Simeon Stylites

Symeon Stylites the Elder, Simeon, the Stylite called ( Syrian- Aramaic: ܫ ܡ ܥ ܘ ܢ ܕ ܐ ܣ ܛ ܘ ܢ ܐ Šamun dasṯonáyá ), ( * 389 in Sisan, today probably Samandağ in the border area between Syria and Cilicia, † September 2 459 in Qal Sim'an ), Greek Συμεών ὁ Στυλίτης ( ὁ πρεσβύτερος " the Elder " or ὁ ἐν τῇ μάνδρα " of the monastery " ), became the first Christian pillar saint in the church history. He embodied his " Ortsaskese " the Syrian ideal of hermits in the highest exaltation.

Life and work

The Syrian ascetic was born the son of a wealthy farmer. He stepped to 403 in the monastery at Eusebona Tell ' Ada. In February 412, however, he had to leave the cloister again, because of the community 's ascetic practices were excessive. He had to dig again and again within two years and the sleep deprived by constant standing.

Then Simeon lived as a hermit in Telanessos ( Syrian Telneschin or Telneschil, today Deir Seman ), located at Aleppo in the north of present-day Syria and 60 km east of Antioch, in a cell and was walled up during Lent. After Lent, he moved to the nearest hill. When he was visited by more and more people seeking advice, he tried to avoid the interference, and sat down by 422 on a two by two meters wide platform of a first three -meter-high pillar on which he was to spend the rest of his life. Imperial builders helped to increase the column to 17 to 18 meters. So no it was more threads, which one zusprach miraculous properties, pull out of the habit. Symeon's life was henceforth from constant prayer which was accompanied by regular knee cases. Theodoret of Kyrrhos to Symeon in 1244 such Proskynesen have counted until he gave up counting.

Symeon had the reputation of holiness. This spread, and large masses of people crowded around the " peacemaker of the Desert", the two speeches taught daily to the masses and to questions answered that you called out to him. Emperor Theodosius II even rose to the column in order to obtain advice of Symeon. In this way, Symeon the Stylite had considerable influence on politics and society. For the persecuted Christians in the Persian Empire, he was a symbol of salvation, because he stood up for the poor and oppressed. An his claims was an interest limited to six per cent. Presented in his lifetime craftsmen in Rome distant images of Symeon as a protective sign in the entrance of their workshops.

The " between heaven and earth living martyr ," the martyr Aerios died, 459 in Qal Sim'an. At first his death was concealed from the people. The body of Simeon was then transferred with all the pomp to Antioch, where for 30 days held the funeral. Part of the precious relics came ten years later to Constantinople Opel, another part probably came before the building to the Basilica of Qalb Loze. After his death spread the cult of the Stylites by imitators, and numerous places in northern Syrian limestone massif were places of pilgrimage. His feast was celebrated in the West on January 5, in the east on September 1. His example was to the 10th century successor.

Traditions

From Symeon was narrated that he had a falling out one of his wounds made ​​there back that they eat what God had given her.

Criticism

Initial criticism of the extreme lifestyle to have been silenced quickly and it was believed in the incarnate of Symeon Ortsaskese the Syrian hermit of the highest ideal of exaggeration to recognize. Later historians and philosophers saw, however, especially in the great social and political importance, the monks could attain simply because of their ascetic public suffering, a sign of the decadence of the Roman Empire, which was accelerated by Christianity. So wrote in his published 1776-1788 oeuvre about the decline and fall of the Roman Empire, the counting of the most important British historians Edward Gibbon, that he who " the memorable transformation that took place in the Roman Empire within five hundred years, to correctly assess " could, where it was possible " to measure the distance between the character of Cato and the Simeons. "

Swell

His life is passed down through the Greek Vita of his disciple Antonius, which probably originated in Antioch. There is also an Aramaic biography of 474, which is considered more accurate. Furthermore described Theodoret of Khyrros, who lived at the same time as Symeon, the saint's life in the 26th chapter of his monastic history.

Echo

With Symeon's life and his religiosity employed in the 20th century, the Spanish film director Luis Buñuel. Fruit of these efforts was Buñuel's Simón del desierto Movie (1965 ) (Eng. Simon in the desert).