Cyril of Philea or Phileotes (; – 2 December 1110) was a

Byzantine The Byzantine Empire, also known as the Eastern Roman Empire, was the continuation of the Roman Empire centred on Constantinople during late antiquity and the Middle Ages. Having survived the events that caused the fall of the Western Roman E ...

ascetic and saint. Cyril was born in the village of Philea, near Derkos, around 1015. 'Cyril' is his

monastic name A religious name is a type of given name bestowed for religious purposes, and which is generally used in such contexts. Christianity Catholic Church Baptismal name In baptism, Catholics are given a Christian name, which should not be "foreign to ...

, his birth name is unknown. He led an active life before becoming a monk, working three years as a sailor, marrying at a young age and having children. He was widely travelled for the time, even visiting

Rome Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...

on one occasion. Cyril was early on drawn to monastic life and restricted his diet and sexual life accordingly. He also built within his house a small cell where he could kneel and pray. Eventually he entered a monastery in his home village, founded by his brother Michael. Cyril was well known to the religious circles of

Constantinople Constantinople (#Names of Constantinople, see other names) was a historical city located on the Bosporus that served as the capital of the Roman Empire, Roman, Byzantine Empire, Byzantine, Latin Empire, Latin, and Ottoman Empire, Ottoman empire ...

—he used to walk every Friday from his home village to attend the service at the Church of St. Mary of Blachernae.

Anna Dalassena Anna Dalassene (; ca. 1025/30 – 1 November 1100/02) was an important Byzantine noblewoman who played a significant role in the rise to power of the Komnenoi in the eleventh century. She exercised great influence over her son, the Emperor Alexi ...

, mother of the future Emperor

Alexios I Komnenos Alexios I Komnenos (, – 15 August 1118), Latinization of names, Latinized as Alexius I Comnenus, was Byzantine Emperor, Byzantine emperor from 1081 to 1118. After usurper, usurping the throne, he was faced with a collapsing empire and ...

, patronized Cyril even before he entered a monastery, well before her son's accession to the throne in 1081. As Cyril's reputation and fame grew, he became connected to a number of prominent court figures of the early

Komnenian period The Byzantine Empire was ruled by emperors of the Komnenos dynasty for a period of 104 years, from 1081 to about 1185. The ''Komnenian'' (also spelled ''Comnenian'') period comprises the reigns of five emperors, Alexios I, John II, Manuel I, ...

, such as George Palaiologos or Eumathios Philokales. Alexios I also used to take his family on day trips from Constantinople to visit Cyril at his monastery, to which he later granted a full tax exemption. Cyril died on 2 December 1110. His hagiography was written by Nicholas Kataskepenos within a few years after his death. The hagiography was published in a critical edition by E. Sargologos: ''La Vie de saint Cyrille le Philéote, moine byzantin (†1110)'', Brussels 1964.

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* * * {{authority control 1010s births 1110 deaths 11th-century Byzantine monks 12th-century Byzantine monks Byzantine saints of the Eastern Orthodox Church People from Istanbul Province