Daniel the Stylite
Daniel the Stylite (Greek: Δανιὴλ ὁ στυλίτης, c. 409 – 493) is a saint and stylite of the Eastern Orthodox, Roman Catholic and Eastern Catholic Churches. He is commemorated on 11 December according to the liturgical calendars of these churches.
Born~Died 409 ~ Dec 11, 490Last edited Oct 15, 2026, 5:14 PM
Details
- Born ~ Died
- 409 ~ Dec 11, 490
- Feast
- December 11
- Location
- 37.5795, 38.4813
Daniel the Stylite (Greek: Δανιὴλ ὁ στυλίτης, c. 409 – 493) is a saint and stylite of the Eastern Orthodox, Roman Catholic and Eastern Catholic Churches. He is commemorated on 11 December according to the liturgical calendars of these churches.1
History
Early life
Daniel was born in Maratha, a village in Upper Mesopotamia near Samosata in present-day Turkey. He entered a monastery at the age of 12 and lived there until he was thirty-eight. During a voyage he made with his abbot to Antioch, he passed by the city of Telanissos (today Deir Semaan) and received the benediction and encouragement of Simeon the Stylite. Then he visited various holy places, stayed in various convents, and retired in 451 AD into the ruins of a pagan temple.
Stylite
Daniel established his pillar north of Constantinople. The owner of the land where he placed his pillars had not been consulted, hence he appealed to the Byzantine emperor Leo I and patriarch Gennadius of Constantinople. The emperor proposed to dislodge him, but was deterred through unknown means. Gennadius ordained Daniel as a priest. When the ceremony was over, the patriarch administered the Eucharist by means of a ladder, which Daniel had ordered to be brought. Gennadius then received the Eucharist from Daniel. People from all over came to see him and touch his pillar, which healed the faithful. Daniel stood through rain, snow, and the freezing cold.
Daniel lived on the pillar for 33 years. Due to continuous standing, his feet were reportedly covered with sores, cuts, and ulcers, and the winds of sometimes stripped him of his scanty clothing.
This page is based on “Daniel the Stylite” from English Wikipedia, (r1278315170) CC BY-SA 4.0 used under the license. The original authors are listed in its page history.
Last edited Oct 15, 2026, 5:14 PM · r134320 · Text is available under CC BY-SA 4.0.