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Theodoret oj Cyrrhus

mockers love to scoff, such a ray of divine knowledge has it sent

down into the minds of the barbarians.
15. I know another such instance by them . One tribe begged
the divine man to utter a prayer and blessing for their leader;
but another tribe which was present opposed this, saying that a
blessing ought be offered not on his behalfbut in favor of their own
leader, since the former was utterly unrighteous while the latter
hated unrighteousness. An intense debate and dispute, typical of
barbarians, ensued and finally they rushed at one another. I spoke
at great length, exhorting them to remain calm since the divine
man could certainly bestow a blessing on both. But these said
that that man ought not obtain it, while those tried to withhold
it from the other. By hurling threats at them from above and
calling them dogs, he, with difficulty, quenched their quarrel. I
have told this as I wished to point out the faith which inspired
them, for they would not have acted like fools against one another
if they had not believed that the blessing of the inspired man had
Immense power.
16. On another occasion I saw a noteworthy miracle. Someone
came in-he too was a tribal leader of the Arabs 23-and begged
the divine person to help a man who on the road had become
paralysed in the limbs of his body. He said the man had suffered
the disease at Callinicum, an important citadel. When he had
been placed in the center, [Simeon] ordered him to repudiate
his ancestral impiety. When he obeyed willingly and fulfilled the
order, he asked him if he believed in the Father and the onlybegotten Son, and the Holy Spirit. When he confessed that he
believed, the saint said, 'Since you believe in these names, rise up'.
When he stood up, he commanded him to carry the tribal leader
on his shoulders to his tent. Now the leader was a large man, but
he picked him up immediately and was off, while the bystanders
broke out into hymns praising God.
17. Simeon commanded this in imitation of the Master who
ordered the' paralytic to carry his bed. 24 But no one should say

this imitation was an usurpation of power, for this is the word of

the Master himself, 'He who believes in me will also do the works
that I do, and greater than these will he do' .25 We have seen the
fulfillment of this promise, for while the shadow of the Lord did
not work any miracle at all, the shadow of the famous Peter put
an end to death, drove out diseases, and put demons to flight. 26
But it was still the Master who effected these miracles through his
servants, and now likewise the divine Simeon works these myriad
miracles by invoking his name.
[18. 27 Another miracle occurred, in no way inferior to the preceding. Among those who believed in the saving name of Christ
the Master was a distinguished Ishmaelite who had made a vow
and promise to God with Simeon as witness: he promised to abstain till death from all animal food . Sometime, I do not know
how, he broke this promise: killing a bird, he dared to eat it. But
since God wanted to lead him to repentance through a trial and
to honor his servant who had been a witness of the now broken
promise, the bird's flesh was changed into stone so that then he
could not eat it even if he wanted to. For how could he eat the
body which he had seized for food if it had been turned into
stone? Astonished at this extraordinary sight, the barbarian came
with great haste to the holy man and made public his hidden
sin. He told everyone his transgression, asking God forgiveness of
his fault and calling on the saint for help to set him free by his
all-powerful prayer from the bonds of sin. There were many eyewitnesses of this miracle who touched the part of the bird near
the breast which was a combination of bone and stone.]
19. I have not only seen his miracles with my own eyes, but
I have also heard predictions of future events. For example, he
foretold two years in advance the drought which took place and
the very poor crop of that year with the ensuing famine and
pestilence. He said that he saw a rod laid upon people, which
indicated beforehand the blows that would be inflicted by it.
Another time he announced beforehand the attack of what is

23 Literally 'of the Saracens,' but Saracen in English has the connotation of a
follower of Muhammad. The Saracens in Greco-Roman times were one of the
tribes of nomadic peoples in the Syro-Arabian desert.
24 Mt 9:6.

