SPEAR Factoids about Asceticism

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event: Simeon was a recluse who lived in a walled monastery. He spent much of his time standing on a wall in order to fulfill two purposes: seclusion and the entertainment of strangers. He began living as a recluse in 483. See factoid page

event: Severus wrote a letter to Eustace on the subject of troubling thoughts and a legal dispute over an inheritance. See factoid page

event: Severus wrote a letter to Theodore cautioning him against entering the monastic life unless his wife also agreed to do the same. See factoid page

event: Severus wrote a letter to Theodore urging him to keep his monastic vows. See factoid page

event: Tribunus resists marriage fearing that such a worldly attachment would lead to sin and the begetting of children who would sin and die. See factoid page

event: After ten years of prayer and contending with demons, John was granted divine authority over his enemies and sprititual clarity, so that his understanding of Scripture equalled or surpassed most scholastics. See factoid page

event: John of Ephesus, who was a monk in the Convent of John Urtaya, observed Thomas's ascetic practices and had many enlightening conversations with him. See factoid page

event: Stephen accepted the invitation and tried to convince Thomas and Zwtʾ to accompany him, but they refused and parted ways. Thomas wished to dedicated the remainder of his life to fasting and praying alone in the desert. See factoid page

event: John of Ephesus found Thomas and Zota years later in the desert of Mendis by Mar Menas. Thomas's body was frail and sunburnt. He had dedicated his life to fasting, praying, so that by depriving the body he would purify the soul. See factoid page

event: Simeon becomes a solitary after twenty years of spiritual labors See factoid page

: Hala was feeble and fell into a serious illness caused by his asceticism. See factoid page

event: Mar Samuel stood on a column for a time before he began to build his convent. Abraham III sent his monks to help Mar Samuel build the convent. See factoid page

event: Stephen lived a life of asceticism and abstinence, setting an excellent example for the king, queen, and senators. See factoid page

event: At the age of 10, Mary followed the example of a local anchorite and began living an ascetic life. See factoid page

event: After spending five years with Paul,Mare exceeded his teacher in prayer, asceticism, and moderation. Many criticized Mare for the severity of his practices. See factoid page

event: Abraham comes to Constantinople to petition John of Ephesus to become a monk. He experiences a period of probation before being accepted. See factoid page

event: Mary's family attempted to dissuade her from pursuing an ascetic life. See factoid page

event: From childhood, Mary chose to remain a virgin and dedicate her life to fasting, prayer, charity, and pilgrimage. See factoid page

event: Maro received gifts of the Spirit, but refused to perform exorcisms, instead he decided to enclose himself in a tree in the monastery and live as a hermit and ascetic. See factoid page

event: Mary travelled to Golgotha, where she prayed and fasted for three days. See factoid page

event: Mishael retired from imperial service and lived an ascetic life of care for the poor. See factoid page

event: Elijah,Theodore, and their sisters turned their home into a hospice for the needy, practicing asceticism, fasting, praying, reading Scripture just like a monastery. See factoid page

event: Brothers and sisters came from Cappadocia to educate Thomas and his wife in religion. Many followed Thomas in selling their possessions. Thomas devoted himself to an ascetic life. See factoid page

event: Because Maro's ascetic practices were so extreme and sometimes dangerous, Abraham convinced him to return to the shelter of the monastery. See factoid page

event: As Mary prayed and fasted the custodians of Golgotha tried to drive her away, then let her remain once they saw that she was praying. See factoid page

event: After twenty years, Sergius received permission from Simeon to leave the monastery and shut himself up in a certain place close to the village. See factoid page

event: Severus advises Jannia to rule with fear and mercy, bringing forth repentance through ascetic acts of penance, and dismissing women if the community is threatened by their actions. See factoid page

event: Mary engaged in ecstatic prayer and fasting for three years in Golgotha, drawing crowds of people who marvelled at her and asked for prayers and blessings. See factoid page

