E06468: In 555/557, Cyril of Scythopolis composes the Life of *Euthymios (monastic founder in Palestine, οb. 472, S01352), recounting his life as a miracle working ascetic, adding a set of posthumous miracle stories, and including references to the cult of several other saints. Written in Greek at the New Laura in Palestine. Overview entry
Creators: name: Bryan
Publisher: name: University of Oxford
Year: 2018
Subjects: History

description: Cyril of Scythopolis, Life of Euthymios (CPG 7535 = BHG 647-648b)<br><br>Summary:<br>(References to other saints, and their cults, are highlighted in bold.)<br><br>Preface<br>The book is addressed to Georgios, abbot of Beella, near Scythopolis.<br><br>Introduction<br>The incarnation of Christ and the life of the saints.<br><br>Early life in Melitene (AD 377-406)<br>2. Euthymios’ parents are Paulos and Dionysia, a noble couple from Melitene of Armenia. Unable to have children, they pray for several days at the shrine of *Polyeuktos [martyr of Melitene, S00325] near the city. A vision announces the birth of a child, which will bring good cheer to the church. They name their son Euthymios (‘man of good cheer’). He is born in August 377, and the prophecy of good cheer in the Church soon comes true: the death of the emperor Valens in 378 brings an end to forty years of distress, caused by the Arian emperors and Julian the Apostate.<br><br>3-5. At the age of three, Euthymios is offered by his mother to bishop Otreios of Melitene, who baptises him and ordains him reader. He is educated by the young ascetics Akakios and Synodios, later to become bishops of Melitene. As he grows up, he is ordained priest and is appointed head of the Great Church of Melitene, and overseer of all the monasteries of the city. Being fond of the monastic life, he spends much time at the monasteries of Polyeuktos and the *Thirty Martyrs of Melitene [presumably the Thirty-three Martyrs of Melitene, S01750]. Every Lent, he retires for prayer into the wilderness near the city, where there is now a monastery of the Ascension. He is appointed abbot of the local monks, but escapes to Jerusalem. [For more detail on the shrines at Melitene, see $E06469]<br><br>Settlement in Jerusalem (c. 407) and foundation of the first monastery (c. 412)<br>6-10. He arrives in Jerusalem at the age of 29 (c. 407). After venerating the shrines and monasteries of the area, he settles as a hermit at the laura (community of ascetics) of Pharan, six miles from Jerusalem, where he is closely associated with the ascetic *Theoktistos (S01622). Five years later, the two of them settle in a cave near a stream, where they are frequently visited by monks from the Lazarion (the shrine of *Lazarus in Bethany [S01417]) and Pharan. Disciples are attracted and a new community emerges, which is is organised in a cenobitic form, using the cave as its church. Euthymios resides there, guiding the spiritual life of the monks, from whom he demands prayer and manual work. He heals Terebon, the son of the Saracen chieftain Aspebetos, causing the conversion of their entire tribe.<br><br>Wanderings in Rouba and Marda.<br>11-13. In search of greater solitude, Euthymios with his disciple Dometianos moves to the region of Rouba and Mount Marda [apparently leaving Theoktistos as abbot of the old monastery – not explicitly stated]. Euthymios establishes monasteries, performs miracles, and converts a village of Manicheans. He has the charisma of not being harmed by carnivorous and venomous beasts.<br><br>Establishment of the Lavra (432)<br>14. They decide to pay a visit back to the monastery of Theoktistos, but, on their way, they find a spot three miles from Theoktistos’ monastery, where they settle.<br><br>15. Hearing that Euthymios is back, the converted Saracen tribe of Terebon and Aspebetos (baptised as Petros) visit and build buildings on the site. At their request, Euthymios indicates a site nearby for them to settle, and establishes for them a camp with a church. The community grows rapidly, and soon Euthymios requests that Aspebetos-Petros be ordained bishop by the Patriarch of Jerusalem Juvenal (422-451).<br> <br>16. Euthymios attracts many disciples and is compelled by visions to let them stay with him. His disciples and their careers are enumerated. Among them was Kyrion of Tiberias, presbyter of the church of the martyr *Basileios in Scythopolis [S02629] The community is organised as a laura, and its church is consecrated by Patriarch Juvenal of Jerusalem, accompanied by the presbyter Hesychius of Jerusalem and the very old holy man *Passarion [S01502], on 7 May 432. Euthymios is 52 years old.<br><br>Miracles, stories, doctrines, and character of Euthymios<br>17. Hospitality: Miraculous feeding of four-hundred Armenian pilgrims who stop at the laura, which was then extremely poor, but the holy man insisted in making hospitality a central aspect of the life of his foundation.