14:12.
Acts 5:15 .
27 The story in this paragraph is missing in numerous manuscripts and, as
Canivet suggests, is to be regarded as an interpolation.
25

26

In

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Theodoret of Cyrrhus

called the grasshopper,28 and that it would not cause great damage as God's love of human-kind would follow hard on the punishment. After thirty days had passed, an enormous swarm of
them flew overhead so as to cut off the rays of the sun and
form a shadow-we all saw this clearly. But it damaged only the
animal fodder, and brought no ruin to human food resources.
When I myself was under attack from someone, he intimated to
me fifteen days in advance the destruction of my enemy, and
I learned by experience the truth of his prediction. [Once two
rods appeared to him coming from heaven and falling to earth
in both the east and the west. The divine man interpreted this
as the revolt of the Persians and the Scythians against Roman
rule. He declared the vision to those present and, by his abundant
tears and ceaseless entreaties, he stopped the blows which menaced the empire. Certainly the Persian nation, already armed and
ready to attack the Romans, was checked in its projected assault
by an opposing counter-move and became wholly occupied in
internal squabbles.]29
20. Although I know very many other such phenomena, I will
pass over them so as to avoid too long a discourse. Certainly these
are enough to indicate the spiritual insight of his intelligence. His
renown is great even with the King of the Persians, for, as the
ambassadors coming to him related, he would carefully inquire
both what kind of life the man led and what kind of miracles he
did. It is said that his wife even sought some oil made precious by
his blessing and that she received it as a great gift. All the king's
court, on the one hand struck by his repute and on the other
hearing the calumnies of the Persian priests against him, made
a thorough investigation and, properly informed, declared him a
divine man. The rest of the crowd, approaching the mule-drivers,

the domestic servants, and the soldiers, used to offer them money
and beg to share in the blessing attached to the oil.
21. The queen of the Ishmaelites was sterile but longed to have
children. First she sent some of her highest dignitaries to implore
that she become a mother, and when her request was granted and
she bore a child as she desired, she took the king she had borne
and hastened to the divine elder. Since women are not allowed
entrance, she sent the baby to him and implored him to give him
his blessing. 'For this sheaf, she said, 'is your doing; for, with tears,
I brought the seed, which is prayer, but you made the seed into
a sheaf since by your prayer you attracted the shower of divine
grace. '30 But how long shall I strive to measure the depth of the
Atlantic ocean? For just as humans cannot measure that, so what
he accomplishes day after day cannot be narrated.
22. Above all these prodigies, I myself admire his patient endurance. For night and day he stands in open view. He had the
doors taken away and a good part of the enclosing wall destroyed,
and so presents to everyone a new and extraordinary spectacle:
sometimes he stands for a long time, sometimes he bends over
many times and offers worship to God. Many of the bystanders try
to count these prostrations. Once one of my attendants counted
one thousand, two hundred and forty-four, but then was distracted and lost count. When he bends down he always brings his
forehead near his toes, for since his stomach only takes in food
once a week, and a small amount at that, this allows his back to
bend easily.
23. It is said that, as a result of the standing, his left foot has
developed a malignant ulcer31 from which a great deal of pus
continually oozes. None of these calamities, however, have refuted
his philosophy, but he nobly bears them, whether voluntary or
involuntary, and overcomes both in his zeal. As for his ulcer, he
was once obliged to show it to someone; I will tell the reason why.

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28 For a discussion of this animal, see A. Leroy Molinghen 'A propos du

texte de \"Histoire Philoth{ de Theodoret de Cyr', Zetesis. Album Amicorum,
Festschrift E. de Strycker (Antwerp/Utrecht: De Neder\andsche Bockhandel,
1973) 734.
29 This bracketed prediction is found in some manuscripts but Canivet rightly
considers it an interpolation. The two rods referred to are the Persians and the
Huns. The Persians invaded in 440-441, but were forced to withdraw when
they in turn were invaded from the rear by a force from Central Asia; the Huns
overran the Balkans in 441.

30 One might compare this with the account of Theodoret's own birth in
HR 13.16. The same metaphor also occurs in HR 14.2. Canivet discusses it at
Le monachisme syrien, 134.
31 Literally, 'an ulcer of Cheiron', perhaps named after the incurable and
malignant sore that Cheiron received from his wrestle with the Centaurs. See
Canivet, Le monachisme syrien, 136 n.87.