event: Mary, disturbed by the attention of those who gathered to admire her asceticism in Golgotha, left the holy site and went east to get away from the crowds and live a holy life. See factoid page

event: Harfat's ascetic practice consisted of living in solitude on a remote mountain where he wept constantly in sorrow over his great sins. See factoid page

event: Sergius gained distinction in exile during the persecutions and embraced asceticism and abstinence. See factoid page

event: Eustace wrote a letter to Severus on the subject of troubling thoughts and a legal dispute over an inheritance. See factoid page

event: John of Ephesus visited Harfat to learn about his asceticism and to urge him to moderate its severity, especially his use of heavy chains. See factoid page

event: John of Ephesus convinced Harfat that he did not need to wear chains as an act of penitence. He removed them and instead committed himself to double labors, a practice he continued until his death seven years later. See factoid page

event: Susan dedicated herself to fasting, praying, and keeping vigil, which after two years, made her the most devout person in the monastery. See factoid page

event: Euphemia dedicated her life to asceticism and charitable works. See factoid page

event: When Justinian learned about the poverty of Theodore, he provided him with a generous annual stipend which he also distributed to the poor. See factoid page

event: Over the next forty years Sergius grew ill and frail in his enclosure. See factoid page

event: Thomas and Maria and their sons committed themselves to a diet of only fruit and some grain, tasting bread and wine only when absolutely necessary. See factoid page

event: A blessed man enters the monastery. See factoid page

event: Hala was a monk who cared for the sick and the needs of the strangers. See factoid page

event: Well known for his learning and holy way of life, Sergius became bishop of Antioch. See factoid page

event: There was a cave outside the tower in the desert near Mendis, where Anonymous 3663 once dwelt and to which Susan travelled. See factoid page

event: Abraham calmed the angry mob and sent them away by telling them that he would examine Sergius inside the church. Once inside, Abraham and Anonymi 3689 beat Sergius severely before shaving off his hair, which marked his ascetic profession, and putting him in irons in order to transport him to the monastery of 'Tryz. See factoid page

event: Sometime after his episcopacy Severus of Antioch wrote a letter to Isidora about the death of her fellow nun Anonymous 3759; her decision not to leave her monastery to see Anonymous 3759 before her death, and questions about where she should be buried. See factoid page

event: James studied at Fsiltha. See factoid page

event: Theodora commissioned the refurbishing of the palace of Hormisdas so that Anonymi 3771 could live there as in a monastery, performing acts of prayer and asceticism. See factoid page

event: After ten days, people of the village were moved by the sisters' weeping and distress and discovered that Susan had been living in the hermit's cave. See factoid page

event: Susan, who was attacked by demons in the cave day and night, thought that anonymi 3695 who discovered her were fiends as well. She did not respond to them when they called out to her. See factoid page

event: Shortly after Sergius established the monastery of Qlwfyte, his adversaries came to pull it down. Sergius told his enemies that he would rebuild it each time it was destroyed, so they finally left him alone. Sergius rebuilt the monastery of Qlwfyte and invited Simeon to stay with him. Sergius died after Simeon's arrival. See factoid page

event: Anonymi 3695 went to fetch Anonymi 3662, who immediately came to the cave to retrieve Susan. Susan did not respond to their entreaties, since demons had visited her the day before disguised as the sisters in an attempt to dislodge her from the hermitage. See factoid page

event: Even though Anonymi 3662 managed to convince Susan that they were not demons, she refused to return to the monastery with them as she wished to live as a hermit. They agreed to bring her a jug of water and seven bread cakes a week for her sustenance on the condition that she will not leave without giving them prior notice. This went on for three years, during which time the fame of the Susan and her sisters grew. See factoid page

event: Anonymi 3664 came to Susan and Anonymi 3352 from Alexandria and from Libya. See factoid page

event: Maro and and his ten disciples had been Susan's neighbors in a monastery in Palestine before they were driven out of their monastery by the Chalcedonian persecution. They made their way to Susan and Anonymi 3662. See factoid page