<br> <br>18. Obedience: the story of Auxentios from Asia, who was possessed by a demon, when he refused to obey Euthymios and serve as the steward for the monastery.<br><br>19. Against acedia: the story of Maron and Klematios who were considering leaving the community. The source of these stories for Cyril was abba *Kyriakos of Souka [S01625], who spent his youth in the monastery of Euthymios.<br><br>20. Orthodoxy: during the Council of Ephesus (431), Euthymios sides with Cyril of Alexandria and Akakios of Melitene against Nestorius. Aspebetos/Petros, now bishop of the Saracens, attends the Council, and is instructed by Euthymios to support Cyril.<br><br>21. Strict asceticism: Euthymios’ model is thought to have been *Arsenios the Anchorite [S01693], whose stories he was eager to listen.<br><br>22. Prophecy: Euthymios foresees the accession of Anastasius I as Patriarch of Jerusalem (458-478).<br><br>23. Euthymios’ prayers help the Saracen chieftain Terebon have children. The saint foresees the birth of three sons, which indeed happens. (Terebon’s grandson is one of the author’s sources.)<br><br>24. Against fornication: the story of Aimilianos the Roman.<br><br>25. Miracle causing rain after a period of drought. <br><br>26-27. Orthodoxy: Euthymios opposes all heresies of his time, including the Manicheans, Origenists, Arians, Sabellians, Nestorius and Eutyches. He opposes Dioscurus of Alexandria and accepts the doctrinal definition of the Council of Chalcedon (451), being the only monk of Palestine to oppose the anti-Chalcedonian Theodosius who usurped the bishopric of Jerusalem from Juvenal. He retires for two years into the desert of Rouba where he convinces *Gerasimos of the Jordan [S01507] to accept Chalcedonian Orthodoxy.<br><br>28. When he returns to his laura, Terebon the Saracen has a vision of heavenly fire covering Euthymios and the altar during the Eucharist.<br><br>29. Euthymios has the charisma of seeing what people have in their soul. <br><br>30. The empress Eudocia, then resident in Jerusalem and siding with the Monophysites, is converted to Orthodoxy after meeting Euthymios. (The author mentions her church and monastery in Jerusalem of *Stephen [the First martyr, S00030] in Jerusalem, and the monastery and shrine [martyrion] of *Menas [soldier and martyr celebrated at Abu Mena, S00073] founded by Bassa).<br><br>31. The young *Sabas the Sanctified [S00910] comes to Euthymios who commends him to the coenobitic monastery of Theoktistos.<br><br>32. Euthymios is joined by two ascetics who have left Egypt after the usurpation of the Alexandrian throne by Timothy Aelurus (AD 454). These are Martyrios the Cappadocian and Elias the Arab. Both founded monasteries in Palestine and later became Patriarchs of Jerusalem.<br><br>33. Juvenal of Jerusalem dies (459/460), and is succeeded by Anastasius, as predicted by Euthymios.<br><br>34. Terebon is arrested and imprisoned in Bostra, but Euthymios’ letters to the local bishop, Antipatros, achieve his liberation.<br><br>35. The empress Eudocia establishes many monasteries, and charitable houses for the poor and the elderly, including the church of *Peter [the Apostle S00036], thirty stades from Euthymios’ monastery. Asking to visit the holy man, Euthymios discourages her and recommends her to prepare her soul for her imminent death. She finishes the church of Stephen in Jerusalem (dedicated on 15 June 459) which she endows richly. She dies on 20 October 460.<br><br>36. Theoktistos dies on 3 September 466. Euthymios, then 90 years old, celebrates his funeral, and Patriarch Anastasius comes to meet him. Euthymios appoints Maris as successor to Theoktistos. Two years later, Maris dies, and Euthymios appoints Longinos.<br><br>37. The careers of Euthymios’ disciples, Kosmas, Chrysippos, and Gabrielios.<br><br>38. During one of his customary Lenten retreats into the inner desert, Euthymios is accompanied by his companion, Dometianos, and also by Sabas the Sanctified and Gerasimos of the Jordan. Sabas, then still very young, is exhausted by thirst, and Euthymios’ causes a miraculous flow of water for him.<br><br>Euthymios’ death (473)<br>39. Euthymios knows of the end of his own life. In January 473, he abstains from his customary retreat to the desert. Having celebrated the vigil of the feast of *Antony ['the Great', monk of Egypt, ob.365, S00098] (17 January), he announces to his community that he is about to die, and addresses to them his final teaching. He also predicts that Dometianos will die seven days later, and appoints Elias of Jericho as his successor, elected by the monks. He foresees that the laura will soon b