescin, or Tela- nessa {TiKavi(yoc, Theod.), near Antioch, and took up his abode in a hut on the side of a mountain. Wliile there he fasted forty days, absolutely without partaking of food, in imitation of Moses and Elijah ; and not only did this practice become his regular custom during the fasts of Lent, but he added to it the notion of spending the entire period standing on his feet, for which purpose he caused himself to be bound to an upright stake. Af- ter spending three years in this hut, he caused himself to be surrounded with a wall (navdpa, claustrwn) and had himself fastened to a rock by a chain twenty cubits long. By this time the fame of his extraordinary pie- ty had spread abroad, and multitudes came to look upon him, and quarrelled to touch his clothing, which in- duced him to erect a pillar within his niandra, which he mounted, and upon which he supported himself by be- ing bound to an upright post (about 420). Soon that support became unnecessary, and he was able to obtain what rest he recjuired by holding fast to the lattice with which he was surrounded. The first pillar was only six or seven cubits high ; but he caused its heiglit to be re- peatedly increased, so that it was at last thirty-six cu- bits high ; and at this altitude he spent the last thir- ty years of his life, from 429. The monks of the ad- joining desert sought to test him by ordering him to descend from his [lillar; but as he declared his immediate readiness to obey, the_v desisted, and acknowledged a divine call to the course of life be had ailopled in his case. From sunset until the ninth hour of the next day he was engaged in devotional exercises; after that time he was accessible to all except women. Not even his own mother was permitted to enter his maiulra. He disjiensed counsel, preached, prophesied, wrouglit mira- cles by the power of his prayers, and interfered in the affairs of tlie Church generally: e. g, when Theodosius II decreed the restoration of synagogues which the Chris- tians had taken from the .lews of Antioch, Simeon wrote a threatening letter, which induced the recall of the edict already issued. In 457 Leo I sought tlie a<l- viceof Simeon with respect to the Mouophysite troubles
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which had broken out in Alfxandri.i. and tlic-itcd two letters from the anelioret. Kventnallv a ninnin;^ sore broke out in his left foot, wliicli oblii^cd him lo sianil <in the right foot only, and in this posiiion he died in 459. His remains were removed witli religions ^nd military pomp to Aniioch,and a magnilieent eliurcli was erected in his honor on tlie spot where liis mandra and pillar stood, three hundred stadia from Antioch. The day of his commemoration is .Ian. 5. See Simkon, St.
After Simeon's decease tlie number of Stylites in- creased, until they became a distinct order. It became customary for wealthy peoi)le to build splendid pillars for venerated men, and to attach stairways to them by which they could be mounted. Tlie pillar of the Sty- lite Daniel bore an inscription in his honor, and peculiar privileges were accorded to his class by law. On tlic other hand, the teachers of the Church sometimes ad- dressed admonitions and censures to |)articular Stylites. Numerous Stylites are mentioned, some as late as the 12th century. The immediate successor of Simeon ap- pears to have been the Daniel already mentioned, of whom it is recorded that he temporarily abandoned his pillar in order to defend Chalcedonian orthod()xy against the emperor IJasiliscus in 470. His day is Dec. 11. A Stylite named Alypius spent seventy years on a pillar near Adrianople : commemorated Nov. 26. Two additional Simeons occur among the Stylites: one of whom died in oDo, after having been standing on a pil- lar as early as 527, and left a letter addressed to the sec- ond Council of Nice and MSS. jireserved in the Vatican Library ; the other lived under Jlichael Comnenus (1 143- 80),surnamed the Presbytei- or A rchimandiite ; also /■'«/- /««««/«*-, because he was killed by lightning: also left some MSS. lie was probably one of the last ofStylites. They found no acceptance in the West. Gregory of Tours mentions one, indeed, in the district of Treves; but records, at the same time, that the Gallic bishops caused his pillar to be destroved. IX.— Y V Y