event: Zacharias pursued the ascetic practice of always keeping a stone in his mouth that kept him from speaking superfluously. Anonymi 3772 followed him in this practice. See factoid page

event: Caesaria goes from royal habits to ascectic habits in Alexandria. See factoid page

event: Thomas, endeavored to live as an ascetic in the pit near the village of Mendis, but everyone who heard of his plans laughed at him because he had such a privileged upbringing. He was a patrician who had his own estate and slaves and he was the descendent of the great patrician, Ishakuni Bar Brʿy. See factoid page

event: Thomas gave his keys to The bishop's cellarer and snuck out of his monastery at night to go to the pit, where he lived an ascetic life of prayer and fasting. See factoid page

event: Whenever a stranger came to Simeon's door, he would demonstrate great hospitality and feast with his guest as if he were Christ. However, when he was not in the presence of strangers seeking shelter, he fasted for up to ten days at a time and dedicated his efforts to praying all day and most of the night, rarely sleeping more than two hours a night. See factoid page

event: John decided that he would commit himself to an aescetic lifestyle by eating only lentils, salt, water, and bread, despite the misgivings of those around him. See factoid page

event: Severus was forced to flee Antioch because of his opposition to the Council of Chalcedon. He went first to Alexandria and then further into the desert. There he maintained his ascetic lifestyle. See factoid page

event: Maro and Anonymi 3665 settled near Susan and Anonymi 3662. Many others followed and settled near the holy sisters. Anonymi 3662 and Susan did not wish to cause scandal by living in such close proximity to men, so they endeavored to leave their tower and go further into the desert. See factoid page

event: Zacharias bound a cord around his hand containing three knots. The first was to remind him to guard his thoughts. The second was to remind him to keep God in his mind. The third was to remind him to keep the commandments of God. See factoid page

event: Kashish entered the Monastery of John Urtaya in Amida. See factoid page

event: A place was made for John in a monastery enclosure, which he dwelt in night and day so that he could pray, weep, and live an ascetic life. See factoid page

event: Theodore retired from his position as castrensis for Justinian in order to pursue ascetic practices. See factoid page

event: Maro and Anonymi 3665 felt ashamed once they learned of Susan's plan to remove herself and Anonymi 3662 to the desert and offered to build them an enclosed monastery with a tower within the village, so that they could be isolated but remain close to the other holy men and women who travelled to be near her. Susan reluctantly agreed. See factoid page

event: God granted Susan power over the fiends that attacked her day and night in the form of human beings. She continued in this way for fifteen years as her fame grew and people came from far and wide to visit with her and hear her speak. She never showed her face when she spoke in public. See factoid page

event: Susan was strong as adamant against the demons and showed no fear of them. They complained bitterly about her strength. See factoid page

event: Anonymous 3668 who lived in the desert was regularly assailed by demons and was not as successful as Susan in fighting them. After seeking her advice, she told him that her power over demons comes from Christ and that he should not fear demons if he opposes them in the name of the all-powerful Lord. The man felt ashamed, but was strengthened against the demons. See factoid page

event: Anonymous 3668 asked Susan why she hasn't shown her face to a man in twenty-five years and she said that it would cause her and the person who beheld her face great suffering. See factoid page

event: Sergius, who was the disciple of Simeon was also a monk and a recluse, who lived an aescetic life in an enclosure. In order to avoid idleness, Simeon and Sergius taught young boys and infants from their enclosure through a window. See factoid page

event: Severus advises Valeriena to encourage the virgins to an ascetic life, suggesting their isolation from men, sharing common meals, discouraging the owning of enslaved people, and emphasize physical labour. See factoid page

event: Addai lived as a recluse in the mountains for twenty-five years before dying. See factoid page

How to cite:

“Keyword Page for Asceticism,” in SPEAR: Syriac Persons Events and Relations, general editor Daniel L. Schwartz, $nav-base/aggregate/keyword/asceticism.html, 2023-03-23T12:33:35.346-04:00.

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