SPEAR: Syriac Persons Events and Relations

Personal Information

Name variant(s):

The Blessed Virgin of Christ, Susan See factoid page

Eulogia, or "blessing" See factoid page

Birth:

Birth place: Susan was born in Arzun in Persia See factoid page

Sex:

Susan was female. See factoid page

Place of residence:

Susan resided in a women's monastery between Ascalon and Gaza See factoid page

Susan went into the desert beyond Alexandria to live in exile. See factoid page

Susan resided near the House of Mars Menas. See factoid page

Anonymi 3665 resided near Susan in a monastery in Palestine before the Chalcedonian persecution. See factoid page

Sanctity:

Susan was a saint. See factoid page

Occupation(s):

Susan was a nun. See factoid page

Social Rank:

Susan was a patrician See factoid page

Relationships

John of Ephesus commemorated Susan. See factoid page

Anonymi 3706 was the parent of Suzanna. See factoid page

Suzanna, Anonymous 3660 and Anonymous 3655 were monks at the same monastery. See factoid page

Anonymous 3662 and Suzanna were monks at the same monastery. See factoid page

Events

Susan put her soul into the Lord's hands and fled from her parents. See factoid page

After three or four miles, Susan came upon a large party of women and men travelling to Jerusalem and joined them. See factoid page

After worshipping in Jerusalem, the men and women in Susan's party tried unsuccessfully to bring Susan back with them. See factoid page

Susan sought out the women's monastery between Ascalon and Gaza. See factoid page

Susan was at first refused admission to the monastery due to her age, but after three days of waiting outside the gate and weeping, she was admitted. See factoid page

Susan's companions in the monastery were skeptical of her devotion and tested her. See factoid page

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

Susan changed her name so that she would remain hidden from her parents who were searching for her. See factoid page

After ten years of service in the monastery, the Chalcedonian persecution forced Susan and the nuns to choose between conforming or going into exile. See factoid page

The majority of the nuns in Susan's convent conformed, but some chose exile. See factoid page

Susan chose to go into exile into the desert beyond Alexandria. See factoid page

Of the women who had submitted to the judgments of the Council of Chalcedon, five nuns rejected it and followed Susan into exile. See factoid page

Susan heard of a place beyond the House of Mars Menas and directed her steps there. See factoid page

A tower was erected in Mars Menas for protection, in which the women who followed Susan dwelt and made a living from the labor of their hands. See factoid page

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

Susan found the cave in the desert near the village of Mendis and went into it without telling anyone. She went without food and water for several days. See factoid page

Anonymi 3662 who followed Susan into exile became very distressed over her absence because they did not know that she had taken up residence in the hermit's cave. See factoid page

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

At the age of eight, Susan wanted to go on pilgrimage, but Susan's parents denied her permission. See factoid page

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