The Life of St. Theodore of Sykeon (Early Seventh Century)

Although Emperor Justinian (r. 527–565) had worked to revive the old Roman Empire, by 600 the eastern half began to change into something new, Byzantium. An emperor continued to rule from Constantinople but his reach was smaller; the empire had shrunk in size and its cities had decayed. Against this backdrop, rural life assumed greater importance as the backbone of Byzantine society. Free and semi-free peasant farmers grew food and herded cattle on small plots of land across the countryside. As the excerpt below from The Life of St. Theodore of Sykeon reveals, among peasants’ most frequent social contacts were monks in the local monasteries dotting the landscape. St. Theodore (c. 550–613) was a monk and bishop who lived in central Anatolia (modern Turkey). He gained a great following as a holy man and healer among the communities located on or near the Roman imperial road linking Constantinople to the eastern frontier of the empire. One of his disciples composed the Life in the early seventh century to honor Theodore’s memory and to uphold him as a model of Christian virtue. In the process, the author also paints among the best pictures known to us of provincial life during this period, particularly villagers’ deeply held belief in the omnipresent power of divine and demonic forces in the everyday world.

From Three Byzantine Saints, trans. Elizabeth Dawes and Norman H. Baynes (Oxford: Basil Blackwell, 1948), 115–20.

After the Saint had returned to his monastery, it happened that he fell so ill of a desperate sickness that he saw the holy angels coming down upon him; and he began to weep and to be sorely troubled. Now above him there stood an icon of the wonder-working saints Cosmas and Damian. These saints were seen by him looking just as they did in that sacred icon and they came close to him, as doctors usually do; they felt his pulse and said to each other that he was in a desperate state as his strength had failed and the angels had come down from heaven to him. And they began to question him saying, “Why are you weeping and are sore troubled, brother?” He answered them, “Because I am unrepentant, sirs, and also because of this little flock which is only newly-instructed and is not yet established and requires much care.” They asked him, “Would you wish us to go and plead for you that you may be allowed to live for a while?” He answered, “If you do this, you would do me a great service, by gaining for me time for repentance and you shall win the reward of my repentance and my work from henceforth.” Then the saints turned to the angels and besought them to grant him yet a little time while they went to implore the King on his behalf. They agreed to wait. So the saints departed and entreated on his behalf the heavenly King, the Lord of life and death, Christ our God, Who granted unto Hezekiah the King an addition unto his life of fifteen years.¹ They obtained their request and came back to the Saint bringing with them a very tall young man, like in appearance to the angels that were there, though differing from them greatly in glory. He said to the holy angels, “Depart from him, for supplication has been made for him to the Lord of all and King of glory, and He has consented that he should remain for a while in the flesh.” Straightway both they and the young man disappeared from his sight, going up to heaven. But the Saints, Cosmas and Damian, said to the Saint, “Rise up brother, and look to thyself and to thy flock; for our merciful Master who readily yields to supplication has received our petition on your behalf and grants you life to labor for ‘the meat which perisheth not, but endureth to everlasting life’² and to care for many souls.” With these words they, too, vanished.

Theodore immediately regained his health and strength; the sickness left him and glorifying God he resumed his life of abstinence and the regular recital of the psalms with still greater zeal and diligence.

Through the grace bestowed on him by God Theodore continued to work many miracles against every kind of illness and weakness, but especially did he make supplications to God for aid against unclean spirits; hence, if he merely rebuked them, or even sent them a threat through another, they would immediately come out of people. Some persons were so profoundly impressed by these miracles that they left their homes, journeyed to him, and entering upon a life of contemplation joined the monastery; others again who had obtained healing would not leave him but stayed with him, giving him such service as he needed. . . .

In the village of Buzaea, which belonged to the city of Kratianae, the inhabitants wanted to build a bridge over the torrent which ran through it, as the latter often became swollen by many streams and could not be crossed. They hired workmen and when the work had almost reached completion and only a few stone slabs were still needed to finish it the workmen at the Devil’s instigation went to a certain hill not far off and dug out some slabs from it on the excuse, as some said, that they were needed for their work; but the majority said that they had stolen away a treasure that was hidden there. Then there issued from the place where they had dug for the stones a host of unclean spirits; some of them entered into sundry men and women of the village and afflicted them savagely, others again brought illnesses upon the remaining inhabitants, while yet others hung about the roads and the neighborhood and did injury to beasts and travelers; hence great misery arose in the village and despair at the misfortunes in their homes and in the countryside. Then they bethought themselves of Theodore, the servant of God, and by prayers in his name they tried to exorcize the unclean spirits when they showed signs of activity, and they found that the spirits showed no little fear when his name was uttered over them, and became docile and were reduced to subjection. With all speed, therefore, they made for the monastery and by dint of many supplications they persuaded him to come with them. When Theodore drew nigh to the village the spirits which were afflicting men felt his presence and met him howling out these words: “Oh violence! Why have you come here, you iron-eater, why have you quitted Galatia and come into Gordiane? There was no need for you to cross the frontier. We know why you have come, but we shall not obey you as did the demons of Galatia; for we are much tougher than they and not milder.” When he rebuked them they at once held their peace. On the morrow all the inhabitants were gathered together, and those possessed by evil spirits surrounded the Saint who had ordered a procession of supplication to be formed which went right round the village and came to the hill from which they said the demons had come out. Then he tortured them by the divine grace of Christ and by the sign of the holy Cross and by beatings on his chest, and after offering up prayers for a long time he bade them come out of the people and return to their own abode. They uttered loud shouts and tore the garments which covered the sufferers and threw them down at his feet and then came out of them. But one very wicked spirit which was in a woman resisted and would not come out. Then the Saint caught hold of the woman’s hair and shook her violently and rebuked the spirit by the sign of the Cross and by prayer to God and finally said, “I will not give way to you nor will I leave this spot until you come out of her!” Then the spirit began to shriek and say, “Oh violence, you are burning me, iron-eater! I am coming out, I will not resist you, only give us something that you are wearing.” The Saint loosed a sandal from his foot and threw it into the hole in the hill whence they had entered into people and straightway the spirit hurled the woman down at the feet of the Saint and came out of her.

Then the Saint halted again and prayed to the Lord that He would drive together all the spirits, which were still remaining in the neighborhood and in the roads to the injury of travelers, and would shut them up once more in the place from which they came out. And through the grace of God they were all collected, and to some who saw them they looked like flying blue-bottles or hares or dormice, and they entered into the place where the stones had been dug out, which the Saint then sealed with prayer and the sign of the Cross, and bade the men fill up the hole and restore it as it was before. He then led the procession back to the village, and from that time on that place and the inhabitants of the village and all the neighborhood remained safe from harm to the glory of Christ our God, the prime author of healings.

And the Saint returned and came to his monastery.

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