The Lives of Simeon Stylites

Theodoret of Cyrrhus

Someone came from Rabaena,32 a virtuous man honored with

being a deacon of Christ. On reaching the summit he said, 'Tell
me, in the name of that truth which has converted the human race
to itself, are you human or an incorporeal nature?' The bystanders
were annoyed at the question, but he asked them all to be silent
and said to him, 'Why in the world did you pose that question?:
He replied, 'I hear everyone talking about how you neither eat
nor sleep, both of which are characteristic of humans, for no one
who has a human nature can live without food or sleep.' At this,
[Simeon] ordered a ladder to be placed against the column: he
commanded that man to climb up and first examine his hands
and then put his hand inside his garment of skins and see not only
his feet but also that extremely painful ulcer. The man saw and
marvelled at that worst of ulcers, learnt from him that he took
food, and then came down and told me all.
24. During the public festivals he exemplifies another kind of
patient endurance. For, from the setting of the sun until it rises
again on the eastern horizon, he stands all night with his hands
stretched out to heaven and is neither cozened by sleep nor conquered by fatigue.
25. Engaged in such labors, with an abundance of virtuous
actions and a multitude of miracles, he is so unpretentious in
spirit as if he were the last in dignity of all people. Besides his
unpretentiousness, he is very approachable, pleasant, and charming
and he speaks to each person who addresses him, whether it be
someone who works with his hands, or a beggar, or a peasant.
From the Master, the great giver of gifts he has also received the
gift of teaching. Twice a day he delivers an exhortation, pouring
into his listeners' ears an abundant and very charming discourse.
He offers them the lessons of the divine Spirit and prompts them to
look up to heaven and take wing, to leave the earth, to imagine the
longed-for kingdom, to fear the threat of hell, to despise earthly
goods, and to wait for those to come.
26. He can be seen sitting in judgement and handing down
proper and just sentences. These and similar activities are dealt with
after three in the afternoon, for he spends the whole night and

the day up till three PM in prayer. After three PM he first delivers

the divine teaching to those present and then, after receiving the
request of each and effecting some healings, he resolves the quarrels
of the disputants. Around sunset he then begins his conversation
with God.
27. Although involved in these activities and doing all these
things, he does not overlook the care of the holy churches, now
combating pagan impiety, now putting down the audacity of the
Jews, at other times scattering the factions of heretics. Sometimes
he writes to the Emperor about these things, sometimes he rouses
the governors to zeal for God, at other times he encourages the
very pastors of the churches to take greater care of their flocks .
28. I have gone through these things and tried from this drop
of water to indicate the rain and to give the readers of this work a
taste from my fore-finger of the sweetness of honey. The exploits
that everyone celebrates are much more numerous than these,
but I did not promise to write them all down-1 only wanted to
indicate through a few examples the type oflife-style of each saint.
Others will probably write much more than this and, if he lives
on, no doubt they will add greater miracles. 33 For my part, I desire
and beseech God that, aided by his own prayers, he will persevere
in these excellent labors for he beautifies the world and enhances
piety, and that my own life may be brought into harmony and
directed in line with the gospel way of life.
[He lived for a long time performing many miracles and labors;
alone of those who had ever lived he remained unconquered by
sun's heat and winter's chill, by violent gusts of the winds and by
the weakness of human nature. When at last it was determined that
he be with Christ and receive the crown of his countless contests,
he demonstrated by his death, to those who did not believe it, that
he was human. Even after death he remained upright: his soul had
gained heaven, but even so his body could not bear to fall and
it remained upright in the place of his contests, like an unbeaten
athlete who does not want any of his limbs to touch the ground.
So victory remains in attendance on the combatants on Christ's
side even when they die. Certainly even today there are performed

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32 A fortified village in the north-west of the province of Euphrates, near

modern Marash.

33

Compare this with the ending at HR 21.35.

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