Stylian of Paphlagonia (Latin: ''Stylianus'', Greek: Στυλιανός), also known as Stylian the Hermit, is venerated as a saint from

Adrianopolis Edirne (; ), historically known as Adrianople, is a city in Turkey, in the northwestern part of the province of Edirne in Eastern Thrace. Situated from the Greek and from the Bulgarian borders, Edirne was the second capital city of the Ottoman ...

in the province of

Paphlagonia Paphlagonia (; , modern translit. ''Paflagonía''; ) was an ancient region on the Black Sea coast of north-central Anatolia, situated between Bithynia to the west and Pontus (region), Pontus to the east, and separated from Phrygia (later, Galatia ...

(modern

Turkey Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country mainly located in Anatolia in West Asia, with a relatively small part called East Thrace in Southeast Europe. It borders the Black Sea to the north; Georgia (country), Georgia, Armen ...

Life

Stylian of Paphlagonia was born in

sometime between AD 400 and 500. He distributed his inheritance among the poor and left the city to live in a monastery. His zealous devotion and asceticism provoked jealousy on the part of other monks, so he left the monastery to live as a hermit in a cave in the wilderness, where he spent his time in prayer and fasting."Venerable Stylianus of Paphlagonia", Orthodox Church in America
/ref> There, in the peace of the desert, Stylianos had time to observe creation and meditate upon it, and he saw the Creator in all things. His holiness was evident to the people of the surrounding area, and they came to listen to his teaching, or to be cured through his prayers. He knew how to calm troubled souls; other ascetics came to join him.Archimandrite Charalambos Vassilopoulos. "Saint Stylianos, The Protector of Children", Pemptousia, 26 November 2017
/ref> Stylian is known for his smiling countenance and cheerful disposition. He would periodically leave his hermitage and make pastoral visits to neighboring villages. Stylian was also known for his love of children. He believed that for a person to be saved, they needed to have their soul like that of a little child. Sometimes parents would leave their children with him for a period of time in order for them to receive some spiritual guidance. He is celebrated for his gift of healing children by his prayers. Parents would travel great distances seeking a cure for their offspring, which Stylian attributed to the holy name of God. He also acquired the reputation of a wonder-worker because his prayers seemed to help childless couples have a child. Even after his death, the people of Paphlagonia believed that he could cure their children. Whenever a child became sick, an icon of Saint Stylian was painted and hung over the child's bed.

Veneration

Saint Stylian is commemorated on

26 November Events Pre-1600 * 783 – The Asturian queen Adosinda is held at a monastery to prevent her nephew from retaking the throne from Mauregatus. * 1161 – Battle of Caishi: A Song dynasty fleet fights a naval engagement with Jin dy ...

Patronage

Saint Stylian is known as a protector of children, especially orphans. Pious Christians invoke him to help and protect their children; childless women entreat his intercession so that they might have children.

Iconography

Saint Stylian is depicted in iconography holding a swaddled infant in his arms.

Historicity

The

Bollandist The Bollandist Society (; ) is an association of scholars, philologists, and historians (originally all Jesuits, but now including non-Jesuits) who since the early seventeenth century have studied hagiography and the cult of the saints in Christia ...

Hippolyte Delehaye Hippolyte Delehaye, S.J., (19 August 1859 – 1 April 1941) was a Belgian Jesuit who was a hagiographical scholar and an outstanding member of the Society of Bollandists. Biography Born in 1859 in Antwerp, Delehaye joined the Society of Jesu ...

argued that Stylian never existed, but was a confusion with

Alypios the Stylite Alypius the Stylite () was a seventh-century ascetic saint. He is revered as a monastic founder, an intercessor for the infertile. During his lifetime he was a much sought-after starets (guide in the Christian spiritual life). Life Alypius w ...

, who shares a saint's day and city of birth, with the attribute 'stylite' being confused with a

cognomen A ''cognomen'' (; : ''cognomina''; from ''co-'' "together with" and ''(g)nomen'' "name") was the third name of a citizen of ancient Rome, under Roman naming conventions. Initially, it was a nickname, but lost that purpose when it became hereditar ...

Στυλιανός (both derived from στύλος 'pillar').Aristotle Papanikolaou, Elizabeth H. Prodromou, eds., ''Thinking Through Faith: New Perspectives from Orthodox Christian Scholars'', p. 168-169

Notes

Sources

* Poulos, The Rev. George, ''Orthodox Saints'', Orthodox Press (1986)

External links

Katolsk.no: Stylianos of Adrianople
{{authority control 6th-century Christian saints 6th-century Byzantine monks Byzantine saints Byzantine Paphlagonians People from Karabük Province