SPEAR Factoids about

Personal Information

Name variant(s):

Father Mare the Solitary See factoid page

The blessed Mare See factoid page

Birth:

Birth place: Mare was born in the village of Beth Marka in the region of Ingeline. See factoid page

Place of residence:

Mare lived in the mountains beyond Sycae. See factoid page

Mare lived in the convent of the Syrians. See factoid page

Sanctity:

Mare was a saint. See factoid page

Occupation(s):

Mare was a solitary. See factoid page

Relationships

Mara the Solitary studied under Paul the Mourner. See factoid page

John of Ephesus commemorated Mare. See factoid page

Events

After much prayer,Mare was led by God to Paul the Anchorite who received him as his student. See factoid page

---

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

---

While staying with Paul,Mare was tired of being pestered by his family, so he left Syria and journeyed to Egypt and Thebais, where he went to and fro in the desert with the saints, observing the prayer practices of monks and solitaries. See factoid page

---

Aaron died from old age on 22 October 560 A.D. 22 Teshri I 872 A. G. and he was laid in the sepulchre that was built by the blessed Mare. See factoid page

---

Followers of the Council of Chalcedon expelled Christians from Alexandria and Mare from his desert cell. On account of the persecution,Mare resolved to travel to Constantinople to err his grievacnes with the king and queen. See factoid page

---

Mare confronted Justinian and Theodora concerning the persecution. Because of his words and dress, they esteemed him a holy man, and gave him a hundred weight of gold, which he promptly threw away. See factoid page

---

Feeling guilty about the hundredweight gold,the queen sent her chamberlains several times to Mare to seek his forgiveness. See factoid page

---

Many began to flock to Mare for a blessing, and they were amazed at his prayer and dress. Mare refused to eat anything that was not produced by the labour of his hands. See factoid page

---

Observing the holiness of Mare, Satan encouraged robbers to abuse him, under the impression that the queen's chamberlains were bringing him gold. Mare overtook his assailants by stealing their weapons and attacking them. See factoid page

---

After many years, Mare was fatigued due to his strenuous way of life. He sought out one of Theodora's chamberlains, who secured the goal necessary to buy a villa suited for a life of retreat. See factoid page

---

In 542 a great plague his the empire and everyone was in perturbation and doubt and confusion. Mare, in affliction and sorrow, occupied himself to fervant prayer. See factoid page

---

Mare petitioned Justinian and Theodora for building materials and laborers so that he could build a martyr's chapel. See factoid page

---

When Marefinished constructing the martyr's chapel and he knew his death was close, he knelt in his coffin to pray for three days and gave up his spirit. The king and queen sent chamberlains, senators, bishops, clergyman, and monks to bury Mare. See factoid page

---

When Mare was thirty, he went against his family's wish for him to marry by committing himself to the Lord. See factoid page

---