St Simeon Stylites

The Greek Church celebrates the memory of two stylites who had the same name. St Simeon the Elder was worshipped for establishing the stylite movement in the fifth century. Born in Cappadocia, Simeon took the habit and spent many decades sitting on the top of a column. He fasted, spent many long hours in prayer and died at a ripe old age in 459. The Russian Orthodox Church celebrates his feast day on 1 September – the former New Year.

St Simeon Stylites the Younger repeated these ascetic deeds in the sixth century. Like hermits, ascetics and monks, stylites were accorded the rank of prelate. Their service made an important contribution to the Russian Orthodox Church. Icons depicting stylites were included in the deisus tier of the iconostasis.